Love Next Door

Chapter Twenty-two- Fireworks

Jay spent the rest of the night, except dinner, in Ash's room either reading or sulking. He pitied himself terribly. He tried calling Tahlia to talk it out, but she didn't pick up which was unusual. He tried a few more times, each hour, but she still didn't pick up. He worried if she was in trouble, but decided it was more likely that she didn't want to talk to him. That didn't help. He texted her telling her he needed someone to talk to, and that he was sorry for everything that he had ever done or said to her.

For dinner, he was served his favourite dish, something he hadn't had since Ash had made it: Lasagne. He was kind of shocked to have it served to him when he had been having very unusual and rustic dishes for the previous nights.

It wasn't until halfway through the dinner, when he complimented Ash's mother on how good it was, that she told him she wasn't the one who made it.

"Oh no, it was Adrien who made it. I made sure to watch him do it though so I can learn. It's a very strange dish, i've never had it before." She said casually, as if this revelation was not significant at all.

He supposed that Ash didn't bother telling her that it was his favourite, so she wouldn't see the significance. He looked to Ash, who was sitting opposite him, and realised that besides a tiny smirk he was blushing. Jay mumbled a few meaningless words of thanks and looked back down at his plate.

He wondered If Ash's mother could feel the tension between them.

Beatrice had tried to get the children to nap before the fireworks, reasoning that they would be tired and want to go to sleep when the fireworks were on if they didn't. Of course, they refused and would not settle down. They were as excited as Jay was, albeit more visibly.

At eleven fifteen he was lying on the bed, trying to nap, when there was a knock at the door. He opened his eyes and sat up, calling out an affirmative to the door. Ash opened it slowly and then stood by the threshold a moment, observing. Jay sat up, trying to fill the silence.

"...we're going to head off now." Ash finally said.

Jay nodded.

He realised that Ash was wearing the same light blue dress shirt as he had been wearing at the dinner, minus the tie. The sleeves were rolled up. The exposed skin of his neck and the V formed by the collar tempted him. It tempted him to just jump at the man and kiss him there, forgo the tension and speeches and enact his desires. He breathed in to keep himself in check.

The warlock ran his hand through his hair, which looked much darker in the sparse light from the orange lamp by the bed. He gave a small smile and walked back out the door.

Jay grabbed his jacket and after a moment's hesitation took the tie out of his hair and combed his hands through it. He didn't know why, but he felt that it would improve his confidence somehow.

He walked down the dark hallways and into the back room which held the teleporter. He heard the kids chattering away, and Ash's deeper voice. Standing in the doorway was his Mother, who wasn't coming with them. She let Jay through.

"I hope you have fun all of you! And stay close to Adrien and Jay, you two," she exclaimed, the last part directed at the rosy cheeked children, who only came up to Jay's waist as he stood next to them. They nodded solemnly and then the taller one grabbed on to their uncle's arm, linking hands with the younger one.

To Jay's surprise, Ash quickly grabbed his hand. He was glad there was not much light in the room, for he knew his face would give away how happy the touch made him feel. Ash began to mutter incantations under his breath, and once again the circle began glowing beneath them making the children squirm and giggle in excitement. Jay was slightly jealous of them, because they were growing up and living in this life of magic which was alien to him.