The Contract

by D. C. Hall

  “Yeah.”

  “I never told you what I wished for.” Nathan said before rubbing the back of his neck. “I wished that the world would be better. I can’t really speak for the rest of the world, but everything has seemed to get better for me, since I met you.” He stated. Williams sat the picture frame down on the table. His expression was a lot more serious now.

  “You’ve made my life better too, Nathan.” He responded. Nathan smiled and hoped the rest of the conversation would continue like this.

  “Do you remember what your wish was?” Nathan asked. Williams thought back.

  “I think I wished for love.” He answered, getting a nod. Nathan waited to see if Williams would catch on. Instead, he seemed to be more confused. Nathan tapped on the table nervously. His stomach seemed to doing flips.

  “I, um… I really wanted to ask you out for a while, now. But, I couldn’t.”

  “W-why?”

  “Because I was working for you. You’ve had anxiety about people not really liking you because you pay them. I didn’t want that to happen with us. So, I waited.”

  “So, is this your way of saying you want to be official?” Williams asked. Nathan ran his hand through his hair.

  “Technically, but I’m not quite done with the wish part. I’m not sure what you were hoping when you wished for love, but… Well, it came true. You got it… I mean if you want me.” Nathan said. He held Williams’s shocked gaze. “I’m trying to tell you that I love you, Eugene.”

  They just stared at each other for what felt like eternity. Williams wondering if this was actually real. Nathan was just wishing that he would say something. Even if he said that he didn’t return the feeling, it would be better than the silence. Williams finally got up and pulled Nathan into a tight hug.

  “I love you too.” He said quietly. Nathan pulled him as close as he could and buried his face in his shoulder. They had both wondered what would actually be different if they were together. This was it. Just the words, ‘I love you’ made everything worth it.