by J. R Fox
Though Eric had often complimented his appearance, Aidan hadn’t been sure until now that he’d meant it. He knew a lot of people thought of him as attractive, but every person’s taste was different.
“Hey,” he said, his voice warm and soothing. “Wow, it’s so weird to see you in person.”
“Yeah, weird is definitely a word for it.” Aidan smiled nervously. “Am I what you were expecting?”
“You’re taller than I imagined,” Eric admitted. “I dunno why I thought of you as short.”
“I am tall for an omega, I suppose. Still shorter than you, though.”
“The perfect height to rest my arm on your shoulder.” Eric beamed. “So was your flight okay? I think I’m supposed to ask that.”
“It got from point A to point B without crashing, which is all I really ask of airplanes.” Aidan shrugged. “What do you want to eat? I’m happy to go for it so we don’t lose the table.”
“No, you sit.” Eric stood up. “You’ve had a longer day than me, and what kind of host would I be if I made you go stand in line?”
“I’m not going to argue. I really appreciate it.” Aidan smiled at Eric. He’d known all along that Eric was a gentleman, and this was proving it nicely. “I’ll take whatever you’re having. I’m not picky and like I said, I could eat just about anything right now.”
“Then there’s a plate of tacos with our names on it, as long as that’s okay with you?”
“Perfect.” Aidan grinned. It was nice to know their tastes in food lined up. He’d been sure Eric wouldn’t force him to eat anything he didn’t want to, and he genuinely wasn’t picky, but knowing they liked at least some of the same things was comforting.
He got his phone out and checked his emails, noting that Eric had sent him one while he’d been on the plane.
I just want to say that I’m so excited about today, and I know you probably won’t get to read this until we’ve already met in person, but whatever happens, you’re my best friend, and I won’t forget that. Any speed bumps we run into are just that. No big deal. We’re gonna have a great weekend, and I can’t wait to get used to having you around.
Aidan smiled down at the screen, touched by the reassurance. He didn’t need it, though. As soon as he’d sat down across from Eric, he’d been at peace. Perhaps it was hormonal, or something he could just sense about the other man, but he felt safe around Eric. He didn’t feel safe around many people, so it had been a nice surprise to find the feeling transferred smoothly into real life from the online world.
Eric returned with food soon enough, and Aidan had to fight not to practically inhale it. He’d been nervous about this, and hadn’t eaten all day because of it, so now he was truly starving.
“There’s plenty of food at my place, if you’re hungry. I stocked up for you.” Eric smiled at him.
“I forgot to eat this morning and then I didn’t really have time at lunch,” Aidan explained, not wanting to seem as pathetic as he felt. “I might have to take you up on that.”
“I was planning on making you like me by feeding you a bunch of snacks, so I hope so.”
“I already like you, but I will still eat snacks with you.” Aidan grinned. “That's what I'm looking forward to most this weekend.”
“Not Van Gogh?” Eric raised an eyebrow.
“I guess he's cool, too. Not as cool as you, though.”
Eric laughed at that. “High praise. I hope you'll still think so on the other side of the weekend.”
“Pretty sure I will.” Aidan finished off his last bite of taco and sat back with a happy sigh. “I am so ready for this weekend. I’ve been waiting a long time.”
“Me too.” Eric nodded, still eating.
Aidan watched him happily, looking forward to their time together more than ever now. Eric had a warm heart and an easy manner, and Aidan was as drawn to him in person as he was he had been online. This was destined to be a good few days for both of them.
***
For Eric, having Aidan in his home was surreal. He was so used to thinking he’d love to have Aidan around to share his observations with that the novelty of being able to just say them out loud made him feel like he was talking too much.
Aidan kept grinning at whatever he said, though, which was a rush he wasn't expecting. He’d always liked talking to Aidan, but he hadn't realized how much better it was going to be in person.
“I figured you’d be too tired for art tonight, so I thought maybe a movie. I've got popcorn and ice cream and everything.”
“That sounds amazing.” Aidan looked up at him over the back of the couch. “I'm probably going to fall asleep on you, but please don't take it as an insult. I couldn't sleep here if I wasn't intensely comfortable.”
Eric wanted to ask if Aidan had decided whether he wanted the couch or the bed, yet, but he couldn't bring himself to. He didn't know what answer he wanted to hear, and he wasn't sure how he’d cope with hearing it, anyway. It could wait until they were actually going to sleep.
After picking out a suitably awful movie from his collection, Eric settled next to Aidan with a bowl of popcorn between them, and finally relaxed. This was nice, and he intended to enjoy it.
He’d live-watched movies with Aidan before, but never like this, and it was nice to hear every little laugh at one of his jokes, and to laugh at Aidan’s in return. Halfway through the movie his stomach was sore from laughter, but he couldn’t bring himself to mind at all.
Three-quarters of the way through the movie, Aidan was asleep, his head leaning on Eric’s shoulder. Eric couldn’t bring himself to mind that, either. Aidan’s gentle snoring and warm presence made him feel deeply trusted, the same way having a cat come to perch on him would have. Except he liked Aidan much better than the average cat.
When he finally had to get up, Eric moved slowly so as not to disturb Aidan, and when the other man didn’t wake, he went to get him a blanket and pillows.
Aidan still didn’t wake as Eric moved him gently, so he’d get to sleep at least mostly comfortably. He was obviously tired, and that meant he was taking the couch for the night—the last thing Eric wanted to do was move him to the bed without his knowledge, for fear he’d be upset by it when he woke up.
That was perfectly okay. It just meant Eric needed to work on getting him to come to bed with him next time. If it turned out that was what they both wanted, anyway. Eric had never felt as connected to anyone else as he did to Aidan, though he knew he was a man who didn’t make connections easily. Aidan was different, for whatever reason, and while Eric held no illusions that he’d get to keep him, he did like the idea of having him for a little while.
“Good night, Aidan,” Eric murmured as he tucked a blanket around him. “Sweet dreams.”
In his sleep, Aidan smiled. For now, that was enough. They had a whole long weekend ahead of them.
Eric went to bed as well, more at peace in his own home than he had been for a long time.
Chapter Three
Aidan regretted having slept on the couch, if for no other reason than that his back was killing him when he woke up. He’d also had a fleeting fantasy about waking up curled around Eric, their bodies having moved together in the night without their meaning them to, that he now hadn’t gotten to take a shot at. It was silly, but he’d hoped to wake up wrapped around Eric and apologize profusely, but secretly glow all day.
Until he’d been face-to-face with Eric he hadn’t been sure about his feelings for him, but he was now. Eric meant a lot to him, and always had, but now that Aidan had been near him, he knew the attraction went deeper. Emotionally, he’d felt as though Eric was all he needed for a long time, and he was sure now that he wanted to take that feeling to physical affection and test out the waters there.
In short, he wanted Eric to kiss him, and touch him, and make him feel wanted. He could only hope that Eric wanted the same, and he’d have to be careful not to make himself too obvious. They had four days or so ahead of them, and Aidan didn’t wan
t any of them to be awkward.
“Pancakes, or eggs for breakfast?” Eric asked him as he rolled off the couch and headed into the kitchen.
“Whatever’s easiest for you. Anything that can reasonably be called food is fine by me.”
“High standards,” Eric laughed. “Eggs, then. With bacon.”
“Be still my beating heart.” Aidan grinned at him. “Which you clearly know the way to.”
“I have been listening to you over the course of the last three years or so. I know stuff about you, same as you know stuff about me.”
“I know you didn't buy your couch for sleeping on.” Aidan wet his lips. “Is the offer of sharing the bed still open?”
He figured framing it subtly like this, as though it was purely for comfort, was the safest way. That way, he didn't have to show too much of his hand and risk rejection this early in their time together, but he also got part of what he wanted.
“Absolutely. I felt kinda guilty leaving you on the couch last night, but I didn't want to move you without you knowing. Seemed creepy.” Eric shrugged.
“I get that. But for future reference, I'm comfortable with sharing with you, if you're comfortable with sharing with me.”
“Long as you don’t steal all the blankets, we’re cool,” Eric said, starting to get breakfast things out of the fridge.
“I’m more likely to kick the blankets off than steal them. I run hot for a dragon.”
“Yeah, I noticed.” Eric smiled at him. “That’s cool, ‘cause I’m always cold and I could go for having a person-sized hot water bottle to sleep with. You might wake up with me snuggled into you, is all.”
Aidan grinned, loving the idea of exactly that happening. “I can live with that.” He cleared his throat subtly, trying to hide his excitement at the possibility of curling up next to Eric. “So what’s the plan for today?”
“Well, that after-hours tour I promised you, for one. We don’t open the gallery to the public on Saturdays other than for special events, so you’ll have it all to yourself.”
Aidan made a tiny sound of excitement this time, not afraid to show how enthusiastic he was about what he’d ostensibly come here for. Eric had known exactly what to say to give him the perfect excuse to make the trip, and while there were a lot of other reasons for him to be here, Van Gogh was a big one.
Not bigger than Eric, though. Eric was the most important thing about the trip by far, not just a friend with connections who was letting him crash on the couch. He’d been looking for an excuse to come see him for months, though he’d never told Eric as much. It was nice that they seemed to be on the same page about it being time to meet in person, and that Eric was obviously not just inviting him here so he could see something cool. He’d taken time off work and everything to be with Aidan over the next few days. That meant more than just a friend offering crash space.
Aidan hoped, more than anything, that it meant Eric had as much of a crush on him as he did on Eric. Time would tell, and he’d just have to be on the lookout for his opportunity to make a move. He knew it was supposed to be down to alphas to make the first one, but he didn’t want to risk Eric thinking that he wasn’t interested, and he’d waited long enough for this chance.
“Well, you’ll be there,” Aidan said as Eric started making breakfast. “Which is way better than being alone.”
Aidan wasn’t positive, but he thought he saw Eric blush.
***
Eric had known, from the way Aidan talked about art in general, that watching him wander through a gallery was going to be an experience, to say the least. He hadn’t realized how much of an experience it was going to be, nor how much joy Aidan’s enjoyment would bring him, as well.
He explained the significance of every painting in the collection automatically, though he knew Aidan would already know about most of it. It was nice to meet another person who’d never been good at art either, but still appreciated it for what it was and what it meant. Eric’s usual encounters with members of the public usually weren’t as laidback and fulfilling as talking Aidan through all the choices he’d made, and why they were important, and what they all meant.
Most people definitely didn’t hang off his every word, so it was nice to have Aidan here. In an ideal world, Aidan would move to the city—even into Eric’s place—and they could do this every time there was a new exhibition. Eric had never felt as appreciated as Aidan made him feel while he gave him the grand tour of the gallery.
Once they got to the new exhibition, Aidan just stopped and stared. His whole manner changed, his face relaxed, and he stopped looking like he was deeply analyzing everything he saw. This was, clearly, what awe looked like on Aidan.
It was a good look, and Eric immediately wanted to find other ways to make him feel like this. Especially when Aidan reached out and took his hand, without looking at him or asking permission. He was holding Eric’s hand because he needed to, and Eric felt safe to him. That was the best feeling in the world, as far as Eric was concerned.
“Thank you,” Aidan said quietly after a few moments, squeezing Eric’s hand. He started wandering the exhibition, and Eric found himself even more proud of his work now that he had Aidan’s approval. He loved his job, but it meant more to him when he saw someone he cared about enjoying it.
“You’re welcome.” Eric squeezed back. “We can stay as long as you want.”
Aidan laughed softly at that. “We’ll die of starvation before I’ll genuinely want to leave an art gallery. Which I assume is why no one will date me.”
“Anyone would be lucky to have you, Aidan.”
“You have to say that, you’re my friend.” Aidan nudged him gently with his elbow.
An unbidden spike of jealousy flared up in Eric at the mention of Aidan dating. He stood by his opinion that anyone would be lucky to have him, but more and more, he was realizing that he wanted that person to be him. He would have felt extremely lucky indeed to have Aidan.
Eric shuffled a tiny bit closer to Aidan, to bask in his warmth and happiness. He’d tried to pretend for a long time that he wasn’t developing feelings for the other man, especially as he was an omega and it felt terribly cliché that he couldn’t just be friends with one, but with Aidan close at hand, it was nearly impossible to tell himself that he didn’t want something more. He was content with Aidan as his friend, but he knew, now more than ever, that he’d be happy with Aidan as his mate.
Convincing Aidan of that would be a whole different challenge, though. Aidan had trusted Eric’s intentions, and he was relying on Eric for a place to sleep at the moment, so Eric would have to tread carefully if he wanted to bring it up. The last thing Eric needed was for Aidan to feel as though he was expected to respond to him, regardless of what he wanted. Aidan’s happiness was more important than his own.
“Well, I’m happy to stay here as long as you want. I work here, so it’s not like I’m not comfortable with the place. Besides, I never get to just stand and look at the paintings,” Eric said.
Aidan sighed, and shuffled closer to him as well. “You're a good best friend, Eric,” he said.
That was all Eric wanted to hear. He wanted Aidan to feel as though he could rely on him, and as though he was a safe person to be around. Romance, if it came, would have to come from a history of friendship. That was the only way Eric could imagine being in a relationship with Aidan.
“Only because I like you so much,” Eric said softly, not wanting to disturb the peace of the gallery. There was so much more he wanted to say, but this wasn't the time to do it. It could wait, though. They still had a further three days together.
For now, Eric wanted to preserve Aidan's good mood. If he went away having had a good vacation and wanted to come back later, at least Eric would get another chance.
“I just wanna stand here a little while longer,” Aidan said. “But I won't torture you too much.”
“It's not torture,” Eric said. “I'm enjoying this almost as much as you are.”
Aidan snorted. “Again, you have to say that, you're my friend. But I appreciate it all the same.”
Eric wanted to tell him how much he enjoyed watching Aidan enjoy himself, but thought better of it. He didn't want to show his hand just yet. He needed to know that there was some chance his feelings would be returned.
Hopefully, he’d be able to get a few more hints in as time went on. All he could do now was continue to be a good host and a good best friend, and hope that was enough. Aidan was more than worth the effort.
“It's amazing to me, you know, that someone could create something this beautiful,” Aidan spoke up again.
“Van Gogh was a great artist. It’s a pity he died the way he did. He deserved better.” Eric’s interests ran more into surrealism, but he could see the beauty in Van Gogh's work.
“I was actually talking about your skills in putting together this exhibition. You’ve treated the work with respect. Which I know is your job, but I'm still impressed.” Aidan turned to look at him. Some of the awe that had been directed at the paintings before was now directed at Eric himself.
Eric blushed, and turned back to look at the painting they’d stopped in front of. It was only a landscape over a wheat field, nothing that should have been spectacular, and yet it was. All the more so for Aidan’s enjoyment of it.
He wasn’t positive that Aidan was flirting with him, but it definitely felt like it. That had to be a good sign.
Chapter Four
As they left the gallery, Aidan still glowing from what had been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for him, he began to realize that he was on the verge of having a problem. He could feel a flush blooming on his skin, the uncomfortable warmth and stickiness, the undefinable itch that heralded going into heat.
He took suppressants for his heats, but they were more or less glorified birth control—the worst of the symptoms were controlled, but he could still feel his core temperature rising, and he knew that that the rest of it would follow soon.
Normally, it wasn’t a problem. Aidan’s method of dealing with heats was to masturbate a few times, consume his own body weight in whatever junk food he had on hand, and sleep through the rest of it. However, there were two confounding factors this time.
