Epilogue Romeo and Romeo #2
"Proactive," Leo echoes, sounding like he's not entirely sure what he's agreed to.
"We're going to pursue romantic connections," Luca clarifies, cheeks slightly pink. "Systematically."
"We made a plan," Max adds. "With milestones. And backup strategies."
"Oh God," I mutter.
"It's very thorough," Haru assures me.
Gavin is grinning like this is the best thing he's ever heard. "I fully support this. Keep me updated."
"Absolutely not," I say. "You'll encourage them."
"That's the idea, Doc."
Ian wanders over, beer in hand, looking mournfully at the couples scattered around the room. "Y'all are disgusting, you know that? All this happiness. It's unnatural."
"You could try dating," Gavin suggests.
"Who's got the time?" Ian sighs dramatically. "And where am I supposed to meet someone? I'm not doing those apps. It's all—" He makes a vague hand gesture. "—weird."
"There's a bulletin board in the student center," Max offers helpfully. "They post events. Social mixers. That kind of thing."
Ian perks up slightly. "Yeah?"
"Speed dating too,” Leo adds. "I saw a flyer."
"Huh." Ian strokes his chin. "Speed dating. That's old school. I respect that."
Gavin and I exchange a look. Something tells me Ian's about to have an interesting semester.
"Anyway." Ian raises his beer toward us. "To the happy couple. May your love be as strong as Gavin's squat max, and may Doc's fancy Swiss cheese always be... fancy."
"Beautiful," I deadpan.
"I try."
Then the speeches start.
Tyler goes first, because of course he does, and his roast, disguised as a toast, has half the room crying with laughter and the other half just crying.
"Gavin," Tyler says, voice slightly thick, "you've been my brother since freshman year. You've seen me at my worst, my best, and that one time at the lake that we don't talk about—"
"We don’t talk about it,” several voices chorus.
"—and I cannot believe you're leaving me for Switzerland." Tyler points at me. "Doc, if you don't take care of him, I will personally swim across the Atlantic to kick your ass."
"That's... not how geography works," I say.
“I’ll find a way.”
Ethan is openly crying into Tyler's shoulder. Rex is suspiciously red-eyed and aggressively claiming allergies. Ian has given up all pretense and is dabbing at his face with a napkin.
Then Jeff steps forward with a wrapped package that's... alarmingly large.
"For the happy couple," he announces. "For your new life together."
I take it hesitantly. The weight is weird. Uneven.
Gavin and I unwrap it together, and—
"Jeff." I stare at the contents. "What the fuck."
It's a collection of items that I can only describe as "sex shop clearance bin meets European stereotypes.
" There's a chocolate body paint kit shaped like the Matterhorn.
Edible underwear in Swiss flag colors. Something that vibrates and has way too many settings.
And a book titled "Kama Sutra: Alpine Edition" that I'm pretty sure Jeff made himself.
"For the long winter nights," Jeff says solemnly.
"There is no way this is getting through customs," I manage.
"Not with that attitude!"
Gavin is laughing so hard he can barely breathe, leaning against me for support. I should be mortified… I am mortified, but I'm also laughing, and the whole room is laughing.
I'm going to miss these idiots.
The party is still going strong when Gavin's hand finds mine.
"Five minutes," he murmurs against my ear.
"That's what you said last time."
"I mean it this time."
"You said that last time, too."
His thumb traces circles on my palm. "Study room. Two minutes."
Then he's gone, slipping through the crowd like he's not six-foot-four and impossible to miss.
I wait approximately ninety seconds before following him.
Pathetic.
The study room is dark when I slip inside, but then hands are on my hips and lips are on my neck, and I stop caring about anything else.
"Took you long enough," Gavin breathes against my skin.
"Didn't want to be obvious."
"Doc, everyone watched you follow me."
"Shut up and kiss me."
He does.
It's not soft this time. It's desperate and hungry and a little frantic, the kind of kiss that says I can't believe I get to keep you. My back hits the desk, and then Gavin is lifting me onto it, stepping between my legs, and I wrap myself around him like I'm trying to climb inside his skin.
"Gavin—"
"I've got you."
His hands are everywhere. Under my shirt, down my sides, gripping my thighs. I'm pulling at his clothes, trying to get closer, always closer.
"Did you—" I gasp as his mouth finds that spot below my ear. "Please tell me you have—"
He pulls a small bottle from his pocket with a grin.
"Of course you do." I can't decide if I'm exasperated or grateful. Both. Definitely both.
And then there's no more talking, just gasping and groaning and trying to stay quiet as Gavin bends me over the desk. His chest is hot against my back, his breath ragged in my ear, and every thrust sends sparks up my spine.
"Fuck, Doc—"
"Don't stop, don't you dare—"
We're not quiet. We're absolutely not quiet. But I can't bring myself to care, not with Gavin's hand wrapped around me, not with the pressure building and building and—
BANG BANG BANG
"We get it! Y’all love each other! Now pipe down, Romeo and Romeo!"
Ian's voice echoes through the door.
Gavin's forehead drops to my shoulder, his whole body shaking with laughter.
"Oh my God," I wheeze.
"Ignore him," Gavin manages, still laughing. "He's just jealous."
"I can hear you!”
Gavin flips off the closed door, and I dissolve into helpless giggles against the desk. Before I can catch my breath, he pulls out just long enough to flip me over, back against the wood, legs in the air, and uses my thighs to yank me to the edge.
He hooks my legs over his shoulders, grips them hard, and uses the leverage to bury himself so deep I gasp. He's so fucking deep I see stars.
"Wanna see you," he mutters.
His hands are everywhere: my hips, my shoulders, pulling me hard against him with every thrust. His lips are pressing hot kisses to my collarbone, my neck, the curve of my jaw.
Gavin comes first, hips stuttering, then me, half a second later, because the sounds he makes are fucking obscene. His legs are shaking so hard I'm amazed he's still upright.
Well. Upright-ish. Desk-supported.
He mutters "fuck, Doc," into my shoulder. "So much for being quiet."
After, we stay tangled together. I'm lying across the desk, definitely not ergonomic, definitely don't care, with Gavin between my thighs, his head resting on my chest, my legs still hooked over his arms. We're sweaty and sticky and breathing hard, and I've never been happier in my entire life.
"Ti amo," I murmur into his hair.
"Love you too, Doc." He presses a kiss to my sternum. "So much."
"We should probably go back."
"Probably."
Neither of us moves.
"They're going to be insufferable," I say.
"They're already insufferable."
"Fair point."
Gavin lifts his head, and his smile makes my heart stutter. "Ready to face them?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Not really."
"Then let's go."
We emerge rumpled, flushed, and absolutely fooling no one.
The whistles start immediately.
"There they are!"
"Study room's gonna need to be sanitized again!"
"Get it, G!"
Tyler tosses something at Gavin, who catches it reflexively. It's a condom. "Going-away present!"
"Little late for that," Gavin says cheerfully.
James looks up from his laptop, expression darkening. "The study room? Again?" His glare shifts to Tyler and Ethan. "This is your fault. You started this."
Tyler holds up his hands innocently. Ethan doesn't even bother pretending, just grins.
I should be embarrassed. I should be mortified. But Gavin's arm is around my waist, and my friends are here, and in two days we're starting a new adventure together.
The party winds down slowly after that. More hugs, more promises to call, more threats of bodily harm if we don't keep in touch. Rex pulls me aside and tells me, gruffly, that I'm "alright for a non-frat guy."
Ian makes me promise to send pictures of hot Swiss women. My guys present me with a binder, an actual physical binder, containing emergency contact information, time zone conversion charts, and a detailed FAQ about European electrical outlets.
Finally, when the crowd thins and the mess has been half-heartedly addressed, Gavin takes my hand and leads me outside.
The night air is cool against my flushed skin.
Gavin's hand squeezes mine.
"So," he says.
"So."
We stand there for a moment, looking back at the house. At the crooked banner visible through the window.
Then Gavin turns to me, "Ready to leave?" he asks.
I look at him. Six-foot-four of golden retriever energy, still kind of sweaty from the study room, grinning at me.
This idiot saw through every wall I built and decided to stick around anyway.
'Yeah,' I say, throat tight. 'With you? Always.'
His whole face lights up, fucking hell, that smile, and he pulls me into a kiss.
I should say something sarcastic. That's my thing. But my brain is offline and my mouth is busy, so I just... let myself have this.
Thank you for reading How To be Gay By Valentine’s Day.