Back when they started dating, Brodie and Kellen had given Jamie and Mason a scratch poster of date ideas. For the most part, they're fun things they wouldn't have thought of on their own, like pretending to be tourists in Boise, the city both of them had grown up in and knew extremely well.

Others Jamie wasn't as fond of.

He groans when he reads the prompt over Mason's shoulder.

Write a Poem About Each Other

"What?" Mason asks. "It could be fun."

"For you, maybe. I hated the poetry units in class. I don't understand poetry."

Mason snakes his arm around Jamie's waist, pulling him into his side and combs his other hand through Jamie's hair. "It doesn't have to be profound or have deep meanings about society or anything else. You could write something about how you don't like it when I steal the blankets."

"I'm not sure how'd I'd even begin to write a poem about you being a blanket hog." Jamie thinks about it for a second and frowns. "What even rhymes with blanket?"

"Two things. One, it doesn't have to rhyme. Two, you could always use another word, like sheets. A lot of words rhyme with sheets. Streets, meats, sweets, competes, defeats-"

"Okay, Shakespeare," Jamie says sarcastically.

Mason laughs and playfully shoves him. "Shut up."

They get out pencils and paper, and Jamie looks up a rhyming website. He knows Mason said poems don't have to rhyme, but he knows he's going to want it to. He also looks up the different types of poems because he doesn't remember most of the poetry units during Lincoln's English classes.

Fifteen minutes later, he's finished his poem.

Across the table, Mason is still writing. Well, technically, he's counting on his fingers, but it looks like it has to do with writing. Jamie doesn't know how.

A few minutes later, he puts down his pencil. "I'm done. Are you?"

Jamie nods. "Should we switch and read each other's at the same time or read our own out loud?"

"Hmm, maybe out loud."

"Okay. I'll go first. I'm one hundred percent sure yours is better, and I'm not going to want to read mine after hearing yours."

Mason reaches out and takes his hand. He strokes his thumb over the back of Jamie's hand. "Don't say that. I'm sure I'm going to love whatever you wrote. Read it to me?"

Jamie smiles and reads his poem.

There once was a boy named Mason

Who caused quite the sensation

He was really smart

And had a big heart

And the cutest smile across the nation

:)

Mason smiles, his eyes crinkling as he melts. "That's really sweet. I love it."

Pleased over his poem and Mason's reaction, Jamie says, "Okay, your turn."

On cold winter nights, when I feel alone

The bitter winds blow and tremble with might

A single text from you lights up my phone

One look and your name fills me with delight

A simple message, 'I wish you were here'

Always makes me smile and feel so warm

The lingering clouds start to disappear

My heart sings your song it yearns to perform

I grab my phone with a grin on my face

Despite the time, I can't resist your charms

For in the whole world, my favourite place

Is under a blanket and in your arms

Because there is nothing truer than true

Then when I say I do truly love you

Jamie is speechless.

He opens and closes his mouth, too stunned to speak. The waves of emotion rolling through him is overwhelming, and he stares out the window, focusing on not focusing on anything. He knows Mason is waiting for him to say something, but he can't. He can't even look at him because he knows his feelings are going to explode the moment they make eye contact.

Instead, he looks down at the table and wordlessly holds out his hand.

Mason puts the paper in his outstretched hand.

Over and over, Jamie reads the poem Mason wrote for him. About him. About how much he loves him. He reads it until his eyes start to fill with tears, and he has to wipe them away.

Swallowing hard, he looks at Mason. "You wrote me a sonnet?"

Mason nods. "I did."

Jamie looks away and nods, biting the inside of his cheek. Then he pushes his chair back to stand, and Mason stands too. Jamie's sure he has no idea what he's about to do. Hell, Jamie doesn't even know what he's going to do.

His feet carry him around the table, and he yanks Mason into a tight hug. He squeezes him hard, trying to convey the mess of emotions whirling inside of him. He doesn't know how to process the poem or how it makes him feel, but he hopes Mason can feel how much he loves and appreciates it.

"I-"

"You okay?"

Jamie nods, his cheeks smushing against Mason's shoulder. "I love you. That was beautiful. I'm going to frame it and hang it on the wall."

"I love you too." He's quiet for a moment, then says, "I can't breathe when you're squeezing me like this."