When we’re both breathless, he pulls away just far enough away to meet my eyes with his watery ones. I’d like to pretend like mine aren’t just as watery, but I’d be a damned liar.
“I’ve known that I’m in love with you for a while now; I’ve just been waiting for you to say it out loud. But I love you, Qiang Jiang, so fucking much,” he rumbles, and I can’t help the few tears that escape my watery eyes.
He wraps his arms around me and pulls me up tight against him, my face nuzzling into his perfect chest.
“When did you know?”
“The first night we made love, after the movie marathon,” I tell him honestly. “But it wasn’t like I fell in love at that moment; I just realizedI had been falling all along. I don’t actually know when I fell, you know,” I ramble out like I do when I get emotional.
“When did you?” I ask, trying to get the spotlight off of me so I can calm my system down a bit.
“The day after your naughty phone call,” he says, and the surprise of his answer pulls me up short.
“Oh my god, are you serious?” I ask, pulling away slightly to meet his amused eyes.
He chuckles a bit, his handsome face curling into a shy smile.
“Honestly, I think I already knew at that point, but the ridiculous amount of smitten I was the next day was the final realization that this was everything. And then after the fight between Kingston and Qi, the amount of possessiveness in my chest was the final clue.”
I frown at that because that day ended so horribly for such a cataclysmic realization.
“And that all ended so terribly,” I say, reaching up to caress his face. “I’m so sorry,” knowing the heavy regret in how much I mean it is in my voice.
Marcus shakes his head. “I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t hate all of that, but it’s mostly because I knew you were in pain, and I can’t stand the thought of you being in pain. But I also think that if everything had been easy between us, we might not be as solid now. I don’t think it’s like that for everyone. I think there are a lot of people where simple works; I mean, look at how perfectly Tristan and Qi fell.
But I think everything that got us here just strengthened where we are now. Not that parts of it didn’t suck, but I’m just—I think, more grateful. I can’t imagine ever taking you or us for granted, but I wonder if that would have been as solidified for me as it is now if this had been easier. Which probably sounds insensitive as hell because I would never be happy for the pain you felt that made this rough–”
“Marcus,” I interrupt him before he can spiral himself into a deeper circle. “I get what you’re saying, and I really don’t know how to express how I feel right now other than just to say I’msohappy it’s you.”
Marcus lets out a heavy breath before his easy grin flashes backacross his face and he leans down to kiss me again, his tongue sweeping my mouth in a way that has my toes curling.
“Okay, okay, okay,” I chuckle, shoving him lightly away. “I love you, and you love me, now go sit back down while I finish up here.”
Marcus laughs at that and lightly nudges my chin before sitting back down. I go back to cleaning the shelves, but watch him out of the corner of my eye as he takes in the room while a comfortable silence settles between us.
It feels a little odd that I think this is the first time he’s ever really sat down in this room, considering he built it. Obviously, not the first time he’s been in here, but pretty sure it’s the first time he’s been in here for more than a minute or two. His eyes slowly trace the many ways I’ve personalized the space since I moved in.
I angle myself specifically so I can see his face while I muse aloud. “I always kind of wondered if you built this room yourself, or had someone else build it.”
His eyes pop open because, up until now, I’ve never done anything to insinuate that I hadn’t completely swallowed his, Tristan’s, and Qi’s lie that Tristan was the one who had this room decked out for my comfort.
“Tristan–” he starts to say, but I completely anticipated him falling back on the lie they cooked up months ago and immediately interrupt him.
“Come on, babe, we both know you’re a terrible liar,” I scoff.
Marcus has enough decency to look mildly chagrined for a moment before he narrows his eyes at me.
“How long have you known?”
I roll my eyes back at him. “Since before classes started. That first night Gio came to the house, I dropped a comment about using the studioTristanhad so kindly built for me, and Tristan tripped so hard over the sentiment that the lie became obvious. I assumed the reason the lie worked when it was first presented was that you guys rehearsed it beforehand, but when I randomly dropped the comment, Tristan wasn't prepared for it. And none of you are good liars. Irealized I’d been had but decided it would be a little ridiculous to throw a fit about it then, so I let it go.”
“And then waited until now to say something,” Marcus says, almost accusatory with an eyebrow quirked up at me.
I chuckle at his mock-offended expression. “Honestly, I never really meant to wait so long, but a lot of shit has happened and gotten in the way of simple things like that. Not that the studio is simple at all, I am immensely grateful for it, and for you having built it,” I tell him, leaning down to drift my lips across his.
He chases my lips with his, and then huffs before plopping back down when I move just out of reach. He laughs and reaches out, curling his hands around my hipbones, pulling me back in close, and looking up at me.
“You deserve it,” he says, placing a sweet kiss on my belly. I can’t help but reach down and run my thumbs along his cheekbones. His eyes close briefly with contentment before he opens them back up to look at me.
