Asher POV
This chapter is pretty much a repeat of chapter two's events, but in Asher's perspective! It's not necessarily fundamental to the plot. It could be nice to see how he saw things though, if you're interested. <3
A sexy groan leaves our biggest lover's mouth as we all come down from our high. Chests heaving, sweat protruding from each pore on our bodies and whimpers escaping both Julian's and I's lips as they pull out of me. I practically collapse on top of our blond beauty, barely registering the warm towel wiping me down as I fall into a deep slumber until the next morning,
The filtered sunlight wakes me up, the sheer curtains letting in just enough natural light to wake me up naturally in the mornings without an alarm. The smooth texture of our covers surround me with a soothing warmth, however, it's nowhere nearly as relaxing as it usually is when we're all snuggled up together in bed.
I hesitantly sit up, wincing at the pain running up my lower back. I trudge my way to our ensuite, feeling around for the light switch. My eyes squint until they adjust to the brighter lighting and I stop in front of the wide mirror. Admiring all of the love bites and hickeys adorning my entire body, gently running the tips of my fingers over the ones on my neck to my collarbone, my chest, all the way down to my v-line and bare hips. I smile at the sight and don't waste another second before hopping into the shower.
I step out 15 minutes later, enjoying the enwrapping heat coming from the steam rolling out of the shower. Wrapping a fluffy towel around my waist, I step out of the bathroom with damp hair, deciding to go with a comfy outfit today which consists of sweats and one of their hoodies. The smell of breakfast fills the air as soon as I open the door and I make a hobbled run towards the kitchen where my two lovers are carefully making out on our kitchen island.
My shoulder rests on the side of the wall with a smug expression tugging on my lips, "at this rate, our scrambled eggs are gonna burn," they jump away from each other so fast, I'm surprised they didn't just pee themselves. I double over in laughter and they soon recover from their initial shock enough to join in my bout of humor.
"Good morning to you too," Julian starts, strutting over to me to share a soft kiss to my lips. His hands wrap around my torso and I look over his shoulder to smile at Sebastian who's currently trying his hardest not to ruin the eggs...
"Need some help?" Julian's muffled voice on my neck makes me shiver slightly and I can feel the curve of his lips twitch upwards.
"No- nope, I totally got this," he grumbles back, making me chuckle at his antsy movements.
Yeah, I love them a lot...
"Are you excited for your first day at your new job tomorrow?" Julian asks me while Sebastian is working on something for this big meeting he's preparing for in his office upstairs. We decided to snuggle on the sofa, playing a new movie that just came out in the background.
"I actually am, they all seemed really nice when I went there for the interview," My body automatically turns in his direction, my face burying into his chest, letting me listen to the soothing rhythm of his steady heartbeat.
"I remember how happy you were when you came home last week when they immediately offered you the job," his chuckles reverberate around his upper body and I subconsciously try to push my face even deeper into his chest. I hum in response, starting to feel sleepy. The soft murmurs coming from the TV behind me, Julian's soft breaths, the fluffy blanket surrounding our bodies trapping our body heat within our makeshift cocoon and the securing arms holding me close. It doesn't take long until my eyes start shutting and my breathing begins to slow.
I manage to hear Sebastian coming down the steps, his presence looming somewhere behind the couch. The two of them start whispering something to each other, eventually quieting enough to let me fall into my slumber. Seb leaves a kiss on my forehead, cheek and stops at my neck before he steps away again.
The last words barely registering on my mind before I push past the border of consciousness are: "We're so proud of you, Love." A fleeting kiss on my head is the last thing I manage to take in, falling asleep with a smile tugging on my lips.
'Thank you...'
"Remember to ask questions if you ever feel unsure!" I manage to stop myself from rolling my eyes at my boyfriends' worries. They've been following me around all morning like ducklings, reminding me of all the things I should do for my first day today.
"And don't forget I'll be picking you up after,"
"Right, so don't leave before he gets there,"
"And if you're ever overwhelmed, just give us a call,"
"Make some friends with your co-workers too..."
"OKAY, THANK YOU, I GOT IT!" I spin around, accidentally ending up inches away from their faces as I stare at them with a knowing grin. I can tell they have more to say but I stop them with a quick peck to the lips, making sure to send them a confident wink as I shut myself in the bathroom to get myself ready. Inhaling deeply, I run a hand through my auburn hair, stretching my limbs as I pull off my clothes.
After my very calming shower, I unlock the door to ask Julian to dry my hair. He offered to do it as soon as we woke up. Something about wanting to take care of me for my big day, which I would never say 'no' to, he's just so sweet and full of affection.
"We're sorry if we're being too much, we just-"
"I know," I smile at him reassuringly through the mirror, his nimble hands carefully detangling and styling my hair.
"You'll do great today," his copper eyes meet mine in the mirror briefly, sending a silent message that calms any nervousness threatening to leave their strong confines deep in my brain.
"Thanks..." his hand squeezes my shoulder and he bends down to place a gentle kiss on my neck before he continues to dry my hair. I admire him in the reflection while he's busy, taking in the subtle arch on his nose bridge, the way he tucks his front strands of hair that escaped his low ponytail behind his ear, his soft lips that always seem to form this same pouty face whenever he's concentrating. He has this overall feminine appearance and he loves it. His parents even tried to get him into modeling as a child, but he started pursuing his own veterinary dreams in college.
"Stop staring," my eyebrows jump at his soft voice and I notice his cheeks take on a subtle pink shade, quickly hiding behind the hand he puts in front of his face whenever he's embarrassed.
"You're really pretty, I can't help it," I shrug, tugging on the ends of my shirt while looking away from him.
"Asher!" I chuckle at his behavior, knowing he loves the compliments despite his words. Sebastian is quick to back me up as he enters the room with some coffee for me, placing the mug down on the counter with an almost unnoticeable smirk and making his way over to our nervous boyfriend. His broad arms wrap around his slender waist as the other tries his best to keep drying my hair.
"You're gorgeous, Darling," he dips his head to the curve on his neck, leaving multiple kisses along the skin as he glances up at me through the mirror with a heated gaze.
Julian bites his lip in an attempt to concentrate on his hands working on my hair and I quickly cut them off, "excuse me, as much as I love this, I'd prefer not to be late on my first day, thanks!" they both laugh and we continue with our morning. The taller of the two keeps his arms around the blond while occasionally running a hand through my hair.
"You got this." he mouths to me through the mirror while Julian finishes off my hair and I give him a small nod.
I got this.
Stepping into the crisp air, I tug my coat further around my body. After a ten minute wander down the street, I straighten myself up and stare at the café in front of me. My breaths show visibly in white wisps, willing my heart rate to calm with my first step towards my newest destination.
The first thing I notice is one of the girls who I actually got to meet last week, Jasmine, I believe her name is. She looks up at the jingling chime of someone opening the door, soft chatter filling the wooden walls as I step further into the room. One last long intake of breath and a wide smile pulls tightly on my cheeks.
Jasmine flips one side of her ponytail to one side of her neck, quickly standing up from a stool in the corner behind the counter. She waves me over and her welcoming expression finally lets the anxiousness leave me in small waves with every step closer in her direction.
"Good morning, I'm so glad you'll be working with us!" She starts as soon as I'm within hearing range without her having to raise her voice.
"You are?" The inquiry blurts out of me before I can stop myself, questioning how sincere she actually is.
She nods fervently, "I can tell you'll fit right in," she waves me to the backroom, leading me further down the break lounge towards the private storage area. "This is your locker and your new apron should be in there,"
"Thanks," I quickly shove my bag inside, making quick work to wrap the brown apron around my waist.
"No need to stress so much," she cuts off my hasty movements with a giggle and I can feel the heat rise to my cheeks, quickly calming myself down in order to save myself the embarrassment of actually blushing in front of my new co-worker. "I'll show you the basics today, so don't even worry about a thing!" She jabs a thumb to her chest and I fail to suppress a laugh.
The day surprisingly went by faster than I expected and as promised, Jasmine showed me whatever she could without overwhelming me. Like, tending to the customers, how to man the register, showing me where the utensils are to grab the pastries and all of that fun stuff.
"I wonder if he'll still show up today..." I hear Jasmine whisper to herself as she watches the clock on the wall.
"Who?" She blinks rapidly, possibly having not realized she said it out loud.
"Oh, one of our regulars," she shrugs, glancing at the clock one more time while wiping down some of the machinery.
I nod in her direction and get back to cleaning my section at the counter, eyeing the rest of the customers sitting idly in the café. As soon as the evening rush hour passed, everything became much quieter. I think this is why I was so adamant on getting hired here when I originally went job hunting. It's peaceful and not too quiet either. People rush in during certain times of the day, but that makes it fun. The rest of the day and evening is so comforting with everyone relaxing at their own tables, doing work or studies of all kinds while the two of us do our own duties quietly behind the counter. I really like it here.
"Noah, come meet Asher!" I snap out of my stupor at the sound of Jasmine calling someone over. I furrow my brows at her, eventually following her gaze and accidentally let out a small gasp at the sight before me.
The stranger pushing past the door is absolutely beautiful. He's not much shorter than myself from what I can tell and his fingers catch my attention as the rings wrapping around multiple fingers shimmer in the dim lighting. His dark brown hair has stunning highlights running through the locks adding even more definition to his soft-looking locks. His facial features are small and he has an overall delicate appearance that I can't help but describe as beautiful. All of the air leaves my lungs for the third time in the past 10 seconds as soon as his bright green eyes look up and meet my own curious darker taupe pair, his gaze holding mine for a brief second before a tinge of pink flushes over his nose and cheeks. Might be from the cold, I hope he's staying warm this time of year...
The closer he gets the more I can't help but take him all in and I only just about manage to shake my focus off him once Jasmine's voice registers in my head.
"Noah, this is our newest team member, Asher," I notice the pink in his cheeks become even more prominent and I can't help but smile at the fact that it may have something to do with me.
"Nice to meet you, Noah,"
"Nice to meet you, too," his cold hand makes me want to cup it in my own warm ones, but I resist and pull back first.
"They've told me about you this morning, I'm glad you could make it,"
"You talked about me?" His gaze shifts over to the smiling brunette beside me and I almost laugh at the mischievous glint in her brown eyes.
"Hey, only good things were mentioned of course!" Her hands waving around the air aimlessly in mock defense.
His laugh rings in my ears so beautifully and I feel a smile of my own try and tug on my lips as I notice Jasmine start wandering around to prepare a drink, which takes me a bit off guard since he hasn't even ordered anything.
"You guys seem pretty close," I find myself breaking the silence once he starts fiddling with the sleeves of shirt.
"I mean, it'd be a bit odd if we weren't with how often I come here,"
"Which is literally everyday,"
"Thanks, Jasmine..." I let out a breath of laughter at their show of affection and that draws his eyes back to me.
"Anytime." She grins in his direction and turns back to continue whatever it is that she's preparing.
"How was your first day here?"
"Pretty confusing not gonna lie, I tried to keep up the best I could," I wipe down the counter in a futile attempt to have something to distract my running thoughts.
"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon," he reassures me and I smile at him in response.
"Thanks, I hope so too," He grabs the cup Jasmine places in front of him and it finally clicks on my head that he obviously has a specific drink she already knows. I'll have to remember to ask her what it is later...
My eyes follow him as he finds a seat closest to us and we all quickly fall into an easy conversation. He's surprisingly easy to talk to and it's really fun getting to know new people. The three of us seem to continuously find something new to talk about and even Noah's body language seems more relaxed the more we talk, which surprisingly makes my heart flutter with joy.
The fact that I've already made two new friends on my first day makes me so happy and I'm really excited to share the news with them at home.
"Our shifts almost over by the way guys,"
"Do you guys wanna join my team and I later for dinner across the street?" I almost nod right away, but stop myself as soon as I remember who's picking me up later. My heart already skips at the idea of telling Julian all about my first day.
"Um, well someone's picking me up soon, I'm sure he'll want to come with us though, if that's okay?" I kind of want the two of them to meet and I would never say no to food.
With that settled, we get to work with closing up for the day and surprisingly, Noah seems to know more about the routine than I do as he quickly helps Jasmine with lifting chairs and sweeping. I watch him for a moment until Jasmine pulls me to the side at one point to give me some directions on what I should do.
I walk back to a section I've been asked to sweep. Noah is doing the same next to me and I take the opportunity to genuinely thank him for helping us out. "Thank you for helping us,"
"Of course, no need to thank me," he waves me off politely and I can't help but wonder how he can be so... nice? I'm fully aware I just met him barely an hour ago, but how many people would help someone with their job the way he is right now?
"He always helps clean up whenever he can," Jasmine walks past him after bumping his hip with her own and he topples over slightly, I feel my arm twitch slightly around the broom, ready to catch him just in case. A sharp exhale leaves my nose as he quickly regains his balance.
"I couldn't just sit here and watch you do all of this without feeling guilty," he runs a hand through his fluffy locks.
"Just admit it, you're a nice person," I walk past him with a wink and I notice another flush of color rush to his face again.
The door chimes and my head raises slightly to look at who would ignore the 'closed' sign. I sigh in relief at the beautiful sight of my boyfriend and already shift silently over to the wall to put the broom away for now.
"Oh sorry, Alexis, this is my boyfriend, Julian," Noah turns my way right as I start making my way over to Julian.
"Hello, sorry if I'm intruding, I wasn't sure if I should wait outside or not," his gentle voice is as polite and kind as ever as he apologizes to my fellow co-worker and I roll the cuff of my sleeves up once I reach him.
"No no, it's not a problem at all, sorry about that,"
"Thanks again for picking me up," I make it to him and he smiles at the sight of me, making my heart swoon at the twinkle shining in his eyes.
"Of course, how was your day?" He leans his shoulder against the wall, running a hand through my hair. I lean into the touch while responding.
"Really good, I'll make sure to tell you guys everything later,"
"We can't wait to hear all about it, Love,"
I still feel a rush of tingles every single time they call me that. Well, any nickname coming from them really gives me butterflies, "How was your day?"
"Oh, we actually got the cutest little pup in today, and the reason he came in was because he's been seen limping for a couple of days," I nod and push back a chuckle trying to escape my throat at the shift in his mood once he starts talking about animals. It's always fascinating hearing about his day and I love how his eyes literally sparkle when he talks about something good that happened during the day.
"Basically, he got a splinter stuck in his paw, we got him all fixed up and he gave me the cutest little licks on my cheek!" He points to the spot on his cheek excitedly and I coo at the story.
"I'm glad he's doing better now," he nods fervently and waves his hands animatedly as he continues talking about the different pets he got to treat today. I make sure to listen to every word and syllable leaving his mouth.
"Ready to head out guys?"
"Oh yeah, would you maybe want to go have dinner with them?" I ask, already knowing he also would never say no to food.
"If you want, Seb might not be able to join us though,"
"He has that meeting to prepare for, right?" I remember him telling us about that meeting he'll have with some important company with Alexis.
He nods at me, helping me put my coat on while Jasmine starts switching the lights off, "It's tomorrow, make sure to message him good luck," he plants a kiss on my forehead, leaving me a blushing mess.
"Already did this morning!"
"Alright loverboys, let's go, I'm so hungry," she grumbles, a hint of amusement in her tone.
I notice Julian pause while we wait for him and Noah to leave the café and I can't help but be really curious as to what is going through his head as he watches the adorable guy with a concentrated stare.
"Oh, sorry, it's just- you look kind of familiar..." I mull over his words, looking back at Noah, immediately noticing what he means. He does actually seem oddly familiar now that I think about it...
"That might be because you've seen his face lately on 'Starlaxy's' main social media account," My eyes widen at her words, the imaginary lightbulb flickers on and I speed walk to catch up with her.
"He's one of the people that posts on the company's social media, right?" She nods, her eyes never leaving the crowd in front of us. He and a few others are regularly seen on all of their posters, advertisements, social media and even some of their billboards around the city.
"That's him,"
"I can't believe I didn't notice earlier," I shake my head at myself.
"He underestimates just how popular he's become himself sometimes," she sighs and I notice a hint of a smile on her soft features.
"What do you mean?"
"He thinks he's just another face on their website, but fails to realize how big of an impact his cute videos make on their social media, people love him!" She laughs slightly, turning her head to smile at her friend and I find myself mimicking her expressions.
"No!" I whip my head to the side to look at the two slow pokes behind us at the sound of Noah's usually soft tone suddenly raised to an almost yell. His eyes catch mine and his cheeks burn a bright red, his voice much quieter as he continues whatever conversation he's having with the surprised blond beside him.
I turn back with a small chuckle continuing my talk with Jasmine. Mainly talking about how she prepares Noah's special tea that he gets all year round. I'll definitely be able to make it next time I see him in the café.
We eventually make it to the restaurant, sighing at the warmth of the restaurant as we take our seats next to the blonde who called Noah over just now. I end up sitting right beside Noah and across from my lovely boyfriend who smiles at me before shifting his curious eyes over to the man next to me.
The woman from before brings all of our attention to her for a moment, proposing the idea of an introduction round, which I'm not exactly a fan of. I feel Julian's foot playfully kick mine under the table, he gives me a barely noticeable nod as the palm of his hand holds his head. I blink back at the comfort and tune into the introductions starting at the other end of the table.
During Cadence's turn, I don't fail to notice the eyes she keeps giving Julian. He promptly ignores it, keeping his eyes either on me, the table or even occasionally looking over at Noah.
"Wow, I almost feel overwhelmed with all of the titles," I start and continue with my own introductions quickly, "I'm Asher, a new employee at the café with Jasmine," I see Noah's head turn to me as I speak out of the corner of my eye.
"Well, you already know me, but Jasmine, employee at your favorite café," I stifle a laugh at her words, knowing that she's not even joking. The café seems to be pretty popular around here, a go-to place to relax and wind down at the end of the day, or wake up and get some energy in the morning.
"I'm Julian, I'm a veterinarian," I can tell he's trying not to go into detail about his job, opting for a short response instead.
"Vegetarian?" The pink haired woman from earlier, Cadence, 'jokes'. "What?" I resist the urge to tell her off at the sight of the slight frown tugging on Julian's lips that he tries to hide behind his hand.
"I think that's really cool!" His voice timid, yet, enthusiastic as Noah unknowingly cheers him up with those words.
"Really?" His green eyes shimmer slightly in the lighting and I suppress a smile at their interaction.
"Your turn, Noah,"
"Right, I'm Noah, part of the media and marketing team," he practically raps out.
"Not to mention the spokesperson of the company part, but sure, be humble," Jasmine adds.
"Thanks, I'm sure they're aware by now," he pauses before continuing with a smug grin, "so is Lucy by the way," and she nearly chokes on her water from their sudden bout of laughter.
He truly is a very humble person in that regard. The way he slumps into his seat at the mere mention of his accomplishments and the way I could just hold his hands and squeeze them is almost unbearable. This attraction is one I know all too well, but I wonder what Julian thinks...
"Thanks for inviting us out with you guys," we find our footing next to the shorter man as soon as we realize we'll be walking in the same direction for a bit on our way home.
"You guys are free to join us whenever you'd like," his tone lets us know he's being serious and I look towards Julian as he gives me a similar expression.
"Are you always this... inviting?" I ask, grasping Julian's warm hand in mine.
"Not really, I just had fun talking with you guys tonight," I notice his face flinches slightly as soon as the words leave his mouth, but the corners of my lips pull upwards at his bluntness.
"You really are an openly honest guy, aren't you?" Julian unsurprisingly voices my thoughts.
"Not always..."
"Right..." I squeeze his hand to silently tell him to stop messing with the guy, snickers leave my mouth despite my apparent futile attempt to muffle them.
"Anyways, um, this is me,"
"Will you come to the café again tomorrow?" He nods instantly as soon as I ask.
"I go there almost everyday," I inwardly leap to the clouds at the idea of seeing him again tomorrow.
"Wow, you really are the picture perfect definition of a 'regular',"
"Yeah yeah, you guys make good tea and I like going there, sue me, see you two around," he turns away from us before we can even get a chance to say a proper 'goodbye' and we swiftly make our way to the window he's leaning against, startling him as Julian knocks on it. With a final wave from the two of us, we leave him and head back home.
"He's cute," I accidentally say out loud, knowing Julian probably noticed my initial attraction to him anyways, but I still feel my heart rate pick up as the words leave my mouth.
"He is..." he responds after staring at me for a moment, making me turn the other way with my head to avoid his eyes. "Do you want to see him again?" I hold in a scoff at the rhetorical question, deciding to go with a silent nod, my head still facing away from him.
He suddenly tugs my hand slightly, forcing me to face him again. My free hand finds his chest as a soft gasp escapes the confines of my lips, "Let's see what Seb has to say about this," he smirks slightly and I tilt my head in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Were you so distracted by him that you already forgot about a certain meeting happening tomorrow?" He wraps an arm around my waist and I feel my face flush at the reminder of us being out in public.
I clear my throat, hesitantly tugging myself away from his grip, "no, of course not,"
"Well?" He arches a brow at me, pulling me forward to continue our walk home.
"Wha-" "That might be because you've seen his face lately on 'Starlaxy's' main social media account." Jasmine's voice pierces through my head, causing me to suddenly remember where our Love's meeting is taking place tomorrow.
"Do you think he'll be in that meeting too?"
"Definitely, with him playing quite the publicly influential role in the company, I'm sure he'll be there as well..." I nod at his logic, it wouldn't surprise me if they crossed paths tomorrow...
"I hope it'll go well..."
A firm grasp around my hand soothes my nerves right as we reach the gate to our home, some of the lights shining through some of the windows of the three story house. The double door with intricate vinery designs open as soon as the gate is unlocked and we see our stunning boyfriend standing in the middle of the archway with a wide smile adorning his usually sharp features.
"Welcome home."