Page 97 of Breathe
Viper couldn’t make it to the party because he was on a mission for the Vice President, along with several active Genesis, but he sent over a keg of beer.
Before Azrael could dart away, Real reached out and caught the slender man around the waist. Azrael turned and wrapped his arms around his neck, lifting his face.
Real leaned down and kissed the younger man on the lips. He had yet to hear words of love from Azrael, but he knew without a doubt that the assassin loved him, it was written all over his face.
And that was, in Real’s opinion, priceless.
Azrael gazed up into the face of the man he loved more than anything in the world.
He tightened his arms around Real’s neck and returned the hot brush of lips and nibbling kisses.
“The food’s all out here, just relax,” Real said gruffly.
“I will,” he promised, but in truth, he was nervous.
This man right here was his world, and he loved him body and soul. They may be opposites and have a generational gap, but their goals were the same.
They had worked jobs only two times over the past month, but each time they moved in sync, and that was because they knew each other. They knew the other one was there and would have their back. Working with someone he knew intimately was completely different than he’d imagined.
And he wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.
Apollo was here along with Cash. The pair was inseparable and were still at Dave’s house until they both felt ready to go back to college. His brother, who was recovering quickly, waved at him across the distance, and Azrael smiled.
He took a deep breath.
There was only one thing he had left to do.
Azrael linked his fingers with Real’s and drew him through the crowd of men gathered at four picnic tables with long benches. He had had the tables borrowed from the mess hall for the afternoon, and the men gladly carried them over.
Rebel and Boston had blown up and fastened gold and blue balloons overhead to make the area look festive.
With the food piled high, it was a feast, but everyone waited.
They were waiting for him.
In front of the crowd of people, Azrael withdrew the ring box from his pocket with a sweaty hand.
He dropped to one knee in front of Real and lifted the box. He popped open the lid to reveal two Damascus steel rings with a solid platinum sleeve.
To say Real was shocked would have been an understatement. The man’s eyes were a stormier gray in this light, and his mouth had opened into a small circle.
Azrael had had a whole speech planned, but he couldn’t remember a word at that very moment, so he spoke from the heart.
“During one of the lowest parts of my life, you were there. You were there to sweep me off my feet, literally.”
Chuckles ran through the men gathered, and Azrael continued with a smile.
“It wasn’t then that I fell in love with you, it was later when you took the time to follow me out onto Dave’s roof. It was during the numerous roof time talks that I knew nobody else would do for me. You hold my heart, and it will only ever be yours.”
Azrael took a deep breath and stood up.
“Will you marry me, Real?”
Real’s eyes were glittering in the light, and for a split second, Azrael thought he had misjudged, but then Real spoke.
“I will.”
Plucking the box from Azreal’s hand, Real pulled out one of the rings, decided it was the smaller of the two, and slid it onto the ring finger of Azrael’s left hand.
