Heat - 10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

He falls asleep in the car on the way home. I had an old blanket in the trunk that I threw over his shoulders as soon as he was cool enough and he looks so small curled up in the passenger seat. His breath fogs the window and he is still warm enough that I have to flip on the AC. I think I didn’t really comprehend the scale of what he could do before this moment. I was expecting something small, contained, like when he lit up his hand. This was wild and very, very dangerous. I think I should be afraid of him, but when I look over at his huddled body draped by my blanket all I see is Asher and try as I might I just can’t imagine him hurting anyone.

I pull into the driveway of my house and I look over to him. I don’t want to wake him up but it’s either that or carry an unconscious and mostly nude man into my home. Think of how the neighbors would talk! I reach over and shake his shoulder gently “Asher wake up, we’re home.”

He shifts and his eyes flutter as he wakes and then he mutters “Ash.”

“What?” I say as I reach into the back seat to grab his pants.

“My name. You always call me Asher. We’re friends now, right?”

Right. Friends. “Yeah. Of course.” I smile weakly.

“Then call me Ash. It’s what friends do.” he gives me a four on the Asher grin scale.

“Yeah, ok. Ash it is.” I hand him his pants and he modestly pulls them on under the blanket. Then I get up and walk around the car to his side. He tries to get out but is too weak to stand on his own so I support him as we walk inside.

“You know I always hated my name” he says as I lay him down on my couch.

“Why is that?” I ask, sitting down on the coffee table.

“Because it’s dumb. Calling a fire guy Asher? They might as well have named me ‘very hot do not touch’.”

I laugh. “It’s not that bad. I think it’s cute.”

“Ahh, yes. Cute. Just what every weapon of mass destruction wants to be called.”

I laugh. “So, cutie, do you want to keep watching tv?” My god was that a blush? I made him blush!

“Really? I mean, are you sure? I can go home.”

“Asher -” his eyes go all round “- I mean Ash. I’m not gonna kick you out. You can stay as long as you want, seriously. I like having you around.” I reach out and give him a pat on the shoulder that is meant to be conciliatory but just comes across weirdly dad-like.

“I… thank you. Also I’m sorry for like… everything. Are you ok?”

“Nothing to apologize for.” I’m covered in burns to be honest but nothing too bad. I’ll have to check out my side where I grabbed him in the mirror later but for now I think I’m mostly ok.

He looks a little nervous when he says “I can help with that, by the way. Not today but later. I’m kinda burnt out today.”

“Help how?” I ask

“Remember how I said you could draw off me? Well one of the things you can do with my power is heal.”

“Is that ok with you? I wouldn’t want to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.” The idea of it makes my head spin a little. That’s an incredible amount of power and I think it scares me.

“Yeah, it’s ok. Like I said, it’s not bad when it’s willing. It can even feel good to have the release. More importantly, after today I trust you.” Here he places a hand over mine where it sits on the couch between us.

My heart flutters in my chest and I'm not really sure what to say so I turn on the television and for the next few hours we watch it together. His hand stays on mine the entire time and, very slowly, we move our hands until they are entwined instead of stacked.

-

I am awoken by the sound of a key turning in the lock. It is dark outside and Asher’s arms are wrapped around my waist. The blanket has fallen off the couch entirely but I am very comfortably warm anyways as if there is a bubble of perfectly warm air wrapped around just the two of us. I make to leap to my feet but I am not able to untangle myself from Asher’s groggy limbs in time and the door swings open letting in a rush of cold night air and the diminutive, stout form of my Auntie A.

She stops dead when she sees the two of us, shirtless and entangled (well, I have a shirt on at least). “Ahh, nephew. I didn’t know you had guests! Many apologies, I will be certain to knock next time - you being a growing boy on his own and all that.” She drops her massive purse with a heavy thump. No clue what she keeps in that thing but it is the heaviest thing I have ever had the displeasure of hauling around at a mall.

Ok, so that was embarrassing but she could have (and has) done far worse. “Hi Auntie A. This is Ash.” That’s right, be confident. You aren’t doing anything wrong. Adult powers, activate.

She eyes me, somehow managing to peer down at me scrutinizingly even as she stands at eye height while I sit on the couch. “You used protection, yes? Condoms? Herpes spares no man gay or straight. Also the AIDS. You must consider this if you wish to be a homosexual.”

So about the “far worse” thing. Fuck me. No, wait I mean… don’t… not like… never mind. Jesus. “Auntie A! Not an appropriate question. Not even a little bit.”

For his part, Asher figures out what’s up soon enough and scrambles around looking for a shirt, realizes we left it out in the car, and then covers up with the blanket. Now though, he has gone bright pink with embarrassment - his milk pale skin not even remotely hiding his blush. “Mam I wasn’t… we weren’t… I mean, not that I wouldn’t want to but… I mean…” I am glaring at him now. Death beams shoot from my eyes directly into his skull and they say please dear god shut up you stupid boy I am begging you “... sorry.” He, mercifully, goes silent.

“I do not wish to pry. I am only concerned for your safety! I am your guardian and it would not look very good to the ladies in my bowling league if I allowed you to get the AIDS, no?”

“I am not going to get ‘the AIDS’ Auntie. I promise. Please stop embarrassing me, I’m begging you.”

“Oh so your Auntie embarasses you now. You know I remember when you used to walk around the neighborhood with no clothes because you said it was ‘too itchy’ and somehow now I am the embarrassing one. Consider yourself before you criticize others. A shattering house of glass does more harm than a single stone sir!”

“Yes, yes I love you too. Hold on for a second. I’ll be right back, please don’t hurt Ash while I’m gone.” I run upstairs to fetch Asher a shirt, grabbing one that is too small for me but that should be just right for him. When I return to the living room I find my Aunt has turned on the light and is in the process of unpacking several new casseroles into the fridge.

“Nan, there is food in this box that I did not put there. I am impressed. Did you actually finally go shopping?” I mean not really but I don’t want to go into it. Doesn’t matter because she doesn’t stop talking. “My goodness it is a mess in here. Do you ever clean? How would you ever get by without my help, honestly.” She starts throwing things into cabinets (and by things I mean the toaster) all the while muttering to herself about my hygiene.

Asher, looking altogether much better in my shirt than I ever did in his, moves up beside me and says “I should probably go. Do you want to meet up tomorrow to deal with those burns?” as he speaks he reaches over and casually takes my hand.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll stop by yours on my run before school.” I give his hand a squeeze and I really, really want to kiss him right now but I don’t feel like dealing with the possible repercussions of that with my Aunt in the room. I can only imagine how she would feel about my new boy- ehem. My new friend setting the drapes on fire from across the room. As it is I just look into his eyes super deeply and hope he gets the message.

His face pinks up a little and he breaks eye contact first, looking down as he says “And um… maybe we should talk about stuff too. Tomorrow. If you’re up for it.”
I push his chin up a little to look him in the eyes again as I say “Absolutely.” and his smile in that moment breaks my heart in all the right ways.