ALEX GRABS PAUL’S HAND, pulls him down to lie facing him, and presses their foreheads together. For the first time since he got on the plane to fly to D.C., he feels like he can breathe. He knows that’s largely endorphins talking; not all the time without Paul has been bad. Indeed, a lot of it was necessary. But the relief of being here in Paul’s arms is overwhelming. There’s no guarantee of this working in the long run, Alex knows enough to be sure of that, but he also knows enough now to savor this moment for what it is.
Paul tangles their fingers and kisses the back of Alex’s hand. “I missed you.”
“Yeah,” Alex breathes. “I missed you too.”
“So can I ask why?”
Alex twists onto his back, looks at the ceiling for a moment, then makes himself look back at Paul. They’ve come this far, an
