I slipped my feet into an ancient pair of Crocs I used at the pool my first year on the water polo team, then headed for our living room.
Yes…our living room. Drew and I moved in together after graduation. We decided to stay close to campus since we were both going to be spending a lot of time studying in the fall. Drew had one more year left in his master’s, and I’d chosen to stay at Long Beach for grad school. I’d been accepted to all three of the programs I’d applied to, but there were a few advantages in staying put, such as zero commute to school or to my new internship at a local engineering firm. And since I still had a year of eligibility left, I was able to play water polo and help Gabe coach a couple of his club teams.
Sure, there’d been a lot of exciting changes over the past six months, but waking up next to the person I loved was by far the best of all. I was head over heels for my man. Nothing made me happier than knowing I had something to do with the smile on his face.
Show time.
I pushed the door open wide and casually strode into the living room with my hands on my hips. Drew sat at our mini-island in the adjacent kitchen typing away at his computer.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
“Yeah, sorry. I just have to turn this assignment in…and there it is.” He set his finger over the Return key, tapping it with a flourish before shifting on the barstool. “I’m ready to—ha! What the hell are you wearing? Are those Crocs?”
I furrowed my brow and grabbed my junk. “I’m wearing a rainbow banana hammock to show off my frank and beans, and you notice my shoes?”
Drew’s pretty eyes twinkled. He pursed his lips but couldn’t contain the bubble of laughter from escaping. “I’m sorry. Let me take a better look. Turn around.”
I obeyed, shaking my ass as I pivoted while Drew chuckled merrily. I paused when he jumped up and wrapped his arms around me.
“So, you like the boa constrictor jockstrap, but not the shoes?” I nuzzled his neck, breathing in his scent.
Drew snorted. “Correct. I can’t believe the love of my life owns a pair of fucking Crocs. And they’re green. Geez, Li. You’re killing me.”
“Don’t knock ’em till you try ’em. These things are comfy. I’m buying you a pair for your birthday.” I released him to pull the jockstrap off.
“That’s okay. One pair in the family is enough,” he assured me, turning to close his laptop, then grab his keys and wallet.
He was still talking, but he’d moved on to my water polo game. Something about going out for coffee with Colin and Jade before my game. He wanted to swing by the bistro afterward. A menu correction, a schedule change…I didn’t know. I was stuck on the word “family.” He said it so casually and with conviction.
Drew and I were together in every way possible. Lovers, friends, family. We shared a home and a life. My friends were his and vice versa. He and Jade had gone from work associates to buddies months ago. They’d cleared the air after I’d quit the bistro. Drew appreciated that she’d been looking out for me in her own way. He was sure that she had a thing for me too. I didn’t think that was true anymore, but it didn’t matter.
We knew who we were to each other. Family.
Drew’s parents and siblings accepted me with open arms, but I admit I was a little nervous to introduce him to my mom and my brother at graduation. Having an actual boyfriend made my bisexuality a reality they couldn’t ignore. Thankfully, it went well. There were awkward moments over the past few months, but they tried. Ultimately, I knew they loved me and wanted me to be happy.
And I was happier than I’d ever thought possible.
Drew was my rock. My steady man with a generous heart and a kind soul. He wore his armor lightly these days. He was way more serious than me, but he was quick to laugh and quick to joke around now. I’d like to think I had something to do with that. Just as I knew his unwavering support and his pride in us made anything seem possible.
I pulled on a water polo T-shirt and reached for my shorts. I felt as though I was already in the pool, swimming deep below the surface. I was literally in over my head yet completely in harmony with my surroundings. And it was all because of him.
“Hey, you.”
Drew grinned as he looked up. “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
His smile grew to something impossibly radiant. “I love you too.”
I hiked my water polo bag over my shoulder and held my hand out, lacing our fingers when he slipped his palm against mine. “Let the shenanigans begin.”