“This is a lot to take in,” he whispers, and I choke on a wet laugh.
“That's putting it mildly.”
“I’m going to have a ton of questions.” My cheek rubs against his shirt as I nod. “Like… so, so many questions.”
“I’ll do my best to answer them,” I say, unable to stop my smile as he presses a kiss against the top of my head.
“How can I be sure I’m not stuck in a coma with a gunshot wound to the head? Tubes in my throat, squeaky mechanical bed, ass hanging out of a too-small hospital gown? This whole thing could be some sort of fever dream. I’ll wake up in a few months and ask you about being Cupid, and you’ll have me committed.”
“TheCupid,” I correct. “It’s a position, not a person.”
“Because that’s more sane,” he snorts into my hair and hugs me tighter with a half-hysterical laugh.
For a few minutes, we sit there holding on to each other, the stress slowly being erased from my body. I should drop my feet, let his arms rest, but he’s just as reluctant to put me downas I am to be put down. Afraid that once there's distance between us, I won't be able to close it again.
“It was all supposed to be temporary,” I finally say, breaking the thick silence between us. “The position. It was never intended to be permanent. When Micah told me the arrow wasn’t affecting me, I made my mind up on the spot. There is only a week left in my time as The Cupid, and then I was going to give up my wings. We’d be normal, boring mortals together, and we’d be so happy.”
“Wait, wait… hold up a second, Az. Slow down, okay? I might not understand what's happening, but those sound like some major sacrifices. I’d never ask you to give up so much for me.”
“You wouldn’t ask, but what other choices are there? Sit back while you age, knowing you’ll leave me someday? No, Beau, that’s not an option for me.” My eyes close as I take a deep breath, recalling my conversation with Micah. “But then…” I trail off, and he gives me a gentle nudge.
“Then?”
“They asked me to stay on… to be The Cupid, not just temporarily. And I’mgoodat it, Beau. I’ve never been good at anything in my life, but I’m good at this…reallygood, and now I’m in this impossible position. I can't have you and be The Cupid at the same time. That’s incredibly selfish, and frankly, far more than I have any right to ask for. Why should I get everything I’ve ever wanted?”
“Because you deserve all the happiness in the world,” he whispers, hugging me as he pushes his nose into my hair and takes a deep breath. “There are a lot of decisions that don’t have to be made this second, Az. You have time.”
I release a shaky sigh as I nod. “But there is something I need you to answer,” he says gently. “Something that can’t wait.”
“Yeah?” I whisper, bracing myself for the worst.
“Where does this leave us? Where dowego from here?”
Strangled and breathless, a noise between a sob and a hysterical laugh claws its way from my chest. “You… you still want to be with me?”
“Az,” he murmurs, kissing a trail from my head, then along the side of my face and ending behind my ear. “Az, sweetheart, I’m not a complicated man. There aren’t any fancy words I can come up with that will express it any better than you already have. There’s only you… there’s only ever been you. And I love you, plain and simple. We’ll make it work, no matter the cost. I’m yours… and you’re mine. That’s the only thing that matters.”
“Say it again,” I whimper as his kisses move up my jaw and dot around my chin, his beard tickling my cheek. “Please? Tell me again.”
A smile lifts his cheeks as he finds my mouth. “I love you.”
“Take me home,” I whisper as he presses a kiss on my lips.
“No,” he whispers back, and it takes a second for me to comprehend his answer. Brows drawn, I pull away and frown. “If we are going to work—and I want us to work, more than anything else in this life—you have to show me everything. No, darlin’, this time I need you to take me home.”
Consequences…
What are they again?
Doesn’t matter.
A flutter of nerves, edged with excitement, makes my stomach churn as I give a quick nod. “Alright.”
“Alright?” Surprise colors his voice, and I imagine he expected me to say no. Ishouldsay no. The thought crossed my mind for a split second, but considering the numerous ways I could have lost Beau today, taking him home is a necessary gamble.
“Fair’s fair, and you’ve given me so much of yourself. It’s only right that I do the same for you.” Logistics are easy enough. Although I’ve never done it, teleporting with someone else is a common occurrence.
I size Beau up for a moment, thinking out loud. “Level with me here… this isn’t going to freak you out, is it?”
