Page 41 of Love Unlimited

Come sit with me, Zhong signed at the same time. I missed you.

Ash watched the chorus of greeting signs, then strolled over and planted themself on Zhong’s lap. Are you sure everything’s OK? Also, can we eat soon? That smells delicious. They snapped their fingers outward from their chin with both hands and rolled their eyes back to emphasize their enjoyment.

Zhong tilted Ash’s face back for a slow, closed-mouth kiss while Ash’s eyes fluttered closed. It was an intimate moment, and Dustin watched the two of them, feeling both tender and still a little bit guilty. Zhong rarely kissed anyone, and this was as close as the two of them probably got to sex.

That made the chaste kiss all the more beautiful, though. Like something Dustin was privileged to observe.

First let’s get you some food, then we’ll talk, Zhong told Ash when he pulled back. He stood, Ash still in his arms, then deposited Ash on the couch. Ash smiled up at him happily while Zhong started opening the restaurant bags on the coffee table.

That was an intimate moment, too, Dustin realized.

He’d been so caught up in his own thing with Landon that he just hadn’t spent much time thinking about Zhong and Ash, even though their romance was playing out in the middle of his living room.

Landon got up to help with the food, and soon they all had heaping plates full of chana masala, saag paneer, and chicken tikka masala. Zhong made Ash’s plate, like he always did, and pulled up a chair for himself. Now they could all see each other and he could tangle his feet with Ash’s while they ate.

Dustin wondered if he should do stuff like that for Landon, making up his plate, even though they weren’t in any kind of scene. He actually liked the thought of it, at least sometimes. But of course by the time it occurred to him, Landon was already easing back into the couch with his own meal. Yet another thing that he needed to figure out.

So, what were we going to talk about? Ash asked after they’d all satisfied their initial hunger.

For a moment no one replied, but glances flew across the room. Landon seemed to be encouraging Zhong to speak up.

Zhong settled his plate on the coffee table, drew his hands up to speak, and then signaled that he needed another moment and pulled out his notebook.

Ash just gave him an affectionate glance, put down their own plate, and curled up on the couch. Landon did the same, but snuggled into Dustin’s lap.

That journal had always been one of Zhong’s quirks, and Dustin was glad that Landon and Ash both accepted it so easily. No one rushed him to respond or joked about his way of thinking.

Zhong flipped to one page, consulted another, returned to the first, made a note, and then set the book down. He looked sheepishly at Ash. I was trying to do something to take care of you, but I think I messed up. So I apologize if I did.

Ash shrugged. I don’t think I’ll ever be angry at you for trying to take care of me. Will you tell me about it?

Yeah. I asked Landon and Dustin if they wanted to have sex with you. I mean, I thought that was already their plan, so I was encouraging them, actually. I thought it would be a good idea, you know, since I can’t do that.

Ash jumped from the chair and into Zhong’s lap, then cupped his cheeks so they could look into each other’s eyes. Another intense, intimate moment that Dustin wasn’t sure if he should watch or look away from.

Thank you for asking. Ash finally signed, still facing Zhong but shifting so that everyone could see them. I understand why you did. But I want you to know that what we have is enough for me. I’m very happy with our relationship.

Zhong quirked a smile. So everyone has been telling me. Repeatedly. But what if you could have our relationship and have sex? Wouldn’t that be better?

Ash shook their head. Not necessarily. One of the things that I’ve learned about myself is that I can’t manage sexual relationships that aren’t also romantic. And I’m not saying no to anything in the long run, they gave Landon and Dustin a long and poignant look before turning back, but I want to give you all of my attention right now.

I’m also not interested in casual sex. Ash addressed all of them. And… I think with the two of you it would be more. I like being in poly relationships, and in the past I’ve preferred it. But I’ve also been burned by it more than once. And being poly takes a huge amount of time and effort. It’s a lot of balancing, especially at the beginning when there’s a lot of New Relationship Energy. And yes, that’s spelled with capital letters. It takes time to figure out the other person and who you are to each other. I enjoy all of that, but right now, I want to focus on Zhong.

Dustin swallowed heavily. That was at once the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen and beyond anything he’d ever considered. Watching Ash express their love for Zhong was just… breathtaking. And yet, Ash’s speech seemed to encompass the possibility of something more for the four of them.

When Ash laid it out so clearly, it was like both of those choices would be possible and real, even if now wasn’t the time. Even if Dustin didn’t know what he wanted.

He loved Zhong. He was in love with Landon. And, yeah, he was pretty attracted to Ash and he loved the energy that the four of them shared together.

He also wanted desperately for Zhong to have all of Ash’s attention, just like Ash promised and just like Zhong deserved. He wanted to claim Landon and never let him go, to do beautiful and wicked things to him, to care for him and be everything to each other.

So it sounded like Ash was pretty wise to putting the brakes on everything.

Zhong seemed to agree. Being poly sounds very pragmatic, he told Ash.

Ash laughed, a light happy sound. Being poly can be a fucking shit show. But it helps that there are a lot of guidelines for doing it well if people can manage to follow them. I’m not always the best at it, but conversations like this are where it starts.

So were they… kind of poly then? Pre-poly? Dustin’s mind was whirling. This wasn’t kink right now. It wasn’t a fling with a third person to liven up the bedroom. It was… well, relationships. And once Ash put it that way, Dustin was kind of glad Ash had suggested they all wait.