He nods. "That's fair. There's no rush."
"But… what do you want?" I ask.
Asher's gaze is steady, unflinching. "I want to see where this goes," he says simply. "I've wanted you for a long time, Philip. Now that I've had a taste, I'm not eager to give it up."
The admission makes something warm unfurl in my chest. "I think I'd like that too," I say, surprising myself with how true the words feel. "To see where this goes."
Asher's smile is like the sun breaking through clouds. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," I confirm, returning the smile. "But maybe we take it slow? I'm still... adjusting to all this."
"We can go as slow as you need," Asher agrees, his hand squeezing mine. "No pressure."
The assurance settles something in me, a fear I hadn't fully acknowledged until it was addressed. "Thank you."
We lie there in comfortable silence for a while, both lost in our own thoughts. My mind drifts back to the party, to the moment that started all of this.
"You know," I say, breaking the silence, "when you said you'd have me by the end of the night at that party, I thought you were insane."
Asher laughs, the sound vibrating through the mattress. "I was being optimistic."
"Cocky is more like it," I correct.
"Maybe," Asher concedes. "But I was right, wasn't I?"
I can't argue with that. "You were right. Though it took a little longer than one night."
"Some things are worth waiting for."
The simple statement, laden with meaning, makes my heart skip a beat. I turn to face Asher fully, taking in the sight of him—disheveled hair, flushed cheeks, eyes bright with something that looks a lot like happiness.
"I'm glad I came here tonight," I say, the words feeling inadequate for the enormity of what's happened, what's changing inside me.
"Me too," Asher replies. "Very glad you beat me to findingsomeone else.'"
The reference makes me laugh. "Jealousy is a powerful motivator."
"I'll keep that in mind," he says, his tone teasing. Then, he adds, "Stay? For a while, at least?"
"I'd like that," I say, the decision feeling right in a way few things have lately.
Asher's smile widens, genuine pleasure lighting his features. "Good."
As we settle back against the pillows, my mind drifts to the paper I still haven't written, the finals I should be studying for. But for once, those concerns feel distant, less important than the man lying beside me, than the discoveries I've made about myself.
Tomorrow, I'll face the world with this new understanding of myself, this expanded sense of who I am and what I want. It won't be easy—nothing worth having ever is—but I won't be facing it alone.
For now, though, I'm content to lie here, to bask in the afterglow of connection, of discovery, of possibility. The future, with all its complications and questions, can wait until morning.
Epilogue
THREE WEEKS LATER, I find myself back at another Beta Theta Pi party. But this time, everything is different.
I stand in the corner of the living room, nursing a beer, watching as people dance and laugh around me. My eyes scan the crowd, searching for one person in particular.
"Looking for someone?" Monica appears at my side, a knowing smile on her face. "Perhaps a certain Beta with an ego the size of Texas and biceps to match?"
I choke on my beer. "Jesus, Monica."
