Hunter sighed as he handed Aiden a grey t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants—his only decent pair that weren't ripped at the knee or stained with coffee.
"Take a shower first. You reek of stupidity," he let out, half-teasing and half-hoping the shower wouldn't freak Aiden out too much.
Aiden, ever so excited, grabbed the clothes and practically skipped to the bathroom like he had just been given the key to a secret treasure room. "You're giving me your clothes?" he grinned over his shoulder, voice sing-songy. "Should I be blushing? Is this the part where you confess you've always wanted to see me wearing your clothes, hmm?"
Hunter rolled his eyes. "No, this is the part where I tell you to hurry up before the water heater gives up."
"You're so unromantic," Aiden grinned wider, disappearing into the tiny bathroom. Hunter shook his head though a faint smile tugging at his lips as he turned to organize the bed a little, trying to ignore how insanely domestic this all felt.
But his peace was short-lived. Because barely ten seconds later—
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Hunter jumped, heart lurching in his chest. "Aiden?!"
He spun around hurriedly, only to be tackled by a flailing mess of limbs and terror. Aiden launched himself from the bathroom doorway like a feral cat escaping death, wrapping his arms around Hunter's neck and his legs tightly around Hunter's waist in one horrifyingly efficient motion.
Hunter stumbled back, catching him purely on instinct. "What the hell—"
"There was a cockroach!!" Aiden wailed, voice muffled as he buried his entire red face into Hunter's neck. "I saw it crawling near the drain! It had like, legs! And eyes! I swear it was plotting my murder, Hunter!"
Hunter blinked many times before letting out a snort that turned into a full laugh. He couldn't help it. The image of Aiden shirt half-off, sweatpants dragging behind him, hair a mess, leaping like a terrified child into his arms because of a bug was too much.
"You're laughing?!" Aiden gasped dramatically, pulling back just enough to look at him with betrayed eyes. "Hunter, I'll kill you!"
"I'm sorry," Hunter pressed his lips together, trying to hold in the chuckles but his shoulders shook anyway. He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "I just didn't think you'd be scared of such a small thing."
"Don't stereotype me! I am scared of them," Aiden said defensively, tightening his death grip around Hunter's neck like a terrified koala. "Except when it comes to insects with antennae and unholy eyes. You don't understand, Hunter, it looked into my soul."
Hunter held him securely, hands steady under Aiden's thighs, and muttered through his smile, "Get down, dumbass. It's probably gone now."
"No," Aiden declared, legs locking tighter in case Hunter puts him down. "If I touch the ground, it'll come for me. I know how they work."
"It's a cockroach, not a serial killer."
"They can fly, Hunter."
Hunter snorted again. "Then it's your rich perfume it's attracted to."
"I'm staying up here until the coast is clear. I am not dying naked and shampooed." Aiden hid his face again.
Hunter shook his head but didn't push him off. Instead, his fingers rubbed small, absent circles into Aiden's thigh while Aiden clung tighter on him. And for a brief second, despite the stupidity, despite the chaos, Hunter felt oddly calm.
Here was this adorable, stubborn, ridiculous boy wrapped around him like a weighted blanket, trembling from fear and still managing to scold Hunter with his big watery eyes and pouty lips. And even though his neck was sore and his arms were tired, and a cockroach was probably still loose in the bathroom Hunter had never felt more amused or more alive.
"Are you done throwing your tantrum?" he asked quietly.
"No," Aiden sniffed, face pressed against his shoulder. It felt peaceful and comforting in this chilling winter. "You're warm. So, I'm emotionally recovering."
"You're such a handful." Hunter let out a sigh as he finally wrestled Aiden off his body and sat him down on the edge of the creaky bed. He grabbed the old bug spray from under the bed. "I'll go and evict your tiny enemy. Wait here for me."
Aiden clutched a thin pillow against his chest to protect himself. "You're not allowed to die!" he called after him. "Hunter, I swear, if it flies at your face don't try to be a hero and quickly run back! And I don't want you to die before we even start dating."
Hunter groaned as he pushed open the bathroom door. "It's a cockroach, Aiden, not a dragon."
"I don't care! They're survivors! That's what makes them more dangerous!"
Hunter didn't answer and just disappeared into the bathroom. Aiden hugged the pillow tighter, eyes flicking nervously toward the door.
What if the roach bit him? Do roaches bite? No, they don't…right? Wait—what if it's pregnant? What if there are more of them?? What if they're forming a colony under the stove??
A minute passed and Hunter returned casually, shaking the nearly empty bug spray can and tossing it onto the side table.
"All clear," he ruffled Aiden's hair like he was a cat who just had a panic attack. "You're safe now, soft boy."
"I'm not soft," Aiden grumbled, swatting his hand away and folding his arms.
"You cried and climbed me like a tree because of a bug."
"It was a life-threatening situation."
Hunter snorted and nodded toward the bathroom. "Well, your life-threatening life has been cleansed. Go take your shower now."
Aiden stood, holding the clothes Hunter gave him. He paused by the bathroom door and peeked back. "Come with me."
"What?"
"Shower with me."
Hunter's brain broke. "What the—no—what?!"
"Why not?" Aiden tilted his head innocently. "It's not like we never showered together."
"Are you insane?" Hunter exclaimed, visibly blushing now. "It's like a broom closet in there! And I'm not—no!"
Aiden pouted. "Fine, then can you at least stand outside the door?"
"No, I can't."
He did it anyway.
Hunter leaned back against the bathroom wall with a tired look and listened to the sounds of water and the occasional off-key humming. His eyes trailed over the cold and empty room. And yet, somehow, with that idiot behind the door singing about cucumber shampoo, the whole place felt less lonely.
When it was finally his turn, Hunter took a quick rinse. When he stepped out shirtless with towel over his shoulders Aiden was already curled up on the bed, hair still damp and fluffy, wearing Hunter's oversized t-shirt like a dress.
"Take the bed I'll sleep on the floor."
"Nope." Aiden scooted to one side of the tiny bed and patted the spot next to him with a sweet smile. "We'll share. I won't take much space so come here and lie down."
"The bed's smaller than a damn bathtub—"
"I'll curl like a shrimp, I promise!"
Hunter looked in deep thought.
Aiden grinned. "Come on. It's freezing. Let me borrow your heat."
With a long exhale of defeat, Hunter finally slid into the bed, lying stiffly on his side, careful not to touch anywhere. Aiden immediately rolled over and hugged his arm.
Hunter's muscles locked. "This isn't 'not taking up space.'"
"Mmmm…you're so warm," Aiden mumbled, his voice already sleepy. "And smells good."
Hunter turned his head, looking at the top of that soft brown hair against his shoulder. His chest tightened in the most annoying, gentle way. Meanwhile, Aiden was on cloud nine, wearing the dopiest grin imaginable as he lay on the steel-frame bed that creaked every time he shifted. The blanket scratched against his skin like a napkin trying to be a quilt, but he didn't care, he was finally in Hunter's bed.
He turned onto his side…creeeak. Then his stomach…creeEEAk. Then back again…CRREEEAK. The bed sounded like it was rehearsing for a sex scene.
Hunter groaned from beside him, "Can you stop wiggling like a worm?"
Aiden let out a long suffering sigh. "I can't help it! Your bed sounds like it's being exorcised every time I breathe."
"Maybe because someone's flopping around like a dying fish."
"You're so dramatic," Aiden huffed and scooted closer like a sneaky raccoon. Before Hunter could register what was happening, Aiden plopped his head on Hunter's chest with a happy sigh, his cheek smushing against the soft cotton of Hunter's T-shirt.
Hunter froze. Like, muscle-locked, heartbeat-paused kind of frozen. His eyes darted down to the fluffy-haired menace sleeping directly on his chest like a kitten who found his heating pad.
Aiden had one arm lazily thrown across Hunter's middle, and one leg looped over his. He was half on top of him already and didn't seem to care. His lashes fluttered slightly before his breathing steadied, soft puffs of warm air hitting Hunter's neck.
Don't move. Don't move. If I breathe wrong, I'll wake him and he'll crawl up into my ribcage or something this time. God, why do you test my patience again and again.
But then as if hearing his inner thoughts, Aiden slowly moved in his sleep. Almost dreamily, like his body was drifting toward warmth without even thinking.
The room was freezing and the blanket was doing a terrible job. Upon that Hunter radiated heat like a human furnace. So Aiden followed that warmth, unconsciously crawling all the way on top of him, resting his full weight on Hunter's body with a content little hum.
Hunter blinked into the dark ceiling. This can't be happening.
Aiden's cheek pressed over his heart now, one hand curled into the fabric of his T-shirt like a baby bird clutching straw. His knees were tucked either side of Hunter's hips, and his tiny body was light but perfectly fit over Hunter.
Hunter let out a soft and exhausted sigh. "This boy…"
But he didn't move Aiden off back to his place. He didn't have the heart to. The room was too cold and Aiden was clearly too peaceful like this. So he laid there, letting the weight of this ridiculous, warm, stubborn boy mold against him.
His hand moved before he could stop it, drifting up to Aiden's head. His fingers brushed through the thick silky strands slowly.
Aiden let out a soft whimper, like the noise a cat makes when it stretches out in a sunny spot. Hunter nearly stopped breathing again. His lips twitched into the smallest smile, his heart clenching in the most unfamiliar way as he continued to stroke Aiden's head.
He was sleepy but hearing Aiden's little sounds felt more important. But the only problem was how much Aiden kept moving against him with lazy unintentional friction that sent sharp jolts of heat down Hunter's spine. Hunter shut his eyes reluctantly.
No. Absolutely not. Calm down. It's just body heat. Biology. Physics. Whatever.
But Aiden kept twitching, pressing even closer in his sleep, his lips brushing Hunter's collarbone, a breath escaping him that sounded way too much like a moan.
Hunter's hand froze mid-stroke through his hair. Lord have mercy.
Aiden suddenly whispered in his sleep, "You smell nice…"
Hunter nearly died right then and there. If he keeps moving, I'm going to throw myself out the window and sleep in the trash cans with the other rats.
Still, he didn't push him off. Because damn it, how good would it be to have this every night?
To have Aiden clinging to him like he's his whole world. To wake up with his face buried in Hunter's neck, mumbling nonsense. To stroke his hair to sleep and kiss his nose in the morning and call him mine.
Hunter closed his eyes, arms wrapping more tightly around Aiden as his resolve crumbled like bad toast. However, it was more difficult to sleep with Aiden then he thought. Whole night, Aiden murmured unintelligible shit while nuzzling his face deeper into the crook of Hunter's neck making Hunter shiver. At some point, one of his hands stayed tangled in Hunter's shirt, stubbornly refusing to let go even in unconsciousness.
Still, the warmth between them was dizzying. Hunter carefully wrapped an arm around Aiden's shoulders and tucking him safely into his side. Aiden murmured again and, in his sleep, turned his face and his lips brushed against Hunter's as he gave a little sigh of contentment.
It felt like heaven. Their legs tangled were naturally now, their bodies fitting like they had done this a hundred times. Hunter pulled the thin blanket higher, tucking it around Aiden's small frame. He could feel the steady rise and fall of his breath and the tickle of his hair under Hunter's chin.
He didn't even realize when he started whispering. "You're such a pain, you know that? Always loud and annoy the hell out of me…But…I can't imagine falling asleep without you anymore."
Time felt slow, as if the world had paused for this one perfect moment. All of Hunter's anxieties about his jobs, his worn-down home, the darkness outside seemed so far away.
Here, with Aiden wrapped up in him, the world was quiet and peaceful.
Aiden let out a small yawn, still mostly asleep. "Hunter…"
Hunter looked down. "Yeah?"
But Aiden didn't finish. Just smiled a little in his sleep and snuggled in closer.
Hunter kissed the top of his head gently, a soft smile touching his lips. "Sleep, dummy."
Soon, Hunter too melted into the night while holding the most chaotic thing of his life in his arms.