Three Days in May
by Toby Johnston
Chapter 9
I'd like you to meet my mom…
I'd forgotten to close the blinds, so the morning sun hit me early. I was still wrapped entirely around Ash. Neither of us had moved—not even an inch—through the night. It was the kind of sleep that doesn't just rest your muscles; it completely empties your head. For eight solid hours, the world simply ceased to exist. No deputies, no helicopters, no running. Just perfect, blank silence.
I was hot, sweating through the sheets. But there was no way in hell I was going to move; nothing in the world felt more wonderful than the heavy, warm weight of Ash pressed flush against my legs, my chest, and my crotch. My face was so close to his that I had to blink a few times just to bring him into focus. I'd never noticed before how long his eyelashes actually were—distinct, delicate hairs dusting his cheek whenever his eyelids twitched in a dream.
His lips were slightly parted, and I could hear the lightest, most even breathing. I must have lain there, perfectly still, watching him for a good twenty minutes. My brain, on the other hand, was racing like Ben on a sugar high of Pixy Stix and Coke.
An endless loop of the past two days replayed over and over in my head. Sure, the sex made up a lot of the scenes, but it wasn't the most important part. Okay, maybe not the most important part. It was the looks. The touching. The kisses. The whispered I love yous .
Eventually, I had to shift. Yesterday—the morning of day two in our extensive relationship—I'd awakened on my back, looking up directly into his eyes. Now, I wanted to look down on him. I desperately wanted to see more of him.
Ever so carefully, I extracted my elbow from underneath his head, letting his weight sink softly onto the pillow. I propped myself up on one arm, keeping the rest of our bodies locked exactly in place. His hair was a total mess—a beautiful, spiky tangle of light brown and blond highlights. Can you actually be in love with someone's hair? Because I was pretty sure I was.
I just liked watching him. I watched his solid chest gently rise and fall, his flexing abs rippling in perfect sync with his breathing until the line of the blanket cut off the view. I would have loved to pull the covers back and just lay there looking at every single inch of him, but I wasn't about to risk waking him up. I just remained still, fiercely happy that I was right next to him—and even happier that he was here, safe in my bed.
Finally, he started to stir. His eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks, and he lightly licked his dry lips. I couldn't help but grin. Now that he was surfacing, I could finally touch him.
Reaching out with the hand I'd been dying to use all morning, I spread my fingers and ever so gently, ever so slowly, ran them through his messy hair from front to back. I lifted my hand, brought it forward, and did it again. And then again.
With his eyes still tightly shut, a soft smile spread across Ash's face. "Don't stop… please…feels so nice," he murmured, his voice thick and rough with sleep. "My…my mom used to do that all the time…"
"I love you," I whispered, logging the first one of the day.
I snuggled in even closer, molding the entire length of our bodies together, and leaned down to press a soft kiss against his temple while I kept stroking his hair. I didn't say anything. It didn't seem like the right moment for words, and honestly, we didn't need them. I just kept running my fingers back through the strands, and he let out a low sound that was almost a purr.
Then he stretched, raising both arms up over his head, twisting and arching his entire body against the mattress. There was no way I was going to let that pass me by. My hand migrated from his hair down to his torso, rubbing all up and down those taut, flexing muscles.
His whole body shuddered under my touch, and he murmured a soft, breathless, "Mmm...yes, Gray."
Finally, he opened his eyes, and rolled on his side, his gaze locking onto mine with a brilliant smile. "Wow, I slept so well last night. And this is such a nice way to wake up…right next to you."
I grinned, leaning down slightly. "I think you'll be waking up next to me for a good long while. Like I told you back in the tent, the FBI is going to need you for their case. That means investigations, indictments, evidentiary hearings, continuances—hell, we'll both be out of college by the time they're finally done."
"College?" Ash looked genuinely shocked, a laugh catching in his throat. "Kind of need to get through this summer and senior year first, don't we? Before you go ahead and send us off to college?"
"Just thinking ahead," I grinned, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "I'm a planner."
The amusement on his face transformed into a really sweet, soft smile. "I like that you're planning…about us." He reached out, his warm fingers gently stroking the side of my cheek. "My mom would have really liked you, Gray. She'd be happy about us."
"I wish I could have met her," I sighed, "she must have been awesome, 'cause her son's incredible."
Ash bit his lip, his gaze dropping for a second. "You know, I still talk to her. Sometimes. When I really need her. It helps...it's like I always know exactly what she would say if she were still here."
Oh, God. A massive lump formed in my throat. I wished I knew what to say, but I'd never lost anyone that close to me. I wouldn't even know where to begin. I just squeezed him tight, nuzzling my nose against his, and whispered, "I love you so much, Ash."
Ash's smile turned a little wistful. He looked up at the ceiling, as if he were trying to look right through it to the sky. He took a slow, steady breath, and when he spoke, his voice dropped to a quiet, intimate cadence.
"Mom," he said softly. "This is Gray. He's super special to me. I'm in love. I've only known him for two whole days, and I'm completely in love."
A sharp little shiver went down my spine. I didn't move an inch, completely mesmerized.
"He's the one I told you about," Ash continued, a small, genuine warmth creeping into his tone. "The one who didn't hesitate for a second when he found Willie and me hiding out at the beach. At first, I was terrified, and I didn't trust him. I didn't trust anyone after…well, you know. I told you all about dad's nice deputy . But even after I lied straight to Gray's face, he still cared."
"Ash," I whispered, my heart aching in the best possible way.
"Shh, let me finish," he murmured, his thumb lightly stroking my cheekbone. He looked back up at the ceiling. "He's really special, Mom. You should have seen him these past two days. He says it was all his dad's doing, but if Gray hadn't pushed, none of this would have happened."
I shuddered slightly, thinking about what wouldn't have happened if Willie hadn't wanted a bite of my tuna fish sandwich.
"When it looked like I'd finally get away, I got even more scared, but Gray was as solid as a rock. He kept me focused, grounded…and, well, a lot distracted," Ash giggled softly. "You know I'm gay, Mom. And Gray's very, very gay, as he told me like right when we first met."
Okay, this would have been profoundly awkward if his mom were actually sitting in the room with us. I mean, who wants to look into the eyes of a mother whose son you were just fooling around with in the outdoor shower?
"But what's really amazing is how gentle he is," Ash whispered, the humor fading back into pure sincerity. "For someone so tough, he handles me like I'm something precious. He makes me feel safe, Mom. Like, totally safe. For the first time since you left."
Ash breathed out a massive, purging sigh, his shoulders relaxing as he sank fully back into the mattress.
Just take me now, God. I'll never be any happier than I am right now.
Thankfully, God wasn't listening—I'm still here.
I rolled over on top of him, needing to kiss him more than I needed my next breath. I cradled his head gently in my hands and planted the softest, slowest kiss on those beautiful lips. Our tongues caressed each other, not wrestling for dominance, not driven by out-of-control passion. If there was a way for twisting tongues to say I couldn't possibly love you more than I do right now ...this was it.
We just kissed for a while in the quiet room. Again, there were no words. None could ever be as poignant or as beautiful as the ones Ash had just uttered to his mom. His hands roamed up and down my bare back, eventually settling down to caress my butt. I realized neither of us was actually hard anymore. Our cocks lay right alongside each other—warm, silky smooth, and soft, just completely content.
I was just starting to try and piece together a coherent sentence to break the silence when we heard a frantic pounding of feet echoing down the hallway from the main house.
I barely had enough time to scramble off Ash and yank the covers up over our waists before my bedroom door burst open. Ben and Jason came hurtling inside like twin missiles, launching themselves through the air and diving straight onto the bed with us.
"Gray! Gray!" they chimed in unison, immediately tugging at the edge of our blankets. "Mom says we can't go swimming until you and Ash get out of bed and come down to watch us!"
Ash and I both scrambled, gripping the sheets for dear life. We might not have been hard anymore, but the littles definitely didn't need a full view of us completely naked. Jason got the message; Ben clearly did not. At five, he wasn't going to win a tug of war, but he sure was trying.
"Ben, stop it. We'll get up, I promise," laughing as I pushed him over in the bed.
"I just want to see Ash naked," he giggled, "I need to know if his wiener is as big as yours!"
"Don't worry, it's actually bigger," I laughed, thinking that would satisfy his curiosity.
Wrong.
Finally, I had to threaten that we wouldn't come out to the pool at all to get Ben to back off. Jason just sat at the edge of the mattress the entire time, quietly observing us.
Once Ben's stomping feet disappeared back down the hallway, Jason hesitated. He looked between the two of us and asked, "Are you guys boyfriends?"
Silence fell over the room.
I'd already had the I'm gay discussion with dad, and eventually mom, of course. But it had never come up with the littles. It wasn't that I was actively hiding who I was; it just hadn't been relevant yet. I'd always been incredibly discreet with Cameron, and besides, we were only ever friends, not boyfriends.
I glanced over at Ash. He looked just as wide-eyed and caught off guard as I felt. But then I remembered the night we met, when he'd told me he was gay—and how he'd never been able to tell another soul before me. It's easy to say it to each other; a whole other thing to say it to another person. I held his gaze and offered a soft, reassuring smile. Ash smiled back, a quiet wave of relief washing over his expression, and gave me a decisive little nod.
I looked back at my little brother. "Yeah, Jason. Ash and I are boyfriends. He's very, very special to me."
Jason nodded slowly, and I could practically see the wheels churning in his head as he processed it. Then he shrugged. "Cool. I like Ash."
Just like that, the tension evaporated. He spun on his heel and bolted down the hallway, yelling back over his shoulder, "Hurry up!"
We took a quick, highly efficient shower and brushed our teeth—this time sharing my toothbrush, since Ash's was still buried somewhere deep in his duffels. Completely naked, I sauntered over to my bureau and pulled out one of my racing Speedos, thinking absolutely nothing of it. I had one foot through the leg hole when I glanced over at Ash, who was standing by the bed with his mouth completely agape.
"You're wearing that little thing?" he asked, sounding a little breathless.
I smirked, pulling the fabric up over my hips. "How else do you think I got these awesome tan lines, Quarterback ?"
"In front of the littles?" he pressed, his eyebrows shooting up.
"Well, yeah, of course. You do realize I wear this at meets? In public, in front of parents, siblings, the odd pervert."
Ash nodded slowly, looking a little sheepish as a flush crept up his neck. "I guess that makes sense. I guess I'm just the only one who looks at that suit and immediately thinks about your sexy tan lines, and pale parts."
Inspiration! I finished pulling mine up and dug back into my drawer. "Here it is! I traded for this at a meet earlier this year, but it's always been a little too big on me. This should fit you perfectly, Ash—we can get you started on your own sexy tan lines!"
He caught the suit—a bright red one—holding it up as if it were the smallest, most terrifying piece of fabric he'd ever seen. The blush on his neck went full facial. "I can't wear this, Gray. I have my surfer trunks…"
I smirked, refusing to let him off the hook. "Nope. Sanders' pool rules. Everyone's on the swim team, even Ben. We all learned from dad —it's Speedos all around. The littles will make fun of you if you show up in baggy trunks."
He still looked completely unconvinced. Not that I was complaining; he was standing there totally naked, and honestly, even his surfer-trunk tan lines were incredibly sexy.
I stepped up close to him, closing the distance. "Here, I'll help you put it on," I purred, bringing my hand down to rest on his hip.
"You are definitely not helping, Gray!" he protested, laughing as he swatted my hand away. "If you help me, I'm gonna end up popping right out of it."
He was still practically popping out of it once he finally managed to tug it on; the tight, bright red fabric left absolutely nothing to the imagination, showing a thick, defined column angling up toward his hip bone.
I finally took pity on him, leaning in with a grin. "Deep breath, Ash. When we hit the pool deck, just run and cannonball straight in. No one's going to be looking at your crotch except me. Once you're under the water, you'll be totally fine."
And that's exactly what he did. Of course, Ben and Jason were all over him the second his head resurfaced, before he'd even cleared the pool water out of his eyes. He instantly became their personal island—a launching platform for backflips and somersaults. I timed my own dramatic entry for the exact moment they were both trying to climb onto his shoulders at the same time, aiming for a three-fer for maximum cannonball impact!
Once the splashing settled, the four of us played chicken. Jason immediately claimed Ash as his steed. It was a little thing, but it made me feel incredibly good inside, especially after the question he'd asked back upstairs. I could tell it meant the world to Ash. With Ash's raw muscle and Jason's height advantage over Ben, it was a total rout, but everyone got completely soaked and had a blast. That's what it's all about in the end anyway.
Mom and Amanda had been busy while we were tearing up the deep end. With three boys in the house, mom and dad ruled the roost with military precision. Her sharp, two-fingered whistle pierced the air, signaling that breakfast was officially served. Jason and Ben were incredibly well-trained; they were out of the pool before the echo of the whistle even faded, grabbing their towels and moving straight to the patio table.
Ash watched the sudden, orderly exodus in stunned amazement. I leaned in and gave him a playful little pinch on his tight, spandex-covered butt. "Get a move on, Quarterback . Last one to the table has to clear."
It wasn't much of a threat—chores are all shared in our house, so you either handle the setup or the cleanup. But Ash just stood there watching, completely fascinated by the family dynamic; it had clearly caught him by surprise. I don't think he was even thinking about the fact that he was standing out in the open in a tiny red Speedo with almost everything exposed. I definitely was, though. He looked absolutely stunning. Note to self: take Ash Speedo shopping. He definitely needs more than one suit.
I stepped up behind him, wrapping my arm gently around his waist and pulling his back against my chest. "You okay? They can be a little much at times. Honestly, the kid-overload is exactly why I was hiding up on the dunes when Willie found me."
He nodded against my shoulder; his gaze still fixed on the patio table. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've just never been part of a family like this. Even when mom was still alive, it was just the three of us. This is like...chaotic. But a fun kind of chaotic. I really like it."
I still felt the need to protect him, though—even if it was just from the overwhelming enthusiasm of my own family instead of his dad. If it were left entirely up to the littles, they'd have him completely surrounded. Defending his personal space, I strategically maneuvered him into the chair between mom and me, keeping Jason and Ben directly across the table from us. Amanda was perfectly happy to take up the opposite end from mom.
She and mom had put together an amazing feast—scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, turkey sausage, shredded hash browns, English muffins, and a massive bowl of fresh-cut fruit. The first order of business, of course, was an orderly assembly line to plate food for the littles. Even out here on the patio, they were on their best polite behavior. They might be overly enthusiastic, but they most definitely weren't hooligans.
Poor Ash was immediately fielding questions right and left. I guess as the shining new novelty in the house, that was to be expected. I jumped in to answer for him whenever I could, just to give him a chance to actually get a few bites of food in. Honestly, though? I was secretly thankful they were peppering him. I learned a ton about my new boyfriend in a ridiculously short period of time, without having to play the Grand Inquisitor myself.
Favorite color: blue. No shocker there, given those eyes. Movies: the entire Star Wars saga. Football: he'd been playing non-stop since he first joined Pop Warner at five years old. School: he loved History and English, but Math and Science were his powerhouses, where he was casually tackling AP Calculus and Physics. I really liked that—athletic and smart. Maybe he can help me with Calc; it absolutely killed me this past year. Too many letters, not enough numbers.
When we finished eating, Jason and I took care of clearing the table and cleaning up. Ben immediately dashed off into the house in search of a football so Ash could throw passes to him in the pool, leaving mom and Ash alone at the patio table.
As I washed the dishes, I kept glancing out at them through the kitchen window. They were obviously having a much deeper, more serious conversation than just casual breakfast small talk. Both of them were leaning in close across the table. Ash would speak quietly for a few moments, and then mom would reply, with Ash nodding intently along to whatever she was saying.
I couldn't hear a single word without opening the window and leaning out, but the gravity of it was unmistakable. At one point, mom reached across the table and gently held his hand. A little later, I saw Ash use the back of his wrist to wipe away a couple of stray tears. Half of me desperately wanted to drop the sponge, run out there, and hold him, but I forced myself to stay put. I knew stepping in would only disrupt the moment they were sharing—and it was clear that whatever mom was giving him right now was exactly what he needed.
I didn't get a chance to ask him about it afterward, either. The second I stepped back outside, Ben pounced on Ash with a water-logged football, immediately coaxing him into throwing passes while Ben launched himself off the deck.
I caught mom's eye as I walked past her chair; she just gave me a soft, knowing smile and murmured, "He's a very nice boy, Gray. I can see how much you care about him."
Care about him? She didn't even know the half of it. Taking care of Ash was already the absolute highest thing on my list. There wasn't anything in the world I wouldn't do to protect him, and seeing him laugh with my little brother only locked that feeling deeper into my chest.
I watched as Ash sent effortless spiral after spiral right into Ben's hands, then Jason's, backing up further and throwing faster, again and again. Finally, the littles insisted Ash throw to me from one end of the pool to the other. I can't catch a football to save my life, but he managed to lace it perfectly into my hands every single time—even with the immense distraction of him wearing nothing but that tiny red Speedo. Watching him in action gave me a brilliant idea...
They say time waits for no man, but moms don't either. Within the hour, mom declared it was officially laundry time for Ash's gear, and sent us off to gather his bags.
"So...you seemed to do pretty okay in your budgie-smuggler," I grinned the second we got the bedroom door shut.
"Budgie-smuggler?" Ash snorted, throwing a confused look over his shoulder. "I'm going to guess you mean the Speedo?"
"Coach said that's what the Australians call them," I laughed, stepping closer. "But seriously, once you got in the water, you didn't even seem to notice it. You ate breakfast, tossed the football...you didn't seem fazed at all by having it all out there."
Ash fingered the tight, damp edge of the bright red suit. "No, I actually liked it. Of course, having all of you guys wearing the exact same thing made all the difference. It just felt...normal."
I moved in close, hooking my index finger next to his along the inside edge of his waistband. "So, you're cool with us shopping for a few more? I want to get you a blue one to match those eyes, and maybe a couple of others."
Ash slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me in and hugging me incredibly tight. "I still can't really believe I escaped, Gray. That I'm actually out of his reach. Not to mention that I'm here, right now, with you. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up back in the pine brush. Your mom was just talking to me all about next year—registering for school, football, my chores here at the house..."
I nuzzled into the warm curve of his neck, deeply inhaling the wonderful, clean scent that was uniquely Ash. "It's very, very real, Ash. And I couldn't be happier. But if you really need proof, I can think of a few immediate ways to make sure you're awake and not dreaming..."
He let out a low breath and slipped both of his hands down inside the back of my Speedo, gently squeezing both of my cheeks. "That sounds so tempting, but I doubt the littles would give us the time. We'll have to wait until later...after they leave for the store."
He was entirely right; the clock was already ticking on that front. But I wasn't above getting him a little hot and bothered just to make the anticipation that much sweeter. I shifted from nuzzling his neck to dropping slow, lingering kisses along his jaw line. Ash tasted every bit as good as he smelled.
Eager to up the ante, I matched his fondling, sliding my finger straight down the back of his tight red suit, and dragging it deep into his cleft. Total success. Ash let out a soft groan, shuddered, and collapsed heavily against me. He instinctively spread his legs a little wider to give me more access, making no move to disengage as I played with him.
"We'd better get moving," he whispered, his breath warm against my ear.
"We really should," I agreed.
Eventually, we did.
After changing into dry shorts and t-shirts, we hauled his heavy duffels downstairs to the living room and unpacked every single item. I already knew exactly where mom was going with this, so I stepped in to help Ash organize everything into neat, appropriate piles. Just like she did at the start of every school year, mom was actively triaging the clothing stock—checking if he had enough, deciding what was acceptable versus what was too far gone, and making a running mental tally of what he was missing.
She announced she was taking the littles out for a movie and a Target run later and wanted to grab some things for Ash as well. She already had a whole list going. I managed to talk her out of buying anything beyond the minimum core staples; firmly insisted on being present if we were buying any real clothes for my boyfriend. He was, however, sorely in need of fresh boxer-briefs and new t-shirts. After giving her strict, non-negotiable instructions on the exact brands to buy, I finally acquiesced.
Ash, on the other hand, was still trying to politely decline the charity. While they continued to argue—he really didn't understand yet what kind of maternal force of nature he was up against—I quietly slipped away. Mom was onboard, she actually thought it was brilliant.
I wandered outside toward the sun-baked driveway to talk to our FBI babysitters. My texts had finally been answered; I needed to give them a heads-up and coordinate what came next.
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