Page 45 of Love Limits

Zhong shrugged. It’s no big deal. I like cooking for people. Which was true. He just liked cooking for Ash a lot more.

Can I go home without getting up off the floor? Ash yawned widely, stretching their arms over their head so their belly button showed. How did they get so cute?

Zhong chucked. You could actually stay over here if you want.

Where would I sleep?

Zhong shrugged. The couch is pretty comfy. Or you could sleep in my bed. It’s pretty big.

Are you sure? That wouldn’t be uncomfortable for you?

Dustin does it all the time. He winked. Your virtue is safe with me.

Ash laughed, their head thrown back and eyes alight with merriment. If you’re really, really sure, I would love that. I’ll even get to sleep in a bit since your place is closer to work.

Do you have clothes for the morning?

Yeah. I always keep a change of clothes and a set of scrubs in the car. I’ve had enough bodily fluids get on me that I’m pretty prepared.

Awesome. Where do you want to sleep?

I want the whole pajama party! The place with the most cuddles, obviously.

Up until that moment, Zhong had actually been thinking just about sleeping. Cuddling was different.

Different and much, much better.

He trusted Ash enough to know that they wouldn’t… expect anything. And they were both dressed from head to toe in their PJs.

Sounds good. Why don’t you go get your clothes and things while I pack up the kitchen? You can grab the keys by the door.

Ash suddenly had a lot more energy for going out in the cold and walking to their car. They started to race out, but Zhong knew them well enough to hold out their coat for them to slip on.

While they were gone, Zhong tidied up the kitchen and pulled out his new purchases. On a whim today, he’d bought a couple lunch boxes for Ash when he saw them on the grocery store shelves. They weren’t anything fancy. One was green plastic and the other was pink plastic, both with a clear lid that sealed all the small compartments tightly.

He’d figured at the time it was efficient, since the legion of plastic containers were a pain to keep track of. But he’d also been thinking of how Ash would smile when they saw how cute everything looked.

He filled the largest section with the spicy noodles that Ash had exclaimed over earlier, then three other sections with cut vegetables since Ash said they never ate enough of them. He added some tofu for protein, and then filled the last one with snacks and added two of the little guava candies on top. Ash had been so excited to get them the first time that he’d put them in every time.

A small paper bag with twisted paper handles completed the project. It would keep everything upright and make it a surprise.

He smiled at the idea of Ash taking it into work and thinking of him. He figured he’d think of them, too. Whenever he looked toward his kitchen, he always imagined them sitting there, making fanciful designs on the marble.

He placed the meal in the fridge and walked down the hall just as Ash came back in. He set them up with a toothbrush then tidied up a few more things while they used the bathroom.

He waved to get their attention when they came out. Hey. You can climb into the bed if you want. I’ll be out in a few minutes, but feel free to use the tablet. The password is 1-2-0-5. It was Dustin’s birthday, but he didn’t need to tell them that. Dustin used it for most of his devices where he didn’t worry about getting hacked, and Zhong had kind of followed the tradition.

He took a quick shower and put the pajamas back on with a clean pair of underwear. It was weird sleeping in something so formal, but kind of fun, too. Like they were doing something secret and fun together.

When he returned to the bedroom, Ash was already sitting on the bed, back resting against the pillows, legs under the covers, and completely engrossed in something on the screen. They looked up when he pulled back the covers on his usual side of the bed.

They put down the tablet, looking wary for a moment. Were they covering something up? It looked like they had something nestled in the blankets under the tablet.

Well, if they wanted to show it to him, they would.

He started to slide into the bed, but stopped when he saw their nervous expression. Hey. Would you rather go home? Or I could sleep on the couch if you like.

Ash shook their head emphatically, curls bouncing.