Miles apart (Man × Man) ✔

30) a m b u s h e d

When Miles stirred awake in his bed, he felt a twinge of disappointment finding it empty. He had been looking forward to waking up next to Ash on their first morning living together. He yawned and stretched his back, before dragging himself to the bathroom.

The disappointment was placed with amusement, when Miles found Ash from the living room, dozing off with his head against Eli's shoulder. Eli, for his part, was leaning against Benjamin. The TV was still playing on a low volume in the background and there were empty cans and glasses forgotten on the coffee table.

Miles cleared his throat, loud enough to wake them up: "This isn't quite how I imagined mine and Ash's first morning living together to be."

Ash's eyes darted open, but it took him a moment to realize how comfortably he was snuggled against Eli. When he did, he was about to jump off the couch, but Eli was faster.

"Aw, I knew you were such a mushy, cuddly teddy bear." Eli cooed, squeezing his arms around Ash so firmly he managed to tip him and Ash over on Benjamin's lap. 

"I'm going to kill you." Ash mumbled, his voice muffled against Eli's chest. He tried to pull away from his friends, but Eli only squeezed him tighter.

"You love me too much for that." Eli laughed, but, just in case there wasn't enough love to overpover Ash's murderous intentions, let go of him.

Benjamin shook his head, but there was a fond smile on his lips when he looked at Eli. Miles remembered the time when he had envied Eli and Benjamin for what they had, never quite believing a love like that would be possible for him as well. Now, with Ash, he didn't need to envy their relationship anymore. 

"I feel like having pancakes, have you got the ingredients?" Eli turned to look at Miles expectantly. 

"Why would I know?" Miles asked, scratching the side of his head.

"I don't know, maybe because it's your house?" Benjamin joined the conversation, furrowing his brows but not ceasing to smile. "I can go get some groceries, if you give me a minute to get ready."

"We should have all we need for the batter." Ash pondered, ruffling Miles' hair on his way to the kitchen. It didn't take long before Ash's voice carried from the kitchen: "Yeah, we do."

While Miles used his own hand as a comb to flatten his disheveled hair down, he thought: It's our kitchen now. He lives with me. He repeated the words inside his head and felt a smile spreading on his lips.

Eli conquered the kitchen and started making the batter, while Ash and Benjamin left to buy something to eat and drink with the pancakes.

Miles, on the other hand, opened an energy drink and sat on the kitchen counter while he watched Eli working. He could have used the time doing something useful, like clearing the cans and glasses from the living room, but it was way too early for that. Besides, he felt a pulsing ache at his forehead, but it wasn't bad enough to take a painkiller for.

When Eli started cooking the pancakes, a rich sweet aroma filled the kitchen. It made Miles mouth water, even though his stomach did backflips. He wasn't sure whether he had drank one too many the previous night or if he had forgotten to drink water or both. Probably both.

"Thanks for letting us stay." Eli's voice brought Miles back to Earth. Eli was pouring more batter on the frying pan and the expression he had on his face lacked its familiar friskiness. "I might not show it, but I'm actually so, so grateful for you guys."

"I know." Miles smiled and patted Eli's shoulder. He made it sound like it was self-evident, but Eli's words surprised him. Not because he didn't think Eli would be grateful, but because of the earnest tone he had used.

"Did you know I lived in the streets for a while? Before I met Ash and the others?" Eli flipped another pancake, then glanced at Miles. 

"Yeah, Ash mentioned that once." Miles admitted. He had heard about it, but just briefly aside another story. He couldn't even imagine what it took to live on the streets, so he found himself asking: "What was it like?"

"Horrible." Eli chuckled in a what-did-you-expect kind of way. "I was always cold to the bone, afraid and starving. It didn't last long, though, before I got sick and woke up in a hospital."

"It was Logan who helped you, right?" Miles asked. That was what the story had been about: how Eli ended up being friends with the former owner of FAB and found his way to the group.

"Uh-huh." Eli knitted his brows and fell into silence. For a while the only sound in the kitchen was the stirring of the melted butter on the pan, and it was fine by Miles. Then Eli cleared his throat, adding in a cheerful tone: "If I learned anything from my experience on the streets it is that I never want to do it again."

"Understandable." Miles agreed.

By the time Eli was done with the pancakes, Benjamin and Ash had made their way back. Ash, who had already become such a proud owner of the apartment, told Miles not to sit on the counter. He shooed Miles to the table, which was soon set with a variety of fresh fruits, berries, toppings and drinks.

"Oh my god." Miles praised, his mouth stuffed with fluffy pancakes. His stomach had settled by then and he was starving. "These are so good."

"That's what they all say." Eli smirked and sprinkled a handful of sugar on top of his pancake. Then he turned to look at Ash: "See, I can be useful."

After the breakfast Ash and Miles retreated into their bedroom, needing a moment to recharge and be by just the two of them. Ash laid on his back and Miles used his stomach as a pillow, while Ash played with his hair. They were both exhausted by the moving and running from work to see Eliana and back to work.

"I like having them here." Ash pointed out, keeping his voice quiet so that Eli and Benjamin couldn't eavesdrop them from the living room.

"Yeah, it's nice." Miles agreed, letting his eyes fall shut, concentrating on the movement of Ash's fingers in his hair. If he had been a cat, he would have been purring, because it felt so good. 

Miles tried to keep his mind from wandering to all the things he needed to do and all the things he was supposed to get done at work the next week. He tried not to worry about Eliana or his dad. He needed a day where he could disregard all the tasks in his to-do list and lay in bed in Ash's arms until he felt like he could face the world again.

"I want to just lay in bed all day." Miles murmured, his eyes still shut and a content smile on his lips.

"I like the sound of that." Ash agreed, shifting to his side to give Miles room to climb into his embrace. Miles did so, letting the warmth of Ash's body and the strength of his arms pacify him deeper into his relaxed state.

"Then —" Miles began, but he was interrupted by the doorbell. He sat up with a groan, ready to shoo away any peddlers behind their door. "Ugh, can't we get a moment of peace and quiet?"

"Want me to take it?" Ash offered.

"Nah, I'll just go and send them away." Miles waved his hand in the air dismissively, before getting up and making his way to the door.

Miles' stomach sank as he met the gaze of a familiar pair of eyes, as gray and unyielding as metal, through the glass. He yanked the door open, feeling the erratic thudding of his heart, and asked: "Why didn't you call me first?"

"Hmph. I texted you half an hour ago." Anthony shrugged in a dismissive manner, stepping into the apartment without being asked to do so.

"We could, uh.." Miles stammered, trying to block his dad's view to the living room, but it was too late. 

He watched in growing horror as Anthony's eyes took in the sight of the stacked boxes of Ash's belongings leaning against the wall, the empty beer cans and glasses in the living room and the pizza boxes still cluttering the coffee table.

His gaze lingered on Eli and Benjamin, who were lounging on the couch, and came to a halt on Ash, who had appeared from the bedroom.

"Miles, what is this?" Anthony's voice was calm, but under its surface Miles could hear the brewing anger and disbelief. When he locked his gaze with Miles, Miles realized he was knee deep in trouble.