Mateo.

The stranger.

Mateo.

Caressing his face gently, Noah ran his fingers over the man"s lips, and with a smile, he moved forward to capture those sweet lips in a nice and gentle morning kiss. However, when he pulled back, Mateo was looking at him with a smirk playing on his lips, "What was that? Taking advantage of me while I"m asleep?" he teased.

Smirking back, the older man shook his head, "Nope. I wasn"t taking advantage of you. That, my dear boy, is called an innocent morning kiss." He answered.

Mateo raised an eyebrow and cupped the bulge in Noah"s boxers. Squeezing a little. "Not so innocent, if you ask me."

Noah moved closer and laughed. "That"s physics. Or maybe biology? Perhaps even anatomy. I don"t even know. But that has nothing to do with my good morning kiss."

"Is there even a way to make you feel embarra.s.sed or blush just a little?" Mateo pouted and looked away with a huff.

"You wish!"

"Well, it"s not fair!" Mateo complained. "You get to see me blush and make a fool of myself all the time, but I don"t. Unfair."

"But it"s cute when you blush," Noah replied.

"I want to see the same look on your face too. I want cute. You always look perfect and s.e.xy and in control." Mateo said. "Hence, not fair."

Tilting his head to the side, Noah nodded. Amused. "Fair enough for me; since you can make me do anything for you with that innocent look, and I can"t."

Thinking about it a little, Mateo smiled. "Well, fair is fair." Then he leaned forward and kissed Noah again, "Morning angel." He grinned then he stared at the older man as if something was bothering him.

Noting the look, Noah cupped his face with both hands, capturing his attention, "Hey, what"s wrong?"

Hesitating for a minute, the redhead explained, "You like me. I like you… and we kinda sorta blurted out the L-word last night. Does that… you know," he paused, looking away. It was embarra.s.sing and frustrating. "Does that make us… you know… a couple?"

The corners of Noah"s lips curled into a gentle smile. "Do you want us to be?" he questioned.

Looking at his savior, the younger man grinned after a brief pause, still blushing. "I do." Then he bent down and kissed his boyfriend"s lips once more. "I actually do."

After a long make-out session on the bed, they both decided to stop and go out. It was a pleasant day. They could go out for a walk, or go see a movie or go to a restaurant. Mateo called it a date.

Noah chuckled but agreed.

Now that they"d talked and knew about each other"s feelings, they could take it slow and savor the moments. They could go on a date or two.

Mateo still didn"t remember anything. And it bothered Noah. Because what if the man already had a family? What if Mateo already had a partner who loved him and was waiting for him?

But Mateo made him happy. Mateo made him feel alive when all he knew for the longest time was emptiness. So Noah decided to give in to the moment, to the feelings. He decided not to overthink things.

He was here. Mateo was with him. They were happy.

That was all he wanted to focus on. All he wanted to care about.

It was indeed a delightful day and an exceedingly pleasant date, too. They went to the central park and then had lunch at a restaurant. For the evening, they went to the theatre to watch a movie, and then they both decided to go back home and cook something for dinner together.

Even though Noah tried his best to get them home before midnight, Mateo suddenly felt like playing around in the snow and threw a s...o...b..ll at his boyfriend, who was walking a few steps ahead of him.

Mateo didn"t get it. Why was Noah trying to get them home so soon? They could have loads of fun outside. Noah himself stayed out late many nights.

Looking back at the cheerful man with a perked brow, Noah asked, "Are you picking a fight here?"

"Picking a fight?" Mateo laughed mockingly. "Oh, puh-leez… What"s the use of fighting when you know you"re the winner?" the redhead smirked. "There"s no challenge in it for me." He was taunting the older male.

Crouching down on the ground to make a s...o...b..ll, Noah stood up after a short while. "You want a challenge?" he asked, and without waiting for an answer, threw the s...o...b..ll at Mateo"s face. Laughing out loud at the priceless startled look on his face, he proceeded to make more s...o...b..a.l.l.s.

"What?" Noah shouted. "Are you going to stand there staring at me? I don"t see you winning the fight here, redhead!" He said as he threw another ball at him.

Snapping out of the shock, Mateo ran after his mischievous boyfriend, and when he seized him, they were both rolling on the snow-covered asphalt in the empty alley, giggling.

Mateo trapped Noah underneath him and started pouring snow onto his face, "Mat, stop it!" The older screamed, still laughing.

"No… Way…" the redhead stated firmly but playfully when suddenly a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down.

Noah pecked him on the lips, smirking mischievously. "They looked kissable." He said and when Mateo crashed their lips again for the second time, he grinned and kissed him back pa.s.sionately.

A few minutes pa.s.sed as they continued pa.s.sionately kissing each other and rolling on the ground, when suddenly Noah, who was now on top, heard a voice and pulled back from the kiss immediately.

Looking up, he saw a pair of wolves growling in front of them, displaying their fangs at the couple.

Two wolves.

Vicious.

Growling.

"Oh, s.h.i.t!" Mateo cursed, panicked.

"Oh, s.h.i.t." Noah echoed, keeping his eyes on the pair of wolves.