CHAPTER 30

Bastian

The sounds of laughter and talking filtered through the sliding glass door behind me. I had only been at the party for less than an hour, and I already wanted to head home. I had never been opposed to parties previously, but I felt like a different man than before, and the person I was now found no real enjoyment in the raucous party taking place. I also didn"t have my usual partner in crime to enjoy it with.

My days were now lived mostly quiet and alone. I went to my classes, studied in the library, walked around campus, and made small dinners that hardly qualified as food. Cooking had always been something I found joy in, but there was very little of that nowadays.

I had spent the last several weeks reflecting on my choices and the consequences that followed, but therapy had been a big help in recognizing my weak spots and making myself better. I was a hell of a long way from being okay, but I was on the right path. Each time I went to my sessions, I kept Micah first and foremost in my mind. I was doing this for him, for us. It didn"t matter if I never laid eyes on him again. He had made me want to be a better man, and I would hold to that for the rest of my life.

I hadn"t been able to see my future or much past the next day, but my therapist had said that I should take things one day at a time until I could see beyond it. She said to trust the process, and that"s what I was doing. Trust was something I needed to learn to do again, and that seemed like a pretty good first step.

Dawson and Nate had done everything in their power to stop me from spiraling and keep me company in the weeks following my break-up with Micah. They were largely successful in the sense that I hadn"t done anything harmful to myself like drown my liver beyond repair or get a hideously unflattering haircut, though that was Nate"s major concern for me. At least he had his priorities in order.

Micah"s things were sent to him in stages, each one worse than the last. Rhys had swung by the first time to grab his absolute necessities, and I cried through the night clutching one of his t-shirts. The second time, I had left a small bag of his things outside his apartment door without a note because I didn"t want to cause him more hurt. The last time, I asked Dawson to take the remains along with a letter I had written and the tickets I had locked away for over a month.

I even forced myself to give up the final t-shirt of Micah"s that I had, the one that had long since lost his smell and stopped bringing me the same comfort it once had. Giving it back was like losing my last connection to him, and it was embarrassing how hard it was to pack away. I wasn"t proud of the sobbing, useless mess I had been reduced to after last seeing Micah, but I also learned in therapy that there was no wrong way to grieve. So I let the tears fall and pushed through every day. Eventually, it became easier to control.

The last couple of weeks I had managed to pack up my apartment and move out. I joined a study group for final exams coming up, and I had even dragged myself out for coffee with some people from my classes. I didn"t talk too much, opting to let them drive the conversation, but I was proud of myself for getting out amongst the living again.

No matter what I did or where I went though, Micah was always on my mind. He was a ceaseless thought, a never-ending reel playing behind my eyes. I had so many questions about what he was doing, how he was hanging in there, or if he had been able to move on from everything.

I couldn"t think about him finding someone new, yet the one prayer I kept sending up was for him to be happy. I had caused him more than enough pain, and he deserved a full life of immense happiness. I wanted that for him so much. I could move through my days like this forever and be just fine, but I wanted more for him.

You grow up knowing that some lessons are learned the hard way, but as a kid you don"t think about how hard those lessons can hit you. You don"t comprehend the destruction those lessons can leave in your path, or what it can cost you.

Mine had cost me everything. I wasn"t guaranteed a second chance to make it right. My letter would either open his heart up to a second chance with me, or it would serve as my goodbye. Either way, I hoped it would bring him some measure of closure.

At that second the noise behind me grew in volume as someone opened the sliding door. I knew my solitude out here wouldn"t go unnoticed for long, but I wasn"t in the mood for company. We only had one week left in the semester, and at the end of it Micah would be going back to Dallas. It"s not like I didn"t know exactly where he"d be, but it felt like the ultimate nail in our coffin. A failed experiment that hadn"t worked out like we wanted.

I drowned the rest of my Solo cup, and moved to head back inside. I froze, glued to the spot and not breathing. My therapist would have a field day with the hallucination I was having now. A gorgeous, heart-wrenching hallucination that I wished to see every second of every day.

Micah stood staring at me, unmoving and unblinking for so long that I wondered if I had actually hallucinated him after all. Finally, he took a tentative step forward and spoke.

"Hey, Bash," he murmured, his shimmering caramel eyes locked on mine. I didn"t realize how badly I missed his voice until I heard those two words. Nothing special by themselves, yet they set my pulse thrumming and my chest clenching. He called me Bash…

"Hey, stranger," I hummed softly. I wasn"t sure what to call him and it was the weirdest, most unwelcome feeling. This was uncharted territory with us, and I wanted to tread carefully until I knew where we stood. Him being there wasn"t automatically a good thing. What if he came to say goodbye for good this time? Am I strong enough to say goodbye to him?…

My choice of moniker made him wince the tiniest bit, and if I didn"t know every inch of his face like my own, I would have missed it. "Can we…talk?" he asked a little stronger that time.

My insides were at war with the request. Half of me yearned to talk with him, to hear anything he had to say to me even if it ripped me apart. The other half was full of self-preservation and urged me not to put myself on the firing line of his words, knowing it would send me back to square one. The former won out.

"Yeah, of course. I"d like that," I told him honestly. I motioned with my head for him to follow me further into the backyard, down the steps of the short wooden deck to where a handful of tiki torches were lit at the far end of the lawn. I didn"t want to run the risk of someone coming outside and interrupting us. He followed so inaudibly that I had to check over my shoulder to see if he was still there.

"So…" Micah started, but he seemed to struggle with what to say. "I don"t know why this is so hard. It"s like the last nine years didn"t happen and I forgot how to talk to you," he muttered. He fidgeted with his hands and I could feel the anxiety coming off him. It twisted my gut to see him so uncomfortable around me, so I thought it best to put him out of his misery.

"I sold my app. The one I told you about," I shared with him, the one piece of light I had in weeks of darkness. His eyebrows shot up to his hairline and his jaw dropped.

"Bash, you…you actually did it? You really sold it?" Micah"s face was painted with shock and…maybe pride? He took a small step closer to me, and his scent wafted toward me with the breeze. It was so potent that I almost groaned when it hit me. I had missed everything about him, but his comforting smell had been one of the things I missed most.

"I really did. I used the ticket you got me and went to that Tech Summit, and it was amazing! I met so many people and even got a couple leads on some companies that I could work for one day, but one of the men I talked with said his company was always looking for new applications to invest in. I had a meeting with him and they offered for it on the spot." The smile snuck onto my face without warning, and it was one of the first genuine smiles I"d had in over a month.

Micah"s mouth quirked up slowly on one side in that beautiful half-smile I remembered so vividly. It still held the power to make my heart race, like a shot of adrenaline straight to my veins. "Bash, I am so fucking proud of you. I can"t believe you really did it! Does it have a name yet?"

"Well, they own it now and technically they can name it, but I did pitch them an idea that I hope they use," I smirked. "I told them I preferred "Beautiful Mind" or the BM app for short. Who knows if they"ll stick with it? As long as the app is being used to help people, I"m happy."

Micah"s brows furrowed slightly like he was trying to puzzle out what I said. "Beautiful Mind? BM as in…Bash and Micah?" His tone was tinged with hopefulness and awe when he figured it out.

I just nodded, smiling at him. I wanted a piece of us tied to the app even in the smallest sense, and that was what I came up with. He just smiled in return, biting his lower lip lightly.

"How are things with your parents? Is your…mom okay?" he asked nervously, his eyes not holding contact with me. My smile grew, and it seemed to throw him off.

"Everything is better than okay actually. My mom was never admitted, Micah. My dad lied to me. She"s finally divorcing him, and we"re both free." The words felt incredible to say, to share with him. The dumbstruck look on his face almost made me laugh, but I told him the whole story starting with when I had gone to confront dad and found mom at home, bringing him up to date on what mom and I had planned.

"We wanted to be sure that my dad wouldn"t have any more power over her, so my mom"s lawyer set me up with Power of Attorney over her mental health. I had a complete psych evaluation to deem me fit to make decisions for her if needed, and my dad can"t circumvent it. If he ever tried to get a judge to commit her, I"d have the last word on the matter. I felt weird about it at first, but mom said she trusts me implicitly. As long as I don"t use it to throw her in a nursing home later," I laughed, remembering her making the joke in better spirits than I had seen from her in years.

Micah was floored by all I had told him, but he also appeared happy and relieved for me as well. "But…what about money and your schooling? You said your mom was getting alimony, but is that enough for you to finish school on?"

"I don"t need her to pay for anything. My app didn"t bring in millionaire money by a long shot, but it"ll be enough to live off of for a few years at least. I already paid off the remainder of UT, and I leased a new apartment near campus. It all worked out pretty damn perfectly," I told him with a soft smile, hoping he"d ask about the new detail I dropped on him.

"Right…I heard you moved. How are the new digs?" He tried to come across as nonchalant, but I could see right through him. He was hurt by the news, but I wanted to show him how good it actually was.

"It"s a pretty remarkable place. I got really lucky when I was looking. Would you…want to see it?" I cautiously asked him, praying I wasn"t misreading things between us right now.

He worried his bottom lip with his teeth, debating my offer. My breath was coming in tiny sips as I waited for him to either accept or turn me down flat.

"I"d really like that," he said after several seconds of silence. I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Come on, then. I"ll drive."

*****

The twelve minute car ride to my new place was tense and quiet, only the sounds of Maroon 5 playing low in the background. I wasn"t going to pass up an opportunity to get to him any way I could. If I had to use Adam Levine to do it, then so be it. I also knew it took an iron will for him not to sing along to one of his favorites, and I bit back a chuckle.

The apartments were a beautiful, red brick building that had a slight vintage look to them that seemed out of place in the urban environment. They looked closer to something one would see in the historic district of Boston or Philadelphia, and I fell in love with them at first sight. I also knew I wouldn"t be the only one.

"Wow…Bash, these are beautiful. The architecture is amazing," Micah breathed in awe, looking up out of the windshield. We got out and I held out a slightly shaky hand to him. Surprisingly, he reached out and took it and that familiar electricity zapped through my skin. I could tell he felt it too when he let out a sharp gasp, audible even over the sounds of the city.

I led him to the elevators and we took it to the top floor of the building. It was only eight stories high, but it faced the river and had a breathtaking view. I was so excited for him to see it. When I opened the door to the apartment, Micah"s jaw unhinged for the tenth time that night as he took it all in.

The entryway was open to the living room in front of us, the vaulted ceilings making the space feel larger than it was. I had a TV mounted to the wall opposite the couch, and the UT-colored throw blanket that Micah"s mom had knit for Christmas was slung over the back. The kitchen was across from it, catty-corner to where we stood by the door. It was all dark wood cabinets and quartz counter tops, the island holding the giant farm sink that I thought he"d love. There were bar stools under the island, and a small coffee cart off in the corner that Micah had always wanted.

The biggest draw in the open space were the floor to ceiling windows that slid open onto a large patio with a white, iron railing. The view framed the city skyline and the river below it, the lights of the buildings reflecting on the smooth surface of the water. It looked like a painting. Every time I stood there looking out, it reminded me of him and I would bask in our happiest memories.

I stood still as Micah ever so slowly ventured into the room, coming to stand right in front of the windows and gazing out at the city. I saw his reflection in the glass and could almost make out his shiny, glazed eyes.

"I picked it with you in mind," I murmured behind him, taking a couple of steps closer. "When I saw it, I knew it had everything that you would love. I knew you wanted a mounted TV, a bar stool island, a farm sink, a coffee cart, and a great view to look at while you work and drink your coffee. The bedroom even has a giant bay window with plenty of space for a desk in front of it, like you always wanted."

He turned slowly to face me, espresso orbs glossy with tears. "I rented it for us, M. I didn"t know if I"d ever see you again, but I wanted this place for us. Every decision I make from here on out will be for you and us."

When he didn"t move or breathe, I took a gamble and closed the distance between us, leaving only a couple of inches. I saw his breathing catch in his throat and my own stuttered to match, making swallowing a difficult feat at the moment.

I reached up and ran my knuckles across his cheek in the barest of touches. My heart skipped a beat when he leaned into my touch, his eyes closing and releasing a single tear. "Give me a chance to earn your heart back, M. I need it to be mine again because I"m so fucking lost without you."

He peered back at me, a vulnerability so plain on his handsome features that it hurt to see. "How can I trust that you"ll keep choosing me? That you won"t find an easier option later on if you get scared again?"

"Because you"re wrong, M. We are not an option, we are not a choice to make. We are inevitable. It was always going to be you and me, baby. There was no other way our story could end but together. My heart has no other choices or options because it was only ever meant to be yours."

More tears escaped down his cheeks and his piercing eyes stayed riveted to mine. No words were spoken, no noises made. We simply stared at one another. Nothing needed to be said at that point.

Our hearts had always understood each other in the silence.

Micah nodded his head so minutely I almost doubted I saw it, but I felt it in my core. He was giving me a chance. Without a second of hesitation, I crushed my lips to his and my world righted itself in a single heartbeat.

My head spun and my heart thrashed in my chest, all the pieces snapping back into place in perfect harmony. I released a deep groan that was swallowed by Micah"s sweet, soft mouth and he echoed with a moan of his own. My tongue ran across the seam of his lips and when he parted for me, my tongue speared inside looking for its mate. They ran together gently, reacquainting themselves as we took the time to devour each other for the first time in almost two months.

His hands dove into my hair, anchoring me to him and I wrapped my arms around his lithe body. Our kissing was savage and fierce, a clash of teeth and tongues and groans that had my blood boiling and my cock filling. Micah finally pulled back to catch his breath. "Take me to bed, Bash. Make me yours again," he whispered.

I squatted down just low enough to grab him under his toned ass, and hoisted him up in my arms. Instinctively, his legs circled my waist and his hands stayed tangled in my hair as I strode us toward the bedroom. The room that would actually be ours.

I kicked the door close behind me and sat down on the bed with him in my lap. We continued our sensual exploration of the other"s mouth, draining each other of air and all reason. I drew back, sucking in a lungful of air and grasping his face in my hands. "Micah baby…is this real?" I asked, needing the confirmation more than anything.

"Yes, my love. It"s real. I"m yours, I"ve always been yours. I forgive you." Micah kissed the words onto my lips, feeding me each one as if that would make them more real. I gladly took them, tasting each one like a sweet elixir. He was really mine again, and I would never let him go.

I gripped him tight and flipped us around, his back landing on the bed as I covered him. We were frenzied in our efforts to remove all the clothes separating us, desperate for skin on skin contact. My pants were the last to come off, and we both unleashed a moan when I brought my body back on top of his. I started raining kisses down his throat and across his collarbone, trailing further south until I reached his pecs. I sucked one of his nipples into my mouth, lavishing it with my tongue and teeth as he writhed and moaned under me. His hips gently bucked up into mine, seeking out friction for his solid erection I could feel against my groin. I took my time tugging and sucking on his nipples, making them puckered and wet.

I chuckled when I felt his hands on top of my shoulders, pushing me down his body. I willingly went, sucking and licking as I went until I reached his leaking cock. I locked eyes with him as I pressed open-mouthed kisses to his shaft, and I felt it twitch under my lips. I got impatient and took him into my mouth all the way to the back. I gagged slightly on his length, and Micah yelped in pleasure. I bobbed my head up and down, sucking hard and relishing in the intoxicating taste of his precum. It was pulsing into my mouth in an almost steady stream, and I wondered how close he was to the edge. I swirled my tongue around his tip, which caused him to thrust his hips up into my face. I gagged again, and it elicited a sweet groan from him.

"Jesus Bash, I missed your fucking mouth…" he gasped, hands clutching the sheets next to him. I slurped off of his dick, smirking at him.

"Is that all you missed, baby? Or did you want something else, too?" I taunted as I crawled back over him. I straddled his chest, my hardened cock a fraction away from his luscious mouth. The wicked glint in his eye showed me how badly he wanted it. With no warning, he swallowed the tip and sucked hard. Stars burst behind my lids, his velvet mouth bringing me to the edge of sanity in under a second. He sucked even more of my length in and my legs started to shake.

"Oh ffffuck, baby…be a good boy and suck my cock…get me hard enough to fuck you good," I grunted, thrusting my hips carefully into his throat while he choked a little on it. His eyes were glassy with tears, saliva pooled around his lips as he took me in further. He was a fucking vision.

"You are so fucking pretty, Micah baby…I can"t wait to watch my dick disappear inside you." My words drew a moan out of him and the vibration was too much. I pulled my cock out of his mouth, grabbing the base hard to stave off the building pleasure. I leaned down and captured his lips again in a feral kiss, tasting the faintest hint of my precum on his tongue.

I released him and moved back to put our cocks in line with each other. I grabbed his thickened length, stroking it hard and drawing out the sexiest sounds from him. I then brought our tips together, end to end, sliding up my foreskin until it covered his head. I worked it over him more, feeding his cock into the soft, warm blanket of skin, the suction we created together euphoric.

Micah leaned up on his elbows, watching in rapturous disbelief at what I was doing. "Oh fuck me, Bash…why does that feel so fucking good?" I squeezed around our joined heads and his head tipped back on a low groan.

I sped up my movements, jacking us together in concentrated bliss, needing to push him over the cliff. "I need you to come for me, M. Spray that hot cum all over me, so I can fuck you properly with it." His body shuddered below me, his cock growing impossibly hard as I gripped us tighter.

"Oh shit, oh shit!" he whimpered before his dick erupted, pulsing against my tip as his cum overflowed from under my foreskin. The feeling was unreal and I groaned roughly. It felt warm and sticky inside as I kept us together, still moving my hand and milking him through his orgasm. His sounds were animalistic and raw, his chest heaving. He finally collapsed back on the bed, catching his breath. I didn"t wipe off any of his release, but rather leaned over him to grab my lube from the hiding place on the side of the headboard.

He looked up at me when he heard the snick of the lid opening, and watched me cover my cum-coated dick in lube. I smeared it over me, the slick glaze and his cum mixing together and getting me wet. He must"ve known what I was planning because I heard his sharp intake of breath and saw his tongue dart out to wet his lips. "You like that, baby? Want me to feed your cum into that pretty pink hole of yours?" I asked in rough, low voice.

"Fffuck…baby, yes, that"s so hot…" he moaned, thrusting his hips up incrementally in blatant invitation. I lubed up three of my fingers and quickly opened him up, having to ignore his moans and whimpers as my fingers stretched and scissored him so I wouldn"t come from the sound alone. Once I was satisfied he was loose and wet enough to take me, I grabbed him behind his knees and pushed his legs up to his chest. He wrapped his arms under to hold his legs for me, beautiful and open to my gaze.

I took a second to appreciate having this beautiful, incredible man in my bed again. My best friend. My heart flipped and pounded inside me, so full of love I could barely stand it.

I bent over him and laid a hard, hot kiss to his soft lips, biting the plush bottom lightly as I gripped my cock in hand and pressed it to his entrance. I held his gaze as I thrust firmly into him, the head popping past the first ring of muscle. His breathing was coming in hard pants, our breaths dancing in the air between us. "I love you, Bash," Micah said sweetly, pecking my lips once more.

"I love you with everything I am, Micah," I whispered back as I thrust into him, sliding home in one powerful move. He threw his head back on a scream, pain and pleasure running across his features in equal measure. I held still inside him, feeling complete and at home in his perfect body. I squeezed my eyes shut, counting backward from ten to gain control so I didn"t come too fast.

When he had adjusted to the intrusion, I drew out until just the tip remained inside him, thrusting back in slow and deep. Our groans mirrored each other as I began pumping in a steady rhythm, savoring the hot, snug feel of his channel around my cock. Nothing on earth felt as right and heavenly as being connected to Micah in this way. Our bodies creating the sweetest friction that sparked an inferno within us that wiped out all rational thought. All I could see, hear, and feel was him. My world funneled into a single point of existence where it was only me and him, nothing else.

"God baby, I fucking missed the feel of you around me so fucking badly…nothing feels like being inside this perfect, tight hole of yours," I groaned, pounding into him so hard that my hips slapped loudly against his pert ass.

"Fuck me harder, Bash…give me every inch of that big cock and make me scream," Micah whimpered, his hands clawing at my shoulders for dear life as I fucked him harder, but I didn"t want this to be over too soon. I wanted to get as deep as I could.

I pulled out and Micah whined in protest. "No! Please don"t stop! I need you so much, Bash!"

I just gathered him up into my arms and sat up, bringing him on top of my lap until he was sitting on me, our chests pressed together tightly. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and my fingers ran up and down his back soothingly. I raised him up and poised myself back at his slick hole. He gently lowered himself on top of me, his ass taking all eight inches so beautifully that my eyes rolled back in my head. "Holy fuck, Micah…this ass was made for me, baby. This hole knows exactly whose dick belongs inside it, doesn"t it?"

He just moaned in response, gliding along my length as he moved up and down on my lap. It was slower, a sensual dance that made it hard to breath from the tide of emotions threatening to engulf us. Our eyes never left each other, an entire conversation spoken without words. I felt the telltale tingle slide along my spine, my orgasm rushing up and pleasure racing through my veins.

"Fuck, I"m getting close, M. I need you to get there." I moved him faster on top of me, pistoning my hips up and hunting for that elusive spot that would have him gushing for me.

"Oh, I can"t! I can"t come again, baby…" he sobbed, clinging desperately to me, sweat making his hair stick to his forehead.

"Yes, you can. I own your body, baby, and I want you to come again. Give in to me, love. Give me what I want and let go for me," I coaxed, wrapping my hand around his sticky length and pumping him in my fist. "Give me more of that cum and then drain me dry. I want to empty myself into your sexy body and mark you as mine from the inside out. Fucking give it to me, M."

I changed my angle just enough that I swiped his prostate, pegging it a couple more times before he yelled out his release, his climax so violent that he convulsed on my lap. His cum spurted out in long streams, covering us both and making me drool to taste it.

"Oh fucking hell, I"m gonna come…Micah, I"m gonna come so hard…" I grunted, needing one last push to send me hurtling over the edge into oblivion.

"Come for me, Bash. Use that cock to fill me so good. Own me, baby," he gasped out, still riding the high of his orgasm. Micah reached out and bit down on my bottom lip hard, and it was all over.

"FUCK! I"m coming!" I roared, my dick shooting off hard. Chills broke out across my heated flesh and my release raced down my spine, pouring every last drop deep inside his pretty, puckered hole. I kept coming in waves, my cock pulsing out ropes of cum as his body greedily sucked it all in. Distantly I registered Micah"s moans and whimpers and the gentle rocking of his body against mine.

I crushed him to me as I was lost to pleasure so intense I thought I"d pass out. Our sweaty, cum-slicked bodies writhed together, both of us aching to get as close as possible as if we could absorb the other into our very skin. It took ages for me to come back down and catch my breath, cradling Micah"s head to my shoulder.

When I felt warm wetness on my collarbone, I gripped his hair lightly and pulled him up to look at me. I saw tears on his face and grew instantly worried. "Sweetheart, what"s wrong? Did I hurt you?" I swiped my thumb under his eye to wipe away an errant tear.

The smile he gave me stole my breath and made my stomach flutter. "No, not at all. I"m just…I never thought I"d be this happy again. I missed you so much it hurt to breathe. You"re the other half of my soul, Bash. I never want to be without you again," he cried.

"Oh love, I promise you I will never let you go. You are my whole heart, and I will use every second left to me in this life to give you everything you deserve and more. I will never lie to you again. You are my home, Micah, and I will love you for the rest of this life and the next." I sealed my promise with a kiss I felt down to my soul.

The rest of the night we talked, laughed and made love until we fell asleep in a sated, exhausted heap. My love had come back to me, and I wouldn"t take that for granted. I meant every syllable I said to him. I would earn him with each second gifted to me on this earth, and make it so he"d never doubt his decision to choose us again.

*****

"Is that the last of the boxes or are there more in the truck?" I asked, sweaty and overheated from the heavy lifting of the last couple of hours. Micah and Dawson trailed into the room behind me, both looking as gross as I felt.

"Nah, I think that was all of it, but you can walk me out and check before I head out," Dawson panted, tired from bringing in the heavy as fuck desk that Micah insisted on bringing with him.

We had both decided that we didn"t want to waste any more time being apart, so he officially moved into my apartment today, only six days after getting back together. It would probably be way too soon and creepy under normal circumstances, but with nine years of friendship and a love for the ages under our belts, we didn"t want to put any stock into what was normal or not. We simply wanted to be together.

It was beyond amazing to finally call the apartment ours. I didn"t know what I had done in a past life to deserve this extraordinary second chance with Micah, but I"d be forever grateful and wouldn"t squander it.

Micah sidled up next to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and tilting his head up in a silent plea. I smirked and kissed him soundly on the lips, knowing exactly what he wanted. Greedy, little thing…I fucking love it.

"Yeah, we"ll head down with you just to make sure" I replied to Dawson. My arm stayed draped across Micah"s shoulders as we rode the elevator down to the ground level. This whole week we stayed connected almost 24/7, some part of our bodies always touching if we could help it. I think it was what we needed after spending so long apart, and neither of us complained. It didn"t take long at all to slip back into our codependent habits, but fuck if I didn"t love each and every minute of it.

The doors opened and we all three spilled out, talking about random shit. We came across a couple kissing in the lobby, and Dawson stumbled to a halt. His eyes grew wide and his body radiated tension as he watched the two men locking lips.

One of them was a tiny little twink, cute and boyish. His clothes looked wrinkled and his hair was rumpled, and he looked like he got a good fucking last night. The guy kissing him was about five inches taller, lean and muscular. He had short, ashy blond hair that was longer on top, tousled as though he had hands running through it repeatedly. He probably did if we"re being honest…

He had a perfectly sculpted nose and the slightest stubble on his upper lip and chin, a crystal stud twinkling in his right earlobe. He smiled at the twink, his teeth flawless and white, and it kicked a deep dimple into his cheek. He was in nothing but black boxers that hung low on his hips and somehow gave off a cocky, surfer vibe. His body was studded with tattoos, some on his wrists, arms, and ribs. When he noticed our presence, his eyes swung toward us and when they landed on Dawson, the smile fell off his face and he drained of color.

I looked toward Dawson, seeing his stance unchanged and looking paler himself. The surfer dude turned and whispered something to his little friend who then looked at us in confusion before leaning up for one more kiss and sauntering off through the front doors. Surfer-underwear guy straightened up and started walking toward the elevators, darting around us, but he gave Dawson one last glance as he passed by and the look in his eyes was haunted and sad. He quickly disappeared behind the closing doors, and I turned to my shell-shocked friend.

"Dude, who was that? Did you know him?" I asked, but it seemed pretty obvious he did.

Dawson shook his head as if coming out of a trance, and let out a shaky breath. I had never seen him that rattled before. "Uh, yeah…he used to be my best friend back in high school. And…he"s also my ex."

Well, fuck me blind…I didn"t see that shit coming.

"Your ex? You"ve dated guys before? How did I not know you were bisexual?" I mused aloud, shook by this new revelation. Dawson ran a hand over his face and made a disgruntled sound.

"I haven"t dated guys, just that guy. We were…like, each other"s firsts. Anyway, I haven"t seen him since before we graduated and I didn"t know he was back in town. It doesn"t matter. I gotta get going." He dug his keys out of his pocket and headed for the doors. "Just let me know if you need anything else, alright?" he muttered to us before leaving.

"Yeah, will do. Thanks so much for your help today, man. We really appreciate it," I waved at him, understanding that he was looking for a quick escape after the tense encounter. Dawson gave me a small smile and a wave back, pushing through the doors and making a beeline for his truck.

The second he was out of earshot, Micah piped up. "Holy shit, I would not have called that one! I guess that"s one more friend riding the rainbow train with us, huh?" he chortled, steering us back to the elevators.

"Yeah, but I didn"t ever get that vibe from Dawson, and I"ve known him for years! It"s kind of weird his ex is one of our neighbors. I hope he"s not on our floor for Dawson"s sake," I said in the elevator ride to the top. "I mean, I really shouldn"t be so shocked because if anyone"s learned how fluid sexuality can be, it"s definitely me," I said, reflecting on the truth of that statement. Micah snickered, pulling me into the apartment once we got the door unlocked.

"Oh, I"m very aware! You finally learned that the D beats the V every time," he teased, his eyebrows wagging exaggeratedly. I laughed loudly and scooped him over my shoulder, his sexy bubble butt right next to my face. I smacked it once firmly, causing him to yelp.

"Bash! For fuck"s sake, put me down!" Micah grumbled, but I could hear the humor in his voice. I relented and set him down, but not before I laid one more smack to his cheek.

He was breathless and giggling when I put him back on his feet, his arms ensnaring me around the neck and pulling me close. "Well, I"m officially all moved in, roomie. Whatever shall we do now?" he asked in a sexy rumble.

I cupped the back of his head and drew him to my lips, taking his mouth in a deep, passionate embrace that had my toes curling and my stomach in knots. Our tongues tangled and reveled in the sweetness of the other"s taste. Once we were both breathless, we broke apart and rested our foreheads together.

"Now, we do whatever we want to, baby. We have the rest of our lives." I gave him another sweet, chaste kiss, unable to get enough of tasting him.

"Is this real, baby?" Micah asked softly, echoing the question I had asked him a week ago when he came back to me.

I nodded, tightening my grip on him until all the space between our bodies was erased. "Yeah, sweetheart. This is real."

What we had was real. Real love was finding your soulmate in your best friend. Two souls reunited because they knew that no matter how many years, decades, centuries, or lifetimes stretched between them, they"d always find their way back to each other.

We found our way back to one another despite everything. I trusted we always would.