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CHAPTER TWENTY

He loved him, he really did. And that's what terrified him.

"I just..." He felt his heart skip, "I think I - ..."

"What is it, Gracyn?" Stephen's voice was patient, calm and collected, he could see in his eye's, that Gracyn had something important to say.

"I...I think I - ..."

He'd loved him before they got physical, and he'd tried to say it many times before. Little glances, smiles, gestures. Whenever Stephen would heal him he'd feel the urge to say it. When Stephen's hand would get intertwined with his, when their lips would touch, when he heard his voice.

He loved him, ever inch of him.

He'd fallen fast, he'd fallen hard. But he fell.

And he didn't have any plans on getting up without him.

"I think I'm falling in love with you." He finally said, his voice just above a whisper, feeling his entire body temperature rise as he waited for Stephen to react. He smiled, his hand pressed against Gracyn's cheek, his mouth open to speak.

"You do?" He questioned, and Gracyn broke into an uncontrollable grin.

"Yeah." He said, a little louder this time, "is that okay?"

"Of course it is."

"And you?" He asked, "how do you feel?"

"I...I believe I've been falling for a long time." He confessed, and Gracyn could tell he was holding back a blush as his lips pressed against his.

"That's good," Gracyn said into Stephen's smile as they pulled away for a fraction of a second, and went back to their kiss, "because I didn't have a backup plan."

Stephen laughed and pulled away, laughing into Gracyn's chest as he sat atop of him, and went back to kissing him as his belly laughs subsided into sweet, small giggles that made Gracyn feel an indescribable happiness.

And for the first time, he didn't care that he didn't know what happened after death, he was just happy to be alive.

"Be careful." Stephen demanded, tying Gracyn's cape around his neck, "and don't waste your arrows."

"I won't." Gracyn promised, placing a kiss atop Stephen's head, "and you be safe too, you'll be with Conner in the catacombs, remember?" He said, looking back as he picked up his bow and quiver. "Conner will protect you."

"I'd much rather it be you." Stephen groaned, rolling his eyes.

"I wouldn't trust anyone else with your safety." Gracyn teased, grasping Stephen's shoulder and pulling him into a kiss, feeling as Stephen wrapped his arms around his neck, his hand's slowly losing down to his shoulders, and down his chest before they pulled away, smiling into each other's eyes. "I should go."

"Of course, I'll see you when you get back."

"And we can kiss the night away."

"And more?" Stephen suggested, raising a brow, and Gracyn chuckled, blushing.

"If you'd like."

"I'd love that." He nodded, giving Gracyn one last peck before watching him leave.

'I love you.' He mouthed, 'be safe.'

And with that, he made his way to the catacombs, waiting for Conner.

~

Gracyn walked over to Conner before he could get to the catacombs, grasping his forearm to get his attention, Connor looked over, "hey, I'm...Sorry for snapping at you earlier." He apologized, and Gracyn sighed, part of him was still a bit frustrated with Conner, but he couldn't leave on bad terms. Because, again, there was no written guarantee that he would return to the palace alive, or in one peace.