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“Champagne?” he offered, tilting his head toward the bottle from the night before. They had been tired and overwhelmed after their conversation on the beach and had tumbled into bed, holding each other and falling asleep before they could drink it.
“Sure,” Sam said, slipping off her flip-flops. “Wanna sit outside?”
Aero nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Sam kissed him softly and headed for the balcony.
She sat on the cushioned bench and looked out over the water. The sun had set, the sky was a deep twilight purple, and the stars were winking down at her. She sighed contentedly, tucking her bare feet up underneath herself.
Aero emerged a few minutes later carrying two full champagne flutes.
“Thank you.” Sam took one of the flutes while he sat beside her. “Should we toast? That’s what people do with champagne, right?”
Aero chuckled. “Sure. What should we toast to?”
Sam thought about it for a moment, surveying his face. He smiled at her, the sight making her knees feel weak, and then it came to her.
“To love,” she whispered, and his eyes widened. For a second, she thought she’d made a horrible mistake, but he said softly, “To love,” and clinked his glass against hers.
Sam started breathing again, sipping the champagne, and watching Aero intently.
“Sammy,” he said, gazing at her intently.
“Hmm?”
He took her free hand in his and brushed his lips along her knuckles.
“I wanna be with you,” Aero said softly, pressing her palm against his cheek.
Sam swallowed hard. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he said immediately. Aero was ready. He needed to show Sam how he felt about her, how much he desired her, and how desperately he wanted her in his life. He’d come so far, they’d made so much progress, and they’d shared so much that he felt they were finally ready to take the next step in their relationship.
Her lips ticked up into a smile, and she set the champagne on the small table beside the bench.
“Come here,” Sam whispered, and Aero leaned toward her. She took his face in her hands and kissed him softly.
Aero sighed, her tenderness continuing to astonish him.
Slowly, Sam shifted and straddled Aero’s lap, holding his face gently.
His arms wound around her, holding her to him. Sam pulled back slightly and gazed into his eyes.
“Aero?” She whispered, her voice wavering slightly.
“Yes?” he replied, locking his eyes on hers. Tears glistened in the corners, and momentarily he was concerned, but she swallowed hard and smiled at him.
“I love you,” Sam said, softly but confidently.
Aero stopped breathing, the words washing over him. His hands tingled, and tears pricked his eyes as he soaked them in, his heart beating almost painfully. He clutched her tighter, letting out a slow breath.
“I love you, too, Sammy,” Aero said, not removing his eyes from hers. Sincerity shone from his eyes as he looked at her. She gave a small gasp, not having expected him to return the sentiment but wanting to tell him anyway.
Aero kissed Sam, holding her as if she were a life raft and he were drowning. That is what this was, he realized. It was love. It was different than he had known before and different than he expected, but his love for Sam was overwhelming and obvious now that he had acknowledged it.
“I love you,” Aero repeated.
Sam shivered and clutched his shirt. “I love you, too, Aero.”
