Page 72 of Sugar

Oliver let out a low whistle. “Sounds fancy. This guy a rocket scientist or something?”

“Actually…sort of.” Juno felt a sudden weight—it had hit him last night when he realized Piper was an actual doctor of astrophysics. He peripherally understood he was dating a really smart guy who went to space, but for some reason, learning that was what made it real. “He’s a former astronaut, and he’s got a doctorate.”

“Holy fuck, dude!”

Juno laughed and rubbed a hand down his face. “Yeah. Christ, next to him and you and Miles and Miles’s men, I’m a sorry excuse for an adult. I mean, fuck, what did I do with my life besides learn how to give cupcakes a fancy swirl on top?”

“Don’t,” Oliver said, his tone stern. “Your accomplishments don’t mean less, and you know it.”

He did, and yet, they sometimes felt so damn small. And while he knew he could keep searching for more, he was content. He just didn’t know what kind of person that made him.

One worthy of Piper’s time and affection, he supposed. And he never doubted the love and support Oliver and Miles had for him. He just had moments where he felt a little less than everyone else, and his circumstances right then weren’t helping.

Eventually, he was going to be more dependent. He was going to need more, whether he liked it or not.

It was a tough pill to swallow.

“Babe?”

“I’ll call you later, okay?” Juno said softly. “I miss you.”

“When do you get back?”

Juno rubbed at his temple, frowning in thought. “Like, two weeks? We’re going to Piper’s brother’s wedding, then we’re heading home.” They had plans to stop at a few more places, but Juno was starting to doubt there would be any point. And frankly, he was missing his routine.

Not to mention the amount of shit he’d need to do in order to prepare for his new reality. He thought about all those pamphlets he had back home. All those calls he’d need to make and classes he’d have to attend.

It felt heavy.

“Call me when you get in,” Oliver said. “I’m going to book a trip. I need to see you, and I’m not waiting for you to cart your ass up here.”

That would ruin his plans to tell Oliver and Miles at the same time, but maybe that was for the best. Maybe he should hurry it along, rip off the Band-Aid. “I need to see you too.”

Oliver let out a small sigh of relief. “Good. Have a fun trip. Can you take photos of the planets? If you can, you should totally send me some.”

“Love you,” Juno said without making promises.

The call ended, and he made his way back to the inn and to the room, where he found Piper sitting with his back to the headboard, his laptop on his knees. He looked up with a grin and beckoned Juno over with a flick of his chin.

“Have a nice walk?”

“It wasn’t bad. Oliver and I talked for…” He looked at his phone and squinted. “Shit. An hour and a half?” He dropped to the bed beside Piper and turned his face up for a kiss. “Did you have a nice nap?”

“It was okay. I miss my bed.”

Juno had to agree. The beds at the inn were probably the least comfortable of all the places they’d stayed at. His back was starting to ache a little, and he was dreaming of the cozy, warm space that Piper had created in his home.

A home that was soon to be Juno’s too.

“Are you hungry?” Piper’s question pulled him out of his head.

“I could eat. I don’t know if I want fancy upscale café food. Which, by the way, seems weird to call it that. It’s not a café at all.”

“I think they were trying to be more French,” Piper said with a half grin. “But we can eat on the way to the observatory. I found a little town with some restaurants and shops and stuff, and everything’s open late. We can walk around until Adam’s ready for us.”

Juno had no idea what to expect from the observatory. It wasn’t open to the public, so it wasn’t like there was a museum or activities there for laymen like him to explore. He was feeling more and more out of place, and while he knew that very little would make Piper not want him, he worried that he would see just how much Juno didn’t belong in his world.

“What’s that face?”

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