You move in circles

It was going to scar. And not the easy-kind, where the skin was just a slightly different color and was barely noticeable unless you knew it was there beforehand. Laci knew that this was going to be one of the ones where her skin was raised and would look incredibly angry all the time, and she had to swallow thickly at the thought. There wouldn’t be a day that went by where she wouldn’t be forced to think about what happened. At his joke, Laci looked at Aiden and blinked a few times before breaking out into a small grin at his idiocy. Even at the worst times, Aiden always had a knack for making Laci grin like an absolute idiot, and for that she was incredibly grateful. There weren’t enough words to describe how grateful she was. “If you make that joke even one time I’m gonna smack you.” 

She knew that he was right. Even though the incident was only hours old, there was no use in hitting pause. Every second she chose to dwell on what happened was just another second that Noah was winning, even if he never intended to torment Laci. He had been sick in the head, and had needed help, and while Laci would forever feel bad that he didn’t receive the help that he needed, she was going to take Aiden’s words to heart. Or, at least, try to. That was the first step, right? “I never knew you can’t say no to me,” she grinned. “How many times have I asked you to get me ice cream and you say no? Must have taken a ton of strength for you to do that.” 

Again, Laci knew that Aiden was right. Things may have been very different if things didn’t turn out the way that they did. And yet…there was a churning feeling in her stomach at the mere thought of the police turning up to Noah’s home and letting his family know about his passing. What were they to think? Would they see his death as self-defense, just as Aiden did? Surely they must.. and yet there was this awful feeling in her stomach that told her that they were probably going to see her as nothing but the woman who killed their son. And they couldn’t do anything about it. She was about to open her mouth to voice her concerns, when Luke walked into the room. 

Luke knew about Laci and Aiden. Laci, wrecked with guilt from hiding the relationship from her brother, told Luke in the middle of the night. Had actually woken him up to tell him about it. He didn’t speak to either one of them for a few days after that, and it actually lead Laci and Aiden into their first fight. As it turned out, Luke was just more mad that Laci chose one in the morning to tell him, of all times. Yet he definitely didn’t hide the fact that he was still not used to his best friend dating his younger sister, and it was evident by the shudder her put on as he glanced at their clasped hands. “How are you feeling, champ?” 

Laci shrugged, sucking on her lower lip. “I’m okay. Can’t really feel anything right now. They’ve got me on some pretty good meds, I think.” She curled her fingers around the sheets, “I don’t want to go back,” she murmured, looking to both her brother and her boyfriend. “Even if it’s…reparable. The damage. I don’t want to go back to that house. Not now, not ever.” 

Aiden really didn’t know how to cope with this entire thing. How do you tell someone over and over again that it was okay that they killed someone in self-defense? Especially someone like Laci. She was so kind and tried to give everyone a chance--that’s what happened with Noah. She was just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt by not ignoring him and blocking his number, and it came back to bite her in the ass in the worst possible way. He was angry over it. In a way, Noah had taken advantage of his girlfriend’s kind nature. Instead of backing off when he knew that she was spoken for, and accepting that they could just be friends, he decided to become obsessive and stalk her and turn up in her own home. If things hadn’t ended the way they had, Aiden was sure he would’ve been the next person causing Noah pain. That was something he knew Laci wouldn’t have approved of, but it was the truth. He was protective, and right now Laci was one of the few things in this world that made sense to him--he’d do anything to save her. 

“Should I be exercising my right to say no to you more often? I’m not gonna lie, it feels kinda good.” He smirked at her, obviously kidding. He’d give her the world if she wanted it, and she very well knew that--or, at least, he hoped she did. His thumb was still rubbing the back of her hand; he couldn’t let her go again. Shit, he probably wasn’t going to be letting her out of his sight any time soon. The only other person he’d trust with her at this point was Luke. Aiden’s eyes averted to the door when it opened, smiling a bit at his best friend. “Well hello, chatty Cathy.” The blonde was obviously trying to keep light of things--this wasn’t going to change anything, he was determined. “Your parents coming back to town?”

She had only been in this bed for a few hours, and yet she was already tired of it. Laci wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep–hell, if she could, she would try to sleep the day off and wake up and pretend like nothing ever happened. While that certainly wasn’t an option, Laci found herself wondering if she would even have a bed to return to after the doctors released her. She didn’t know how bad the fire had gotten, didn’t know how far it had spread, but her family certainly couldn’t return home..at least until repairs were made. If there was anything left to be repaired. With her free hand she moved the sheet to the side and peeled back her hospital gown, biting down harshly on her lower lip as she saw the stitches. They were dark, stretching from her bellybutton to her right hip. The skin around the wound was red and irritated, and Laci shifted again so that she wasn’t directly upright and putting strain. “Well…this sucks.” She was trying to make a lighthearted joke out of the situation, but it was damn near impossible to hide the disgust and disappointment in her voice. 

Moving her hospital gown back into place and pulling the sheets back up, Laci tried to look anywhere but at Aiden. She knew that he was right, that having his number blocked would have done little to nothing to prevent what happened tonight, but she couldn’t help but feel that there was something else that she could have done. “Maybe I could have told the police…asked for a restraining order or something..” She pursed her lips and squeezed Aiden’s hand as tight as she could muster. “I–thank you for not being mad at me.” A smile smile spread across her lips, “And thanks for being rad and not freaking the hell out right now. I appreciate the calm.” 

The pain and the scars were something that she was going to have to deal with for a long time. As was the horrific memory of the whole thing. But the fact that she actually killed Noah in the middle of her living room? Well that sort of thing was definitely going to stay with her for the rest of her life. She squeezed Aiden’s hand even tighter, sniffling once more. “There was–there was so much blood.” Laci shuddered at the thought of the warm body fluid raining down on her. It was one thing to be covered in her own blood, it was another to have someone else’s coating your hair and face. She didn’t want to know how long it had taken the nurses to get it all out of her hair. “And the sound he made as he choked on it?” A small sob wretched itself out of her throat and she shrunk back into the pillow. “Fuck. –Aiden, I really did that to someone. It’s not a matter of if I had any other option. I did it. And I can’t take it back.” She wiped at her eyes. “I know you’re just trying to help..but there’s just this haunted feeling that’s hanging over me and I can’t shake it.”

His eyes trailed her hands as she lifted her hospital gown, trying to brace himself for what he was about to see. He hadn’t seen the actual wound yet--just the blood at the scene, and her stained clothes that were thrown away upon her arrival at the hospital. When the stitches were revealed, he bit down on his bottom lip hard. All he could picture was someone stabbing her, with the full intention of her not getting back up from where she fell. He knew this wasn’t the time for anger, but that’s all he felt looking at her stitches. This shouldn’t have happened. He should have threatened Noah long before this all happened, because he knew that Laci was too nice to tell him to leave her alone. Still, no one could have guessed the mess that this night had turned out to be. Aiden offered her a small, but coy smile, “It does...but do you know how many ‘you must be in stitches’ jokes I can make?” He bit his lip to keep from laughing at his own joke. He was always able to bring Laci out of a slump, but he wasn’t sure if that was going to work tonight.

Aiden just kept shaking his head as she spoke. “Laci. Stop.” He said sternly, but quietly. “No one knew what was going to happen, and we can’t go back in time. The only thing you can do is move forward.” His thumb grazed the back of her hand; he couldn’t tell if he was trying to comfort her, or himself at this point. He smiled weakly at her thanks, “No problem, Laci Lou. Lord knows you’re gonna get me in trouble one day. I can’t stay mad at you and I can’t say no to you, and that’s a dangerous combination.” He winked at her, still trying to keep the playful vibe that they usually had around them.

Aiden didn’t know how much longer he could just sit there without being able to do anything for his girlfriend. She’d come into his life so suddenly and brightened up his world, he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have her leave just as suddenly. Even though he knew deep down that wasn’t what was going to happen today, that she would wake up and she’d be okay and they’d laugh about something dumb he’d tell her about her brother at the gym. But until that moment came, he’d sit there and picture every possible, terrible scenario until it drove him mad. This was just how Aiden was; he was a worrier. He cared a lot and he cared hard. Anyone that meant something to him, especially Laci, was guaranteed lifelong protection and love, no matter the circumstances. He didn’t know how much longer he could sit there, but he knew that he was going to stay until she woke up.

He ran his free hand over his face and through his hair, trying to keep himself awake and calm himself down all at the same time. Of course, his hair flipped up even more wildly than before and he still felt just as tired and worrisome. He couldn’t do a single thing to help himself at this moment; it was all on Laci waking up. That was when he felt a movement. Was it her finger? He thought. He glanced up through his eyelashes, tearing his gaze from the linoleum floor beneath him, and stared at her hand in his. He was dying to see her hand move again, and when he felt a squeeze, he nearly fell out of his chair. “Jesus-” He sat up straight and smiled slightly at their intertwined hands, only to look up and see her big blue eyes staring over at him. “Laci? Laci!” He stood from his chair, knocking it back ever so slightly. “Jesus Christ.” He wanted so badly to lean down, scoop her up in his arms, and carry her all the way back to the safety of her own bed–but that couldn’t happen. She needed to recover. And, unfortunately, he wasn’t sure if she was going to have a bed to go back to after the fire. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes.

“How are you feeling? Should I get the nurse? Fuck, babe, I’m so happy you’re alright.” He laughed breathlessly, though it wasn’t a laugh of humor, but more of relief and disbelief of everything that had happened that day. “Laci, I– I thought I lost you.”

Aiden standing from his chair so quickly caught her off guard. She definitely wasn’t expecting to see him react in such a way. Seeing Aiden stirred up a whirlwind of emotions, most of them being happy, and all she wanted to do was curl up next to him and not move for a week. But this was as good as it was going to get for now. Until she was better. 

There was a tightness in her stomach as her skin stretched around the stitches as she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, grimacing as she did so. The IVs were a pain in the ass, being stuck in her arm, but sitting up most definitely felt better than laying down. “I’m okay,” she murmured, not finding the full volume of her voice just yet. Laci was okay, though. The only pain she felt was from her sitting up, and even then it was minimal. She could only imagine that that was thanks to the plethora of medicines they had her on. 

She lamely held her hand out, wanting Aiden to hold it again, not wanting him to be away from her for even a second. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes when Aiden spoke, and she smiled sadly at him, not knowing what to say. What could she say? Sorry for scaring you? Even that, meant to be humorous, seemed too grim for her liking. “I’m sorry..for not telling you. I should have done what you asked, should have blocked him..” Laci had to take a deep breath, she was talking a mile a minute it seemed and she didn’t quite have the energy for that just yet. “I just didn’t want to be mean.” 

His eyebrows rose at her apology. Aiden was bewildered. He couldn’t possibly be upset with her right then. Yes, he did tell her to ignore the guy, but part of him knew that that wasn’t going to happen. As much as he hated Noah right now, Aiden knew Laci only had the guy’s best interest in mind and in her heart. Things shouldn’t have played out the way they did, and she had no way of knowing that this is what was going to happen by giving Noah any attention. Aiden couldn’t be mad at her, and he couldn’t say ‘I told you so’. And, he certainly didn’t want to. “Lace, no...” He shook his head and sighed as he pulled his chair right up to the edge of her bed. “Whether you had blocked him or not, he was obviously obsessed. He would have found a way to talk to you regardless...” He was sick to his stomach at the fact, but it was true. It was obvious the guy had issues. “You can’t blame yourself for this, and don’t think for a second that I’m upset with you over it. You’re not the one at fault here.” 

This was something that Aiden never really learned to deal with, even if he’d witnessed things like it time and time again. It didn’t matter how many people he’d seen get hurt, or how many visits he’d made to the hospital to see his loved ones, he still never got used to it. The last time he’d been in that hospital was for a concussion examination after a high school football game, and the time before that was the last time he’d seen his mother. Walking through the hallways to Laci’s room after she’d been stitched up and taken care of sent shivers down his spine and made his stomach churn and his knees go weak. He hated coming there; he hated the smells, the white walls, and the generally negative atmosphere. Of course, this was a place that people came to get better, but it was a place where people died, too. 

As he sat slumped in the uncomfortable, 1970s-esque green chair next to Laci’s bed, he could hardly look at her. His hand was still tightly embracing her smaller, more delicate one, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at her for more than a few moments at a time. Every time he looked up to see her eyes still shut and her face still pale, it was like looking into a memory of his mother in her final hours. No matter how many times the doctors said she was going to be okay and make a full recovery, and no matter how many times someone suggested he get some rest or take a walk because she’d be fine, he couldn’t bring himself to believe them.

Until she opened her eyes, until he saw those bright blue eyes, he wasn’t going anywhere. After a couple of hours of pure silence other than the soft beeping of the heart monitor on the other side of Laci’s bed, Aiden finally sat up straight. He sat up straight and popped his back, which caused a large cracking noise that almost echoed in the otherwise silent room. His eyes caught sight of a faint reflection of himself in the window; he looked like shit. His hair was dissheveled, his eyes were red. His gaze wandered to Laci’s face once more, and he swallowed thickly. “Come on, beautiful…” He whispered, hoping that if he coerced her enough she’d finally wake up. “Laci… Laci I need you to wake up, babe. It’s kinda dark in here without you brightening the place up.” He smiled sadly at her as he reached up and moved a piece of stray hair from her face. “God.” His chest tightened again as he swore under his breath and his eyes watered. “Please.” He looked away, having only upset himself further.

The pain in his voice was excruciating. All she wanted to do was hold his hand and tell him herself that she was going to be okay. Aiden was stubborn, that much she knew from the second she met him. He wasn’t going to believe anyone unless she proved it to him that she was going to be okay. And yet she still felt as though she was just…there. 

Hospitals were never her favorite place. She had never spent any sort of time in them, but there was just something about them that made her uncomfortable. People passed away in them, babies were born in them. It was like a hospital was some sort of halfway house for life and death, and Laci was stuck in it. Luke hadn’t come back into the room, that much she knew and was grateful for. Her brother most definitely had a tendency to overreact to even the slightest abrasion, and she couldn’t even begin to think of how he would react to this. 

She didn’t want to think about how Aiden reacted when he arrived. Laci had heard him pleading with the officers, had felt the ambulance shift as he climbed up into the back. 

Come on, please. She begged, willing every ounce of strength she had to move something. It was a strain, and certainly a struggle, but she got her index finger to twitch, moving upwards in a small jerking motion before falling back into place. Yes! 

He ran his free hand over his face and through his hair, trying to keep himself awake and calm himself down all at the same time. Of course, his hair flipped up even more wildly than before and he still felt just as tired and worrisome. He couldn’t do a single thing to help himself at this moment; it was all on Laci waking up. That was when he felt a movement. Was it her finger? He thought. He glanced up through his eyelashes, tearing his gaze from the linoleum floor beneath him, and stared at her hand in his. He was dying to see her hand move again, and when he felt a squeeze, he nearly fell out of his chair. “Jesus-” He sat up straight and smiled slightly at their intertwined hands, only to look up and see her big blue eyes staring over at him. “Laci? Laci!” He stood from his chair, knocking it back ever so slightly. “Jesus Christ.” He wanted so badly to lean down, scoop her up in his arms, and carry her all the way back to the safety of her own bed--but that couldn’t happen. She needed to recover. And, unfortunately, he wasn’t sure if she was going to have a bed to go back to after the fire. Tears stung at the corners of his eyes.

Today was a good day, Aiden thought. He’d spent the day with his best friend, doing the dumb things they generally did together. It started by horsing around at his house before hitting the gym, then making their way to the local burger place to ruin all their hardwork at the former. Despite his simple schedule for the day, Aiden was happy. For once, all of the pros in his life were outweighing the cons. Sure, he still resented his dad and didn’t think that issue was ever going to resolve itself, but his life was going well. He’d just gotten an A- for the first time in his college career, his status on the football team was elevated and everyone liked him, his best friend was still his best friend, and best of all: he had Laci.

Aiden was never one to gush or reminisce on good times, especially with girlfriends, but that was only because no one else had been like Laci. Every other girl he’d ever dated were just absent-minded cheerleaders or one night stands that just wouldn’t leave. This all sounded harsh, but it really was how Aiden saw his past relationships. He’d never wanted to be dating anyone; not anyone he’d already knew, anyway. Everyone in his school seemed the same. Even if they were at a larger university, it still felt like he was surrounded by people he’d already met before, even if they were complete strangers. Little did he know that the person to capture his heart was in fact, someone he’d already met, but she wasn’t someone he knew. Him and Laci didn’t get along for years; they’d snap at one another, insult each other constantly, and when harsh words weren’t being exchanged, then dirty looks were instead. All it took was one night. One night of them alone in a car together, with Laci’s tear stained cheeks illuminated by the moon and Aiden’s large thumb gently rubbing her sore wrist. It was a night that started in an unfortunate way, but if that hadn’t happened, they may not be in the blissful situation they were now.

Nowadays, Aiden often found himself reminiscing, in the best way possible. He’d smile at the thought of the first night they kissed and the night they finally said ‘fuck it’ and decided they were together. He’d also remember little things, like his hand on her thigh as he drove them through town and the way her smile brightened up his world and her laugh woke up his heart like he’d just turned on his favorite song. This especially happened on days like today; Aiden was just happy. He was content.

After grabbing a booth with his best friend, they ordered their food and proceeded to give each other shit about things the other had done at the gym. “Shit, Luke, I thought you’d be catching some girls today with those booty shorts you were squatting in.” Aiden laughed as Luke rolled his eyes and let out a giant, exasperated sigh. “I told you, man, they’re spandex. So much easier to move in. You’ll be eating your words come football season.” Luke tried his hardest to act mad, but Aiden was still laughing on his side of the table, even smacking his hand on it for emphasis. Aiden was about to say something else before he was interrupted by his phone buzzing. A smirk spread across his face at the caller ID: Laci Lou. The blonde stood up, “I’ll be right back.” The restaurant was much too noisy to hear anything, so Aiden stepped outside. As soon as his foot hit the pavement outdoors, he hit ‘answer’. “What’s up, buttercup?”

Only, he didn’t receive an answer on the other line. He heard muffled movement. “Did you butt dial me again, weirdo?” He laughed a bit into the phone as he waited to see if she’d respond. And she did, only it wasn’t to him. ‘You’re hurting me!’ echoed through his ears. What was happening? “Laci, are you okay? Laci?!” His voice raised a few octaves, but again, he got no response. He heard a crash and what sounded like a yelp– Laci’s delicate voice was behind it. She sounded terrified as she mentioned a name; a name that made Aiden’s jaw clench, along with his fist. Noah. “I’m coming!” He didn’t think she could hear him, but he said it anyway. He slid his phone in his pocket and started running. Him and Luke had come to the restaurant in Luke’s car, and the adrenaline rush coursing through Aiden’s body at the moment told him there was no time to go back inside and get the keys. Besides, he was only a few blocks from her house.

He sprinted as fast as he could, and managed to make to her block in a little under five minutes. The scene he was met with made his skin go white and his stomach flip. He saw smoke, he saw sirens. There were people in so many different uniforms: fireman, police, paramedics. After he snapped back from his daze of staring at the scene before him, he sprinted to the house, only to find Laci surrounded by paramedics. “Laci! Laci, are you alright?!” Aiden was stopped in his tracks by a police officer, “Son, you can’t go over there. She’s critical.” What did that word mean: critical. His heart sank in his chest and his stomach was doing backflips. “What the fuck do you mean critical? Let me over there! That’s my girlfriend!” He fought and fought, but a second officer grabbed his other arm. In that moment, he watched Laci get lifted into an ambulance with a breathing mask on and blood everywhere. Why was there so much blood?

Aiden’s eyes started to sting and he looked at the officer he’d been wrestling with. “Please, you gotta let me go with her. You have to.” The officers looked at one another and finally let him go, and he immediately ran to the ambulance and jumped in with the paramedics. Laci looked terrible; she was covered in blood, her skin was pale, and her eyes were closed. If Aiden hadn’t heard the heart monitor behind him he’d assume she was dead. He clutched her hand and tried his best to stay out of the way of the paramedics, but he simply couldn’t let go.

Hours had passed and Laci had been examined by more people than Aiden had cared to acknowledge. In that time, he had called Luke and explained his absence and that he was at the hospital with Laci. The entire time, however, he hadn’t left her side or let his hand escape hers.

Her heart hadn’t stopped racing, hadn’t stopped thumping against her ribcage. She was aware of the beeping behind her, was aware of the hand firmly pressed into hers, but that’s all it was. Awareness. Laci felt trapped inside her own head. She couldn’t really feel anything, and in all honesty, she wasn’t entirely suree that she wanted to. 

The night in its entirety had been absolutely nothing but terror. She didn’t want to feel the pain in her stomach or feel the guilt that she was sure would come with the realization that she had killed someone tonight. If there was a way she could wake up and not have to deal with the pain, she’d do it, because all she felt she was doing was sitting and screaming at herself to move a finger, to twitch her eyes, to do something. Her body didn’t feel like it was her own–it felt like she just had a front row seat to someone else’s tragedy. 

She had needed two transfusions, the blood bags hanging and dripping into a tube connected to one of several IVs. Luke had arrived faster than anyone could sing the alphabet, and yet he hadn’t been in the room hardly at all. He was making phone calls to their parents, who of course were out of town, and talking to the police. He didn’t know much about the kid, but he knew enough to give a statement. 

Laci knew that there had been a small army of nurses and doctors that examined her when she was first wheeled into the trauma center, but that was hours ago, and now all she got was a nurse or two coming in to check on her every hour on the dot. They’d check her vitals, make sure the fluids and the blood were still flowing, give Aiden a soft smile, and then leave. 

She knew that her boyfriend was there. Laci could faintly smell a mix of his bodywash and the cologne he wore, could feel the hand squeezed tightly into hers. It was like she was awake and wasn’t awake all in one–she could feel the minutest amount of pressure, hear everything, smell anything. But her body refused to cooperate and wake up like she wanted to. The doctors had said that her body had gone into shock, and that even though her organs were now getting the necessary blood flow and oxygen that they needed to come out of shock, she seemed stuck. 

Yeah, I know, dipshits. 

It was still as if she was having an out-of-body experience. She hated it. She wanted to see Aiden, see her brother–talk to both of them, for Christs’s sake. There had been a very good chance that she was never going to see either one of them again, and now that she could, her body was being stubborn. 

As he sat slumped in the uncomfortable, 1970s-esque green chair next to Laci’s bed, he could hardly look at her. His hand was still tightly embracing her smaller, more delicate one, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at her for more than a few moments at a time. Every time he looked up to see her eyes still shut and her face still pale, it was like looking into a memory of his mother in her final hours. No matter how many times the doctors said she was going to be okay and make a full recovery, and no matter how many times someone suggested he get some rest or take a walk because she’d be fine, he couldn’t bring himself to believe them.

She grinned, flipping some of her hair over her shoulder and raising her head a little higher, “I know.” While she was trying to play coy and indifferent towards his compliment, Laci knew that her cheeks were a little red and her grin was wider than it would have been. Whenever Aiden complimented her, like legitimately complimented her, it made her stomach do blackflips. She didn’t really know how to describe the way that Aiden made her feel, just that being around him made her happy and that she loved spending time with him. He was funny and sweet and kind, and definitely smarter than he let himself believe. Laci enjoyed every bit of alone time she got with him, and when she couldn’t get any alone time she enjoyed time with him in general, whether it was over text or with her brother. “Let’s not jinx our flight back home, yeah? We have what, two oceans to cross on our way back?” Laci laughed. “You should have turned every light on and then left them on so he would be forced to get up out of bed to turn them off.” 

As they reached the water, Laci reached down and pulled her flipflops off her feet before laying down her towel and setting everything on top of it. She was trying her best not to stare, really, she was, but Laci would willingly admit to a few stolen glances in Aiden’s direction when he pulled his shirt over his head, and she had to stare at her towel in fear of being caught looking. It wasn’t like Laci had never seen a guy naked before–there had never been a guy she was interested in enough and one she trusted enough to go all the way with, but still–but it was the fact that Aiden was her brother’s best friend. Even though she had seen him shirtless many times before, her newfound feelings towards him had changed the way she looked at him, and she’d be lying if she didn’t enjoy the view. Laci sucked in a breath and shimmied out of her shorts and tanktop, leaving them on her towel and throwing her sunglasses on the small pile before turning towards Aiden. “Ready? I’ll race ya.”

“Really now? What else do you know?” Aiden smirked at the sight of the redness on her cheeks despite her efforts to blow his compliment off like it was nothing. He knew that he made her blush, and that was just one many things he loved doing--making her laugh, making her smile, and making her cheeks turn red over something he said. It was funny, because now they were red over a compliment, rather than red in anger towards something dumb he said to her--it was a nice turn around, now that he thought about it. He laughed a bit and nodded, “My bad. That shit’s just freaky, alright? If you don’t make fun of me then I won’t jinx us. We can drop it now.” He kept the grin on his face as he laughed again at her idea to torture her brother, “Fuck, that would have been a good idea. Except I probably would have come back to all of my shit thrown off the balcony. Luke’s a little moody when he doesn’t get his beauty rest.” 

It was hard to keep her heart from racing. It was going to be the first time that they had actually had time alone together since Halloween, and Laci wasn’t able to determine whether she was super excited or super nervous. Or both. Being on vacation with her brother and her brother’s best friend, the one she just so happened to have a major crush on, made her more nervous than it did excited, if she really thought about it. The idea of Luke finding out about her and Aiden, if there really was anything to find out, kind of scared her. She didn’t know how her older brother would react, and that’s what made her nervous. His approval meant the world to her, and Luke knew Aiden the best. She wasn’t going to let it get the best of her, though. She was here to have fun and relax, and goddammit she was going to do so, no matter what. 

“Neither have I.” Laci had pretty much been all over the world–Nassau, Paris, London, Tokyo, to name a few–but nothing compared to how beautiful Croatia was. The water was clear, the air was crisp, and it felt like her worries melted away as soon as she stepped off the boat. Laci laughed, shaking her head at Aiden’s little confession. “I won’t tell Luke, your secret’s safe with me. First time flying?” She followed Aiden down the little pathway, gladly hooking her arm around his and smiling up at him. “As I’ll ever be. I’m so excited.” The little walkway was surrounded by different shrubs and flowers, and Laci found herself glancing around every so often. “I did, from what little I actually looked at it. In all honesty I just ran in, changed, and then left. Didn’t have much time to look around– I think our balconies open up towards the water, though, so sunsets are going to be amazing.” 

Aiden would have been lying if he said that being around Laci didn’t make him nervous--which was odd, considering he was actually known for how easily he could talk to any girl. It wasn’t even that he didn’t know how to talk to her, thought. It was the fact she made his heart beat faster and his palms sweaty--sometimes he even swore he could feel his knees shake whenever she was around. He had never felt like this before, and it was odd. He couldn’t help but think of how long they had gone without any type of feeling towards one another, yet here he was now practically grinning at the idea of just getting some alone time with her. 

“Can’t wait, boo-boo.” Luke pouted his lips into a mock kiss, not being able to keep himself from laughing. There was a reason that he and Aiden had always gotten along beautifully–they were both idiots, and both of them made lame jokes ninety percent of the time. He knew that his best friend was excited to be on this trip with them–Luke understood Aiden and what he had been dealing with since they were in middle school, and he knew that he needed it. Come to think of it, Luke probably would have dragged him on the plane anyway even if he had said no. 

The way their parents were acting didn’t really bother the de Sauveterre kids. It was a normal occurrence, actually, which was why they ended up bringing friends. Their parents always went off and did their own things, leaving the kids to do whatever they wanted. When they had been younger, both of them brought friends, but now that Laci got along with Luke’s friends and vice versa, they were able to do things as a group rather than pairs. And Laci really liked that–she was excited that she was going to be spending time with both her brother and the boy who made her heart skip a beat every time he talked to her. “If I don’t have my beauty sleep I expect a whole carafe of coffee tomorrow morning then. Otherwise I’ll rip both of your heads off.” 

It was probably the fastest that Laci had ever changed, leaving her hair in two braids and throwing on her favorite black two-piece before shimmying back into her shorts. She was excited to be on Christmas vacation, and even more excited to go swimming with Aiden. Just before she left her hotel room, she made sure she had a key, her sunscreen, and her towel before sliding her sunglasses on and hurrying back down to where she said she would meet Aiden. “Isn’t this place gorgeous?” She said as she approached Aiden, not being able to keep the smile off of her face. “I’m already ten times more relaxed than I was at the airport during our layover. Sheesh.”

Aiden’s mind was--in all honesty--racing with so many different possibilities for how this vacation could go. Things could go all smoothly and end with him getting to spend a ton of time with both Luke and with Laci, both individually and together, and they’d all go back happy as ever. But there was the lingering thought in the back of his mind that said if Luke were to find out just how Aiden felt about his little sister, things could get really bad, really fast. But he still couldn’t help but excited for random things. Already they were getting to spend a couple of hours alone down in the ocean, and it was the first hour of the official vacation. As soon as she mentioned their rooms being adjoined, he couldn’t help but imagine sneaking over to hers for late night movies and cuddle sessions--or maybe even more. He kept having to push these thoughts to the back of his head before he got in trouble, however.

Being around Aiden still made her anxious, and Laci couldn’t tell if it was because of her feelings or if she was slightly afraid of what would happen if Luke found out. She was afraid that the way she looked at Aiden or the smiles she would give him were a dead giveaway, but from what she could tell, her brother was none the wiser. Which was perfectly fine with her. Luke flipped him off, “Excuse you I’m a hundred and eight. Get it right. But I’m so jet-lagged, dude. How are you not? I’m sleeping until dinner, fuck swimming.”

Laci shrugged, “I know how, just not the best at it. He likes to think the second I step in the water I’ll sink.” Which was all part of him being an overprotective brother, she knew that, but it really, really got on her nerves how he treated her like glass most of the time. Luke shrugged, “Go ahead, dude. But I’ll keep the bed warm for you in case you change your mind.” Laci couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face, finding herself looking over at Aiden and feeling absolutely ecstatic. She was in this new country, with a climate that wasn’t cold or snowy, and she was totally ready for it. Spending time with Aiden was something she was looking forward too, as well, even if it made her nervous. She wanted to set things straight, but she was also afraid of his answer. Laci had long since known of his history with girls, which was the main reason she was nervous. She didn’t want to be another one of them. 

The shuttle pulled up outside of the hotel, and Luke and Laci’s parents were the first to file out and grab their luggage. They had disappeared into the hotel before anyone else had gotten out of the car, and while that usually annoyed Laci to no end, she really didn’t care at this point. Nothing was going to ruin this trip for her, she’d decided. Luke helped Laci grab some of her luggage and put it on the trolley before grabbing his and some of Aiden’s, too. In her hand, Laci carried a small beach bag that had been her carry on on the flights–it had a bathing suit in it, some sunscreen, sunglasses, a People magazine, and her journal. She didn’t know where her hat was, but she really didn’t care. She was just really excited to get out and have fun. “So I’m pretty sure mom and dad got us adjoining rooms–so I swear to god if you guys try to come in in the middle of the night to play pranks on me I’ll scream.” Laci licked her lips as she readjusted the way her bag sat on her shoulder, looking at Aiden with a small smile. “So, shall we go change and meet back here?”

Aiden kept laughing at his friend’s retort, “Right, my bad. I forgot you’re so old and frail you’ve managed to outlive everyone else.” He rolled his eyes dramatically before shrugging at his question. “I don’t know, I got a few power naps in on the way here. I feel pretty good. All I wanna do is stretch my legs. Don’t miss me too much in bed, I’ll be there tonight.” He nodded knowingly, still chuckling himself. He was so happy with the current situation they were. He was with his best friend in the entire world, and the girl that kept causing his heart to swell in his chest every time she smiled at him, and it was Aiden’s first time out of the country. His mom always liked taking road trips when he was younger, but they were always somewhere along the coast, never out of the country. It was exciting, and as lame as he might have looked staring out the plane window, he didn’t care.

Laci couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips as Luke rolled his eyes at the pet name Aiden gave him. “I wanted to take a nap,” The boy whined, leaning his head against the window and screwing his eyes shut. “I’m so tired.” Luke crossed his arms over his chest, not bothering to open his eyes again. “Plus, Laci, you know you’re not that strong of a swimmer and I don’t feel like being your life jacket right now.” 

His sister huffed, rolling her eyes, “Luke I’m not that bad of a swimmer, for one, and two it’s not like I’m going deep sea diving in the first place. I just want to have fun.” Laci glanced over at Aiden and pouted, jutting her lower lip out and batting her eyelashes. “You’ll go with me, right Aiden?” 

She honestly wasn’t planning on going for an actual swim. She just wanted to cool off in the water and spend the first few hours in Croatia actually doing something rather than laying in a hotel room and waiting for dinner to arrive. Besides, she had her boogie board–like she always did–and she’d be floating around on that if she got to the point where she felt like she needed it. Laci wasn’t stupid, she didn’t need Luke looking out for her constantly. 

And, in all seriousness, she was kind of hoping that Luke wouldn’t come with her. That it would just be her and Aiden. It would give the two of them time alone, time that they could probably put to use. Laci’s mind was still swirling with these bright and bold feelings for Aiden, and she wanted to talk to him about them. Well, at the very least she wanted to talk to him about Halloween. If he had felt the same sort of spark she did..and if he didn’t, well then he didn’t, and Laci would have to be okay with it. 

Aiden chuckled at Luke’s response; it was the same one he got every single time he used it on him. He cocked an eyebrow, “We just spent what? Like a million hours on our asses on a plane and the first thing you want to do is lay down?” He shook his head, “I didn’t realize nineteen was the new ninety.” He smirked at his friend and laughed again. Aiden was honestly jacked to get out of the shuttle and stretch his legs. It was like they would stand up, only to sit down in a new seat again for another hour or so. This time, he knew at least, was the last time they’d have to sit down until dinner. Swimming sounded like exactly what he needed to calm down and curb his energy for the night. 

~~~magical time skip wooowww~

Sometimes it paid off having parents who worked all the time. They were kind enough to pretend that they actually had children once a year, during winter break, and they would treat their kids and one guest to a trip. Laci got to bring Tessa to Paris last year, but this year was Luke’s turn. And Laci would be lying if she wasn’t a little bit giddy when Luke said he was going to be bringing Aiden on their trip to Croatia. Ever since Halloween, Laci had been giddy with excitement whenever Aiden came over or he was mentioned, and she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been trying to dress up a bit more whenever she knew he’d be around. 

Honestly, booty shorts had become her pajama of choice, without really realizing it. 

Aiden just had that sort of affect on Laci, and she didn’t really know how to explain it. She was constantly thinking about him, about his lips on hers. It was all she could think about most of the time, and it was proving to be extremely distracting during class. She was going to be extremely distracted on this trip, and she knew that, because Croatia involved lots of swimwear, and Laci found herself blushing at the thought of seeing Aiden in merely a swimsuit. With all the football..oh boy. 

The flight was long, the boat trip long. They were staying on one of Croatia’s little island’s, Hvar actually. Laci was excited–her father said that she would be able to take the boys to go to Dubrovnik, where Game of Thrones was filmed. She was just really excited to soak in the sun and hopefully get a nice tan. As soon as she stepped off the ferry, Laci realized how tired she actually was. The jet lag was really getting to her–she was sure that Luke had disturbed her in some way while she had been trying to catch some z’s during their three hour layover in London–and she was really too excited to get some real good sleep. Being in Croatia, though, well Laci didn’t want to sleep. She wanted to get to the hotel and change, only to dart to the ocean. She was excited to be here, and more excited for what they had planned for the week and a half they were there. 

The family piled into a cab, with Laci, Luke, and Aiden in the back of the van-cab. “Hey dad will we have time to go swimming and stuff before dinner?” Laci’s dad had booked a rather extravagant dinner on their first night, one where they could actually see their food being pulled from the ocean to be cooked. 

“You should be able to. Dinner is at seven.” 

Laci couldn’t help but squeal and jump up and down a bit in her seat. Grinning, she turned to the boys, “Do you guys want to come with me?”

Aiden knew that Luke took a trip with his family just about every Christmas break; he distinctly remembered because he’d miss his friend terribly and would be stuck home for a majority of the break. He knew that they got to bring friends, but Aiden always just assumed Laci got to pick, or Luke would want to take someone a little classier to fit being around his parents. In fact, when Luke first asked him, he almost said no--he didn’t want them thinking he was mooching off of them anymore than he already did staying at the de Sauveterre house as often as he did. Aiden didn’t like the idea of someone else paying so much money just so he could come on vacation. But the thought of spending his break with his best friend and his family sounded a lot better than trying to get along with his dad and his young girlfriend. He never thought he’d be on a plane to Croatia in the middle of December, yet here was, sitting next to his friend and his best friend’s little sister--who he was very, very excited to spend time with on this vacation. 

His blue eyes wandered over to Laci every once in a while on the flight across the big blue ocean--it was long, and she was a lot better to look at than the shitty in-flight movie they were showing for the third time in a row. He couldn’t help but smile every time he caught sight of her bright, minty-blue eyes and her silky long hair that he was sure could knock him right out every time she flipped it over her shoulder. It was the little things she did without realization that caused his hands to twitch and his neck to grow hot and a smile to try and spread itself across his face. He had to hide all of that, however, knowing very well that he was keeping these newfound feelings for Laci a secret from his best friend. He didn’t want to tell Luke anything if they weren’t...well, anything. They hadn’t really discussed the night they’d spent together on Halloween, but it was only because he hadn’t had the time, or the space to get her alone when Luke was always around. 

“Well just know you’re always welcome. No matter what time of night. Unless it’s like five in the morning and you decide to wake me up. Then no you’re not welcome.” She was trying to lighten the mood–she could tell that Aiden didn’t really care to talk about his dad, so she figured that talking about how he and Luke had plans to get a place together wasn’t really helping. She pouted, “But I feel bad though. I know you both want out really badly.” Laci’s nose scrunched up at how Aiden tried to describe his and Luke’s would-be apartment. It was obvious that she clearly disagreed with him, “It’d smell and there’d be piles upon piles of dishes in the sink. Don’t even try to argue with me on that one.” 

Laci listened intently as Aiden went on about what life was like for him at home, and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t at a loss for words. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been to have a mom that got really sick and have a dad that really didn’t care about his dying wife. It pained her to think of a young Aiden having to go through that, and it pained her to think about all the crap she used to give him around that time. She actually made fun of him for looking like he had been crying, if she remembered correctly, and Laci felt awful. Laci didn’t know what there was to be said in that moment–what do you say to someone who has just told you things that they keep near and dear to themselves? She didn’t know. She did, however, rest her head on Aiden’s shoulder and wrap her hands around his arm, “I’m sorry that you have to go home to that.” Laci murmured. “I’m sorry your dad is such a tool… he doesn’t realize how great of a son he has, how great of a wife he had..” Laci pursed her lips–those definitely were things that Luke would say, especially about the clothes. “No. Haven’t danced since freshman year. I got involved with journalism and that was more interesting to me. It pissed my parents off to no end, and I remember they took away my phone and my computer for like, two months, in the hope that I would reconsider and start dancing again. They wanted Julliard or something. But I wanted Washington or Oregon. Still do. I can still do the splits and everything, but I’ve practically lost all sense of rhythm.” 

“I don’t know, if you count the time I nearly fainted over seeing your fourteen year old self I’d say I have liked you for longer than you think, with a long break in between.” She grinned at him, feeling like she was on cloud nine when Aiden’s hands wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer. “I’ve had better,” she teased. “So yeah, not bad.” 

“Then expect me to show up at five in the morning tomorrow. I mean, if I’m not already sleeping there, I’ll make sure I’ll be there. Actually-- Either way, I can wake you the fuck up.” Aiden just kept shaking his head at her words. He didn’t want her thinking that it was her fault him and Luke hadn’t gotten their own place yet. They really did still have to find decent jobs and work around school before they could even think about finding an apartment or a cheap house. It was something that wasn’t as easy as he thought it was going to be, and he had a feeling they’d be putting it off regardless of Laci’s status at home. “You know what, Laci?” He glared at her, only to smirk. “You’re completely right. My bedroom is disgusting.” He laughed, taking another shot from the bottle that rested near them.

Aiden wasn’t completely sure what had come over him that night; normally it was like pulling teeth to get him to talk about anything to do with his feelings, let alone his shitty home life. The only person he’d ever spoken to about it was Luke--he was one of the only people at their high school that knew about his mother, and he liked to keep it that way. He didn’t want pity from everyone; he could deal with things on his own. Talking to Laci just came so easily, though--she just seemed genuinely interested and concerned with things going on in his life, and he liked that. He smiled at her and shook his head, “You don’t need to apologize. It’s not your fault, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I’ll get to leave one day.” He reached up and pushed her hair out of her face as she hugged his arm, the same sweet smile still stuck on his face. “Then fuck dancing. Be the biggest and baddest journalist this country’s-- No-- The WORLD has ever seen.” He smirked, nudging her a bit. “Do you have any idea where you’re going when you graduate?”

“My parents wouldn’t make you pay rent. You practically already live there, remember?” Laci laughed, remembering all the times she used to complain to Luke about how often his best friend was over. It really was like Aiden already lived with them. She nodded when he mentioned he and Luke getting an apartment together–Luke had talked about it a lot, especially recently. Laci knew that Luke wanted out of the house, but she also knew that he wasn’t going to go anywhere while she was still in the house. Luke didn’t want to leave Laci in that house alone, so he was waiting for her to go off to college. At least, that’s what he’d told her. She could almost hear Luke’s words ringing in her ears–Get as far away from here as you possibly can. And she planned on it. “I don’t think it’s you guys being lazy. I know I’m a big factor in it for Luke, too–he’s waiting for me to go off to college..so I’m sorry, I guess?” She laughed, shaking her head and running a hand through her hair. “But seriously, I can see you two living together. And it being an absolutely pig sty.” 

She understood what he meant. It tended to happen a lot to people who had a lot on their minds–so said her psychology teacher. Laci couldn’t blame Aiden. In all fairness he always seemed like he had a lot on his mind and he couldn’t really share it with anyone, so Laci was more than willing to be someone that he could talk to no matter what. “Thanks, Aiden. I appreciate it.” Laci took a few sips of her juice before putting it back between her legs. “Not a lot. It’s private, you know? So I don’t go prying, even if I disliked you. That’s your business. And if you wanted me to know you’d tell me. I just know that your dad has a girlfriend that you don’t necessarily like, and that you prefer to be out of the house as much as possible so you don’t run into them.” She smiled softly at him, “What has Luke told you about me? If anything.” 

Laci laughed as he looked down at his imaginary watch, though her cheeks burned for what seemed like the millionth time that night at the idea of Aiden wanting to kiss her ever since he had seen her for the first time that night. Because in all honesty, that was how Laci had been feeling, too. “Punch you? Why on earth would I punch you?” Laci licked her lips, unable to keep herself from glancing at Aiden’s lips, and unable to keep the smile off of her face. She scoot closer, placing her hands on either side of Aiden’s face and leaning in again, pressing her lips against his in a soft but passionate kiss, “It wasn’t that bad of a kiss.” She muttered softly before kissing him again. 

Aiden chuckled a bit and shrugged, “I don’t know, I couldn’t do that- I’d feel bad. Like a moocher, or something. I’ll just wait until I’ve taken all of my dad’s money and then we’ll go from there.” He smirked at her a bit, knowing very well his dad didn’t share all that much with him. He wasn’t helping Aiden with school no matter how much he needed. Aiden had to find loans on his own, and even though he was getting a lot of stuff paid for through football scholarships, he knew there was still going to be an overflow he’d need need to pay for. And what if he got hurt and couldn’t play anymore? Those were the kind of things that kept him awake at night. He smiled, “I knew that. Why do you think I don’t bug him every time I’m over? Don’t apologize.” He nudged her a bit with his elbow. “Hey, come on. We’ll figure out some kind of organized mess and it’ll be fucking great.”

He bit at the inside of his cheek as he listened to her tell her what she’d known through Luke; it didn’t seem to be too much, but it was the gist. He decided--with the help of the vodka they’d been drinking--that he might as well quit being so mysterious. “Well, Laci Lou, you pretty much have it all down.” He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up more than it already was from pulling off his mask earlier in the evening. “It’s not that I don’t like her-- I don’t like my dad. I’ve never met a bigger coward in my life. See, mom got sick around the time Luke and I met-- Like, seventh grade, I think. She died a year later, and.. I can count on one hand the amount of times my dad went to see her in the hospital the last three months she was alive.” He held his hand up with only his pointer finger raised. “Once. She wasn’t even gone two months and he already had a new girlfriend coming around the house. Not the one he has now; she’s pretty new. I think she’s closer to my age than his, though.” Aiden laughed slightly, even if humor wasn’t the exact emotion he was feeling in that moment. “About you? There’s the days he complains that you’re not being careful-- those are usually the days you come out in a skirt, or something along those lines. Then there are the days all he can talk about is how he hopes you keep doing as well as you’re doing so you can get as far away from here as you possibly can...I remember him telling me you danced, too. Do you still dot that?” He smiled at the thought.

In all honesty Laci didn’t know much about Aiden, but that didn’t really bother her. It had never really crossed her mind to actually try and get to know the boy that would be coming over a lot more, but now that they were friends Laci was looking forward to learning things about him. That was the best part of making new friends, she thought, because it was almost exciting. It was like unwrapping parts of people that she hadn’t known about previously, and it was nice. Laci looked forward to getting know Aiden better than she had been getting to know him over the past few weeks. She wanted to know what color looked best on him, how his eyes sparkled in different kinds of light. Laci wanted to get to know him down to the most intricate detail. 

Laci nodded. It was something she liked about Luke, too. She complained about it a lot, sure, but honestly she was grateful that she had a brother that was so willing to drop everything and help those who needed it. Even though she was peeved that he hadn’t answered her phone call after her horrific date with Aaron, now that she looked back on it she was glad. She wouldn’t have gotten to know Aiden if Luke had picked up his phone. “I’m glad you consider my brother family, because I can assure you he thinks the same of you. He’s actually called you his brother a few times–I’m surprised you haven’t moved in yet.” She shrugged when he apologized about her parents. It didn’t really bug her anymore. After one too many missed ballet recitals, Laci just stopped caring. Laci had never heard much about his home life–Luke said he just had some problems, but he obviously never went into detail. So Laci reached over and gently touched Aiden’s arm, offering him a warm smile. “I won’t pry…but I’m here if you ever need to talk.. and you know you’re always welcome at our home. It’s practically your home, too.” 

Her cheeks burned at Aiden’s nickname, finding that she actually adored the nickname and it sent butterflies throughout her stomach. She adored the way that Aiden was never able to be serious around her, even if it used to bug the absolute shit out of her. Laci was very quickly becoming enchanted with the boy, and every little part of him that she had once found absolutely annoying. She could spend hours talking to Aiden about absolutely nothing. And Laci loved that. Kissing Aiden was something else. It was like she was a little kid tasting cotton candy for the first time–it was a rush and it felt nice. Kissing Aiden was so overwhelming to her senses that she felt woozy–from his cologne to the way his touch made her skin feel like it was on fire. Being this close to Aiden was causing Laci to feel a way she had never felt before. As they pulled away, she found herself catching her breath, an enormous grin spreading across her lips. “How long had you been holding that one in?” she joked, her mind racing as it tried to comprehend that she had just kissed Aiden–really kissed Aiden–and she had absolutely, positively, enjoyed it.

Aiden smiled as she told him how Luke thought of him--he knew that, but it was always nice to be reassured about things. Him and Luke had a special bond, and he really did think of him as a brother. He wasn’t like Aiden’s other friends who were really only friends when it came time to pre-game for a party, or talk about some girl they hooked up with. They weren’t the type of people he could sit with for more than a couple of hours--sober, anyway--whereas him and Luke spent days together, not even realizing it. He always had to roll his eyes at the ‘friends’ who would tease the two about how much time they spent together, but Aiden could genuinely say he didn’t know where he’d be without Laci’s brother. Probably a lot worse off than he was right then. “I think I’d move in if I didn’t feel like I had to pay your parents rent. So I’ll just be waiting until we’re both not so fucking lazy and have jobs that can pay for a place together.” He laughed, reminiscing for a few moments over the ‘bachelor pad’ the two had schemed about.

His teeth grabbed hold of his bottom lip; he figured Luke had told her many things about Aiden, just like he’d told Aiden many things about Laci. He couldn’t imagine that Luke had told her everything about his home life, but he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly he had told her. Nevertheless, he appreciated her offer. Aiden looked over at her with a small smile, “Thanks, Laci. I’m not a big talker, but I have those days where it just comes out without me trying.” He laughed a bit. “The same goes for you. You know, you can tell me anything, too. If you’re ever in trouble again and you just can’t talk to Luke-- I’m here.” He licked his lips a bit before finally just asking her what he was thinking, “What, uh.. What exactly has your brother told you about me?” It wasn’t like he’d be mad if Luke had shared some personal things about Aiden--he was just curious.