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Anthony tossed a few spices into the simmering pot of risotto. As he stirred gently with a spoon, his thoughts drifted to Asa.
He wanted the meal to be special because he wanted to show Asa that he cared, and also because he couldn’t stop thinking about the first time they’d eaten together. Asa’s delighted expression was one of the things Anthony found most endearing about his lover.
The way he revelled in what he loved. The way he showed it. Shamelessly. It was such a beautiful sight.
A soft knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned down the heat under the pot, glanced at the table to make sure everything was in order, and walked to the front door, opening it immediately.
There was simply nothing better than seeing Asa’s smiling face.
Damn, he’d missed him.
"Hello, Anthony.”
"Welcome.”
Anthony stepped aside to let him in.
"Let me take your jacket."
He took Asa’s jacket and hung it on the hook behind the door.
Asa handed him the bottle of red wine he was holding. "As promised, the wine.”
Anthony took the bottle, a fine Bordeaux, from the looks of it, then said in a sulky tone, "So, what about my hello kiss?"
Asa winked.
"To make it up to you, you'll get two."
They laughed softly before sharing a tender kiss. When they parted, Anthony took Asa’s hand and led him toward the kitchen. "I need to finish cooking dinner. Would you like a glass of wine while I finish up, if it's okay with you?"
As soon as they walked into the kitchen, Asa exclaimed, "It smells so amazing!"
"Wait until you taste it."
"What are you making?"
"Chicken risotto.”
"Oh, one of my favorites!" Asa let out an appreciative hum as Anthony took a bottle of white wine out of the fridge, uncorked it, and poured the wine into two stemmed glasses that he had set out on the kitchen counter.
He picked up the glasses and handed one to Asa.
Asa raised his glass and said softly, "Here's to us."
Anthony clinked his glass against Asa's, repeating, "To us."
They each took a sip, and Anthony set his glass down to finish preparing the risotto.
Asa leaned against the counter, glass in hand, watching Anthony.
"Do you need help?”
Anthony shook his head. "You’re my guest. No way. Just stay there and look pretty. Not that you have to do anything for that.”
Asa huffed and blushed slightly.
Anthony stirred once more, then set the spoon down next to the hot plates. He picked up his glass of wine, moved closer to Asa, and said gently, "You know, Asa, if my compliments make you uncomfortable, you can tell me, and I'll stop. Just like that.”
Asa shook his head. "It's just that I'm not used to it."
"So can I keep going?"
Asa nodded.
Anthony took his hand, pressed a long kiss into his palm, and intertwined their fingers.
They sipped their wine until the risotto was ready.
Then, Anthony fetched two plates, serving a generous portion of risotto onto each. He sprinkled Parmesan cheese over it and placed a basil leaf in the center of each plate.
"It’s ready,” he said.
Anthony had to stop himself from laughing when he saw Asa's sparkling eyes.
As they walked to the table in the middle of the living room, Asa took in the sight of the beautifully set table with its white tablecloth, delicately placed napkins, candle, and flowers.
"It's pretty," said Asa, touching one of the elegantly folded napkins.
In an innocent tone, he asked, "Do you do this often?”
Anthony set down the plates and replied, "Do you want to know if I’ve ever done this for others?"
Asa knew there was no point in denying it, so he nodded but said, "Unless you don't want to talk about it."
Anthony replied gently, "I have no problem with it. I have nothing to hide about my dating history. Actually, you’re the first person I’ve ever cooked for.”
"Oh..."
Seeing the delighted expression on his lover’s face, Anthony was glad he’d been honest. Then he said gently, "Come on, let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Asa nodded and took a bite of risotto under Anthony’s watchful gaze.
Suddenly, he let out a moan of delight.
Anthony chuckled softly and said, "I take it that means it's good."
"Good? Good? It’s absolutely delicious!”
He took another bite and savored it with the same delight. Then, seeing that Anthony was watching him in silence, he said sheepishly after swallowing the bite, "I’m overdoing it again, right?”
"Uh, no, not at all. You appear to be enjoying something I cooked, which is absolutely gratifying, and besides, it’s nice to see you eat. I had the same thought at the restaurant. You don’t hold back, and it’s beautiful to watch.”
Asa wiped his mouth delicately and replied, "I love to eat. I always have."
Anthony went to fetch the bottle of wine from the kitchen. As he returned, Asa continued, "But what I like most is the sweet stuff: Desserts, cakes.”
Anthony, with a hint of amusement in his eyes, said, "Oh, I see. That's why you're so sweet."
"And you're a silver-tongued Mr. Smooth Talker."
They both laughed, and the conversation turned to their culinary preferences. Asa learned that Anthony had developed a taste for Italian and French cuisine while giving lectures on astrophysics in Europe. That he preferred good wine to beer and enjoyed fish and chips occasionally.
By then, they had finished the risotto and were enjoying crème brûlée for dessert.
Asa scraped the small dish and, after the last spoonful, exclaimed, "Scrumptious!"
"Ah, finally!"
Asa furrowed his brow.
"What?"
"I was waiting for you to say that."
"Why? Because my old-fashioned expressions make you laugh?"
Anthony shook his head and explained, "Because I love the way your nose wrinkles when you say that word."
He reached out and traced the bridge of Asa’s nose with his fingertip. "Right there."
Then he asked, "Would you like to finish our glasses of wine on the couch?"
Asa nodded, and a few seconds later, they were both sitting side by side on the couch, sipping their wine and continuing their conversation. After a while, they both set their empty glasses down on the coffee table and, once they had settled back on the couch, Anthony turned to Asa and kissed him tenderly on the lips.
Leaning back slightly, he said softly, "I've wanted to do this ever since you arrived."
Asa licked his lips and raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you?" he asked.
"I didn't want to rush you since you said you were a little afraid of moving too fast."
Asa raised his hand and brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen across his lover’s forehead. He traced his fingertips along his Anthony's brow bone and said softly, "What you're telling me applies to you just as much as it does to me. I can say no if I don't want to. Since I’ve been dying to kiss you ever since I got here, what are you going to do to make up for lost time? Hm?”
Anthony chuckled softly, cupped Asa’s face, and resumed the interrupted kiss. As they kissed, Anthony pushed Asa back against the back of the sofa, climbed onto his lap, and continued kissing him. He pulled the hem of Asa's shirt out of his pants and fondled his back, causing Asa to moan into the kiss. Anthony sat up slightly, placing his hands on Asa's chest near the top button of his shirt. He paused there.
He asked softly, "Is this okay?"
Unable to speak, Asa nodded and Anthony pressed a quick kiss to his swollen lips before slowly unbuttoning his shirt.
He planted another kiss on Asa’s chest, right on the exposed patch of skin, and continued until the shirt was completely unbuttoned.
When he was done, he opened the shirt and, moving back, looked at the man seated beneath him. With sincere awe in his voice, he breathed, "Look at you. You’re gorgeous.”
Asa gasped at the praise and Anthony's tone. Embarrassed, he covered his eyes with one arm. But Anthony wouldn't have any of that. He lifted his lover's arm and said softly, "Don't hide from me, sweetheart."
Asa, unable to look away, whispered with a tight throat, "It's just that no one has ever said anything like that to me before."
Placing another light kiss on Asa's lips, Anthony replied, "That's because everyone else was blind before. Good for me. My gain, their loss."
Unable to express what he was feeling, Asa pulled Anthony close in a passionate kiss while wrapping his arms around his neck. Meanwhile, Anthony continued to open Asa’s shirt, mapping his chest with gentle touches.
Asa moaned into the kiss, and Anthony pulled back, fearing he had gone too far. But Asa said in a voice thick with desire, "I want to touch you, too."
"Don't let me stop you, sweetheart."
Anthony moved away, and immediately, Asa lifted his sweater so he could finally touch his lover’s skin. The brush of Asa's fingers sent a shiver through Anthony, who raised his arms to help Asa remove the sweater, which Asa tossed carelessly behind him. Asa placed his hands on Anthony's chest, savoring the feel of his soft skin and firm muscles as he began to caress him.
His caresses, at first timid, grew more confident. This time, it was Anthony who couldn’t hold back a moan as Asa’s hands slid down his hips to the waistband of his pants.
Asa slid his hands forward and, with trembling fingers, undid the top button. Suddenly, Anthony’s hands rested on Asa's, halting his movement.
Asa stopped short, torn between the fear of having gone too far and the confusion of seeing and feeling that Anthony was just as aroused as he was.
Anthony brought Asa’s hand to his lips, gently kissing the tips of his fingers. Then he asked in a soft voice, "Do you want to do this?"
Asa could have said yes immediately just for that alone.
He hadn’t had much intercourse, and during his rare encounters, his partners had never shown him such consideration. For him, those encounters had been nothing more than a way to relieve an urgent need. More like fumbling around in the darkness of a hotel room than anything else.
Now, Anthony was offering him the chance to stop.
To say no.
Asa studied his face and was moved by his sincere expression, a mix of worry and hope. So much sincerity. And above all, so much affection.
Asa knew that if he said no, Anthony would stop immediately. Without hesitation or resentment and with no consequences for their relationship.
But Asa didn’t want to say no.
If Anthony was on the same wavelength and in tune with him, he didn't want to say no. He didn’t want to deny his desire. Not when he saw the same thing in Anthony’s eyes, beneath his fingers, and in his kisses. So, he didn't hesitate a second longer. Placing his hands on Anthony’s cheeks, he pulled his face against his own and kissed him passionately.
When they pulled apart to catch their breath, Asa pressed his forehead against Anthony’s and whispered, "Yes, I want this. What about you?”
Asa realized that his lover’s answer was just as important as Anthony's question. He wanted them to be equals in their relationship. What Anthony wanted was just as important as what Asa wanted.
Anthony nodded and replied, "Yes, I do too, and you have no idea how much."
Asa lifted his hips slightly against Anthony’s and playfully replied, "I think I have a pretty good idea."
Anthony laughed softly, stood up, and reached out his hand to Asa.
"I don't want our first time together to happen on a couch."
Asa took his hand, and once they were both on their feet, they walked hand in hand toward the hallway leading to Anthony’s bedroom.
Their haste made it clear that they wanted to continue what they had started. There was a kind of impatient tenderness in their haste, like a mutual thirst to finally discover each other without restraint.
Once they were in the bedroom, Anthony turned Asa toward him and gently cupped his face in his hands. His thumbs brushed against Asa’s cheekbones with infinite tenderness, as if he were trying to commit every inch of his skin to memory.
"Are you really sure?" he asked one last time, breaking the silence. His breath brushed against Asa’s lips who slipped his arms around Anthony's neck and pulled his lover toward him, sealing the moment with a kiss that quickly turned from tender to passionate.
They moved toward the bed, a little unsteady, neither wanting to let go or break their kiss. Laughing, they fell onto the bed and stripped each other of the last garments separating their bare skin. The silence was then filled with soft sighs of satisfaction, gasps, and moans. Their caresses became precise and attentive; each sensitive spot was explored with devotion, raising the temperature in the room.
They were attuned to each other, observing every reaction and sigh, adjusting their rhythm accordingly. Everything was fluid and harmonious, just as their relationship had been from the beginning.
The intensity built slowly, almost languidly, until their two intertwined breaths were all that existed. When they reached the peak, there was a timeless instant when everything seemed perfectly aligned. Then, little by little, calm returned, gently settling over them like a warm blanket. They remained nestled against each other, breathless.
Asa rested against Anthony, his head on his shoulder, tracing random curves across his chest, while Anthony pressed a tender kiss now and then on Asa’s shoulder, on his forehead, on his hair.
He looked down at his lover, their gazes meeting. The same serene smile stretched across their lips. They didn't need to say anything more, their bodies had spoken for them.
They were both aware of the growing feelings between them, feelings that had only deepened that night. Although neither was ready to name them yet, they knew they were there.
Anthony pulled the blanket over their entwined bodies as Asa snuggled closer to him and pressed a kiss to his chest.
"Good night, my dear."
Anthony smiled at the slightly old-fashioned term of endearment and replied softly, "Good night, my angel."
Then, lulled by the sweetness of the moment, they both drifted off to sleep.