Perfect Can't Endure - 7. Friday

I woke up slowly, unsure where I was or even how I’d gotten here. I cracked my eyes open, looking around in the early dawn light, and saw I was on the island. Bear seemed to be out exploring or something. More importantly, though, my boyfriend was lying next to me. A wave gently washed over us, but even that didn’t wake him up. I looked down to see that the soft pressure on my hand was Asher holding it, and I smiled happily. I reached over to him with my other arm, but as soon as I moved my fingers I felt agonizing pain. I flinched and looked at them, thankful that Asher wasn’t awake to see this. He didn’t need to know I was in pain. It would only make him worry, and he deserved to be happy. My fingers were nothing more than what I deserved for getting him into trouble yesterday. If I hadn’t been so stupid, he would have had a normal day and been happy. I stretched my hand experimentally, stifling a gasp as pain shot out from my fingertips. I looked closer, and saw that I’d broken open the scabs. Underneath, I could see that I’d taken more than a few layers of skin off. I was fairly sure some of the nerves were exposed. I stretched it again, wanting to get my full range of motion back so Asher wouldn’t worry. It hurt like hell. I took a deep breath, composing myself, and stretched my hand again, trying to keep a straight face. I managed to avoid flinching, so I gave myself a few seconds to rest before doing it again. This time, I had to be able to smile while doing it. I managed, and I was finally satisfied. Now I could hide it from Asher, and he wouldn’t have to worry.

I leaned into Asher, not that there was any closer I could get, and kissed his chest. “Asher,” I whispered. He smiled in his sleep, but didn’t wake.

Maybe I’ll let him sleep a bit longer, I thought, feeling protective again. He looked so vulnerable, and I wanted to make sure nothing would ever hurt him. I felt a surge of warmth go through my heart, and I kissed his chest again. He mumbled something, and I suddenly remembered yesterday.

“You mean everything to me,”

“I love you,”

I felt like I’d been punched. My mind was reeling, trying to get a grasp on reality, and I examined Asher’s face again.

He didn’t actually say those things, I decided. I was about to pass out, and I’d almost drowned a few minutes before that. It’s not surprising that I’d hallucinate.

It was the only explanation I could accept. Anything else would give me hope, and I couldn’t live through that hope being crushed. I nodded to myself, and forced myself to forget about it. I had no right to be unsatisfied. I’d already gotten more than I could ever have dreamed.

Asher moved a little bit, and his breathing got faster. He was still asleep, but he must be having a dream. He shifted again, and then froze, completely still. I looked up at his face, wondering what he was dreaming of. He looked terrified.

Time to wake him up, I decided. He needed his sleep, but I wouldn’t let him be afraid anymore. I put my leg over his hips and rolled us so I was on top of him, straddling his abs. I kept holding his hand, and I leaned down and kissed him. Even that didn’t wake him up.

“Ben,” he whimpered, sounding petrified. “Ben!”

I put my hands on his cheeks. “Asher, it’s OK,” I told him. “I’m right here.”

His eyes snapped open, and the look of horror on his face died down a bit as he saw me.

“You were dreaming,” I told him, kissing him again. “It was a nightmare.”

He didn’t reassured for long before he panicked again. He grabbed my other hand, turning it so he could see my fingers. He looked destroyed when he saw they were injured.

“It happened,” he said, his voice wavering. “I’m so sorry!”

I gave him another kiss, satisfied that I hadn’t flinched when he touched my hand. I could pretend it didn’t hurt, and he wouldn’t have to worry. “It’s fine,” I told him. “It’s not your fault, anyway.”

“What do you mean it’s not my fault?” he demanded, angry at himself. “I fucked everything up! You almost died because of me, and then I said too much!”

I frowned at him, hoping he was joking, but he continued.

“I’m so sorry,” he repeated, trying to turn away. I didn’t let him. I had him trapped between my legs, and I put my hands on his cheeks to keep him looking at me, ignoring the pain in my fingers. “If you don’t want to… be with me anymore… it’s OK,” he said, sounding like it was crushing him to say it.

“Shut up,” I said. “You’re being dumb. What are you even talking about? Why would I ever want to leave you?”

“I made you get hurt,” Asher said, miserable. “You almost died because of me.”

“I made me get hurt,” I said. “It was the only way to stay conscious so I could get us back to shore, out of the mess that I got us into. Why are you blaming yourself?”

“I should have known when to come back up,” he said miserably.

“I should have, too,” I said. “I shouldn’t have gone down there in the first place. None of this is your fault.”

Asher shook his head, denying it. “Fine.” I said. “Let’s compromise. We both should have known when to come back up, but we were having fun and we got distracted. It’s neither of our faults.”

Asher still looked unsatisfied, but I kissed him before he could say anything. “I don’t blame you at all,” I told him. “Stop blaming yourself.”

“You’re one to talk,” he pointed out.

I frowned, but he continued before I could say anything. “Besides, even if you don’t blame me for that, I still shouldn’t have put you on the spot afterwards.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“What… What I said,” he told me, swallowing. “I’m sorry about that. You don’t need to say anything. Can we just forget it?” he pleaded.

“What did you say?” I asked, not daring to hope.

Asher swallowed again, and his beautiful eyes looked afraid. “If you don’t remember, I don’t want to say it again,” he said quietly. “I already know the answer.”

I couldn’t take the look on his face. He looked crushed, but I could tell he was trying to be brave so I wouldn’t feel bad. “You mean… I wasn’t hallucinating?” I asked slowly, afraid he was talking about something else. “Did you really say… what I think you did?” My voice wavered a bit, and I hated myself for it.

He looked hopeful, but mostly afraid. “You mean everything to me,” he said, nervous.

I felt my heart stop.

“That was what I said,” he finished nervously. “It’s OK if you don’t feel the same way. Just… please don’t leave me?” he begged.

“Asher,” I said, trying to slow him down.

“I don’t want to ruin what we have!” Asher was saying, sounding like he regretting talking at all.

“Asher!” I shouted, finally making him stop. He gave me a nervous smile as he realized he’d been babbling.

“Asher,” I said again, softly and reassuring. “I’ll never leave you. Ever. Stop worrying about that, OK?”

He nodded, and his eyes were shinier than usual as he pulled me in closer for a hug. “Thank you,” he said quietly, resigned. “I’m sorry for making this awkward for you.”

“I’m not finished,” I told him, putting my finger over his lips. My intent was to stop him from talking, but I couldn’t stop myself from tracing his soft lips, and I forgot to say anything as I stared at his beautiful pink lips.

“Ben?” he asked, muffled slightly by my finger.

“Oh,” I said, remembering what I’d been doing. “Sorry. You’re beautiful.” I gave him a kiss, and his amazing eyes made me forget again. I brought my uninjured hand up and touched his face reverently, feeling how soft his skin was.

“Ben,” he said again, but now there was a note of arousal in his voice.

I shook my head, trying to get his eyes out of my mind so I could actually think.

“That’s not all you said last night,” I told him, my thoughts still all over the place. “Right before you fell asleep, you mumbled something. You did it the day before that, too.”

Asher looked puzzled.

“You’re cute when you talk in your sleep,” I told him, babbling as bad as he’d been just a few minutes ago. “You said my name this morning. I like it when you say my name.”

Asher smiled happily, but he brought his hands up to my shoulders, calming me. “What did I say?” he asked. His voice still sounded a bit sad, but he was trying to forget.

“I love you,” I told him.

“I said that?” he asked, looking like he was going to panic.

“Yeah, I guess that is what you said,” I laughed.

“What do you mean?” he asked, looking worried that I’d be angry at him or something.

I realized why he was confused.

“I love you, Asher,” I said simply. “I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love every little thing about you, and I always will. It makes me happy just to be near you, and my world gets better every time you smile. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Can I kiss you?”

Asher looked shocked, like he didn’t know what to do with this information, and I smiled. I knew exactly how he felt, only when he’d done it to me I’d been able to blame it on hallucinations. I gave him a minute to try to sort his brain out before kissing him. His eyes still looked confused and disbelieving, but he didn’t hesitate at all in kissing me back. I slipped my tongue into his mouth, grinding into his hard abs. I felt his hands moving over my back, caressing me, and I took his face in my uninjured hand, rubbing small circles on his cheek with my thumb as we kissed. He shivered in delight, but he moved me away for a minute.

“I love you too,” he panted. “You’re my everything, and I don’t want to ever be apart.” He kissed me passionately again, and I shivered with pleasure as he lowered his hands to my ass and pulled me against him. He broke our kiss again, and I reluctantly let him. Asher looked into my eyes, pinning me there, and started to speak again.

“I’m yours, totally and completely,” he told me softly. I could see the love in his eyes as he said it, and I was sure it was reflected in mine. I kissed him again, feeling like my heart was going to burst with happiness. He didn’t stop this time, and I got more into it. I scooted back, sitting on the tent in his boxers, and wiggled my hips until I felt his boner lodge comfortably in between my cheeks. He moaned and thrust upwards, biting my tongue, and I rotated my hips, giving him more friction. I pulled away from the suction between our mouths, letting us breathe for a minute.

“Can I-”

“I’m yours,” Asher interrupted, the arousal in his voice driving me crazy. “Any way you want me.”

I kissed him again, shivering with raw lust, and then broke away, gently turning his head so I could lick his jawline. He shuddered with pleasure at the feel of my tongue, and I moved lower, to the side of his neck. I kissed a slow trail down to his nipples, and he whimpered as I licked a circle around one, not touching it. Neither of us were uncomfortable, so I lessened the radius of the circle, getting closer. Asher whimpered again, and the sexy sound drove me crazy. I stopped teasing him, putting my lips on his tender bud, and he moaned. I flicked it with my tongue, enjoying how he tasted, and I almost laughed as he shivered. My beautiful boyfriend couldn’t control himself, obviously. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I touched my teeth to his nipple, and he writhed underneath me, moaning with pleasure. I started to nibble on the sensitive pink bud, and he ran his hands through my hair, urging me to continue. I gave his nipple a few more flicks with my tongue, and then trailed my tongue off to the side, finding the line in between his well-defined pectorals. I licked my way down the line until I reached a crossroads, where the grooves in between his abs met the one I was following now. I licked off to the side, exploring his six pack with my tongue, and he wiggled underneath me as I found his belly button. I dipped my tongue in, licking around it and making him moan again. I reached my uninjured hand up to play with one of his nipples, and he arched his back as I gently bit his flat stomach, just over his belly button.

“You’re so sexy,” he panted. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me!”

I licked a trail down from his belly button to the waistband of his boxers, and Asher was writhing by the time I let my tongue leave his skin. I looked up at him, but he had his eyes closed and he was facing the sky.

Damn, even his neck is sexy, I thought, pausing my hand on his nipple. I watched him, not stimulating him at all, and after a second he whimpered, writhing again to try to make me start. He looked down at me, his eyes full of lust, and I gave him an evil smile. He whimpered again, and I could tell that he thought it was hot.

I love how expressive he is right now, I thought happily. He didn’t seem to be able to control his reactions when I was pleasuring him. Perfect, I thought evilly.

Asher squeezed his eyes shut, throwing his head back and arching his spine as I squeezed his nipple slightly.

“Ah!” he gasped, his voice sounding sexier than anything I’d ever heard. I stopped moving again, and he gave a little cry of disappointment that made my cock twitch.

“Please!” he begged breathlessly. I squeezed his nipple again, getting the same reaction as last time, and stopped.

“Ben,” he moaned, driving me crazy. “Please, Ben!” he whimpered. “Please do it again!”

I didn’t move, teasing him even more, but just before he tried to look at me I kissed the outline of his boner through his boxers, twisting his nipple at the same time. He arched his back again, gasping, and I opened my mouth, putting my lips on the side of his shaft. I licked the fabric, just hard enough for him to feel it, and he shuddered. I closed my mouth, kissing the side of his shaft all the way to the head, and then going back to the base of the outline. Asher whimpered, and I could barely control myself.

“I want you,” I told him, barely recognising my voice. “I want to taste you, Asher.”

“I love you,” he whimpered. “I’m yours. You can have me whenever you want me.”

“You’re mine?” I asked teasingly, putting my lips around the head and breathing out a huge breath of hot air.

Asher almost screamed, and I felt the corners of my mouth curling up with delight. “I’m yours,” he agreed, panting. “I’ll do anything you want me to, just please…” He trailed off into a whimper as I pressed my tongue against his shaft again.

“Please what?” I asked innocently, rolling his nipple in between my fingers.

“Please do it!” He begged me. “You make me feel so good!”

I stopped moving again, and he cried out, wiggling as he tried to get me to stimulate him.

“Do what?” I asked, smiling evilly.

“Please, Ben!” he begged, unable to think. “I want you to suck my cock!”

I let him hang for another second. He whimpered, needing me to touch him, and I touched my tongue to the outline of his cock again, leaving his nipple alone for a minute.

I ran my tongue up and down the length of his shaft, making him shudder and moan, and then I hooked my fingers in the waistband of his boxers. I paused for a few seconds, ignoring the burning pain from my left hand, and Asher wiggled his hips, silently pleading with me. I pulled slightly, exposing a few centimeters more of new territory, and I made him wait while I kissed along this new patch of skin, open to me for the first time now. He whimpered again, tangling his fingers in my hair, and I pulled his boxers down another few centimeters.

“Please, Ben!” he whined. “Please don’t tease me anymore!”

I pulled his boxers down to his knees, and then fully off, throwing them higher up the beach so the waves wouldn’t take them. I looked back at him, meeting his amazing lust-filled eyes, and then let my gaze fall, for my first sight of him. It was perfect. He had no pubes, like me, so I could see all of him, and I loved it. I reached out, wrapping my hand around his length and savoring it. It was so hard it probably hurt, but the skin was velvety soft. I gave it a tentative stroke, and Asher gasped.

“You’re so hot,” I told him. “It’s everything I’ve dreamed of and more.”

He was a bit more than seven inches long, and he was cut like me. Mine was slightly thicker, but his was slightly longer. The head was a light shade of pink, and I leaned in to lick it slowly, making Asher shudder and moan.

“Ah!” he gasped. “I love you, Ben!”

I shivered with pleasure at hearing those words again, and I met Asher’s eyes before wrapping my lips around the head and licking it all over. It tasted good, and the pearl of precum made me want more. He whimpered, and I pressed on, feeling the head touch the roof of my mouth. I adjusted the angle I was at, going further down, and Asher moaned as I passed the halfway point. I felt him pressing against the back of my throat, and I relaxed, pushing down more. Asher almost screamed again as he felt the wet softness of my throat surrounding him, and I kept going until I felt my nose pressing against his stomach.

“Ben!” Asher moaned, and I felt my cock responding even more to the sexy arousal in his tone. I absolutely love when he says my name.

I swallowed, making my throat muscles squeeze him, and he writhed in pleasure.

“Oh yeah!” he groaned. “You make me feel so good!”

I hummed in thanks, and the vibrations travelling through his length made him gasp. I slid back until the head was between my lips, and I licked it once before going all the way down again. He thrust his hips upwards involuntarily, and I started to play with his nipple again. Asher obviously couldn’t handle all the sensations, so I pulled off him, instead just kissing the head. He whimpered in protest, but I left his member alone to start licking and nipping his balls. He moaned as I took each one into my mouth, and when I was satisfied I’d explored them fully, I licked back up the bottom of his shaft to the head, and pressed my lips against it again. I opened my mouth and pressed down, swallowing him in one fast movement, making him thrust upwards again. I pulled back until his head was just touching the back of my throat, and then I pushed down again, starting a rhythm as I played with his nipple. He couldn’t stop moaning, whimpering, and writhing, and then he moved his leg so it would rub against my crotch. I moaned too as he touched me through my boxers, and he shivered in pleasure at the vibrations.

“I’m gonna cum,” he warned me breathlessly. I sucked harder, increasing the pace, and I realized that I was close too. I ran my tongue around his shaft, and he gasped in pleasure, his fingers tangling in my hair. I felt a shiver run through his body, and I pressed down until my nose was against his chest as his member started to pulse. I twisted his nipple as the first spurt of his cum shot down my throat, and Asher whimpered sexily. I pulled back until the head was between my lips, and started to stroke him with my hand, wanting to taste some of it. I felt each jerk as his cock shot wave after wave into my mouth, and I swallowed, trying to keep up. It tasted salty, and like Asher. It was delicious. Asher tilted his leg, pressing harder against my throbbing length, and I exploded. I felt myself soaking my boxers, and Asher didn’t seem to mind the wet splotch growing against his leg, if the way he was rubbing it against me was any indication. I took a deep breath through my nose as I let Asher slip from my mouth, still in the throes of my orgasm, and Asher grabbed my shoulders and slid me up his body so he could kiss me and play with my nipples. He really wanted to make it good for me, too, and I loved him even more for it. I came down from my orgasmic cloud, and Asher welcomed me back to the paradise we called reality with a kiss.

“I love you,” I told him, kissing him back. “I love how you feel in my mouth.”

He laughed. “I don’t think it’s possible to not love a blowjob like that from my end,” he said, pulling back from our kiss. “You’re so good at it,” he told me.

“What, you’ve had experience?” I asked, surprised.

“No, you’re my first,” Asher said, grinning. “I can still tell you’re good, though. Do you have practice or something?”

I laughed. “Nope,” I said. “I just don’t have a gag reflex.”
“Don’t give me another boner if you’re not going to take care of it,” Asher warned, laughing.

“Who said I won’t take care of it?” I asked seductively, kissing him again.

“Bear did,” Asher said, right before the damn dog pounced on me, tipping me off Asher and licking my face.

Asher helped me fight him off, and he pulled me to my feet, even though both of us were laughing so hard that standing was a chore. I stopped laughing as I noticed that Asher was still naked, and I admired my sexy boyfriend fully for the first time.

“You’re perfect,” I told him truthfully, and he realized he was naked. He yelped and covered himself with his hands. I grabbed him before he could try to get his boxers, and I hugged him to me so he didn’t have to hide himself. “Please stay?” I begged. “I love seeing you. You shouldn’t be embarrassed at all!”

“OK,” he said simply, and I looked at him in surprise. “I’m yours, remember?” he said, kissing me. “If you want me naked, I’m naked.”

“Will it make you uncomfortable?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, a little bit,” he said. “I don’t care, though.”

“When you were embarrassed to be in your boxers, you were OK as long as I was too,” I remembered. “Would this work the same way?”

Asher nodded, and I hugged him tighter.

“OK,” I said, suddenly nervous. “You can take my boxers off whenever you want.”

Asher kissed the side of my neck and put his hands on my back, exploring it with his hands. He kept going, relaxing me, until I was more comfortable, and then he slid his hands down into my boxers to cup my ass cheeks. He squeezed and pulled me into him, grinding us together, and I moaned with pleasure. He pushed the waistband down so my ass was exposed, and he massaged it for a minute. I could feel his erection pressing against mine, with only the thin fabric between us, and suddenly I couldn’t get the boxers off quickly enough. I felt the fabric land on my toes, and I stepped out of the leg holes, kicking the boxers higher up on the beach so the waves wouldn’t take them. I pressed close to Asher, and I moaned as I felt my cock touch his.

“Screw Bear,” he said suddenly. “You’re coming with me. I need to explore you.” He took my hand and pulled me up to the house, where we locked Bear out. He positioned me in the middle of the floor and stepped back to examine me.

“You’re so wonderfully hot,” he told me, turning me around and examining the other side of me. “I can’t believe you’re my boyfriend,” he said, shaking his head.

“I’m yours, and you’re mine,” I told him. “If you want me, take me.”

He shivered, and I could see how aroused that had gotten him, but he shook his head.

“Not yet,” he said, pushing me down onto the bed. “For now, I just want to explore you.”

I shivered with anticipation at hearing that, and he saw. He smiled at me, and gave me a kiss. Our tongues danced for a few seconds, but then he pulled away and examined my chest, running his fingers or his tongue over anything that interested him. I couldn’t keep a moan down when his mouth found my nipple, and he paused.

“Your moans are so sexy,” he told me, and kissed my nipple. “I love that I can make that sound come out of you.”

He bit my nipple gently, making his point as I moaned again. He moved lower, giving my belly button a kiss, and then he reached my crotch. I couldn’t even feel self-conscious, since he was so obviously in love. He sniffed deeply, enjoying how I smelled, and then he licked my balls. I whimpered and thrust my hips upwards at the feel of his tongue on my sack, and he put his hands on my hips to hold me still. I had to shut my eyes as he took one of my balls in his mouth, unable to take the influx of stimulation from both my eyes and my body. I whimpered as I felt him press his lips against my leg, less than an inch to the right of my cock. He let his teeth brush against my skin, and I wiggled my hips, begging him to do anything to me. He nipped the same spot on my other leg, and I took a deep breath, trying to control myself. I sighed in disappointment as he stopped touching me, but it turned into a whimper as I felt his hot breath on my length as he regarded me.

“I want to see your face,” he instructed me, his voice making me shiver with arousal. “No leaning back,” he warned.

I nodded, telling him I understood, and he pressed his lips against the head of my cock. I gasped, and I felt his lips curve as he smiled happily.

“I love you, Asher,” I moaned. “Everything about you is so sexy!”

He opened his lips and let the head into his mouth, and I whimpered as he explored me with his tongue. The hot wetness of his mouth around me was driving me crazy, and those soft lips felt wonderful on my shaft. I made sure to keep looking at him, and the delight in his eyes at how good he was making me feel made the effort worth it. I ran my fingers through his soft black hair, and he slid further down, taking almost half of me into his mouth. I gasped as my sensitive head touched the back of his throat, and I started reciting the alphabet backwards so I wouldn’t explode right then. Asher paused, and then tried to go further. The feeling of his throat squeezing the head of my cock made me skip a few letters before I could think straight again, but he pulled back, trying not to gag.

“It’s OK,” I managed to say. “You don’t need to-”

I cut off with a whimper as he pressed downwards, swallowing my entire cock until he was kissing my crotch. He looked up at me, breathing through his nose, and he obviously enjoyed what he saw on my face. I felt his tongue touch my shaft, and I moaned at the sensations as he ran it all over me.

“I’m about to cum!” I warned, my voice strangled, and Asher pulled back until the head was between his lips. He started to stroke me with his hand, and he toyed with my balls with his free hand. I moaned in ecstasy as my member started to pulse, and Asher stroked faster, licking the head. I shot wave after wave into his mouth, and he swallowed gladly, watching my face the whole time. Everything went white, and when I was aware of my surroundings again Asher was milking the last of my cum with his incredible mouth.

“I love you so much!” I told him, my fingers untangling from his hair. He pulled off my member and crawled up, lying on top of me and burying his face in my neck.

“You taste amazing,” he told me, kissing the spot where my shoulder met my neck. I took his face in my hands and gently guided him into a kiss. I could taste my own sperm in his mouth, but I didn’t mind. Nothing could make me not want to kiss Asher. I broke our kiss, and I saw a little bit of cum had escaped his mouth. I wiped it off with my finger, and he took my finger into his mouth seductively. I reached down to wrap my hand around his throbbing erection, and he gently bit my finger. He moaned as I gave him a few pumps, enjoying the silky soft feel of his skin, and then I pulled my finger away so I could kiss him again. I pressed my tongue against his lips, thinking about just how much I loved my boyfriend, and he opened his mouth for me eagerly.

He’s so responsive, I thought, giving his member a slight squeeze just to hear him moan. I loved how he couldn’t control himself. Each moan that escaped his perfect lips, each sexy shiver that ran through his sculpted body, they all made me so happy that I was making this angel feel good. I could gladly dedicate my life to making Asher whimper in pleasure. I felt him run his hands over my body, and I saw how it made him even more aroused.

“I’m all yours,” I reminded him, and then pressed my lips back against his, where they belonged. He whimpered, and I took a handful of his ass with my free hand. He convulsed, and I didn’t let him pull away as he started to orgasm. I felt his cum splashing onto my abs, and the only thing I regretted was not making him shoot his load into my mouth. Asher collapsed onto me, and I wrapped my arms around him happily, enjoying his comfortable weight on top of me. I turned my head to kiss his cheek, and he smiled.

“My life really couldn’t get any better right now,” he said. “I have everything I’ve ever wanted and more.”

I kissed him again, flattered, and he turned to kiss me back.

“Scratch that,” he said as we heard Bear pawing at the door. “It’d be a little bit better if Bear would leave us the hell alone.”

I laughed. “Hey, we should be thankful,” I told him. “Bear saved us yesterday.”

“He did?” Asher asked, surprised.

I nodded, remembering. “I was really terrified that you weren’t OK,” I told him softly. “I don’t think I could live without you.”

Asher kissed me again, trying to make me cheer up, but I broke away.

“I’m not just saying that,” I told him seriously, stopping him from distracting me. “I really, really love you. The world would mean nothing to me if you weren’t here with me.”

I cupped his face, terrified again at how close I’d come to losing him, and he leaned into my hand.

“I feel the same way,” he said quietly, his eyes brimming with tears. “When I saw you stop moving, I just… lost my will to survive. I didn’t even want to reach the surface.”

I hugged him closer to me, and I heard him take a deep breath, inhaling my scent.

“I love you with all my heart,” he said. “Please don’t ever leave me alone. I could handle you leaving, as long as I knew you’d be coming back, but if you died I wouldn’t be far behind you.”

“I won’t ever leave you,” I promised him, burying my face in his neck. “I won’t let school keep us apart, either. I’ll find a way to meet you every weekend, and we can skype each other anytime we want.”

“I don’t want to think about that,” Asher pleaded. “Let’s just enjoy our summer, and forget the rest of the world exists.”

I nodded, kissing him gently. “We can’t forget the whole world,” I said regretfully. “My parents want to meet you. They don’t know anything about how special you are to me, but they like to know my friends. Are you OK with skyping them with me sometime?”

He smiled. “I’d love to meet your parents,” he said. “Maybe that’s what we can do today.”

I nodded happily. “They won’t be off work until later, though,” I said.

Asher kissed me. “Then we’re getting your photo room set up. I know how much you’ve been wanting to do that.”

I shook my head. “I can do that some time you’re busy,” I told him. “I don’t want you to be bored.”

“I’ll enjoy it just as much as you will,” he told me. “I love seeing you with your pictures. You get so intent when you’re taking them, and when you’re looking at them you hum really quietly. It’s like you’re purring. I think it’s adorable.”

My face was burning, and Asher kissed my cheeks reassuringly.

“Do I really?” I asked, mortified.

“Yeah,” he said, kissing me. “You do it whenever you’re happy in a quiet way. It used to confuse me, before we started dating.”

“You mean I was that obvious?”

My face was getting redder and redder.

Asher smiled and kissed me again. “I thought it was just because you liked my company, and it drove me crazy because I wanted you so bad and I didn’t think you thought of me like that.”

“When did I do it?” I asked, still feeling humiliated.

“That time when you were helping me take a picture of the deer,” Asher said, smiling happily as he remembered. “I was enjoying being that close to you, and I was afraid that if I even breathed too loud it would scare you away, and then I realized you were humming softly. I was really confused, because I’d only heard you do it when you were looking at your pictures. I decided it meant you enjoyed seeing the deer, and then I tried to forget about it so I wouldn’t go crazy.”

He kissed my nose and smiled at me. “You confused me so much,” he admitted. “I had such a huge crush on you, and I kept forgetting what I was thinking whenever you looked at me. I was terrified when I couldn’t think of an excuse and I told you the truth, that my mind had gone blank. I thought you’d figure out why and be angry, or at the very least move away, but instead you just started humming in the sexy way you have.”

I was worried that my face would melt at this point. “When else did I do it?” I asked, desperate to know for some reason.

“You did it that first night we slept together. I couldn’t hear it when Bear was between us, but when he moved to my side of the bed and I crawled over him, I was terrified you’d ask what I thought I was doing. I was so tense, waiting for you to freak out, and then you started humming. That was what let me get to sleep so quickly again,” he said. “You’ve done it every night we’ve slept together, actually, but I only figured it out after we started dating. Before that, I thought you were just happy when you were tired. I didn’t really let myself consider that it was because you liked being near me.”

I hid my face in his neck, horrified.

“It’s really cute,” Asher said. “Don’t be embarrassed.”

I shook my head, still not lifting my face from his neck. “You’re not telling me something,” I mumbled. “It gets worse, I can tell.”

Asher kissed my hair reassuringly. “You did it while we were eating at Jason’s for the first time,” he said. “I thought it meant you liked the pancakes, but you didn’t stop when we were finished. You were still doing it when we met everybody, but you stopped when we met Ashley. I was just glad that you didn’t do it with Tori nearby,” he said. Now he was blushing. I could hear it in his voice. “I thought of it as my side of you. I didn’t want you to share that side with her, since she liked you. You did it again when we left, and it made me really happy that it was still something that was for me only.”

I groaned. “I can’t believe I did it with everybody there,” I said.

Asher kissed my hair again. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You were only doing it loud enough that I could hear. Nobody else could have, since you were closer to me than you were to them.”

I nuzzled his neck with my lips. “At least I don’t do it around anybody else,” I said. “All the times you’ve mentioned, I was thinking about you.”

I froze, and Asher laughed. “What?” he asked.

“I think I might have done it while I was skyping Fiona,” I said, flushing. “That was why she thought I was so funny!”

Asher pressed his lips to the top of my head, trying not to laugh. “What were you talking about?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“You,” I admitted. “That’s why I was doing it. She had me figured out from the first time I mentioned you, so the whole rest of the conversation was about you.”

“What about me, specifically?” Asher asked, teasing.

“She asked me what my favorite thing about you was, body only.”

“And?”

He sounded interested now, and I kissed his neck, making him wait, before I responded.

“I told her about your amazing lips,” I said, pressing my fingers to said lips. Asher smiled against my hand, kissing my fingers. “Then, I told her about your beautiful eyes, and how they always make my stomach flutter,” I continued, kissing his eyelids. He gave me a flattered smile, and I kissed him again.

“Finally, I told her about your sexy ass,” I said, grabbing a handful as I said it. He jumped, but he looked even more flattered, until I gave it a squeeze, making him grind into me. Then he just looked aroused.

“It sounds like you guys had a long conversation,” he said, and I could hear the effort he had to put into not having sex with me again right now.

“Of course we did,” I said. “It was about your attributes.”

He kissed me again, shutting me up. “Stop,” he pleaded. “We’re never going to get out of this bed if you keep saying things like that.”

“I don’t see any problems with that,” I said, sliding my hand down his stomach towards his rapidly stiffening cock. He slapped my hand away and jumped up, trying to get away. I grabbed his hand, not letting him, and pulled him back down.

“You can’t expect to show me your ass like that and then just walk away,” I said, taking him by the hips and spinning him so I could kiss his perfect ass. He shivered as I ran my tongue up one cheek and down the other, but he stopped trying to pull away.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said, but he didn’t sound convinced. I put my hands on his cheeks and squeezed them, enjoying both the feel and how Asher arched his back with pleasure.

“Fine,” he said. “You win. I can’t resist you anymore.”

“Let’s go wash off now,” I said, pretending not to have to tear myself away from him. “We’re covered in your cum, and you obviously don’t want me to lick it off you.”

“No!” Asher yelped, grabbing me before I could leave. “I want you to!” he begged, trying to get me to stop teasing.
“Oh really?” I asked, acting surprised. “Are you sure?”

Asher nodded vigorously, swallowing. I gave him an evil smile and let myself turn back to him. I knelt in between his legs as he sat on the edge of the bed, and I pushed him back so he was lying down. I started licking all over his chest, cleaning off all his cum with my tongue, but we were interrupted by Bear again.

“Damnit!” I swore. “That’s not funny anymore, Bear!”

Asher looked disappointed, but he got up.

“We’ll finish this tonight,” I promised him. “We can go in the cave so Bear can’t bother us. He loves running around up here anyway.”

Asher nodded, his brain taking control of his body back from his cock. “You’re not going to be afraid of going into the deep water again, right?” He asked me, worried.

I laughed. “No,” I said. “That’s not the first time I’ve almost drowned, and it probably won’t be the last. I’m not huge on learning from my mistakes.”

Asher frowned. “I’m happy you’ll still go swimming with me, but you’re not allowed to drown. You’re mine now. All of you, not just your elbow. That means you can’t hurt yourself, ever.”

I laughed, and Asher smiled.

“You’re not allowed to touch yourself, either,” Asher decided. “If you’re horny, you come to me. OK?”

I smiled happily. “If it was anyone else telling me I couldn’t masturbate, I’d probably start a riot,” I told him. “For you, I’ll do it.”

Asher kissed me. “You’re not missing out,” He reassured me. “Any time you’re horny, I’ll take care of you. I just want to be the one to do it.”

I kissed him back. “So what am I going to do right now?” I asked.

He grimaced. “Maybe we can make this a quick swim,” he said, opening the door and stepping outside. Bear started running in circles around the house, and Asher pointed at the beach.
“Go!” he said, making Bear run. We waited until he was almost there to jump off the cliff, and by the time we rose to the surface again he was swimming towards us. We swam apart, and we made him swim back and forth between us. Whenever he reached one of us, we’d go underwater and wait for the other one to call him. We teased him for a while, getting some of his energy out, and then swam back together, unable to stay apart for long. We let Bear swim circles around us as we kissed, but we both had to duck underwater when he swam towards us and tried to join in. We swam over to the cliff, and we surfaced together away from Bear.

“Maybe we should go back to the house and eat,” Asher said. “It must be four already, and we haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

I nodded. “OK, but on two conditions.”

“What conditions?” Asher asked curiously.

“One, we don’t tell anyone anything about yesterday.”

He nodded, agreeing.

“Two, I finally get to blow you again after we eat.”

He laughed. “You didn’t have to make that a condition,” he told me. “I’m yours, remember?”

I gave him another kiss. He knew exactly how much it turned us both on when he said that, so he was just being a tease. He smiled against my mouth, and I started kissing everywhere I could reach on his face.

“Stop!” he laughed, trying to push me away from kissing his nose again. “You’re almost as bad as Bear!”

“Maybe we do it because you taste good,” I suggested, kissing his cheek again. “Or maybe you’re just kissable.” I kissed his forehead, and he swam away from me, laughing.

“You’re insane,” he informed me.

“You love it,” I countered.

Asher shrugged. “You’re not wrong,” he laughed. “Let’s go back to the house now.”

I nodded, and we swam back to the beach to locate all our clothes. When we’d managed to find them all, we washed them in the lake before putting them on and pushing the sailboat into the water. We jumped on and sailed back, making Bear swim again. When we got home, there was no sign of Tommy. We did find a note in the kitchen, saying:

At M&B’s till late. Test results are back. You’re both clean. Stay off the couches and don’t get pregnant.

Asher laughed, reading it over my shoulder. “Being an asshole runs in your family,” he told me. “I’m reconsidering wanting to meet your parents.”

I smiled. “Tommy and I are the crazy ones,” I said. “My dad’s more normal.”

“Normal isn’t as entertaining,” he reassured me, kissing my cheek. “I like you just how you are.”

I kissed him back, and we barbequed some ribs we found. We locked Bear outside when we brought them in, since we couldn’t give him any without risking him choking on the bones. We watched him run off to explore, and we dug in. Asher was soon done, and he spun my chair around so I was facing away from the table. I looked at him, puzzled, and he straddled my legs, reaching behind me to grab another rib. He held it up, smiling happily when I started to eat it, and when I was finished with it he gave me a messy kiss before putting it on my plate and grabbing another. He started sucking on my fingers while I ate it, getting all the barbeque sauce off with his tongue. I knew he could feel my erection lodged in his crack, but he pretended not to notice, instead giving me another kiss as I finished the rib. I smiled at how much barbeque sauce was smeared across his lips now, but he just smiled back and held up another rib. I ate it even though I wasn’t hungry anymore, just because I was craving the kiss he’d give me for dessert. He put the bone back on the plate, smiling happily at me, and then gave me the sloppy kiss I’d wanted.

“That’s all of them,” he told me, not making any moves to get off my lap.

“Can I have another kiss anyway?” I asked.

He pressed his lips against mine, and I closed my eyes, enjoying it. He pulled back, and I opened my eyes to find him regarding me curiously.

“Close your eyes again?” he requested. I closed my eyes, wondering what he was doing. He didn’t move for a while, and I could smell the barbeque sauce on his breath as he watched me, making me want another kiss. Right when I was about to ask what he was doing, I felt his finger lightly touch my nose. He traced a line underneath my eye, and then around and onto my forehead. I laughed as I realized he was painting my face with barbeque sauce. What was it he’d said earlier? ‘Normal isn’t as entertaining’? He’d been right. His finger left my face for a second, and I felt him shift on my lap as he got some more ‘paint’ on his finger from the plate. I stopped myself from moaning when his shifting rubbed my cock. Making any sort of noise right now seemed wrong, so I just sat there with a faint indulgent smile on my face as he continued the line, making some convoluted design on my forehead. He had to get more sauce on his finger a few times, and then he seemed happy with the design and looped the line around my other eye to meet where he’d started on the bridge of my nose. He dipped his finger in the sauce again, and then he put a spot on the end of my nose. He added some lines perpendicular to my jaw, mirroring them on the other side of my face, and then gave me another kiss.

“Your hands are clean. Take off your shirt,” he instructed. I pulled my t-shirt over my head, careful not to mess up his work, and threw it on the floor. I couldn’t keep the silly smile off my face when he dipped his finger again and started to continue the lines on my jaw down my neck. He traced them onto my chest, and he seemed delighted to find the flat expanse of my pecs, since they’d make good canvases. He dipped his finger again, and started to paint a design on one. When he was happy, he mirrored it on the other before taking a break to kiss me. While his attention was focused on my face, he realized that he wasn’t satisfied with it yet, so he drew vertical lines underneath each of my eyes, joining them at perpendicular angles to the other line he’d painted. He leaned back, studying me, and then he leaned in to kiss each of my nipples, leaving behind mouth-shaped barbeque sauce stains. He dipped his finger again, and he began working on the lines he’d drawn on my chest before he got distracted by my pecs. I really loved him when he was like this. He liked to do things just because he could, and this was apparently one of those things. I was failing at keeping my amusement off my face, and Asher gave me another kiss, careful not to smear his art. I could feel his pleased smile against my lips, and I couldn’t help matching it. His happiness was just so infectious. He was so intent on what he was doing, and it was adorable.

“Can I open my eyes now?” I asked.

“No,” he said patiently. “You’re not allowed to open them until I tell you to.”

I nodded, telling him I understood, and he resumed working. He was bringing all the lines down to my abs, and I thought he was joining them all up in some intricate pattern.

I was so focused on trying to figure out what he was doing that I jumped when I heard a voice.

“Honestly, sometimes I wonder what the hell is wrong with you guys,” Tommy said, closing the door behind him. Asher’s finger on my nose stopped me from opening my eyes, but I could feel the biggest blush of my life doing its best to incinerate my face. Asher took his finger off my nose, satisfied I wasn’t going to open my eyes, and continued with his design on my abs.

“We’re finger-painting. If you don’t like my artwork, go upstairs.” His voice was totally calm, as if he didn’t see anything embarrassing about this.

Tommy laughed, and I heard his footsteps as he came over to examine me. He stopped a few feet away, and I had to fight to keep my eyes closed.

“What’s that?” he asked, pointing at something.

“It’s abstract,” Asher said, and I could tell he was trying not to smile.

“He’s got you by the balls, Ben,” Tommy told me. “You’d never catch me letting one of my girlfriends do this.”

“Maybe that’s why you’re single,” I countered.

“Ouch,” Tommy laughed. “I have to remember I can’t match wits with you anymore.”

“Could you ever?” I taunted, smirking.

Asher kissed me, shutting me up so I’d stop moving my stomach.

“Pussy-whipped,” Tommy whispered loudly.

I frowned, but I knew better than to respond if Asher didn’t want me to.

Tommy laughed. “I rest my case,” he said, and Asher gave me another kiss to take the sting away.

I felt Asher dipping his finger again, so I knew it was safe to talk.

“Tommy’s right,” I said, teasing Asher. “Why am I putting up with this if I’m not even getting any?”

“It’s because you love me,” Asher said happily, and I shut up as he started to paint again, proving his point.

Tommy laughed. “You guys are pathetic,” he informed us. “I mean that in the nicest way possible.”

“I hope you’re not criticizing my art,” Asher said, making Tommy chuckle.

“No, he looks better this way,” he teased me.

Asher leaned back, examining me again. “No,” he disagreed, “He’s much sexier normally.”

“You’re the expert,” Tommy snickered, obviously enjoying that I was effectively out of the conversation.

“I am,” Asher agreed, and I could hear that he was smiling happily as he painted on me. “I’m almost done his abs, and then I’m doing his shoulders,” Asher warned. “You should make a run for it before I let him talk again.”

“Ouch,” Tommy laughed again. “Note to self: Asher’s got teeth too. I’m gonna take your advice now. Getting told twice in one night is enough for me.”

“I’m surprised my grandparents didn’t burn you a few times, too,” Asher said, and Tommy laughed.

“Damn,” he said, and I knew he was shaking his head. “That makes three times. I’ve learned my lesson.”

“Bye,” Asher said absently, still intent on his art. I assumed Tommy waved as I heard his footsteps walking over to the stairs, but he couldn’t resist getting one more shot in.

“I’m not going to ask about the lip-marks on his nipples,” he said, and fled into his floor.

The door closed, and Asher and I sat in silence for a minute as I fought down my blush.

“Your uncle is awesome,” Asher told me, dipping his finger again. I smiled, agreeing silently as he finished with his design on my abs and started painting a swirl on my shoulder. I let out a breath, not trying to keep my stomach still anymore, and Asher gave me another kiss in thanks for being patient.

“He really likes you,” I told him. “He wouldn’t be joking with you like that if he didn’t.”

Asher kissed me so I could feel he was smiling, and continued with his painting. He extended the swirl from my shoulder down my arm, looping around my bicep and down my wrist until it ended in a dot on my middle finger. He did the same design on my other arm, but he made it go along the back of my hand so it didn’t touch my injured fingers. I almost sighed in relief when he didn’t see the wounds again. Last time, they’d been covered in blood, so he didn’t know how bad they were. He thought it was just a minor scrape, and I was happy to let him think that so he wouldn’t worry. He dipped his finger again, and he put a dot on each of my earlobes.

“OK,” he said, leaning back to study me again. “Now take off your pants.”

He laughed at the shocked expression on my face, and he gave me a reassuring kiss.

“I’m just kidding,” he told me. “Now stay here. I’m going to get Bear.”

I grabbed his hips, holding him on my lap. “No fucking way!” I laughed.

Asher kissed me again so I could feel his smile and know he was joking. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m too selfish to share you. I’m going to lick all this off you.”

I salivated at the idea of it, but we didn’t have time and Asher knew it.

“You bastard,” I said, and he laughed.

He has the best laugh, I decided. Anytime Asher laughed, everybody nearby wanted to laugh too. It wasn’t because his laugh sounded funny, or that he laughed really loudly, it was just that you could tell he really was amused, and it made you want to share that with him.

“You can open your eyes now,” he told me, giving me a kiss.

I looked down, curious to see what he’d done, and I saw a giant mess of barbeque sauce. I didn’t know what I’d expected.

Asher burst out laughing again at the look on my face, and I couldn’t help joining him.

“You thought you were dating Picasso for a while there, didn’t you?” He teased.

“If Picasso had been as sexy as you, he wouldn’t have been remembered for his paintings,” I told Asher seriously, making him smile. He wiggled his hips, teasing me, and got off my lap.

“If you think we’re going down there and having sex, you’re wrong,” I told him. “I’m not messing this up.”

He smiled. “I was thinking we could work on your picture room,” he said. “I don’t want to mess it up either.”

I nodded and stood up, and we cleared the dishes. Asher made me go downstairs and start on the pictures while he washed the dishes, since I’d ruin his painting if I tried to help. I got started with putting the pictures up, sorting them by time frame. I could use a third of the wall, since we were a third of the way through the summer, so I picked out the pictures I wanted. Even keeping the inappropriate ones off the wall, you could clearly see everything that had happened so far, told in a storyline of photographs. It started with the picture of my parents, Tommy, and I on my birthday, and you could see how I’d met Asher and we’d instantly become friends. I made sure to include one of the pictures where we’d been falling backwards off Martha and Bernie’s dock, when I’d put my arm around him for the first time, and you could see the surprised but pleased expression on his face. I left out the pictures of the cave, since that was a secret, but I kept the picture of us on the cliff with the deer behind us. I smiled as I saw the picture of Asher, Bear, and I in the canoe with the sunset behind us. That was the day that I’d first met Asher’s quiet side. I did put up the pictures of us on that small island in our boxers, but only because that had been innocent. When I got to the pictures after that, I smiled happily at realizing that Asher and I were always touching in some way. It could be as simple as our shoulders pressed together as we leaned into each other, but mostly we were joined at the lips. Asher walked in, and I looked up to find him smiling happily, the barbeque sauce gone from his face and hands.

I grimaced as I realized he was smiling because I was humming, and I forced myself to stop.

“Don’t stop just because I’m here,” Asher pleaded. “You already did it in front of Tommy, so why stop now?”

“I was humming?” I asked, mortified.

He kissed me, getting his lips all messy again. “It made Tommy smile,” he said. “You were doing it the whole time I was sitting in your lap.”

I shook my head, dismayed. “You don’t understand,” I told him. “Tommy will never let this go. Never. We’re gonna be hearing about this for the rest of our lives.”

Asher smiled. “Who cares?” He asked, amused. “It’s probably not the most embarrassing thing he’ll walk in on.”

I nodded. “You’re right,” I said. “We just need to bombard him with enough weird shit that he’ll leave it alone. That won’t be hard for you, right?”

Asher laughed, knowing I was teasing. “Not at all,” he said happily. “I guess I don’t have to restrain myself around him anymore.”

I smiled wryly. “You never did. Tommy isn’t one to talk about weird things.”

“Ooh,” Asher said, interested. “My storytime senses are tingling.”

I laughed. “Not now,” I said. “I’ll only spill his secrets if he’s there to despair.”

Asher smiled indulgently, helping me pin up the last few pictures.

“It looks good,” he told me, looking around. “I wonder what kind of story it’ll tell at the end of the summer.”

I gave him a kiss. “It’ll be a love story,” I told him confidently.

He glared at me. “Spoilers, damnit!” he joked.

“Let’s go have a shower together, just to make sure it doesn’t end up as a kid’s story,” I suggested. “We can’t skype my parents with me covered in your ‘art’. That seems like a bad way to come out to them.”

Asher smiled and kissed me again. “If you want to come out to them, I don’t mind,” he said. “I’m not ready to come out to anybody else, but I could handle your parents knowing.”

“If you’d asked me that a few days ago, I would have said I wasn’t near ready to come out to my parents,” I told him. “Now, I’m more confident. We have a perfect track record so far, and I don’t think they’ll mind. We should be fine.”

Asher nodded thoughtfully. “We can always wait and tell them later,” he said. “You don’t have to do it right now.”

I shook my head and smiled at him. “I need to tell them,” I said. “I’m so proud that you’re my boyfriend! They deserve to know.”

Asher kissed me, flattered, and I led him into the bathroom. We stripped and stepped into the shower together, and Asher happily washed me off, enjoying the opportunity to run his hands over me again. We didn’t have time for anything frisky, so we reluctantly kept everything above the waist. When both our torsos were clean, we washed our own bottom halves and stepped out. We reluctantly walked to my room and put on clothes, and then we went into the living room to call my parents. I sat down on the couch, putting my laptop on my lap, and Asher sat down next to me. I put my arm around his shoulders as the ringtone sounded, and I pulled him closer to me. He happily leaned into my chest, and the call connected. We saw my mom on the other side, and she was obviously surprised at how close together we were. She didn’t seem to make any connections, though, and my dad appeared and sat next to her.

“Hey, Ben,” my dad said.

“Hey,” I said. “Remember when I told you guys about Asher?”

My mom nodded. “So this is your friend that we’ve heard so much about?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No,” I told her, ignoring the surprise on their faces. “This is my boyfriend.”

My mom watched me as if she was expecting this to be a joke, so I kissed Asher’s hair to prove it wasn’t.

“You always did like dropping revelations like bombs,” my dad joked weakly, and I gave him a smile.

“I’m not going to forgive you for not introducing me to your boyfriend before you started dating,” Mom told me. “No offense, Asher, you seem like a nice young man, but I’d have liked to know you a bit better before you started dating my son.”

“What, you don’t trust my judgement?” I joked, happy they’d taken it so well.

“No,” Dad said simply, smiling. “Not at all. Bad judgement runs in our family.” He gave my mom a look, and she pushed him, laughing.

“Well Tommy likes him,” I said, hugging Asher even closer to me. I could see his amused smile on the screen, so I knew he didn’t mind us talking about him as if he wasn’t here.

“Sorry Asher, but if Tommy likes you than I can’t approve of you dating my son,” my mom joked.

Asher laughed. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m the level-headed one in our relationship.”

I looked at him, disbelieving, and my parents laughed at the look on my face.

“You’re level-headed?” I asked him wryly.

He smiled at me. “In comparison to you, yes,” he told me.

I shrugged. “Can’t argue with that,” I agreed, and turned back to the laptop, where my parents were laughing at us.

“Have you told Tommy?” My mom asked, and I nodded.

“He knew we were dating before we did,” I laughed.

“So what does he think?” she asked, and I smiled happily.

“He loves Asher,” I told them. “He’s happy for us.”

My mom laughed. “What did you do to make Tommy love you?” my mom asked Asher. “It must have been crazy.”

Asher blushed, and I could see my own face matching his on the screen.

“Come on, don’t make us ask Tommy,” my dad laughed. “You know he’ll tell us. It’ll be better if we hear it from you, right?”

I laughed, and Asher buried his face in my chest. I stroked his hair reassuringly, and I saw my mom smiling. I was glad to know that all she cared about was that I was happy. My dad was still trying to take it all in, but he didn’t seem angry.

“Tommy walked in on Asher drawing on me in barbeque sauce,” I said, blushing furiously.

“Kinky,” my dad joked, earning a glare from me.

“Oh come on,” Mom laughed. “That’s not crazy enough for Tommy to approve straight away. I had to do worse before he was OK with me dating your father. What is it you’re not telling us?”

I stroked Asher’s hair again reassuringly, trying not to laugh.

“Tommy loves Asher because he’s so sassy,” I laughed. “He matched Tommy insult for insult without slowing down his finger-painting.”

My dad burst out laughing. “It sounds like Tommy can’t keep you guys under control,” he said, trying to sound serious. “We’ll have to come up there so there’s actual parental supervision.”

“Nobody could keep Asher under control,” I laughed. “He was high from getting his wisdom teeth pulled earlier, and from his perspective, he told the president to screw off.”

“That sounds like an interesting story,” Mom laughed. “You’ll have to tell us it sometime.”

“You guys should come up here,” I suggested. “I can ask Tommy if it’s OK.”

My dad shook his head. “Don’t ask him,” he said. “He always wants me to be more spontaneous, so we’ll just drop in sometime.”

I looked at him, wondering if he was serious. “You’re going to be spontaneous,” I said, carefully not making it a question.

“Good point,” Dad said. “We’ll come on Sunday at twelve. Don’t tell him that it was planned.”

“Are you encouraging me to lie?” I asked, mock offended. “Maybe Tommy isn’t the bad influence after all.”

Dad laughed. “Think about what you just said for a minute,” he suggested, and I smiled.

“Yeah, that sounded really dumb. Maybe you’re both bad influences,” I corrected.

Asher finally lifted his head from my chest, his blush under control, and I leaned down to kiss him, happy that my parents were OK with us. When I looked back up, my mom was smiling.

“You guys make a cute couple,” she told us, and my dad nodded.

Asher and I smiled in thanks.

“You guys trust my judgement, right? You know I’m not a flighty person?” I asked, already knowing the answer. I’d always had more freedom than other kids my age, not because my parents were negligent, but because they trusted me to make good decisions for myself.

They both nodded, and I hugged Asher tighter to me.

“Then don’t worry about us. Asher is the best person I’ve ever met, and I love really him. You guys will too, when you come up.”

Asher hugged me in thanks, even though he was embarrassed, and I gave him another kiss.

My mom looked at me for a minute, and I met her eyes, letting her see exactly how much I meant what I’d said. She nodded, and smiled.

“We’ll see you guys in two days, then,” she said happily. “I can’t wait to meet you in person, Asher.”

Asher smiled. “It’ll be nice,” he said. “You seem like good people.”

My dad laughed. “Flattery will get you nowhere with me,” he said. “I’m a man of action. I prefer bribes.”

Asher grinned wryly. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.

Dad smiled at him. “Honestly, you don’t have to worry about bribing me. If Ben likes you, that’s good enough for me.”

“Thanks,” Asher said, smiling happily, and gave me a squeeze.

“Bye!” I said, and they waved and hung up.

“Your whole family is cool,” Asher said. “I see where you got it from.”

I kissed his hair affectionately. “I can’t wait to meet your parents, then,” I said, smiling.

“Yes you can,” Asher said quietly. “They’re not anything like your parents.”

I kissed his head again, knowing he didn’t want to talk about it, and led him into my room. I lay him down on his back, and I started taking his clothes off him, enjoying seeing more and more of his tanned skin coming into view.

“We forgot Bear,” he said, his voice quiet from thinking about his parents.

I kissed him, and got up. “You stay here, and I’ll go let him in,” I said. “Don’t fall asleep.”

I didn’t want him to be sad before sleeping, so I’d make sure he was happy again before I let him drift off. I went upstairs, opening the door and calling Bear, and he came quickly, running inside and going to the door to the basement. I closed the front door and opened the one to my floor, letting Bear run ahead, and then went downstairs again. I found Asher lying on the bed where I’d left him, and Bear was sitting on his chest. I laughed softly at how ridiculous they looked. I’d taken Asher’s shirt off, but he was still wearing his shorts and one of his shoes. I pushed Bear off him, earning a thankful grunt from Asher, and finished stripped all his clothes off. I took mine off too, and slid under the covers with him, kissing his nose.

“I love you,” I told him.

He smiled slightly, his eyes closing. “I love you too,” he said.

I wrapped my arms around him, wanting to make sure he was happy before he fell asleep, but his breathing didn’t change. We lay there for a few minutes, and I was desperately hoping he was happy the whole time.

“What are you worried about?” he asked quietly.

“How’d you know?” I asked guiltily.

He smiled a little bit. “You’re not humming,” he told me. “I can’t get to sleep.”

I kissed him. “I was afraid you’d have bad dreams if you went to sleep unhappy,” I admitted.

He cracked an eye open, giving me an amused look. “You’re pathetic,” he informed me, but he sounded happy about it.

“You’re the one that can’t sleep until I hum,” I retorted, smiling.

Asher laughed softly. “Let’s see you go to sleep without listening to my breathing, then,” he challenged.

“OK,” I compromised. “We’re both pathetic.”

Asher smiled and gave me a kiss. “I can handle a nightmare,” he told me.

“Why should you have to?” I asked. “I’m here to help you. Forever and always.”

He kissed me again. “OK, you win,” he said. “You made me happy again. I won’t be having any nightmares. Now hum, damnit.”

I felt myself blushing self-consciously, but I started to hum softly. Asher’s breathing changed, and he fell asleep.

“I love you,” he mumbled.

 

I smiled, and kissed him again. “I love you too,” I whispered, and drifted off, regretting that I hadn’t been able to give him that blowjob after all. Oh well. I’d enjoyed him painting on me as much. It was moments like that when I realized how much I really loved my boyfriend.