Page 19 of Just a Footnote

Yeah, Aiden’s not going to do that.

“Some kids love dinosaurs or superheroes…I loved Bigfoot. It’s perfectly normal.”

Liam just hums, looks at him like he’s grown a third head, then returns his attention back to the television. Aiden watches Liam. Even as the pizza arrives and they all grab plates. He can’t stop watching Liam out of the corner of his eye, it’s like watching a car crash happen, he just can’t look away.

Liam looks so soft sitting on their couch in a hoodie, hair messy from running his fingers through it, and green eyes that somehow glow in the light of the television. He’s pretty. Which is exactly Aiden’s type. Aiden thinks that Liam is maybe theprettiest hockey player he’s ever seen. Most of them are a little rougher around the edges, missing teeth, but not Liam. Liam belongs on magazine covers. He’sthattype of pretty.

Aiden doesn’t know why he’s thinking that. He shouldn’t be thinking that. He pushes his glasses higher up his nose and listens to them shout at the television over something happening during the game. Hockey is something he really only enjoys watching in person.

The exhaustion from the panic attack starts to eat at him enough that he feels like he might fall asleep on the couch. Last time he did that Miles drew a scarecrow fucking a pumpkin on his arm. It took days to wash off. He’s not going to make that mistake again.

“Night,” Aiden announces to all of them.

A chorus of goodnights follows behind him as he returns to his bedroom. He turns his lamp off so that the glow of the night light illuminates his room. He can’t sleep in the dark. Even now at almost twenty two…he just can’t do it. The need to be able to take in his surroundings if he wakes up abruptly during the night is too great.

A soft knock startles him from where he’d been lying in the middle of his bed staring up at the ceiling.

“Come in?”

Liam’s head peeks through. “Hey.”

Aiden sits up all the way, grabs his glasses, putting them on so he can see Liam clearly. He blinks at the shadowed version of Liam in the doorway.

“What’s up?”

“Are you coming to the game tomorrow night?”

Aiden rubs his jaw. He hadn’t planned on it truthfully. Liam looks at him hopefully though, as if he wants Aiden to say he’s going. He’s not sure what to do with that. Why does Liam want him at the game? It’s weird, right?

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Aiden hedges.

“Oh,” Liam says sheepishly. “Hard final semester?”

“Yeah…well not really. I guess I can go?”

“Great! We’re having a party at my place after. Sometimes Dad lets me have the team over. Do you want to come?”

“...you want me to come to a team party?”

“Is that weird for you? I don’t know. You just seemed kind of down and I thought you might like the distraction?”

What Aiden needs is to get laid but he’s not going to tell Liam Walsh that.

“I’ll come if you make me one promise.”

Liam smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Anything.”

“Don’t mention my love of Bigfoot toanyone. And I’ll know if you do because Miles and Archer are sworn to secrecy.”

Liam chuckles, making something warm take flight in Aiden’s chest. It feels like a herd of elephants that learned to fly. Maybe he should see a doctor. That’s definitely not a normal reaction to someone laughing.

Slowly, Liam lifts his hand, crosses his fingers over his heart and says, “I swear.”

And then he’s gone. Aiden is left feeling slightly unmoored. That was…wildly cute. Liam Walsh is cute. He realizes with blinding clarity that he might like Liam Walsh. Great.

“Sup?”Aiden greets Skye as he sinks down into the seat beside her.

“Are you coming to the team party?” Skye asks in that drowsy sort of way that only she can. Like maybe she knows something that Aiden doesn’t. Aiden shoots her a look but Skye just smiles gently back at him, blue eyes innocently wide and soft.

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