Just Play Along

One Hundred One & One Hundred Two

“I’m missing yours,” I shrugged.

“Also not fair,” Aston pouted.

“Let’s make a deal then,” I replied, holding out my pinkie for a pinkie promise. It was a bit greasy from my chicken wings, but around Aston I didn’t really care. “We’ll have a joint birthday celebration. Just the two of us. Where we can make up for missing out on celebrating one another's birthdays together.”

“You mean,” Aston grinned naughtily, “We’ll set aside a night for a ton of really excellent late birthday sex.”

I gawped at him for a minute but then nodded my head sheepishly, my cheeks burning red. That was pretty much what I meant, just put in a slightly more crude sense.

“Now, should this joint celebration be in the form of a holiday or… ?” Aston questioned.

“Let’s play it by ear,” I responded, “If I’m going to do this job thing I should probably see how it goes.”

“So you’re going to do it.”

“Yup,” I replied, “You’re right, I’m being silly not giving it a chance.”

“Once you do you’ll realize change isn’t always a bad thing.”

“I think I do realize that,” I said, “I mean look at us.”

“What about us?”

“I told you ages ago that I didn’t want to fall in love, and we obviously have. And then I agreed to move in with you, and now we’re here.” I was treading close to that marriage conversation again. I knew I shouldn’t do it to myself, or to him, but I couldn’t help baiting him a bit to see what he’d say. If he’d bring it up. I knew I wasn’t going to.

Instead of saying anything Aston just gave me a sweet smile, turning to his chicken. In that moment I could read all of his emotions. I knew that he wanted to say something about marriage but he’d stopped himself. All because I’d told him to wait a year. Why was I so stupid about it all?

We spent the evening attempting to bake this cake Aston insisted on making. I wasn’t too fussed about it, but when we realized that there wasn’t much else to do but drink the wine and try to bake we thought it might be funny. In the end we didn’t end up with much of a cake, just a lump of something that slightly resembled burnt chocolate.

The next day was spent much the same. Aston and I shut off from the world as we savored our last few hours together before he left.

And then the Monday came.

“You sure you’re going to be ok at work?” Aston asked me as he stood in the front room in his sweats.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, all dressed for work with a cup of coffee in my hand.

“Call me when you’re done telling Jeremy and your Dad you’ll join in?”

“Course,” I replied.

We were avoiding saying goodbye because we knew how hard it was going to be. Aston had an evening flight but was going straight to the airport from a series of meetings with his management, which meant I wouldn’t see him once I left for work.

“Ok I gotta go,” I said, standing in front of Aston in the front room.

“Bye,” he said awkwardly.

“Bye.”

Without another word he pulled me into his chest by wrapping his arms tight around me, my hands falling easily around his middle. We stood like that for nearly five minutes before breaking apart, tears streaking down both of our faces. I couldn’t help but laugh as I saw how silly we both looked.