Page 98 of Just a Footnote

“So…you and Liam?” Miles asks hesitantly. Like he’s afraid Aiden might lose his shit.

Aiden takes a deep breath and replies, “Me and Liam.”

Archer looks at him in the rearview mirror. “He’s good for you.”

No way to argue with that. Liam is the best thing to ever happen to him. Wild horses couldn’t get him to let go now. He doesn’t know where they’re going, how it’s going to work, but the fact it’ll be okay as long as they fight for one another settles with the surety of a sunrise in his bones.

13

After their time at the cabin, everything is easier. Being with Liam, officially, isn’t much different than being with him unofficially. Constant phone calls, video calls, and the ache of just wanting to hold one another. Archer doesn’t give him much shit for it thankfully. Probably because Archer knows how precious this is for Aiden, how rare, so instead Archer just sends him pleased smiles when he hears him on the phone with Liam.

It’s kind of annoying.

All that to say, the end of winter in New York is kind of nice for Aiden. Time blends into spring, sending Archer and Liam into playoffs. The games are grueling, Archer barely has time to talk to Aiden despite them living together. His talks with Liam are narrowed down to texts or late night calls once Liam has tiredly poured himself into a hotel room.

Ironically, it looks like Archer and Liam might end up playing each other in the playoff finals. He’ll know for sure tonight after they play their final game in their current round. Not knowing how to choose between them, he’s not attending either of their games. Instead, he sits in the apartment, chewinghis fingernails, attempting to watch anything on television except for hockey.

He loses. He ends up putting their games on right after their second periods. Flipping between the channels, he watches his twin brother maintain a lock on the goal, not allowing a single goal through. On the other channel, Liam glides on the ice like a man on a mission. Aiden doesn’t know why he’s surprised by either of them anymore. They play hockey professionally, of course they’re good. Maybe it’s just that he feels pride for the first time in his life. For the both of them.

And because life is hilarious, New York wins their game. A few moments later, Seattle wins theirs as well.

So his twin and his boyfriend will be playing each other for the Stanley Cup.

“Fuck,” Aiden says aloud to the empty apartment.

Thankfully, the games will be on Liam’s home turf, in the first week of June when he’s on break between classes. Two weeks in June are a blank canvas for Aiden to do whatever he wishes. He’s not sure he’s ever had something like that before.

Booking a flight to Seattle, he takes a screenshot and sends it to Liam. He assumes he’ll hear back once Liam is an exhausted lump on his bed, but instead his phone starts to ring immediately.

“Hey baby,” Liam greets him the moment Aiden answers. The pet name sends a flood of emotions through him like it always does.

“Shouldn’t you be celebrating with your team?”

“I am celebrating.”

Aiden rolls his eyes as he lays back down on his bed. “With yourteam.”

“I’d rather talk on the phone with you.” The sound of celebrating echoes through the speaker, but it gets quieter as the seconds tick by. Liam must’ve just left the locker room. “I’m onmy way back to the hotel now. A few of the guys are going out to a club, but I’m fucking exhausted. I just want to sleep for twenty four hours. The idea of drinking makes me even more tired.”

Aiden hums softly. “Go back to your room and sleep.”

“I plan to.” The sound of a car door slamming echoes through the phone. “Thank you, Sir. Yes, the Ritz-Carlton across town. Anyway, I’m on my way back to the hotel now. I saw you bought your plane ticket. I would’ve bought it, so you’d be in first class.”

“Liam,” Aiden warns.

“Alright, alright.”

It’s been a familiar argument between them. Aiden doesn’t want Liam constantly paying for things for him, just like he doesn’t like it when Archer does it. He can buy a freaking plane ticket to Seattle and he can fly by himself. He’ll be fine.

“It costs less than a hotel room. You can wine and dine me after the finals. Compromise, I can do it.”

Liam chuckles, soft and low, sending a dangerous current of need through Aiden. “Works for me. What’ll you give me if I win?”

Aiden rolls his eyes. “You want to know what I’ll theoretically give you if you win the Stanley Cup?”

“I was thinking about a bet.”

Aiden can hear the telltale sounds of Liam getting out of the taxi, presumably heading into his hotel. He’s proven correct when the familiar ding of an elevator floats through the line. They stay quiet for a few minutes, in case the call drops, a routine they’ve gotten used to over the past few months.

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