Love Next Door

Chapter Nine- Confessions in bed

Playlist: https://youtu.be/JxBzcVTMp8o?list=PL7EAiYknZr_J8PQTM17cN7gOdpT4rylAh

Ash's room was slightly less magnificent than his main room, but still much nicer than Jay's apartment. His double bed was covered in a deep burgundy pattern, with more pillows than one person should need. There were obscure art pieces covering the wall (shapes of people or people and shapes?), which may have been erotic but in the dim light, Jay couldn't tell for sure. As Ash turned off the lights, the two bedside lamps turned on. They were blue. When he turned his head to find Ash, he was already in his underwear with no sign of what he was wearing two seconds ago. He gulped. His body was magnificent. Of course. He had a flat, toned chest and broader shoulders than Jay could ever dream of attaining. Frankly, Jay's body paled (literally) in comparison to his.

"I usually sleep without anything on, but I guess I won't subject you to that...for now," he said, hugging Jay gently from behind. He was warm. Jay laughed nervously

Ash crawled into bed and under the sheets, whereas Jay still stood at the foot of the large bed anxiously. Ash smiled up at him and gestured next to him where he had pulled back the cover and blankets. Gingerly he shed his shirt and pants and climbed into bed. He had to admit to himself that it was bliss, lying next to the man he was falling in love with. They grasped each other's hands as they faced each other.

The lights suddenly went out, and Probably through some magic mind control, Jay thought.

Ash sighed.

"You're amazing." He said.

Jay made a funny noise in embarrassment, gripping his hand tighter. They were silent for a few minutes, still gripping hands and relishing in the new experience.

"Have you-How many relationships have you been in?" Jay asked quietly, breaking the silence. He hoped Ash hadn't gone to sleep yet.

After a few moments, he replied,

"Not many...about nine or ten I think..."

Jay gulped. He was way more experienced than he would have anticipated.

"Were any of them with people...like me?" Normal people.

"The later ones, yes. Probably about half of them."

Jay pondered for a moment. Why had they all ended? Who had they been? Were they anything like him?

"Can I ask...why they ended?"

There were a few more moments of silence and he felt Ash shift around, he moved closer.

"Well...with the earlier relationships, with magic folk, they ended because they were too intense." He explained. Jay felt Ash's breath on his hand as Ash pulled their hands closer to his chest. "At the beginning, you want to impress the person but because you're so similar...you quickly run out of unique things to show them. Then it seems to become a competition to be better than each other...because you think that's the only way to show your love...and of course eventually the love is burnt away by frustration and boredom. You realise that your love was only based on your cultural and physical compatibility, not the actual act of appreciating who the person was and how they made you feel...lust was all that was left...and lust cannot sustain a relationship alone."

For a minute all that could be heard was their breathing. He started to softly speak again,

"...the normal people...non-magic humans...the reason why it always ended was because all they had loved me for was my capabilities. Most had started off as clients who had suddenly become lovers...mostly by their own suggestion. It was superficial love. When I love someone...or at least when I'm attracted to someone, all I want to do is make them happy. What it took me so long to realise was that...it's not always possible to make someone happy. I would give them everything, material and emotional, and they would take from me without giving back. All they had wanted was my magic... or just my body. I was empty after they had taken all I had...and left me. It's been years now...since I let another person in."