Page 40 of Just a Footnote

Aiden follows along behind him like a planet in Liam’s orbit. Liam leads them towards the Ancient Greece and Rome wing full of marble statues and ancient artifacts. Aiden hadn’t been expecting Liam to choose that. They walk around together, Liam leading them, pointing things out as they go. He looks so happy. Not the sometimes fake happy that he wears during interviews or around other people, but actually happy. There’s a lightness to his posture, his shoulders are less tight, and every time he looks at Aiden he just looks…grateful?

Liam comes to a stop in front of a bust of Athena. “Growing up all the other kids loved dinosaurs or superheroes or video games. Not me. I was busy learning everything I could about theGreek and Roman gods. I had a big Percy Jackson phase. Love that dude. Have you ever read it?”

Aiden shakes his head. “I’ve never really been a reader.”

Liam frowns. “You’d like Percy. Nico too.”

“Maybe I’ll listen to the audiobooks one day.”

“You should.” Liam smiles at him before turning back to the bust of Athena. “I always admired how they each had one strength that they really perfected. They owned that strength. Athena was my favorite. Her myth says she sprouted from Zeus’ head, in full armor, ready for war.”

“She sounds badass,” Aiden says, even though he already knows about Athena. About all the Greek gods. But he’s not going to tell Liam that. He likes when Liam shares parts of himself with him, when he shows how intelligent he is, so he lets Liam talk. Liam leads him around the room, telling him more about what they see as they go. And he listens, and he watches, and he realizes he’s in too far now.

He’s fucked.

Aiden feelsitchy in Liam’s sweater jersey. Yesterday they’d spent the entire day together. First at the museum, then they’d gone out for lunch that somehow turned into an early dinner. Liam had to sneak back to his room before everyone else got back so they wouldn’t get caught.

Today they’re back at the arena for the final game of Archer’s college hockey career.

Aiden looks over the bodies in front of him, hyper focused on his brother defending the goal. Anxiety creeps up on him. Even doing his breathing exercises doesn’t calm him down. He remembers his therapist during high school coaching him through the start of an anxiety attack. If he can ward it off,stay calm, then the attack will go away. He just needs to breathe.

So he breathes. But his gaze flicks from Archer at the goal to Liam skating on the ice. His face is hard set, he’s concentrated, wanting nothing more than to win the game. The entire team buzzes with energy around him. All eager to win, to prove themselves, but Liam more than any of the rest of them.

Coach Simon yells something out at Liam as he skates by; he nods tightly, then keeps going. A moment later he gets the first score of the game. Aiden has to physically hold himself back from jumping up and cheering. Having any sort of positive reaction to Liam’s goal would surely set all of Skye’s alarm bells off.

The other team doesn’t play nice. Liam catches a few rough hits that the referees should catch but somehow don’t. He takes a particularly rough hit. The blow steals the breath from Liam, Aiden can see it on his face, but he shakes it off. Maybe later, if he can get Liam naked, there will be new bruises that he’ll need to ice. But the idea of bruises on Liam again makes him feel oddly protective. Makes him want to take care of him. Ease any kind of pain he might feel.

Aiden must’ve missed something, he blinks, and suddenly there’s a fight breaking out on the ice. Punches swing around so fast he can’t see who's throwing them. Ollie takes someone to the ground and Miles pulls Liam away by the back of his jersey. Liam’s face is contorted in rage. All play on the ice stops as they all get pulled apart. Aiden tracks Liam with his eyes, noticing the drip of blood down his nose. He wipes it with his jersey and angrily shakes off attention from an assistant coach on the bench.

“I wonder what that was about. Ollie rarely drops his gloves,” Skye observes, lips tilted down in a frown.

“I don’t think he started it, I think he finished it.”

Skye bites her lip, resting her elbows on her knees. She radiates restless energy that’s not typical for her.

“It’ll be alright,” Aiden reassures her. At least he tries to reassure her but probably falls short. “We already know they’re going to win.”

“Ollie wants this so bad.”

“Is he getting excited to start the next chapter?” Aiden asks conversationally.

“Yeah,” Skye says with a gentle smile. “I know he’s going to do great, but it’s nerve wracking too. There’s no guarantee he’ll stay in California for a long period so if he’s traded then I’ll have to follow him. He’s not like Liam. Wherever Liam is drafted, they’re going to hold onto him the best they can considering he’s Liam Walsh.”

Aiden shrugs, turning his gaze back to the ice. Blood dots the neck of Liam’s jersey. Aiden swallows around the large lump in his throat at the sight. Skye is right. Wherever Liam goes in the draft will do everything and anything to keep him. He’s already put off the draft as long as he can considering he’s a twenty year old senior.

“I’m ready to get to New York,” Aiden says to change the topic.

Skye shivers, making Aiden laugh despite himself. “Too cold.”

Aiden would have agreed a little while ago but after their excursion to see snow at Christmas, he doesn’t mind it so much anymore. He thinks about Liam’s ruddy cheeks in the cold, snowballs to the face, and the warmth of Liam’s body against his. This is not good. He rubs at his chest as Liam scores again. The entire team vibrates with excitement. Miles claps Liam on the back as they skate by one another.

“I don’t mind the cold. Snow at Christmas is kind of nice.”

Skye frowns at him, knowing that Aiden prefers the warmth to the cold. “Since when?”

Aiden shrugs, uncaring. “People can change.”

“You always bitch when it drops below fifty degrees but now you don’t mind snow?” Skye narrows her eyes, then glances out at the ice as if she can follow Aiden’s stare. “You’ll have to wear more than a leather jacket when it snows.”

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