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Twenty years.
Anthony stood next to the bed he was sharing with James and looked down on the sleeping man.
The gray hair had turned white, the moustache still pristine, now white as well. The lines and wrinkles had increased in number and depth, especially the laugh lines around the mouth and eyes. Those eyes dark blue, like the deepest sea, that shone with a calmness that had been missing twenty years ago.
Anthony’s heart fluttered.
Twenty years and James was still the most handsome man he’d ever seen and his heart liked to remind him of the deep love he was feeling every time he looked at him.
The years overall had been kind to them.
There were a few new aches and pains - James’ weak heart, his aching back - old scars - some visible, some invisible - that plagued them both, and sometimes he even wondered just where exactly his hairline had gotten to when James was still blessed with a full head of hair. Until the silliness of that thought struck him and he couldn't help but laugh a bit about himself.
Twenty years and James still looked at him like all these years ago.
And even though they kept their distance in public and on their daily walks, here in the sanctity of their home, of their bedroom, they could allow themselves to be truly smitten with each other.
Anthony, who was starting to feel a light chill, approached the bed and sat down on his side of it.
That was also new with age, the amount of times he had to get up in the night.
He sighed softly, deciding that he was good to lie back down again after all and did so slowly as not to wake James.
Only a few moments after the duvet enveloped him in the comforting warmth, an arm was snaking around him.
Anthony smiled fondly as James took his favourite sleeping position, on his stomach his head bedded at the crook of Anthony's neck, his arm around Anthony's waist, one leg wrapped around his leg.
Twenty years and that hadn't changed, the affection James was showing him every night.
He pressed a kiss to James’ forehead and then leaned his head against the soft hair.
For a second James' deep breathing got a bit more shallow and Anthony worried he had woken him up in the middle of the night, but then the soft snoring and deep breathing returned.
Anthony smiled and closed his eyes.
Twenty years of a hidden life together.
Not hidden in shame.
Hidden like a treasure.