John 8:32

26 - 1 John 4:7

Beloved, let us unselfishly love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

School hadn't been too terrible. It was weird, not knowing everybody in his classes. But it wasn't bad, either.

It was mostly the same as at Saint Augustine's, since he was taking AP classes again. Except now he wasn't part of the group of kids who all knew each other because they all took the same APs.

He wondered how Damien did with his classes. How much the others knew.

Spencer told Damien he could tell them the truth, but he wasn't sure if he would.

This year, Spencer was determined to stay on top of his class work. Of course he didn't assume that meant he'd be doing homework on the first night of school.

He was doing calculus in the dining room — the only room that didn't feel suffocatingly empty all the time.

That was the one thing about Damien's house that he didn't like. It was huge and empty. Damien didn't like it either.

The front door opened, and Spencer looked up, expecting to see Joanna in the foyer.

"I'm home," Damien called out, slipping his shoes off and leaving his backpack on the hook.

"Damien?" He was supposed to stay on campus, "Why are you home?"

"About that," Damien grinned, "Guess who gets to live off campus this year?"

"Oh my God, really?" Spencer couldn't contain the grin that forced its way onto his face.

"Yes, really," Damien smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of Damien's head.

Suddenly — Spencer felt a lot better about this whole thing. Of course, he was more than grateful that he had a place to stay, but he'd be alone in the house most of the time. He really didn't want to do that. The Yates estate was not only giant, but it was incredibly lonely.

"How'd you manage to do that?"

"I got my parents to slip them a little extra cash," Damien hummed, wrapping his arms around Spencer's shoulders from behind, "What're you doing?"

"Calculus," Spencer grumbled, looking back down to his textbook. He didn't understand any of what was on the page in front of him.

"Spencer, doing schoolwork?" Damien laughed, "What alternate reality have I stumbled into?"

"The one where I don't want to flunk out of school," Spencer shoved Damien with his shoulder, trying to hold back the laugh that bubbled up in his chest.

"Take a break," Damien closed his textbook, pulling Spencer out of his seat at the table, "Come on."

"I do actually have to get this done," Spencer protested half-heartedly, letting Damien pull him up the stairs.

"I'll help you with it later," Damien hummed, scooping Damien up into his arms as soon as they reached the landing, picking him up bridal style.

"Damien, what the fuck are you doing?" Spencer choked, clinging to Damien's shirt. He did not trust Damien enough to carry him like this.

"Carrying you up to my room," Damien hummed, trying and failing to hide the way his voice strained as he nudged his bedroom door with his foot, "Because, Jo won't be home for a few more hours."

Damien practically dropped Spencer on the bed — only further solidifying Spencer's distrust in his boyfriend's arm strength, and making him really happy he chose to wait until they were up the stairs to lift Spencer up.

"And I was thinking," Damien continued, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to Spencer, "If you're feeling up to it, we could—"

"Yeah," Spencer knew exactly what Damien was implying. He was more than feeling up to it, "I am."

"Yeah?" Damien grinned, reaching for Spencer's hand.

"Yes, Damien," Spencer couldn't help but laugh, tangling Damien's fingers with his own as he leaned in to press their lips together, "Of course."

"Okay."

The smile on Damien's face stretched practically ear-to-ear as he shrugged off his jacket, climbing all the way onto his bed.

"You ready for me to rock your world, Mr. Morris?"

"Oh my God," Spencer was caught so off-guard by Damien's stupidity he nearly snorted, "Shut up."

"Make me," Damien grinned.

Spencer wasn't going to hesitate to take him up on that offer.