STORIES

"But Asher…" Asche whispered tracing patterns on her hand, Asher looked at Asche and his wide grey eyes, his gaze fixed on her hand. He kissed it, he worshipped her. She looked down at him, her cheeks felt warm. Just the other day when Asche was drunk he had told her he loved her, she wanted to ask to confirm it. She pulled her hand back slightly, not to pull away, but to cup his cheek with her thumb. His grey eyes searched hers, brimming with the quiet, earnest emotion he usually struggled to articulate."Asche..." she began, her voice steady and deliberate. As the culinary arts teacher, Asher was used to precision—measuring ingredients, timing dishes, commanding a bustling kitchen. But in this quiet corner of the music wing, amidst the lingering scent of rosin and old sheet music, her usual composure wavered. "About what you said the other night."Asche’s eyes widened, a flush creeping up his neck. He looked away, his gaze darting to the piano keys before focusing on his own intertwined fingers. His attention was always like that—a flickering melody, drifting from one stray thought to another, but right now, he was painfully, entirely present."I..." he started, his voice a breathy whisper. He looked back up at her, and Asher saw the familiar, sudden sheen of tears welling in his grey eyes. Asche felt things deeply, crying just as easily over a beautiful, unresolved chord progression as he did when he was overwhelmed. "I meant it, Asher. Every word.""Even when your head was spinning?" she asked gently, a rare, soft smile playing on her lips. She rarely got angry, preferring calm logic, but right now she just needed certainty. "You weren't just confused by the whiskey?"Asche shook his head, a tear finally spilling over and tracking a warm path down his cheek. He reached out to gently grasp the edge of her apron. "I'm scattered, I know. I lose my sheet music, I lose my train of thought, and half the time I forget where I left my jacket. But I have never been more focused on anything in my life. I love you, Asher."The sincerity in his trembling voice dissolved any lingering doubt. Asher leaned down, brushing the stray tear away with her lips before pressing them softly against his. He kissed her back with a tender desperation, his hands tentatively finding her waist. When they parted, his breathing was uneven, but his gaze was anchored entirely to hers."Good," Asher whispered, resting her forehead against his. "Because I love you too." his hands shook and he pulled on his head phones.