“I just finished my makeup, and you’re really gonna make me cry,” I sniffle, because who fucking wouldn’t after that.
My mom just chuckles and pulls me in for a hug, squeezing me tight with a deep breath before letting me go. Her hands stay on my shoulders while she gives me one more cursory glance.
“Okay, let’s gather our wits here and head downstairs, but I hope you thought through today enough to know waterproof is necessary, because I think we’re all gonna cry today,” she says, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Thank you, you know, for being an awesome mom, and beingmymom,” I tell her, tripping over my words. I’m absolutely horrible at this sentimental stuff.
My mom just huffs out a laugh. “Thank you for being my lovelychild,” she says, knocking my forehead lightly with her knuckle before grabbing my hand and leading me downstairs.
Everyone is gathered in the main living space. Tristan’s and Marcus’s parents are huddled up together, and Qi and Tristan are talking when Qi spots me first. A smile full of camaraderie stretches across his sweet face.
I frown at the absence of my favorite pair of obsidian eyes, and my father is missing from the living room, too.
Qi heads my way while I lean into Mom. “Where’s Dad and Marcus?”
“Oh, I think your Dad and Marcus went out back to have a discussion,” she says, and my heart rate kicks up at that, having no idea what Dad could possibly be saying to Marcus right now.
“Oh my god, Mom, please tell me he did not bring another copy of that butt book,” I catastrophize, because even though I know my dad is super supportive, I also know from how he is with my brother’s boyfriend how mortifying thesuperpart of that can be.
Mom snorts at that. “I’m pretty sure your dad is aware that you know how to take care of your butt after so many years.”
I roll my eyes at that. “Not even sure why he knows so much about butts anyway,” I mutter under my breath.
My mom leans into me and whispers. “Because he’s into pegging, dear,” she whispers before Qi’s close enough to hear her.
I didn’t realize I’d muttered loud enough for her to hear me, and the instant karma for that has my mouth dropping in horror while my mom chokes back a laugh at my face.
“I guess the mystery of where Qi gets his habit of oversharing is solved,” I tell her.
“What about me is solved?” Qi asks, getting close enough to hear me talking about him, but not fully hearing the subject matter.
Mom shoots me a grin that says, ‘go ahead and explain that one’ before she steps back, allowing everyone else to converge on me. I get saved from having to explain anything when Samayah and Dawn enfold me in their embrace while Trevor and Elijah clap me on the shoulders.
“Congratulations, Qiang! You look amazing; it’s no wonder you caught Marcus’s eye,” Samayah says.
“Caught more than just his eye, more like his whole soul,” Elijah responds with a huge smile.
I just blush at that when I notice Marcus and my dad coming in the house, both with wide smiles on their faces and my dad patting Marcus affectionately on the back. My eyes meet Marcus’s, and he shoots me a wink while my dad crosses the room to hug me.
Marcus hangs back while everyone fights to commandeer my attention. Even though I’m distracted by everyone, I can still feel his gaze from across the room as if it were a physical touch. The way his eyes take me in, and I meet his gaze to see the appreciation that I already knew was there.
He gives me a smile that’s so bright the sun frowns at being outdone when he feels my eyes on him, and I know he’s letting everyone else have their moment with me, but today ismyday, and everyone else can just deal with having Marcus with me as part of their moment with me.
I smile at my dad, who is closest to me, before I make my way across the room and thread my fingers through Marcus’s, tugging him back with me to everyone with the warmth of his body solidly next to mine.
It's not about needing his support or somehow feeling more complete with him. I'm complete on my own. I know that, even with the twisted-up mess that I’ve been slowly untangling in my head for months now. He just makes everything feel better,warmer. It's like adding a spice to your favorite dish, which makes it that much more delicious.
There’s also a part of it where no one reads my soul quite like he does. Qi comes pretty damn close, but Marcus has a way of knowing when I’m perfectly fine or when things are getting too heavy or too much. He knows when I want to push through or when I need an out. He knows when my innermost thoughts are being cruel or kind. And the part I love the most is that, in a setting like this, even though I’m surrounded by the people I love most, Ican get way overwhelmed, and he squeezes my hand to remind me to breathe.
“Alright, I think it’s time to head out,” Qi says, clapping his hands loudly to get everyone’s attention.
I raise an eyebrow in his direction because that’s usuallymymove. He just shoots me back a smug, happy grin, and I can’t help but shake my head at him with amusement. He throws his arm over the side of me that isn’t currently occupied by Marcus, and we walk out of the house together.
As much as I truly love everyone here, having the love of my life on one side of me, and the best little brother anyone ever hadeveron my other side, I think it’s about as close to perfection as life can get in a single moment.
When we get to the university, there are people everywhere. Families are making their way to the seating area while students find out where to line up. With ten of us in our group alone, it took three cars to get all of us here, and Marcus seized the opportunity while everyone got out of their cars and situated to pull me slightly off to the side.
He pulls me close and hooks his fingers under my chin, tilting my face up to his. He’s been doing this to me since we met, and it’s never ceased to set my heartbeat pounding to the most erratic rhythm.
