Something about it laid out like that tugged at Brennan’s chest with a dramatic swoop of affection, and gratitude that it was returned.
“Yeah?” Brennan said, drawing closer.
He wanted to kiss Cole, and he might even be allowed to.
“Yeah,” Cole said, defiant, like a challenge, and met Brennan in the middle.
The kiss was slow and soft and sure, comforting but thrilling. Brennan pulled back to breathe, hands intertwined between them, and Cole’s mouth curled in the way it did when he was biting back a smile. Fondness bubbled up like balloons in his stomach. It felt irresponsible to like anyone this much. He’d never felt like he had so much to lose. The thought made the balloons pop and flop to the pit of his stomach. He squeezed Cole’s hand, other hand reaching for Cole’s elbow, steadying him.
“Seriously, though,” Brennan said. “The last thing I want is to put you in any kind of danger.”
“Hence warding my apartment?”
“Yep. And, I need to research more about protection charms, and check out Pike’s Point.”
“The murder spot? Yeah, I don’t love that idea, to be perfectly honest.”
“It’s the last place we know Dom was. Nellie and Sunny already investigated, so it’s possible they covered up any evidence, and I doubt I can do anything they can’t do themselves. But I can’t sit around waiting. I should have known Dom was going this direction so it’s… it’s my problem to help fix.”
Cole nodded along, then said, “Okay, then I’ll come with you.”
“Uh, no?” Brennan said. “What part of not putting you in danger—”
“Oh,lord,don’t give me the Edward CullenNew Moon‘I’m dangerous’ bullshit! I’m not letting you go to a murder spot alone, because I don’t want you in danger, either, and I’mdefinitelynot letting you solve a vampire murder mystery without me because that sounds cool as hell.”
“It mightsoundcool, but this is serious.”
“Iknowthat, Brennan,” Cole said, exasperated. “Sue me for wanting to be part of my boyfriend’s life!”
It hung in the air for a second, Brennan’s mind tripping over the word like a broken record, and it only took a beat for Cole’s brain to catch up with his mouth and a blush to erupt over his face.
“Well, I mean, um—”
“Boyfriend, huh?” Brennan felt a goofy smile taking over his mouth.
“I’m realizing now that’s a huge assumption and it just kind of came out,” Cole said, words flowing out in an anxious flood, “and well, over break, my mom kept pestering me about whether I was seeing anyone, and I guess you came up and I’m realizing that I probably really jumped the gun on that so we can totally take this as slow as you want, obviously you have a lot going on—”
“Cole,” Brennan shushed. “I’d love to be your boyfriend.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, then, afterBacheloretteNight, we go to Pike’s Point. Together.”
Brennan sighed in frustration, but knew he would give in. He would do anything Cole asked of him, really.
“Okay,” Brennan said. “We go together.”
BacheloretteNight came and went in a warm blur. It was nice, weirdly. All four of them squeezed onto the couch instead of Brennan being banished to the floor, which resulted in Cole sitting half in Brennan’slap. He sure wasn’t complaining. Mari was still cold to Brennan, but she wasn’t threatening him with violence and reluctantly allowed his presence. They watched the actualBachelorettethis time, notLove Island,and everyone seemed avidly invested except for Brennan, who’d grown steadily interested in watching the others’ reactions. How Mari privately swooned at some of the more romantic lines, how Tony got weepy any time someone mentioned their mom or grandma, how Cole found a couple to root for in episode one who somehow ended up the strongest of the season.
To be honest, Brennan was pretty happy to be there while it lasted.
But when the show ended, and Mari corked the remnants of a red wine bottle, giving Brennan some sort of meaningful look as she left, reality kicked back in.
Tony said his good nights, whether to go to bed or to stay up playingCall of Dutyuntil 3 a.m., they didn’t know.
But as campus went to sleep, Brennan and Cole geared up for a nighttime hike.
