Page 86 of Just a Footnote

“I don’t think so. What’s the difference between Bigfoot and Yeti?”

“The Yeti is strictly in Asia. Bigfoot is in the Americas. Maybe other places? I’m not sure.”

“Huh.”

Aiden sits down by the fire to warm up once Liam has it going. “What?”

“I always thought they were interchangeable.”

Aiden glares at him. “They’re not.”

Liam sweeps his hand through the air. “The more you know.”

After meandering into the kitchen, Liam returns with two mugs of steaming coffee. Side by side, they sit on the ground together by the fire, slowly sipping at their drinks. Wiggling his toes closer to the fire, he tilts his head to the side, resting it against Liam’s bicep. It’s nice. Liam chuckles, body vibrating with the sound. He leans down to kiss Aiden’s forehead.

“Are your feet still frozen?”

“Yes,” Aiden complains. “I’m not made for the cold. I miss Georgia.”

“I know.” Liam moves them closer to the fire then spins so he can take Aiden’s feet into his lap. He presses his thumb into Aiden’s heel, making Aiden let out an unintelligible sound that embarasses him when it reaches his own ears. “Lay down.”

Aiden puts his mug of coffee on the ground before laying down against the soft rug. It’s a little scary how easy it is to relax around Liam. He just has that effect on Aiden. Nothing is dangerous about Liam. Nothing about him promises pain unless Aiden explicitly asks for it.

Relaxation is easy because his body and his mind know that if he relaxes, Liam will take care of him. That Liam likes to take care of him is an added bonus. He wishes he could have it all the time. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel so tense and worried. He imagines a world where Liam is waiting for him in their home. Liam would hug him, kiss his cheek, make him dinner. A smile curls his lips up before he can stop himself.

“What are you smiling about?” Liam asks, a smile in his own voice.

“You.”

“Oh yeah? What am I doing that made you smile?”

Aiden opens his eyes just enough to look at Liam. “Just being you. Did I ever tell you that I listened to thePercy Jacksonbooks?”

Liam freezes his ministrations on Aiden’s foot. Aiden wiggles it angrily to get Liam to start up again. “No, you didn’t tell me.”

“Yeah, I listened to those five, then I listened to theHeroes of Olympusbooks. Haven’t listened to theTrials of Apolloyet. They were nice to listen to while I was running. Helped my brain reboot between medical jargon.”

“You liked Percy right?”

“Yeah, and Nico,” Aiden admits sheepishly.

Liam chuckles, pressing a knuckle into the arch of Aiden’s foot. “Of course, you did. I told you.”

Aiden just hums. “That space gays book was good too.”

“It was.”

“We should do that more often.”

“What?”

“Read together. I can pretend you’re reading what I’m listening to at the same time. So it feels like we’re together even though we’re not.”

Liam’s hands drop from his feet. Aiden’s about to complain when he opens his eyes to find Liam looming above him. That weird look back on his face again. A mixture of surprise and irritation? Liam kisses him, a short, firm kiss, before abruptly standing up.

Aiden stands and plods along behind Liam, following him into the kitchen. Mixing bowls along with baking ingredients lay scattered around the kitchen.

“What are you making?”

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