Anthony lifts his brows, amused by this confession, and lets himself be pulled further into the apartment. They don’t make it much further, though, before he stops and tugs Gabriel close again, cupping his face as he kisses him this time.

The truth is, Anthony has missed Gabriel terribly, too, something he can almost admit to himself now that the boy is in his arms. He has missed his mouth, and the feel of his skin under his fingertips, and the way his eyes shine with desire. And he has missed the intimate quiet between, the inexplicably something that softens all of Anthony’s sharp edges and makes the world feel a little less complicated, at least for a while.