ain't it fun

aidenjcarter‌

How the tables have turned that now Aiden was the one looking for his brother in town. Of course, he wasn’t a spy and it was pretty easy to find Jameson. To be honest, he wasn’t ready for another confrontation. One was more than enough for Aiden’s lifetime. He wasn’t exactly one to confront people and he didn’t see this as a confrontation. He saw it as an olive branch, a peace offering. He hoped that seeing his half-brother in the flesh once again would bring up different feelings rather than feelings of hurt and anger.

“No, I don’t do tattoos, I think you took all those genes,” he said, making a joke, hoping that this would lighten up the mood. “I just - I wanted to talk. Is there any way we could step outside or something?” Aiden walked outside, finding a bench and just sat down on it. He was hoping that this conversation wouldn’t be heard by all of Jameson’s coworkers. Having a deep conversation in public wasn’t Aiden’s forte, but there wasn’t many places he could go to.

“I - I apologize for how I reacted when you came to see me. Truth be told, I grew up a lone wolf. You already know the whole deal with my parents and stuff. I kind of never knew what it was like to have family up until I moved here. I guess it’s different, having a chosen family versus having a family you can’t pick. What I’m saying is that, it was a lot for me to handle and I didn’t handle it in the best way possible,” he took a deep breath. “I know that we barely know each other besides both our shitty pasts and each other’s names. Shit, I don’t even know your last name. I figured you know mine since you came to spy on me or whatever.”

“It’s overwhelming, that’s for sure, when someone waltz into your life and make themselves known as your half-brother. I can’t say that we’re going to be best friends, but I’m willing to give you a shot of being my brother, whatever that entails.”

   Nodding, Jaime grabbed his jacket from just inside his studio room, and joined Aiden right outside the doors, settling down next to him on the bench. His heart raced in his ears, but he kept his expression and demeanor calm. Jaime was good at hiding things when he wanted to - that sting of rejection still burned hot, making him quick not to trust Aiden or that this could end well at all. Absently, he picked at a hangnail, watching his hands for a moment as he allowed Aiden to speak first… waiting. 

   “I wasn’t spying on you,” Jaime quickly defended, though he could sort of understand why Aiden would feel that way. After all, here he was, living and working right there in his town, complete with friends and even a few sexual escapades under his belt. He’d been careful to stay out of Aiden’s way, mostly, but still — it must be weird having your surprise half-brother suddenly sharing the same city as you. “Just didn’t wanna give up.” 

   Aiden, in a way, had just agreed to give their odd relation a chance, and Jaime was surprised by that. He’d seemed so against it, against him, that Jaime had all but given up hope. For so long, he’d just wanted someone like a brother. Somehow, he’d ended up with a few people, surprisingly enough, in his life that could almost be molded after family; but Aiden was the real deal. Jaime wasn’t even sure what to say, exactly. Definitely not ‘thanks’. 

   “I don’t get the whole family thing either,” He admitted finally, looking up from his hands and fiddling to give Aiden a very guarded look. Sure, Jaime appreciated the olive branch, but he wasn’t going to tear down every carefully placed wall just yet. “Shit, you probably freak me out more than I do to you,” He added, genuinely believing it. Aiden looked… so well-off. Nothing like Jaime, who felt his life barely hang on by threads usually, and his alternative appearance spoke for himself. “We’re obviously not the same, at all. Maybe we won’t even like each other. I just think it’s worth a shot though, like you said. Maybe being brothers.” 

How could Aiden expect for Jameson to say that he didn’t spy on him. “Look, I’m not here trying to start an argument of whether or not you spied on me, but if you think about it, you came from wherever you’re from to come find me. I guess spying is a harsh word, but it really is just - odd for me. I told you before, I just thought that my biological family didn’t care about me and I failed to realize that you were a product of my biological family, that you were now a part of my bloodline whether I had a say in it or not,” he sighed, trying to backtrack and explain himself. “You have a lot more resilience than I do,” Aiden complimented the other.

Was Aiden still hurt by the whole situation? Of course he was, but at the same time, how could he selfishly give up the opportunity to know what it feels like to have a sibling. Of course, he had his group of friends who were his chosen family, but this, this was different. He would be able to hear about his biological mother whom he had no recollection of, hearing about who she was as a person despite all the things that she had put the brothers through. He was greatful that Jameson was giving him a chance - hearing him out.

“My idea of a family shattered when I was a kid and I finally reached a point where I got to pick my own family, but it still always felt like something was missing - that there was a void in my heart,” Aiden openly admitted. Aiden took a sip of his water, coating his throat considering how dry it’s been getting since he first started talking. “There is no way. You look like you could beat up a bunch of people and I’d be the person getting beat up,” Aiden tried to joke. Of course, this was based off his judgment of how Jameson looked. He knew barely anything about the other’s personality. “We’ve both been through a lot of hardships and unfortunately, that’s a thing that others might not be able to relate to,” he sighed. “Look - I don’t need to like you to love you, okay?”

“Honesty is always the best policy but he moved on, Aid. I can’t come crashing back into his life and exposing all these awful… feelings and ruining what he has with this woman. I think if he wasn’t so disgusted to see me he would have talked about it happily.” Nadia exhaled. “You are such a hopeless romantic.” She chuckled softly as she tilted her head down.

“I’ll definitely take up shelter in the closet. There is no need to go getting arrested to save me some awkward run-ins with my ex.” She laughed again as she lifted her eyes up towards him. “For sure. Although, he wanted to get coffee… Closure probably but I didn’t want to sit across from him and lie about how I feel so I don’t get in the middle of his new relationship.”

“Oh, I mean obviously don’t ruin his current relationship. I’m sure there are hurt feelings from both parties and I’m assuming he has no idea why you disappeared. Do you think that you could attempt to be friends? I guess I can’t understand, it must be really hard because you guys do have a lot of history,” he sighed, not sure if his advice was even good at all. “I am - it comes to bite me in the ass a lot, but it’s just nice to see people happy and in love, not that you need to be in love and happy. Maybe just give everything some time and see where your relationship goes with him,” he suggested.

“Okay, yes, I have a clean criminal record and I would hate for it to be tainted now,” he joked. “You can also sleep in my room and I’ll take the couch,” he offered. Aiden took a deep breath, not sure what to say to his friend at this point. “Oh wow, yeah, I can’t imagine what it feels like with you holding all of these feelings in. And I’m not saying that he is still in love with you, but is there a chance he hasn’t moved on?”

WHO: @aidenjcarter​ WHERE: The Workshop in Wrightsville Beach WHEN: After a Morning Run

With Annabel busy and Manny begging her to allow him to sleep in for once, Katie Lynn had texted Aiden on a whim, hoping he’d be awake and up for an early morning run. Her nerves had been on edge lately and the escape she wanted was one she knew was no good for her, so instead she settled on running. Miles upon miles, sometimes before the sun had even come up, and today wasn’t any different. It’d taken some begging and the promise of breakfast on her, but she’d finally gotten Aiden to agree to join her down at the beach.

“You know, for a half asleep man you’re kind of hard to keep up with sometimes.” She mused as the two made their way down the boardwalk towards The Workshop. “But thanks for comin’ out with me. I appreciate it. You already know what kinda smoothie you’re getting or do I actually get a chance to look at the menu?” 

Aiden loved running, it was his stress reliever. It was one of the few things that got him through his four years in high school, running cross country. It was different here, there were so many beautiful tracks around Wilmington. Though he spent most of his time running alone, it was nice to be accompanied by Katie Lynn this morning. He wasn’t exactly a morning person but he figured watching the sun rise could lighten his mood just a little.

“I guess when my run my body goes on auto pilot. I hope I didn’t leave you in the dust for too long,” he teased. “Of course, you know I’m always down for a nice early morning run. Hmm...I know what I want, but you can look at the menu. I don’t want to rush you.”

Where: Dirty Dan’s Food Truck

When: Evening; 9:00pm

Who: @wilmingtonstarters​ / open starter.

The last twenty-four hours had been like a cyclone — between work, the insomnia that seemed to creep it’s way into her routine for the last week and her inability to rightfully function because of the combination of the two, she knew that she needed a proper nightcap. Something that would definitely get her fucked up enough to catch some Z’s. Usually she’d settle for a dive bar or a little old fashioned bed tussle but, for tonight, she could do without the company. Or, at least, that had been the initial plan. Hands buried firmly in her coat pocket as she waited on line, Monica couldn’t recall how she ended up in conversation for the life of her. But two things were seemingly apparent: 1.) she was stoned out of her mind and 2.) she needed to get some food into her system as soon as possible. “ — my bad, I don’t mean to sound like an asshole, but I didn’t register anything you just said,” The soft laugh she let out was half out of embarrassment, the other half reckless abandon. The outside air was somewhat frigid but incredibly relaxing, the light wind causing the tips of her hair to stroke alongside her jawline. “Screw it. I’m not going to lie, I’m high as fuck. Tried this new smoke called Green Reaper and I severely underestimated it.” This was why she always hated edibles; it hit her whenever she least expected it and made her word vomit. Grinning roguishly, she leaned forward ever so slightly to lightly whisper: “It’s actually infused in this delicious triple chocolate cake a friend made for me. Wanna try some later?”

Aiden’s love of food trucks only seemed to increase the longer he was living in Wilmington. As he stood in line with his friend, he noticed that she might have zoned out a little. He didn’t question it, going on about how his dogs were not being obedient, which was something that rarely happened. He let out a laugh hearing her admit how high she was. “Thanks for being honest,” he laughed. “I was just telling you about the dogs and how they weren’t cooperating when I tried to give them a bath yesterday and half my bathroom was just soaked because they kept trying to jump and escape me,” he laughed.

“I’ll pass on the cake. I’m not big on edibles, but I appreciate the offer. So, how was your day?”

“Thank you,” Amelia replied. She noticed he had two dogs of his own, his leashes in hand. She was appreciative of him getting the toads out of the way. She didn’t want them getting hurt or eaten. “Thank goodness. Thank you again. I love those little things,” she admitted. When his dogs approached hers, she was a little nervous. She knew hers would likely behave, but there was always the chance that they wouldn’t. “It’s okay, she said, holding her leashes in one hand as she used the other one to pet each of her dogs as they barked once. “Hey, be friendly, it’s okay,” she said, noticing them now just trying to sniff the others. “What’re their names?””

“I’m not the biggest fans of toads, but definitely don’t want them to get stepped on or anything,” he admitted, recalling the times that he heard about toads randomly appearing in people’s houses in Australia. Though that was a world away from his. Aiden watched as his dogs calmed down. They were pretty social dogs thanks to the fact that there was a dog park close to where he lived and his dog walker took them on walks pretty frequently. “Otis and Ollie. What about your dog?”

“Fair enough. I guess not everyone has as severe of a sweet tooth as I do,” she chuckled softly. “Shit, nine years? And you’re not bored out of your skull yet?” she asked. “I’ve only been here a year and I seriously question how people have spent so long here,” Sirena admitted. “Aiden.. It rings a bell, so maybe we have some friends in common? Unless there’s just a ton of Aiden’s in this town,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you too. You seem to be enjoying yourself, so that’s something I’m happy to see.”

“Yeah, I wish I had a big sweet tooth, but it’s all about savory food for me,” he responded. “Nope, not really. My best friend just came back a couple months ago so I feel like Wilmington feels like home now more than ever,” excluding the fact that his brother had also showed up. “I mean I grew up in San Francisco and Wilmington is a nice change to the craziness that is San Fran,” he mentioned. “I have not yet another Aiden. We might have some friends in common. Who do you know here?” Aiden looked around the room, not recognizing anyone quite yet. “Thank you. It’s a cool party. Congrats again on your release!”

“Jaime’s my best friend.” Vera sighs, slightly disappointed now, knowing that Jaime was the one that had made Aiden feel this way. “I’m not about to let him off easy for that.” Yelling wouldn’t do the trick, but she would sure as hell make sure he heard a piece of her mind. Despite how unbreakable their bond had been lately, it didn’t dismiss shitty behavior. “I’ll talk to him.” No promises that she would go easy, though. 

Aiden didn’t mean to cause any drama or tension between Vera and Jaime. Sure, Vera understood him in a way that he felt that Jameson couldn’t, but he felt bad for putting her in the middle of his drama. “Oh - I had no idea. I feel like he’s been infiltrating in my life by knowing the same people I know,” Aiden still held some resentment towards his brother.

“You sure? He’s not the easiest person to talk to. You are quite intimidating though,” Aiden laughed. He knew better to ever get on Vera’s bad side. He gave Vera a hug, grateful for their friendship.

   In the past couple of weeks that Jaime had been figuring out how he fit into the world Wilmington presented him; and in doing so, if he could truly belong in that world anyway, he’d managed to somehow dust himself off from the setback and set about his normal path. At this point, loss was a habit, a process he knew inside and out, and it was a special sort of bond he shared with his own blood - but didn’t know it yet. Not the full extent. Aiden had loss littering his life in the form of abandonment, but Jaime had the loss repeated in his life as he watched his mother choose drugs over him, again and again. 

   By now, he felt almost rubbed raw, numb to the sensation of it. Being cast aside; unwanted, tainted, not worth choosing. It wasn’t like anyone picked the short kid with long hair for dodge-ball, so Jaime had learned how to matter in other, less conventional ways. Sometimes, even that didn’t feel like enough, and when he heard Aiden’s voice at the counter, he felt betrayed by his own heart. The way it jumped into his throat with hope, the fear of rejection once more. How could his own being, who fought so hard to live for so long, choose to allow his hopes to rise against with just the sound of his brother’s voice. The word felt forbidden. 

   “I’m here,” Jaime answered for himself, poking his head out of the doorway. In his hand, a tablet, a work still in progress. There was no client in his room at the time. His expression was guarded, but a glint of something else - wanting, maybe, a question in his apprehensive gaze. Was Aiden here to just make his point again, chase Jaime off? Another part of him still battled with the constant, bitter anger that felt just below the surface; was he good enough to be a tattoo artist, but not a brother? Not family? “Making an appointment, or?” 

How the tables have turned that now Aiden was the one looking for his brother in town. Of course, he wasn’t a spy and it was pretty easy to find Jameson. To be honest, he wasn’t ready for another confrontation. One was more than enough for Aiden’s lifetime. He wasn’t exactly one to confront people and he didn’t see this as a confrontation. He saw it as an olive branch, a peace offering. He hoped that seeing his half-brother in the flesh once again would bring up different feelings rather than feelings of hurt and anger.

“No, I don’t do tattoos, I think you took all those genes,” he said, making a joke, hoping that this would lighten up the mood. “I just - I wanted to talk. Is there any way we could step outside or something?” Aiden walked outside, finding a bench and just sat down on it. He was hoping that this conversation wouldn’t be heard by all of Jameson’s coworkers. Having a deep conversation in public wasn’t Aiden’s forte, but there wasn’t many places he could go to.

“I - I apologize for how I reacted when you came to see me. Truth be told, I grew up a lone wolf. You already know the whole deal with my parents and stuff. I kind of never knew what it was like to have family up until I moved here. I guess it’s different, having a chosen family versus having a family you can’t pick. What I’m saying is that, it was a lot for me to handle and I didn’t handle it in the best way possible,” he took a deep breath. “I know that we barely know each other besides both our shitty pasts and each other’s names. Shit, I don’t even know your last name. I figured you know mine since you came to spy on me or whatever.”

“It’s overwhelming, that’s for sure, when someone waltz into your life and make themselves known as your half-brother. I can’t say that we’re going to be best friends, but I’m willing to give you a shot of being my brother, whatever that entails.”

Vera could never imagine the idea of someone waltzing into her life, admitting to be related to her, and her be okay with it. It wasn’t something you just accept and move on from. Family is hard. And you’re linked to these people for the rest of your life, whether you want to be or not. Vera never met her birth parents, but she assumes she wouldn’t be to welcoming if they ever did decide to come back. Although, she ended up in a good home with even better parents–so she could thank them for that. But, as the words fall from Aiden’s mouth, realization hits Vera. Jameson. Jaime. Her best friend? That Jaime?

“Are you kidding?” Vera asks, suddenly more infuriated then before. “Does he have a lot of tattoos? Longish hair?” She was hoping for a no, that what she was thinking wasn’t the right answer. If it was Jaime, she was going to kill him. “I swear to god, I’m going to murder him.” She’s practically ready to dial his number and call him over, but she knows that’s not what Aiden wants. Maybe she should handle it by herself, confront him alone. “I can’t believe he did that you.”

Aiden could see the visible anger on Vera’s face. He didn’t know why she suddenly got mad too. Was Vera also his secret sister and Jameson was just telling everyone in town that he was related to them? Was this some sort of Oprah situation? You get a brother, you get a brother, everyone gets a brother. One siblings already seemed overwhelming, but maybe it was because Aiden enjoyed his alone time. Of course, seeing his friends was different, but he couldn’t have envisioned having an actual sibling, but here Jameson was in the flesh, living in the same town as him.

“Um, no, I’m not kidding. Yes, that’s him,” he said, taken aback by Vera’s threat. “Okay, I don’t think I need you in jail, but if you could just maybe, yell at him, that would be great. I kind of just told him off, but in a nice way.” Aiden sighed, wondering what mess he just got himself into. “Yeah - I don’t know. I just wished he kind of eased me into the situation instead of throwing me into the deep end.”

Nadia knew how much she was beating herself up about the whole thing but all she could think about was Sam’s words about how all she was good at was running away but it was hard. It was hard to let herself be so vulnerable and the only person who had gotten to know her inside and out was the man in front of her and it had been so difficult to even do that.

Her eyes lifted up to look at him as she leaned against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest. “You have to say that.” She muttered as she glided her tongue along her lower lip. “I’d never do that to you, Aid.” She said the words softly and when his arms went around her, her head slowly moved into his chest as her arms moved up to wrap around his waist. “What is there to say, Aid? I told Sam I wasn’t staying but… I think I’m gonna move back.”

“I mean, I don’t know what it’s like to be the situation that you’ve been in. I think maybe honesty could be the best policy? I know that it’s hard right now too because you didn’t come back for him and obviously I’m not saying what’s going on with your mother is a blessing in disguise, but maybe the universe is finding its way to pull the two of you back together.” Aiden was a hopeless romantic and wanted to see his friends happy more than anything.

“I mean you can also just hide from him forever. You can sleep in my closet or something if you need shelter. Or, I can pay someone to get rid of him forever so you don’t have to deal with him,” he suggested, not sure that getting arrested would go over well with his friends. “Was he mad when he saw you?”

“That’s totally true, public transportation in any city is probably the way to go.” She nodded, not that she was ever going anyway when she was in Los Angeles but she could definitely understand where he was coming from. “Oh yeah, he loves to remind me of it ever day so no worries.” A soft laugh escaped her lips, not that her grandfather would ever take credit for anything that she did or thought. As he spoke about his dogs, a smile spread across her face and she looked at the photograph that he was showing her. “Wow, they sure are cuties.” Ever since getting Atlas, she realized that now that she didn’t have to be jealous of others having pets. “Oh, wow. Do you like that age? Is that the age that you saw yourself teaching?” 

“It makes me sad to think that there are plenty of people who have really shitty public transportation,” he admitted. He grinned. He wondered if his mother and father would have wanted credit for him to become an English teacher. To be honest, if the events didn’t unfold the way it did, maybe Aiden would have been on a different path and he sure as hell wouldn’t have been at Wilmington. He wanted to believe that when one door closed, another one opened. “They are. They’re the sweetest dogs on the planet and I love when I come home and they’re so excited to see me. Do you have any pets?” He slid his phone back into his pocket. “Yeah, I mean sometimes it’s hard because because they’re also transitioning from junior high to high school. I think I want to be able to be a part of their high school life you know? I think I just want to be of value to their life, to teach them that writing and reading isn’t just something that is required, but rather something that is fun and exciting. I try to make class fun. I guess I just don’t want high school to be a shitty experience for them like it was for me.”

    There was a string of little crushes in Gray’s life - things that would never amount to anything, but a specific softness he felt for a person, the way his heart would rise a little at their laugh. Aiden easily fit into this category, but there was more beyond that attraction. Sure, it may be what drew Gray close originally, but the friendship that had blossomed was better than anything he could have hoped for romantically, and they’d never spoken about it. Grayson doubted Aiden even really knew he’d once had those feelings for him, and Gray was definitely unaware that in a way, it was somehow returned. 

   To him, Aiden was his oldest friend. He would do anything for that bond; his brother. “No, I get it,” Gray nodded honestly. Losing people hurt. He knew that with lots of firsthand experience, but he also knew how sensitive it was to Aiden, who had truly lost so, so much. It was one reason he’d been so eager to bring Aiden over to meet Reyanne - she was the kind of mom who adopted anyone into her heart, and once she did, they stayed forever. “You just got no reason to worry.” 

   “Yeah, I didn’t even know I gave so much of a shit still,” Gray admitted. He’d never really dealt with the break-up like you should, so in a way, he’d never moved on from it. After things fell through more recently with Alana, and then that blip with Abby after, it left Gray in a state of vulnerability and loneliness. Somehow, Markus had tumbled in at the perfect moment, when Gray was most in need of him. “Really?” Gray felt himself flushing at Aiden’s promise of support. He wasn’t sure why that felt so good. “That… that makes me really happy. If it doesn’t work out, you’re buying me chocolate ice cream and marshmallows.” 

To be honest, it was frustrating at first when people would ship Aiden and Grayson together. Sure, they were friends, but the thought of two people wanting them to date seemed so odd. Looking back now, it made sense, the nights where they ended up spooning each other after a late night session or their times just spent in either of their places just getting drunk and playing video games. Those were some of the best memories Aiden had. To be honest, meeting Grayson turned his life around and filled a void that had been there for so long. It was nice that the two had made up and that Aiden had reached a point where he could voice his feelings.

It’s always been something Aiden’s struggled with, telling people how they felt. Now that the two were close again, Aiden didn’t feel scared telling Grayson anything. “Thank you, and thank you for reassuring me instead of making me feel like an idiot for working up over the fact that my best friend might be getting back with his ex,” he smiled. “If you’re cool with it, maybe Markus and I could meet up down the line if things work up between the two of you and I can threaten him if he tries to hurt you.” Although Aiden said it in a joking manner, he was overly protective of his friends and didn’t want Grayson to be hurt again.

“I think it’s normal when you spend so much time with someone that feelings might come back from below, you know? I mean there is a lot of history there and although it was a short time before you bought a ring the first time around, clearly you must have felt something so strong to even reach that point. I know that people might disapprove and all, but at the end of the day, your love and happiness triumphs other people’s opinions,” he nodded. He laughed. “You know I’d buy you chocolate ice cream and marshmallows regardless of whether this works out or not. It can be a celebration binging or a sad binging of sweets.”

Emmy’s confusion was written plainly across her face. She knew next to nothing about the royal family and their politics. She didn’t make it a point to know the happenings of Hollywood– or by extension anyone remotely famous– so Aiden was talking nonsense as far as she was concerned. 

She briefly wondered if that was how he felt about the movies she made him watch. 

“So, here’s a shocker: I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” She shrugged, opening her mouth to say something else when he said he had a bone to pick with her about her movies. Her mouth snapped closed and she folded her arms across her chest, a single eyebrow ticked as she prepared herself for a rebuttal. Her lips twitched, itching to grin even a little. “First of all, have you ever seen me cry? Especially after watching a movie? No. And can they be predictable? Most of the time, yeah. I don’t know about you, but life is pretty awful and unpredictable. It’s refreshing to follow that bored formula sometimes.” Another shrug. “To know things work out in the end? I’m good with that.”

She dropped her folded arms to her side and tilted her head at him. She wasn’t sure how his sunny personality could be at all drawn to her, but it felt kind of nice that it was. She smiled, a small upward curve to the corners of her mouth. “You can. I was thinking about making some pizza rolls, you want some?”

Aiden’s understanding of the British royalty stemmed from his mother’s obsession with Princess Diana when he was younger. Though now, he didn’t really care much, except for the fact that he was happy that Prince Harry did what was best for his wife and child after so much media scrutiny. 

“It’s okay, British royalty or royalty anywhere is confusing. To be honest, I have a hard time figuring out our own government. There are a ridiculous amount of people in power, but yet most of them fail to do anything good for our society,” he complained. He hated to say it, but Emmy wasn’t like most girls, but maybe he was being rude and putting Emmy into the box of typical girls that cried at movies.

“Okay, well, you got me there, good point. I mean, I don’t know. I guess it is nice that most of the time it works out. I guess I’m cynical and think that that isn’t how life works, that there is no such thing as a true happy ending because something tragic will happen and ruin you,” he said, forgetting the fact that he and Emmy had yet to have a conversation about his family and his life back in California.

“How could I ever say no to pizza rolls? Do you need help?”

“Look, if you haven’t left me yet because I am all kinds of certifiably fucked up,” Abby said, shaking her head. “It’s not like I’m going to make you leave because you’re afraid of needles.” She laughed. “No one is leaving anyone any time soon.” Although the thought was endearing, the fact that she was so special to Aiden that he would worry about something so insignificant as a fear of needles as a reason that she might break up with him. “I will say, though, that if you run out of another movie marathon I might be a little suspicious.”

Abby smiled, her eyes falling shut at the gentle comfort of having her hair played with. It was silly, the way that each simple moment and each experience she shared with Aiden made her feel on top of the world. She wondered if being in a relationship was always supposed to feel like this, or if it was just because it was so new to her. Either way, she wasn’t going to complain. “Bold of you to assume I’d say anything other than yes,” she teased, sighing comfortably. “Thank you for asking.”

“There is a large difference between going through shit in your past and being a complete wimp,” he joked once again. Though Abby had endured things in her life, it didn’t turn Aiden away from wanting to be with her. “Okay, well, I promise I won’t run away as long as you promise me you won’t make me watch the same movies over and over again,” he laughed. “I think we should dive into other genres of movies. How do you feel about horror films?”

He laughed at her response, continuing to play with her hair. This night couldn’t have been more perfect. 

“Yeah, traffic is unbelievable but there’s also a lot of opportunities and there’s always something interesting going on which I truly miss, if we’re being honest.” She was never the type to complain about having to be back in Wilmington, despite the fact that that was exactly how she felt, she didn’t like to complain out loud knowing there were people who were worse off than her. “Thanks for saying that.” The brunette grinned softly at his compliment. “It’s pretty fun, mostly comes from the fact that my grandfather bought me a computer way too young and I spent all my time drawing on it.” It had always been her favorite thing to do. Maybe her grandfather could already see that before she even knew it. “I could draw something for you, what would you want a drawing for?” Carmen asked curiously. “You’re an English teacher? That sounds cool. What grade do you teach?” 

“I can’t even imagine that. I am so glad I never got a license when I was still living in California. I feel like public transportation was way easier. However, going to any sporting events was just a mess. The BART was constantly packed and I’d have to wait some time before I could even come back,” recalling the times that he and his friends would just go out to watch the Giants play. “That’s so cool though. He’s probably a big factor of why you’re good at graphic design. You should definitely give him half the credit,” he joked around. “Oh, my dogs, Ollie and Otis. They are honestly like my little children. I probably spoil them a little too much, but they bring me so much joy,” he took out his phone, finding a cute photo of his little white dogs. “Here, have a look,” he showed his phone to Carmen. “I teach mainly freshmen but I do teach one sophomore class. It’s quite interesting, to be honest.”

   Aiden knew that Gray wasn’t very good on big emotional displays, or really having to deal with emotions at all, despite harboring many of them. His ideal way of solving hurt feelings, anxiety, or even anger was to light up and smoke it away - but that wasn’t always the best approach, and over time, Grayson had learned that. Part of him was touched; honored even, to hold such importance in Aiden’s life. 

    He had the girlfriend (well, almost), the looks, the career, the right personality; Aiden was, and always had been, such a perfect person in Gray’s eyes. Knowing now that it had been Gray to let him down… it hurt. There seemed to be a trend lately, and Grayson was tired of falling short. Aiden wasn’t going to have to deal with that happening a second time. “You- you’re not… you’re not losing me. You never did, I guess, not like, actually lost me. I hope… I just hope you’ll believe that.” 

   Realizing that in Aiden’s mind, he and Markus were a done deal, it surprised Gray. Vera had been so reluctant to be positive about his reunion, and though Gray had been tight-lipped about it with anyone else, he knew Emmy and possibly his sister would have the same reaction. The answer to what Aiden was asking genuinely wasn’t something possessed. “I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s… a good idea,” Gray admitted, happy to talk to Aiden about it, but also clinging so hard to his little fantasy, he wasn’t sure he could handle another trusted friend telling him this was a bad idea. “I-I know all the reasons not to go for it, and I don’t- I don’t even know what he wants, yet, but… it’s makin’ me real happy right now.” It was the first time he’d admitted that to someone. 

There was a point in time where Aiden had questioned his feelings towards Gray. It was true that the pair had been best friends, but sometimes Aiden wondered if his worries ever stemmed from something else, something deeper that he wasn’t ready to explore yet. Of course, hew as happy around Abby and he was grateful that he and Grayson were on good terms and were still a huge part of each other’s life.

“I do believe you, I’m sorry that I freaked out on you so much. I just sometimes take it hard when I feel like I feel friendships or relationships slipping through my fingers. You mean so much to me, you’ve been there for me through so much and it’s just been nice having you back,” he admitted. He released his knee from the grip of his hands, feeling relieved as the conversation was carrying on.

“I mean - I can’t imagine how scary it is. I’ve never had feeling remain for someone I once had a relationship with,” Aiden tried his best to empathize with his friend. “I think what matters most is that you’re happy, you know? At the end of the day, you gotta put your feelings first. I think you guys should have a talk about how you feel about each other. I know that things didn’t work out in the past, but maybe there is a reason that things will work out now,” he did his best to encourage his friend to remain optimistic. “Obviously, don’t rush into things and see where things go. You deserve to be happy and whatever you choose, you have my full support.”

On the other hand, he didn’t have to endure the difficult childhood that Jameson did. He couldn’t blame his half-brother for wanting to reach out, maybe it was his way of feeling sort sort of happiness being dealt a shitty hand. Regardless of the matter, Aiden had done some deep reflection. If his parents were here, he knows that they would have wanted a relationship between the two brothers. Sure, Aiden knew practically nothing about the other, but he figured that he would be able to figure out a way to make their relationship work, if he could even call it that.

After Abby had given him the information about the tattoo shop, he made his way over there, not sure what today’s event had in store for him. He walked through the door, hearing the bell chime and a receptionist popping up to greet him. “Hi there,” he said, pausing for a second and wondering if running for the hills would be a better option. “I was wondering if Jameson was in. If not, that’s okay. I can come back another day,” half of him wishing his brother wasn’t there.