Page 162 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

Too fucking gorgeous.

And mine.

Syn leaned in again, slower this time, brushing his mouth over Furi’s. Once. Twice. He felt every pulse and throb where their bodies pressed together.

“You’ve been driving me crazy all morning,” Syn said against his lips.

Furi’s hands tightened at his back. “And what do you think you’ve been doing to me?”

Syn closed his eyes.

Furi caressed the back of Syn’s neck. “What is it?”

Syn kissed him again, because he’d missed his taste so much. The pressure softened into depth. Their mouths moving together in slow, searching strokes, each one dragging them closer to something neither anger nor hurt had managed to dissipate.

Furi turned his face into his jaw, lips grazing against his stubble. “I love you.”

Syn went still.

Furi froze.

“I know you do.”

“I just needed you to hear it.”

Syn’s hand tightened at his waist. He looked past Furi for a second, through the trees, toward all that open land. Space everywhere, then back at Furi.

“I’m sorry too,” he confessed.

Furi’s eyes widened as he shook his head.

Syn put his finger to Furi’s lips to stop the protest. “No. Let me say it.”

Furi nodded once, slowly.

“When we were going through all the financial shit, I was stubborn, and proud,” Syn said, his voice roughening. “You tried to explain how scared you’d been, how desperate you felt, and I wouldn’t listen.”

Furi lowered his eyes.

“I hated what you did. I still hate that you felt like going back to that world was the only way to help us. But I know you didn’t do it because you wanted to. You did it because you were trying to save what we’d built together, and you gave up a piece of yourself to do it.”

Furi’s eyes shone as a lone tear slipped down his right cheek.

Syn swallowed hard. “So thank you. For the sacrifice. For doing what you thought would keep us standing, even though I know damn well you never wanted to step back into that life.”

Furi embraced him, long and hard, sobbing softly.

Syn had to get past his own pain, and when he did, he saw his lover for who he truly was. How generous and selfless he’d been for them. “I love you too,” he said, rougher this time. “I need you, Furious. All of you.”

“You have me. You always have.” Furi kissed his temple. “It’s only ever been you, Corbin.”

Syn tightened his hold. “Right now…”

“What?” Furi breathed.

Syn kissed him hard and desperate, before pressing his forehead to his. “I need you inside me, right-fuckin-now.”

Xander Vale