“Me, too.” Cass props his chin on JJ’s chest, considering him. “After that, I actually have a few properties overseas. Maybe we could go on a family vacation? Just until the craziness dies down in Redwater? And there are a lot of trails nearby—we could all go horseback riding together.”
JJ blinks down at him, surprised. “You know how to ride a horse?”
Cass waggles his eyebrows. “I know how to ride a lot of things, lackey.”
JJ chokes on a laugh, letting his head drop back to the ground. “You’re a menace.”
“Why does knowing how to ride a motorcycle make me a menace?” Cass asks innocently.
JJ’s thoughts immediately get derailed. “You know how to ride a motorcycle?”
Cass looks affronted. “Why are you more excited aboutthatthan my insinuation that I’d ride you?”
“Can you teach me? How to ride a motorcycle, I mean?”
Cass’s eyes soften. “Of course. I can teach you everything I know. All my recipes, all my magic tricks, all my stories. All my weapons and fighting styles. I’ll rift you to all my favorite places around the world, teach you about their history and language and culture. We’ll try every restaurant, explore every marketplace, visit every monument. Trace constellations and chase eclipses—starting with the total eclipse hitting Redwater in December.”
JJ’s heart swells. “Sounds like you’ve put some thought into this.”
“Maybe just a little,” Cass says, giving him a crooked grin. “And I’ve thought about the lazy days, too. Staying up late and sleeping in. Waking up next to you. Brunch as the only valid meal of the day. Movies and takeout, watching storms and stargazing. Blowing you every morning while Desi naps.”
JJ throws back his head and laughs. “I might actually put in a vote for lazy daysonly.”
Cass’s smile is fond. “Me, too,” he says, and he leans forward, pressing a light kiss to JJ’s lips. “And we can do that, JJ. For the rest of your life, the world is ours.”
The wording catches JJ’s attention. Not “for the rest ofourlives,” but “for the rest ofyourlife.”
Because Cass is immortal. JJ isn’t.
And someday, JJ is going to die and leave Cass alone. JJ’s chest aches at the thought. “Cass, are you—are you sure about this?”
Cass squints up at him. “Sure about the merits of blowjobs and takeout? Yes, absolutely.”
Actually, I did the math. You’re twenty-two years old, right? Hypothetically…
JJ looks away. “You said it yourself,” he says quietly. “If I’m lucky, I’ll live until I’m one hundred—seventy-eight more years. Rounded up to eighty for convenience. You’ll live forever. What happens after I die?”
Cass goes still. For a long moment, he searches JJ’s face.
And then, softly, so softly that JJ almost doesn’t hear him, Cass says, “Then I’ll be very sad.”
JJ’s eyes sting. “Right. So is it even worth it? If I’m only going to be here for a fraction of your life, and if it’ll hurt you when I die, then—then are you sure it’s worth it?”
Cass doesn’t drop JJ’s gaze. “Yes. I’m sure.”
“And I—I’m kind of a wreck. You know that. It’s not going to be eighty perfect years. It’s going to be eightymessyyears. Years where I screw up and say the wrong things and accidentally hurt you.”
“I’m still sure,” Cass says.
“And—” JJ swallows hard. “It might not even be eighty years. I think my grandparents only lived to be in their seventies, so that’s only fifty years. And considering my track record with dangerous situations…” He winces. “It might be a lot less than eighty.”
“I’m still sure.”
“But—”
“JJ.”Cass reaches out, cupping JJ’s cheek against his palm. “I’m sure, okay? I promise. I want this. You.Us.I’ll take that for as long as I can have it. And when the day comes that I can’t anymore…” He brushes his thumb over JJ’s cheek. “Then I’ll survive. And I’ll remember you so,sofondly, Julian. I’ll spend the rest of eternity telling everyone I meet how my boyfriend once brought home thirteen boxes of strawberries just because they were on sale.”
JJ’s eyes feel watery and his laugh feels shaky. Cass’s voice is firm and his eyes are serious, and JJ can’t detect the slightest hint of hesitation in the words, but?—
