The Price of Popularity (BoyxBoy)

{12}

The rest of their impromptu dinner went calmly. Asher was uncharacteristically quiet as he chowed down a further two pieces of pizza, the taste fading to dull and plain the second it hit his mouth. Danny was happy beside him, a smile on his face as he chatted to their fathers, seemingly unaware of the war going on inside his boyfriends head.

Mr Clark spoke animatedly about how they were going house hunting that weekend and Asher and his father were more than welcome to come if they wished. Asher tuned them out after a while, feeling helpless as he sat quietly. He wanted to be happy. He wanted to smile widely and kiss his boyfriend and tell him how excited he was. If the circumstances were different then that would be exactly what Asher would do, and yet he couldn’t. That sinking feeling in his stomach had only worsened as the minutes ticked by and eventually he pushed his plate away from himself, unable to stomach it anymore.

Danny watched the move, an expression that resembled concern brushing over his features for a few seconds. ‘Can we be excused?’ Danny asked their fathers.

‘Sure,’ Asher’s father nodded.

Danny stood from his seat and picked up his plate, looking at Asher expectantly. Asher knew that it was uncharacteristic of Danny to want to leave the table before their fathers had finished and yet he didn’t over think it, he just wanted to leave the table. Asher stood and they walked into the kitchen, Danny leading the way. Danny gently placed his plate in the sink before reaching over for Asher’s. He placed that one in the sink too and then looked up at Asher. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked him.

Asher was caught off guard. He sat down at the bench, his hands resting against the counter top. ‘What do you mean?’

Danny, always intuitive Danny, shrugged, ‘I don’t know, you just don’t seem happy.’

The way that he said it, full of love and concern, made Asher feel guilty as hell. He couldn’t control the future now, the wheels had been already set in motion. All that he had left was the time he knew he had with Danny.

He motioned for Danny to come closer. Danny walked around the counter and towards Asher. When he was close enough Asher pulled Danny onto his lap. Danny laughed as he snuggled up against Asher, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders loosely.

‘I am extremely happy,’ Asher told him, ‘because I have the best boyfriend who is moving close to me and the idea of spending more time with you every day makes me happier than you could know,’ Truth. Complete truth.

Danny bit at his lip endearingly, ‘Good, because I feel the exact same way.’ Asher couldn’t keep his eyes off of the suddenly sexy way his boyfriend looked with that lip tucked between his teeth and the small blush that had made its way to his cheeks. He kissed Danny passionately, threading fingers into his hair and stroking one hand down his back slowly.

He couldn’t lose Danny, he thought in this moment. Whatever happened he knew that he wouldn’t let it end with him losing the one person in his life who truly loved him for who he was.

He pulled back only a few inches, ‘I love you.’

Danny looked at him through dark lashes, ‘I love you too, Ash.’

Asher wished that he could forever capture this moment in his mind. The adorable look on Danny’s face and the way that their bodies were pressed so closely together. When Danny was around it seemed like his heart just got bigger and the closer they were; the happier he was. He refused to lose Danny. It would be like taking a steak knife and cutting his own heart in half.

‘How long are you staying tonight?’ Asher asked.

Danny straightened up a little, ‘Not sure, probably not too long.’