Aster was shocked the first day when he woke up and Jack was still sleeping beside him. He didn't try to think too much about it and took full advantage of still having Jack there with them. Jack left the room to get snacks or go to the bathroom, but otherwise he stayed hidden underneath Aster's blankets. Tooth caught Aster once in the kitchen, while he was boiling some soup for the two of them. She gave him a long lecture of why he shouldn't be doing what he's doing and he should just kick Jack out on his ass. Aster understood why she was saying those things, but it didn't stop him from getting defensive. He insisted that this time is different.
When Aster woke up on Sunday to soft lips, he was more than a little shocked. He insisted this time was different, but he still fell asleep worried that he would wake up alone. Sunday was spent in the same fashion as Saturday. Sex, snacks and showers with naps dabbling between each thing. They didn't talk much. Aster would ask Jack a question ("Are you in school?" "What brings you to the city?" etc.) and Jack would distract the brunet, masterfully avoiding answering any question. Aster would provide conversation for the two of them when they were awake, but still too worn out to do anything.
Sunday night, Aster had troubles falling asleep. He knows Monday morning he'll have to go to work and this little world he's in with Jack will be broken. Somewhere between four and five in the morning, Aster falls into a fitful sleep. When his alarm goes off too soon in the morning, Jack is still there.
He groans and moans about the noise, but rolls over and falls back asleep once the alarm is silenced. Aster gets ready for work slowly, his eyes focused on the white-haired man in his bed. He's able to steal a lazy morning kiss before he leaves, happy to have that much before he doesn't see Jack anymore.
When Aster stumbles in at the end of the day, grumpy and tired, Jack is sitting on the living room couch watching TV with Tooth. She doesn't look too pleased that he's still in the flat, but keeps her mouth shut about it. Jack is wearing Aster's sweatpants again and has a bowl of spaghetti in his lap. Hickies and scratches cover almost all the exposed, pale skin of his torso. Jack is unconcerned with the marks, almost to the point of indifference, and he gives Aster a kiss. He tells Aster that he's washed the bedroom sheets and that he made them supper.
Monday night Aster eats soggy spaghetti and watches bad TV. Tooth stays with them for a while, but ducks out for a date partway through the night. When they go to bed, they have sex, but it's so gentle Aster almost wants to call it "lovemaking" (as corny as that is) even when Jack bites him hard enough to draw blood.
Tuesday, Jack is still there. He makes chicken salad for supper.
Wednesday, Jack makes steak.
Thursday, Tooth is cautiously optimistic about Jack's constant presence. Jack makes stir-fry with the leftover beef.
Friday, Aster stops being shocked about seeing Jack around the flat. At some point, Jack went and retrieved some of his own clothes and they're now mixed with Aster's clothes.
Saturday, Aster takes Jack out for a real date. He takes Jack out to a nice restaurant then a movie. When they have sex on Saturday, Aster only hesitates for a moment before calling it "lovemaking."
Sunday, they laze around in pajamas and annoy Tooth. They just fall asleep that night, Aster wrapped around Jack. Aster sleeps with a smile on his face.
The next week follows in about the same pattern. Jack goes out shopping on Monday and Wednesday. Aster takes Jack out on two more dates Tuesday and Thursday. Jack, Aster, Tooth and her new boyfriend, Nick have a movie night on Friday. They laugh and joke and have an all-around good time, throwing popcorn and having a few drinks. That night, their neighbors complain about the noise from all four of them.
Saturday
Aster wakes up slowly, a headache already throbbing in his temples. He groans and pulls his pillow over his head. Jack is still asleep next to him, sprawled out on his stomach, taking up 87% of the bed and 100% of the covers. The only thing Aster has is his pillow. He shivers against the draft, but knows he won't be able to wrestle any blankets back. It takes him a moment to realize that he's completely naked. There's an ache in his thighs and something drying on his stomach. He can't even remember the night before. Someone (probably Tooth) suggested a drinking game then the night sort of went fuzzy.
Somehow, he manages to stand upright and meander his way to the bathroom, his bladder making itself known. He doesn't even bother covering up. If he's this bad, Tooth won't wake up unless someone sets her on fire and Jack's already seen him naked. He makes it to the bathroom without incident and only needs to steady himself twice.
He doesn't even bother staying standing, knowing that his aim is, at best, subpar right now. It takes him another moment to see the person sleeping in the bathtub. It's Nick. Aster stares at him for a few minutes, not really understanding what he's seeing. He's sitting in the tub like he fell in backwards, his feet hanging over the edge. He appears to only be wearing thin, cotton underwear.
Aster flushes and washes his hands and the noise wakes Nick up. His eyes shoot open suddenly at the noise and he looks confused to see Aster. "Why are you naked?" Nick asks after a few tense moments of staring.
"Why are you in the bathtub?" Aster asks back instead of answering.
Nick's eyebrows wrinkle, "I'm in the bathtub?" He looks down. "Oh, I guess that's why I'm so cold."
Aster knows that's supposed to be a joke, but he can't must up the energy to even chuckle. "Do you need help?"
"Nope," Nick says, shaking his head, "I'll figure my way out of this one by myself. It looks like I'm keeping you from something."
It doesn't really make that much sense, but Aster leaves anyway. Jack has sprawled over the remaining 13% of the bed and has started snoring. It's not loud, obnoxious snoring, but cute little snores like a kitten would make. Aster has a hard time being annoyed at not having any room on his bed when Jack sounds like that.
He's able to wrestle some blankets and get underneath the covers. Jack curls up on his chest and seems to go boneless. Aster plays with the white hair for a few minutes, then sleep overtakes him.
Sunday
Jack is bright eyed and cheery all day while Aster is still nursing his hangover from Friday night. He hates being reminded how much older he is than Jack. Although, Jack did most of the cleaning, dishes and whatnot since Aster, Tooth and Nick were all pretty much useless until Sunday morning. Nick would have stayed another night, but he didn't have any clothes and work in the morning. Aster didn't really pay enough attention to Nick to know what job would bring someone into work on a Sunday past minimum wage work.
Tooth has warmed up to Jack being there. She's mostly grateful that there's someone to make meals and clean up while they're at work. Even if there is a truce between Jack and Tooth, she still isn't talking to him. Jack still won't answer Aster's questions. He'll deflect to a safer topic about TV shows, music, movies, etc. Aster doesn't think about it. He doesn't want to think about why Jack doesn't want him to know his plans and he ignores that nagging voice in the back of his head, warning him that something bad is going to happen. .
Aster gets Tooth to leave for the night and makes a lavish, home cooked meal for Jack. Jack had gone out for a few hours at Aster's request, so he wasn't too surprised to find something so romantic when he came back, but he was surprised at the spread. There's stuffed chicken breast, rosemary potatoes, steamed asparagus and a fancy wine Jack can't pronounce. "You didn't have to," Jack says while Aster forces him into a seat at the table.
"I wanted to," Aster replies easily, bending to give Jack a kiss on the side of his head.
Aster lights a candle once their plates are in front of them. "How did you do this in a few hours?" Jack asks, picking up his fork and knife to cut into the chicken.
"That's a secret." He winks at Jack. Jack smiles widely and takes a bite of the chicken. The sound he makes is purely pornographic.
"Oh that's good," Jack says quickly, forgetting his manners and shoving another bite into his mouth. Aster watches fondly and eats his own meal slowly. The wine perfectly compliments the food and after two glasses, Jack's cheeks are rosy and there's a mischievous glint in his eyes. There's something warmer in the pools of blue in Jack's eyes, but Aster ignores it, for now. He brings out dessert, a simple fruit salad and fresh whipped cream.
They eat their dessert a little more slowly, barely breaking eye contact the entire time. Aster feels warm under that gaze and it's hard to turn away. When Jack is done, he leaves his dishes on the table and stands in front of Aster. He leans down and gives him a sweet kiss, the taste of the food mingling in their mouths. When Jack pulls away, Aster chases those soft lips for a moment but stops when he hears a small giggle from Jack.
Aster opens his eyes (he can't even remember closing them) and sees Jack standing a few feet away; his best "come hither" look on his face. Jack turns from Aster and walks into the bedroom. Aster takes a moment to blow out the candle and pile the dishes into the sink before almost sprinting into the bedroom. Jack is already naked and laying on his back in the middle of the bed. His back is arched lazily and half-hooded blue eyes are fixed on Aster.
Jack watches Aster watching him, his hand stroking lazily over his cock. Aster looks frozen and Jack rejoices inwardly. The older man doesn't move until a small moan escapes Jack's throat. At that point, his clothes fly off his body and land wherever in the room. He crawls over Jack and melds their lips together. Jack moans and arches up against Aster's chest.
Aster smacks Jack's hand away and replaces it with his own. "Ah… Aster," Jack whispers, breaking their kiss, his hands threading through Aster's hair. Aster bites along the side of Jack's neck, and sucks marks into the pale skin. There are already some fading marks, but Aster just adds more. He loves seeing his marks on Jack's skin.
Aster moves his hand from Jack's cock to rub against Jack's perineum. Jack whines at the sensation and squirms underneath the pleasure. A smirk works itself across Aster's face. His free hand goes to the nightstand to grab the lube sitting out in the open. He pours some over his fingers and rubs at the pucker of skin underneath Jack's perineum. "Aster," Jack whines, pushing back against those fingers.
He isn't as demanding as he used to be, letting Aster give him pleasure instead of selfishly taking it. Aster is more than happy that Jack's letting him set the pace. He likes opening Jack slowly, teasing him slowly until he is raw from pleasure. The flush that spreads from his cheeks down to his chest is well worth the wait. Slowly, he pushes one finger in, knowing Jack can take two, but working slow anyways. Jack pushes against the intrusion, silently begging for more.
Although Jack is a lot more pliant in bed, begging is something he still refusing to give in to. He works his finger slowly until there's a little whining noise coming from Jack, which he doesn't even know he makes. Then, Aster adds in a second finger, pressing them into Jack's prostate without hesitation. Jack nearly arches in half and tear out two handfuls of his hair, but it's worth it. He's pliant and boneless and shaking from his pleasure, but still achingly hard. "Aster, Aster, Aster, Aster…" Jack mumbles, his eyes glazed over.
He probably isn't even aware he's saying Aster's name like a prayer. Normally, Aster would tease in one more finger, but the rim is so soft and the heat is so inviting he takes mercy on the white-haired man. Jack mewls when Aster withdraws his fingers, weakly scratching at his shoulders in protest. "A moment, love," Aster whispers, giving him a sweet kiss. He manages to grab a condom without moving too far away, but fumbles with putting it on.
Jack watches in a daze, his body still wonderfully amendable. "Aster," he complains when it takes too long. His muscles start tensing up and Aster doesn't want that. Aster pushes their lips together again, finally getting the condom on. His hands move up to Jack's chest and he massaged pink nipples, loosening Jack up again. Jack moans into Aster's mouth, body moving against the stimulation.
After a few minutes of kissing and touching, Aster pulls Jack's leg over his hip and positions himself at his entrance. Jack urges Aster on, using his leg to pull the older man closer. Aster pushes inside slowly, while Jack tosses his head back and moans wantonly. He pauses once he's fully seated, drinking in the sight of Jack underneath him. Jack moves his hips lazily, urging the man to move. Aster does, but slowly. There's no frantic movement, only slow rocking. Jack feels the pleasure burning him up from the inside, so slowly he finds it hard to breathe.
There's no doubt in Aster's mind this is exactly what lovemaking is and he wants to convey his feelings without words. Jack is incoherent and scrabbling for purchase against Aster's strong shoulders. There's no hurry in their movement and their orgasms hit like a cup overflowing. Jack is boneless, staring at the ceiling and doesn't even notice when Aster disappears for a few minutes. Aster goes to the bathroom and grabs a washcloth, returning to the bedroom on shaking legs. He doesn't even bother taking the cloth back to the bathroom, tossing it on the ground with a wet plop.
Aster pulls them underneath the covers and pulls Jack into his arms. Jack snuggles closer, but is mostly asleep before he can feel Aster's chest under his cheek. Aster is drained, but he stays awake for a few more minutes, enjoying the intense feelings within his chest. He plays with the hair on Jack's head and slowly falls into a deep, peaceful slumber.
Monday
When the alarm goes off in the morning, Aster wakes up next to cold sheets. He hasn't even opened his eyes yet, but he knows that Jack is long gone. A fleeting thought makes Aster think that having Jack here was just an elaborate dream. It's cruel and could probably be classified as a nightmare, but Aster clings to that beliefs as he gets up and starts getting ready for work. Jack's clothes are nowhere to be seen, and the toothbrush that Aster bought him isn't anywhere in the bathroom.
Aster's mood lightens at the thought that it was just a horribly vivid dream. He's actually humming as he brushes his teeth and jumps into the shower. Then, he walks into the kitchen. The dishes from the home-cooked meal Aster made are still in the sink and that expensive bottle of wine has a piece of paper propped against it, "Aster" written in Jack's loopy handwriting. Aster stows the note in his room, unable to look at it right now. He doesn't want to read it before going to work. He quickly washes the dishes, leaving them to drip-dry in the drying rack beside the sink and he tosses the empty wine bottle into the recycling.
He leaves the flat about ten minutes late.
When Aster gets home, he's in quite the mood. He got chewed out by his supervisor for being late, even though he hasn't been late until today. Tooth is sitting in the living room, watching TV. She takes one look at him and smothers her question about Jack's whereabouts. The pity in those purple eyes puts Aster's teeth on edge and he storms into his room. He knows she's only being a good friend and he'd feel exactly the same if she were in his position, but he doesn't want her pity.
He destroys his room in a fit of rage, but he doesn't have a lot of stuff. His clothes end up everywhere, his closet and drawers completely empty by the time he slumps onto the bed with his head in his hands. The nightstand is tipped over, the contents of the drawers thrown about as well, and the lamp on the stand is broken. His alarm clock lies on the ground, on it side, strong red numbers reading 7 pm. Once the rage has passed, Aster thinks about how he has to clean up his room now. He spots the note he stowed in the nightstand, now leaning against his empty dresser with wrinkles on it.
He figures he has nothing to lose, so he picks up the note and unfolds it.
A… Jack.
Sorry, but I can't do this anymore. I had a lot of fun, trust me, but I have to go. Don't bother looking for me.
P.S. Tell Tooth her TV shows suck!
Tears well up in Aster's eyes. There's no stopping them. His heart aches at the loss of Jack. He really thought this time would be different, but he knows he's a fool for falling for Jack again. He's a fool for believing that this would end any other way. Still crying, Aster stands up and starts cleaning up the mess he made.
One Year Later
Aster is sitting at the patio at a café, sketchpad at one hand, sugar donut in the other. There's a slight chill in the air, but it's warming up quickly, the spring melting into summer. He's stripped out of his light jacket, intending to fight the chill until it's warm enough to go without it. The fresh tattoos on his arms tingle a bit, still healing, but he's happy with how they turned out. They're tribal tattoos of sorts. The ink makes him look more masculine, or so the artist said. It could be just because he gave her a large tip once she was done.
He doesn't live with Tooth anymore. She moved in with her boyfriend, Nick, in the winter and they're expecting a baby soon. Aster tries to keep in touch with her as much as he can, but there's a bitterness he feels when he sees how happy she is with Nick. He hasn't been in a long-term relationship since Jack, yet he craves the affection that comes with a relationship. There were times he went out to the bar, find someone to scratch that itch, but none of them could compare to Jack. Aster hates himself for it. Slowly though, with the changing of the seasons, Aster is starting to forget the feeling of Jack's touch, or how he moved against him. He thinks, maybe by next summer, he'll be okay. It'll take too long, in his opinion, but he looks forward to not waking up craving someone that he knows won't be there.
His drawings don't even represent Jack anymore. Aster purged every single piece that had Jack in it and focused on landscape portraits instead. It's safer than connecting to a human model, or being tempted to draw the lines of Jack's arching back, or the light smattering of freckles across his nose. He's in the middle of drawing a tree blossoming when someone sits across from him. Aster jaw drops when he recognizes bright, blue eyes.
"Hello Aster, it's been a while," Jack greets, smirk on his face.
Holy crap… I looked at when I posted the first chapter and it's been over a year and this thing has not been completed… so… yeah… sorry about that… but this is it! this is all I had planned for this story so I hope you find it satisfactory… yeah… not really a happy ending, but that tends to be my forte… again… reviews are welcome!