Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 10

was truly happy again.
    "You'll have to let us meet him," Michael said one weekend, after Noah sent him a message about wishing all paparazzi got their naked pictures posted online.
    "You will. I think it might be time." Zach smiled, feeling content.
    "It's that serious?" G asked from the couch where he had Archer on his knees, watching cartoons.
    "I haven't seen him naked, and I want to marry him," Zach said, gripping the phone in his hand.
    "Wow, that is serious," Michael said.
    "Zach and Noah, sitting in a tree…" G sang, doing a little dance with Archer.
    "I would hit you, but you're holding a child," Michael said, while Zach just chuckled.
    "Come on, you've been wanting Zach to fall in love for ages. Don't be a spoil sport now. Isn't that right Archer?" He leaned down to Archer as he spoke.
    "G…Tree," Archer almost yelled leaving them all stunned for a moment.
    "That's just great. Now I've got tree and G. How about you teach him to say dad?" Zach sat straight and grumbled annoyed.
    "It's not my fault I'm so amazing little kids can't help it but idolize me."
    "Stuck up… something." Michael said, catching himself just before a curse slipped out and G chuckled at him.
    "He's coming over this weekend. Can you watch Archer for a few hours?"
    "Sure. We'll pick up the little rascal, go to the beach," Michael replied, giving Zach a glass of juice.
    "Thanks."
    "I would sing a song about that too, but then you would blame me for worse words than 'tree'." G gave his two cents.
    "Tree," Archer said again and Zach had to smile. He loved his son.
    ****
    When Noah came over that weekend, Zach had cooked. Music was playing in the background and he had on his nice clothes. He hadn't seen Noah in a couple of weeks and couldn't quite contain his excitement.
    "You're here." he said almost out of breath once he opened the door of his apartment.
    "Paparazzi couldn't have stopped me," Noah said with a smile.
    "Come in, please."
    "I think I will, sweetcheeks." Noah gave him a blue rose centered on a peacock's feather.
    "Thank you. That's pretty much beautiful." Zach held it gently, afraid of breaking it somehow. He didn't think he'd ever got flowers before. Or a flower, as it were.
    "Well I'm a peacock, I wanted you to have a piece of me." Noah said as he came closer, pushing the door closed behind him.
    Then Zach noticed the difference in Noah, a rock star as he'd never seen him before. Freckles covered his whole face, they were just everywhere, and as Noah smiled Zach knew that was it for him. Those eyes took his breath away and Noah's confidence almost had him dropping to his knees.
    But Noah wrapped his hands around his waist, pulled him against his tight body. He gently took the rose from his hand and placed it on the table then pushed his fingers through Zach's hair, wrapping them around his neck.
    "I've wanted you for myself for months," Noah whispered, only a breath away from Zach's lips.
    "I need you," Zach whispered back, holding on tight.
    "Before I kiss you… No, before I start kissing you, because I don't plan on stopping any time soon, I need you to promise me something." Noah rubbed his stubble against Zach's cheek, breathing against his ear.
    "Yeah?" Zach gasped, not even knowing what solid ground meant anymore.
    "I need you to promise me you will always keep your smile. I want you to be happy with me, let me love you, love me back. We will be together forever, the three of us, as long as I can keep that beautiful smile on your face. I don't think I could live without it." Noah rushed through the words, sounding almost desperate.
    "I promise. I promise to keep a smile. For you, Noah, anything for you." Zach choked on a cry and jumped at Noah, wrapping his legs around his waist, feeling Noah's hands supporting him.
    "For us, sweetcheeks. Everything is for us." Then Noah kissed him and kept on kissing him.
    That night Zach connected Noah's freckles with his tongue for the first time, felt his naked body against his own and the next morning he met the grumpy version of a rock star. Noah brought glitter into Zach and Archer's lives, but what kept on shining even after the lights went out with each show, were their smiles.
    THE END
    Author bio: Valentina Heart lives in different locations in Split, at the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Like the directions of her stories, her life takes a new twist with every passing year, and she welcomes every single one.
    As an avid reader for many years, she had a habit of mixing