Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 3

couldn't think of them off the top of his head, so he gave up and followed Aaron into the apartment, which was now open. "I am a very charming drunk."
    "Yes, you are," Aaron said, and it was one of those times when he should have been teasing, but instead he was weirdly serious. "But I'm a little bit biased."
    Noah sighed at the mystery that was Aaron. "How are you not drunk?"
    "I am. I'm just not as drunk as you."
    "But we had the same drinks!" Noah was fairly certain this was true. He'd even been keeping track – to a point.
    "Well, I've got six inches and a good forty pounds on you." Aaron handed him a glass of water and a cold pop tart, because Noah was too impatient for the toasting process when he'd been drinking.
    Noah sat at the kitchen table with his pop tart and his water and watched as Aaron fussed around the kitchen, getting more water for them both and digging out the bottle of Tylenol to set on the nightstand for the morning. Once Aaron finished getting all of that around, he came back into the kitchen to cajole Noah into getting up and getting ready for bed.
    "You'll thank me in the morning," Aaron said, pointing to the toothbrush that was all ready and waiting for him, toothpaste and all.
    "You're laughing at me again," Noah said when he looked up from spitting out his toothpaste moments later to see Aaron reflected in the mirror, leaning against the doorjamb and smiling at him.
    "Just wanted to check on you. You've been brushing your teeth for like five minutes." His smile faded a little as he reached out and brushed his fingers against Noah's cheek. "You're okay, right? You really did have a lot to drink."
    Noah slumped back against the counter and shook his head. "God, I love you."
    The smile dropped from Aaron's face completely and they stood there staring at each other for what seemed like a really long time.
    "I—What?" Aaron finally said.
    "We haven't said that yet, huh?" Noah couldn't remember now why they hadn't.
    Aaron shook his head, looking both pleased and a little bewildered. "Uh, no."
    "Shit, I'm sorry. I fucked it all up." Noah pushed away from the counter and walked to where Aaron was standing, pressing up against him to pull him into a kiss. "I love you so much. Like, we should move in together. And get dogs."
    "Dogs?"
    "Or cats." Noah wasn't really picky in that respect.
    Aaron laughed at that and kissed him hard. "I love you, too."
    "Oh good," Noah said. "That might've been awkward otherwise."
    ****
    By the time they make it out of the bathroom, Katie has a cab waiting for them. She doesn't pretend to be offended that they're leaving halfway through the band's first set, and they don't pretend to be sorry about it. Katie really is a good friend. They should send her a fruit basket or something. Noah makes a mental note to remember that in the morning.
    Aaron holds his hand on the ride home, and Noah thinks this is one of those perfect moments. He makes a mental note to remember that in the morning as well.
    Once they get home, Aaron heads directly to the kitchen, and Noah trails along behind after kicking his shoes off in the entryway. When he gets to the kitchen, Aaron already has water and leftover pizza sitting on the table.
    "I kind of love you," Noah says, bypassing the pizza to wrap his arms around Aaron in a full-body hug.
    "I'm pretty fond of you, too."
    Noah nods. "Good to know."
    ****
    "Aaron, you party animal. If you don't calm down, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Katie slumped down on the couch next to Aaron, giddily buzzed and on her way to being truly drunk. And why shouldn't she be? It was her big day, after all.
    "Just people watching." Aaron himself was in the brief contemplative stage between 'buzzed' and 'sloppy affection.' It was a good place to be.
    "Oh." Katie leaned against his side and turned her head so they were both looking in the same direction. "Who are we watching?"
    "My future husband." Aaron nodded at the guy and added, "In the dark red shirt," because there were about twenty other people jammed into that particular corner of the house.
    Katie made an alarming sort of squeaky noise and grabbed his face so that she could say directly into his ear, "You're watching Noah?"
    "That's Noah?" Aaron asked, looking back at the guy. "Noah, from grad school, Noah? Noah, the most perfect guy on the face of this Earth, Noah?"
    Katie slapped her hand over his mouth and pulled it away again when he licked it. "I never said he was perfect—just perfect