Evangeline
Asher and I walk, arm in arm down the slippery dark street, the street lamps with their pale glows and moths fluttering around them and the houses lining the estate casting long shadows on our feet. Asher didn't say where we were headed, and I never asked. He did say it was a surprise, though.
We walk a little way past the school, turn the corner round the classroom block, onto a path I'm not familiar with. The crude concrete walkway, probably a makeshift pathway for the school staff to access the guard house stops 6 metres in, bordered by a wire fence. It is a dead end.
"Huh?" I quirk my head.
In the moonlight, I can see the white of Asher's teeth as he grins. "Too short?" I'll give ya a boost." I shake my head, totally bewildered, and suddenly the thought smacks me in the face. "Aren't we trespassing?"
Asher grins dazzlingly, and I can't say no. "We're not trespassing. Just taking a shortcut." He kneels. I expect him to cup his hands together so I can step on them to get over, but he just stares expectingly instead. "Well? Get on my shoulders."
"What?!" I whisper shout, eyes wide.
He rolls his eyes, still on one knee. "Baby. The fence is a little more than two metres tall. And you're what, 4'10?"
I huff indignantly, and at his insistence, get up on his shoulders with some awkward stepping. His hands grip my ankles, like Lucas does, and I nestle my hands in his hair to quell the feeling of unsteadiness, wobbling a little on his shoulders.
"Okay. Ready?"
I tap my fingers against his scalp in affirmation. With me on his shoulders, I'm just able to grip the top of the fence, surprisingly not rigged with any spikes or barbs, and hoist myself over.
"Eep. Asher!"
Obviously, we didn't think this through. Once again, I curse my genetics. Clinging to the top of the fence, my feet are a good way off of the ground, dangling in the air. If I dropped, it's likely I would hurt my ankle, which would mean me missing my upcoming competition. The wire cuts into my skin as I swing my legs, trying to find my footing.
Asher swears. "Shit. Sorry baby, I'm coming."
"Just a little more." With that, he grabs hold of the crisscrossed wires that make up the fence and wedges his shoes in between the gaps. "Careful."
He smirks, pulling himself over in one go, smoothly dropping to the ground and landing like friggin Spider-Man on the packed earth. "Chill, baby. Now drop."
I do, falling into Asher's arms. I could be wrong, but I think I hear a rip. Apparently, Asher didn't account for the momentum of my fall, and we both land on the ground in a heap. Our faces are so close, I can feel his laboured breathing on my lips. I lean forward and peck him softly. "Thanks."
His blush is evident, despite the dimness. He looks like he wants to do more, but I smirk playfully. "Later. We have someplace to be, no?" Asher swallows and nods, dusting himself off and grabbing my hand, sprinting toward the side alley of the school.
"Sorry, got off track. Let's go!"
We end up on the opposite side of the school compound. "Here." The area is dark, but you can see the red and white striped tape blocking our entrance, stretching across the silhouettes of two trees.
"This is Peachtree's school garden, but no one uses it anymore." I'd didn't even know the school had a garden. Heck, I wonder if anyone besides the older staff knows at all. Asher ducks under the tape, and I follow him into the shadows.
"The garden's been like this since forever." Asher, still clasping my hand, walks down a path I can't see. I try to keep my footing in the darkness. The cobblestone path is moss covered, squelching under my sneakers. In front, in what I suppose is the heart of the garden is a pavilion overgrown with grass. Gnarled shrubs and weeds and dead trees and little translucent toadstools with a bioluminescent glow surround us. It's so magical, it takes my breath away.
"It's so pretty," I murmur, turning to Asher as we both settle cross legged on the soft grass. While it may be unkept, the natural cushion of earth is still a pleasant feel.
"Not as pretty as you." Asher kisses me on the lips, still cradling my hand is his. We sit in silence, my head leaning on his shoulder, his arm around my waist. From her, we can see the stars, shining brightly in the sky.
"Thank you for bringing me here." I press a kiss to his lips, allowing it to linger.
"You're welcome." He brings me in for another kiss.
"What's the occasion, though?"
He shrugs shyly, looking away. "Um, just because I love you?"
At his words, an unspeakable joy fills my heart.
Asher making the effort to bring me here...just because he loves me.
Giddy on happiness, with a light heart, I tackle him in another kiss, taking us both onto the grass, me on top, kneeling in between his outstretched legs as I kiss him with passionate insistence. My arms wrap around his neck, tangling in his tawny hair. It escalates quickly. I part my lips, opening my mouth slightly to his tongue can enter. A few weeks worth of practice, and I'd say I'm now a decent kisser. His hands grip my waist possessively, sliding downward.
My breath hitches when his hands instinctually find the waistband of my—Chris's—sweatpants.
We break apart, gasping for breath, my hands clutching his collar. He hesitates. We've never gone any further than making out, touching a little. All the non-erogenous zones. I can hear him panting, feel the stiffness against my thigh.
Our eyes meet in that instant, a mutual feeling passing between us. I bite my lip, feeling the scalding warmth from his shoulders on my palms.
"Are you sure?" His hoarse voice is barely above a whisper.
I twine my arms around his neck once more, pressing into him further. Asher's hands trail over the skin under my shirt, leaving fire in its wake. He leans back on his elbows, head pillowed on the grass, hair a halo of spun gold against the backdrop of the grass, highlighted by the barely visible light.
"I'm sure."
