Perfect Can't Endure - 10. Monday

I opened my eyes, feeling awake and happy, and I looked over at Asher. He was sleeping peacefully, a faint smile on his face and his arm overtop of me protectively, his hand splayed against my chest. I covered his hand with mine, relaxing against him, and I listened to his breathing for a little while. It had been too long since I’d gotten to see him sleeping. For some reason, I’d been crashing early and waking up late for the last few days, so I was enjoying listening to his quiet breathing. I got to listen for a few minutes before his breathing changed, and I snuggled closer to him as he woke up. His arm tightened around me, hugging me close, and he pressed his lips to my hair.

“Good morning,” I whispered happily.

Asher mumbled something inarticulately, his lips staying pressed in my hair. I gave his hand a squeeze, and I felt his lips curve slowly. He mumbled something else, and I reached behind me, putting my hand on his hip and running my palm in small circles. Asher let out a pleased sigh, and I felt shivers running down my spine at the hot air on my scalp.

“Are you tired, baby?” I asked, tilting my head sideways so I could see his face in my peripheral vision. He kissed my head again, groaning a soft affirmative into my hair. I gave his hip an understanding squeeze, and his lips touched my ear in thanks.

“We’ll stay here for a bit longer then, OK?” I asked, sticking to yes or no questions so he didn’t have to talk.

His chest rumbled against my back, and it sounded decidedly affirmative. I continued stroking his hip, and I heard him inhale my scent deeply. I laughed softly, delighted, and he took another sniff before kissing my hair again, letting me feel his smile.

“You’re so cute in the morning,” I told him happily.

He let out a string of muffled, indecipherable groan-syllables that sounded like they were supposed to mean something good. I laughed again, and Asher rumbled happily, shifting against me. He managed to roll himself over on top of me, and he lay there, his eyes half-closed as he looked at me, content and faintly amused. I gave him a smile that apparently warranted a kiss, and his kisses soon wandered off my lips and over the rest of my face, making me laugh softly as he kissed my forehead. His body was a comfortable weight on top of me, and I wrapped my arms around his waist, satisfied. He rumbled again, and I had to close my eyes as his kisses found their way onto my eyelids. My smile pulled him back to my lips, and I opened my eyes to find him watching me happily. He nuzzled my nose with his, and gifted me with a few more kisses.

“I love you,” I told him, kissing him back. He mumbled meaninglessly, sounding happy as he kissed my nose and laid his head on my chest. After a bit more incoherent mumbling, he kissed my neck and wiggled slightly against me.

“Are you going to teach me this new language of yours?” I wondered aloud, and he shook his head, kissing my neck again. I smiled and started to gently stroke his hair, making him rumble happily again.

We lay there for almost half an hour, just enjoying each other’s company, and for once I didn’t feel embarrassed when I realized I was humming quietly. Asher’s eyes had closed, but the radiant smile on his face and the sound of his breathing told me he was awake. He obviously enjoyed how I was playing with his hair, and I leaned down to kiss the top of his head. We were startled by my phone on the nightstand, ringing loudly and disturbing the quiet. Even Bear jumped. I grabbed it quickly and flipped the switch to ‘Vibrate’, silencing it, before checking the screen and seeing Fiona’s name. She was Skype calling us.

“It’s Fiona,” I told Asher. “Do you want me to end it?”

He shook his head slightly, his eyes closed again, so I accepted the call, watching the screen as Fiona became visible beside the small display that showed my head.

“Hey, Fiona,” I said.

“Hi Ben,” she responded. “Where’s Asher?”

“Right here,” I told her, smiling. “Don’t expect him to say anything, though.”

She nodded, understanding. “I guess you’ve got better uses for his mouth, then,” she said with a straight face.

I blushed, and held the phone at arms’ length so she could see Asher’s head resting on my chest.

She laughed, unable to hold it back anymore. “When you zoomed out like that, I totally thought I’d been right!” She exclaimed through her laughter. “I was only joking, so that fazed me pretty bad.”

I snorted. “As if I’d show anything like that,” I replied, mock offended. “What could have possibly made you think I’d show something private to you over Skype?”

Fiona giggled, amused, but she seemed curious now. “So why can’t Asher talk?” She tilted her head slightly, as if she was trying to change the perspective of the camera so she could see him again.

“He’s tired,” I laughed, giving Fiona an evil look to tell her I wouldn’t forget to make fun of her for that.

“Want to say hi, baby?” I asked gently, holding the phone so Asher and Fiona could see each other.

“Mmmf,” Asher said, not opening his eyes. I laughed, stroking his head, and held the phone in front of me again, since Asher was obviously out of it. He leaned into my touch and rumbled again, and Fiona laughed.

“You guys look so comfortable with each other now,” she said, proud of us.

I smiled, thanking her silently, and Asher teased my neck with his tongue. I blushed as I realized he wanted me to hum again, but I couldn’t deny him anything. Fiona laughed, delighted, and I realized she’d seen all of it. I glared at her, reminding her I’d seen her have a ‘stupid’ moment, and she nodded, telling me we were even.

“What have you guys been up to?” she asked, changing the subject. “I’ve tried to leave you alone, but I cracked just now.”

I shrugged. “We told Tommy, and it turns out he thought we were dating before we even left on the camping trip. My mom and dad were fine with it, and Martha and Bernie were the ones that set us up in the first place, so it goes without saying that they’re OK with it.”

“Wait, wait, how much did I miss?” Fiona asked, excited.

I explained everything, and she squealed, delighted. “You’re coming out to everyone?” she asked happily, but I shook my head.

“We’re only coming out here,” I told her. “We’re not gonna tell anyone from home, and we’re not telling Asher’s parents yet.”

“Good for you guys!” Fiona exclaimed, ecstatic. “How are you going to do it?”

I shrugged. “We’re not gonna tell anyone, but we’re not gonna hide. Telling someone “we’re gay” would bring all their prejudices and stereotypes to mind, so maybe if they just see us holding hands they’ll realize we’re still the same people.”

“I’m proud of you guys,” Fiona told us happily. “Do you want to come into town sometime today so we can celebrate? I can see you’re busy right now, but maybe after lunch or something?”

Asher rumbled, letting me know it was OK, so I smiled happily at Fiona. “Want us to bring you back here?” I asked. “You can meet Tommy and see the house.”

“Sure!” Fiona said, excited. “When will you guys be here?”

I kissed Asher’s head, letting him know it was up to him, and he tapped my chest nine times.

“We’ll be there at nine,” I told Fiona. “Make sure to have a swimsuit ready.”

“I will,” Fiona promised, grinning. “See you then!”

I nodded, mirroring her grin, and she hung up. I tossed my phone back onto the nightstand so I didn’t disturb Asher by moving, and I rubbed his back with my now-free hand, making him rumble happily.

I buried my nose in his hair, inhaling his scent deeply and hugging him closer.

“I love you, baby,” I said, my voice muffled from my lips being pressed against the top of his head.

Asher kissed my neck again, and I laughed.

“That tickles,” I told him, amused. His lips pressed against my neck again, and I writhed as he started to lick and nibble on the skin next to my Adam’s apple.

“Asher, stop!” I begged, giggling and squirming under his ministrations. He lazily moved his hand to my side, where he wiggled his fingers, ticking me mercilessly.

“Asher!” I gasped, pleading, but he just hummed happily and continued torturing me. I leaned to the right, dumping him off my chest, and rolled to the left, trying to escape. Asher’s laziness disappeared instantly as he saw I was leaving, and his hand shot out, catching me by the hip and halting my roll. He pulled me back into him, and wrapped his arms around me, holding me there while I laughed uncontrollably. He stroked my back, helping me regain control of my laughter, and I finally relaxed and returned his hug.

“Asshole,” I muttered, but he touched his fingers to my ribs warningly, making me squirm and laugh again. “OK, OK, I surrender!” I yelped, and he stopped, grinning at me as if to say: I thought so.

“Don’t get too cocky,” I warned him, smirking back. “If I remember right…” he snorted, letting me know what he thought of the idea that I forgot anything, “I’m not the only one who’s ticklish.” I finished, ignoring him as I tickled his chest. He grabbed my hand, trying to stop me, but I just used my other hand, and his laughing made him too weak to hold me off. I laughed with him as I tortured him back, glad to hear his voice again. I let up with the tickling, letting him catch his breath, and he attempted to glare at me. He failed miserably, his glare interrupted by another surge of giggles, and I gave him a kiss before standing up.

He followed me up immediately, and he gave me a smile before pulling me in for another kiss. I took a moment to enjoy the softness of his lips against mine, and then separated, kissing him on the nose and walking into the bathroom. I turned on the shower, and we stepped in. Asher shivered and pressed against me as he turned the temperature up.

“How can you stand it so cold?” he asked, snuggling closer to me for warmth. I wrapped my arms around him, turning so I was shielding him from the cold water as it heated up, and he gave me a grateful peck on the lips. I smiled and grabbed the soap, and I started to wash him. We didn’t have time for anything extracurricular if we were going to make it to Fiona’s, so I didn’t linger anywhere for long. When I was done, Asher washed me, and we stepped out. After getting dressed, we walked out to the shed, skipping breakfast, and Asher took the ATV, giving me the dirt bike. I gave him a thankful smile, and we drove off.

When we arrived at the diner, it was busy for the first time that we’d seen. We walked in, unsure, and Fiona waved at us from a table. Luckily, she was sitting in the booth, not serving it, so we walked over and joined her. A pleasant older lady took our order, and when she walked away Fiona started in on us, excited.

“You guys came out of your sex dungeon!” she teased. “I’m amazed that you’re both still tanned!”

I snorted. “Why does everybody think we have a sex dungeon?” I asked Asher.

Asher laughed. “Well… we kinda do,” he said. “It’s not like they’re wrong.”

“Yeah, but how do they know?” I asked, trying to sound serious.

Fiona burst out laughing. “Wait, you actually have one?”

Asher and I both gave her innocent looks, and she shook her head. “I think Tommy has too much money,” she observed.

I nodded, agreeing, and then the food came. Our conversation lapsed as we dug in, and it didn’t start up again until we finished.

“The food here is so good!” Asher exclaimed, putting his fork and knife on the plate that had held his pancakes minutes before.

Fiona nodded, smiling. “It’s ‘cause the staff are awesome,” she said matter-of-factly, and we all laughed. We split the bill, and as we walked out Fiona checked her phone covertly, trying to keep it out of our view.

“Ooh, who’s that?” I asked, trying to get a peek. “You’re being suspicious, and I like it! Who’s the lucky guy?”

Fiona shook her head, blushing slightly. “It’s just Erik,” she said.

“Tell him to be out front with a swimsuit inside five minutes,” I said, grinning. “If you’ve got a crush on him, he’s coming with us.”

“I do not have a crush on him!” Fiona protested, pocketing her phone. “Let’s go.”

Asher laughed, and we heard the whoosh of a text being sent. Fiona whipped around to face him, her face red. “You didn’t,” she said, worried.

Asher grinned. “I did,” he teased. A tri-tone sounded, and he glanced at his phone again. “Oh look, he’s coming with us!” Asher exclaimed overdramatically. “What a coincidence!”

Fiona glared at us both. “Assholes,” she accused. “I’ll get you back for this.”

We just smiled at her, and got on the machines. Fiona gave the dirt bike a dubious look and chose to ride with Asher, on the ATV. The sound of Asher teasing her was cut off when I started up the motor, and I let Asher go in front of me so Fiona could lead us to Erik’s house. When we got there, Erik was standing out front.

“Hey,” he called, and we waved. He ran down his driveway and jumped on the back of my bike, and we started off.

“I didn’t know Fiona would be here,” he told me. “That’s a pleasant surprise. I was trying to get her to hang out before you guys texted.”

“We know,” I laughed. “She told us, and that’s why we texted you.”

“Oh,” Erik said, considering. “Why didn’t she text me back, then?”

I laughed again. “No reason,” I said innocently.

“You think she likes me?” he asked, his voice surprised, but I thought I heard a note of hopefulness in there.

“I don’t know,” I lied, not wanting to give Fiona away. “Do you like her?”

I felt him shift uncomfortably, and I snickered. “Ask her to go on a date!” I suggested.

“No way,” Erik said. “We’re talking about something else, now,” he informed me.

“OK,” I agreed, playing along. “Like what?”

Erik thought for a moment. “So… you and Asher, huh?” he teased.

“Did Fiona tell you?” I asked, surprised. I didn’t think she would’ve told anyone.

“Nope, you’re just obvious,” he laughed. “I would have said something the first time we met, but we never got any privacy.”

“Wow,” I said, annoyed. “Everybody knew we liked each other, except us!”

He laughed. “It’s not hard to figure out, with how you look at each other.”

We stopped talking when Asher pulled up beside us, and Fiona laughed.

“Hey Ben!” She called. “Aren’t you nervous about me groping your boyfriend?”

I laughed. Apparently, Asher had given her the ‘OK’ to out us to Erik, but she’d been late.

“I wouldn’t do that,” I warned. “I’d do the same to yours!” I leaned back into Erik suggestively, and Fiona blushed.

“We’re just friends!” Fiona and Erik said together, and Asher and I laughed, not bothering to respond. I pulled ahead and ducked off the road, into the trees, cutting off our conversation so Fiona couldn’t retort.

“You really think she likes me?” Erik asked, hopeful.

“I think you like her,” I corrected. “Ask her out!”

“No,” he said, but he didn’t sound as sure.

“What are you afraid of?” I asked. “It’s Fiona. She’s not going to freak out at you.”

His reply was cut off by an amazed noise as we pulled into view of the house, and I laughed, stopping the bike in front of the shed. I walked it in while Erik looked around in amazement, and then Asher and Fiona arrived. The expressions on her and Erik’s faces matched perfectly, and Asher and I grinned at each other. We led them around, giving them our traditional tour, and they were stunned beyond words. The only comment they had was from Fiona, once we’d showed them the whole house.

“So where is your sex dungeon, then?” she teased.

“That’s our other house,” Asher said, straight faced.

“There’s more?” Erik asked, astounded, and Asher’s serious demeanor fell to pieces. We pointed out to the island, and Erik started walking down to the lake for a better view. We followed, and while he and Fiona stood at the end of the dock, we got on the jetskis and started them up. This time, Fiona rode with me, and Asher took Erik. We called Bear before we left, and he jumped off the end of the dock and started swimming for the island excitedly.

“Did Erik say anything interesting?” Fiona asked as we drove. “Maybe anything about me?”

“What makes you think I’d breach his trust like that?” I asked, pretending offence.

“Don’t be a bitch,” Fiona laughed. “You owe me one.”

“Yep, but not for long,” I said.

“So that means he likes me back?” She asked, excited.

“When did I say that?” I teased, and she glared at me in lieu of answering, since we’d reached the island. We climbed off, and I beached the jetski while Asher did the same beside me, and then we all walked into the forest. Asher and I led them across the forest to the house, and they were amazed.

“You guys built this?” Erik asked, admiring our cabin.

“Yep,” Asher said. “Don’t go inside, you won’t like what you see.”

Just then, Bear finally caught up, and when he saw us standing near the edge of the cliff, he took a detour and went down to the beach.

“Your dog is crazy,” Erik said.

Asher laughed. “No, he’s smart. He knows we’re going swimming now.”

“Couldn’t he have waited until we went down to the beach with him?” Erik asked, confused, and I shook my head.

“We’re not going to the beach,” I told him, setting my camera down and walking to the edge of the cliff. I stripped my shirt off, and as I jumped off I saw Asher run and jump beside me. We didn’t let ourselves sink too far, so we surface quickly and laughed at the look on their faces.

“Jump!” Asher called. “You couldn’t hit the bottom if you tried!”

They stripped to their swimsuits and jumped off, nervous, and then came to the surface laughing.

“That’s awesome!” Erik shouted, excited. “You guys have the best place ever!”

Bear swam over, happily agreeing, and we all had to scatter to avoid being practically dismembered by his claws. We climbed back up the cliff, and we spent the rest of the morning jumping and playing in the water. When we hiked back to the jetskis, it was almost six, so we hurried back to the house. Asher went to go check to see if Tommy was home, and he came back shaking his head, so we only got out enough ingredients for four pizzas. Erik and Fiona were delighted, and we all bantered and joked as we made the pizzas.

Waiting for the pizzas to cook was almost painful, but when they were done, it was all worth it. We dug in, starving after our hours of fun, and there was no talking until we were done. When we finished, we went and sat in the upstairs living room so we could watch the sunset.

“We should totally have a party here,” Erik suggested absently, watching the reddish yellow of the horizon. “When will you next have the house to yourselves?”

I laughed. “Whenever we want it,” I replied. “Tommy won’t mind.”

“Seriously?” Erik asked, amazed.

I nodded. “Tommy’s really cool,” I told him seriously, and then smiled. “He might even party with us, instead of leaving!” I joked.

“When could we do it, though?” Erik asked. “As long as you guys want to. If you don’t, I won’t blame you or anything.”

I glanced at Asher, leaving it up to him, and he grinned. “Tomorrow,” he suggested. “But anyone who comes is staying ‘till everything’s cleaned up.”

Erik grinned. “Awesome, less work for us.”

Fiona yawned, and we realized what time it was.

“We’ll take you guys back now,” I said. “Imagine if your parents got mad at you for staying out too long tonight, and you couldn’t come out tomorrow!”

Erik shuddered overdramatically, and we walked out to the shed and got on the machines. This time, I took the ATV and Asher used the dirt bike, so Fiona rode with me.

“I’ll work with inviting everyone and getting them here,” Fiona said. “Erik’ll probably take alcohol procurement, and you guys can deal with getting everyone from the road to your house.”

“OK, that sounds good,” I said happily, slowing down as we drove into town. “I’ll be inviting one other person, though.”

“If he’s got his own ride that won’t affect my plans,” she said, and I nodded, pulling up in front of Erik’s house. Erik got off and we confirmed our plans before saying bye and driving off, following Fiona’s directions to her house. We dropped her, and after a quick goodbye, she ran inside to start with the invitations. Asher and I drove back to the house, leaving the machines in the shed, and brought Bear inside. We decided to work out, since we’d forgotten to for a while now, and after another few hours of that, we stumbled into the bathroom, exhausted. We started the bath, and waited in the sauna for it to fill up. We leaned against each other, sitting side by side on the wooden bench, until we estimated the bath would be full. We held hands as we walked into the bathroom, and Asher turned off the bath while I got in. He followed after me, and sat down between my legs, leaning back against my chest, and I wrapped my arms around his chest, hugging him to me and relaxing against the wall.

“I love this feeling,” Asher said softly, leaning his head back over my shoulder so he could kiss my cheek. “There’s nothing better than being totally exhausted in my boyfriend’s arms.”

I smiled and kissed his hair, letting my actions speak for me. We soaked in silence for almost half an hour before getting out and draining the bath. We toweled each other off and headed to bed, where Bear was already sleeping, sprawled across the mattress. We squished into the edge of the bed so we didn’t disturb him, and I wrapped my arms around Asher again, kissing up and down his neck gently.

“Goodnight, baby,” Asher whispered.

“Night, love,” I whispered back, and drifted off, perfectly content.