All good things must come to an end, Martin mused with a sigh. One of the benefits of being in a long-distance relationship was that it allowed him to postpone the inevitable, but he knew he was fighting a losing battle and it was only a matter of time before he was forced to admit the truth.
He had hoped and prayed that Theresa would be somewhere else the week they were having a layover in Vaduz. No such luck, of course – and it was only natural for her to invite him over for the few days they were going to stay in Liechtenstein.
Well, that was that, he supposed. He couldn't turn her down without raising suspicions, and was only too painfully aware that he wouldn't live up to her expectations. All of his girlfriends had walked away on him as soon as it'd become apparent that he wouldn't give them that, and now it was Theresa's turn; a pity that he'd come to like her so much, but there was nothing he could do about it.
To her credit, Theresa didn't actually push him into doing anything he wasn't comfortable with; she seemed fairly content with kissing and cuddling, and when she fell asleep curled up against him he wished he could do that for the rest of his life. He didn't get much sleep that night, his thoughts running in circles as he considered how unfair life was, and wondered for the umpteenth time what was wrong with him.
By the time she stirred in his arms, he had made up his mind and steeled himself for the heartbreak that would inevitably follow. "Theresa, I've got a confession to make," he blurted out as she leaned forward to steal a lazy morning kiss.
She looked him in the eye, her fingers tracing nervous patterns on his skin. "I'm listening."
"I know you expect – sex, because that's what people do. When they're in a relationship, I mean. But I don't – like it, and I know it's weird, but there's nothing I can do about it, and… I think I should go now."
"Oh, you silly thing," she breathed, relief apparent in her voice. "It's not weird at all, I promise."
"But…"
"I'm asexual, Martin."
He blinked, not quite daring to hope the word meant what he wished it meant. "So, you – hum."
"I like cuddling, and kissing, and sleeping next to the person I care for. Nothing more."
His brain struggled to catch up with this incredible stroke of luck, or happy coincidence, or whatever it was. He couldn't believe there was actually a word to describe how he felt about sex, never mind the fact that other people felt the same and he'd just found one of them.
Theresa seemed to find his confusion endearing, for she snuggled closer and dragged him in for a gentle kiss.