I lean back into the couch, watching him fondly.
His damp hair curls at the ends. His cheeks are flushed from the heat of the shower, his body relaxed for the first time all day. He’sgot one hand buried in Cryptid’s fur, the other loosely gripping the towel draped over his shoulders.
“Y’know,” I say, keeping my tone light as I tilt my head toward him, “he misses you when you’re gone.”
He snorts. “Yeah, right.”
“He does,” I insist. “Spends half the day pacing the apartment, looking for you and crying. It’s sad, really. Pathetic.”
Ashton glances at me, shaking his head. “You sure you’re talking about Cryptid? Not you?”
I hum, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his cheek. “I guess we both miss you when you’re not here.”
He huffs a quiet laugh, the corner of his mouth tugging up. “Then you should bring him when you come to my place. That way you’re not always rushing home to feed him.”
I shake my head immediately. “Wouldn’t be a good idea.”
His brows pull together. “Why not?”
“He hates car rides,” I explain, reaching over to scratch under Cryptid’s chin. “I had to drug him just to get him here from Chicago. Going back and forth all the time would stress him out.”
Ashton frowns, his attention drifting back to the cat. His fingers slow against Cryptid’s fur, thoughtful now, like something’s working its way through his head.
A quiet beat stretches between us.
Then, a little too casually, he says, “Well… you could just move in with me.”
I freeze.
My brain stutters, replaying the words like I must’ve misheard them.
When I don’t respond right away, Ashton goes rigid, panic flickering across his face. “I mean—” He shakes his head. “You don’t have to, I just—I didn’t mean—forget I said anything—”
I cut him off by grabbing his face and kissing him.
He makes a small, surprised sound against my mouth, but then he melts into it, his hand coming up to grip my shirt.
When I pull back, I keep my hands braced on either side of his face.
“I’d love to move in with you,” I tell him, my voice quiet but certain.
He blinks at me. “Really?”
“Absolutely.”
A slow smile spreads across his face, warm and a little shy around the edges. “I’ve been… kind of working up the courage to ask,” he admits. “I just didn’t want you to feel pressured or anything.”
“I don’t feel pressured,” I say, brushing my thumb along his cheek. “I’m serious about you, Ash. About us. I want to share a home with you more than anything.”
His lip snags between his teeth, pink blooming across his cheeks. “I want that too.”
“And I’d love nothing more than to wake up next to you every day.” I glance down at the cat still curled in his lap. “Pretty sure Cryptid would too.”
Ashton laughs, the sound lighter than it’s been all day. “Oh, absolutely. He’s already picked me as his favorite.”
My nose scrunches. “Rude.”
He grins.
