Page 88 of Garbage

Evan laughed. “Please do! I think most programs have express pathways for sparks, so make sure to find those. You might be able to skip through some entry level stuff.” He shrugged. “Or maybe you should do it anyway, just to get the hang of how the programs work.”

“Okay, Evan.” Quincy was already signing up to get more information on four different options. Evan had the best ideas.

“I think I need some dinner,” Evan told him. “Are you going to stay here and research?”

Quincy sat up. “I’ll come to the kitchen and research. If that’s alright. Or… I could cook dinner if you want me to?”

Evan gave him a squeeze, rubbing their noses together. Quincy had started calling it a kitten kiss after one of the videos he saw.

“Nope. You don’t have to cook. I know you’ll want to look up everything. Just keep me company and tell me what you find out.”

Evan dragged him from the room, which was helpful because Quincy was only halfway paying attention to where he was.

“Sorry if I’m ignoring you,” he remembered to mention as Evan led him to a chair.

Evan ran a hand through Quincy’s hair. “Don’t worry. I love you just the way you are.”

Evan’s fingers tightened for a moment, and he seemed to be forcing himself to relax. It took a moment for Quincy to replay the words he’d just missed.

Then all thoughts of his career were gone. “You love me?” Bubbles and butterflies exploded in his chest.

“Yeah?” Evan asked, like it was a question. Like he was worried that Quincy might not feel the same way.

It was a stupid question.

Quincy was going to smother him with love. He was going to love him forever.

Because Evan loved him!

Quincy pulled his boyfriend (his boyfriend!) into his lap. “I love you, too!” He kissed everywhere he could reach. “I love you, I love you, I love you. Rwy’n dy garu di.”

Evan laughed, eyes sparkling with joy. “Yeah?”

Quincy repeated the statement a few more times. Alright, maybe a dozen. Okay, eighteen. With kisses in between.

“Now, you have to say it!” Quincy told him.

Evan laughed. “I love you.”

“Again.”

“I love you, Quincy Llwyd. I still can’t believe you took my last name.”

“Because I’m not changing my mind, fy nghariad.” My love.

Evan gave him a soft look. “I think I actually believe you.”

Quincy glared.

“Alright, I believe you. I just still can’t believe I’m so lucky. You know, I think I started to fall in love the minute you sat in my car.”

Quincy gave him a kitten kiss. “I was late, then. I didn’t know it at the time, but I think I decided you were going to be mine when you gave me my towel.”

Evan shook his head, chuckling. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t actually mean to give it to you. If I’d known how you would interpret it, I would have given you something much nicer.”

“Oh, I know. I mean, I figured that out, later. But it’s still my favorite possession. It meant everything to me having it while I was waiting for the trial.” He didn’t even say jail. He didn’t want to think about those gray walls again, even to remember how he’d hugged that soft, blue fabric to his cheek and inhaled Evan’s scent.

They both went quiet for a moment.