Page 61 of Vexing the Viper

Niko does that while I start unpacking the basket. I set everything to the side of me, then lean back on my arms. I watch as Niko sits between my legs, resting his back against my chest.

"I can't believe I've been at Creelin U for two and a half years and this is only the second time I've been here. It's magical. I don't think I'll ever get tired of it."

"Well, if it's up to me, then I plan to come here as many times as we want. I can't wait for it to get warmer, though. I bet it would feel amazing to swim in there."

"Only a few more months. Until then, I don't mind the picnics."

"Me, either. On the way up here, I was reminiscing about how far we've come. God, you were such an ass at the beginning of the semester."

Niko groans loudly, covering his eyes with his hands. "I know. Don't remind me. I hate how I acted back then. I don't know what came over me."

"I do. You were scared. Fearful of the unknown, and you didn't know how to act. So you reacted. Badly, I might add. But I like to think it was worth it. It led us to the here and now. And I, for one, would never want to give that up."

He turns around and straddles my lap, his hands sifting through my hair. "So, you're saying if we had to do it all over again, you wouldn't mind how I acted?"

"Not if we still ended up here. I'm not the same person I was then either."

"Oh, I know. I remember first tutoring you and you didn't think you were going to pass any of your classes and now look at you. Getting A's on your finals and kicking ass."

"I am kicking ass, aren't I? Who would have ever thought I would have been able to tame the grumpy Gorgon?"

"Oh, my Medusa!" he squeals, playfully swatting me.

"No, but for real, Niko. I am so fucking thankful for you. For helping me this semester, for opening your heart up to me. For falling in love with a human."

"I couldn't help it." He shrugs, his eyes tearing up. "I had no say. From the second I met you, I was drawn to you. Human or monster, it didn't matter. I fell in love with you, Kingston Porter, for who you are on the inside, and I plan to always love you."

"I love you, too, Nikolai Mahone. And good, because I never plan to let you go."

I claim his mouth with mine, kissing him and showing him how much I love him. He opens up easily, massaging his tongue with mine. Pulling back, I give each snake a pet. "I love all of you."

We lie down on the blanket, my arms wrapped around Niko tightly. We spend the rest of the day making out, taking short breaks to eat and talk of the future. Our future that we're planning together.

Epilogue

NIKO

3 YEARS LATER

I walkthrough the door of our apartment, kicking off my shoes. I head over to our kitchen counter and set down the Genie Gin and Vampire Vodka. It's game night, and I'm so excited for all of our friends to come over. Since graduating a year ago, we've made sure to hang out with our friends regularly. Sometimes it’s date nights or going to baseball games. Tonight, King picked game night since we’re hosting.

Snatching the soda off the counter, I load some into the fridge, then lean against the door and look around our small apartment. It's not the biggest, but it's ours. After graduating from Creelin University, King decided to stay instead of moving back to Washington. And since we had already spent the last two years living together, it made sense for us to get our own place. We've really made it our own. We have a black leather sectional in the corner across from a huge TV. There's pictures of King and I all over the walls, including pictures of us with our families.

King's family comes here a few times a year to visit. I was worried about a family of humans intermingling with a family of Gorgons, but I shouldn't have.

There was a reason King was so open and friendly to those different from him. His family is the same way. They came for Christmas break our first year together and welcomed me with open arms. And once our parents got together, all there were was laughs and hugs and so much happiness.

There's a knock on the door before it's being pushed open by Mateo, followed closely behind by Sam.

"Hey," I say, walking over to them and grabbing the dish out of their hands. "What did you bring?"

"Jalapeno poppers."

"Oh, hell yes." I lift open the top and inhale. Mateo brings a new recipe each time we see them, and I love each new item.

"Hopefully, it's not too spicy. I wanted to add some spicy sausage to it, but Sam told me to use the regular." Mateo hip checks Sam, and they share a smile between them. They've been together almost as long as King and I have.

King walks down the hallway in a pair of blue jeans and sleeveless tee. Of course his hair is slicked back under his baseball cap, and my eyes greedily track him until he's right in front of me. More than three years with this gorgeous man, and I love him more today than I ever could have imagined.

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