Spark & Stone - 22. A Secret You Already Know

Chapter Twenty-Two – A Secret You Already Know

Aidan was pretty happy with how things were going, for now, as for someone like him, they could not have been better. He had tried to think of himself as being completely self-sufficient, at least after leaving home and going to live on his own.

But it wasn’t fair to deny how nice it felt to go back to Heathcliff every day. The man always waited for him with a nutritious and delicious meal, a hot shower, and even hotter sex. Well, maybe he was a bit salty about the fact that Heathcliff was still not letting him top, but seeing how much he enjoyed himself as things were, he could not complain.

Was it the right thing to rely so much on someone? He liked to think that things were under control. He did this because it was convenient, and Heathcliff was involved for the exact same reason.

So, everything would, somehow, reach an end. He had no idea when that would happen and what it would mean, but it was clear as day that it was as good as a sort of vacation. Seeing how tough things were at work, the fact that he could enjoy such reprieve in Heathcliff’s arms was a good thing, and he should take advantage of it while it lasted.

Who knew when he would have the occasion to have sex with a handsome man like that, who was also considerate, kind, and also so amazing in bed? Aidan would think about complete self-reliance later. For now, he enjoyed all the help he got.

And it wasn’t only because Heathcliff was teaching him about sex and how to eat right. It was good for his mental health. He had no idea how others did it because it sometimes felt like everyone was perfectly fine with being entirely independent and not needing anyone.

At least, that was the image they liked to project. He had an inkling that it wasn’t the case with everyone, as he had distinctively heard two of his colleagues gossiping about a third who, ‘of course could put in the extra hours, with a spouse at home doing all the chores and waiting with a hot meal’, their words, not his.

In a way, he was like that colleague of his. Heathcliff was as close to a spouse as he could be. Well, that was definitely a very alluring thought, but Aidan needed to get a hold of himself. That was not how things were.

Things were ... They were just friends of sorts, he liked to believe. For weeks now, they had been sharing the same space, and, with time, Aidan had transferred some of his clothes and other stuff he needed to Heathcliff’s house, and he had to wonder whether he should have still paid rent where his official address was. Some days, he didn’t go there even once.

Of course, he still had to pay rent. He shook his head. What the hell was he thinking? One way or another, they would part ways, and Aidan needed a safety net. Not that having a rented place somewhere could count as that. What he needed more than anything was an emotional safety net, and they didn’t carry that kind of stuff at Walmart. That was something that had to be homemade, and his DIY skills were close to zero.

With a sigh, he pulled another folder from the stack in front of him. He was about to start his usual tedious task of filing information no one needed when the door to the big kahuna’s office opened, and his assistant walked stiffly to where Aidan sat.

For a couple of seconds, Aidan stared at her nervously. What did she want? She could use the phone if the big guy wanted him for some reason. The woman studied him with something akin to curiosity mixed with something else in her spectacled eyes and then began talking in a hushed whisper.

“The boss wants to see you, Aidan.”

Those were her words, but Aidan somehow knew, from her conspiratorial tone, that they actually meant: You’re in deep trouble. How he knew such a thing was a mystery even to himself, but he had been told on occasion that he could read some people.

“Right now?”

“Yes,” she replied quickly and looked to her right, then to her left, as if she wanted to make certain no one was listening to their conversation.

The office was far from empty at that hour. The enthusiasm for putting in extra hours caused by the potential evaluation had waned a little, but half the squad was still hard at work. That meant that plenty of ears were standing straighter than a Doberman’s that very moment. His summoning to the boss’s office would not go unnoticed. Most probably, the boss’s assistant knew that well. So, all in all, the hushed voices and pretenses that no one could tell they were talking about something important were all part of a charade.

Sometimes, Aidan wished he would have the guts to go ahead and tell these people some shocking truth right to their faces. Then, hopefully, he might witness the hypocritical masks slipping, and he would get to learn who the real people were underneath those travesties.

“All right,” he said and got to his feet.

The assistant added nothing else and turned on her high heels, with Aidan following closely. What could that be all about? It could be either very bad or very good. The big kahuna didn’t do in-between well. He thought that to be a great trait of his personality. Aidan had a different take on it. A creative department could have used less rigidity. Although Aidan could appreciate the advantages of discipline, in certain circumstances, it could also prevent people from speaking freely.

He waited for the assistant to let him enter. His boss was at his desk, his fingers steepled in front of him, and, as usual, his glare was impenetrable. It could mean several things, and Aidan could only hope the man would not start shouting the moment the assistant closed the door. His stomach did funny flip-flops when someone was loud suddenly and for no reason.

“Spark,” his boss finally said.

Fortunately, in a steady tone, not overloaded with unnecessary decibels.

“Sit,” came the command.

Aidan sat right away.

“Here,” the man flexed his fingers as if he had kept them that way for a long time without moving, and then pushed toward him a folder.

More things to file? Great, Aidan thought with an internal mental roll. He took it and looked inside. His eyes grew wide, and he could not keep from grinning.

“Those are some sexy numbers, Spark,” his boss said, now louder than before.

“They sure are, sir,” Aidan replied, with unhidden satisfaction.

His boss made a small gesture, cutting the air with one fist. “That’s the kind of graphs I want to see. Erect, beautiful.”

The man’s choice of words was a bit funny if he thought about it. His boss turned in his chair, steepling his fingers again and looking away from Aidan. It appeared as he was looking out the window now, and Aidan could not even see his profile completely.

“I’m wondering, though. How come Heathcliff Stone is so well behaved?”

Aidan felt a sudden uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. “Well, the deal is good for him. As for well behaved, it was only a few weeks ago that he tried to throw an orgy at his house.”

“Yes, I remember. How did that go, Spark? Did you have to hunt down naked men around his house?”

Aidan gulped. “No, sir. Mr. Stone’s guests were civil. I didn’t have to use force of any kind.”

“Mr. Stone,” his boss said, and somehow the way he spoke sounded mocking and annoying. “Is that how you address him?”

Aidan paused. What was that all about? Frantically, he began searching his brain for an answer that sounded right. He decided for some honesty. “We’re mostly on a first name basis, sir. Since I have to spend so much time with him, he insisted that we should drop formalities.”

“And are you comfortable with that?”

His boss was up to something. He could tell. What it was, that was not easy to guess.

“Yes. Why shouldn’t I be? We’re only eight years apart, and he’s not crazy about talking formally, anyway. With anyone,” he added quickly.

“True,” his boss admitted with a short nod. “Is he an easy person to be around?”

“What do you mean, sir?”

With calculated moves, his boss fiddled with another folder on his desk, and, after what looked like moments of deliberation met with extreme wariness from Aidan’s part, he finally opened it. With the same hesitation, he turned it toward Aidan.

There were pictures. Of him and Heathcliff. He held his breath, and stopped himself in time, as he wished to reach for the folder and check to see if there were any racy ones. But his boss was staring at him, like a hawk at its prey, even if he didn’t look up to know that. He could feel it like a small laser dot set on him, ready to fire.

The picture on top of all was of him and Heathcliff at a restaurant. They had both agreed on being cautious about PDA manifestations, so nothing incriminating was there. But what about the others? Until proven guilty, Aidan decided to play it cool.

The shot had been taken from a fair distance, so the image was a tad blurry. Yet, Aidan found it strange to look at himself and the man he was sharing a bed and many other things with, from this side of the fence. It made him feel somewhat vulnerable and anxious. That was how some celebrities had to feel when paparazzi took pictures of them at the beach when vacationing privately. This felt, without a doubt, like an invasion of privacy.

Even if they weren’t touching, or doing anything else that could qualify as a breach of contract, they were clearly happy in that picture. They were smiling at each other, their heads leaned towards the small empty space between them as if they were trying to reach for something they both wanted.

“I often have lunch with him,” Aidan said, hoping his voice didn’t sound as unnatural and stiff as it seemed to his ears.

“Please look at the rest,” his boss encouraged him.

He pretended to be a bit surprised, but he began browsing through the content of the folder, slowly, with measured gestures, so that he didn’t appear too impatient. The candid shots offered nothing that could make him worried. The person taking the pictures hadn’t gained access inside Heathcliff’s house, so there was no actual reason to consider himself in danger in any way.

“What is this all about?” Aidan questioned, measuring his words, beat by beat.

He waited, although his boss appeared to ponder on what to say next. Maybe it was some strategy to have him babble some inconvenient truth. Aidan had no intention to fall for such an easy scheme.

“Rumor has it that Heathcliff Stone found someone.”

Aidan remained silent. If his boss wanted to tell him something, he should go ahead and say it, loud and clear.

“Is it true?” his boss set his hawk-like eyes on him.

“Not that I know of,” Aidan replied while addressing a quick, guilty apology towards his mom and dad who had taught him not to lie.

Technically, he wasn’t lying. Heathcliff had stopped teasing him – not that it served to prevent or decrease the rhythm of his falling for the guy – and that meant that his mentioning of having someone special during his livestream that time could be overlooked as a joke.

“All right. So, it was a ruse of his,” his boss said, apparently mostly to himself, as his eyes moved away from Aidan. “What do you feel about homosexual people, Spark?”

“What do I …?” Aidan lost his voice and coughed.

“You can be candid with me. Although,” his boss looked sharply at him, “I must warn you that I could not tolerate even the slightest sign of homophobia in this office.”

“Homophobia?!” Aidan shouted this time. “Did I somehow come across as … Sir, I don’t understand!”

The man waved as if he wanted Aidan to chill and be at ease. “It’s nothing you said or did. We are more than happy with how well you keep Heathcliff Stone in check. And the results,” he tapped on the folder with the graphs on his desk, “speak for themselves. And for your performance, of course.”

“If it’s nothing I said or did,” Aidan tried to choose his next words carefully, “then did anyone else say or do something that made you think of my having something against gay people? The fact that I get along with Mr. Stone … Heathcliff so well should be proof enough that --”

His boss put up one hand to stop him again. “I am asking this because what I will tell you next is both confidential and delicate. You see, Spark, a lot of people might make it look like they’re okay with various categories of people.” The man looked to the ceiling, as if some speech whisperer was there, giving him cues on how to choose his words or express them.

Aidan followed with his eyes and then shook his head. “That might be, sir, but that’s not me. I do not pretend I like Heathcliff Stone.”

He almost bit his tongue as soon as the words left his mouth.

His boss continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “You see, your taking our precious marketing asset to restaurants and other places where he might like to hang out may look harmless to you, but not to everyone else. Some people might interpret it as a sign that something is going on between you and him.”

Aidan could feel his hands getting cold, and an unpleasant squeeze roiling his gut. “Nothing’s going on,” he said, his voice low and hesitant. “It’s a business relationship, nothing else.”

“Of course.” His boss just nodded. “So here comes the delicate situation I wanted to talk to you about. You’re okay with Heathcliff Stone, as long as you two are mere acquaintances that happen to get along. But what if I told you that some tabloids might say otherwise? Would your hidden homophobia rear its ugly head then?”

“What hidden homophobia?!” Aidan was rightfully scandalized right now. Even if he weren’t gay, just having someone blame him of such a thing was appalling.

“You might not know about it until someone starts talking about you being in a homosexual relationship with another man.” His boss pointed at him as if Aidan could suddenly grow horns and begin spouting homophobic bullshit. “Speak clearly. Would you feel offended, or attacked in the very core of your masculinity, if such a thing happened?”

Aidan remained speechless for a full couple of seconds. He could not blurt out at his boss that he was gay, as it seemed a bad idea, but the man’s logic was making him beyond astonished. “I would not feel offended. Nor attacked in my masculinity, or whatever,” he babbled.

“Are you sure?” His boss leaned over the table and looked squarely at him.

“Yes, I’m sure. Definitely,” Aidan said quickly.

“Good.” The man leaned back into his chair and threw another look at the ceiling. “Then you’d be okay with certain publications presenting you as Heathcliff Stone’s secret lover, and that special someone that he talked about a few weeks ago.”

Great. Aidan swallowed with difficulty. He had told Heathcliff to stop teasing him, and now his boss wanted to do it, and with the same thing. “It would be a lie, sir,” he pointed out. “I am not Heathcliff Stone’s special someone.”

“Details, Spark.” His boss rocked in his chair, causing a tinny, irritating sound. “It’s good for us if Heathcliff Stone appears as someone with serious intentions about getting hitched.”

Getting hitched. Surreptitiously, Aidan pinched the back of his left hand. Somehow, that morning, he must have failed to wake up and now he was walking in a dream. “I would not lie, sir,” he said as sternly as he could. “If asked --”

“You don’t have to do anything.” His boss stopped him. “We just need to know if you mind it.”

We. What did his boss mean by that? How many people were in on this? Aidan felt uneasy. Even if he were to admit he was gay, that would not make the situation more manageable. Because, as gay as he was, he wasn’t Heathcliff’s special someone, and no one was getting hitched.

“I don’t mind it, but I don’t see --”

“These pictures will get published, eventually,” his boss said as he pointed at the other folder. “This works for us.”

“Even if I’m someone from the company working with Heathcliff? Wouldn’t that seem odd? Or, I don’t know, against the company’s policies?”

“Well, we don’t encourage our employees to have non-contractual relationships with our business partners since their loyalties should be clear. We know that’s not what’s going on here, which is good for our peace of mind. As for what it’s projected by media or otherwise, it’s beyond our control. But if it works for us, it works,” his boss said with finality. “I wanted to prevent an unforeseen reaction on your part. As long as you don’t mind being talked by some tabloids as if you were Heathcliff Stone’s lover, that’s something we want to work with. Without anyone knowing, of course.”

Aidan wanted to argue against that kind of logic. “I hope I don’t have to speak to tabloids and all that.”

“If they ever contact you, only two words should be left in your vocabulary when talking to them. No comment.”

“Oh, I see.”

“That’s it, Spark. I’m glad you’re not against this and that you’re not homophobic. Also, it’s a good thing that you’re not, let’s say, batting for the same team as our main marketing asset.”

“Why is that?” Aidan couldn’t control his mouth, ignoring his boss’s efforts to sound hip for some reason.

“Because this is helpful for your career. If you had been homosexual, I would have never sent you to work with Heathcliff Stone. Instead, you would have probably shown good skills at filing reports and nothing else, as far as this particular contract was concerned, at least.”

The good thing was that he hadn’t blurted out the truth about his sexual orientation. Now he needed to keep it a secret.

“How would that have influenced … things?” he dared to ask.

“I don’t need drama in my office,” his boss said, puffing out his chest. “Plus, it would have made me questioned your loyalty towards the company. Heathcliff Stone is a true charmer, or so I heard. He would have seduced you, without a doubt. Just to be sure,” the man seemed to ponder for a second, “where are you on the Kinsey scale, Spark?”

“Nowhere near being in danger of any kind from Heathcliff Stone, sir,” Aidan lied without one ounce of hesitation this time.

“Good.” His boss slammed his hands against the desk, startling Aidan, like usual. “This could be the opportunity you have been looking for.”

“About the promotion --” Aidan tried to interject.

“We’ll see later about that. But you almost have it in the bag, Spark. Dismissed.”

Aidan stood up and walked out of the office in a daze. On one hand, he should have been happy. He was finally close to the promotion he was hoping for. But, on the other hand ... What the hell was his boss thinking? Heathcliff was as family-friendly as possible, as things were. There was no need for such a charade. Should he tell Heathcliff about it? After all, the tabloids might not follow him and pester him with questions, but it was as clear as day that they would do that with Heathcliff.

***

Unlike other times, when he had no issues with driving straight to Heathcliff’s house, Aidan took a longer route and watched warily for signs of paparazzi on motorbikes and whatnot at every stop. He was foolish that he was suddenly so afraid that he could make the subject of some juicy gossip, worthy of getting printed on ordinary paper that could have had better uses. But that was happening, even if only by association. Damn, couldn’t some B-list celebrity have their sex tape leaked so that he could breathe right now?

As he sat in front of the door, waiting for Heathcliff to open, as usual, he stole nervous glances around him. But it looked like the street was deserted at that hour, and there were no paparazzi armed with the latest technology to snap photos of him while hidden in the beautiful rhododendron bushes populating the neighbors’ lawn. Also, the air didn’t buzz with the mechanical sound of drones floating nearby. Clearly, he was getting paranoid, and it was not something easy to deal with.

“Hey,” Heathcliff was all a smile in the door, “are you a little late? I feel like I’ve been waiting for you for --”

“Good evening, Mr. Stone,” Aidan cut him short. “I’m here to tell you something important about our contract.”

He hoped Heathcliff would let him in, without saying anything else. Heathcliff knew how to take a hint and stepped aside, to let him walk inside. As soon as the door was closed, Aidan exhaled and let his briefcase drop on the floor.

“Mr. Stone?” Heathcliff asked, sounding a bit amused. “If you want us to play like that, you just need to say it.”

Aidan glared for a moment, and then he shook his head. “I had the weirdest one-on-one with the big kahuna, and trust me, bedroom games are the last thing on my mind right now.”

“Oh,” Heathcliff said. “I hope you’re not taken off the contract.”

“No. It’s quite the opposite. I’m supposed to be in it deeper than ever, and I might even get that promotion I was telling you about.”

Heathcliff moved closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Does it mean that I can still kiss you now?” he asked playfully.

Aidan looked up and smiled. “Yeah. Sorry about the weird introduction.”

He hooked one arm over Heathcliff’s shoulder, too, and pulled him into a kiss. Things were so familiar and nice between them. Aidan would hate to see them end sooner than he was ready for. Well, he wasn’t sure he would ever be prepared for that, but at least, he didn’t want it to be over now.

Heathcliff’s lips closed over his mouth, and Aidan melted into the embrace that followed. It was a good thing that Heathcliff kept him close because, as usual, his knees tended to gain the consistency of molasse, just like the blood in his veins, as soon as he was kissed like that.

Heathcliff Stone didn’t have to be an influencer, a fitness instructor with the hottest body on social media, or even some sex expert. Aidan was pretty sure anyone who ever got kissed like that was bound to lose his head. His boss had guessed right. Heathcliff had seduced him, and he was hopeless.

“Now,” Heathcliff said slowly, as they reluctantly let go of the kiss, “what worries you, cutie?”

“In a single word: paparazzi,” Aidan replied.

“Really? They have left me alone lately.”

“Well, they might not do that for long. You see, my boss showed me some pictures today. Of you and me. And told me they would get published, eventually.”

Heathcliff turned rigid in his arms and frowned. “I will have a serious talk with my security company. This house and its perimeter are supposed to be completely intruder-free.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Aidan hurried to say. “They weren’t of the intimate kind. Just us, you know, on the street, in restaurants, stuff like that.”

Heathcliff relaxed. “Why didn’t you say so?” he said and ruffled Aidan’s hair. “I thought I needed to thrash the entire house to find hidden cameras. I do like the current interior decoration, and it would be a shame to get rid of it like this.”

Aidan giggled. “I’m glad that you worry more about renovations than about your reputation.”

“Why should I worry about that?” Heathcliff asked. “As far as I know, we kept our hands to ourselves, well, with some difficulty on my part, I admit, so there could be nothing compromising in those pictures. Isn’t it so?”

“Yes, you’re right. But you won’t believe people today and their obsession about others’ lives,” Aidan said with a deep sigh.

“Tell me about it.” Heathcliff laughed. “Now, seriously, what got you so worried? And that kind of stuff, like two people having launch doesn’t sell tabloids, and paparazzi know it very well.”

“How would a title like ‘Heathcliff Stone is getting hitched to his secret lover’ sell the said publications?” Aidan said right away.

Heathcliff’s eyes grew wide and then shone with amusement. “Is this what they think?”

For some reason, Heathcliff didn’t appear disturbed or even annoyed by the idea. Aidan narrowed his eyes. “Are you trying to tell me that Heathcliff Stone, bachelor extraordinaire, would not have a fit over being presented by tabloids as the next sexiest groom of the year?”

“Is there such a thing? The sexiest groom of the year?” Heathcliff smiled at him.

Aidan shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose. Why? Do you need that title on your prize list for some reason?”

Heathcliff’s smile was warm and held not one ounce of sarcasm. Most of the time, the guy seemed an open book, but right now, Aidan had no idea what to make of that smile. There was no reply, and Aidan wasn’t expecting one. His question had been rhetorical.

“Anyways, the idea is that my boss thinks I should play along with this. Not play along, in the sense that I should start going out with you and make out in public, but in the sense that I should not deny it, either. It’s fucked up, right? Just so you know, my boss doesn’t suspect a thing, and it would be best that he remains as ignorant of this as he is right now. Apparently, it was a good call not being out at work. I would have never gotten to work with you if they knew about me.”

He was babbling, and Heathcliff’s silence on the whole thing was unnerving.

“Really?” Heathcliff drawled. “Were they afraid I could corrupt you?”

“They’re right,” Aidan pointed out. “You did corrupt me. But they don’t know that, and that’s how things are supposed to stay.”

“I don’t know. It would be nice to go outside and just hold your hand, you know. I haven’t sneaked about like this since I was a teenager.”

“Are you serious?” Aidan checked Heathcliff’s face for signs that he was pulling his leg.

There were none.

“Come on. It’s perfect. Your boss will think you’re willing to go the extra mile for the sake of your company and the success of the shakes you guys are selling, and I will get to show you off in public.”

Taken aback, Aidan looked closely at Heathcliff. “It would be a lie. A charade. Are you really okay with that?”

Heathcliff shrugged. “I can live with it. What? Don’t tell you totally hate the idea.”

“I kind of do,” Aidan mumbled and looked down. “I’m not supposed to appear in public as your lover. That’s not how we are. And especially not like your half, or whatever, someone you’d have serious intentions to pursue with.”

“Aidan,” Heathcliff took his hand and squeezed it, “you worry way too much for someone this young. Just go with the flow, at least this time. You might like it.”

“This time?” Aidan expressed his surprise. “All I’ve been doing with you is go with the flow. Sometimes I don’t recognize myself.”

“And don’t you like it?” Heathcliff wiggled his eyebrows at him, making him laugh.

“I do. Maybe too much.”

Oh, damn, he and his mouth. He needed to take that back. But it was too late, as Heathcliff swept him into his arms and began walking with him up the stairs.

“What are you doing? Seriously, put me down,” he protested.

“You’ll eat a bit later tonight,” Heathcliff said. “I’m sorry about this, bunny boy, but tonight is sex on an empty stomach. I’ll be quick. I promise.”

“You don’t have to hurry,” Aidan protested again, but for a different reason.

Heathcliff laughed. “Then I won’t. And that’s also a promise.”

***

He wanted and didn’t want to take his time. But Aidan had offered him an unexpected gift tonight, and Heathcliff felt like he could not control himself. It was hard enough to keep from telling Aidan all the time how much he liked him and how special he was to him.

So people would find out who Aidan was, in a very roundabout way, but they would. Heathcliff could not be happier. While Aidan was like putty in his arms while they made love, he was still guarded and skittish when he caught whiff of the slightest talk of feelings. Therefore, Heathcliff had been good, and stopped teasing Aidan, or better said, he had stopped saying the truth over and over again.

Now he could only think of how happy he would be when they would go outside, maybe hold hands and touch each other, instead of walking at a fair distance from one another. Such a simple thing was making him feel like his heart was on the point of bursting out of his chest.

He had been a tad too in a hurry to prepare Aidan thoroughly, as usual. To compensate, he moved inside slowly, letting the other adjust to his length and girth. “Does it hurt?” he whispered lovingly into Aidan’s ear.

There were many ways in which he liked to take Aidan. The view from the back was the sexiest, but, right now, Heathcliff wanted to be all over his lover, and feel him close, so the missionary position was the best.

“No,” Aidan whispered back. “You worry so much sometimes, Heath. I’m not made of glass, and it’s been like a month or so since I’m not a virgin anymore.”

“Are you trying to tell me you don’t like me to go at it slowly like this?” Heathcliff chuckled.

Whatever his precious bunny wanted, he would get it. But Heathcliff hoped Aidan would ask to go slowly, too, because it felt intimate and so good that he wanted to keep his lover there for hours and enjoy his body, his beautiful smile, and his amazing expression when he came.

“It’s good,” Aidan pulled him closer, “but it may be too much.”

He wanted to ask how that could be too much, but Aidan shut him up with a kiss. The young man was getting better at everything, and at kissing, too. Heathcliff could not distinctively remember kissing other men, except for Aidan. Their tongues were dancing while Heathcliff moved amply, making Aidan shiver and squirm under him in pleasure, by his soft, muffled moans, lost in the kiss.

He had an idea why it was too much for Aidan, as it was for him, too. Their climax was not volcanic, as it often happened, no fireworks, but it came like a flood, inescapable, and, as much as they wanted to postpone it, their mingled breath grew harsher, faster, and they lost into each other, coming together, like he had no idea was possible so many times, with the same person.

The flood eventually drew back to the sea. But they stood like that, kissing softly, drinking each other, enjoying themselves, with no worries about the world behind his front door.

He was decided to take Aidan through it, and conquer the world outside, too. With that kind of confidence by their side, Aidan would believe him.

Heathcliff felt like laughing as he pulled himself, not without regrets, from Aidan’s arms.

“What’s funny?” Aidan asked, but he seemed amused, too.

“I’m not laughing at you, but at myself,” he replied.

“Really? Why?”

“I think I lost something, but I don’t care at all. What I’m winning in return is just so much better.”

“Does coming usually do this to you? Make you talk funny?”

Heathcliff laughed harder. “Don’t worry. It’s a secret you already know.”

“I do?” Aidan pushed himself up and looked at Heathcliff from above.

“Yeah,” Heathcliff caressed his lover’s sweaty forehead, letting his hand drop lower and rest on his cheek. “You do.”

TBC