I'm so tired as I pull up at school. A sigh escapes me as I walk up to the main building. It takes me a minute to realise that people are watching me, at first I don't understand why until Asher walks around a car and stands in front of me.
I look around the crowd and see them asking each other what is happening? What have I done? and if I'm going to get punched?
I look at Asher's face and he looks worried, not angry. I look around at the crowd again. Asher follows my eyes and I see him shout one word that has everyone scattering.
"Leave!"
Once we are alone he turns back to me.
"Hey," he says rubbing the back of his neck. I nod refusing to speak. He's silent for a long time, he looks like he's trying to think of what to say.
"You didn't answer me back," he says finally. I shrugged. His face changes and I take a step back. I see his fists clench and for a moment I'm worried he's going to hit me.
"I have to get to class," I say, quietly turning around and going the other way around the car.
I try to ignore Asher as he follows me. Science is my first class and as it turns out Asher's too. The only spare seat is next to me.
The more classes he comes to the more I get annoyed. From the teacher's reactions, it would seem as if he never comes to class.
Asher tries to get my attention but I ignore him. I know I'm acting childish but I need to distance myself from him as best as I can.
Last night after he said 'It's not a good idea for me to come.' I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach. He obviously didn't want to introduce his deaf freak of a friend to his family. His suggestion to go for a ride was just so he could take me somewhere no one would see us.
Clay's been the one to speak to me mainly, Asher just stood there looking like he wanted to be elsewhere.
I've had a few people in the past who wanted to be my "secret" friend. It was always like they were ashamed to be seen with me but still wanted to hang. I was tired of being treated like a freak.
Asher must have got the hint because he stopped trying to get my attention.
Thankfully he doesn't show up in any of my other classes for the rest of the day. Not even in the ones I know he should be in. At lunchtime, he didn't come and sit with me like he had yesterday neither did Clay.
I guess I was right.
I will never admit it out loud but that thought pained me. The idea I'm right about him being embarrassed to be seen with me. It makes my heart feel like it's shattering into a billion pieces.
The pain is worse by the time I get home so I decide to take a nap. I wake up an hour or so later to my phone buzzing. I can feel my watch vibrating. There are lots of messages and they are all from Asher. My eyes go wide as I read through them.
'Nai are you ok?'
'Did I do something wrong?'
'Why won't you talk to me?'
'Please, I need you to talk to me,'
'Open the door, Nai!'
'I'm outside!'
'Please open the door,'
I shoot out of bed, race downstairs and pause for a moment to get my breath back before I open the door. Asher is standing on the porch looking like a wounded animal.
"What are you doing here?" I ask or rather demand. I know I need to guard myself, I need to push him away before I get attached only to have him push me away.
"Nai," he says my name as he steps forward forcing me to step back, just like he had last time. My heart stutters as he invades my personal space again.
He backs me up against the wall, the exact same position as yesterday. Again, I feel trapped.
His hands come up on either side of my head, his eyes never leaving mine. The desire I can see in his eyes has me locked, but there's pain too.
"Asher? What are you doing?" I ask him. I don't need to hear my voice to know I sound affected. He eyes my lips as I speak, for a split second it looks like he's going to kiss me.
A part of me wants him too, but the part that wins over pushes that thought away quickly. I remember he is embarrassed by me. I glare at him and push him back or at least I try to.
Asher allows me to push him back and I move around him. The need for air and space to think clearly has never been so vital.
I go into the kitchen to get a drink, I offer him one but he shakes his head.
Once I no longer have anything to do but look at him he does something that shocks me.
Asher closes his fist and places it on his chest and signs the word for 'sorry'. Eyes wide and mouth open, I'm not sure what to do or say. He moves around the kitchen island so that he is right in front of me again.
"I'm sorry," he speaks this time. "Whatever I did to upset you, I'm sorry. Please, tell me what I did so that I won't ever do it again," he begs me. I can see the sincerity in his eyes.
I fidget under his gaze, he looks sorry and I want to believe him but I can't ignore the text.
"Will you tell me the truth if I ask you a question?" I ask. Before I've even finished the sentence he is nodding his head eagerly.
"Why didn't you want me to come to your house?" I ask the question that has been plaguing me. I both want and fear the answer.
Asher closes his eyes, steps away and sighs, I can see his fists clenching.
"Is it because you're embarrassed? Because I'm different, a freak?" I ask, my heart breaking.
Asher's eyes shoot to mine in surprise. He rushes back to me and grips my hands, I try my best to ignore the spark that flies through me at the contact.
"You are not a freak!" he says firmly. "I'm not now nor will I ever be embarrassed to be seen with you. I can prove that to you if you want me to," he promises.
I blush, chastising myself for even thinking he was like the jerks from before.
"H .... H ..how?" I ask him, hating myself for how idiotic I must sound. Asher's eyes darken as they flick down to my lips before coming back to my eyes.
"I'll kiss you, right in the middle of a very packed cafeteria for everyone to see."
I can feel my cheeks flushing, I know I must be as bright red as a tomato.
"What!" I say wide-eyed.
Asher smirks and my eyes look down at those lips, involuntarily licking my own lips at the same time. He places my hands on his chest and I feel him growl before he takes that last step forward.
He closes the space between us with his eyes boring into mine. He places his lips on mine so gently. I freeze, eyes wide as I stare at him. He cups my head and tilts it back.
I, eventually, close my eyes and lose myself to the kiss. I feel him growl again when I kiss him back. His mouth feels amazing, his tongue swipes across my lips and I gladly open up for him to explore.
My head is reeling, my body is turning to jelly as he assaults my lips. He wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me.
Automatically, my hands grip his shoulders as my legs wrap around his waist. I feel him sit me on the counter as he moves away from my mouth and kisses down my neck. I can't hide my moans even if I wanted to.
Asher pulls back smirking, his hands on my hips pulls me closer to him. A gasp escapes me as he presses my crotch against his. I can feel the very distinctive outline of his hard-on. I'm no better, my cock is twitching against the fabric.
Asher suddenly freezes against me and pulls back, I open my eyes confused.
"Your mum's home," he explains now I'm the one to freeze.
He helps me off the counter and I do my best to adjust myself, Asher does the same. When I, eventually, look towards the front door I expect to see mum looking at us, either smirking or horrified, but there's no one there.
"She's just pulling up," he explains. I frown even more, how did he hear her?
Mum smiles at us when she walks in.
"Hello love, hello Asher, what a nice surprise."
"Hello Mrs Li," he greets her with a smile.
"What brings you here?" she asks him with a smile.
"Just came to hang out with Nai, if that's ok?" he asks her. She smiles even brighter and nods.
"Of course it is, you can even help him with his room. He hasn't quite finished it yet," she offers. I blush even deeper thinking of him in my room. Asher smirks at me, before smiling at mum.
"I can do that," he says.
Mum practically pushes us up the stairs, an innocent smile on her face.
I honestly don't know if she would be so eager to push us to be in my room alone if she knew he had kissed my breath away and made me hard beyond belief only two minutes ago.
When we are finally alone again I mess around with some boxes to avoid looking at him. Soon I feel two arms wrap around my waist from behind. He presses his body into mine.
He doesn't do anything other than hold me, I feel warm and safe. It's the happiest I've felt in a long time. Suddenly he turns me around and makes me look at him.
"We still need to talk," he tells me, I nod. "Let's get these boxes done, so your mum doesn't complain," he says with a chuckle. I smile and nod, not trusting my voice.
It doesn't take us long to finish, and now I'm sitting on my desk chair whilst he sits on my king size bed. I try to look anywhere but at him, him on my bed has my imagination going wild. I jump when I feel his hands on mine, he kneels in front of me staring into my eyes.
"I promise Nai, I'm not embarrassed to be seen with you. I didn't cancel because I didn't want you to meet my family," his eyes became sad, tears filling them as the memory plays.
I touch his cheek, it pains me to see him so sad.
"I told my parents that I wanted someone I liked to come over," my heart jumps.
"Someone, you like?" I ask, not quite believing I had seen that right. Asher smirks at me, grips my chin between his thumb and index finger, lifts himself up slightly and gives me a peck on my lips.
"Yeah, someone I like," he smiles.
"Anyway, they were happy with that and wanted me to tell them about you. Mum kept on saying the words 'her' and 'she', so when I told her you were a guy she didn't react well." I can feel his sadness this time, so I grip his hands.
"She went really quiet, and for mum, that's worse than her shouting. She started crying and just left. Dad said she would be ok in time, she wouldn't even look at me during dinner. That's why I texted and said it wouldn't be a good idea."
The pain in his eyes has me wrapping my arms around his neck. I pull him tight against me, he buries his face in my neck as he pulls me off the chair and onto his lap.
If I wasn't so focused on comforting him, I might have thought about the fact that in the space of a few hours a guy has kissed me, given me an erection and pulled me onto his lap.
I pull at his neck, making him look at me.
"Have you ever liked a guy before?" I ask, fearing and needing to know the answer. He smiles warmly at me as he strokes my cheek.
"I've never been interested in anyone ever," he winks. "You are who I've been waiting for," I gasp my eyes wide.
He chuckles and lifts us both up to stand. My arms are still gripping his shoulders whilst his arms stay wrapped around my waist.
He looks at me with such longing and desire that it takes my breath away. I'm so lost in his eyes that I could have drowned in them.
"I'm the same," I say blushing. "I mean I like you too, and I've never liked anyone before either." I know I'm bright red again but I don't want to look away. I want him to know that I feel the same and that I'm here for him.
He smiles warmly at me stroking my cheek, he looks away like he's listening to something and then he looks back at me.
"I should go, I think your mum has finished making dinner." He moves away and starts walking out, I follow behind him slowly.
When we get downstairs mum asks him to stay for dinner, I want him to. He looks back at me and I smile at him telling him it was ok by me.
He agrees and sits down at the table, his hulking figure dwarves us which makes me smile.
Dinner is great, I can see Mum smiling at Asher and me. She is wearing that knowing smile like she knows something I didn't.
Afterwards, he says goodbye and I walk him to his car. I want to kiss him again but with mum undoubtedly watching us I decide against it.
"Wanna come over tomorrow?" he asks me. I raise my eyebrows in surprise.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? Your mum ..." he stops me.
"Yes, it will be, like Clay said. Once she meets you she won't be able to resist you," he says, I blush. I must have a permanent pink tint to my cheeks by now, with the number of times he's made me blush.
He chuckles before climbing into his truck and driving away. I walk back inside once he's out of sight. Mum is smirking at me once I come back in.
'What?' I sign.
'He likes you,' she signs back. I gasp blushing again. Mum laughs at my deer in headlights look, well she said that's how I looked when I asked her what was so funny.
'What makes you think he likes me?' I ask her, she gives me her knowing smile. It's the one that says, you know what I'm talking about.
'He couldn't stop looking at you whilst we were eating and ..... I heard him tell you he likes you when you were in your room,' I gasp.
"WH.. wha ..what!" I say aloud, she's laughing so much. I can't get over the shock.
'I came up to tell you about dinner and I heard him say he likes you. I didn't want to interrupt so I came back downstairs," she tells me once she can breathe properly. I nod numbly, still reeling from it.
'So do you like him?' she asks me eagerly. My shock is never-ending it seems.
'Would you be ok with it, if I said I did?' I ask her, thinking about his mum and her reaction.
Mum walks up to me and envelopes me into one of the biggest hugs she's given me in a while. When she pulls back she makes sure I can see her.
'You listen to me Nai Li, I will be ok with anyone you deem worthy enough to love. You are my son and there is nothing that will stop me from loving you," I can see so much love in her face that I know her voice has it too, I don't need to hear it to feel it.
With tears in my eyes, I hug her tightly, thanking the powers that be, whoever they are, that I have an amazing mum.