Page 10 of Just a Footnote

“Are you on your way back to the dorm?”

Aiden shoots him a questioning look. “Yes?”

“Want a ride?”

The question brings Aiden up short and he pauses in the walkway between buildings. Liam’s eyes are wide, stuck firmly on him, it feels a little disconcerting. They don’t usually hang out without Archer there. But he has been pushing harder than usual lately, offering rides, trying to share meals, and Aiden doesn’t know what to make of it all.

Finally, Aiden shrugs. “Yeah, fine.”

Liam grins at him, bright and broad, and it warms something inside of Aiden that it really shouldn’t. It’s not Liam’s media face that he uses post-games with reporters either. No, this smile is more genuine. He’s seen it a few times when Miles has made Liam laugh after a game or at practice on the ice. It curls the corners of his mouth more and shows off how his teeth aren’t perfect. There’s a slight overlap of his two front teeth that Aiden really shouldn’t have taken the time to notice.

It’s only a fifteen minute walk to his dorm on campus but it’s a five minute ride in Liam’s warm SUV. The seats warm up quickly, making him feel decidedly more human than he had just moments earlier. They escape the car and run into the dorm seeking the warmth that they’d had in the car.

The dorm is empty when they walk through. A sticky note on the kitchen counter informs Aiden that Archer is out with Miles and that he might stay at his dorm. Miles has a single room since he’s the RA of their building. Half the time they’re inMiles' room and half the time they're at Archer and Aiden’s shared dorm. It’s a toss up where they end up half the time.

“Archer isn’t here,” Aiden tells Liam.

Liam shrugs, grins at Aiden, then tosses himself onto the couch. An itch works its way under Aiden’s skin at the sight. It’s not wholly unusual but he’s not used to spending time alone with Liam. Even after all these years. For some reason Liam is perfectly fine creating scenarios in which they have to be alone.

Aiden grabs the remote from the television stand, then tosses them to Liam.

“I’ll be right back,” Aiden tells him.

He disappears into his room, takes out his contacts, and puts on his black square rim glasses. After a day staring at books and his computer, his contacts make his eyes so dry that his glasses are the only thing to bring him any relief. When he returns to the living room, Liam blinks at him a few times, blushes crimson, then turns his attention back to the television.

“Have you seen this new action movie?” Liam asks while pointing at the television. “It just went up on Netflix a few days ago.”

Aiden shakes his head. “Nope. I don’t really watch that many movies or shows.”

Liam scoffs. “Of course. You’re too smart for that.”

“I didn’t say that…” Aiden trails off while staring at the side of Liam’s face.

“Let’s watch it.”

Aiden settles back on the couch as the opening credits roll. The movie starts and Aiden already knows he’s not going to be able to pay attention. He stares at the television though, not wanting to tell Liam that his choice in movies suck. Action movies? Most guys love them, but Aiden has always found them kind of boring. Predictable. Stuff blows up and bad guys get caught. It’s hard for him to enjoy movies or television becauseusually he has the entire plot of it figured out in the first few minutes.

But he sits there like a nice guy. Liam is enraptured by the movie though, laughing at the right times, and tapping his fingers against his thigh throughout most of the movie. He doesn’t mean to, but he spends the rest of the movie watching Liam instead of the movie. If someone gave him a pop quiz, he’d most definitely fail it.

“I didn’t know you wore glasses,” Liam says once the movie ends.

“I’m almost legally blind without my contacts.”

“Is that why you don’t play hockey?”

“What? No!” Aiden denies, absolutely affronted. If he wanted to be good at hockey, he would be. It’s a choice.

Liam shrugs with a small smile. “I was just curious.”

“I don’t play hockey because I don’t like it. It’s Archer’s thing. I’d rather have my nose in a medical book than have my nose broken on the ice.”

“Can’t lose a tooth with your nose in a book either.”

Aiden points at Liam with a triumphant grin. “Exactly.”

Liam smirks and Aiden has to look away. These straight hockey guys don’t have any power over him. Maybe he needs to get laid. It’s been a few weeks. Time to fire up an app and find someone for the night. Or even just a few hours would do.

“Archer said you agreed to Christmas with me and my dad.”

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