Asher patting my shoulder woke me up the next morning, and I pulled a face at how bright the room was.
"Didn't you say waking others up was rude?" I groaned, not sure if he could even understand my mumbling.
"Conan's here."
I sat up in an instance, and there was Conan, standing outside the glass wall and waving at me. I briefly glanced under the covers before gripping Asher's shoulder.
"My pants."
He turned around with a groan, reaching for them without getting out of bed, and tossed them at me. I quickly put them on before jumping out of bed and crossing the room.
Asher stayed back, watching me from the warmth and safety of my bed as I pulled the glass door open.
"Morning," Conan greeted, already slipping into the room.
"Hey, how are-"
Before I could even finish my question Conan had already pulled me into a tight hug, and I stiffened at how unexpected it was.
"Woah. Group hug?" I asked hesitantly, glancing at Asher who just rolled his eyes.
"It's finally okay, Kiri," Conan grinned as he let go of me. "They let me live with my aunt, about an hour drive from here. I don't have to go to any dumb academy, and my aunt can help me get a job and figure all that out."
"Woah," I repeated. "But that's great. That's perfect!"
"I know!" Conan's grin was huge and contagious. "I just wanted to tell you before I leave. She picks me up after lunch."
"So early?"
"Yeah, it fits into her schedule. She has two little kids, I think she takes them with her later."
I beamed him a grin. "Hey, kids. That'll teach you some responsibility."
"I know," was all he said before pulling me into another hug. "Sorry, I'm just, I thought I had to live on the streets. Run away or some shit."
"I'm glad you won't," I said, hugging him back with the same excitement, neither of us minding my lack of a shirt and Asher's glare.
These news were unexpected, but so incredibly good. All I had wanted was for Conan to be happy, and it seemed that he could finally be.
"Wait, one last thing," I said as we let go of each other again. I glanced at Asher. "You, apologize."
He raised a brow and hugged the covers tighter. "Yeah, what about no."
"Come on, don't be a dick. You probably won't see Conan ever again," I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
Conan smiled. "It's alright, kid."
"No it's not. Ash, grow up."
That caused Asher to narrow his eyes at me. "Don't tell me to grow up."
"Don't tell me to grow up," I mimicked. "Well, don't pick fights with others. Say you're sorry, and we can all move on already."
The boy sighed before finally getting out of my bed. He was only wearing his sweatpants, and I tried to fight the blush creeping up my cheeks.
"Sorry for punching you, I guess," Asher said, holding his hand out to Conan.
Conan shrugged, taking it. "It's alright. Sorry for my parents, I didn't want them to cause a scene."
"You're only sorry for that?" Asher replied, raising a brow.
I rolled my eyes and shoved him back to the bed. "Dude, it's too early to be this negative. Just be happy for once."
"I am happy," he replied, stepping behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. Now the blush had won, and I rolled my eyes as my whole face turned a dark shade of red.
Conan smirked at me. "Yeah, like I said, I just wanted to let you know. Good luck, Kiri."
"Thanks, you too," I replied, clearing my throat. "With your parents and all. Good luck."
Conan nodded at Asher before stepping back out into the yard. He waved at me one last time, then he disappeared over the fence subdividing the two properties.
I sighed, resting the back of my head against Asher's shoulders. "I hope he'll be okay."
"He will," Asher replied, tightening his grip around my waist. "Breakfast?"
I rolled my eyes. "Duh. Don't ask dumb questions."
He just laughed, and we made our way to the kitchen after I had put on socks so my feet wouldn't be cold. Anna was sitting at the table, sipping on a cup of coffee and smiling as we entered.
"Morning, boys," she greeted. "Mike already left for work."
"Morning. Can I have some of that?" Asher asked, glancing at her cup. I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him towards the table.
"You, sit. Be my guest."
He sat down with a smirk. "Can't complain about that."
I turned on the radio before pouring him a cup of coffee and looking for something to eat. Anna and Ash started talking, but I didn't join in on the conversation.
My thoughts were with Conan. He had never mentioned his aunt, so I couldn't know what to think about her. On the other hand, I was glad that he finally had a solid plan. Everything that would get him away from his parents was probably for the better, and if it made him happy as well, it couldn't be bad.
After breakfast Asher convinced me to go on a run with him, since he had the afternoon shift again today. I neither liked running nor the idea of being active on such a beautiful summer day, but I really liked Asher, so I gave in.
We briefly stopped by his house so he could change as well before walking to that forest Gill had once led me to, so I could talk to Asher. I smiled at the memory since it seemed so far away. So old and odd to think about.
We ran through the forest, not talking to save our energy. We both had our earbuds in anyway, and even though I struggled to keep up with Asher, we somehow managed to stay together the whole time.
When we ran past that small lake for the third time, we finally stopped, and I collapsed on the grass without wasting a single thought about getting dirty. I had to shower anyway.
Asher sat down next to me with a grin, stretching his legs. "That was nice."
"Yeah," I replied, still struggling to catch my breath. "Fucking delighting."
He simply laughed and pat my back. "You were good. I only had to slow down a little."
Rolling my eyes, I managed to bring up enough energy to flip him off. "Hey, fuck you."
We remained quiet until I had somewhat calmed down. Then I sat up, turning off my music and running a hand through my hair.
"We're never doing that again," I stated confidently. "Running has never been that exhausting at soccer practice."
"You're just out of shape. And a smoker. We can work on that," Asher replied with a shrug. "Hey, Kiri."
"I swear, if you propose to run back to town now, I'll abandon you in the woods."
"No," he said, cracking a grin. "Let's go for a swim."
I raised a brow, caught by surprise. "A swim?"
"In the lake. Come on, it's hot enough."
He was right, it was a hot summer morning, and the water seemed like an inviting refreshment. So I sighed, giving in yet again.
Asher checked our surroundings before taking off his shirt, his shorts soon following. I copied him, and we approached the lake wearing only our underwear.
"Okay, maybe this is a bad idea after all," I said, hesitantly sticking my toes into the cold water. "I'll freeze and die. Let's just go home and shower."
But Asher had something else in mind when he suddenly appeared behind me, wrapping one of his arms around my waist and the other around my legs as he picked me up.
"No!" I cried, holding on to his neck tightly so I wouldn't fall into the lake, while glaring at him. "Ash, I swear, if you-"
He only replied with a simple "live a little" though before jumping into the lake himself, taking me down with him. The water was so unbelievably cold I was certain I'd get a heart attack.
"I hate you," I gasped once I came back up to the surface where I was met with Asher's grin. "I hate you so, so much."
His grin shrunk a little when I noticed how much I was trembling. "Come on, let's swim, it'll warm you up."
I didn't want to, but swam with him across the lake anyways. And like he said, I was finally getting accustomed to the cold water.
"See, that wasn't so bad," Asher stated, obviously satisfied with himself as we swam side by side.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Cardiovascular problems."
"What?"
"Frostbite. Or I could have drowned. You've never seen me swim before, have you?"
Asher groaned. "Stop being dramatic. It was fun."
"No, roller coasters are fun. Or video games. Or making strawberry milkshakes," I contradicted. "Do you see me having a good time? No, because this isn't fun."
Suddenly, a weird glint appeared in Asher's eyes. "I can help you have a good time, then."
My eyes slightly widened when we found ourselves in a small bay-like area of the lake a moment later, hidden from the path by huge rocks and bushes. The water only went up to our knees here, and Asher walked up to me with a grin.
Instead of saying anything he kissed me, cupping my face with his hands. I put my arms around his neck to pull him closer, not minding that we were both dripping wet. In fact, I would never complain about Asher being stripped down to his underwear.
His hands wandered from my face over my back, stopping at the hem of my briefs. He broke the kiss, his forehead resting against mine as he stared at me.
"Tell me this is different than last time," he said quietly, his breath rushing over my skin leaving a tingling sensation. I slightly shivered as he put his hands on my hips, pulling me closer. "Tell me it's different."
"Well it feels different," I replied, pressing my hands against his scarred chest.
And it really did. Asher's touch felt more intimate, his presence even more intoxicating. A simple glance could make my heart beat faster, a single word was enough to make me blush.
Yes, it was definitely different.
It was better.
And Asher knew too when he kissed me again, this time with more force.
"Yes," he breathed between two kisses, each time only briefly breaking away from my lips to catch his breath. "Yes. I love you."
I stiffened for a second yet quickly relaxed again under his touch, not interrupting what we were doing.
We moved until my back was met with the rock's surface, and his hands finally continued their way into my briefs. We were alone, with the rest of the world too far away to bother us.
For once, it was only us, and us alone. And it was good.