Desirable (mxm)

sixteen; you are beautiful

I feel my fingers begin to twitch as I want to reach out and comfort him but I know it's the last thing I should do right now. "Yes," I exhale with a heavy chest. "You are. And I get that understanding that isn't going to happen overnight, but I promise to show you how much I want this, how much I will only ever want you."

Nate looks like he's seconds away from bursting into tears but he keeps himself together, averting his gaze before he breaks down altogether. He turns away from me and faces the wall, I step closer but stop myself.

His shoulders raise and drop as he controls his breathing. Every last fibre inside my body cracks at the thought of Nate feeling insecure because I've been with other people, when he's the only person I'll ever be able to think about for the rest of my existence.

"When I saw you, Nate, it was like all my questions to this life had been answered at once," I say with level calmness, trying my hardest not to let my voice shake. "And even when I see you now, I have to give myself a pep-talk because you are so damn beautiful that I can barely contain myself."

Nate glances over his shoulder slowly, furrowing his eyebrows in my direction. "You don't mean that."

"I do," I breathe out with an honest smile. "And you know that I do because the bond glows, the bond is glowing now I've admitted that."

His eyes shut and I watch a subtle shudder run down his spine.

"I know you feel it," I step closer. "My honesty. Everything I said is true because you're the only person I have thought about for months, you're the only person I am ever going to think about for the rest of my life. I might have been with other people but none of them will ever come close to you, to the way you make me feel, to the way I feel when I even think about you. It's pure magic."

A tear rolls down Nate's cheek as he listens to me talk. "I don–" he cuts himself off. "I've ne–"

I lean forward and clutch his hand with mine, running my thumb across his knuckles gently in smooth motions. "All of that is true," I whisper, and Nate shuts his eyes as my voice caresses the air. "And I know it's going to take time, we're not going to just jump into each other's arms. I know that. But this is me telling you that I am going to fight with everything I have to prove to you that this is real, that this is all I'm ever going to want."

When his eyes open it's like he really sees me–for the first time.

"Okay," he whispers.

I blink once. "Okay?"

"Okay, I believe you."

My lips break from each other and I tell myself not to collapse. "I know there is a lot that we don't know about each other," I say carefully. "But I want to know everything about you, I want to prove to you that you don't need to be insecure, that you are perfect the way you are."

This man could break multiple hearts, including mine. I'd feel honoured to have my heart broken by him.

Nate says nothing more so I continue to hold his hand. "Let me come meet your family and friends," I say gently. "Show you and them how serious I am about this, that I want you and only you."

"You want to meet them?" He says hoarsely.

I nod with desperation. "Of course I do. More than anything."

Nate drags his tongue across his bottom lip and I try not to look at the delicious movement, not at a time like this. "Alright," his voice croaks. "Soon."

Heat spreads across my face and I raise our hands to my lips, I press a feather light kiss against his skin. He releases a slow breath and shivers at the contact, I glance up at him and he looks like he's struggling to function. Every hair on my body stands on end at the light connection, my head dancing with butterflies.