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“I’m in love with you.”
Taerae’s eyes shifted from his half full glass of wine with an expression that was oddly calm. Appearingly unphased by Matthew’s sudden confession, he lifted a brow and tilted his head.
“Is that so?” he asked with a little smirk. He leaned against the island on his elbow before resting his chin ever so casually in his hand. “You’re in love with me, Matthew?”
He felt challenged by the way Taerae lifted his glass and sipped at the cherry red liquid. Ever so casual, as if someone admitting they’re in love with him was a normal Friday night occurrence.
“I mean-” Matthew started, voice embarrassingly cracking. He cleared his throat and whipped his head to look out the window. “Do you wanna get back in the pool now?”
The little chuckle that came in response almost made Matthew turn to look at him again, but he kept his eyes glued on the sight out the window. The way the moon reflected on the water of his pool in the backyard. The way the patio string lights looked like stars.
He remained completely aware, however, of the sound that the wine glass made as it was placed back onto the marble island. The padding of bare feet approaching him. The slide of a hand along his waist. The whisper against his ear that raised the hair on his neck.
“Okay. Let’s get back in the pool, darling.”
♡
Matthew bought his first house two years ago. The feeling of having a place that was completely his felt major, and he felt proud knowing how hard he had worked to get there. How hard he had worked to get his degree that got him the job in which he had earned the money he used to buy the beautiful house in Vancouver.
On move in day, his sister and mom had helped him carry in all his boxes while some friends helped him with the furniture. Well, the furniture that he had. He didn’t have much, but over time he’d save and slowly buy new pieces for his home. Within the next year, the house felt more and more like his. From the large sectional sofa in the living room to the nice lounge chairs next to the in-ground pool (which had been the main reason he found the house so appealing in the first place). It was all his.
It was in the perfect neighborhood too. His street looked straight out of a movie. The yards were well kept and all the houses looked similar in size and build. His sister called them cookie-cutter houses and she wasn’t wrong. They were just the right size for a small family or someone hoping to grow a family. His was just right for him.
A year and nine months after he moved in, his next door neighbor had a U-Haul truck pulling into her driveway.
Matthew didn’t know the woman well. She was probably in her fifties if he had to guess and all that he knew about her was that her name was Barbara and she loved gardening. He would often see her out front tending to the vibrant flowers she planted with her large brown gloves on and a floppy hat shielding the sun from her face. Sometimes when Matthew was relaxing in his pool or doing yard work in his backyard, he could hear her humming on the other side of the privacy fence. Peeking through the wood fencing, he could see her kneeling down with a shovel in her hand and a content smile on her face.
He grew fond of his neighbor although they had only ever exchanged a few words here and there. It was sad to see the sign in her yard announcing her departure and even more sad to watch the movers carrying her possessions out of the house.
She left and her flowers remained. Matthew felt silly for worrying that whoever would move in after her wouldn’t care to keep the flowers alive, that they would wither away or be dug up and replaced by something much less pleasant like landscaping rocks.
These worries proved to be for nothing soon enough. As Matthew was coming home from work one Tuesday afternoon, he noticed a man kneeling over the flowers. If it weren’t for the stack of cardboard boxes on the front steps of the house, he may have been concerned that he was trespassing. But it was abundantly clear that this was his new neighbor.
Once Matthew had pulled completely into his own driveway, he then saw that the man was not observing the flowers, but watering them. He was using a plastic cup to water the flowers and he seemed hesitant as he poured the water out, which led Matthew to the immediate assumption that the man didn’t have much gardening experience. Or any at all.
Matthew grabbed his keys and work bag before stepping out of his black Hyundai. The shut of his vehicle’s door grabbed the attention of the man instantly. And the face of the man got the attention of Matthew.
He was beautiful. More beautiful than the cookie-cutter houses and delicate flowers. More beautiful than any man Matthew had ever laid his eyes on. He didn’t know how he would ever be able to look away. He didn’t want to.
As he stood up, Matthew took in the full picture of his new neighbor. He was Asian like himself which wasn’t unusual. After all, Vancouver is ethnically and linguistically diverse. One of the most diverse cities in Canada. It was the first feature he noticed about the man though.
Then it was his lips. The corners of them curved up into a breathtaking and friendly smile. His mouth was wide and his teeth were bright. Matthew also had a weakness for dimples. One of his early crushes was a girl with big blue eyes and dimples in her cheeks. She always had little pink flower barrettes in her hair. Although the handsome new neighbor didn’t have flowers in his dark brunette hair, there were flowers next to his feet and they suited him well.
He wore blue jean shorts and a simple graphic tee that had a teddy bear printed on the front, and his Nike sneakers were a bright red matching the light jacket he wore as well. Perfectly dressed for the early summer weather.
“You must be my new neighbor,” Matthew said after a moment. Slinging his work bag over his shoulder (which was actually just a backpack), he slowly began to approach the man who was moving towards him as well. The more the space closed between them, the more he was mesmerized by him. “I’m Matthew.”
There was hesitation before he began talking, the man opening and closing his mouth a couple times. “I’m Taerae. I am from South Korea,” he said in a mechanical-like voice with a little nod and a proud smile. Proud as if he had rehearsed that simple line in English and was relieved that he had spoken it correctly.
Matthew perked up. “I’m also Korean,” he said, switching to the language.
Even more genuine relief washed over Taerae. His shoulders visibly relaxed.
“Oh! What are the chances? My neighbor is Korean. Thank God,” he said in Korean now as well, chuckling softly in obvious disbelief. He bowed slightly towards him. “Nice to meet you.”
He awkwardly bowed back. The action didn’t feel natural for him, but anything for the cute new neighbor. Matthew didn’t know if this man could possibly get any cuter.
“Your English is really good,” Taerae said in awe.
Matthew fondly laughed. “Well, I’ve lived in Canada my whole life so I would hope so,” he joked.
Taerae raised his eyebrows. “So I should be complimenting your Korean then, I guess,” he joked in return. “You speak both languages well.”
“I’m not as fluent as my sister, but I guess I’m okay,” he said with a modest little shrug. “What brought you to Vancouver?”
“Well long story short, I’ve wanted to live abroad for a long time. I visited here years ago and it felt like a second home,” he explained with a pleased grin. “Also, I’m an author and I find a lot of inspiration through travelling. I feel especially inspired here.”
“An author,” Matthew said in surprise. “Wow.”
Wow was an understatement. Taerae being an author may have just made him 10x more attractive. The way his cheeks flushed did too.
“Would you like some help carrying in your things there?” Matthew asked, nodding towards the cardboard boxes.
Taerae glanced back at them with a slightly confused expression as if he had forgotten they were there. “If it’s not a bother,” he said softly as he turned back towards him. “That would be such a big help, Matthew.”
While he began to walk forward to retrieve them, he smiled as he thought about how cute Taerae sounded when he said his name. He wanted to hear him say it over and over again. Or just hear him talk in general. His voice was adorable. Everything about him was undeniably and unbelievably adorable.
Even once all the boxes were inside, Taerae didn’t rush him off. Instead, he invited him to stay for dinner, claiming that he probably ordered far too much takeout and would need help eating it.
“And I’d like to get to know my neighbor better,” Taerae added as they lingered in the middle of his living room.
He stared into Taerae’s eyes and they read something deeper than a man simply wanting to know more about his neighbor. His eyes spoke interest, intrigue that Matthew’s own eyes mirrored.
“I’d like that too,” agreed Matthew before he followed Taerae to the couch.
As it turns out, the couch was the only piece of furniture Taerae had so far other than a small kitchen table and a singular chair. He had ordered a bed, but it would be a few days before it arrived.
The couch was perfect though. They spent the entire evening there. Matthew settled into the downy cushion and told him about everything from his career as a school teacher to his love for dance. He almost left a stain on that same cushion as a noodle slid between his chopsticks and onto his lap which resulted in quite the precious giggles from Taerae. It made the embarrassment more than worth it.
The conversation began to feel more relaxed and natural as the evening progressed. It no longer seemed like Matthew had only just met him an hour earlier. It instead felt like he was sitting with a good friend. A good friend who touched his arm at every opportunity and glanced at his lips so much that Matthew became a blushing mess. Nonetheless, a really good friend.
Much to his displeasure, he had to go home after a couple hours. It was getting late and he had to work in the morning. He thanked Taerae for the food and Taerae thanked him for the help with the boxes although it only took a minute total for them to carry them all inside.
When he lay in bed that night, he regretted not getting his number. But perhaps it wasn’t a big deal considering they were next door neighbors. They would see each other often.
In the following two months, they would intentionally see each other almost daily. Taerae would come knocking at his door first with the excuse that he needed some obscure ingredient that Matthew didn’t have in his pantry. Matthew would wander over to watch Taerae struggle with tending to the flowers in front of the house. They would have dinner together. Go on short walks. It was friendly. Neighborly.
They would also unintentionally see each other. On a couple occasions they walked out their front doors at the same time and smiled at each other as they strolled to their respective vehicles. On the other hand, it just so happened that their bedroom windows were perfectly aligned. They had quickly made this discovery and used it much to their advantage. It became a lot less neighborly and a lot more flirty.
At first it was amusing. Taerae would throw a playful little wink his way when he caught him looking. Matthew would lift weights and wiggle his eyebrows at him. He’d hold up a handwritten message to make Taerae laugh or blush, depending on the words he wrote. Taerae sometimes pretended to begin to undress before closing the curtain, but not before waving at Matthew to confirm that he knew he was watching.
Then, he actually did it.
It was a late Saturday evening and Taerae knew Matthew was watching, but it didn’t stop him. He slowly stripped himself of his shirt and Matthew’s eyes stayed glued to his fair skin as it was revealed inch by inch. Glued to the way his back flexed when he turned away from the window. The way he ran his fingers through his silky hair. He knew Taerae didn’t go to the gym, but he was fit. He took care of himself. It turns out that his body is Matthew’s type too. The perfect physique.
He watched closely as Taerae turned back towards the window. They made eye contact and Matthew’s breath caught in his throat.
Taerae smirked ever so slightly. “Come over?” he mouthed, tilting his head at him.
Despite the pounding of his heart, Matthew wasted no time in slipping on his shoes and walking the short distance to his house. The door was already unlocked and Taerae stood in the entryway of the living room with eyes that spoke hunger.
“You're so easy,” he teased, leaning against the wall. He was still shirtless and his sweatpants hung low on his hips. “Were you this easy for your last neighbor too?”
Matthew rolled his eyes before kicking off his shoes by the door. With every step he took towards Taerae, their eyes stayed locked.
“My last neighbor wasn’t a hot man who tried seducing me through his window,” he teased back. His eyes lingered down to his pretty waist. He was itching to reach forward and touch. He wasn’t sure what he was waiting for.
It was clear the other man wanted it too.
“As if you haven’t been doing the same,” accused Taerae. He stood up off the wall and moved close enough that they were toe to toe. Eye to eye.
“I don’t think lifting weights is very seductive.”
“It is when you look the way you do.”
His words made Matthew’s face burn red. His eyes followed Taerae’s tongue as it swiped over his bottom lip. His hand as it ran through his hair again and every strand seemingly fell back into place in slow motion. The fluttering of his eyelashes.
“Are you going to touch me yet, Matthew?” he whispered. He leaned forward slightly. His voice became whiny with desperation. “I’m dying for you to.”
That was all he needed. He reached one hand forward until it came into contact with his bare waist. The skin that tempted him through the window was as soft as it looked. His fingertips trailed up and then back down, as if they were dancing on his side.
Taerae’s breathing became irregular, lips trailing along Matthew’s cheek. “More,” he whispered into his ear. “Touch me. Please.”
Turning his head, Matthew gazed into his lust drunk eyes. “I’m getting there,” he said with an amused little smile. “I want to take my time. Make this last.”
Taerae slowly began to inch his hand under Matthew’s shirt. He pressed his hand against his toned stomach. “Who said I can’t go more than once?” he breathed with the tiniest hint of a smirk. “Can’t you?”
“Are you challenging me?” Matthew chuckled. His other hand reached up to brush Taerae’s hair behind his ear and then settled on his jaw. “I’m willing to take it on.”
“Finally,” Taerae said with a huff. “I’ve been waiting since the night we met.”
Matthew shuddered from the combination of his words and his wandering hand as it trailed down. He thumbed at the button of Matthew’s jeans. As soon as Taerae popped the button undone, Matthew leaned forward and pressed his lips to his eagerly. The other man kissed him back with an open mouth clumsiness all while he started to work Matthew’s jeans down his hips.
“Bedroom,” Matthew mumbled against his lips.
Groaning in protest, Taerae pulled away and was practically pouting at him as if he just said something awful. As if asking him to take him down a singular hall to a different room was the biggest hassle in the world.
Matthew clicked his tongue at him. “You’ll survive, princess.”
Before Taerae could protest against the nickname, he leaned forward and kissed him again as he began to back him up into the hallway a few steps away. Taerae smiled against his lips before pulling away again to begin tugging him by the hands down the hall. He smiled back at him all the way to the room. The joy was bubbling up in Matthew’s chest so much so that he felt it might explode out of him.
He chuckled once they entered the room and out the window he could see his bedroom across from his. Exactly as he left it. Lamp still on and the blankets pulled back on his bed where he was about to lay down for the night.
Looking around Taerae’s bedroom, it didn’t look much different from his. The blanket on his bed was out of place and the air smelled of vanilla and jasmine. Instead of a bedside lamp, he had pretty string lights hanging down his wall behind his bed.
When he turned to look back at Taerae, his eyes were already on him. They had probably never left. The string lights looked like stars as they reflected into his dark brown eyes.
“You’re so beautiful,” Matthew whispered. Taerae’s cheek was warm when he reached out and touched it. The heat seemed to follow his fingers as they moved along his neck and down his chest.
He slowly began to back Matthew up until the back of his knees hit the bed. Taerae gently pushed his shoulders so that he began to lay on the bed. He scooted up onto it further, watching as Taerae crawled after him.
“Can I take these off?” Taerae asked, once again tugging at his jeans.
Matthew bit his lip and nodded. Now he felt like the eager one. “Please.”
He lifted his hips as Taerae pulled the pants down his legs and off his ankles, taking his socks with them. Taerae looked back at him and let out a small, strained sound that he almost missed.
“God, I can already see how big you are,” he whispered. He reached out and palmed Matthew’s crotch. “You’re so hard for me. You really are easy, huh?”
Matthew rolled his eyes at him again and shook his head, but then couldn’t help the moan that escaped his lips as he touched him through the fabric of his boxer briefs. Taerae began to slide those down as well and let out another whine. He dropped the briefs to the floor before crawling up the bed towards him.
“Everything you do is so sexy, Taerae,” he groaned as he settled between his legs, his face only inches from cock. From where he leaned on his elbows, his head fell back with a high pitched moan as Taerae kissed along his thigh.
“Your noises are sexy,” Taerae said with a little smile. “Don’t hold them back, baby.”
The term of endearment made Matthew’s cock twitch which only made Taerae smile wider. Nothing got past him.
“My easy baby,” he whispered as he wrapped his hand around Matthew’s length.
Matthew felt like he was going insane. Every touch had his back arching and moans falling from his lips. Every word. Every look. And as he felt a kitten lick along his tip, he let go completely. Taerae had control. He had all of him tonight, just as he also had been longing for in the last two months.
Taerae pressed his tongue against his length, gliding it slowly from the base to the tip several times. All the while, he stared up at Matthew with dark eyes.
“Why does it feel like you’re teasing me?” Matthew breathed with a little chuckle.
“I’m not,” Taerae said with a contradicting smirk. “I’m just taking my time. You like that, don’t you?”
Matthew chuckled and then gasped as Taerae did it again, pressing his tongue against him harder this time. His fingers gripped the bed sheet underneath him so hard that his knuckles turned white.
Then finally, he felt the warm heat of Taerae’s mouth start at his tip and slowly make its way around him completely. His large mouth proved capable of taking all of him with little effort, all while still peering up at Matthew’s face through his fluttering eyelashes.
As Taerae began slowly bobbing his head, Matthew reached down and smoothed his hair away from his face. Taerae moaned around his cock as he continued touching his hair. The sensation of his low moan around him made Matthew arch his back in pleasure once again.
Taerae pulled off of him with a pop of his lips. Red and coated in spit, his lips looked even more appealing. Matthew reached down and pulled him up by his arms until he was on top of him. He captured his lips with his own, holding the back of his neck to bring him in closer.
Straddling his waist, Taerae grinded down on him. Matthew ran his hands from his waist to his ass which was still clothed in his grey sweatpants. He gripped at the fabric.
“I need these off of you,” he whined against his lips.
Taerae tugged at Matthew’s shirt in response. “Only if we can get this off you too,” he said in a low, sultry voice. “Let’s see what else you’re hiding from me, hm?”
Matthew smiled and nodded, allowing Taerae to peel off his shirt and then watching as Taerae sat up and stripped himself of his pants. He smiled even wider at the sight that greeted him.
“Not wearing anything underneath?” Matthew asked with a raised eyebrow. He stared at him in awe as he settled back on top of him though, running his hands along his thighs. “How are you pretty here too?”
Taerae’s own hands smoothed over Matthew’s chest. His mouth gaped open as he gripped at his pecs. He brought his open mouth to Matthew’s ear and kissed it softly before whispering, “Want to know a secret?” He moaned softly as he grinded down on him again, this time his hard cock rubbing against Matthew’s. “I fingered myself open earlier. In the shower. I was thinking of you the whole time. I needed you tonight. God, I need you in me right now, Matthew.”
Matthew whined pathetically at his words. His fingers trailed to Taerae’s ass to feel for himself. Just as he claimed, his hole was prepped and open, his middle finger sliding easily into him. Taerae gasped at the intrusion and grinded down ever slightly.
“You are making me crazy,” Matthew whimpered. “Where’s the-”
Before he could finish, Taerae was reaching to open his nightstand drawer and pulling out a bottle of lube and a condom.
“You were really prepared for tonight, huh? You planned it all,” Matthew said in amusement. He fondly reached up and brushed Taerae’s hair back again, smiling as he leaned into his touch immediately. “How do you want this?”
Taerae didn’t move from his place on top of him. Instead, knowing exactly what he wanted already, he began to show him. He reached back and bent Matthew’s knees before finding his cock with his hand. Teasingly, he pushed it against his ass and bit his lip.
“Just like this,” he whispered before leaning down and kissing him again. “Are you clean?”
Matthew immediately nodded. His breathing was shaky as he tried to recover from how hot that was. How hot everything was. “Yeah. I, um, haven’t had sex in… Well, it’s been a while,” he said with a little smile. “I got tested recently.”
It felt wrong to mention having sex with anyone else while with Taerae. Everyone else dulled in comparison to the simple presence of the man with him right now.
A knowing little smile spread across Taerae’s face. “Me too,” he said before kissing him again. He pulled away before grabbing the condom and throwing it to the side. It got a good laugh out of Matthew.
“If you’re sure,” Matthew said, stroking his cheek with his thumb while his other hand wandered to his ass again. “I’ll open you up more first. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Taerae wanted to protest, but didn’t mind at all once he felt two of Matthew’s lubed fingers enter him and move at a perfectly set rhythm. He pressed them against his prostate and rubbed it gently, drawing out a loud and long moan from Taerae.
“So good,” he whimpered on top of him. “Please. I’m ready, Matthew. I know you’ll feel amazing. Please give it to me.”
He should have known Taerae would be vocal once he was receiving the pleasure. Now that it was actually happening, however, it was the sweetest sound to Matthew’s ears.
After removing his fingers, he immediately positioned his cock against his hole. He once again bent his knees and pressed into him. Taerae wrapped his arms around him and stared into his eyes.
Matthew felt genuinely connected to the man as his eyes remained locked with his and not only in a physical sense. It was in every sense.
They held each other tightly as he moved his hips up to meet the rocking of Taerae’s body. Their bodies fell into a perfect rhythm until the pleasure built so much that it became erratic. There was no longer a rhythm, just a chase for release.
“You feel like a dream,” Matthew gasped, trailing his shaky hand along Taerae’s spine before it settled on his hip to hold him in place. He thrust quickly into him and the sensation was overwhelming.
Tears fell from Taerae’s eyes as he rested his forehead against Matthew’s. They dripped onto his face and he thought there was something so immensely intimate about feeling the wetness of Taerae’s tears on his skin, as if he was sharing his pleasure in another way.
“Close. So close,” Taerae mumbled against his lips. He gasped against them when he felt Matthew's hand between them, touching him until he spilled his emotions out onto their stomachs before then begging Matthew to do the same. “Inside. Fill me, baby.”
Planting his feet on the bed, Matthew pistoned into him with a desperate force until he too reached his climax and came inside of him. Taerae dropped his head to Matthew's shoulder, their intense eye contact finally breaking much to his displeasure. He never wanted to stop staring into those pretty eyes of his.
Even as he was trying to catch his breath, Taerae pressed lazy kisses to his skin. Matthew smiled, eyes drifting shut and soothing hands comforting Taerae’s spent body. He stayed inside of him. Neither of them cared to move quite yet.
Instead, they lay in the mess of the bed sprinkling kisses on each other’s warm skin and softly smiling at each other in absolute bliss. It wasn’t until Taerae started whining about feeling sticky and gross that they decided to get up and clean themselves up.
Twenty minutes later, their bodies were washed clean and their hair was damp. Matthew wore one of Taerae’s sweatpants and oversized shirts, and they smelled like him. He pulled the inside of the collar up to his nose to breathe in the scent after he put it on and Taerae giggled when he caught him doing so before walking over and pecking his cheek. Then they stood in front of his bathroom mirror washing their faces and brushing their teeth.
They found themselves outside after that. Taerae guided Matthew by hand to the cushioned patio swing in his backyard and they settled into it together.
He grunted as he sat down. “I think you broke me, Matthew. I couldn’t have gone for a round two even if I tried,” he said with an amused smile. He threw his legs over one of Matthew’s and curled into his side. “Not complaining though. You can take on the challenge next time.”
Matthew wrapped his arm around Taerae’s shoulders as he nuzzled into him. “I couldn’t control myself,” he said with a little laugh. He lets his head fall back slightly to stare up at the stars. “You were just so beautiful. You had me wrapped around your finger.”
“So cheesy,” snickered Taerae. “You’re such a romantic, Matthew.”
“And you really aren’t used to sweet talk, huh?” asked Matthew, ever so entertained by the man under his arm.
“Not at all,” Taerae quickly admitted. He wrapped an arm around Matthew’s waist and sighed. “I don’t let men talk to me like that. You’re the exception.”
Matthew blushed. He averted his eyes from the stars to the top of Taerae’s head. Leaning down, he kissed his soft hair and then sighed just as Taerae had. He gently rocked them on the swing as he let those words sink in, and the words after them.
“I have commitment issues, I guess you could say,” Taerae continued. His voice sounded small. “I run away when a relationship gets too serious because I’m afraid of getting hurt or rejected or… whatever.”
To show he was listening, Matthew hummed softly. Taerae moved his head onto Matthew’s shoulder and glanced at his face with a shy little smile.
“I’ve always chosen to believe that if I commit to someone, they’ll eventually disappoint me,” he whispered. He turned his head towards Matthew completely to fully look at him now, but didn’t move from where he was still comfortably resting against his shoulder. “But I find it hard to believe that you’d ever disappoint me, Matthew. So I don’t want to run away. Not from you.”
With their faces only centimeters apart, he leaned forward to nudge his nose against Taerae’s. He smiled back at him. “You couldn’t run very far,” he joked. “You only live next door.”
Taerae giggled and playfully slapped at his chest, no real force behind it. “You’re so stupid.”
“You like it,” Matthew said with a little wink.
Taerae confirmed this sentiment with a kiss. “I like you,” he said sweetly. “I want you too. And more than in a sexual way. Although that was…”
“Insane?” Matthew finished for him with a little smirk. “The best sex you’ve ever had?”
Taerae slapped his chest again before burying his red face against it. “Well, yes. But I was going to say, like… it was really nice.”
Matthew laughed softly and grabbed Taerae’s hand before he could swat at his chest for a third time. “You’re really fucking cute, Taerae,” he said with a wide smile. He brought his hand up to his lips and pressed them to his knuckles. “I want you too.”
With his cheeks still crimson and the softest of smiles, Taerae moved to sit up and stared into Matthew’s eyes. He cradled Matthew’s face in the palm of his hand as he did.
“I believe you.”
♡
Matthew continued to stare at the string lights once they were back in the pool. He was reminded of the way the lights in Taerae’s bedroom looked like stars in his eyes as they made love for the first time. He was reminded of the stars that he saw in the sky that same night when he asked the man to be his. It’s almost funny how something as profound as the stars could now be associated with the man across from him in the water.
Just the same, he saw Taerae in his mind every time he passed a local flower shop or a bookstore. Every time he sprayed his cologne that had a hint of a jasmine scent. Taerae had woven himself into every part of his life, and it was in those little moments that he realized how profound his feelings also were.
“Are we going to talk about you professing your love for me in the kitchen?” Taerae asked as he began to drift towards him in the water. He swept back his wet hair from his face and Matthew thought he looked so handsome even now. “I want to hear you say it again.”
Matthew’s face flushed. “Why does it feel like you’re teasing me?” he asked. His own words gave him deja vu.
Judging by the cheeky smile on Taerae’s face, they must have also felt that way to him. “I’m not teasing you,” he whispered. “I just want to hear you say it again. I want this feeling to last.”
Matthew moved closer to him as well. “Taerae,” he called his name in a whisper. Under the water, he could feel his fingers sliding between his own. “I’ll say it as many times as you want. I’ll say it again tomorrow. Next week. Next year.”
“Then do it,” Taerae said, raising his chin towards him as if it was a challenge. “Say it again right now.”
Matthew had no trouble taking on that challenge. It may be the easiest.
He gently lowered Taerae’s chin before leaning in to tenderly kiss his lips. When he pulled away and saw his twinkling eyes, the words once again slipped easily from Matthew’s lips—and they always would.
“I’m in love with you.”