Page 25 of Just a Footnote

“I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Aiden’s heart turns over in his chest at Liam’s words. “Are you alone in the room or is Archer there?”

“I’m alone,” Liam laughs, but it’s bitter. “He’s out with Miles. I wouldn’t call you if he was here listening.”

And yeah, Aiden knows that. He doesn’t want anyone to know about this but most definitely Archer can’t. Archer would…expect things. He’d want to protect Aiden. Probably also want to protect Liam. Or…Archer would be weirdly ecstatic at the idea of them together, not understanding it for what it is.

“Why are you calling me?”

“When I get back…can we do it again?”

Aiden lets out a loud breath. Quiet crackles across the line for a few moments. Aiden closes his eyes, pictures how Liam looked on the television and compares it to the Liam that laid beneath him on the bed. He tries to reconcile that Liam with the goofy, carefree Liam that everyone else seems to know. The fierce captain that leads the team to victory more often than not.

“What do you want?” Aiden asks quietly. Sweat prickles on his palms, and his mouth goes dry as he waits for Liam’s answer.

Liam’s breath hitches a little, then the sound of rustling echoes across the line. “I want to do it again. As often as you’d like.”

“So….like friends with benefits maybe?”

Liam hums into the phone. “Yeah, friends with benefits.”

“When do you get back?”Aiden asks even though he already knows the answer. The game schedule is on the calendar on his phone so he can keep track of when Archer is away and when Archer is here. A compulsion he hasn’t been able to shake in all the years Archer has played hockey.

“Monday morning,” Liam answers, a smile coloring hisvoice.

“I’ll try to get Archer to stay with Miles. Without him getting suspicious. So, Monday night?”

“Monday night,” Liam confirms.

Aiden finds he doesn’t want to hang up yet. Doesn’t want to lose this weird connection he’s kind of come to count on, so he says, “You played well tonight.”

Liam chuckles, soft and low, sending a spark of something he can’t explain straight down Aiden’s spine. “I know.”

They breathe together over the phone for a few more minutes before hanging up without a word. He stares down at his phone, not sure what just happened. Liam Walsh called him on his phone. He called and asked when they could hook up again. Who even does that? Liam Walsh apparently.

It turnsout that Aiden doesn’t have to do much work to get Archer to stay over at Miles’. Archer returns from the away games, looking tired like he always does. He makes a smoothie in the kitchen while Aiden studies at the kitchen counter.

“I’m going to stay with Miles tonight. Unless you wanna hang out?”

Aiden dips his head down, pretending to concentrate harder. “Nope, I need to focus. I have a test tomorrow.”

Archer hums softly. “So the draft is going to be in Texas this year.”

“Mhmm.”

“Me, Ollie, Matty and Miles are going to support Liam…you’re going to come right?”

Aiden looks up from his paper to frown at his brother. “Why? You’ve already been drafted.”

“One last hurrah with all of us.”

Aiden thinks about it. What could he possibly have to do at a draft in Texas. They’ll have to pay for his flight and Archer’s flight. But if this weird thing keeps up with him and Liam it could be one last hurrah before the start of medical school.

“Fine,” Aiden relents.

Archer’s face pinches, but he nods once tightly. “Good. We’ll figure it out the closer we get to it.”

“Still happy about going to the Oilers?” Aiden asks, more out of curiosity than anything else.

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