#pw8

“James, you’re suffocating me.”

James grumbled, but rolled off of Aiden without ever letting him go.

Aiden took a deep breath, grateful that he could now breath easily again. “Aren’t you going to change?” he asked.

“Don’t need to.”

“Jay, you’re still wearing jeans!”

“Yeah, and?”

Aiden slowly but surely wiggled his way out of James’s grip. “I’m not sleeping with you if you’re still wearing jeans,” he said, then stopped and covered his face with a groan. “You know what I mean.”

“Strip for sex?” The comment on its own was bad enough, but the smug little smirk James had was enough to push Aiden into the realm of no regret as he smacked James’s arm.

“No cuddles until you’re in pajamas,” he clarified.

“But Aiden,” James whined as Aiden finally wormed his way free.

“I’ll steal Will’s bed,” Aiden threatened.

“C’mon, that’s so unnecessary.”

“You know what’s unnecessary?”

“Are you gonna say sleeping in jeans?”

“Sleeping in jeans,” Aiden answered. “Now go change.”

James groaned, but reluctantly dragged himself upright. “Fine. But,” he added as he stood, “I want something from you.”

“Depends.” Aiden sat up to watch James. “What do you want?”

“What did you need to tell me?”

“What did I—oh.” Aiden took a deep breath, pointedly ignoring how his hands shook as he hugged his knees close. “Right. That.”

James glanced over at Aiden as he grabbed his pajamas. “You know I don’t like being pushy with stuff like this,” he said, “but it kinda sounded like you might need a little push.”

Aiden bit his lip. “You’re tired Jay. I can tell you in the morning.”

James scoffed, pausing halfway through changing to cross the room and kiss Aiden. “Your avoidance tactics won’t work on me,” he said with a smirk.

Aiden knew he was blushing hard as he shoved James away. “Go put on a shirt.”

“Aw, you know you like it.” James winked, but complied. “Anyways, I’m not going to sleep till you spill. So if you want me to sleep soon…”

“I feel like I’m being bribed, but not in a good way. Coerced? I don’t know, words are hard.”

“And you’re stalling,” James said.

Aiden groaned. “It can wait till morning Jay.”

“No avoidance. C’mon sweetheart, snuggles as soon as you say whatever it is.”

Aiden groaned, dropping his head on his knees. “Note to self, don’t tell Jay you have to tell him something, because he won’t leave it alone,” he mumbled, purposefully loud enough for James to hear him.

“Can’t guilt trip me. Too sleepy for it.” James grinned at Aiden before flopping down in bed again, fully clothed in pajamas.

Aiden didn’t look up from his lap.

“Hey.” James reached out and snagged one of Aiden’s hands to squeeze it. “Look, no matter what you’re gonna say, I’ll still love you.” James hesitated. “Well, actually—wait, never mind, not relevant.”

Aiden’s breath caught in his throat. “No, actually I want to know what would actually change your mind about me.”

“Aid, they all boil down to you admitting you’re an asshole, which you’re not, so you’ll be fine. Please. I want snuggles.”

Aiden let out a long breath, then squeezed James’s hand. “Fine.” He hesitated a moment longer, then closed his eyes and said, “I’m trans.”

He glanced at James out of the corner of his eye just in time to see James blink slowly. “Okay.” James tugged Aiden down next to him. “So, like, how do you want me to refer to you then? Do you have a new name picked out, or pronouns or whatever, I’m really too tired to think of what else—”

Aiden couldn’t help the startled laugh that burst out of him, accidentally cutting James off.

James gave him a look reminiscent of a lost puppy. “What?”

“You dork.” Aiden rolled over so he could lean on James’s chest. “I told you, Summer’s been trying to talk me into this confession for ages.”

James blinked up at him.

“I’ve already transitioned,” Aiden tried to clarify for him. “You’re doing perfect with how you refer to me.”

Another slow blink. “So… you transitioned before we met?” Aiden nodded. “Oh. Okay.”

“Is that—are you okay with this?” Aiden asked.

“Yeah, ‘course I am,” James said. “It’s just taking me a second to comprehend right now. Also realizing this is why you don’t like stripping even for cozy pants.”

“You and your cozy pants,” Aiden said, shaking his head with a fond smile. “Hold up, I’m gonna go change before you decide to turn into a koala.”

“Rude,” James mumbled, trying to cling to Aiden even as he got up. Aiden just laughed and kissed him before escaping the bed.

“Hey Aiden?”

Aiden paused in the middle of pulling his pajamas out of his bag. “Yeah?”

“I love you,” James said. “You’re my adorable kick-ass boyfriend, no matter what.”

“Sappy dork.” Aiden briefly hid his face, simultaneously pleased and embarrassed by the compliment. “I love you too.”

“Now get that cute little ass of yours in bed with me.”

“Give me a minute.”

Said minute was spent changing and turning off the light before Aiden finally crawled back into bed with James.

He was hardly settled before James tugged him into a tight hug. “Love you,” he mumbled, half-asleep into the back of Aiden’s neck.

“Love you too. Goodnight James.”

James, already asleep, didn’t respond.

~

(And a bonus snippet for Magic that’s too short to deserve its own post imo)

As they watch the sun set, Malai has a thought. And apparently James and his spontaneity has rubbed off on him, so he leans down to where James is laying in his lap and murmurs, “What is love?” Then, as the full implications of what he just said hit him, he adds, “And don’t you dare start singing.”