Kiss & Tell ( Asa and Chiquita)

Chapter 27: The Words We Hold

Asa's POV

I wake to the soft light filtering through the curtains, a stillness hanging in the air. The room is quiet, save for the rhythm of Chiquita's breathing next to me. She's curled into my side, her head resting on my chest. I can feel the heat of her body, the soft rise and fall of her chest. For the first time in what feels like forever, I don't feel like I need to run, or hide, or be anything but exactly who I am.

The quiet is strange, almost too peaceful. My mind races with thoughts, but they are no longer filled with anxiety or fear. They're filled with her—with the way she holds me, with the way we've made a home in each other's arms.

I glance down at her, marveling at the way her soft, dark hair spills across my arm. Her face is peaceful, relaxed in a way I've never seen her. I wonder if I look that serene when I sleep.

I've never been the kind of person to lie in bed and reflect, never one to savor the silence of the morning. But with Chiquita, everything feels different. The world feels still, almost as if time has paused just for us, letting us savor this space between now and whatever comes next.

I can feel my pulse quicken, a soft thrum that starts deep in my chest.

What if we were to stay here?

The thought comes unbidden, a quiet, rebellious thing. What if we just... stayed? What if this — this peace, this love — wasn't just a fleeting moment? I look down at her again, and for the first time in my life, I realize I don't need to be in control of everything.

I reach down, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. She stirs slightly, but doesn't wake. My fingers linger on her skin, tracing the curve of her cheek, the line of her jaw. And it feels... perfect. Like this is where I'm supposed to be.

I turn my head and look at the clock. It's already past morning, but I don't care. In this moment, the world can wait. I can stay here, wrapped in her arms, and let everything else go.

Chiquita's POV

I wake slowly, the sensation of Asa's fingers grazing my skin bringing me out of the haze of sleep. Her touch is like a dream, soft and tender, and I press into it instinctively, feeling the warmth of her body beside mine.

My eyes flutter open, and for a moment, I'm disoriented. But then I realize where I am — with Asa. I see her looking down at me, and there's a quiet intensity in her eyes, like she's lost in thought, or perhaps contemplating something. But when she sees me looking at her, her expression softens, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Good morning," she says, her voice hushed, like she's afraid of breaking the stillness between us.

I stretch, the warmth of the bed and her body coaxing me into a deeper sense of relaxation. But the moment I'm fully awake, the reality of what we've built together floods my mind. I'm not sure when it happened — when she became the center of my world — but I know one thing: I can't imagine it without her.

"Morning," I whisper back, curling closer to her. I press my cheek against her chest, letting the rhythm of her heartbeat soothe the restless thoughts in my mind.

We lie there in silence for a few minutes, the world outside of this room completely irrelevant. There are no expectations, no responsibilities. Just the two of us, existing together in this perfect moment.

"I love you," I say, my voice barely audible. I don't know if she hears it at first, but I need her to. I need her to know how much she means to me, how much my world has shifted just by having her in it.

Asa's hand comes up to my head, her fingers threading through my hair. The weight of her touch, the softness in her eyes — it makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world.

"I love you too," she replies, her voice just as soft. And though it's a simple exchange, there's something deep in her words that stirs something in me. Something more than I can articulate.

I look up at her, holding her gaze. "Do you ever think about... us? About the future?"

She hesitates, just for a second, before she nods. "I think about it all the time. About what comes next. But..." She pauses, searching my face for the right words. "I don't want to rush it. I just want to be with you, Chiquita. Right now."

Her words hit me hard, like a wave crashing against the shore. It's everything I needed to hear, but also everything I've been afraid to ask for. Because it's not just about us right now; it's about what we're willing to do — together — when the world outside inevitably catches up with us.

I smile softly. "I want that too. I don't need a grand plan, Asa. I just need you."

Asa's POV

Her words settle in my chest, spreading warmth and comfort through me. I don't need a grand plan either. I don't need to control every little thing. With Chiquita, I'm learning that I don't have to have it all figured out to be happy. I just need to trust, need to be here.

The air between us feels thick, charged with something unspoken. Something big. It's the promise of everything we could be, everything we're becoming. It's not perfect — but it's real. And right now, that's enough.

"I love you, Chiquita," I say again, more certain this time. "In ways I never thought I could love anyone."

She smiles, and I see the light in her eyes — the same light that fills me every time I'm near her.

"I love you, Asa," she says softly, her voice full of the same quiet intensity. "And I always will."

The words feel weightless between us, floating in the space we've carved out for ourselves. And for the first time, I realize something:

We're not perfect. We don't need to be. Because what we have — this love — is enough. It's everything we need.

We don't need a grand gesture or a blueprint of the future. We just need to keep moving forward, together, hand in hand.

Chiquita's POV

I glance over at Asa, the soft, steady rhythm of her breath calming me, anchoring me in this moment. The future is still uncertain, full of things neither of us can predict, but right now, we have this. We have each other. And it's more than I ever expected, more than I ever needed.

And for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.