As they drove across town, Aspen decided that they wouldn’t have their relationship any other way.
Epilogue
Charlie
1 year later
“Idon’t know what to tell you, Rachel. I warned you about her,” Charlie said, doing his best to balance his phone between his shoulder and cheek as he struggled to close the lock on the back door of the shelter.
“I know, but I really thought she was going to warm up to everyone at the house! She truly is just obsessed with me. And you.”
Charlie laughed, switching his phone to his other ear as he began walking down the path towards his house.
“She is a princess who doesn’t associate with peasants. Only her chosen few.”
Rachel sighed loudly. “Well, the peasants at Blair’s house are going to watch her for us while I’m out of town.”
“Is Quinn busy?”
“Yeah, they’re working three night shifts in a row…and also still a bit salty that Princess hasn’t chosen them yet.”
“We can’t all be so lucky.”
Rachel sighed. “Yeah, not like Aspen and Noah with Gordon. I swear, sometimes, I think the real throuple is them.”
Charlie’s heart gave its usual, loudthump-bumpat the thought of his favorite dog with his two favorite partners. Over the past year, Rachel had become one of his favorite people, as well as the rest of their ever-growing chosen family. Aspen insisted on calling it “chosen” because there were some blood relatives, like Braxton and Dani, in the mix that hadn’t necessarily been “found” but had chosen to stick around with them through all the changes the previous year had brought.
One of those changes included Noah and Aspen moving into a new apartment building that allowed dogs. Noah had adopted Gordon practically the day they moved in. He’d been a bit underfoot during the move, but it had been worth the look on his face when he was there for his ultra-large dog bed being delivered.
“Speaking of Aspen and Noah…”
“Ooooh, do you guys have big anniversary plans? They’ve been surprisingly tight-lipped about it—and by they, I mean Aspen. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Noah.”
“We’re just going to spend a cozy night in,” Charlie said, his cheeks heating at the thought of what was awaiting him at home.
It had taken almost six months, but with Aspen and Noah’s combined help, he’d finally been able to dig himself out of the mental, emotional, and financial hole he’d gotten himself into. It wasn’t something he talked about easily, and frankly, he was proud he’d even asked Noah for help in the first place. The three years between taking over the shelter and asking for help had been some of the toughest he’d faced since his childhood of bouncing between foster homes. The looming threat of the dog shelter closing, him failing Melissa and Harry, and disappointing Noah, had caused many sleepless nights andcountless breakdowns. He wasn’t always great with emotions, but despair and guilt had become familiar bedfellows.
But then Aspen and Noah had stepped in, and it was like he could finally enjoy the shelter again. Things got even better after hiring Noah. He’d started as a part-time CFO, mostly just working weekends at Charlie’s kitchen table, with Aspen playing video games or watching TV in the background. Three months ago, Charlie had finally been able to hire him full-time, and he now spent his weekdays in the shelter’s tiny office or at Charlie’s house. Aspen continued to volunteer, but they did that on their own time. They’d often accompany Noah to Charlie’s house on their days off from the salon, but they tended to make a nuisance of themself more often than not.
Like, today, for example. Charlie had only been working for two hours, fighting to reinstall a particularly stubborn kennel lock, when he’d gotten a message. He’d nearly dropped his phone on the concrete floor when he opened it. There wasn’t any text, just a photo attachment of Aspen sitting in Noah’s lap at Charlie’s kitchen table. Aspen was holding up a piece of paper that said “Happy Anniversary! Can’t wait to see you tonight!” The sign obscured one of their naked tits, but the other was fully visible, with Noah’s hand wrapped around it, his middle and forefinger perfectly framing the pert, pink nipple. Noah himself was staring resolutely off-screen, as if there was any chance he was actually getting work done with a half-naked Aspen in his lap.
Charlie knew that neither of them would ever go against Charlie’s preference that they only have sex in the bedroom. But sometime in the past several months, Aspen had become so comfortable at his house they’d begun walking around half naked, and there wasn’t a chance in hell Charlie was going to discourage that. They hadn’t known Aspen during their gendertransition phase, but they could hazard a guess they weren’t always this confident in their body or their gender.
There were still days when something would trigger dysphoria for them, and they’d wrap themself up in Charlie’s biggest hoodies, and not want to be touched. Those days always scared Charlie, because he wasn’t sure how to comfort them or be there for them. Dysphoria wasn’t something he would ever be able to relate to or understand, and even when Aspen tried to put it in the most Gordy Simple terms, Charlie still couldn’t imagine how it felt. So, he just treated it like how he wanted to be handled when he was overstimulated. He would ply them with treats, warm beverages, and enough stim toys to stock a classroom. Then, when Aspen was feeling a little better and wanted snuggles, Charlie would carry them up to his room and hold them until they were all better.
They didn’t always hang out at his house. The apartment they’d gotten was halfway between Aspen’s salon and Charlie’s house, and on a bus line for both. Aspen had never once complained, at least not to Charlie, but he knew that they loved the city life, so he did his best to go into the city at least once a week for events and date nights.
“Has Aspen ever heard of a quiet night in? Didn’t your birthday feature fire alarms?”
“They…are not the best cook,” Charlie said, doing his best not to laugh at his very adventurous and kind-hearted partner, who sometimes had dreams beyond their capabilities.
“Ordering out tonight?” Rachel said with a laugh.
“Probably, or I’ll end up cooking something.”
He was nearing his house now, and he wasn’t sure how to end the conversation politely. He loved talking to Rachel, but he did much better in person, where he could study a person’s facial or bodily reactions to what he was saying and doing. If they were in person, he’d easily announce he was going to go have sex withhis partners, and Rachel would laugh that sweet laugh again and wish him well. Hell, Rachel had done that several times in his presence, scurrying off to join Quinn in their bedroom at Blair’s townhouse. She still had sex with Aspen and Noah from time to time, but only when Charlie wasn’t there. He had his hands quite literally full with two partners and had no idea what he would do with a third.
He was grateful Aspen got to explore their toppy side with her, since it was rare with Noah and nonexistent with Charlie. He hadn’t really had time to worry about his sexual preferences when it came to Noah and Aspen, since they went from friends to lovers in less than twenty-four hours, but it had been a problem in the past. There were still times when his inability to get out of his head in new places got in the way.
