Page 48 of Sugar

“Thank you for this,” he murmured.

He could take this moment back with him. Not just the sight of the flickering fire in the small grotto but of everything else that it meant. He twisted his fingers with Piper’s and held tight.

“I really like you. I want to be yours.”

“Then you are,” Piper said, like it was as simple as that.

“And you?—”

“It was decided a while ago,” Piper interrupted, almost like he didn’t want Juno to ask. “Even if this ends, you have my heart.”

Juno didn’t believe him. That was the bullshit kind of love in books and on TV. People could feel like that in the moment, and two months later, they could forget the color of their ex’s eyes and the sound of their voice. They’d move on. They’d love again. This wasn’t unique to either of them.

And yet, Juno let himself hold those words. Maybe they weren’t true, but for now, they could be his reality.

The trek back to the car was quieter. Juno expected to feel like something big had changed between them, but things just felt more settled. Piper did what he always did—he checked back on him when he got too far ahead. He smiled at the sight of him. He stole kisses like he couldn’t help it. He touched Juno like they were young and just learning to hold hands for the first time.

And Juno was profoundly aware that a lot of these were firsts for Piper. He’d been in the closet for most of his life, and he was just now living as himself. Juno had been out, but they were firsts for him, too, because before this, he’d never let himself exist without his armor.

It was still a little terrifying when he thought about how much power that gave Piper to hurt him, but Juno also knew he’d survive it because that’s what he did. He was a survivor. Just like Oliver. Just like Miles.

They’d been through enough to give their hearts a nice, hard candy shell. It was breakable, but it was powerful. It was why Juno understood the reasons Miles hadn’t called him when his ex had thrown him out—hurt as he was by it.

And it was why he knew Miles would simmer in disappointment when Juno finally admitted to keeping this big secret. But ultimately, it wouldn’t matter. Miles knew Juno would get through it—whether he had help or not.

“I have an idea,” Piper said as he unlocked the car.

Juno glanced over at him. “Shoot.”

“A picnic date for dinner.”

Juno’s brows furrowed. “Not to be a stick in the mud, but I’ve already gotten like four mosquito bites here in the parking lot. I’m not feeling super enthused to offer myself up as a whole-ass buffet.”

Piper laughed as the pair of them climbed in. The world felt a little funny, spinning gently as his body adjusted to sitting still, and Juno closed his eyes against it. “I didn’t mean outside. We can lay a blanket out in the living room and get takeout. That way, we can focus on other things besides cooking and cleaning.”

Other things. Juno knew exactly what that meant. He suppressed a small shudder of want and swallowed heavily. “Yeah. Yes.”

“Yeah?”

Juno looked over at him and held his gaze. “Absolutely.”

Piper found a little mom-and-pop place that had amazing reviews for their southern fare, and he placed an order for their family dinner before heading back to the rental. There were a few hours before they’d need to pick it up, and Juno was looking forward to taking a shower and scrubbing all the sweat off him.

The mood in the car was tense, but in the best way, and when they pulled into the driveway, Piper reached for his hand, and sparks shot up Juno’s spine.

“I want to make you come,” Piper said.

Juno coughed. He wasn’t used to people being so forward with him, and he liked it, but it was going to take some adjusting. Most people played games—they teased, which he didn’t hate, but it left him guessing what they wanted, and half the time, he got it wrong.

With Piper, he always knew.

“Is that okay?” Piper asked. “I know you said you wanted to wait, but I’d like to touch you. To make you feel good.”

“Yeah.” The word came out ragged, and Juno swallowed, then cleared his throat. “Yes. But I really need a shower first. I don’t want to think about how bad I smell to you right now.”

“I like it, but a shower sounds nice too.” Piper opened his door and climbed out, walking around to meet Juno halfway. They held hands as they walked inside, Piper dropping the bag near the couch.

A minute stretched out into two. Neither of them seemed to want to break the silence. Then Piper tugged on his hand, and Juno closed the distance between them. Tilting his head up, Juno basked in the warmth when Piper cradled his face. They didn’t kiss. They didn’t speak.

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