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The Pros and Cons of Loving
Part 24
Eric’s POV
Two Weeks Later…
I crept into mine and Aiden’s bedroom quietly after going downstairs to get some water. I needed to clear my head and calm down. Was I doing the right thing? What if he said no?
I looked around the dark room. It was intimidating. I don’t know why, it was like being in a dark room made me doubt myself and my decision.
I turned on a lamp and light flooded the room. I began to feel a little better and took a deep breath, calming my nerves.
I was taking more deep breaths when my eyes fell on Aiden. He was sleeping on top of the covers because he usually went to bed when he was going to collapse, not even having the energy to get under the covers. Where he was still sick, that took a lot of energy too. Some nights he would eat supper and crash at seven o’clock, sleeping through the night until it was time for school. He had the fabric of his pillowcase balled in his hands and his back rose and fell with each breath he took. I watched his nose twitch and then him scratch it, looking frustrated. Then he smiled and relaxed, rolled over twice, and whimpered. He reached out his arm like he was looking for something, looking extremely huffy.
“Eric?” He asked quietly, still asleep.
I walked over to him nervously. “Aiden… Aiden, wake up.” I whispered, my stomach typing up in knots.
He moaned, rolling onto his side.
“Aiden, babe.” I kissed his cheek.
“Huh?” he yawned.
“Let’s go for a walk.” I said, getting off of him.
“It’s one in the morning.” He sat up, rubbing his eyes.
“I know.” I said, throwing a jacket at him.
“It’s February. In Canada. AKA, freezing cold out.” Aiden said.
I looked at him, almost pleadingly.
He grinned. “Just kidding. Come on, baby.”
I smiled, pulling on my red chucks. He slid on his Vans and pulled on his jacket before hopping out of the window. He was really a pro at the sneaking out thing. He put his hands on my waist and helped me out as well when I threw one leg over.
“Why are you so intent on sneaking out?” he asked.
“It’s like old times before all of this shit started happening.” I said, my heart pounding inside of my chest.
He grabbed me by the waist, pulling me close to him. “I love you like I loved you yesterday.” He giggled.
“Oh yeah?” I laughed.
“And last year and 5 minutes ago.” He whispered in my ear.
“Really?” I smiled. “Cause five minutes ago you were sleeping.”
“Pssht. That’s what you think.” He let go of me. “I never sleep.”
I rolled my eyes, still smiling. “Just like you never snore.”
“I don’t snore.” He gasped, bringing his hand to his chest.
“Not loudly. But you do.” I giggled, grabbing his hand again. We were by now at our usual spot in the park.
“Well you kick.” Aiden pouted. “I got a bruise once.”
“You liar.” I sat down on the cold ground and looked up at him adorably.
“I lie not.” He threw himself down beside me, laughing. He was really a ball of energy tonight, I noticed. “Right here.” He reached down and touched a spot on the back of my leg. “I just didn’t want you to feel bad so I didn’t tell you.” Then he gave me the most adorable grin I had ever seen.
“Well I’m sorry I kicked you.” I pulled him down so he was laying on top of me.
“I’m sorry I snore.” He pressed his lips to mine.
I kissed him back hungrily, closing my eyes and moaning into his lips. His hands ran through my hair and I reached up to grasp one of his hands in mine. He squeezed my hand and I arched into him, moaning.
I had never been on a date before, but dinner with Aiden had gone really well. We’d eaten at a nice restaurant that was within walking distance of where we lived and now we were heading home. I felt his cool hand slide into mine and I tensed up nervously, glancing down. I knew my palm was sweaty, he had to know too.
I couldn’t believe how nervous I was suddenly feeling. I started remembering Luke when he first started touching me. He’d always hold my hands when I told him I was gay.
“Wanna walk through the park or something? It’s still pretty early.” He asked me.
I wondered how he was so casual about all of this. I was a nervous wreck, though nothing had gone wrong. He acted as if he had gone on dates tons of times.
“Sure…” I said nervously.
He turned into the park, smiling. I smiled back, feeling better.
“You aren’t cold or anything, are you?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“Okay. Wanna sit down?”
“Sure. Can we sit by the lake?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He led me down to the lake and we sat down, our hands still clasped together.
“You’re so… comfortable with all of this.” I whispered shyly. “You know what to say and do and I… don’t.”
“I don’t know what to say.” He laughed.
“You just seem…. I don’t know…” I shrugged.
“I like you a lot, Eric… I think you’re sweet, you’re gorgeous, you have the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen.”
I blushed.
“I just… Can I kiss you?”
My first kiss that wasn’t from Luke. I felt my heart begin pounding and I looked him in the eye. My head gave a small nod and our heads moved closer together, our foreheads knocking together.
“Ouch.” Aiden said, laughing.
“Sorry.” I said, humiliated. I turned bright red.
“It wasn’t your fault.” He whispered, leaning in again. “Now I’m going to kiss you… and you’re going to fall as in love with me as I am with you.”
His lips pressed to mine and I closed my eyes, letting out a small content sigh into his lips…
This… us… it’s perfect. I could never love anyone as much as I loved Aiden and I knew it then. The way I felt when he touched me, when he kissed me, when he looked at me, when he smiled at me.
I’d decided. I was 100% sure I was doing this. Now. I had to before I chickened out. I knew this was right, it had to be right because everything was telling me it was.
“I love you.” He panted, pulling away from our kiss.
“Aiden,” I took in a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”
Two Weeks Later…
I crept into mine and Aiden’s bedroom quietly after going downstairs to get some water. I needed to clear my head and calm down. Was I doing the right thing? What if he said no?
I looked around the dark room. It was intimidating. I don’t know why, it was like being in a dark room made me doubt myself and my decision.
I turned on a lamp and light flooded the room. I began to feel a little better and took a deep breath, calming my nerves.
I was taking more deep breaths when my eyes fell on Aiden. He was sleeping on top of the covers because he usually went to bed when he was going to collapse, not even having the energy to get under the covers. Where he was still sick, that took a lot of energy too. Some nights he would eat supper and crash at seven o’clock, sleeping through the night until it was time for school. He had the fabric of his pillowcase balled in his hands and his back rose and fell with each breath he took. I watched his nose twitch and then him scratch it, looking frustrated. Then he smiled and relaxed, rolled over twice, and whimpered. He reached out his arm like he was looking for something, looking extremely huffy.
“Eric?” He asked quietly, still asleep.
I walked over to him nervously. “Aiden… Aiden, wake up.” I whispered, my stomach typing up in knots.
He moaned, rolling onto his side.
“Aiden, babe.” I kissed his cheek.
“Huh?” he yawned.
“Let’s go for a walk.” I said, getting off of him.
“It’s one in the morning.” He sat up, rubbing his eyes.
“I know.” I said, throwing a jacket at him.
“It’s February. In Canada. AKA, freezing cold out.” Aiden said.
I looked at him, almost pleadingly.
He grinned. “Just kidding. Come on, baby.”
I smiled, pulling on my red chucks. He slid on his Vans and pulled on his jacket before hopping out of the window. He was really a pro at the sneaking out thing. He put his hands on my waist and helped me out as well when I threw one leg over.
“Why are you so intent on sneaking out?” he asked.
“It’s like old times before all of this shit started happening.” I said, my heart pounding inside of my chest.
He grabbed me by the waist, pulling me close to him. “I love you like I loved you yesterday.” He giggled.
“Oh yeah?” I laughed.
“And last year and 5 minutes ago.” He whispered in my ear.
“Really?” I smiled. “Cause five minutes ago you were sleeping.”
“Pssht. That’s what you think.” He let go of me. “I never sleep.”
I rolled my eyes, still smiling. “Just like you never snore.”
“I don’t snore.” He gasped, bringing his hand to his chest.
“Not loudly. But you do.” I giggled, grabbing his hand again. We were by now at our usual spot in the park.
“Well you kick.” Aiden pouted. “I got a bruise once.”
“You liar.” I sat down on the cold ground and looked up at him adorably.
“I lie not.” He threw himself down beside me, laughing. He was really a ball of energy tonight, I noticed. “Right here.” He reached down and touched a spot on the back of my leg. “I just didn’t want you to feel bad so I didn’t tell you.” Then he gave me the most adorable grin I had ever seen.
“Well I’m sorry I kicked you.” I pulled him down so he was laying on top of me.
“I’m sorry I snore.” He pressed his lips to mine.
I kissed him back hungrily, closing my eyes and moaning into his lips. His hands ran through my hair and I reached up to grasp one of his hands in mine. He squeezed my hand and I arched into him, moaning.
I had never been on a date before, but dinner with Aiden had gone really well. We’d eaten at a nice restaurant that was within walking distance of where we lived and now we were heading home. I felt his cool hand slide into mine and I tensed up nervously, glancing down. I knew my palm was sweaty, he had to know too.
I couldn’t believe how nervous I was suddenly feeling. I started remembering Luke when he first started touching me. He’d always hold my hands when I told him I was gay.
“Wanna walk through the park or something? It’s still pretty early.” He asked me.
I wondered how he was so casual about all of this. I was a nervous wreck, though nothing had gone wrong. He acted as if he had gone on dates tons of times.
“Sure…” I said nervously.
He turned into the park, smiling. I smiled back, feeling better.
“You aren’t cold or anything, are you?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“Okay. Wanna sit down?”
“Sure. Can we sit by the lake?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He led me down to the lake and we sat down, our hands still clasped together.
“You’re so… comfortable with all of this.” I whispered shyly. “You know what to say and do and I… don’t.”
“I don’t know what to say.” He laughed.
“You just seem…. I don’t know…” I shrugged.
“I like you a lot, Eric… I think you’re sweet, you’re gorgeous, you have the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen.”
I blushed.
“I just… Can I kiss you?”
My first kiss that wasn’t from Luke. I felt my heart begin pounding and I looked him in the eye. My head gave a small nod and our heads moved closer together, our foreheads knocking together.
“Ouch.” Aiden said, laughing.
“Sorry.” I said, humiliated. I turned bright red.
“It wasn’t your fault.” He whispered, leaning in again. “Now I’m going to kiss you… and you’re going to fall as in love with me as I am with you.”
His lips pressed to mine and I closed my eyes, letting out a small content sigh into his lips…
This… us… it’s perfect. I could never love anyone as much as I loved Aiden and I knew it then. The way I felt when he touched me, when he kissed me, when he looked at me, when he smiled at me.
I’d decided. I was 100% sure I was doing this. Now. I had to before I chickened out. I knew this was right, it had to be right because everything was telling me it was.
“I love you.” He panted, pulling away from our kiss.
“Aiden,” I took in a deep breath. “Will you marry me?”