Epilogue

Three Months Later

“MISTY, COULD I add another song to the set list this time?” Cole asked shyly. She was still mad at him all these months later for haring off on his own right before the press conference and publicity stunt on Kamura, but he liked her as their manager.

“What sort of song?” she asked sharply, willing to hear him out, but unwilling to grant him any favors.

“A love song,” Cole answered with an awkward and nervous shuffle of his feet.

Misty grunted. “And what do we need to set up for your love song to work?” she asked. “I assume you’ve already asked the rest of the band?”

“They’re fine with it. I just need a keyboard piano. Nothing else.”

Misty stared at Cole for a long moment before sighing. “Fine,” she said. “But this had better be a damned good song.” She went off to organize finding the piano, grumbling about how last minute it was. The opening act was already on stage.

Queenie grinned when Cole joined the rest of the band backstage a few minutes later. “She agree?” Queenie asked.

Cole nodded.

“You ever going to let us hear the song before you sing it?” she asked, prying for more information.

Cole shook his head.

The band waited in peaceful silence, listening to their opening act rev up the crowd. Then it was their turn to cart their instruments and themselves up onto the stage.

Cole found Dayton immediately, right in the center of the front row. His heart beat faster at the first glimpse of his husband in so many months. Kingsley had to give the opening beat twice before Cole remembered he needed to sing.

The concert went very well. At this point the band was comfortable on stage and with each other, joking and singing as they went. The audience ate it all up, and Dayton kept smiling.

“Here’s a treat for you guys,” Sol crowed into his mic as he took off his guitar. “Usually we end the concert now, and you guys cheer like crazy—” He waited while the shrieks hit a crescendo and then died down again. “—but Cole here has a surprise for someone very special to him.”

Cole was busy plugging in the electric keyboard Misty had found for him. He tried an experimental scale to see that it worked before looking up at the crowd. He was alone on stage.

Cole caught Dayton’s eyes and held them as he double-checked that his microphone was in the right place.

“My love,” he said directly to Dayton, “this is dedicated to you. I know you play the piano way better than me, and really it should be you playing this up here since I wrote it with you in mind. But this time I want you to listen and to know just how much I love you. This song is called ‘My Truest Love.’” Cole started pressing the keys on the piano, letting the gentle lullaby melody ring out of the speakers. His eyes never left Dayton’s as he opened his mouth and sang his very heart out to his one true love.

 

Look at me,

My loneliness, ease.

My love.

Oh, true love.

Stars streaming by.

Galaxies apart.

I can’t see you,

My love.

I can’t hear you,

Oh, true love.

When will we meet again?

Separated, time goes by.

I want you always by my side.

My love, oh, my truest love.

Come to me,

Or should I come to you?

My love.

Oh, true love.

To be together always,

We sealed with a kiss.

Why can’t I see you,

My love?

Why can’t I hear you,

Oh, true love?

When will we meet again?

Separated as time goes by.

I want you always by my side.

My love, oh, my truest love.

When can I touch you,

My love?

When can I kiss you,

Oh, true love?

Oh, my truest love.

 

Cole was crying as he hit the last chord, but so was Dayton. He gave the rest of the crowd a brief smile before hurrying offstage. Dayton headed backstage in a hurry, and Cole threw himself into Dayton’s arms the second he passed through security.

Basic training, vector assignments, and covert operations be damned. He was home with his husband. Nothing else mattered anymore.