Page 20 of Love Limits

As the evening wound down, Dustin and Landon disappeared into the kitchen, no doubt to make out against the refrigerator or something equally sexy and lewd. The game was technically not over, but it wasn’t possible to win it anymore, so maybe the two of them had decided to call it off.

Or just gotten distracted.

Ash was still snuggled up in Zhong’s lap and didn’t want to move. He’d fed them more little treats intermittently while they chatted. It was snuggly and sensual, a type of doting attention that they always craved but rarely got.

Hey, Zhong got their attention with a wave. Do you want to hang out sometime?

Yes, yes, yes! For cuddles and board games? Ash asked hopefully. Dinner? What were you thinking?

Sure. Any of those. Maybe next weekend?

Ash did a little happy dance inside their head. This wasn’t just a “maybe we’ll hang out sometime” where sometime never managed to manifest. It wasn’t a hook-up, either. This was a real getting-to-know-you date. People didn’t just invite you over for snuggles and board games unless it meant something, right?

I’d love to, but I have a really weird work schedule and it changes every week. Let me check. They pulled out their phone while Zhong did the same. It involved a lot of shifting around on the chair, but Zhong didn’t suggest that either of them stand up. This was just getting better and better.

They flipped through their calendar. I’m working next Saturday. Sunday afternoon is busy, and I can’t stay out too late because of work on Monday. How about next Friday night?

Zhong checked his own phone, then made an expression of disgust. Sorry, can’t.

Family stuff? Ash asked. Work?

No… I’ve got a date. Zhong sighed in annoyance.

Ash’s internal happy dance upgraded to a pirouette. Zhong didn’t want to go on a date with someone else because it meant he couldn’t spend time with Ash. Total score.

As long as he didn’t actually like the date. Would a weekday work? Like next Tuesday? This week’s a little insane, but I don’t have work next Wednesday either. Not that Ash was planning on staying over, but for a guy like Zhong, who wanted to play board games and cuddle, they wanted to leave the option open, and two days off in a row made that perfect.

Tuesday’s good. I mean, they’re both good. He beamed. If you don’t have work, we could even aim for the afternoon.

Tuesday it is. They got Zhong’s address and chatted with him until it became quite obvious that Landon and Dustin weren’t coming back from wherever they’d wandered off to.

I was going to help clean up… Zhong trailed off meaningfully, eyeing the kitchen. But I don’t think that we want to go in there right now.

Agreed. Should we head out?

I think that’s a good idea.

And then, like a perfect Daddy, Zhong helped Ash into their coat and walked them to their car.

Ash felt like they were floating all the way home.

Chapter 5

Zhong

Zhong sipped another spoonful of soup and fought the urge to look at his watch. His date, Diane, was giving a monologue about her enthralling decision to go to a tanning salon instead of using a spray-on tan.

He hadn’t even realized that tanning salons still existed. Hadn’t they gone out of style a few decades ago when people realized they caused skin cancer? Were they even still legal? He supposed cigarettes were still legal, even though they were a personal and public health nightmare.

He took another sip of soup. At least the homemade chicken broth, laden with meat and vegetables, was good. Maybe, he mused, he should make soup this week.

He was already regretting that he’d agreed to the pre fixe menu, which meant he was stuck here for a main course and then dessert. Even more than that, he was regretting that he’d passed up hanging out with Ash for this.

His mind drifted, again, to Ash’s dark eyes and tangled mop of hair. To the energy that vibrated through their signs and the way they’d curled up in Zhong’s lap like they’d done it a million times before. That sharp mind and endless enthusiasm.

He played with the idea for a moment of finding someone as cool as Ash to date.

Not actually Ash, of course.