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The day Harvey brought Bruce home to meet Asher was a day none of them would ever forget. Asher could hardly wait to meet the person that made their dad so happy. But they were also extremely nervous. They’d heard all about this guy who made Harvey happier than they’d seen him in a while.
Sure, Asher knew they made Harvey happy. But this was a different kind of happy. They knew Harvey was lonely. He needed someone that could be there for him in every way they couldn’t be. Asher was excited that Harvey had finally found someone to fulfill that role for their dad.
While waiting for Harvey and Bruce to arrive, Asher sat on the couch in the living room with the tv playing in the background. They were hardly able to sit still between the excitement and the nerves as they waited. Harvey had asked them to wait in the living room for when he and Bruce got home so as not to overwhelm Bruce too much.
Asher heard front door open and wanted to stand up and run to their dad to greet him. That was the usual routine for when Harvey got home. But Asher respected their dad’s wishes as they heard Harvey and Bruce quietly chatting in the entry. They tried to keep their composure and calm down, at least a little. Harvey and Bruce’s voices were getting louder as they slowly approached the living room. Asher saw their dad first, and then someone they’d never seen before appeared right behind him, Bruce.
“Hey, kiddo. There’s someone I want you to meet,” said Harvey. He led Bruce into the living room so they were both standing by Asher. “This is my boyfriend, Bruce.” Harvey smiled as he looked at Bruce and then over to Asher to see how they were feeling.
Asher stood up and extended their hand to shake Bruce’s. “Pleasure to meet you, Bruce. My name is Asher.” They tried to act older to make a good first impression. They knew that if Harvey was bringing somebody home to meet them that it was a very big deal.
He’d only talked about one other person that was special to him. Her name was Rebecca March. But Asher had never met her before she was out of the picture.
Bruce extended his hand and shook Asher’s. “Hi, Asher. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from your dad, here.” He smiled, hoping it would hide his nerves. He knew he needed to make a good impression on Asher. They were the most important person in Harvey’s life. If Asher didn’t like him, Bruce wouldn’t know what to do.
Asher was shyer than they’d ever been before. They didn’t want to mess this up for their dad. And they really wanted Bruce to like them. They folded their hands in front of them, fidgeting with them and said, “So, uh, how long have you known my dad?” They were unsure of what else to say but hated awkward silences.
Bruce lightly chuckled, seeming relieved that Asher broke the silence as he was also unsure what to say. He crossed his arms across his chest to try to bottle up his nervous energy as he spoke. “Well, I’ve worked with your dad for many years now. We’ve always been great friends.”
Harvey was watching the two of them interact. He could tell they were both nervous but he was smiling as they were interacting. When the silence got awkward again, he spoke up. “Say, Ash, I’m gonna go show Bruce around the house before dinner. Is that okay with you? Do you wanna come with to show your favorite spots?”
Asher shrugged. “No, that okay. I’ll stay here and start on my homework, I think.” The truth was, they were too nervous to talk very much right now.
“Alright, kiddo. If you’re sure,” Harvey said. He could tell they were really nervous right now and didn’t want to overwhelm them. “If you need help, come find us and I’ll help you out, okay?” He watched Asher nod again. “Okay. Oh, and I know I already asked you before but are you still okay if Bruce joins us for dinner?”
“Mhm,” Asher said as they nodded. “You’re okay with pizza, right, Mr. Bruce?” They looked at Bruce now as they asked.
Bruce gave a small chuckle again after Asher called him Mr. Bruce. “Yes, yes I love pizza! And you can call me just Bruce if you’d like. The mister really isn’t necessary. Unless you really like the mister.” He chuckled nervously now to prevent himself from rambling.
“Okay, just Bruce. Welcome to our house.” Asher smiled, proud of their little joke but also hoping to make Bruce feel welcome.
Harvey bent down so he was eye level with Asher now. “Okay, well I’m gonna go show Bruce around now before dinner is ready. But I didn’t get my hug yet. Can I have it now? Or are you too grown up for that?” He said the last part jokingly knowing Asher would never turn down a hug from their dad.
“Of course, dad!” Asher said. And, without hesitation, they wrapped their arms around Harvey. He picked them up in a big bear hug like he always did and spun them around in a circle. It always made Asher laugh no matter what kind of day they had.
After Harvey set them down, he ruffled their hair a little bit and said, “I missed you, silly. We’ll catch up in a little bit. I’m gonna go put the pizza in the oven and then we’ll be wandering around the house. Remember, holler or find us if you need anything, yeah?” Asher nodded. “Okay, kiddo. See you in a little bit.”
“Okay, see you in a bit. Nice meeting you, Bruce,” Asher said, smiling as Harvey and Bruce left the room.
“Nice meeting you too, Asher,” Bruce replied. He gave a smile back and he and Harvey left the room.
Once they’d walked out of earshot, Bruce stopped to lean against a wall and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. Harvey noticed and approached Bruce.
“You okay, Bruce?” Harvey looked concerned at his boyfriend. He seemed to be in distress.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m okay. I just, I think I blew it, Harv. I was stumbling over my words and then I barely said anything. I made myself look like an idiot. I-“
“Hey,” Harvey interrupted, putting a hand on Bruce’s arm to try to help calm him down. “You did great, hon. They like you, I promise they do. They were just as nervous as you, if not even more than you were. They were trying to make a good impression on you.” There was a moment that was silent between the two of them as Bruce was trying to process this and also trying to calm down.
“C’mere.” Harvey brought Bruce in for a hug. His voice was almost a whisper. “You did great. Both of you were trying so hard to impress the other that neither of you were acting like yourselves.” He pulled away from the hug but still kept Bruce close, cradling his face with his hands. “Just be yourself at dinner. You got this, okay?”
Bruce took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure. I’ll try to loosen up. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m just… I’m just so nervous.” He exhaled loudly and laid his head on Harvey’s shoulder. “I didn’t think I’d be this nervous to meet them.”
Harvey put his arms back around Bruce. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay to be nervous. I’ll be right there with you every step.” They stayed like that for a moment longer before Bruce lifted his head, seeming more relaxed.
“You okay now?” Harvey asked and Bruce nodded.
“Alright.” Harvey gave him an encouraging smile. “Now, c’mon. Let me show you around quick before dinner?” He offered his hand to Bruce.
Bruce grabbed Harvey’s hand nodded, smiling slightly. “Yeah, okay.”
They walked through the house, holding hands as Harvey gave Bruce a tour.
Asher quickly got busy on their homework, eager for a distraction so they didn’t work themself up even more. They were learning multiplication in school. Multiplication was something that usually came easy to Asher. They’d been doing it for 2 years already.
But today… today they couldn’t focus anymore. They were too worried about making a good impression to Bruce. Asher didn’t want to tell Harvey about it because they didn’t want to add to his stress. They knew Harvey was nervous about today as well and wanted Asher to get along with and like Bruce.
From their short time interacting, Asher already really liked Bruce. They could see that Bruce really cared for Harvey and also how happy Harvey was around Bruce. The most important thing to Asher was that Harvey was happy.
Asher realized they were getting lost in their mind and tried to shake it off by shaking their head. They mumbled to themself, “Just focus. Dad is happy and it’s all going to be fine. Just do your math.”
They tried to focus for a couple more minutes and then gave up, closed the math book, packed everything up, and went to their room to hide instead. Asher didn’t want Harvey to see them like this. They were focused on calming down before dinner. They knew Harvey would be able to tell something was up if they didn’t calm down.
When Asher got to their room, they set their backpack down and grabbed their headphones to blast music for a little while to help calm down. They felt frustrated that they couldn’t understand why they were only getting more worked up. They usually had a grasp on their emotions so Harvey wouldn’t have to worry about them.
As the music started to play, they slowly got lost in the music instead of their mind and started to focus on that instead.
“Okay, that’s the whole house. I know it’s not Wayne Manor but I think we’ve got a decent place here,” Harvey said as he and Bruce approached the living room again.
“Oh, I think the place is lovely, Harv. It’s beautiful,” Bruce replied with a smile. They sat down on the couch, smiling together. They were both more at ease about the day and were having a great time.
The tv was still playing because Asher had forgotten to shut it off in their rush to go hide. Harvey suddenly realized Asher wasn’t there and sensed something was up. He turned to Bruce and said, “I’m gonna go check on Asher, see how they’re doing. Can you just sit tight here on the couch for a bit? It’ll only take a couple minutes.”
Bruce nodded. “Yeah, of course. Go ahead. I’ll be perfectly fine here watching… whatever this is.” He let out a light chuckle. “Is everything okay?” He could sense that Harvey seemed worried.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m sure everything is fine. Just want to check on how their homework is going,” Harvey replied. He didn’t want to worry Bruce but he knew Asher wasn’t okay. Harvey stood up. “I’ll be back shortly.” He gave Bruce a quick smile as he got up to go check on Asher.
Asher didn’t hear the knock on their door with their headphones on. They were still nervous and anxious about everything. They were still trying to calm down before dinner and knew time was running out to do so.
Harvey knocked on the door but heard faint music playing. He cracked the door to Asher’s room open to find them laying on their bed, head hanging off the edge and eyes closed, blasting music through their headphones. Harvey knew they only did this when they were really upset or stressed out.
He went inside Asher’s room, and lightly tapped them on the shoulder, trying not to scare them. Asher jumped at the feeling on someone’s hand on their shoulder and opened their eyes to find Harvey there. They paused the music lowered their headphones.
“Dad, you scared me,” They said in a slightly annoyed tone. “What’re you doing up here, anyways? Shouldn’t you be showing Bruce around?”
Harvey replied, “We got through the whole house and went back to the living room. I thought maybe something was up when I didn’t see you in your usual spot. Then I saw you in here listening to your music and that confirmed my suspicions. What’s going on, kiddo? Is it your homework? Because I told you it would be okay for you to ask for help while I was showing Bruce around.”
Asher shook their head. “No, it’s not that.”
Harvey thought for a little bit longer. He remembered how tense Asher was earlier with Bruce. He lowered his head. “It’s Bruce, isn’t it?”
Asher looked away but didn’t react at all. They didn’t want him to know how nervous they were. They didn’t want to burden him with one more thing to worry about or try to fix.
The lack of reaction was all Harvey needed. “Can I let you in on a little secret?” He watched Asher cautiously nod their head. “Bruce is nervous, too. He wasn’t himself around you, either. You were both too worried about making a good impression to the other that you forgot who you both were. You’re the people I care about most in the world. But you don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself to make sure he likes you, okay? He already did before he met you, I can assure you of that.”
Asher finally looked up at Harvey again. “Really? He was nervous too? But he’s so cool. Both of you get to wear these super cool clothes and you both have the coolest jobs in the world. I mean, if he works in a building half as big as yours. Just, WOW!”
Harvey chuckled at Asher’s excitement. “Yeah, I’d argue that Bruce has an even cooler job than I have, actually. He’s the second coolest person I know.” He hid the smile growing on his face as he glanced down at his kid.
“Well, who’s the first?” Asher inquired.
“Well, there’s this really cool person that I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with for a number of years now. They’re super smart, and they’re silly, and one of the kindest people I know. And they just so happen to be sitting right next to me on this bed.” Harvey couldn’t hide his smile anymore. He admired Asher way too much. He couldn’t believe he got so lucky to have them as a kid.
Asher’s eyes grew wide with shock. “What? Me? You think I’m cool?”
Harvey nodded his head as he smiled with pride at his kid. “You’re the coolest person I know, kiddo. I don’t know how I got so lucky but I really hit the jackpot with you.”
“But- but… I’m just a kid. I can’t even use the stove by myself yet. I don’t understand how I could possibly be the coolest person you know, especially when Bruce exists,” Asher replied.
Harvey seemed to think for a moment before responding. “Well, let’s see here… You never misbehave, you always excel in class, you’re kind to everyone you meet (even if they don’t deserve it), you always work hard at what you put your mind to, you’re super talented, and most of all…” He paused for a moment so he wouldn’t cry because of how much Asher means to him. “You bring so much happiness into my life just because I get to be your father.” He brought Asher into his arms and hugged them.
Asher hugged back, tightly. After pulling away, they replied, “But, I’m still just a kid. I’m only 8, Dad. You’ve probably known Bruce longer than 8 years.”
“Yes, that may be the case, Ash. But you’re the person who inspires me to be a better person and to work hard every day. You’ve been the person that has changed my life the most and in the best way possible. I don’t know where I’d be without you, kiddo.”
Harvey was in a dark place before he found out about Asher. Their mother didn’t want them and somehow Harvey got wind that he had a kid. He’d always wanted a family and this seemed like his only shot at one. He gladly took them in. Asher had flipped his world upside down. They had given him purpose, a reason to get up in the morning. They would never know how much they meant to Harvey. But Harvey knew that he’d love that kid no matter what. And he was doing his best to give them the life they deserved.
“I’m only this way because of you, Dad. I want to be like you when I grow up. You’re the coolest person I know.” Asher said after a moment.
Harvey tilted his head and his expression softened. “Ash, what did I do to deserve you? C’mere.” He gestured to Asher as if he wanted another hug. But he knew that the timer for the pizza was almost up so he grabbed Asher in a hug and then stood up, slinging them over his shoulder.
“Ah ha ha ha I got you,” He laughed as he carried Asher out of the room and started to head downstairs. Harvey continued to talk as Asher giggled while hanging upside down as Harvey carried them. To get Asher to giggle out more of their nerves, Harvey started to tickle their side where they were most ticklish. “Pizza’s almost ready, squirt. Time for you to come out of hiding. Let’s go keep Bruce company while we wait.”
They were both laughing as they entered the living room to find Bruce invested in the episode of Scooby-Doo playing on the tv. His attention was diverted from the episode as he saw them both appear in the living room, giggling.
Harvey plopped Asher down in their usual spot on the couch and then went to sit next to Bruce. He was still laughing, and so was Asher.
“Well, well, well. I seemed to have missed out on the fun, here,” Bruce said, smiling at the contagious laughter that filled the room.
Asher spoke up, grinning and talking between laughing fits. Their anxiety and nervousness was gone completely. “Daddy picked me up and put me over his shoulder like I was a sack of potatoes. And then he kept tickling my side to make me laugh harder. But the funny part was that I thought he wanted a hug. But he tricked me.” Asher began to laugh again.
Bruce was absolutely delighted to see how relaxed they were now and it helped him continue to feel relaxed as well. “Well, I guess I did miss out on all the fun then.” He laughed and looked at Harvey who was trying to catch his breath from laughing so hard.
Harvey looked back at him and smiled. This was going to be one of his favorite moments, he just knew it.
Asher’s laughter subsided and things started to get quiet. To break the silence, Bruce asked about the show. “Say, Asher? What is this show that’s on tv right now? It’s very funny but also very interesting. I think I might wanna watch more of it when I get home. Or maybe this weekend.”
Asher was shocked for the second time that evening. “WHAT? You’ve never seen Scooby-Doo before??? It’s only one of the best shows ever made. It’s got mystery, comedy, and it can take problem solving skills to try to figure out who the monster is ahead of time.”
Bruce chuckled at Asher’s enthusiasm about the show. “Well, I’ll have to check it out then, won’t I?”
The timer for the pizza started going off as Asher nodded excitedly.
Harvey stood up to go take the pizza out of the oven and to let it cool for a couple minutes. “Well, I’m gonna go take care of that. You two have fun talking about Scooby.” He grinned as he headed to the kitchen.
Asher moved closer to Bruce on the couch to talk more. “Okay, so I’m sure you’ve already figured out who Scooby was. He’s my favorite. Because who doesn’t love a talking dog, right?”
“Right,” Bruce replied, matching Asher’s energy.
“Okay and then the guy in the green shirt next to him is Shaggy. He’s silly and he loves to eat but he’s scared of everything. And then the girl in the orange with brown hair is Velma. She’s super smart and she’s really cool. And then- and then the girl…”
Bruce watched Asher as they talked excitedly about their favorite show. He was having a great time with them, just like Harvey said he would. Little did he know, years from now, this would still be one of his favorite memories with them.
Harvey had pulled the pizza out from the oven and walked back into the room after seeing another timer. He was watching the two of them interact. They were too busy chatting to notice him standing there, beaming. He knew he’d never be able to get enough of this. This is what the truest form of happiness felt like. And he never wanted to let it go.
A couple minutes had passed and the other timer went off. The pizza had cooled and was ready to eat.
Harvey spoke up, sad he had to interrupt their conversation. “Alright, you two. Pizza’s ready. Who’s hungry?”
“Me!” Asher and Bruce said in unison, both raising their hands.
“But Bruce is the guest so he gets first slice, right Dad?” Asher added to make sure they remembered the rules of hosting somebody.
“That’s right, kiddo. We make sure the guest eats first.” Harvey moved his gaze to Bruce. “You heard the kid. You’re first in line so you better go dish up.” He gestured towards the kitchen. He was grinning because he knew Bruce hated attention and going first, especially when it came to food.
But Bruce knew Harvey. And if Asher was anything like him, neither of them would give up and they wouldn’t eat until Bruce did. Bruce didn’t even bother arguing. As he stood up he said, “well, alright then. If those are the rules, I better not break them, huh?”
“That’s right,” Asher replied, excited that they were next in line.
Asher and Harvey followed Bruce into the kitchen as they waited for his reaction. Pizza night at the Dent’s was no small thing. It was always a big and exciting night full of fun. They’d start with a huge pizza (well, huge for 2 people). And then after they finished eating, they’d find something to watch or a game to play. Sometimes both, depending on what day of the week it was and how late it was. It was a whole event, not just a meal.
When Bruce walked into the kitchen, he saw the big pizza first. It was divided into three different sections based on toppings each person preferred to have on their pizza. Asher’s was just cheese, Harvey’s was supreme, and Bruce’s was all meat. Next, Bruce saw the pile of board games and then the movies right next to that.
“Wow! The Dent’s really love their pizza, don’t they?” Bruce remarked as he took it all in. He was touched. He could tell that it was an event for them and not just pizza. This was something Harvey had left out of the details but Bruce didn’t mind.
“Yes we do.” Harvey smiled at Bruce. He saw how content Bruce was and it made him even happier. He didn’t know that was possible.
“We thought maybe because you’re the newbie here that maybe you’d want to pick a game or a movie tonight instead of one of us?” Asher stated. “Unless you don’t want to stick around for that. I would understand but I really hope you do?” It was hard for them to contain their excitement. They really liked Bruce. And they could tell Harvey wanted him around longer, too.
“I think that sounds fun,” Bruce replied, smiling as he grabbed a couple slices of his part of the pizza.
“And actually, because tomorrow is Saturday, we can do both tonight if you really want to, Ash,” Harvey said. “But only if Bruce wants to, okay?”
“Okay! What do you think, Bruce? Would you want to do both?” Asher was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.
“I think both sounds great,” he replied, grinning at Asher’s excitement.
“Yay!” Asher started jumping up and down.
“Hold on, silly goose. You gotta eat first before we can do anything else,” Harvey said, holding back his laughter. He began dishing up his and Asher’s plates.
“Oh, right. I almost forgot. Whoops.” They stopped jumping and turned to Bruce who was looking through the games and movies. “Did you find any you like?”
“Well, I haven’t played Sorry in a while. Do you like that game?” Bruce asked, looking up from the movies he was sorting through.
“I love that game! It’s my favorite one!” Asher replied excitedly. “And what about the movies?”
“Well, I’ve seen most of these. But this one right here… It’s about fish?” Bruce seemed confused and Harvey chuckled.
Asher gasped. “You don’t know what Finding Nemo is???”
“Uhhh, no. I guess I don’t. Should we watch it? I don’t know if I’m in the mood to watch any of these other ones tonight.” Bruce looked at Harvey to see his reaction. He gave Bruce a thumbs up and then Bruce looked back at Asher.
“Oh yes it’s so good! But only if you want to watch it. Don’t pick it just because I like it, okay?” Asher was worried that’s what he would end up doing
Bruce had an amused look on his face. “Okay, I promise I really want to watch this one tonight. You made it seem very good, Asher. And based on your favorite show, I’d say you have good taste in what you like to watch.”
Asher could hardly contain their excitement because Bruce had picked their favorite game and their favorite movie.
What Asher didn’t know is that Harvey helped Bruce figure out what to pick earlier when they were walking around the house. Just for extra bonus points even though Harvey knew he wouldn’t need them. But he knew Bruce would want the reassurance.
Bruce and Harvey shared another look as they were both amused by Asher’s excitement.
They ate their pizza, talking about Scooby-Doo the whole time. Then they all moved to the living room to play Sorry at the coffee table.
“Here, Bruce. You can be my favorite color if you want. Plus, it’s lucky. I win almost every time!” Asher offered the red pieces to Bruce.
“Oh, that’s very nice of you but I can’t ask you to give up your lucky pieces. Thank you, though,” Bruce replied.
“Could you hand me the blue ones, kiddo?” Harvey asked. And Asher handed the blue pieces to him.
“What color would you like then, Bruce?” Asher looked at him expectantly.
“Uhhh I guess I’ll take the green ones if that’s okay?” It was silly but Bruce felt like this was a test he had to pass. Like if he chose the wrong color, it would make him lose points in Asher’s eyes.
He seemed to have chosen correctly because Asher excitedly handed Bruce the green pieces. “Here you go!” They let Harvey and Bruce set up their pieces and then asked, “Is everyone ready to start?”
They all played Sorry and, like always, Asher won. This wasn’t even a game Harvey could make sure they could win. They just always won. And it warmed Harvey’s heart every time Asher smiled about it. He loved watching them get excited about everything.
They cleaned up the game and Harvey popped the Finding Nemo DVD into the player. Asher sat right next to Bruce on the couch as he did so.
Harvey turned around and saw and in a mock offended voice he said, “Hey! That’s my spot, you little munchkin.” He ran over to the couch and picked them up. Asher immediately started giggling again.
Harvey sat down with Asher on his lap, a compromise. “Will this work for you, Ash?” Asher nodded. “Okay, good. This works for me, too.” Harvey looked over at Bruce and smiled. He didn’t want to jinx it but it felt like they were a real family and he knew Bruce felt it too. He grabbed Bruce’s hand as the movie started and leaned back so Asher could get comfortable on him as well.
They were quiet as the movie played. About halfway through, Asher fell asleep. Harvey laid them on the couch beside him so their neck wouldn’t hurt when they woke up. Then he covered them up with a blanket, making sure to not wake them up as he did any of this.
For the rest of the movie, he continued holding hands with Bruce and laid his head on Bruce’s shoulder as well. They were happy, deliriously happy.
After the movie ended, Bruce was going to try to leave without waking Asher up. Harvey knew better. “If you leave while they’re sleeping, they’re gonna be devastated when they wake up and find out you left without saying goodbye. Trust me,” Harvey whispered to Bruce.
Bruce knew Harvey knew his kid best so he agreed with Harvey’s plan. Harvey got on the floor to kneel right next to where Asher’s head was to try to wake them up.
“Ash? Kiddo? Hey, you gotta wake up. Just for a moment.” Harvey gently tried to wake them up. He tried once more. “Hey, Ash. Can you wake up just for a little bit?” They started to stir. Harvey kissed them gently on the forehead as they woke up.
“Dad? Why’d you wake me up?” Asher asked in a groggy voice.
Harvey spoke gently, “Bruce is going home and I knew you’d want to say goodbye, right?”
That woke Asher up a little bit. They sat up. “You’re leaving already?” They sounded sad.
“I gotta head home, yeah. Sorry, Asher.” Bruce replied. He felt bad that he was leaving because he saw how sad Asher got.
“Hey, he can come back another day, okay? He’s tired and he wants to go home and get some sleep,” Harvey added.
“But can’t he just sleep here?” Asher asked as they pulled the blanket over their face for a moment to rub their eyes.
“Not tonight, Ash,” Harvey replied.
“Well, okay.” Asher was sad now but trying to hide it the best they could. They couldn’t hide it much, though because of how tired they were. “Well, could I maybe give you a hug before you leave, then?”
“Of course, Asher. You’re my buddy, now. Are you okay with that?” Bruce asked as he bent down to give them a hug.
Asher hugged back tightly, not wanting to let go. “I like that,” they replied as they clung to Bruce.
“Okay, well I’m sorry to do this but I have to go home now, okay? Maybe I’ll see you again soon.” Bruce replied.
Harvey added, “maybe if you ask nicely, he’ll come over to visit again tomorrow?” Bruce looked at him and Harvey asked without using words if he wanted to come back tomorrow.
Bruce nodded back at Harvey. “I think that sounds like a fun time. Would you be okay if I came back to visit tomorrow sometime, Asher?”
Asher nodded. “Will you? Please?”
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow, then. How about that?” Bruce asked. He saw Asher nod as he stood up. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Asher. Sleep well. Thanks for a fun night.”
“Night, Bruce. See you tomorrow,” Asher said. Sleep was starting to take over again.
Harvey left Asher on the couch while he walked Bruce to the door. “See? Told you they’d want to say goodbye. And you didn’t have to say you’d come if you didn’t want to. But I always like the extra time with you. And Ash, I mean… I knew Ash was gonna like you but I might have some competition now.” He chuckled. “Thank you for sticking with us and thank you for a wonderful night. We’ll both be excited to see you tomorrow.”
Bruce smiled. “Hey, thanks for the invite. Tonight ended up being really fun and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings. New day, new adventures. And I can’t wait to see you both.” They shared a smile again and Bruce grabbed Harvey’s hands. “I better go now before I actually end up staying tonight.” He chuckled. “Goodnight, sweetheart. Sweet dreams”
“Text me when you get home. Goodnight, hon. Sleep well,” Harvey replied. Then he gave Bruce a kiss and then grabbed his coat for him.
“I always do. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Bruce smiled and went to his car, grinning.
Harvey shut the door behind Bruce after watching his car leave the driveway. Then he went back to the living room, picked up an already back to sleep Asher, and brought them to their bed. Once he tucked them in, he kissed their forehead once more.
“Goodnight, my sweet angel.”
Then he left Asher’s room, quietly closing the door behind him and went to sleep himself. He was eager for what the next day would bring.