Page 24 of Back in the Hunt

A happy chuckle wafted from Merlin and the Little Yellow returned, a happy omen dancing on the bergamot and vervain. “I think that’s a marvelous idea.”

Eight

Everly wasnotgood at touching butts.

But as the bearer of the butt Everly was fixated upon, Bryn considered it a dubious privilege. He had a pretty good idea of who had given Everly the idea and was planning his revenge.

It was highly entertaining, the way Everly giggled and tiptoed into the kitchen or the study so he could creep up on Bryn. He would gingerly poke or cup one of his asscheeks, bursting into giggles and tickling everyone around him.

“Oh! You got me!” Bryn would catch Everly by the wrist before he could get away. If they weren’t alone, Bryn would send Everly on his way with a soft scolding and a swat on the ass. If they were alone, Bryn would gather Everly in his arms and kiss them both senseless.

He went a little too far with Everly in the hallway and they were caught doing a lot more than playing grab-ass. Everly had grabbed Bryn’s ass as he was headed for the stairs to leave for a run. Somehow, Everly ended up on the hall table, his legs wrapped around Bryn’s waist and the collar of his shirt ripped. Fletcher interrupted them, his weekend bag slung over his shoulder.

“Back to Roanoke?” Bryn pretended it hadn’t happened because he’d walked in on Arawn and Fletcher more times than he could count.

“Back to Roanoke,” Fletcher said before skipping down the stairs. “Make sure you get in a good stretch so you don’t pull something.”

Bryn mimicked him and said goodbye, then kissed Everly on the cheek before setting off. He jogged out the door and through the front garden, changing course at the gate and deciding to run away from the school. Bryn turned, nearly crashing into Everly on the sidewalk.

“What are you doing?” Bryn gave him a shake. “You should be inside. Or in the yard with Merlin or Nox if you want some fresh air.”

“I miss you when you’re gone and it might not be safe.” A few heartbeats later, Everly’s eyes slid to the right, to the alley across the street.

“Ev…” Bryn rubbed the bridge of his nose, doing his best not to laugh. He didn’t want to hurt Everly’s feelings. “I appreciate it. Really. But how are you going to protect me?”

“Look!” Everly reached behind him and pulled the old garden shears out of his back pocket. “I can cut a bitch.”

Bryn laughed, gods help him. He fell forward, grabbing his knees as he wheezed. “I love you so much, Ev,” he said breathlessly. He pulled Everly close and kissed him before straightening and surveying the neighborhood. “Are you a strong runner?” he asked, but Everly was beaming up at Bryn, his eyes shimmering and his lip trembling.

“You love me?”

“Sure!” Bryn said loudly, his heart racing. He hoped he hadn’t scared Everly or confused him more. So much had changed for him in just a few weeks. “When you’re ready for that… We can talk about what that means.”

“I’m ready now. I love you too, Bryn. That’s why we’re running together. We can be each other’s purposes,” Everly explained in a rush.

“That’s all…wonderful.” Bryn said hesitantly. “I don’t have to be your purpose. Or your only purpose. You’re just figuring yourself out and we need to figure each other out. But, do you run? I don’t want you to push yourself and get hurt.”

Everly’s brows pinched as he stared up at Bryn. “I’ve run before. A few times. But I can’t get hurt.”

“You’ve run a few times?” he verified, earning a nod. “Okay…” Bryn considered Everly’s jeans and sneakers. Nox had given Everly half a dozen of his least distressed jeans and two pairs of Converse. The jeans were cinched around the waist with a belt and the legs were rolled up because Everly still swam in them. Bryn sighed at Everly’s sneakers. “You have cotton balls stuffed in the toes, don’t you?”

Everly nodded again but smiled, not seeing the problem. “I canalmostfit in them! I have big feet for someone my size!”

“Okay.” Bryn didn’t want to burst Everly’s bubble. “Why don’t you take off and I’ll catch up. I want to check out your form,” he said with an exaggerated wink, making Everly blush and giggle.

“Don’t stare too hard or you might hurt yourself,” Everly replied cockily and returned Bryn’s wink but it seemed more like a threat, due to the delay. He took off at full speed, arms flailing like he was being chased by bees. Bryn cringed at the large pair of scissors protruding from his back pocket but decided he’d letthatgo, figuring Everly couldn’t do any real harm to himself.

He’d have to hand over his First Responder card, though, if Arawn or any of Bryn’s peers knew what he’d allowed to happen on his watch. Bryn waited, hands on his hips as Everly battled the breeze and his big feet, galloping like a baby horse until he began to run out of steam. His strides and the soundof his sneakers’ soles smacking the pavement slowed before he reached the stop sign on the corner.

Bryn stifled a laugh as he set off at an easy jog. “That’s one way to do it.”

Everly was hanging onto the pole and his chest heaved when Bryn caught up to him. “How was my form?” he huffed and dabbed the sweat off his face with the sleeve of his hoodie.

“Interesting,” Bryn replied. “I was more in the mood for a walk.”

Everly brightened as he released the sign post. “I can walk!” he said, but stumbled when his toe caught on the edge of the sidewalk.

“Most of the time,” Bryn said, laughing as he caught Everly and placed him on his feet on the pavement. “That’s what I meant about not having to make me your purpose, Ev. You don’t have to like everything I like and we’re not going to care about all the same things in the same way. We’re very different people and I think that’s great.”

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