Alex's entire body shuddered when Michael finally bit down and a soft whine came from the back of his throat. It might have been interpreted as a sound of protest but for the way he hooked a leg around Michael to keep him exactly where he was.

God, I love you. The words ran through his mind and he thought the self-doubt and sheer terror he felt about those words had kept it just in his head until he realized that his mouth was open. He let go of Michael's hair and instead, his fingers clung to Michael's back as if that could somehow protect him from the words.

Yes, he'd admitted that he'd loved Michael. In the past tense. As kids. It was another thing to admit that he still felt that way. That he'd never stopped feeling that way. And maybe the feelings had changed, but if anything, they'd only grown more mature, more complicated.