Living our past

Epilogue

Three months later

JASON SAT CALMLY IN HIS OWN CHAIR IN THE BIG, EMPTY AMPHITHEATER, STARING BLANKLY AT the bottle of water and papers on the long, slightly curved, wooden desk. He thought about all the things that had occurred last summer. Three months ago, they were in London. The tragic events Alex had experienced changed both Amy and Jason's lives. Each time Jason thought about London, his eyes watered and tears streamed down his face. After everything that had happened, he had sworn to never go back to London. He couldn't. He wouldn't.

"Jason," he heard someone call his name. Sniffing, he turned his head to see who it was.

"I've been looking for you everywhere. What are you doing here alone, baby?" "Ah, nothing," said Jason, asking himself why he had stayed in the amphitheater.

"Why are you crying?"

"I... I was thinking about you..."

"Babe, why would you cry?" asked Alex soothingly. He sat next to Jason, wrapped his left arm around his partner's shoulder and kissed him on the cheek, wiping the tears away with his right hand.

"I was thinking about the things that happened in London..." admitted Jason, not daring to look into Alex's eyes.

"That's in the past. I'm here now; I'm with you. Now come," said Alex, kissing Jason's forehead. "We have biology in five minutes." He stood up to leave but Jason immediately grabbed his wrist, standing up.

"Alex," he said in a calm voice, sucking a gulp of air.

Alex stood still, gazing into Jason's eyes, waiting impatiently for his next words.

"Alex," Jason repeated, his heart racing. Butterflies invaded his stomach and his heart felt like leaping out of his body. "I love you."

Alex exhaled, not realizing he was holding his breath. His lips curled and he smiled widely. "I love you too," he replied, not breaking his gaze with Jason. "I love you more than anything, and I genuinely mean it."

Both men leant closer and their lips were joined together. Alex placed gentle kisses on Jason's lips in the beginning, and then, both men kissed passionately, tasting and teasing each other. Finally coming apart, they breathed and kissed again, smiling widely.

"Now, let's go! We're going to be late," said Alex, as always obsessed with being late. Jason smiled. He grabbed Alex's warm hand and both of them left the amphitheater.

"DROP THAT BOOK," SAID JASON, KISSING AND BITING ALEX'S NECK.

Alex lay in their wide bed, carefully reading a book he seemed to be so interested about. He purposefully ignored Jason, who still kissed and licked his neck. He wanted to see how Jason would react.

Impatient, Jason pushed Alex's book out of his hands and straddled him. "I don't think we have time for reading this night, baby." He winked, grabbed the hem of his gray t-shirt, throwing it on the ground as he got out of it.

Alex stared admiringly at Jason's perfect body: the chiseled abdominals, the broad shoulders and bulging biceps – he had always appreciated the view. He raised his hands, stroking Jason's abs and pinching his nipples.

"Hmm, I love it when you do that..." said Jason, biting his lower lip. His eyes closed and his head dropped back slowly.

Impatient to touch Alex but also enjoying what was being done to him, Jason decided to lean closer to Alex. He approached his lips as close as possible from Alex's mouth, and froze, teasing him. "Do you want me to kiss you?" he asked with an extremely soft voice and low tone. "Hmm?"