Page 96 of Just a Footnote

He comes with a low, “Liam.”

Liam sweetly rests his head on Aiden’s heaving stomach, fingers still gently moving inside Aiden. A wave of pure contentment washes over Aiden. The moment is so full of safety, contentment and love. How had he denied himself this for so long? He waits for the inevitable fear or self-loathing forbeing vulnerable but it never comes. All he can think about is Liam.

“You really do love me,” Liam says, full of awe. Somehow, he still sounds surprised. Aiden hates that he sounds that way. Hates that maybe he made Liam think for a minute that he wasn’t deserving of love.

Aiden gently brushes the hair from Liam’s face. “I do. Very much.”

“I thought you said it once. In Texas, after the draft. But I convinced myself I imagined it.”

Aiden thinks about that night, about everything he felt. “I probably did say it.”

“You really never would’ve told me?”

“No.” Aiden shakes his head, twirling a piece of Liam’s hair around his finger. “I was scared to let you want me. To let you love me. I’m still scared. But I have to be brave sometime, right?”

“You’re the bravest person I know.”

Aiden roughly tugs on Liam’s hair. “I’m really not. Kiss me?”

The kiss is a world-reorienting kind of kiss. Aiden thinks maybe the universe only exists in this room with them. Liam’s lips on his is the kind of weight that reminds him he’s a real person, it brings him back to his body. They curl around each other, still sweaty and messy, and fall asleep like that. Around one another.

Blinking awake,Aiden has the distinct feeling of living in a snowglobe. A white wonderland fills the windows as far as his eyes can see. He tries to sit up, but Liam’s arm tightens around him like a band, tugging him tighter against Liam’s chest. His heart does a little flip at the action and he smiles softly to himself. A hand comes up to smoosh against his face.

“I knew you were smiling,” Liam says gruffly against his neck.

“How?” Aiden mumbles against Liam’s hand.

“Because your body feels happy. You’re happy.”

Aiden rolls over in the bed to look Liam in the eye. He’s got that sleepy look that Aiden loves so much. Messy hair and half lidded eyes. “I am happy. You make me happy.”

Liam nuzzles into Aiden’s neck to press a kiss at his gently thudding pulse, then sneaks a hand down to gently palm his hip, bringing him closer to Liam’s warmth. Aiden just goes. He lets himself get tugged closer to Liam’s body.

“I’m going to try to get traded this off season. My agent thinks I could get traded closer to New York. I want to try,” Liam admits softly. He continues to press gentle kisses to Aiden’s suddenly feverish skin. “I want to be closer to you. I hate Seattle. I don’t mesh with the team. I know you have a few years left of medical school but if I was closer we could see each other more often. Not be apart as much.”

Tears spring to Aiden’s eyes. Something about being wanted by Liam unhinges all the emotions he’s spent so long carefully pushing down. Words get stuck in his throat. He doesn’t know how to respond. Liam loves him so much he’s willing to trade to another team just to be closer to him?

The urge to push Liam away is so strong that it takes every ounce of fight in his body to not do just that. Instead, he burrows in closer to Liam, kissing his neck to taste the salt of his skin. He tangles his fingers in Liam’s sleep messy dark hair to ground himself. They lay like that for a long time, anchored to one another.

Finally, Aiden pulls away and presses a chaste kiss to Liam’s waiting lips. “I’ll support you whatever you choose to do.” He dips his head a little then looks back up. “I’ll try to be good. To not fight you. I’m sorry in advance for how–”

Liam covers his mouth with his hand. “Don’t apologize for being you. I love you just as you are. But you’re not going to succeed at pushing me away. You’re mine now. Let that settle in your heart for a little bit, but I’m not going anywhere. Got it?”

“Ugh!” Aiden rolls them over to straddle Liam’s hips. He looks down at a smiling Liam. “Let's get one thing straight. You can call me your boyfriend, whatever makes you happy, but I don’t need all those flowery words. I don’t need it. I’ll never like it.”

Liam smirks up at him. He lifts an arm, circling his fingers around Aiden’s throat. “I think you like to hear it, you’re just not used to it. Maybe exposure therapy would be good for you.”

He narrows his eyes. “I mean it.”

Liam tightens his fingers ever so, enough to make Aiden’s cock start to harden. “We’ll see. Now, what should we do today, hmm? Do you want to make snow angels with me? Eat cookies while we watch shitty action movies that I know you actually hate but you watch them just for me?”

Aiden swallows, feeling Liam’s fingers move as his throat bobs. “All of the above?”

Liam tugs him down for a kiss despite their morning breath. Something about it is just so inherently Liam that Aiden’s overfull heart somehow beats a little harder. So that’s how they spend their day.

They bundle into the warmest clothes they have, and Aiden watches as Liam drops onto his back in the fluffy snow. A perfect copy of an angel rests in the snow when Liam stands. He lays down and makes one exactly the same beside it, then draws devil horns atop his snow angel’s head, earning a delighted laugh from Liam. Everything about it is just so…joyful. Aiden can’t help but smile at Liam every chance he has, because now that he’s given in, he’s not sure he can ever let go.

The rest of their time together is different after their confessions.Something settled inside of Aiden. When he touches Liam now it feels…better?

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