Asher and I ate and chatted quietly at our end of the table. We enjoyed a few beers as well, loosening up for later. Dean and Jay sat a few chairs away, and we caught them watching us every now and again, whispering with their heads close together.

As much as I’d thought this whole experience would weird me out, it hadn’t so far. Part of me was intrigued about being on display for someone else’s viewing pleasure. We’d ensured there were mutually agreed upon rules and everyone was comfortable, so why not? It was one of those life experiences I would look back on and think, Wow, did I do that?

Asher and I stayed only as long as was polite and necessary. When the meal was cleared and people were celebrating with never-ending drinks and dessert, we excused ourselves, begging off and blaming exhaustion.

Jay caught my eye as we said our goodbyes around the table. I tugged my phone from my pocket and indicated I would text him. As we walked back to our room, I shot him a message, asking him to give us about a half an hour to get cleaned up and ready. I also told him to get his hands on a bottle of Fireball because I knew it was Asher’s favorite party drink, and I thought it might encourage him to settle into the night a bit more. His comfort was first on my mind, especially since we were exploring new territory.

In the room, I took Asher’s hand and guided him without words toward the en suite bathroom. On my phone, I found a worthy playlist of our favorite bands and set it to play at random, leaving it on the bed with the volume high as we went to shower.

Oasis’s “Champagne Supernova” came on first.

Asher sang along under his breath as I unbuttoned his shirt one little button at a time. He watched attentively, his love consuming me every time his eyes caught mine. Once I pulled his shirt from his arms and set it aside, I took care of my own.

Asher waited. When my bare chest was exposed, he trailed a knuckle up my arm and down my side, slowly moving over my ribs and across to my navel. “I can’t get enough of you,” he said, abandoning the lyrics of the song. “Whenever I’m near you like this, I just want to be as close as I can get.”

“It’s good, isn’t it? What we have?”

“Better than good. I don’t know how to describe it. We’ve always been connected more than regular siblings, but… How did we spend years not knowing how much better this could be?”

I shrugged and worked his pants off, flicking the button free and tugging his zipper down. “We know now. That’s what matters.”