Epilogue
One year later…
Switzerland, a land of breathtaking scenery.
That was what Jared would be thinking if he wasn’t lying in the snow with his right ass cheek pulsing with what would probably become a massive bruise.
He sighed, letting the cold creep into his bones as his eyes focused on the sky. It was surprisingly clear, painted a pretty shade of blue for December in the Alps. He expected it all to be a lot more greyish—like home. It was gorgeous though.
“That was quite a fall.” Dylan laughed, outstretching his hand to help Jared up.
“Shut up,” Jared grumbled. He was done with these stupidly slippery slopes.
He had never been good at sports, especially not the type that required such a high level of balance and coordination, and that wasn’t changing now.
Not when he could be inside Chaz’s house, enjoying the smell of burning wood mixed with the bittersweet scent of a hot cocoa. That was life. This was not.
Also, yes. Jared and Dylan were staying at Chaz and his wife’s cabin—Jared felt like Heidi; not the model, the girl from the anime TV show.
The couple had practically forced them to stay at their place when they’d learned the two of them were spending a week here.
And honestly, after checking the prices for ski and snowboarding season in the area, there was no way they would refuse the offer.
“It was your fault,” Jared said as he stood up.
“How is it my fault that you have two left feet?” Dylan chuckled some more, lovingly brushing some wet locks from Jared’s forehead.
His eyes had always been captivating, like the depths of the bluest ocean, but right now, the way they were glowing, with so much affection and a dash of mischief...
Jared was weak for this man. Anything Dylan said or did, he would vow to it. But he loved their dynamic the most when he played the victim and Dylan was the boyfriend who comforted him, so he laid it on extra thick.
“I told you to wait for me. And you didn’t.” Jared looked at him with his best puppy dog eyes, feigning innocence and hurt.
“It was an easy one, baby boy. How was I supposed to know you’d fall on an almost flat slope?” Dylan pecked his cheek, his lips as cold as Jared’s skin. Then bit him.
What the fuck?
Jared facepalmed Dylan and pushed him away. “Easy slope, easy slope…” he mocked. “Tell that to my ass!”
“I can definitely check in with him later.”
“Of course.” Jared rolled his eyes, not one bit bothered by the comment.
Even though he was the clumsiest person in the world when it came to sports, Jared loved being here with Dylan. Seeing this man in his element was a different type of high.
The year they had been together as a couple had allowed them to deepen their connection and adjust to each other’s quirks and habits.
Jared had moved permanently into Dylan’s bedroom and somehow managed to convince his boyfriend that it was a ridiculous waste of gas to drive a car and a motorbike to work.
To his dismay, Jared had been the one to end up riding with Dylan.
Except on the rainy days—good thing they lived in England because he was afraid of that two-wheeled thing.
Time had passed, but they were still as sappy as could be.
Although, they were also quite independent and appreciated their alone time.
Jared would go out to dance or have a few drinks with friends, while Dylan was either tattooing or screaming at his colleagues through the mic on his headset while playing video games.
He wasn’t sure how, but things between them worked beautifully. Much better than any other relationship he’d had before. They barely needed to find middle ground on any of the topics they disagreed on, each naturally yielding to the other more often than not. It was magical.
“Anyway,” Jared continued, “You’ve already seen me try, fail miserably, and look like a complete ass.”
“You are far from a failure. And I love your ass.” Dylan molded his lips to Jared’s.
“Stop distracting me…” he mumbled, returning the kiss, feeling his dick pulsing to life when their tongues touched. “Okay, not here.” He grabbed his shoulders and put some distance between them.
“Sorry.” Dylan chuckled. “What were you saying?”
“I'm not coming back to the house yet because this place is beautiful, but I’m done with snowboarding.”
“And what are you gonna do all day?” Dylan’s mouth twisted.
“I’ll go wherever you guys go and finally try out my new camera.” Jared gestured towards the parking lot behind them, where Chaz’s car was.
“That sounds good. I hope you get my good side.” Dylan winked at him.
The rest of the day, until the sun started painting the horizon deep shades of orange, Jared followed Dylan and his friends up and down the mountain.
He moved between the summit and the valley on the ski lift.
He’d fallen more times than he was willing to admit on a teeny-tiny slope, so this track would be the death of him.
Like how in the hell? These people were defying every law of physics.
Falls aside, he couldn’t get enough of his man or this place. All combined, it was like a heartbeat trapped in a bead of glass where time remained frozen. Nothing changed and nothing hurt. There was just utter peace and beauty.
The photos Jared was taking barely did justice to the thrilling sensation coursing through his veins. Sometimes he was scared that Dylan or his friends might have truly hurt themselves, but then they got up, laughing. Most of the time, however, he was in awe, completely mind-blown.
Jared knew Dylan mastered almost everything he tried—programming, tattooing, video games—but he was flying here.
Free (fucking) Bird. Even when he stumbled and lost his balance, he looked incredible.
The control he had over his board. The way his body smoothly twisted, turned, and jumped like it was as easy as breathing.
The scraping sound of the snow when he reached the end.
How his black and red outfit contrasted against the white landscape surrounding them, reflecting the light like diamonds.
Who knew after leaving his old job and moving five hours away from his hometown, he’d find a new home?
Who knew Dylan would give love a whole new meaning?
Who knew he would be such a game changer?
Definitely not Jared. But now he belonged to Dylan, and Dylan belonged to him. Mind. Body. Heart.