Page 77 of Love Unlimited

Ha! Don’t get your hopes up. I just told Spotify to play eighties music.

Perfect! Ash responded, wanting to put him at ease. I love eighties music! Did I tell you that when I was young, I told everyone I would be a singer when I grew up? Losing my hearing ended it, but I used to sing all the time, especially with my mother. Now the eighties stuff is what I remember most.

Dustin’s thin lips curved into a soft smile, the one he was giving Ash more often. You never told me that, but it must have been adorable. Maybe we can find something you used to sing.

Awesome! I’m ready.

Hang on. Before I forget… Dustin fished something out of his pocket. The doorbell reminded me. I’ve been meaning to give this to you for a couple weeks. He held up a keyring and pointed out each key. Doorknob, deadbolt, and backdoor. The key for the garage is the same as the back. He dropped it into Ash’s hand.

He was probably trying to be casual, but it wasn’t working.

Ash took a moment to examine it. The three keys were connected to a square keychain made of sparkling green plastic. One side had a paw print and the other had a heart, so when you looked through it the heart went around the paw. Dustin had clearly picked it out especially for them and they loved it.

They tried to smother a giggle, but it still burst out.

What? Dustin looked even more anxious now, like he was afraid he’d done something wrong.

Sorry, Ash signed, clutching the keys in their fist as they circled their chest. I was just remembering how Daddy gave me the keys to his apartment a few months ago. He picked out this adorable keychain just for me, and then he just handed it to me like it was nothing. We’d only been dating for two or three weeks, and he seriously had no idea.

Oh… That sounds like Zhong. But um… I though… I mean, not the dating part... He was getting more and more flustered. I just figured that you’re always here, and it’s silly for you to ring the doorbell.

Unlike Zhong, Dustin clearly knew the import of the act, but he’d tried to minimize it. Ash wanted to gobble it all up, though. Getting the keys to Dustin’s house was a big deal. Still, they didn’t want to make him feel self-conscious. I think you and Zhong have just forgotten what personal property is, they teased.

Maybe. Dustin’s expression relaxed a little. I just figured that my home is Zhong’s home. And since Zhong’s home is your home, my home is your home… So by the transitive property, you needed keys! He announced with a bit of pride.

Was that a dorky math joke? Usually Landon was responsible for those.

Yeah. Landon was writing lesson plans about it last week. Otherwise I would have no clue. So… should I have made a bigger deal out of this?

Nope, Ash grinned. This was perfect. I love it. They made a show of putting it on their keyring beside the manatees from Daddy. They had a lot of keys now, including the two for their own apartment that they hardly ever used, but the extra hassle was totally worth it. Having a key to Dustin’s place made them feel flushed and warm. Like they were really part of whatever this thing was that was growing between them all.

The special keychain made them feel excited in an entirely different way. They hugged the whole spikey ensemble to their chest and Dustin’s smile widened.

So, music lessons? they asked eagerly. They wanted things to go back to the usual easy flow between them. And the best way to get them there was to let their natural exuberance shine.

Dustin hesitated. Are you hungry? Zhong said you were usually hungry after work.

I mean… maybe a little? I picked up a bean burrito on the way home.

Dustin’s face fell, though he quickly tried to hide it. It was becoming more apparent just how much work he’d put into their not-date tonight. They’d both said this would just be some time to hang out, but the air was charged between them.

Did you make dinner? What did you make?

Well, I made the Moroccan chicken, if you’re interested. We can eat it later though.

Translation: Dustin had made Ash’s absolute favorite dish and was shy about telling them.

Ash’s heart felt all fluttery. Gimme, gimme, gimme! They made alternating grabby hands. Yes, please!

Dustin’s eyes crinkled. Success!

Ash dashed ahead to the dining room to find the table fully laid out for two. There were even cloth napkins, and it smelled divine.

It also felt awfully like a date.

And was that wrong? Ash didn’t know anymore. They liked how Dustin’s eyes lit up when he saw them. They liked how he stepped in to dote on them when Daddy wasn’t around, and sometimes even when he was. They also loved the feeling of the lumpy keys in their pocket.

The question Marco had asked in the coffee shop came back to them. Were they trying to figure out if they should have a four-way relationship? Because if the question was more about when they should do it, the answer was probably that they kind of already were.