Chapter Twenty-Three - At A Stop
"So, are you ready?" Heathcliff looked over his shoulder at Aidan. "Come, take my hand. I promise I won't be all over you once you set foot outside the house."
"I have a feeling this might be a little too much," Aidan said. "What am I going to say at work about this?"
"Just that you are ensuring the success of the company through all means necessary. I'm sure they will appreciate it."
"The scary thing is that you may be right." Aidan grimaced, but hurried to take his hand. "Wait, what am I going to say if someone asks me something?"
"Aidan, we're just going for ice cream. It's not like there's an entire paparazzi army waiting for us behind the door. No one will ask you anything, not for the foreseeable future, at least. Unless you want us to attend some social functions together. Then you might worry."
"I'm glad you're so chill." That glare only made Aidan look cuter, not as fierce as he might have wanted. "But I'm not used to people sticking microphones under my nose."
Heathcliff laughed. "You're a bit old-fashioned for your age. People don't stick microphones under your nose anymore. They harass you on Twitter."
Operation 'trap the bunny' was going too well to compromise it by being too impatient. "Of course, we could always stay indoors if you're so uncomfortable with this."
Aidan shifted from one foot to another. "I feel like I'm playing along with a farce. And I am. Only that it's the truth. I mean, no! We're not like that!"
Heathcliff bit his lips not to laugh. "C'mon, Aidan, deal or not, you have to face the facts. We're sleeping together and we're exclusive. And you actually do spend almost every night here, and eat my food."
"And wear clothes you buy for me, and watch cable you're paying for ... I'm sure I don't even buy the toothpaste myself anymore."
Aidan's hesitation was endearing, but he needed to play carefully around it, not to trigger some reaction he didn't want from the scaredy bunny.
"If it makes you feel better, buy the toothpaste you want. But, right now, let's go. We'll just hold hands and have ice cream. I promise not to kiss you. Unless you want me to, of course."
"Okay." Aidan exhaled and finally walked over the threshold.
Heathcliff could feel warmth radiating from where their hands were linked together tightly.
"We don't really have to hold hands from the house to the car. There's no one to see us, and I will need both hands to drive, anyway." Aidan was trying so hard to put on a brave face that Heathcliff wanted nothing else but to grab him and kiss him hard until they would both melt.
"We do need the practice, though," Heathcliff replied right away and postponed any thoughts of jumping Aidan's sexy bones in front of the house.
However, he had no intention to let go of Aidan's hand, and it was a shame that two hands were needed for driving. Heathcliff wanted to make Aidan happy, by taking him to the place where they both decided that truly had the best ice cream, but he was the one feeling like a kid.
He could not care less about paparazzi, and what Aidan's boss thought, but Heathcliff was a man who grabbed opportunities when they presented themselves. The end justified the means and he was not one to overlook the chance he had to walk outside with Aidan, hold his hand, and feel great about it, too.
Michael would laugh so hard if he knew. Heathcliff planned on telling his friend absolutely everything, but all in due time. For now, he had Aidan to concern himself with, and he didn't want to think of anyone else.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Aidan asked, as soon as they were in the car, and he kicked the vehicle into gear.
"Like that how?" Heathcliff asked, although he knew very well what Aidan meant.
"Like you're in ... I don't know! You said you won't tease me anymore." Aidan got defensive and pretended to focus on driving.
"I'm not teasing you," Heathcliff replied and moved his eyes away from Aidan. "Sometimes I wish I did just so that you wouldn't get like this without a reason."
His words were met with silence, but Heathcliff didn't look again at Aidan. He got a little pissed sometimes, not at Aidan, but at himself. To shake off his playboy persona, as Aidan had called it, he needed patience. And sometimes, his patience just wore itself thin, and he also could not help himself.
Words had never been an issue for him. He was a man of action, of course, but he could have never thought of himself as being a poor communicator. His millions of followers on social media told him that he did communicate well enough, but, apparently, Aidan could not believe him.
"Are you pulling my leg right now?" Aidan's slightly nervous voice interrupted his morose musings. "Because there's this vibe coming off you, so you're either really pissed, or you just want to tease me even more."
"It's neither," Heathcliff sighed. He stared out the window, at the moving trees and houses. "Don't let me bother you, and I mean it."
He needed to get himself in check. Bunny boy was still nervous around him when they got close to talking real feelings. He would not blow it up, by showing his impatience and scaring Aidan away. Now, he needed to think of something, and diffuse the tense atmosphere between them.
A hand came to rest on his thigh and squeezed gently. Heathcliff smiled. That was why he liked Aidan so much. He was such a nice guy, as Michael had pointed out. Right now, he didn't want Heathcliff upset, so he was trying to mend things his own way. But Heathcliff didn't want Aidan to come to him and admit to feelings that maybe he had, just because he felt pressured.
He let his hand rest on top of Aidan's, and caressed it slowly. Still looking out the window, he decided to joke. "I thought you needed both hands for driving."
"I have a spoiled fitness guru on my hands, so I need to break the rules once in a while. And we're at a stop."
"Of course. That we are," Heathcliff said quietly, mostly to himself.
***
Aidan could lick the ice cream glass bowl clean and still feel like he hadn't had enough. Heathcliff knew good food, like he knew good life, and like he knew good sex. No, he needed to take everything back, and replace 'good' with 'awesome'. It was unnerving to have Heathcliff stare at him with his fascinating eyes and pretend he felt nothing. Hiding his nervousness with jokes was getting a little tiring.
Heathcliff smiled at him. "Want seconds?"
"Seriously? Aren't you afraid I'm going to get fat?"
"I don't think you're in any danger for now. You're working yourself to the bone."
"I can't slow down now," Aidan said apologetically. "That evaluation should be coming soon. I want to say, Heath. Thank you so much for going the extra mile with the contract and all. The numbers are really looking up."
"So does that mean that you'll get that promotion you so much want?"
"Yeah. I mean, if there's any justice in the world, I should. Sorry, I didn't mean it like I'm just riding your coattails. You're practically doing all the work."
"That's not true and you know it. I'm just doing my part. I know that modesty is a virtue, Aidan, but I'm afraid that not when it comes to business. I'm not telling you to stop being who you truly are, but give yourself a little more credit. Ever since I signed this contract with your company, I've only interacted with you. You have taken care of everything. And who's benefitting? The company, I suppose, right? You earned that promotion. If they don't give it to you after this, quit."
Aidan looked up at Heathcliff, and noted how serious he looked. "I suppose you're right," he said with a deep sigh. "But what will I do? I mean, taking it from scratch with another company feels like a bit of work. I should have at least two or three years of experience under the belt so that I don't have to apply for an entry level position again."
"I told you. I'll find something for you. Michael can't wait to work with you if you want. Don't worry about things like that."
"I can't not worry," Aidan said, feeling a little stubborn. "I should rely on my own power to get through this. Relying on you to find me employment wouldn't feel right."
