Wesley returned from a morning shower refreshed and ready to get dirty with his boyfriend.

His boyfriend, who wasn’t in Wesley’s room where he had left him.

Wesley dropped his towel, yanked on his pants and a fresh T-shirt, and snuck to Lloyd’s room. He wasn’t there, either.

It was inhumanly early to be awake after last nights’ bash, so finding a six-foot hunk shouldn’t be this difficult.

Lloyd wasn’t in the kitchen or the lounge, and he hadn’t taken a random fancy to fixing the toilet again at four in the morning. Where had he gone?

A muffled “Idiot!” sounded from the stairwell.

Wesley approached the door and opened it.

Lloyd was dressed, his back to Wesley, addressing the stairs leading up to the fourth floor.

“I am aware I broke RA-resident rules, and I understand why these rules are in place. However, exceptional circumstances must be considered. I am in love with him.”

The words reached deep into Wesley’s chest, robbing him of his next breath. Then he caught it sharply, unintentionally enlightening Lloyd to his presence.

Lloyd turned around.

Wesley tried to play it cool. He stepped up to the stair rail and lounged against it. He nodded to the stairs Lloyd had been talking to. “Stairs getting all up in your business, were they?”

Lloyd gave a self-deprecating laugh and rubbed a palm over his buzz of hair. “I was just . . .” With another laugh, Lloyd drew Wesley into him and brushed their lips together. “I love you, Wesley Hidaka.”

Wesley kissed him, holding him tight as he poured all his feelings into his kiss. When they parted, catching their breaths, Wesley spoke to the stairs. “He means it. Give him whatever he asks for.” He threaded their fingers. “Let’s tell Gavin together.”

They stared at the stairs, then with a squeeze of their hands, started up.

“By the way,” Wesley said. “Why were you chastising yourself?”

Lloyd looked at him in confusion.

“You called yourself an idiot.”

“Oh no,” Lloyd said, pushing open the door to Gavin’s floor. “That was my response to Gavin if he decides to rat on us.”

“Good.” Wesley halted him outside Gavin’s room, lowering his voice. “We don’t have to say anything. I can keep us a secret. It’s only another three months.”

* * *

“. . . and it’s only another three months,” Lloyd said to a sleepy Gavin who stood in his door wearing flannel button-up pajamas. “Then we’re leaving Williamson. If you feel you need to report me, then do so. I don’t want to get fired, but . . .” He looked at Wesley with adoration in his eyes. “I’d rather that than hide our relationship.”

Wesley’s heart felt as if it could burst. He linked their fingers.

“Let me get this straight,” Gavin said tightly, drawing their attention back to his frowning face. “You guys just started a relationship?”

“Do you need us to kiss and prove it?” Wesley offered, already halfway to Lloyd’s lips.

“No. I mean, you guys have just started a relationship?”

“Again. It’s what we said.” Lloyd pecked a kiss on Wesley’s lips.

Wesley’s eye caught movement behind Gavin. He eyed a suspiciously lumpy bed, and then a twitching hand dangling off the side of his bed.

Wesley bit his tongue, redirecting his attention to Gavin’s frown.

“I thought you’ve been hiding it for months.” Gavin looked at Wesley. “I thought your Cap-Gem bad-sex thing was a way to jokingly deny it.” To Lloyd he said, “I was getting all up in your ass about this because I thought you were getting sloppy with your secret.” He folded his arms, quite put out. “I didn’t want you to be fired for it. I don’t.”

He stepped back into his room and picked up his leather binder. He pulled out a letter and handed it to Lloyd. “Our coordinator asked me to write a report, including one-sentence summaries on the current RAs.”

Wesley read over Lloyd’s arm, skipping to the part about his boyfriend.

“Woot! Lloyd does a serviceable job!”

“I’m not sure it warrants that much cheer,” Lloyd grumbled, but he looked relieved.

“You’re saying we could have been at it already an entire week?” Wesley said aghast. “Do you understand the torture I’ve endured?”

Lloyd winced. “I think he’s saying we could have been at it the last two and a half years.”

“I’m saying,” Gavin enunciated. “My lips are sealed.”

“Good,” Lloyd said.

“Good,” Wesley agreed.

“Good,” Gavin finished.

Liberation jolting sparks between them, Wesley and Lloyd drifted toward the stairwell. They had almost reached it when Gavin barked after them. “I expect you’ll help clean up. Some moron insisted on doubling-up the streamers.”

* * *

Once they were back on their floor, Wesley had a thought. Because it was morning. And certain traditions must be followed.

He slipped on footwear, grabbed a jacket, and dangled his work keys in front of the cubicle where Lloyd was fixing the toilet. “Want coffee?”

“Thought you’d never ask.” Lloyd washed up and made a pit stop in his room.

He met Wesley in the hall with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

“I hope you’re bringing that contraption with the misguided belief you’ll need your wallet.”

Lloyd raised his brow.

“All data-crunching fun can stay right there in your room.”

Lloyd snorted. “Let’s go.”

Wesley let them into Me Gusta Robusta. It was two hours before it opened, so they had it to themselves.

Lloyd rested against the counter, his bag next to the till behind him. “It’s different behind the counter.”

Wesley left the coffee machine to wake up and slunk hot up against Lloyd, inching his feet between Lloyd’s. “Boyfriend privilege.”

Lloyd swept his hands through Wesley’s hair and held the back of his head as he delivered a shiver-inducing kiss. Wesley nuzzled closer and took a few more.

When they pulled back for breath, Lloyd rested his forehead against Wesley’s. “Have I mentioned how much I like being your boyfriend?”

Wesley grinned. He felt so fucking light and fluttery. He stepped back to the coffee machine.

“Did you notice the moving lump in Gavin’s bed?”

“I can’t say I was paying attention to his bed.”

“Oh. It was moving.”

“And why does this interest me?”

“I’m ninety-nine percent sure that moving lump was Suzy. On account of the flower tattoo on her wrist.”

That sparked Lloyd’s interest. “No.”

“I was this close to whipping out the term ‘leverage’ but remembered the last time I tried that and stopped myself. Growth.”

Lloyd slipped his arms around Wesley’s waist and kissed the curve of his neck.

The coffee machine stopped dripping its first throwaway run. Wesley pulled a cup off the stack and Lloyd stopped him. “Use this instead?”

From his messenger bag, he pulled out the stainless-steel cup Wesley had bought him for Christmas.

A laugh filling his entire body, Wesley used the cup and made Lloyd his favorite roast. When his boyfriend was busy sipping it, he climbed up the stepladder and removed the blackboard with No RA business allowed on premises. He wiped it clean and grabbed a piece of chalk.

“What are you writing?”

Wesley licked his lips that still tingled with Lloyd’s kisses. “Best Cap in the world. Found right here, if you get what I’m talking about.”

Lloyd let out a charmed snicker. “I don’t know, you might have to explain that one to me.”

Wesley dropped the chalk and yanked his boyfriend into a kiss. “Or I could show you.”

“Repeatedly, I hope.”

Wesley slid his fingers into Lloyd’s belt, and Lloyd halted him. Wesley laughed. “You really do want to do it in a bed, don’t you?”

Wesley pulled him toward the door, and Lloyd was right on his heels. “In sixty years, you’ll thank me.”