YogaGal

Wishing you nothing but the best on your birthday, Claire! I still remember the first time I read your pancake loving boys and I certainly rush to read them now - yay! I’m so glad you’re back around! *hugs*

A big thanks to Zigs for the picture prompt and to ICMezzo for beta-ing! xo

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“They’re not coming back, are they?” I asked, looking over at Jasper.

“Pretty sure we’re screwed, yeah,” he replied, looking around us.

I bent down, testing out the weight of the couch, biting back a groan when my back strained. I had no fucking clue how they got this couch out here, but I did know that it would take more than just the two of us to get it back to the house.

“Maybe if we somehow hooked up the couch to the bikes...”

I looked up to see Jasper staring thoughtfully at the three bikes and large as fuck, mauve, velour couch. The tip of his pink tongue peeked out of his lips when he was deep in thought, and I took the opportunity to stare. It was only the two of out here, so I figured it was safe.

For the next hour we tried everything imaginable. We tried Jasper’s idea of hoisting the couch to the bikes and only succeeded in breaking one of the bikes, leaving us with more work. We tried pushing the couch, then running back and getting the bikes, then pushing the couch and running back for the bikes and after a half hour of that we had only moved about twenty feet and were fucking exhausted.

To be fair, I might not have been giving it my all the entire time. Jasper was wearing these jean shorts and every time he bent over to move a bike or try to lift the couch, I couldn’t help but stare at his ass. The rosy glow he had on his face from all the strenuous activity also held my attention more than the dumbass couch.

Eventually we decided to take a break and flopped down on the couch, thankful for some rest.

“Remind me again why we decided to pledge Sigma Pi?” Jasper asked as he flung his head back against the dusty couch.

I slid my sunglasses over my eyes and relaxed into the cushions. I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure why Jasper pledged, but I knew my reason, at least. I was rushing a fraternity that thought it was hysterical to drop a couple of pledges in the middle of nowhere with a huge couch and a handful of bikes and expected them to make it back to the house all because of the boy next to me.

Jasper lived on my floor and was in a few of my classes, so we quickly became friends, studying together and eating most meals together. He knew I was gay and it didn’t faze him in the least, but I was still uncertain about him. He never mentioned a girlfriend or a boyfriend, and the rigors of school plus pledging a frat left us with little time for socializing. The few frat parties we had attended as pledges we ended up having to work at, so we weren’t able to actually enjoy ourselves and meet people.

Not that I had the desire to spend time with anyone else.

Despite all the rational thoughts that told me not to fall for him, I had. I sighed, knowing that if we got into this frat, that I would most likely need to squash these feelings, or end up hurt when Jasper ended up with somebody else.

“Edward?”

Jasper’s voice broke me out of my thoughts and I realized he was still waiting for a response.

“Because of you, Jay. You’re the one that wanted to be in a frat, and I...”

I didn’t finish that sentence. Because if I did, I’d tell him that I just followed him. That I’d follow him anywhere.

A loud crinkle of fabric let me know that Jasper was shifting his position on the couch. I looked over and saw that his eyes were still closed and one hand was resting across his stomach. The other had slid down between us and had rested on mine.

Not next to my hand, but on my hand. The warmth of Jasper’s skin pressed against mine sent my heartbeat racing and I licked my lips, trying to moisten my now completely dry mouth. I wondered if he could sense my spastic nerves through the connection of our hands. He gave a quick squeeze, leaving his hand atop mine as he spoke.

“I know,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “And I really appreciate it. Thanks for being here with me, Edward. I don’t think I’d want to be stuck on some podunk back road with a couch and some bikes with anybody else.”

With those words, I turned my hand around, biting back a sigh as Jasper threaded his fingers through my own and gave another squeeze. And as we sat there, on that dusty couch in the middle of nowhere, I hoped he’d never let go.