my other coworkers are here, and they're all great, and they've supported me in so many ways. But I was doing it to myself.

And I didn't know how to fix it. Francine pushed me into a blind date. And to say that date was a disaster... it's an understatement."

A few more scattered laughs.

"No, I'm serious. I was late, stumbling over myself, I didn't know how to talk, I spilled food on him.

I was a nervous wreck. It was a nightmare.

I tried apologizing, and it just made things worse.

But despite all of that, and despite a few.

.. odd circumstances, I got closer to another person.

I was able to let my guard down, to let this person in as they guided me through the experience that I felt desperate for.

And maybe it was wrong, to be that desperate for these things to happen, maybe I should've let them happen naturally, but. .. I don't think it's a crime to

want things.

"Letting this person in, it was one of the scariest things I've ever done. But I haven't regretted doing it. Maybe there was

a rough patch in there, and it took us a lot of time to fix it." Peter's eyes finally meet Eli's.

And Eli can't stop smiling at the man he loves.

"But having this person in my life is worth whatever trials we've gone through. And that's what I wanted to explore in this

book. The things we go through for the ones we love."

"That was really sweet." Amber gives Peter a warm smile.

For the rest of the night, there are moments when Peter's eyes meet Eli's from across the store as he tries to answer the

questions that Amber throws his way. His gaze has to break, of course; he has to give his attention to the other people in

the crowd.

But never once, throughout the entire conversation, do Eli's eyes ever leave Peter.

***

"Do you need a sticky note?" the bookstore employee asks Eli.

"Yes, please. Thank you." Eli could've joked around, played the he-knows-me card, but decides against potentially embarrassing

Peter. Patricia and Rose take one each as well.

"How many copies is this one?" Patricia asks, staring at the newly purchased book in Eli's hands.

"Just seven. Including the advance copy he gave me."

"The one you wouldn't let me read?" Rose grumbles.

"That one was just for me, you got your own!"

"Look at him, he gets one book dedicated to him and suddenly he's the most important person in the world." Patricia rolls her eyes.

Eli laughs. "And don't you forget it."

"Next up!" the employee calls for Eli, and Peter beams at him.

"I just have to say, I'm the biggest fan! I've read this book like ten times already," Eli teases, the employees clearly not sure how to react just yet.

"Only because I begged you to."

"Yeah, well, who else was going to copyedit it for you before you sent it to your editor?" Eli squats so that he's eye-to-eye

with Peter, despite this being one of the few precious occasions when he'd get to be taller.

"I didn't want her to think I don't know basic grammar."

"But you know Java. And I'd like to remind you that checking your grammar is literally in your copyeditor's job description."

"So... let's see who I have to sign this to," Peter says, flipping open the paperback. "Eli.' You know, my boyfriend has

that name too."

Eli smiles. He doesn't ever think he'll get tired of hearing Peter say "my boyfriend."

"Good, it's an excellent one," Eli says. "I even picked it out myself."

"Excellent' might be a stretch; I hear he's named after a hobbit."

"Oh!" Eli lets his mouth hang open in shock. "The author has jokes ! That's the last time I tell you anything personal." Eli laughs along with Peter.

"Was I okay up there?" Peter eyes the stage. "Do you think I did all right?"

"You did amazing," Eli promises, reaching for Peter's hand across the table.

"You're not just saying that?"

"I am saying it," Eli tells him. "Which is how you know I'm telling you the truth."

Peter smiles at him. "Thanks."

"Also, my mother and John would like to pass along their congratulations, as well as an apology for not being here. They had

a fundraiser they couldn't miss."

"That's okay, we'll see them this weekend, right? Before I leave for Sacramento."

"Definitely."

"Um, excuse me! Can you two stop flirting? We'd like to get our books signed," Rose shouts from behind Eli.

Peter chuckles. "I'm glad they could make it."

"They've been waiting all week." Eli taps on the book. "Now sign, so I can get out of here and back to my boyfriend."

Peter grins. "I'm sure he's a lovely guy."

Eli smiles back at him. "He is. Perfect, actually." Eli stands up straight.

"You didn't think that was too much?"

"I'm sure they appreciated the authenticity," Eli promises. "Besides, it was very sweet."

"Thank you."

Eli leans across the table, giving Peter a soft kiss on his forehead. "You're welcome, tiger."

"Hurry uuup!" Patricia groans, pretending to roll her eyes. "I've been waiting for weeks to meet my favorite author."

Eli and Peter continue to stare at one another. "I guess I should let the circus act have their turn."

"I guess you should."

"Do you have anything to do after us?"

"They want me to sign stock," Peter says. "But that shouldn't take too long."

"Okay, we can wait for you outside," Eli says, knowing the book store is just minutes from closing, and, given the preorder numbers that Peter already has to sign, it might be a while before he's done with all the extra copies the store ordered.

"Enough!" Patricia strolls up, stepping beside Eli. "You two can eye-fuck later."

"Hey, Patricia." Peter smiles.

"Hey, Peter." She opens the book to the title page where Peter has been signing all night. "Here's the sticky note."

"I'll see you in a bit." Eli leans over the table, kissing Peter once more before he steps away.

Rose and Patricia join Eli outside a moment later where Peter's parents are hanging out, their books freshly signed.

"We were worried you weren't going to make it," Mrs.Park tells Eli, wrapping him up in a hug.

"We almost didn't." Eli hugs her back before he gives Mr.Park a firm handshake. Despite how easily Eli had been welcomed

into Peter's family, how he'd already gone to Georgia with Peter last year for Christmas, and for his mother's birthday before

that, Mr.Park still intimidated Eli in an odd way. It certainly hadn't been helped by the awkward "I want to know your intentions

with my son" conversation that'd happened the moment he and Mr.Park were alone for the first time.

"He's just trying to scare you," Peter had promised Eli afterward. "Trust me, Dad's a softie, and he likes you."

"My first autograph!" Rose does a little dance, showing off the way that Peter signed her name.

"This is so fucking cool, Eli." Patricia looks at her own name.

"I know," Eli says. "I'm so proud of him."

It takes another thirty minutes of waiting before Peter is done. Eventually, Peter makes his way back out, Amber right behind

him. They whisper a few words to each other, hugging before Amber says goodbye to Eli.

"They gave me a free tote bag!" Peter shows off the store logo on the side.

Eli wants to hug his boyfriend, but lets Peter's parents get in first, whispering their congratulations to him. Peter has

to wipe the red lipstick off his cheek when his mother is done. "Are you all finished up?" she asks.

"Yep, all done!"

"You did so good!" Eli throws his arms around Peter, kissing him gently.

"Ugh, gross..." Rose fakes a vomiting sound. "Come on, we're going out to celebrate."

"Actually, um... if it's okay, I'm pretty beat," Peter tells them. "And my hand hurts."

"Are you sure, Peter?" his father asks. "We have reservations."

"He gets all big and famous and suddenly he's too good for us," Patricia teases, rubbing Peter slowly on the back.

"We're gonna do our own celebration." Eli steps in, sensing Peter's discomfort. "Plus, he hasn't packed for Sacramento yet."

"It's okay," Mrs.Park assures him. "We'll go out with Patricia and Rose."

Rose crosses her arms, pretending to pout. "I guess the responsible thing to do would be to go home and grade those spelling

tests from two weeks ago."

"Rose..." Eli stares. "Two weeks?"

"What? They're seven, they can wait. Priorities, Eli."

Peter goes in to give his parents a giant hug. "I'll see you tomorrow, Umma."

"See you tomorrow, adeul. Don't forget, we're getting breakfast in the morning. Then we're going to the bridge!"

"I won't forget."

The Parks hug Eli too before they join Patricia and Rose.

"I'll text you, Eli!" Patricia waves, as does Rose, and the four of them walk out of the store together.

"Good night!" Eli says to everyone, the bell above the door echoing.

"I'm almost sorry I'm missing that dinner." Peter looks down at Eli, wrapping his arm around Eli's waist and pulling him in.

"So..."

"So!"

"Do you want to grab dinner somewhere? Maybe get takeout."

"Actually, I went to the grocery store for you earlier today, before work," Eli tells him.

"I had groceries; you didn't have to shop for me," Peter tells him.

"Peter, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but a carton of eggs and a box of baking soda are not groceries." Peter's refrigerator was already sparse on the good days, but over the last year and a half, Peter's days became

consumed with both work for Zelus and edits and copyedits, plus the start of the second book in his two-book deal that was

due in just a few months. So Eli had taken charge of making sure Peter fed himself.

"The eggs are groceries," Peter mutters. "But thank you, I appreciate it."

"I thought we could do breakfast for dinner."

"You want to do breakfast for dinner?" Peter asks with an air of uneasiness.

"Is that so wrong?"

"No, no." He laughs. "I'm just recalling what happened the last time you tried to make me breakfast for dinner."

"Hey, I was distracted. And that was two years ago."

"Okay, okay." Peter laughs, taking Eli's hand in his. "Breakfast for dinner."

"You can finally try my French toast."

Peter smiles at him. "I'd love that."

"Good, and if you hate it, you can't tell me." Eli pulls Peter out into the cool night, the wind blowing through his shorter hair.

"I promise I'll love it." Peter leans in. "But not as much as I love you." He takes Eli's cheek in his hand, pulling him in

for a kiss.

"God." Eli winces. "That was so cheesy."

"Say it back!" Peter attacks Eli with smaller kisses, wrapping his arms tight around Eli so that he can't escape.

"Okay! Okay!" Eli can't help but giggle. "I love you!"

"What was that?" Peter pulls him in again, lifting him up in a hug. "I didn't hear you."

"I love you!" he says a little louder, Peter finally putting him back on his own two feet so that they can look at one another.

Eli glances up so that he can look at the man who shines brighter than the sun.

He leans in, smiling against Peter's lips. "I love you."

Peter smiles back, kissing Eli slowly. "I love you too."