Page 81 of Out of the Storm

“I love that, Jeffrey.” Gary was still smiling wildly. “Wow!” He reached up to touch Jeff’s face, caressing Jeff’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “Thank you.”

“Glad you like it.”

“It’s perfect.”

Gary went back to studying the track list.

After a moment, Gary said, “Hey, can we listen to this now? Together?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Gary had a boom box in his bedroom, so the two of them went there to listen to it. That way, they could cuddle together on the bed too. While Gary propped up some pillows, Jeff had to fight the urge to shove him onto the bed and scramble on top of him. He couldn’t fucking wait to be snuggled up together.

Gary must have felt Jeff’s urgency—or maybe he noticed the way that Jeff couldn’t stop bouncing on the balls of his feet—because he looked at Jeff with the sweetest smile and said, “Jeff, we can stay up for hours if you want.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

With the last pillow in place, Gary climbed into bed, and before he was even settled, Jeff climbed in next to him. And then Gary wrapped him up in his arms, and Jeff leaned back against his chest, and fuck, it was heaven. For the next half hour, they listened to the tape, to Madonna and Journey and the Police, and it was hard for Jeff to even believe how happy he was. Over the years, he’d been with a lot of men—sometimes in relationships, sometimes not—but not even the best of those nights could compare with this. Way back when, Don had taken him to Florida, and somehow, that asshole had managed to make the trip romantic—with moonlit strolls on the beach and time together watching the sunset—andstill, sitting in Gary’s bedroom listening to mediocre music and staring at paint-chipped walls was way, way better.

Even though Jeff still had so much to conquer within himself, being in Gary’s embrace made him feel like he could, and right now, Jeff felt strong and confident and safe. Though Jeff knew that the storm wasn’t over, in that moment, everything was perfect.

Blue skies and sunshine.

He’d be a fool not to cherish the break in the clouds.

“Hey, Gare?” Jeff asked, sitting up.

“Sorry, was I squeezing too tight?” Gary asked, loosening his arms from around Jeff.

“No.” Smiling a little, Jeff turned to face him, and then he reached up and cupped Gary’s cheek. “But, uh, can I kiss you?”

Gary’s mouth fell open, his brows turning upward. He looked like he wasn’t sure whether to believe it. Or maybe he was nervous because of last time.

Keeping his touch soft, Jeff began to stroke Gary’s cheek.

“You, uh, youareallowed to say no,” Jeff said, huffing an uneasy laugh.

“Jeff...” Gary’s sweet smile started peeking through his uncertainty. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Jeff said before moving his face closer. “Yeah, radio man, I want to kiss you.”

“Okay,” Gary said, his breath shaky and uncertain.

Gazing into Gary’s eyes—which were filled with so much fondness—a wonderful warmth spread throughout Jeff’s body, starting in his chest and radiating outward to every other part of him. Fuck, how he wanted to bask in it. Being with Gary, it was like sunshine.

“It’s okay,” Jeff murmured, both to himself and to Gary. “We’re okay.”

When Jeff leaned forward, his stomach fluttered, and the muscles in his shoulders started to tense. He took a slow breath to try to relax. The tips of their noses brushed together, and suddenly, it felt like the skies were starting to fill with clouds once again. Fear trickling in, Jeff nearly pulled back, but before he could, Gary’s hand found his—the one resting atop the mattress—and the feel of Gary’s soft skin, the gentleness of his touch, was enough to calm every wisp of worry, clearing the last of the clouds.

“Gare,” Jeff whispered, slightly awestruck by a sudden revelation. It was so cheesy he could barely make himself say it out loud. But he had to. Because if anyone would like it, it would be Gary. Gary Goddamn Graham. “You’re my sun.”

Gary smiled. And it was beautiful.

Feeling warm and safe from Gary’s touch, Jeff touched their lips together. For a moment, Gary’s mouth was hard against his, and Jeff could tell by the way Gary’s lips were barely even parted that he was terrified of the potential consequences. But Jeff wasn’t worried in the least. He knew he wantedthis. Brushing his tongue over Gary’s bottom lip—a small plea for entry—Jeff wondered if and whether Gary would finally kiss him back. For reassurance, Jeff squeezed Gary’s hand, hoping that it would tell Gary thateverything was okay, and the second Gary squeezed back, Gary’s lips finally relaxed.

And Gary was kissing him back.

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