Page 168 of Shrapnel

Owen turned back to the canyon. Jamie would always be like this canyon to Owen. Strong and magnificent in the face of what could have broken him.

He came up behind Owen, wrapping his arms around him and resting his chin on Owen’s shoulder. His warmth was appreciated, and he leaned into him, relaxing as they watched the shadows chase the sun across the rippling rocks. Just when Owen thought he’d seen it all, he would find a new fascinating crevice.

“This is amazing,” Jamie said, voice raw. “All of it, Owen. Thank you.”

He flushed at the words. “Everyone should see the Grand Canyon.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Jamie buried his nose in Owen’s neck, breathing in his scent. His hands tightened on Owen’s chest.

“I don’t know if I can love you. But I want to. I want to love you like you deserve.”

Owen turned so he could nudge Jamie’s cheek with his frozen nose. It was more than Owen could have ever hoped. Jamie was more than he could have hoped.

“I’ve never had a boyfriend before.”

Jamie huffed. “I’ve never dated anyone before.”

They were all wrong. Angles and elbows, sharp edges, and sarcasm. Fire and the moth. But it didn’t matter, not when they had this. This ineffable, transcending thing between them.

“Want to see if we can fuck it up together?”

They looked out over the Grand Canyon and held each other in the winter air.

“Yeah, I really do.”

They called winter at the Grand Canyon the secret season. Owen didn’t think it was a secret at all.