With the most movement he had done in a while, Brady shrunk back further to the corner of the bed, putting as much distance as he could between him and Leo. If anyone didn't know better they'd think he was freaking out and trying to get away.

"You!" Brady almost screeched. "You! Wh—why?"

"Brady—"

"Leave! Get out! I don't want to see you! I shouldn't be seeing you," his voice died out in a whisper.

Leo shook his head, "I can't leave. I won't leave you again."

"Leo, you have to go..." Brady almost sounded like he was pleading.

Leo did the opposite. He carefully moved towards Brady as he reached out to him.

"Stay away from me," Brady said and it broke Leo's heart to hear it.

He slapped Leo across the face as soon as he was in range, questioning where he channeled the energy from.

"Fuck," said Leo, a hand to his assaulted cheek, clearly not expecting the force with which it came.

He didn't stop moving towards Brady nevertheless. It hurt too much to stay away, and it hurt too much to see him look at him that way. On his knees he finally got onto the bed, inching closer until their knees touched.

"I thought about you every single day Brady, every single minute," Leo said.

"Yeah? But you weren't here though," hot tears spilled down Brady's cheeks with no warning.

"I didn't think you wanted me here. Please don't cry," said Leo.

"Look at me!" Brady yelled. "Do I look like I didn't want you here? Three weeks without you have turned me into this—this shell of a guy, think about months! What about a year? I'd fucking die! I love you goddamn it."

"You–you love me?"

"I tried to tell you–"

"But I cut you off," finished Leo, realizing how terribly wrong he had been.

Brady nodded. "It hurt so bad."

"Look at me," Leo cupped his face. "I love you too! I honestly thought you didn't want anything to do with me. I'm so sorry Brady, for hurting you, for everything..."

"My name would not be Brady if I didn't want you," he said and somehow, their fingers interlaced.

The kiss was a long time coming. It blew out every fuse within both guys as they got lost in each other. They couldn't breathe, but they didn't want to. Honestly, the feeling of their lips against each other was better than breathing. The kiss was fire and they wanted nothing more than to be burned.
It felt like the first time and they knew they'd never get over the feeling.

"I don't deserve you," Leo shook his head. "I really don't."

"I don't know about that, we deserve each other if you ask me. But never ever, in your wildest dreams leave me again," said Brady.

"Never. I wouldn't dream of it. I love you so much, you're everything to me Brady,"

"I'm really amazing aren't I?" Brady laughed through his tears. The first time in three weeks, it felt so strange and yet so comforting.

"You don't even know the half of it," confirmed Leo.

They both knelt on the bed with their hearts stripped bare and needing the contact between them like a fish needed water.
With Brady's hands around his neck and Leo's own hands around his waist, they each felt some sense of being absolutely complete.

They were only interrupted by a sound emanating from between them, causing them to look at each other in surprise.

"What was that?" Leo asked.

Brady sounded like he was asking a question when he answered.
"I think...I'm hungry."

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Thank you for reading ❤️