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It sent a spike of tenderness through Bram’s guts.
“Nah, that’s okay. I can just tell you.” Bram glanced toward the couch. Sometimes Zachary didn’t sit down until Bram did, happy to just talk standing up. But he saw the movie paused on the TV.
“Sorry, I didn’t even ask if I was interrupting you.”
“That’s okay. I’ve seen it before. I paused it.”
Bram sat on the couch and Zachary settled beside him, facing him instead of the TV.
“After we dropped off the shelters, Rye offered me a job.” Bram grinned. “He started a catch and release program for neutering and spaying cats that were going to stay outdoors, but he and River—that’s his coworker—”
“I know River. They’re Adam’s sibling.”
“Oh! Got it. I’m still learning the genealogy of Garnet Run. Yeah, so River was going to help Rye with it, but they have their hands full with doing all the social media stuff and the daily cat care, so it didn’t really get fully launched. So I’m going to run it. It’s going to be so great. I’ll get to be outside, I’ll get to work with animals, and maybe if the project goes well, we’ll even expand it. I don’t know. Probably I’m getting ahead of myself. But Rye’s so great, and so is River, and I’m really excited!”
He was trying very hard not to grab Zachary and bounce him up and down in excitement. His siblings were used to it—the way his enthusiasm sometimes felt larger than his body, uncontainable, but other people didn’t always love being (as his father had called it) Tigger bounced.
“That’s wonderful. Rye was smart to ask you—you’ll do a great job.”
He smiled, but there was something a tinge off about it.
“Are you okay? You look really tired.”
Now that Bram looked, Zachary had darkness smudged under his eyes and his hair was wilder than he usually liked it to be.
Zachary nodded. “I am.”
“How come, baby?”
Zachary’s eyes widened at the endearment. It had come out so naturally and upon reflection it sounded right.
“Is it okay that I called you that?”
Zachary ducked his head and nodded. Bram had called him that during sex from time to time, but he hadn’t been sure he noticed he was doing it.
“I like it.”
“Me too.”
He held an arm out to Zachary, who settled against his chest. He wound one of Zachary’s curls around his finger.
“I went to Denver today.”
It took Bram a moment to parse that. “Denver, Colorado?”
“Yeah. I’m up for a promotion and the interview was in person. The firm is in Denver.”
Bram searched his mind for any mention of a promotion or a trip and found none.
Flustered, he said, “How did it go?”
“I think... I think it went well. I can’t always tell about interpersonal things, though.”
“Er, if you get the job, would you be moving to Denver?”
Zachary nodded. “Yes, the junior partners all work locally.”
Bram blinked. “Oh. I... I didn’t realize.”
Thoughts ran riot through his head. Zachary leaving, Zachary not even telling him about a promotion that meant he might be leaving... Were they not in a relationship? Bram was pretty sure they were.
“I didn’t mention it,” Zachary confirmed. “I don’t know if I’ll get it.”
“But if you get it, you’ll take it?”
Zachary furrowed his brow. “Yes.”
He looked so tired.
Bram stroked Zachary’s back. Zachary drooped with a sigh of comfort and Bram leaned back, pretty sure Zachary would be asleep within minutes. Bram wanted to text Moon, but he wasn’t sure what to say. If your boyfriend moves without telling you, is that a sign he’s just not that into you?
As Zachary’s eyes began to flutter closed, Bram asked, “Can I change what I assume is a terrifying movie to something else?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
Zachary nudged the remote to him.
Bram put on a cheery baking show and half watched it while he stroked Zachary’s hair and back, with Zachary’s head in his lap.
“Go to sleep, baby,” he murmured, and Zachary nodded, snuggling closer.
He slid his phone out to send Moon not that text. He thought Zachary had fallen asleep when he murmured softly.
“Do you ski?”
* * *
Saturday morning dawned crisp and sunny. Bram had nudged Zachary awake after a few hours on the couch and encouraged him into bed. He’d been about to turn and leave when Zachary’s hand had reached out of the nest of blankets and grabbed his fingers, tugging him into bed.
“Stay?” Zachary had asked, and Bram’s heart had soared.
Now, Zachary was still deeply asleep, but when Bram got out of bed he shifted and opened his eyes.
“I’m going to go feed Hem and take her on her walk. You keep sleeping.”
Zachary nodded and buried his face back in the pillow.
Bram gave his tousled head a kiss, and left smiling.
Hemlock was waiting for him at the door with her leash on the floor next to her.
“You ready, sweetheart? Good girl.”
He pulled on a sweater and clipped on her leash and they ventured out into the sunlight.
