Page 32

Tristan

"Xan, I swear to God..."

My words cut off the next moment when Xander stumbled up the walkway, looking a little frazzled but a lot excited.

His shirt was a little wrinkled at the hem where he kept tugging at it, and when he smiled up at me and slipped his hand into mine, every bit of mild annoyance that I'd been feeling faded away.

"Sorry," he said breathlessly.

"Couldn't get Ethan off the phone.

I'm here, I promise.

Hi, Nadia.

Nice to see you again."

Nadia, our real estate agent - a kind middle-aged woman with gray hairs streaked through at her temples, a pair of sharp black glasses on her nose - nodded and smiled at Xander indulgently, as if he were the most adorable thing on the face of the planet.

Couldn't disagree with her there.

"That's fine, Xander.

Nothing happens without you, you know."

She winked, and Xander flushed a little, tangling our fingers together.

"Awesome.

Are we ready, Tris?"

He looked up at me with that warm spark in his eyes that never failed to turn my insides all gooey, and the last vestiges of irritation that I'd been feeling faded away.

"Yeah, baby, we're ready." I leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips, relishing the happy little hum that he gave me, and then we both turned back to Nadia.

"Alright, let's do this."

I gave Nadia a roguish wink, making her roll her eyes, and she pulled out one of the chairs at the table she was standing nearby, gesturing for me and Xander to sit in the other two.

"Alright, we just need a few signatures from both of you..."

She offered both of us pens, and the signing went fast.

A few signatures, a few initials, and then...

"Alright, I think that's everything that I need." She smiled at us as she shuffled through the paperwork one more time, glancing everything over before nodding sharply.

She paperclipped the documents together and slid hem into a folder before standing up, and Xander and I followed, nerves and excitement suddenly fluttering inside of me like the worlds most obnoxious butterflies.

Nadia looked at the two of us for another moment before a smile spread across her face, and she reached into the pocket of her sharp pantsuit - too warm for the early summer weather, but that wasn't any of my business - and lifted a set of keys in front of us.

"Congratulations, gentlemen.

You just bought a house together."

Xander took the keys and grinned up at me, and I couldn't help the wry little laugh that escaped me as Xander practically bounced over to the front door and unlocked it.

The door to our house. Together.

"Thank you, Nadia," I said, shaking her hand.

"Truly, you've been wonderful."

And she had been.

Nadia was a friend of Vincent's who he recommended when the gossip hounds at the studio learned that Xander and I were discussing buying a house together and moving in properly.

Everyone had been way too excited about it, but their support of mine and Xander's relationship from the get-go made it easier to swallow their nosiness.

Nadia was amazing, professional and efficient despite the fact that my scattered boyfriend changed his mind about the kind of house that he wanted half a dozen times, and ten times beyond that that I just didn't inform her of.

Xander was adorable when he was flustered and only had half an idea of what he wanted, and I was more than happy to indulge him...up to a point.

Finally, though, we'd found the perfect house.

A enormous ranch style just outside the town limits, similar to my old house but bigger, with an enormous property that had an old barn, orange trees scattered throughout the property, and a big field that probably housed horses or some other kind of livestock once upon a time.

It was way too big for just the two of us, but Xander had already mentioned a couple of dogs that he'd seen listed for adoption on the humane society's website, and God...I was such a sucker for him.

I couldn't say no, not when he was talking about the expansion of our little family.

I was so fucking gone for this man, it wasn't even funny.

"It was my pleasure, Tristan," Nadia said, pulling me out of my musing.

She flashed me a smile, and then we both turned to face Xander as he fiddled with the keys, offering me a smile before sticking one of the keys into the lock.

"Ready?"

His eyes shone happily, and I nodded.

"Ready, baby."

He unlocked the front door and it swung open, the air suddenly heavy with the future and possibility.

Yes, being with Xander over the past year had turned me into a fucking sap, I could acknowledge it.

Xander walked in and I followed, and Nadia followed just to the doorway, hovering as Xander and I took in the enormous entryway space of our new house.

It opened up to a family room on the right and the wide staircase was on the left, along with a door that opened to the first story bedroom that Xander and I were planning on turning into a study.

The little hallway that ran along the stairs opened up into the kitchen and den space a little ways beyond, and even just thirty seconds after walking into the house, it was all too easy to imagine the way it would be decorated.

The way that our friends would fill this space with laughter and warmth, comfort and camaraderie.

The way Xander and I would bring home animals to fill the space and make it feel a little less expansive...and maybe more one day.

Xan and I hadn't talked about it, but I knew that adoption was something he thought about.

He'd mentioned it one night when he had been absolutely trashed on peach schnapps, though he'd denied it with a bright red blush the next day when I'd asked.

I'd tucked away the information to ponder later.

We had time.

"Alright, guys." Nadia drew our attention with her firm, professional voice, and I turned around to face her, taking the folder with our ownership paperwork when she offered it.

"I'll leave you to it.

If you have any questions or concerns whatsoever, please feel free to call me and I'll do what I can to help you."

She inclined her head and smiled before turning on her heel and walking away without another word.

She shut the front door behind her, and then Xander and I were alone in our new house.

"Fuck," I finally said, my voice soft and a little raw.

I looked at Xander - my Xander - and smiled.

"We did it, baby.

We bought a house together."

"Yeah," he said, his voice suddenly softer.

All the frenetic energy that he'd been filled with out on the porch while we signed the paperwork seemed to drain away as he stepped into my body, and cupped my face with both hands before kissing me softly. "We did."

I let out a soft growl of a moan as I kissed him back, and I wrapped my free hand around the back of his neck so that I could kiss him properly, nipping at his lower lip and sliding my tongue into the warmth of his mouth.

We made out for a minute before he broke away with a soft laugh, looking around with bright eyes.

"I can't believe it's ours.

It's amazing." He eyed me sideways, smirking.

"You know that we went about this all wrong, don't you?"

I cocked my head to the side.

"What do you mean, baby?"

He snickered.

"Most couples wait until after they're married to buy a house, Tris.

Even gay couples." He winked at me, then lifted his left hand, wiggling it around.

"I don't seen any ring on this finger."

I let out a bark of laughter, and pulled him in for another kiss.

God, I was so in love with this man.

"Don't worry, baby," I said, once I let him breathe again.

"When I propose, you'll never fucking forget it."

His eyes sparked with curiosity, but I didn't let him ask.

I just wrapped my arm around his waist and pulled him close, looking around the empty entryway of our new house.

"Besides," I mused, looking back at him.

"It's not like we've ever been very traditional anyway."

Xander tossed back his head and laughed, and his eyes were bright with light and love when he looked at me again.

"Right, Tris.

Tradition is for losers."

I grinned, and pressed one more kiss to his soft lips, unable to get enough of this man.

"That's exactly right."