Simple as that. All those years when happiness seemed like something that happened to other people, that maybe Dustin wouldn’t ever figure out how to get himself a taste of what others had, and it turned out that getting out of his own way was the most important thing. Nothing about loving Wes was simple, and yet, it totally was too. He loved him. They’d make it work. Simple as that.
* * *
“You here?” Wes called as he let himself into Dustin’s condo. They’d taken separate cars back, of course, Wes getting his cardio in from one of his usual distant parking places. And he couldn’t spend the night—not yet. Next week after he was settled in the new apartment with the easygoing roommates, then maybe. And then a few months after that would be DC. He couldn’t wait.
“Yup.” Dustin padded into the living room in nothing but boxer briefs.
“Someone get the real birthday party started without me?” Wes lifted an eyebrow.
“Just trying to maximize our time.” Dustin grinned as he tugged Wes toward the bedroom.
“How about you let that be my job?” Wes shoved him onto the bed. The bed wasn’t huge—it was probably a full, and Wes found it endearing, like Dustin and his aircraft carrier frame had never grown into or needed a bigger bed for non-sleeping activities until Wes came along. Something about that reassured him. “And lord, after that many people, you and your ass owe me.”
Dustin made a happy noise as Wes straddled him. “Was it really that bad?”
“It was loud.” Wes gave him the kiss he’d been dying for all night, taking his time to reacquaint himself with Dustin’s taste and texture. His lips were soft and generous, and he tasted like his brother’s beer—not Dustin’s usual brand, spicy—and like homecoming after a long, hard trek across the mountains. God, he loved this man. Coming up for air, he continued his list of complaints, just to get Dustin’s goat. “And your dad wants my secret Carolina vinegar sauce recipe. And we are never having kids. No offense, man.”
He’d expected Dustin to protest that, but he just grinned up at Wes, absolutely beaming at him. “What?”
“You said we.” Dustin laughed. “As in us and a future where we get to never have kids together and be old and cranky about sports and barbecue together. I love that.”
Wes swallowed hard. The past few months, it had been easier to live day-to-day, hour-to-hour. He’d been deployed a few times, which made his focus tunnel in to getting through the mission at hand. And waiting until he could be with Dustin, really be with him, was its own kind of mission, taken one obstacle at a time, one hour to the next, never looking too far ahead. He let Dustin be the one to live in the future, making plans for DC and condos, consulting the lawyer, dragging Wes along on these small steps into the larger world beyond their phones and stolen hours. And so maybe he hadn’t stopped and let Dustin know how much he did want that future together.
“Love you,” he said brushing his fingers over Dustin’s mouth. “So damn much.”
“Love you too. And I know I go on about how nuts the house full of kids makes me too, but if you ever wanted—”
“I don’t,” Wes said quickly. “I feel like I helped raise Sam, and the worry my parents have had with her... I mean, I’ll never say never, but I’m totally down with us being the cool uncles with all the toys.”
“I love that vision.” Dustin’s eyes sparkled up at him.
“I got you a present,” he said softly, digging in his pocket. “It’s kinda hokey—”
“I love hokey. Gimme.” Dustin held out a hand.
Fingers shaking only a little, Wes dropped the chain into Dustin’s waiting palm. It was a man’s necklace—heavier links, the sort of sturdy chain ready to take daily wear. From it dangled a slim silver ring. “Okay, so hear me out—”
“I like it already.” Dustin held it up, letting the low light in the room dance off the metal.
“You like everything.” Wes poked him in the chest. “Now let me talk. See, back in high school, my parents dated, and they were too young to get married or even engaged, but my dad got her a promise ring—something to sort of tide them both over until they could do it for real. Eventually, when he was almost done with college, he replaced the promise ring with an engagement ring.”
“So this is a promise ring?” Dustin fingered the ring on the chain.
“Yeah. Probably shouldn’t wear anything on our hands that might raise questions quite yet, but I figured you could probably get away with a chain under those fancy new shirts of yours. And I know I’ve let you be the one making plans for us—”