AHEAD OF THE GAME | BXB

EPILOGUE

2 years later

The day felt nice. Too nice, almost.

Greece almost never got to 80 degrees in June.

But, who would complain about such nice weather? Anthony definitely wouldn't. In fact, he'd fallen asleep on the beach, the gleaming sun giving him a golden tan.

Also, most people didn't have a beach in their backyard.

As he lay there, the sound of waves crashing against the shore lulled him into a peaceful slumber. With each gentle breeze, the salty scent of the sea filled his lungs, making him feel more relaxed than he had in months.

He almost forgot about the person who was lying in his arms right now. The boy who he'd grown so accustomed to for the last three-or-so years now.

As Anthony stirred from his nap, he felt the weight of the boy's head against his chest, the rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing comforting in its familiarity.

Opening his eyes, Anthony glanced down at the boy, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of his peaceful expression. He brushed a stray lock of hair from the boy's forehead, smiling softly as he traced the contours of his face with his fingertips.

"Don't make me act up," KyRon exclaimed, moving his head to stare up at his boyfriend. "You know what them fingers do to me."

Anthony chuckled softly, the sound blending with the soothing rhythm of the waves. "Sorry, babe," he murmured, his voice warm with affection. "Can't help it when you're this damn sexy."

KyRon's playful grin widened as he sat up, propping himself on his elbows. "Call me sexy again," he teased, reaching up to tousle Anthony's fro.

"You're so sexy," Anthony repeated, his voice dropping to a husky whisper as he leaned in closer to KyRon, his eyes locking onto his with an intensity that sent shivers down KyRon's spine. "In fact, you're the sexiest person I've ever met."

"Word?" he asked cheekily. "How bout' you show me how sexy I am."

Anthony's grin mirrored KyRon's playful demeanor as he leaned in, capturing KyRon's lips in a tender kiss. The warmth of the sun seemed to intensify as their kiss deepened, the salty breeze mingling with the taste of KyRon's lips. Lost in the moment, they melted into each other, the world around them fading away until there was only the two of them, wrapped up in their love and the bliss of the perfect summer day.

Wherever that was gonna lead to came to a halt, because the little girl — the love of both their lives — came racing through the sand towards them.

"Dad? Daddy? " she said, observing them. "What are y'all doing?"

KyRon and Anthony broke apart, their laughter mingling with the sound of the waves.

"Oh nun, Cam. I was just about to take dad here to pound t—."

"—KyRon!" Anthony injected, slapping him on the back of his head.

He winced, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Oops, my bad," he chuckled, shooting a playful wink at Anthony. "I was just about to say we were going to have a sandcastle-building contest, right, Ant?"

Cam's eyes lit up with excitement as she nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes! Can we build a big one with a moat and everything?"

"Absolutely," Anthony replied, his heart swelling with love for his little family. "Why don't you start on it, and me and daddy will help you finish it."

"Okay!" She squealed. They both watched as she ran off to start on her castle.

Anthony laid back, a sigh escaping his lips.

"You okay?" KyRon decided to ask.

"Yeah. I'm just thinking."

"About what? Take off them sunglasses. I wanna see your eyes."

Anthony sat up, reaching to remove his sunglasses, revealing his deep brown eyes that seemed to hold a universe of emotions. "Just thinking about how lucky we are, you know?" he said softly, his gaze flickering between KyRon and their daughter playing in the sand. "Having this, right here, with you and Cam... It's everything I've ever wanted. Or, at least, I grew to want it. It's just weird that we have it now."

"I know," KyRon said in wonder. "But, we finally free though. That's what you wanted, right?"

"Of course it is, Ky," he sighed. "I just—I think about all of the shit that we went through — that we did to get here. And Clutch—."

"—Don't think about that, baby," KyRon interrupted, reaching out to grasp Anthony's hand in his own. "We made it through all of that together, and now we have this beautiful life. We can't let the past overshadow what we have now."

As far as they both knew, Clutch was more than likely dead right now.

That very possibility made Anthony's stomach churn with guilt, but, like most days, he pushed it to the back of his mind. There was no use in dwelling on the past. They only had the future to look forward to.

"You know I love you, right?" KyRon said so suddenly that it startled Anthony. "So much."

Anthony didn't hesitate. "I know. I love you too."

"No," KyRon said, shaking his head. "Like, I really fucking love you, Anthony."

All Anthony could do was watch in silence as KyRon pulled out a small box from out of his pocket.

His heart skipped a beat.

KyRon's hands trembled slightly as he opened the box, revealing a simple yet elegant ring nestled inside. "Anthony," he began, his voice steady but filled with emotion, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you shorty."

Anthony's breath caught in his throat as tears welled up in his eyes.

"I wanna be your husband," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "Will you marry me?"

He reached out, taking KyRon's hand in his own, his heart overflowing with love and gratitude.

"Yes," Anthony managed to say, his voice barely a whisper.

As tears of joy streamed down his cheeks, Anthony leaned in to kiss KyRon passionately, sealing their commitment to each other amidst the backdrop of the sun-kissed beach and the sound of the waves.

"You corny as hell for making me cry like this!" Anthony gushed playfully, wiping the tears from his eyes.

KyRon chuckled, his eyes sparkling with happiness. "Hey, what can I say? Gotta keep you on ya toes," he teased, wrapping his arms around Anthony in a tight embrace.

With that, they shared another tender kiss, their hearts full of love and excitement for the future ahead. As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the beach, they knew that this perfect day would be just the beginning of their happily ever after.

Because, even after everything they'd been through with one another, they'd always be—

—𝕬𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊  𝖌𝖆𝖒𝖊.

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