Thank you to all of you that reviewed, I'm glad someone else is enjoying my mess of an idea.

My need to be around that boy was getting ridiculous. I spent almost every night texting him, or waiting for him to text me like a teenaged girl, and jumped at every chance I got to be with him. Whether what we were doing could technically be considered 'dating', I wasn't sure; we hardly ever actually went out together, aside from getting coffee, and even then we just sat in the car. We spent most of our time in my flat, on the couch, watching movies. Or occasionally at Carlisle's, when we both felt like we could stomach Alistair.

Once of the best parts of being at my place was that I continually had a reason to convince Carlisle to stay the night; my apartment was a lot closer to the book shop than his was, meaning it was theoretically easier for him to get there in the morning. Less easy when I was unwilling to let him get up at 6am. Even harder when it was cold. Like this morning.

I cringed as the alarm on his phone went off, shrinking back into the pillows and tightening my arms around his waist.

Groaning, he reached over to shut it off. A few peaceful minutes passed where he let me acclimatise to the idea of letting him go, before he rubbed my arm. "…I have to get up, or I'll be late."

"…It's still dark outside…" I grumbled at him, forcing myself to let him go. "And it's cold."

"Good thing you can stay in bed then, isn't it?" he teased, already up and starting to get his clothing again.

Being in bed wasn't the same without him here with me, but I sure as hell wasn't moving if I didn't have to. How he could be so happy this early was beyond me. I listened to the shower start, already starting to fall asleep again.

I woke up again as he kissed my forehead, still sleepy but coherent enough to grab his hand before he left. "Are you staying again tonight?"

Forever one step ahead of me, he set a mug of coffee next to me on the bedside table. "I can't; your brother is coming over, remember?"

"How do you keep track of my family better than I do? You've never even met them," I groaned. I'd completely forgotten that Eleazar and his family were coming tonight. Still, it had been longer than I would have liked since I had last seen them.

He just laughed. "Bye, Garrett. I'll call you tomorrow."

Tomorrow seemed like a long time, but I kept my mouth shut about it.

"And how have you been, Garrett? You weren't feeling well last time we were here," Eleazar reminded me as the conversation lapsed a little; he had never fully believed my last excuse, and I could hear the scepticism in his voice. So far, I'd managed to keep us mostly focused on my niece's upcoming birthday and her excitement over school, but my hopes of if staying that way until they left were quickly dashed.

"I've been, um, good." With a jolt of happiness, I realised that for the first time in a long time, it wasn't a lie. I looked down to hide a smile. "Really good, actually."

He raised his eyebrows. "Still no flowers this time, though." He grinned as I narrowed my eyes at him, thinking he had me in a box. "Who is she?"

"There is no 'she'," I grumbled at him. "Am I not allowed to be happy on my own?"

He rolled his eyes at me. "Yes, but you're more of a moping type. You don't do that, you never have."

"Well, maybe I do now." I met his gaze, refusing to give in. "Shut up and eat your food before it goes cold. I didn't make dinner for nothing."

"You'll make the perfect house wife, whoever she is." Amazingly, he did listen, picking away at his meal again.

Carmen kept her eyes on her plate but was hiding a smug smile. I wasn't sure what they thought they knew, but I was confident that it wasn't the truth.

Kate consumed the conversation then, babbling about starting school. She took Carmen's phone, showing me pictures of her new books and pencil case and the rest of the shit children supposedly needed to learn. I just hoped her experience was better than my own; I'd be labelled the 'creepy uncle' if I had to go into school to kick some kid's ass for laying a finger on my niece. She was happy now though, which was all that mattered.

Everything was going smoothly, until my phone buzzed against the table. I snatched it up before they could see the screen; I knew what it would be. I still couldn't fight off a smile, though; I may be considered clingy but everyone else's standards, but Carlisle was just as bad.

Coffee doesn't taste the same without you. Miss you already.

I wasn't cool enough to leave off replying for a few minutes, despite the amused smirk on my brother's face. I was just relieved he hadn't seen the name attached to the message; I really didn't want to 'come out' to my family just yet. Especially without Carlisle next to me.

Sleeping wasn't the same without him either. We generally only spent one or two nights a week together, so I spent the rest of them a little sleep deprived. For someone who'd never shared a bed with anyone until very recently, I was far too dependent on it. It was like some stupid sappy movie, where someone spent all their time pining for someone else they couldn't have.

Thankfully, tonight wasn't one of those nights. Calling upon your partner after midnight was usually reserved for sex, I knew, but cuddling was just as good. I'd been surprised that he'd even replied to me, ever more so when he readily agreed to me jokingly telling him I was coming over uninvited. So that's what was happening. I was driving across town in the middle of the night, to spend a few hours in bed with a boy before we both had to get up for work, and drive all the way back again. Worth it.

"Hey, Gavin," Alistair greeted me, almost smothering a smug smile as Carlisle let me in.

Carlisle shook his head at him. "Garrett. And don't be a jerk."

He just laughed, rolling his eyes. "Hey, you're the one trying to sneak boys in past your bedtime."

"Shut up," he grumbled at him. Alistair was more than convinced that the only reason we ever spent the night together was to fuck, although I could definitely see where that idea came from, given the circumstances. Carlisle didn't seem to care what he thought though, kissing me in front of him without hesitation.

I wasn't convinced that Alistair wasn't jealous. The uncomfortable look on his face whenever we touched made me wonder if he didn't want my boy for himself. He teased us relentlessly, but couldn't look at either of us whenever we sat too close together, or if Carlisle was holding my hand.

"Can we go to bed? I have to get up in five hours, and you have to be up in seven," Carlisle reminded me quietly, tugging me toward the hallway.

I certainly wasn't going to fight him on that, letting him take me without any objection.

The downside of staying at my boyfriend's flat on a worknight was that the next morning I was left alone with his asshole of a flatmate. Alistair didn't generally talk to me when Carlisle wasn't home, but it was still awkward as we worked around each other to make breakfast and a hot drink.

"Garrett," he started, pouring a cup of coffee.

I braced myself, steeling my nerves.

"If you hurt him - even a little - I will disembowel you."

I swallowed thickly, nodding. "I won't."

"You'd better not, because I will hang you with your own organs," he threatened again.

"Dearly noted," I assured him. I took a moment to try and build up a little confidence before confronting him again. "Look, Alistair. I know you hate me, but I really like Carlisle and I would never do anything to hurt him."

"I don't hate you," he told me simply. "I don't like you, but I don't hate you either. I've lived with Carlisle since he moved over here, and honestly he never seemed happy until you came into the picture. But you have to understand, if you so much as dent that happiness, I'm coming for you." He didn't look at me as he spoke, and his voice was quiet.

"You think I make him happy…?"

"I know you make him happy. He's got no one else over here except for you and I, and he certainly doesn't love me the way he loves you." Dropping a spoon in the sink, he abruptly took off down the hallway. Definitely jealous.

I spent the next few days with my head in the clouds, daydreaming over how I could get those words out of Carlisle's mouth instead of Alistair's, and hoping that they were actually true in the first place. My manager certainly wasn't pleased with the minute amount of work I was actually getting done, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

I wasn't quite so subtle about visiting the book shop anymore, and I ignored their damn papers on the way in. We hadn't seen each other since I'd stayed with him the other night, and I was a little relieved that there was a counter between us to remind me to behave myself. One quick glance around the room showed me that Carlisle was working alone today, and I waited impatiently for him to serve the one customer in here.

The door had barely swung shut behind the woman before Carlisle playfully pulled my tie, using it to make me lean down so he could kiss me over the counter top. It was far too brief though, and he laughed at the expression on my face as he pulled back again. "What'd you do to my flatmate?" he asked before I could get a word in.

"I didn't do anything; he threated to hunt me down and murder me if I dumped you because apparently you love me more than you love him," I teased, trying not to laugh so much I couldn't talk. "And then he stormed off to his room. I think Alistair has a little bit of a crush on you."

"He's really not a bad guy, I promise you," he laughed quietly, kissing me again.

"I know; he's just trying to keep you safe" I admitted. "Although, I'd prefer it he did so without my impending death."

He hesitated, and I waited for a sarcastic remark or a cheap jab in Alistair's name, but it never came. "And…He's not wrong."

"About what?"

"I do…love you…I love you, Garrett." He glanced up at me, but quickly looked down again when I didn't respond. "I-I…I'm sorry if it's a little soon, and you don't have to-"

I pulled him toward me, bringing our lips together again. "I love you too."

The doorbell rang as another customer came in, and we ripped apart, giddy and giggly. I impatiently waited for the other man to leave, but the minutes rolled into each other, and my lunch break was quickly dissolving. Glancing down at my watch with a sigh, I caught Carlisle's attention the next time he glanced at me over the man's shoulder, gesturing that I had to go and mouthing 'I love you' as I backed toward the door.

Watching me, he momentarily forgot the customer, quickly flustered as he was ripped back into reality by the man asking the same question for the third time.

Despite the rain, I walked back to work warm all over and completely untouchable; he loved me back.