Hide And Keep (16 page)

“I know.” Lane admitted as he rubbed his cheek on Aiden’s shoulder. “What do you want to do?” He asked. Aiden’s arms wrapped tight around Lane.

“I don’t know. Chief said I have more for me here than I do in D.C.. He’s right. I don’t want to go back.” Aiden’s voice was muffled against Lane’s neck. Lane shut his eyes and silently thanked Chief before he pulled back and ducked his head, finding Aiden’s eyes.

“Don’t go back. Stay.” Lane urged. Aiden nodded and Lane laughed as he gathered Aiden’s face in his hands and pressed his lips to his. “We’ll find something for you to do.” Lane murmured the words against his mouth and felt Aiden’s lips curve.

“Chief said I should check with some of the universities, he says I could probably get a job teaching.” Aiden said as he let his lips slide back and forth across Lane’s. “I don’t really like teaching.” Lane felt a large smile spread across Aiden’s lips. “I like McDonald’s. I could work there.” Lane laughed and nipped Aiden’s lower lip.

“You’re not working at McDonald’s.” He declared and Aiden shrugged.

“I might. Do you think I’d get to eat for free?” He asked as he pulled Lane closer so that their chests were pressed together. Lane shook his head.

“No. I’m pretty sure you’d still have to pay for your food.” He said as he locked his arms around Aiden’s neck. Aiden frowned.

“Oh. Then, fuck that. Maybe I’ll just write a book. I was already offered a book deal. Winston Sheffield offered me a small fortune but I just didn’t have the time.” Aiden bit his lip as he considered it. Lane stared at Aiden in confusion. Who gets offered money to write a book and just goes “Meh… maybe later.”? Then again, Aiden didn’t really need or care about money.

“You already have a small fortune.” Lane said. Aiden nodded in agreement.

“I do. I’m not a working Joe, like you.” He teased. Lane smiled and rolled his eyes. “But I have to do something. I can’t be your boy toy.” Aiden stated. Lane lost it. He fell back on the sofa, laughing. Aiden lunged forward, landing on top of Lane.

“You don’t think I would be a good boy toy?” He asked as he playfully bit Lane’s neck. Lane sighed as he gathered Aiden in his arms.

“You’d be an incredible boy toy. You can do anything you want. I love you, Aiden.” He said softly as he stifled a yawn. Aiden’s head snapped up.

“I love you too, Lane.” He frowned as his eyes roamed Lane’s face. “You’re exhausted.” Aiden stated. His eyes rose toward the stairs and his frown intensified as he sat up. “I know I said I’d be more comfortable here but I don’t think I want to go back upstairs tonight. I thought that I’d be less squeamish because I see things like that every day but I’m not ready yet.” Aiden admitted. Lane nodded as he forced himself upright.

“I’m not either. Want to camp out down here until everything is cleaned up?” Lane offered. Aiden smiled and looked relieved. Lane groaned as he got to his feet. “I’ll run up and grab a comforter and some pillows.” Ten minutes later, they were intertwined on the sofa beneath a thick down comforter and Lane’s eyes had become too heavy to stay open. He hummed happily as he scooted his body closer to Aiden’s. “Is this ok?” He asked drowsily and Aiden laughed.

“I’m used to sleeping on couches.” He said and sighed as he pulled Lane tighter against his chest. “I like it better with you though.” Aiden murmured as he tucked Lane’s head under his chin.

“Everything is better with you.” Lane whispered as he started to drift off. He heard Aiden snort.

“We’ll see. You may be trying to get rid of me in a few weeks.” Aiden teased.

“Never.” Lane promised.

Chapter 22

The next few weeks were a trial by fire for Lane and Aiden. The symbolic beginning of their relationship came after the crime scene cleanup team left. Lane hemmed and hawed before he was able to finally ask Aiden if he wanted to officially move into his bedroom with him. Aiden frowned as he stood in the middle of the hall, staring at the spare bedroom.

“I don’t really have things to move, Lane.” Aiden said as he looked at Lane in confusion. Lane rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Would you like to relocate your phone charger and toothbrush to my bedroom and bathroom, permanently?” Lane asked. Aiden brightened and nodded enthusiastically and Lane felt a giddy laugh rise within him.
Not the most romantic of proposals but it worked,
Lane noted.

The timing of Aiden’s move across the hallway worked out perfectly. The following Monday, Lane’s parents flew in. He’d broke the news that he had a boyfriend and they were living together when he called to let his family know that everything had settled down and it was safe for them to visit again.

As usual, they showed up unannounced, terrifying Aiden. He’d resigned and was not handling his status as an unemployed slacker very well. He was still trying to figure out what to do with himself while Lane was at work when Lane’s parents showed up on the doorstep. When Lane got home that evening, he found Aiden sitting at the table staring at a plate of chicken friend steak, gravy and mashed potatoes. And a large glass of iced tea. Lane’s mother, in all of her big, pageant haired glory was happily bustling around the kitchen, talking a mile a minute, unaware of Aiden’s distress. Lane’s dad was doing his best to watch a football game as he nodded absently along with the “conversation” in the kitchen.

Aiden’s eyes were huge and silently begged Lane for salvation as soon as he walked through the door. Lane cringed as he mouthed apology behind his mother’s back. He hadn’t had a chance to explain Aiden to his parents. Or explain his parents to Aiden.

“Aiden, why don’t you change and go for a run?” Lane suggested. Aiden nodded quickly and bolted up the stairs.

“But he didn’t even touch his dinner!” Lane’s mother exclaimed as she stared after Aiden. Lane sighed as he pulled her into a hug.

“We need to talk about that, mom.” He said gently as he leaned back. “You look beautiful! Are you going to run for Miss Sweetsprings this year?” Lane teased and she giggled.

“Oh, stop!” She insisted as she swatted Lane’s arm. He released her and picked up the plate of food and set it on the counter. “I could cover it and put it in the microwave. He might get hungry later.” She offered as she smiled over Lane’s shoulder toward the stairs. He turned to find Aiden frozen on the bottom step, panicked at the idea. Lane shook his head softly and nodded toward the study. Aiden ducked his head and escaped.

“Dad? Can I talk to you for a minute?” Lane asked. His father turned off the t.v. and gave Lane a quick hug before he pulled him into a tender headlock. Lane clapped him in the back then gestured for his parents to sit at the table.

“What’s going on, champ?” His dad asked as he sat. Lane leaned and checked to make sure that Aiden was settling into his run and had his headphones on before he sat across from his parents.

“It’s about Aiden.” He began.

Lane carefully explained about Aiden having Asperger’s. He explained that while Aiden was phenomenally intelligent and accomplished, he had a difficult time communicating with and understanding people. Lane warned them that Aiden would probably, unintentionally say things that might shock or offend them and that it was due to his lack of filter. He described a few of Aiden’s odd behaviors and the reasons for them and begged them to be patient. Lane’s father wasn’t that phased by it.

“So, he says what he means and doesn’t understand people? I can respect that.” He said as he got up and went to the fridge for a beer. Lane’s mother was a bit more distressed.

“Bless his heart!” She gasped as she pressed her hand to her chest. “And what in the world am I going to do if I can’t cook for him?” Lane’s mother wailed. Lane shook his head and laughed. She would find that the hardest part to cope with. Lane’s father bent and kissed her cheek.

“Lane just told you what he likes to eat, Dee! Go bake an assload of cookies.” He said before he went back to the sofa.

After that, Aiden and Lane’s mother were inseparable. They adored each other. Lane couldn't get a word in and spent the weekend watching football with his dad. Lane’s younger brother, Blake arrived a few days later and decided Aiden was fascinating. And hysterical. Aiden was thrilled to have a new victim. Lane “accidentally” mentioned that Blake was a bit of a track star and Aiden’s eyes lit up. Blake cockily announced that he could take Aiden in any running event and his fate was sealed.

“You better clean that up!” Lane’s dad called when Blake stumbled out onto the back patio and threw up after his second attempt to outrun Aiden. He grinned as he elbowed Lane. “Aiden’s a good kid.” He said as he laughed. Lane wasn’t surprised. The easiest way to impress his dad was through sports. “He’s a little off at times but he’s a great guy and he loves you. I’m glad you’re happy, Lane.” He clapped Lane on the back affectionately before he got up to get another beer. That surprised Lane. While his dad had never been distant or cold, he’d never been much of a talker. And it was the first time Lane had introduced anyone he was romantically involved with to his family.

“He’s wonderful, baby! I can’t wait for you to bring him home for Christmas!” Lane’s mother said as she hugged Lane goodbye.

Lane understood that it was a demand and nodded obediently then waved as his parents and Blake drove off. He sighed in relief, the week had gone much better than Lane expected. Aiden didn’t seem too traumatized and his parents and Blake genuinely liked Aiden.

“What are you doing?” Lane asked as he walked back into the house next to Aiden. He had his phone out and was feverishly typing.

“Texting with your mom.” Aiden said absently as he went to the sofa and dropped onto it. Lane rolled his eyes as he sat next to Aiden. “She says that your sister is planning to visit soon.” Aiden mumbled and Lane’s eyes flared.
Holy. Shit. I better start preparing him now,
Lane decided. While he loved his sister unconditionally, Lane knew that she could be a handful. She was a tornado in a teacup and had less of a filter than Aiden.

“Yeah… About Kat…”

They survived Kat’s visit. She blew in the following Friday for a weekend of Christmas shopping (mostly for herself) and outright meddling.

“Well done, you!” She gasped at Lane when he introduced her to Aiden. She tossed her purse at Lane and threw herself at Aiden for a hug. He staggered back as he caught her and looked at Lane in shock. “Mom said you were hot but you are so much more than I was expecting!” She announced.

Aiden handled it well. He even endured her poking at him and demanding to see all of his tattoos. Ironically, it was Kat’s outspokenness that Aiden struggled with. Lane got the impression that Aiden enjoyed Kat but he preferred her when she wasn’t pummeling him with obscene compliments and invasive questions.

“So, when are you two going to get married, open an antique store and adopt a bunch of kids from third world countries?” Kat asked as she snatched an apple slice off of Aiden’s plate. He looked appalled but Lane wasn’t sure if it was her question of her lack of boundaries.

“Hush, Kat.” Lane scolded as he narrowed his eyes at her in warning. She shrugged as she chewed.

“Come on! You two are already so domestic.” Kat announced and Aiden’s brows pulled together as he whispered the word “Domestic”. She missed it. “I’m so ready to be the cool aunt.” Said as she poured herself another glass of wine. Aiden’s eyes flicked to Lane’s and he frowned. Lane shook his head softly, willing Aiden to ignore her.

“Settle down, crazy ass.” Lane emptied the rest of the bottle in his glass and got up to get another. “Aiden just moved in, he doesn’t even have a dresser yet. If you’re in a rush for nieces and nephews, you should be at Nate’s, bugging him and Stacey.” He advised as he twisted the cork from a riesling. Kat rolled her eyes and groaned.

“Ugh, Stacey!” She complained over the rim of her wine glass. “I love her but she’s such a sorority girl. She’ll have to have a princess and name her something trendy like Harper and she’ll be all organic and decide t.v. is evil.” Kat shivered. Lane laughed and silently agreed. Stacey was wonderful but she would be the playdate mommy that had to outdo the other mommies.

Later, Lane was still grinning at Kat’s comments about Stacey as he rubbed his lips over the faint trail of hair below Aiden’s navel. He turned his head and slid his tongue down the muscle that ran along the inside of Aiden’s hip and purred. Lane sighed happily as he rested his head on Aiden’s thigh and inhaled, letting the smell of Aiden’s warm, aroused flesh fill him.

Except Aiden wasn’t aroused. Lane raised his head and looked up Aiden’s body and found that Aiden wasn’t paying attention. Lane frowned as he rose on his hands and knees and crawled up Aiden’s body. Lane pressed kisses to Aiden’s stomach and chest as me moved up but Aiden didn’t seem to notice. Aiden's hand fell on Lane’s back and patted absently as he stared at the ceiling.

“What’s wrong?” Lane asked softly as his lips cruised along Aiden’s jaw. Aiden’s hand trailed lightly over Lane’s back as his eyes slowly drifted to Lane’s.

“Are you going to want children?” He whispered. Lane’s mind was so far from thoughts of children, it was ridiculous. He chuckled as he nibbled at Aiden’s chin.

“Kat was just teasing us.” Lane murmured as he wrapped his hand around Aiden’s thigh and pulled it around his waist. Aiden nodded weakly as his eyes searched Lane’s.

“I know. But it’s a natural assumption in regard to the progression of our relationship.” He said as he wrapped his arms around Lane. Lane shook his head and kissed Aiden’s shoulder.

“The progression of our relationship?” He asked.

“It would be logical to assume that we’ll get married and adopt children.” Aiden explained. “That’s what gay couples do, right?” He asked as he pushed his hand through Lane’s hair. Lane shrugged.

“Maybe. I don’t think that 2.5 kids and a dog really applies to us.” He countered. Aiden frowned as he searched Lane’s face.

“I don’t enjoy children.” He admitted and Lane didn’t find that to be much of a revelation. Aiden sighed and pulled Lane closer. “Toddlers are aggressive, destructive and somehow always sticky. Infants terrify me. They’re fragile and irrational. You can’t reason with them.” He explained. Lane couldn’t help himself, he laughed.

“Just stop!” Lane said as he rested on his elbows and stared down at Aiden. “You don’t need to worry about this. I love children. But I love you more. I love that we can spend the day in bed if it’s too gross outside to leave the house. I love that after a long day, I can come home to you and a quiet house. I love being able to do volunteer work with children where I’m needed, when it fit's into my schedule. Would you be ok with just being a cool uncle when Kat and my brothers have kids? I figure, we live so close to Wrigley, it’ll be fun having them for a few days or a week when they’re old enough to go to baseball games and museums.” He watched as Aiden considered and Lane felt him relax.

“I think I can pull off cool uncle.” He decided. Lane nodded, letting his lips rub against Aiden’s. He felt Aiden’s lips pull tight. “Are you going to want to get married?” He asked.

“Yes.” Lane didn't have to think about it. He felt Aiden’s sigh against his lips.

“I know that there are practical benefit's, like taxes and medical rights but I’m still trying to get used to the fact that I have a boyfriend. Something inside of me hasn’t acclimated to the fact that I’m not getting on a plane in a few days and sleeping in offices yet.” Aiden admitted. “I know that we’re sort of obligated to be activists and demand it as a right…” Lane slid his hand around Aiden’s jaw and found his eyes.

“Marrying you has nothing to do with practical benefit's or gay rights activism or logical progressions. I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to express that in every way and promise that I will always belong to you.” Lane saw Aiden’s eyes flash and they shimmered.

“Long term pancakes.” Aiden breathed and Lane’s brows pulled together.

“Long term pancakes?” He laughed and Aiden nodded as a shy smile tilted his lips.

“That first morning, I wished that I was the type of man you’d want to spend all of your mornings with and that there would be pancakes and shower sex every weekend.” Aiden’s hand curved around Lane’s neck and he kissed Lane tenderly. “I think we should get married, after I’ve had some time to get used to being the man that gets long term pancakes.” He said. Lane’s eyes began to sting and heat burst within his chest.

“Let’s start with the little things and go slow. We’ll get a dresser for your clothes and I’ll make room for all of your Converse in my closet.” Lane saw Aiden’s eyes narrow and his lips pulled down at the corners.

“I don’t want a dresser. I know what that means.” He said and Lane clenched his jaw to keep from laughing.

“What does that mean?” Lane pretended to take Aiden seriously. Aiden glared at Lane.

“You’re going to want me to wash clothes and put them away like some sort of…” His hand waved frantically next to Lane’s shoulder. Lane dropped his head onto the pillow next to Aiden’s and laughed against his cheek.

“Normal person?” He giggled as he pressed his lips to Aiden’s jaw. Aiden snorted.

“I think we’ve established that I’m not normal. I have too much going on in my head to focus on things like doing laundry.” He mumbled. Lane rolled his eyes.

“That’s complete bullshit and you know it. You can learn how to do laundry, you literally have nothing else going on right now.” He said and Aiden’s face turned to his.

“What comes after laundry, Lane?” He asked. “Vacuuming? Dishes? Dusting? Housework doesn’t seem very enjoyable.” Aiden was utterly serious, which made it even more hysterical. Lane imagined Aiden in a French maid costume and started to howl. He rolled off of Aiden and hugged his stomach as he cried. Aiden punched him in the arm after several moments. Lane gasped for breath as he tried to pull himself together.