Chapter 7
They settled on the couch with drinks and a plate of cookies between them. Blake chose coffee and insisted on making it himself despite Derek’s protests. Blake thought it was sweet. Derek was wired to care, and he gave it his all. It was nice to see someone who embraced their attributes as fully as Derek did. He seemed settled in his skin, happy and content, and that went a long way to helping Blake relax around him.
It had taken Blake the better part of a decade to get there himself. And even so, something big could come along and upset it.
Just as they were finishing dinner, Sam texted that he’d retrieved Blake’s bag and left it outside the door. Blake dropped it in his room, pushed the button on the coffee maker, took his full cup to the living room, and settled in with Der
