Page 12 of Love Limits

“Ooh! -aybe you- -eet someone -ere!”

Ash chuckled. “I can only hope. I’m not expecting to, though. It’s Landon and this guy that he’s seeing, Dustin, and then whoever else they invited. Just game night.”

“Isn’t Landon -- one you -ad a crush on?”

Ash rolled their eyes, even though their mother couldn’t see it. “Landon’s the one who I completely idolize and think is hot. But I don’t have a chance with him. Or with her, when she’s Lena. We’re not compatible anyway.”

“-ow do you know you-- not co-patib--?”

Ash grinned. They shared things with their mother, but not everything. “Trust me, in the kink world, there are more ways to be incompatible than not.” For example, Landon liked to switch sometimes, but he was mostly submissive. Definitely not the full-time Mommy or Daddy Ash was looking for.

This time around, Ash wanted it to be different. They wanted to be someone’s primary. Maybe someone’s only.

That didn’t stop Ash’s hopeless crush on Landon, though. Everything was just more bright and alive when Landon was around. He was a charming flirt, a capable coordinator for the munches, and a kind soul who had everyone’s back. Ash felt like he was still holding back, though.

There was some need inside him that Ash still hadn’t quite figured out. Not that Ash was under any impression that they could fulfill that need, but it made Landon mysterious and alluring.

“We-, at -east it -ould be better than --- club, right?”

“Yeah. I’d go back if I were dating someone, but it’s not a good place to start a relationship. And I’m done with one-night stands.” They’d been fun when Ash was younger, but recently they felt more depressing and stressful than fun. They only kept their membership at Escape for the moshes on pup play night at this point. They were done with casual hook-ups, and maybe even polyamory.

They just wanted someone of their own.

“Awwww, my littl-- baby is all gr—- up.” Their mother’s mock-facetious tone of voice was more than enough to interpret that one, even with half the sounds missing.

“Well, something like that.” They held back a laugh at her inadvertent joke. Part of growing up had been realizing just how much they liked the freedom of not having to act like an adult all the time. Or, in their pup space, not even a human.

“I wanted to te-- you about my date, too. But I’ll wait --- we’re in person.”

“Oh, I’m so excited. I can’t wait to hear about him.” After raising Ash as a single parent, their mother was finally getting into the dating game again, and it sounded like she’d finally found someone. “Are we still having lunch on Sunday?”

They couldn’t hear the response, but the tone was affirmative.

“Great, text me with the details, OK? I’m about to get off the highway so I have to go. The directions get a little squirrely and I hate driving in the snow.”

“OK. I love you! Drive ----y! If you -eet anybody cute, I want deta--!”

“Love you, too! And it’s just game night!”

“Bye!”

“Bye!” They disconnected the call with a grin on their face.

Tonight was just what they needed. Some new friends, board games, and a low-key setting.

Plus the alluring sparkle of Landon’s presence. They’d never hung out except in larger groups, but as the only two Deaf folks, they always gravitated together. Getting to know him better now was exciting.

They weren’t going to worry about dating or anything like that.

Though if someone there happened to catch their attention tonight… Well, they certainly wouldn’t say no.

A few turns later, they pulled up to the curb and checked to make sure they had the address right. Yep. This was it.

They took in the space while they zipped their coat, grabbed a few things, and locked the car.

Dustin’s house was, like, really nice. Intimidatingly nice.

It was out in the suburbs and the yard was huge. Even with the bare branches and empty garden beds of winter, you could tell it was a neighborhood where people hired landscapers.