“Thank you.” Beth seemed genuinely pleased he liked how she’d branded the jam. “If you start making other flavors, I’d be very interested.”

Sebastian left the shop and headed around the corner to Gray Electrical. While he really liked James’s friends, he was glad to have some of his own people too. It felt good to have connections in town even though he hadn’t been here in so long. He liked providing jam for the souvenir shop. It made him feel useful and reminded him he had lots to offer, not just to James but to the community.

It all helped Moonlight Falls feel like home in a way it never had before. He wasn’t some outsider. He belonged here as much as anyone else.

Sandwiches were waiting at the electrical shop courtesy of Parker, who seemed to have taken over helping Eli check the data he’d entered.

The rest of the day passed as more of the same. Hazel relayed Sebastian’s message about potential shade magic to Eleanor, but there was no more news about the darkness and no progress on getting help from outside Moonlight Falls.

Sebastian, Eli, and Parker returned to Storm House that evening to collect the last few hours of data. The trip went as the last one had. The shades were curious but kept their distance, only getting territorial when the three of them got too close to the fuel cell.

“I’m going to try and run some analysis soon,” Eli said once they were back in the car. “Hopefully, after I’ve typed this up, there will be enough information on the veins’ energy flow to start getting a picture of what’s happening.”

“You’re telling me we have another fun night of typing ahead of us?” Parker teased as he pulled onto the road, leaving Storm House behind.

“There’s no way around it.” Eli reached over to rest his hand on Parker’s thigh. His voice dropped to a purr. “But I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

Parker chuckled. His eyes caught Sebastian’s in the rearview mirror. “I’ll drop you at home then? Doesn’t sound like tonight is a good night to have you over.”

Sebastian snorted. No, it didn’t, but he liked that Parker’s comment implied he might invite Sebastian over some other time outside of the group’s Sunday dinner. “Can you take me over to James’s house instead?”

Parker smiled. “Sure thing.”

Sebastian’s heart fluttered for some reason. He shouldn’t feel giddy getting to see James again. They’d been together all day and had only spent a single night apart in weeks. Still, he arrived at James’s place full of silly butterflies.

Maybe this was what people felt like when they were happy. Sebastian decided not to fight it now that he was embracing good things.

James greeted him at the door, pulling him inside and kissing him like they’d been parted for months. Sebastian’s heart thudded as James’s tongue slid over his. He’d never been so in sync with anyone, especially not with the desperate side of himself.

The front door fell closed with a click. James pressed Sebastian against the wall, and Sebastian dug his fingers into James’s hips, pulling him as close as possible.

“We need to kiss more during the day,” he said when James released him.

“Agreed.” James leaned forward, recapturing his mouth.

Sebastian ran his hands along the waistband of James’s jeans until he came to the button. He popped it, then slid the zipper down. James groaned as Sebastian slid his hand into James’s underwear. He palmed James’s hardening cock, running his thumb up the underside and over the tip.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Sebastian breathed against James’s lips. “We need to have more sex during the day. Kissing isn’t enough.”

“You’re a deviant,” James huffed as he thrust into Sebastian’s fist.

“And you fucking love it.” Sebastian pulled James’s lower lip between his teeth and squeezed his cock, eliciting a small gasp of pleasure.

James sunk his hands into Sebastian’s curls, their foreheads pressed together. “Yes, I do.”

Sebastian gave him one more rough kiss, then dropped to his knees. He felt so fucking good right now. He loved every second with James and wanted to show it, to seize everything being with James offered him. He could be his ridiculous, imperfect self with James. He could be sweet and doting or filthy and outrageous, anything, and James would accept him.

Right now, he wanted to pamper James and get lost in how much he loved having sex with him.

Sebastian pulled James’s jeans and boxer briefs down, freeing his dick. Sebastian looked up as he grabbed hold of the hard length and guided it to his lips. James’s mouth dropped open, letting out a low moan as Sebastian teased his cockhead, licking his slit and swirling his tongue around the tip. He loved James watching him. It made him ache to see lust and affection shaping James’s usually controlled features.

“You’re so good at that, sweetheart. Fuck.” James ran his hands through Sebastian’s hair, gathering the loose curls into a firm hold.

Sebastian glowed with the praise. He sucked James into his mouth as James tightened his grip on his hair. He loved the consuming feeling of connection he got when James’s cock was in his mouth, filled and held in place, and undeniably wanted.

Sebastian bobbed on James’s cock, keeping his eyes focused upward so he wouldn’t miss James’s reactions. He needed every shred of James’s pleasure, and Sebastian knew he could have it. He believed he was worthy of it. He sucked James’s cock like he had every right to all the good feelings James gave him.

Sebastian hollowed his cheeks. James made an obscene noise, and Sebastian would have given him the most devilish grin if his mouth hadn’t been so full.