Page 61 of Just a Footnote

“I got a hotel room for you and Miles.”

Aiden rolls his eyes. “You’re rich and you can’t get us two separate rooms? Scratch that, Miles is rich too. Why are we sharing a suite?”

“You are really insufferable when you want to be.”

“Thank you,” Aiden says through a wicked grin.

“Whatever. Just…it’s in a few weeks.”

That’s when Aiden realizes why Archer is warning him. Liam will be at the games. He’s going to see Liam again.

Fuck.

9

Even with Archer’s pointed warning, the Olympics somehow still manage to catch him off guard. Violent anxiety courses through him as they fly to Canada a few days before the start of the Games. His leg shakes the entire flight, bad enough that Miles aims a glare promising violence if he doesn’t calm down. The fear of Miles' wrath stills his leg, but not the angry beating of his heart.

Aiden has never been to Canada before. It’s nice. Everyone is too nice as they get off the plane, as they leave the airport, even their driver is pleasant as he drives them to their hotel. Maybe Aiden is too used to the brusque nature of everyone back in New York City. Everyone there is just trying to get where they’re going so they don’t have the time to be nice.

Archer is required to stay at the athlete village with the rest of the USA hockey team, but Miles and Aiden have a nice suite at a hotel not far away from the athlete village. How Archer was able to hook them up with it, he’ll never know. Especially since Archer just got called up to the team last minute.

Canada is somehow even colder than New York City in the middle of February. He really does need to invest in somethingwarmer than his asshole piece of shit leather jacket. Archer helps them get checked into their hotel, gives Miles a chaste parting kiss, then disappears after promising to meet them at dinner later that evening.

“Liam will be at the dinner tonight,” Miles tells him once the door to their suite firmly closes behind Archer.

The pressure on Aiden’s chest triples. Suddenly, three elephants decided to sit on his rib cage. He awkwardly rubs at his chest with a pained grimace as he steps into one of the two suite bedrooms.

“Okay,” Aiden says quietly, voice trembling a little.

“I didn’t want you to be caught off guard.”

Aiden plays with the downy white comforter on the bed. “Is his girlfriend coming too?”

“Girlfriend,” Miles repeats slowly like he doesn’t know what the word means.

“Yeah, girlfriend.” Aiden looks down at the comforter. He knows that Miles doesn’t pick up on these things, oblivious as ever, and they hadn’t talked about it further after their talk months ago in New York.

“There’s no girlfriend,” Miles finally says, exasperation coloring his voice.

He jerks his head up to look at Miles. Weirdly, Miles looks a little irritated at the insinuation that Liam did have a girlfriend which doesn’t make much sense. Aiden saw the pictures. He’s not stupid. Miles abandons his luggage and creeps further into the room to sit down on the edge of Aiden’s bed. They don’t look each other in the eye. It’s weird. He’d never really expected to become friends with Miles, it still takes him by surprise all these years later. Begrudging acceptance had shifted into some sort of easy friendship along the way but he doesn’t know when.

Miles sighs loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You know, sometimes you’re even stupider than me.”

“That’s impossible,” Aiden says, teasing and light. “You’re the bottom of the barrel stupid.”

“True but you’re down there with me.” Miles shifts on the bed so that he can look at Aiden’s face. It makes Aiden feel a little uncomfortable. Aiden doesn’t talk about his emotions, he rarely even likes to feel his emotions, the idea of having another heart to heart with Miles makes him feel like he’s about to vomit. “You should talk to Liam. Do it while you’re here.”

Aiden snorts. “I’d rather not.”

“Then you don’t have the right to pine after him.”

“Excuse me?” Aiden asks, affronted.

“You heard me,” Miles says like he’s pressing on a bruise.

Aiden raises one eyebrow. “Did I?”

“You did,” Miles confirms, letting out a tired sigh. “You and Archer are so different yet so similar in some ways. You can’t just assume someone doesn’t feel the same way about you if you never bring it up, you know. For all you know, he might be pining after you too.”

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