Page 68 of Love Unlimited

Oh, right. Zhong pulled them off the grill, only slightly charred.

Now come eat with us. Ash pulled him away from the grill. The chicken needs time to cook.

Zhong let himself be led over to the card table where all of the food was set up. Ash was making their own burger for a change, but he automatically slid some carrot sticks and a handful of chips onto their plate when he got his own. Ash gave him an adoring grin.

***

After Lena and her family had piled back into their cars at around three p.m., Ash had curled up sleepily into Zhong’s lap, exhausted from a full morning of running around with the kids.

Zhong, greatly amused, had put Ash down for a nap in his bedroom.

He wasn’t tired exactly, but after all those people, he was ready to retreat for a bit. He helped Dustin put the leftovers away, then curled up with him on the couch.

They’d talked about family. Mostly about how Dustin worked so hard to make sure he didn’t replicate his parents’ mistakes, but didn’t always know if he was doing it right. And how Zhong sometimes felt trapped between honoring his parents’ values and living by his own, more American, ideals. It was a conversation they hadn’t had in nearly a decade, and Zhong kept thinking about how much each of them had changed.

They were both more confident now, more accepting of who they were and how they were living their lives. Zhong loved seeing that in Dustin, even if he still had concerns about introducing everyone to his own family.

Eventually Zhong had pulled out his notebook and Dustin had grabbed a book. It had been nice just sitting like that, legs tangled together while he thought things through.

Mostly, he was realizing that he wanted a family, too. What had surprised him, as he started listing out words and connecting ideas, was that his family was more than Dustin and Ash. Lena was really important. It wasn’t just that she balanced things out or made Dustin happy. Zhong genuinely liked spending time with her. He liked having her close.

He figured that was a good thing.

Sooner than he expected, his alarm had gone off, which meant it was time to wake up Ash.

Zhong eased into the room, watching Ash’s chest rise and fall and still thinking about family. He stroked a hand down their cheek.

They blinked sleepy eyes open at him and then closed them again. A hand drifted up to their cheek, maybe to stretch, maybe to sign Daddy with the laziest curled fingers ever.

It’s time to wake up, Zhong told them gently. You told me you didn’t want to sleep too long.

Now they stretched fully, opening their mouth in a wide yawn. Zhong grabbed the pacifier that popped out and set it on the bedside table before it could get lost in the sheets.

Ash twisted and scrunched up their nose, then eventually pushed the sheet down the bed. OK, I think I’m awake. What’s everyone up to? Is Lena still out with her family?

Yep. Dustin just went to his office to answer some emails. Zhong would be so glad when Dustin’s current project was over. He sat down on the edge of the bed beside Ash and stroked their knee.

He wondered if now would be a good time to talk about family and the possibility of spending more nights here. Or maybe bring up the wedding thing again and make sure it was really, actually alright with Ash.

What are you thinking about? Ash asked, picking up on his mood.

Zhong realized that he didn’t want to get into it right now. It was probably a conversation for all four of them, and he’d already done a lot of processing today.

Anyway, Ash was looking so cuddly and sweet, their hair matted against one side of their face and their t-shirt rucked up and exposing their belly. He loved watching the way their body was put together, the soft vulnerability of their torso and slender, graceful limbs, even if he didn’t find it arousing. He just liked watching them and knowing that he was the person lucky enough to be close to them.

Puppy play, Zhong found himself signing. He hadn’t been thinking about it, really. In fact, he had gone over every single thing he was trying to figure out about family and home and relationships and the future except that.

Yet somehow it was the first thing that came out.

Ash clambered into his arms, plastering themself against his chest and looping their legs around his hips. They kept one hand free to sign. Really? Their eyes were alight and they bounced with each word, one index finger extending downward from their lips. Really, really, really? Now? Really now?

Wow. He hadn’t been planning on now. He felt that tightness form in his belly, the tension rising across his chest. Maybe he would do it wrong. Maybe he wouldn’t like it as much as he remembered. He still wasn’t quite sure that he was ready.

But it was difficult to say no to such a lovely lapful of enthusiasm.

He pulled Ash closer and brushed a soft kiss over their lips. That was all it took to have his excitable whirlwind melt into a blissful, clinging puddle.

Could anything really go wrong when he was doing it with Ash?