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Aiden was sitting by a campfire on one of the roofs, which had an old hideout for night runners. The fire burned bright and high along with the UV lamps near the small tent. He could see the canteen very well and it was the only time when there were so few people there.
His plan for tonight was to explore an abandoned shop that was full of valuable items, but the only problem was the volatile nest that was there. However, after he returned from his last expedition covered in blood and with multiple wounds, Frank gave him what he called "grounding."
He didn't quite understand what it was supposed to mean, but Hakon explained to him that it was a form of punishment that parents used on their unruly children. Hakon was laughing the whole time, and when Lawan heard about it, she couldn't help but laugh too.
He sat there, offended, thinking about his next adventure after his detention was over. From here, he had a clear view of the canteen, which was still quite crowded even at this hour. However, when he heard a strange sound coming from behind him, he immediately got up and drew his weapon.
At first he thought it was probably some renegade or even volatile, so he prepared for a fight, but after a while he heard quiet French curses and breathed a sigh of relief. He recognized the voice and accent immediately, so he knew there was nothing to worry about.
He folded his arms across his chest and waited a moment for his Nightrunner friend to climb onto the roof, but then remembered that he should still be mad at him. He muttered something to himself under his breath and then headed back towards his sleeping bag. He sat down, pretending he hadn't heard him at all, and began to warm his hands over the fire.
It still took Hakon a while to reach the top, and Aiden was very surprised that he had to wait so long. He heard footsteps that were getting louder and then a quiet snort behind him, but he still didn't turn around, didn't even say anything, just pretended he wasn't there.
"Really? Giving me the silent treatment?" He asked amusedly, which made Aiden even more angry than he already was. "Come on, it was pretty funny."
"Oh, yeah, very much." He growled, rolling his eyes as he watched Hakon sit down with a quiet thud next to him and pull out two cans of beer. He handed one to Aiden, which the pilgrim ignored, again, so he sighed and placed the can on the ground.
"You're acting like a child."
"According to you, that's what I am."
"Until you start taking care of yourself when taking risks, I won't change my mind." He explained and took a sip of beer. He grunted in dissatisfaction because it was already flat, but he didn't want to waste it, so he had to force himself to drink it.
Aiden glanced at the can next to him and gave in to the temptation to take a drink. He heard Hakon laugh softly, but he ignored him and drank half of the contents in one gulp. Only now did he realize how long it had been since he had drunk anything because of how little time he had. He didn't even have time to relax, he always had something on his mind, if not looking for Mia, then helping various people who needed it.
He turned his gaze to the fire and closed his eyes, recalling old memories he remembered from his childhood when he was still with Mia. He smiled involuntarily at the thought that he would be able to see her again someday. He completely forgot that Hakon was sitting next to him, but he was in no hurry to start a conversation, this silence suited him.
However, it turned out that Hakon had other plans. "Everyone was so worried about you when you disappeared like that, we thought that you were dead, that one of us would find you turned into a viral." He explained in a quiet voice, and Aiden looked at him a little surprised. He didn't expect such words from him, especially from him, and it didn't sound like a joke.
He looked at him, trying to find the right words. Hakon's expression was unreadable, a mixture of sorrow and worry, with a touch of bitterness. He felt a little foolish when he realized he might have screwed up a bit with his choices and the fact that he hadn't answered the radio for a few days. "Sorry." He whispered as if only he could hear it.
Hakon exhaled with a friendly smile and moved closer. "You don't know how scared Lawan was, she didn't want to show it, but I know her way too well." Aiden tightened his grip on the can. He pulled his legs up to his chest and buried his face in them.
"Really?" He asked quietly, not moving an inch. He felt his heart beating faster and couldn't calm it down. On the one hand, he felt such a nice warmth inside him, the fact that someone was worried about him, but on the other hand, he felt embarrassed.
"She cares about you." Hakon said something that made his cheeks burn, but he preferred to blame it on the fire. "And you clearly care about her too."
"Of course, she's my friend."
"A friend? are you sure about that?" He asked, clearly meaning something else, as if he was suggesting something, and Aiden immediately understood his allusion.
"Yes, friend, don't you know who that is?" It sounded rather defensive, and so Hakon smirked, moving closer to him so that their thighs were almost touching. "I know you may not have them, but I do."
"Ouch, that hurt a little." He chucked, pretending that it actually made some impression on him. "However, I see how you look at her, you have some feelings for her."
"I don't, I like her a lot, but not like that."
"Oh really? I find that hard to believe. You follow her everywhere like a lost puppy, do anything she asks, and get jealous whenever she talks to anyone else." Hakon chuckled when he saw Aiden somehow staring at him. He was pounding like a child when an adult told them something they didn't like.
"You are terrible." He growled at him and finished his beer. He crushed the can and threw it into the fire, hearing a faint squeal as it burned. "I'm telling you it's not like that."
"You don't have to tell me the truth, but you have to hurry before someone snatches her up."
Aiden pursed his lips, unable to listen to Hakon's words anymore. He rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. "She's like... a sister to me. You don't understand how much she reminds me of Mia." He muttered in a low voice, his eyes wandering through the darkness that engulfed the entire Central Loop at this hour. "They have such similar personalities that sometimes I have to stop myself from calling her Mia."
These words took Hakon by surprise and for a moment he just stared at him, without his nosy smile. Aiden realized he had led down the atmosphere between them a bit and wondered what he could do to fix it.
"But there is someone for whom... I feel something more." He admitted, which surprised Hakon even more. He raised an eyebrow and was about to ask who it was, but Aiden was faster than him. "But I won't tell you anything, although you can guess. I'm still angry at you."
"There aren't many women here you'd be close to, so it won't be difficult." He said and leaned back on his hands, looking at Aiden. "Sophie."
"Nope, besides, Barney would kill me." He replied, reluctantly remembering his name. Even though they were on the bright side, deep down he still harbored a dislike for him.
"Then Veronica."
"I've met her once." He said, recalling that he'd seen her with Barney a few times, but they'd only talked once when she was treating Barney after that mission for crystals.
"Thalia."
"That librarian assistant?" He winced a little as he remembered her. He wasn't sure if Hakon knew he'd almost slept with her, but he preferred to forget it. "Never."
"Shen Xiu?"
He thought for a moment, trying to remember what she looked like. "I mean, she's not bad, but no."
"Meyer?"
"Really? Out of all of them?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, almost offended that he had even thought of her.
"Is it even a girl?"
"I never said it was a girl." He laughed, looking at Hakon with an amused smile. "Good luck guessing."
"You sly little shit, I didn't expect that." Hakon looked at him and sighed. He pushed himself up to sit up straight, pondering his next guess for a moment. "I assume it's not Barney, then maybe Vincenzo?"
"He is cute, but no."
"Aitor?"
"He has a wife and two children. I'm not interested in married men." He said and smiled as he remembered how Aitor played with his kids after he recovered. It warmed his heart to know that he had contributed to their happiness even after a rough time he had with him.
"Please don't tell me it's Juan."
"He's handsome and well... he did ask me out." He was sure he saw something like jealousy on his face, but he wasn't entirely sure. "But it's not him."
"Good, it's probably not Frank and Jack Matt either." He grunted, thinking again about his answer. "Let's hope it's not Cillian." Hakon looked at him with pleading eyes.
"No, I'd rather actually sleep with Juan."
"So he's not hot enough for you? Or you just prefer someone younger?"
"Well, the one I have feelings for is neither hot nor young." He laughed and moved back a little to straighten his legs. He looked up at the sky, observing stars and constellations whose names he didn't know.
"So Hubert is out, Jai, Nikolas or Spike?"
"Actually, none of them." Aiden could see that Hakon was tired of guessing and was starting to run out of options, as if the answer wasn't right under his nose.
"Okay, what the fuck." He growled, a little annoyed now, and waved his hand in surrender. "Then who? Me?" He joked and a silence fell between them and this time Aiden didn't even think about anything. Hakon's expression changed to a more serious one when he realized what was going on. "It's not me, right?"
"And what if it's you?" Aiden asked, trying to get his heart to stop beating so fast. A feeling of nervousness was starting to creep in, and the thought that she would find him disgusting and reject him began to flood his mind. "Hakon?"
"Are you serious?" Hakon tried to be careful with his words, so as not to say something he would regret. He moved his hand closer to Aiden's, but not so much that they touched. "You mean it?"
Aiden looked at him and slowly started moving closer to him until their lips finally met in a kiss. They both closed their eyes and after a moment they joined their hands. They were in no hurry, the world had already ended anyway, so they had as much time as they wanted.
Hakon moved his lips slowly, trying to find a pace that would be comfortable for Aiden. When they finally pulled away, the awkward silence from earlier turned into a pleasant one, one they actually needed. "I do mean it." He assured him and licked his lips, tasting the beer Hakon had been drinking just a moment ago. "How do I taste?"
"Like honey and chamomile." He laughed and then placed another short kiss on Aiden's lips. "After all I guessed it right, maybe I deserve a reward?"
"Yeah, after I beat your ass, I'll think about it."