Page 93 of How Not to Date a Griffin

Sunny’s long hair refused to lay flat. It stuck up in every direction, keeping her adorably disheveled. “Can’t believe you just said ‘edgy’.”

“That’s what you’re surprised about?” Nolan chuckled as he crossed to the bed to greet the cat.

“Right, okay, old girl, goodbye, we’ll spare you the trauma,” he cooed, patting Sunny gently on the head before ushering her off the bed with easy nudges.

She chirped, which really came out as a raspy exhale, and eyed Reid with one big, suspicious yellow eye before scuttling past, tail twitching playfully. Her footsteps echoed on the wooden floor, followed by the jingle of the cat tower as she claimed the other room.

Reid shut the door behind the cat and finally looked over the bedroom. Just as bare as the others, all white paint and simple hardwood floors, a few boxes stacked against the walls and on top of the dresser. The windows were truly the best part, the city stretching out before them, cold winter light shining through.

“It’s beautiful, honestly. Can’t wait to see how you decorate it.” He’d seen glimpses of Nolan’s old place through their video calls, but this was a fresh slate. Something that was all Nolan’s.

“I’ll start with this, of course,” Nolan retorted, and sat Banana Shark on the dresser. The plush immediately tilted to the side, wonky from being squished.

Nolan left it there with a fond sigh, and turned to Reid, sidling up to him, palms coming to rest on his chest. “And I figured… you could help me with the rest.”

Reid grinned. “Well, of course. I’ll help you unpack, and we’ll have you settled in no time!” Then they could christen each piece of new furniture—

“Reid, stay with me,” Nolan said, sliding his touch to his shoulders and giving him a gentle shake. “I’m saying, you could help me with decorating…”

Reid stared at him, brain stuttering. “Yeah, no problem, I got—”

Nolan shook his head. “Because it’ll be half yours! I’m asking you to move in with me! Fuck,” Nolan huffed, rolling his eyes affectionately before those big blues came to rest on Reid again.

Reid had gone motionless.

“You want me to move in?” he asked, and Nolan nodded.

“Yes! You silly, adorable man—”

Without giving him time to finish his rant, Reid pressed forward and kissed him,then kept directing him until Nolan spilled down onto the mattress, and Reid into his lap.

“I can’t believe you got this place,” Reid said, breaking the kiss but pressing his lips into Nolan’s cheek, on the tip of his nose, over his forehead. “And you want me here, too? That’s—” He couldn’t even think of the fucking word for it. He pulled back, thoughts racing. “Are you sure? Don’t you want some time to settle in and—”

“I wanna settle in with you. Leaving was awful, but spending all these months away from you has been worse. I missed you so much. And maybe it’s crazy, but now that you’re here, I don’t want you to leave. So… stay?”

This could totally blow up in their faces. He should say no, play it safe. But another part of him wanted all of Nolan that he’d offer.

Hell, the guy had already changed his entire life. Put his dad in jail after suing the shit out of him. Moved to a new city. What was moving in together?

He chuckled, the giddiness bursting out of him in a laugh. “Yeah, yeah. Yes. I’ll stay.”

Nolan grinned, blue eyes sparkling as he framed Reid’s face with his hands and pulled him in for another kiss.

“Thank god. The commute isn’t even that bad for work, right? Just whip out your wings and—”

Reid shuffled his hips over Nolan’s lap. “The only thing you should be whipping out is your—”

Nolan covered his lips with his own, muffling their laughter, but Reid heard the clink of his belt buckle anyway. Their tongues twined and his heart raced. He felt airborne as Nolan’s fingers warmed against the skin of his stomach, working his button open.

“You’re right, we’ve got to christen the bed of our new apartment, after all,” Nolan teased, pulling away for a breath.

Reid’s hips rolled into Nolan’s, brushing their quickly-hardening cocks together. “Say it again,” Reid demanded, wrapping a hand around both of them.

Nolan licked his palm and nudged Reid’s hand out of the way, leaning in close to nip at Reid’s lips. “Which part? Our apartment?”

Reid nodded, groaning as Nolan’s fist tightened around them in short strokes, low burning embers sparking anew in his gut with each touch.

Nolan chuckled and Reid felt it in his bones, threaded his fingers through Nolan’s dark hair and held on. “So easy,” he murmured darkly, in that voice he’d been practicing over the phone for the past six months. To hear it whispered so close to his skin was undoing Reid.