Page 85 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong

The package was still sitting on the table, and it didn’tlooklike Brannal had figured out how to take it apart and put it all back together again.

Brannal set the basket down and then asked, “Would you like to do the honors? You seem way more excited about this than I am.”

Perian bounced on his heels.

“Yes, please!” he agreed before the other man could take it back. He snatched the folded note and pulled it open and then stopped, surprised. “Oh,” he said blankly. “It’s for me.”

“Really?” Brannal said.

Perian held it out. It certainly wasn’t a secret.

It read:

Perian,

Thank you so much!

Chamis

“Aww,” Perian said, heart melting a little.

Brannal looked amused.

Perian theorized, “I guess he’s not up to hugs in front of everyone, which is fair, especially after you went all, ‘get off my lover.’”

“I didnotsay that,” Brannal huffed.

Perian eyed him, because they all knew that was what he’dmeant.

Chamis had instead had something delivered, but Perian couldn’t imagine what it was. It looked like it was about a foot high but not nearly as wide.

Brannal was watching with amusement.

“Are you going to open it?” he asked.

“Of course,” Perian said. “But now I’m admiring it and trying to figure out what it isknowing that it’s mine.”

This made Brannal laugh. “All right, go ahead. I’ll get dinner ready.”

Perian nodded absently, staring at the wrapped parcel as Brannal worked at the other end of the table to set out the food.

Perian was still standing there when Brannal finished. He returned to Perian’s side and pulled him back against him, pressing a kiss to the side of his head.

“All right?” he asked.

Perian blew out a breath. “Yes, of course.”

“But—?” Brannal prompted.

Perian huffed a laugh. He was being silly about this, wasn’t he?

Quietly, he admitted, “It’s been a long time since someone got me a gift. Not, uh, since my father died.”

There hadn’tbeenanyone to get him a gift since then.

The arms tightened around him. “Oh, Perian.”

Perian held on to Brannal and just breathed for a moment, sniffed a bit, and looked at the gift that Chamis had got for him just because he could.

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