dante.
dante works through his previous actions, unable to remember another time when he’s enacted such jealous behavior. in high school, with miles, everyone simply knew they were each other’s; it was as known as a blue day sky, and it would’ve been a mistake to even attempt to get between the tufted haired genius and his soft hearted, fisted boyfriend. with charlie, the same fire did not ignite when another person laid eyes on the young athlete. but, in the getaway, as the two men rebuild something storied and everlasting somehow, a new side of dante reveals itself. he evades the cheeky prodding, knowing that he would have done the same thing again – no one is going to take this, take miles, away. dante abandons his superficial work to seize miles’ waving hand with both sets of his fingers. his elbows propped on the bar, he massages at miles’ palm, fidgety. eyes focus on the activity rather than miles’ knowing and blissfully accusatory hues. “maybe,” he mumbles, glancing up to discover the widened and electrifying grin. dante’s blush deepens, and he throws his head back with an eye roll. “yes, okay? of course i was,” he surrenders, thumbing into miles’ hand a moment again before he sets him free, his own hands flat against the bar top, towel still flipped over his shoulder. he looks at miles. “you’re mine,” he declares, before he lowers his volume again. “only i get to touch those arms.” he fails at concealing his giddy grin, and, when a customer a few stools down requests a vodka cranberry, dante nods to her. he almost travels to begin making the request, but he stops himself, steadying in front of his high school boyfriend, eyes serious, smile ever present, but softer now. “got it?” he poses possessively, running a thumb over miles’ cheek briefly before he departs to do his job.
flushed skin takes miles back. way back to one of the first moments he remembers between himself and his high school boyfriend. brilliantly warm and bright cheeks as they each did their best to hide just how emphatic they were about the time they were spending together. cafeteria lunches turned to morning greetings shared at dante’s locker to hours-long ‘study’ sessions at the hollis home to this one moment, just before miles kissed the love of his life for the very first time. hand on his cheek, flushed faces, hesitation, and nothing but a deep desire to be close to the other boy. miles still remembers that dante’s eyes had never been such a distinct ice blue – until now. until this very illuminating moment when dante reveals that there’s green within him for anyone other than himself touching the contractor. how does he bare that only one person sends goosebumps up his arms and down his neck with every deliberate touch? skin covered in them now, his breath leaves his lungs, endlessly affected by the man before him. in all of the same ways as eight short years ago. “all yours,” he lets out in what’s left of the breath inside of him. hands dropped, touch severed, and all that the brunette wants to do is climb over the bar and be enveloped in the safest home he’s ever known. the flip of their first kiss from high school this time – dante’s hand on his cheek, a brief moment, and then dante walks away. and with a whisper, fingers touching lips, miles signs his side of the contract. “got it.”
END THREAD.












