Marked

Twenty

"Your day was better than mine at least," I pointed out.

Me and Parker were laying on my bed, my head on his lap as he gently played with my hair. I had invited him over as soon as I had gotten home from school.

School had gotten easier in the last few weeks. People had gotten used to me being gay, and nobody said anything about it anymore. Basketball was fun as always, and we had won almost every game since I had gotten back.

"It's one test, you'll be fine," Parker said. "You can do extra credit or something," He said.

"But if my grade goes down enough, then I won't be able to play in the championship!" I said, looking up at him.

"They're going to let you play, and you might be stupid if you think they won't. They need you if you're going to win,"

"I'm not even the best on the team,"

"As if they're going to let that Ivan guy play. Didn't he get suspended or something?"

"He did, but he'll be back by the time the game comes around,"

"If they don't let you play, then I'll sue them. I can rob a bank, get the money for the lawyer, and tell them that not letting my dear Sebby play is a very, very big mistake," He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"Wouldn't you get arrested for robbing the bank?"

"Not if I'm sneaky. Which in case you haven't noticed, I am. I've scared you enough times,"

"And nearly given me about a hundred heart attacks,"

"It's adorable though," He said.

I didn't really think that getting terrified is very adorable, but swings and roundabouts.

"You think that everything I do is adorable,"

"Because it is. You're always adorable,"

"I prefer the term hot," I said, smirking at him.

"But adorable is so much better. It's a much nicer word in my opinion. Just flows off the tongue. But you are hot. Hotter than standing right next to the sun. Feels like I am all the time anyway,"

"You say some very, very sweet stuff sometimes. Then other times you say stuff that is completely ridiculous. If you felt like you were standing next to the sun, then you would be dead from the heat,"

He was still playing with my hair, and I liked it a lot. He seemed to like it too because he was always doing it.

"You say some pretty damn ridiculous stuff too, so don't even try me right there," He told me with a smile.

"I know I do. That's just because I'm an idiot,"

"Oh shut up. You're smart. Sometimes at least,"

"Rude," I said. To tease him, I moved so I was sitting next to him.

I glanced over at him and felt a little bad. How was I supposed to resist that face? I don't think I'm ever going to figure that out.

"You're so mean, somedays I wonder how I'm soulmates with you when I am obviously the nicest guy that could ever exist,"

"Ah, because I enjoy watching you suffer," I said.

"And yet I still love you," He looked right at me as he said it.

Time seemed to stop. He had just said he loved me. He loved me. That wasn't the thing that I had been expecting him to say, and I hadn't expected him to say it for a long time.

I did love him. I was pretty sure. I had never loved anyone before. I didn't know what it was supposed to feel like.

I had heard before that it was wanting the other person to be happy more than anything, and being willing to do anything for them if it just meant that they would be happy. Being totally comfortable around them, and wanting to be with them, them being the first person that you wanted to share good news with, feeling the safest when you're in their arms.

And I felt all of that with Parker. But was there something more to love?

Was it more than the fluttery feelings, the good stuff, and caring about them more than anything?

Was it something much deeper that nobody can find the right words to explain?

How were you supposed to know? Everyone always said that you just know, but I don't think that's the case.

I couldn't know if I loved him right then. But I was pretty sure. And sometimes that's all you can be.

"I love you too," I said quietly. Like it was a secret that only the two of us could know. Like the world wasn't even listening, and it was just us with nobody else listening or watching.

I saw him grin, and that grin was perfect. His eyes lit up, and he looked like there was no moment where he could be happier.

"I am so glad that you said that," He said. "Because I don't know what I would have done if you said anything else,"

I had a huge smile on my face too. It was a moment that I used to think that I would never get to experience. But here I was, and it was actually happening.

He leaned in and he kissed me, and I kissed him back.

When I first met him at that party, I didn't even think that I would ever even talk to him again. Much less falling in love with him in just a few short months.

I was never a fan of romance stories; until it was my own that I was living out.

I was so happy in that moment. I forgot about every bad thing that had come out of the relationship, my mom, the few jerks at school, and I focused every single ounce of my attention into Parker.

Parker Adams, the swimmer who loved gross muffins. Who loved science, who was amazing at math even though he hated it. Who had two sisters that he was so close to, who always knew the exact right thing to say, the person who had simultaneously sent my life crashing down, but had also made it better than I had ever been.

It wasn't long before clothes were being thrown onto the floor as the kisses got even more heated.

Spoiler alert: Parker is pretty great in bed.