Call me kitten (boyxboy love) ✓

60. Do it! (NSFW)

He said it almost in a whisper, as if he didn't really believe what he was saying himself. I just stared at him. Was this even true? Maybe he had misunderstood something my dad had said? Nathan sat wide-eyed and Florian did a victory whistle and pounded Ash hard in the back. But Ash just stood there and looked at me.

"What... why?" I stuttered, incapable of believing that what my dad had said could actually be correct.

"I don't know," he said breathlessly. "Frank said he didn't have the details yet... but I'm... free. Completely free."

As if the words made him suddenly realize the fact himself, he broke free from his paralysis and pulled me into an intense embrace, right in front of everyone in the cafeteria. But I didn't care in the slightest anymore, this was bigger than any fucking embarrassment or feeling for what was decent or not. Ash was free. What had happened to make Keith suddenly change his mind, really?

"What do you think happened?" I said when he let me go.

"I don't really give a shit right now," he grinned happily.

And he actually had a point. That made it easy for me to turn off my perpetual overthinking, I could just look at him and all the analyzing disappeared. It was as if his gorgeous blue eyes were shining, the relief and joy in them was so strong that it washed over me, and I let myself drown in it completely. Who the hell cared?

"Now I'm the one throwing a party at Cupid's tonight," Florian proclaimed firmly. "It's Friday after all, and this calls for a celebration. Nathan, your presence is mandatory."

He narrowed his eyes at Nathan, who until then had been sitting with his mouth open in disbelief. Nathan looked miserable and shook his head.

"Thanks, but I'm not really in the mood, as you can probably guess," he muttered.

"Bullshit," Florian dismissed, waving his hand. "Yes, you are worrying. But you do that much better in company than alone. You are going. Or I'll have Ash drag you there by your ear, understand?"

Nathan seemed to be completely freaked out by Florian's threat and just nodded.

"And you're invited too," Florian continued, smiling at Chris.

It was impossible for me not to smile at Chris's lightning-quick nod. He probably thought Florian would scold him too if he declined, but I couldn't for the life of me see him sitting at a table at Cupid's Den. It would certainly be interesting if he actually ventured there. He looked uncertainly at me and then at his phone.

"We... have to get back," he said hesitantly. "You know, work, Jack?"

I nodded and squeezed Ash's hand. The rest of the day could go any way it wanted; it didn't matter. Ash was free and for the first time in my life, I was genuinely happy to go out. There was no nervousness, no anxiety or fear of not fitting in. I wanted to go to Cupid's Den, and I wanted to do it as myself. Nothing hidden anymore.

***

On the way home, I got a text from Zoey telling me to tell Ash that she was so happy for him. Our dad had probably called her in a hurry too, he had a tendency to call around as soon as something went well for his job. When I delivered her greeting, Ash asked me to invite both her and Daniel and when I asked in surprise why, he looked up in the air and shrugged.

"They helped Nathan when... I wasn't there," he finally said, looking at me almost embarrassed. "Kinda feels like the right thing to do. Besides, I like them. Should we invite your parents too, do you think they wanna come?"

WHAT?

I stopped him in the middle of the sidewalk with a hand on his arm. There had to be some fucking limit to his hospitality. My sister I could put up with, she was open-minded and would have no problem whatsoever going to Cupid's, but my parents were another matter entirely.