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Aiden wouldn't say he was romantic, not by the long shot. The most he had done was half assed flirt and kiss a pretty girl on the cheek. He was always moving, never settling down, maybe if he was lucky he would stay put for longer than a few minutes. It was always a bad time for romance, always having a need to help others and never himself.
He might have a fling with Hakon of all people, but that died down quicker than Aiden would like to admit. He didn't feel that spark, not even kissing the man did anything for him. At that moment Aiden fully believed he would be alone and unlovable; if he can't have a spark with either men or women, then there must be something wrong with him. He was built wrong, his heart didn't accept affection and this was some sort of punishment.
Aiden was alone, after leaving Villedor behind and adventuring on his own. Lawan and Hakon insisted on coming with him but he flat out refused. They were needed in Villedor, the folks needed people like them to protect them and show them how to live without fear. It was bitter sweet and Aiden doesn't regret leaving, not when Spike was speaking about finding some clues about Kyle Crane. Aiden only knew so much about the man but Spike was determined to find him.
And meeting Kyle Crane for the first time was something Aiden personally never thought he would experience. He remembers bits and pieces about their first encounter. They were strapped to the table– no, a medical bed if he remembers correctly. He remembers seeing colors, hearing muffled sounds and he remembers seeing a bright orange color next to him. It was so bright despite the voice becoming aggressive and agitated. His heart jumped from his chest, hearing the growls and winces from the man.
His beast didn't like it, not that Aiden can remember properly. He knew his body moved, breaking free from his straps and attacking the bad colors. Everything was black, everything was surrounded by a mixture of colors and screams. He frankly searched for the bright color, seeing him on the ground and that spark came to life. A part of him wanted to keep him, wanted to take a hold of this man– this stranger and hide him away, as if he was made of glass. But he had to leave, too much, so little time. His beast howled before leaving his new found spark.
The beast liked stalking Kyle from afar, never drawing near. His electric blue eyes staring at the man running and fighting from the forest. He remembers he would sit on top of the trees, eagerly watching over this stranger. He admired the color, making sure his spark was safe and didn't cause too much trouble. The beast followed quietly through the trees, hopping from tree to tree. If he was lucky he would get close enough to smell him, an addicting smell.
The beast assumed Kyle didn't know about him and his habit of watching. But he knew, the moment Kyle turned to his direction after releasing his own beast was intense. They stared into each other's eyes for the longest time, not saying a word and not moving from their position. The beast was the first to leave, growling and jumping off the tree and running into the forest. The beast didn't like being caught, the color was already bright but having it look at him? He was done for.
Aiden remembers how he had saved Kyle from an explosion. He wasn't aware he did until Kyle told him later on, after defeating the Baron. He tries to think about that day, being alone once again in his thoughts. Aiden remembers pushing Kyle out of the way as the rocks cave in and a grenade hit the ground. His beast wanted nothing more than to protect what it already chose to be his. The beast didn't care about getting hurt, only if he got to protect his spark.
To Aiden, the first time he truly met Kyle Crane was after being released from the control of his beast. It was like waking up in a fairytale, seeing the very person who beat the crap out of you and brought you back to your senses. He wasn't seeing colors anymore, he saw a man built similar to him with mixed match eyes, short beard and a bit of a short hair. The way he looked at him with a mixture of sympathy and agitation. The moment Aiden heard his voice for the first time, it was– he couldn't describe it. It was rough and deep, something Aiden didn't have the time to think about.
After everything that had happened between the two. The amount of people who had died during their last battle and due to Aiden's stupidity and ignorance that caused Spike to die. Aiden didn't have time to focus on anything remotely romantic or listen to this growing beast that kept whining at him. So here he sat outside on top of townhall, freshly out of his beast and finally getting a chance to relax. Even so he didn't want to allow himself to relax, he wanted to feel some sort of punishment. It wasn't fair.
The sun settled, a beautiful orangish, red color shone softly against his skin and down into the mountains. Aiden heard the footsteps, they were heavy with a purpose and he knew exactly who it was too. The man sat next to him, not a word spoken, just two broken men who had faced the hardships of the world. His beast seemed to calm down whenever Kyle was around, it was a quiet calmness.
Aiden held his knees up to his chest and arms wrapped around them. He didn't realize how close he had gotten to Kyle, not that the man didn't mind. He didn't move, he could hear a soft huff from Kyle and a small smile crossed his lips. It was this comforting silence, Aiden had learned to just accept and love. It was a different kind of affection he didn't believe would happen to him; everyone was always needing him, always needing something from him. Kyle wasn't like the rest, he understood him in more ways than once; and he hoped one day he would open up to the man and vice versa. But for now, he was content with the way things are now.
——
Aiden thought he would be growing fonder over the older man. Instead of his beast stalking him, he found himself watching from across town hall or staring at him during missions for way longer than needed. He found himself admiring every single little thing about Kyle. The way he spoke about his past or little bits and pieces of his previous life before everything. The way he would hide his laughter or smile, he would even tease Aiden sometimes; though he won't admit that he is. He saw little bits of life in his eyes, moving freely across the valley and slashing larger enemies even if he didn't have to. It was like he was watching this spark of life come back despite the shit he went through.
Aiden enjoys being the one Kyle opens up to, slowly, very very slowly he starts talking to him. Aiden knew the man didn't trust him all too much, not that he was much better in that department. Aiden was the first to talk about his time in Villedor, about his adventures and what it was like being a pilgrim. He left out his childhood and torment, not wanting to sour the mood. It took Kyle longer to speak up, allowing himself to voice and accept his past as his own. Aiden loved it; he loved seeing this vulnerable side to Kyle.
In that moment he realized he wanted nothing more than to be with Kyle and keep hearing his stories. Aiden wanted to share everything and tell Kyle everything he knew, he wanted to never be bored of hearing Kyle and be near him. Aiden wanted to keep him by his side, wanted to keep him in arms reach and hold him. He felt his heart pound, wondering if this was the spark he had been searching for. As he stared at Kyle, a realization hit his face and he knew he was fucked. He loved him, he was the spark.
Aiden had to hide his feelings, it was too early and he didn't want to ruin his relationship with Kyle. He had finally gained his trust and he was finally being vulnerable with him. Aiden couldn't be selfish and ruin it because he found his spark; so what's better than to ignore his feelings for the one person he admired the most. He avoided talks about romance or relationships, not that Kyle ever talked about it on his own. But he sensed the man could tell something was going on but didn't say much about it.
“What's going on with you Aiden, you're normally loud. What gives?” Aiden snapped out of his thoughts, turning to look at his friend. Of course he was deep in thought, overthinking every little thing he did with the man. “Excuse me? I am not loud! I just express myself very proudly, thank you very much.” He huffed, looking down at his feet with his arms around his knees as he held them to his chest. They were in a safe house, on top of one of the roofs and damnit Aiden wanted to give in and tell the man how he felt.
Kyle didn't seem to like the excuse, rolling his eyes at the boy. “I'm being serious, you asshole. You've been distant and a lot more quiet, just wanted to make sure you were doing okay.” Aiden laughed quietly, smirking slightly before eyeing the man. “Oh so you're worried about me? How cute.” He teased, not even meaning to add in the flirty comment. Either way it made Kyle's cheeks burn and truly Aiden wanted to see more of it. He wanted to be the person to cause Kyle to turn red or stutter his words, make him nervous and lose his cool guy demeanor.
“But I'm fine Kyle, just thinking a lot lately. I'll get over it.” Aiden shrugged slightly, gripping his pants, staring down at the chaos on the ground. He so badly wanted to tell Kyle how he felt, he wanted to take him inside and show him. But it was too early, there wasn't enough time and he didn't know if Kyle would be ready for that kind of commitment. “You're a bad liar.” Kyle commented, nudging him lightly. “Whatever you're dealing with, just know you can talk to me. I uh- I care about you-” Aiden tensed his shoulders, ear twitching to the sound of Kyle. He cares– he cares about him? He sounded genuine and Aiden held his beast down deep inside him; it was getting excited, whining and begging to be let out to embrace Kyle.
“Hah, thanks Kyle. I appreciate it but I'm fine, this is something I have to deal with on my own.” They were back to the silence. Aiden trusted Kyle to an extent, but with something so vulnerable he was terrified to express himself openly. Aiden stared down at the bloody mess they had left, seeing the amounts of bodies and more infected roaming around. It was selfish to think he could have something with Kyle; it was stupidly insane.
The day when Aiden eventually told Kyle about his feelings was an interesting one. That day he was so frustrated and in a bad mood, he had finished a mission by himself, and was successful of course. No- that wasn't why he was upset, when he came back to town hall to gather up his reward and possible loot he saw him. Now, Aiden barely knows anything about Kyle's romantic interests or if he had any kind of lingering emotions for the concept. However, he and his beast didn't like the fact that their spark was talking with someone else.
Aiden was never the jealous type, hell he trusts Kyle and he is his own person. His eyes had been trained on them ever since he came back, his nails digging into the palm of his hand. But there was something about this interaction compared to the normal conversations with the rest here. No- no– this person wanted Aiden's spark, this stranger wanted to be near him.
Aiden hated how he acted because no sane person would have acted the way he did. He found himself walking towards Kyle, looming over his shoulder and looking down at the stranger who had the audacity to talk and even touch what was his. Aiden didn't have to open his mouth, he didn't have to threaten the stranger or drag them away. They stared into Aiden's eyes and he could see the fear and hesitation written across their face. Without much thought he bared his canines, nodding the stranger away from Kyle.
And Kyle- God forbid Aiden love a man who is so smart and strong willed, to be so oblivious. The stranger made up some excuse and left in a hurry, leaving only Aiden and Kyle tucked into their corner. Aiden eyed the stranger as they left, unconsciously placing a hand onto Kyle's hip as if they were already that close. “What were you even talking about?” He grumbled, eyes still focused on the stranger, not realizing how protective he had gotten over Kyle.
“Just- just about a mission, he wanted me to do-” Kyle's voice sounded strained, losing its own deep and rough voice. It caught Aiden's attention, looking back down at the man and noticing how close they were. Aiden didn't want to let go, he finally had a hold onto his spark and saved him from a possible courting from another. “Really? He needed to tell you that all the way over here? Away from the folks here? Sounds..weird.” he mumbled, feeling the tense muscles underneath his finger tips. Aiden reluctantly let go of Kyle, stepping back away from the man, though his beast still stirred.
Kyle turned fully towards Aiden, eyeing him carefully. “I've met weirder people-” he crossed his arms, keeping a good distance from Aiden. “I'm not inherently blind, Aiden. Why did you scare him off? He wasn't doing anything wrong and if he were you know damn well I can take care of it.” Aiden furrowed his brows. He loved the fact that Kyle can protect himself, he can defend those who are weaker and defeat stronger. It's what made Aiden so drawn to him, that powerful will to keep fighting. He loved it, adored it so much he has been trying to keep his beast under control. But sometimes he allows it to be let out, in instances where the beast has grown restless and wants its spark.
“He was getting too close..” Aiden admitted, looking over town hall and thankfully nobody was near but still- this was a private conversation and he wanted it to be just as intimate and vulnerable. “Too close? Aiden, what do you mean by that? Seriously, you have been acting weird for how long now? And you won't talk to me about it, and I understand if you don't trust me-” Aiden's eyes widened, grabbing a hold of Kyle's arms roughly. “I trust you!” He shouted, the air growing tight as he felt the stares from nearby folks near them.
Aiden tensed up, letting go of Kyle and backing away. He felt the eyes watching him, he heard the whispers as he did every single day of his damn life. He saw the concern Kyle expressed, his hand reaching out to grab Aiden only for him to step away. And fuck– fuck– Kyle looked hurt. Aiden felt his beast whining, wanting to comfort the man. But instead he ran. He didn't know where he was going, he ran out those doors and out into the wild. He needed to stay away from Kyle before he did something stupid.
Aiden didn't know for how long he had run for, he just knew he wanted to be away from the people. He found himself in the forest, which was once his domain for weeks on end. He found himself at an outpost, kicking a metal can and watching it fall down and hit a zombie. Aiden growled in frustration, hitting the wooden beam before sitting down on the edge with his hands in his hair. He allowed his legs to dangle, working on his own conflicting feelings.
He felt stupid and blind. Aiden knew he shouldn't have acted like that, he shouldn't have told Kyle what to do or touched him like that. He trusted Kyle, of course he did and seeing him hurt because of him? “Fuck me- fuck–!” he shouted, gripping his hair tightly. He was losing his mind, having a simple crush was something Aiden rarely experienced. He wanted this spark, he wanted Kyle.
As if on cue he heard the creaking of the floorboard alongside with a grunt. “Why the fuck did you have to choose the most unstable outpost here? For fucksakes, I'm getting too old for this.” Aiden ignored the complaints, though it was amusing hearing Kyle complain. He felt a foot hit his thigh, indicating him to scoot over and Aiden did as told, scooting over for Kyle to sit next to him. It was silent for a good bit, both men just in the presence of each other; just like how they were on the town hall's rooftop.
“Sorry-” Kyle started, not giving Aiden a chance to say otherwise. “I shouldn't have told you that you didn't trust me. I didn't know how badly it would affect you- I uh..I worry about you Aiden and you've been so- so different lately. This isn't even the first time you've done this; if you don't want me to talk with someone you clearly like then I won't do it. But give me a heads up or something–” Aiden turned to look at him, puzzled and offended. “Oh my god you are so oblivious.” He laughed quietly, “You don't understand it, do you Kyle?”
This only puzzled Kyle, watching as Aiden grabbed a hold of his hand and squeezed it. “You beautiful idiot, I like you. Fuck..I've liked you for so long and honestly, I've tried my best to shut up about it. But people like them don't help this– this urge to just take.” he sighed, eyes softening as he pressed Kyle's hand towards his cheek. “I've been in this weird limbo about feelings and whether I should tell you or not. It's been a weird trip..and dammit I might have been jealous, it's stupid I know. But I hated seeing someone else with my spark.” The trees whistled around them, the wind whispering in their ears. It was silent, not the good kind either. Aiden felt dread and awkwardness, and Kyle wasn't saying anything.
“I understand if you don't like me back-” Aiden felt the same hand cup his face gently, making him look up. He saw those eyes again, damnit, he was falling again. “When the hell do you get to decide on how I felt? Did you really think I would get this close with anybody? Aiden, you are the first person I have spoken to openly about my past. You were the first person I felt safe with, like you weren't going to betray him. Damnit-” Kyle laughed weakly, tilting his head at Aiden with a small smile. “Sorry, I'm not good at this romantic shit.”
Aiden nuzzled into the palm of his hand, humming. “I've never been good at it either.” He reached over and caressed Kyle's jaw lightly, before pressing his thumb over his bottom lip. “Can..can I kiss you Kyle?” It happened slowly with Aiden leaning in but giving Kyle enough time to pull away or tell him to stop. Kyle grabbed a hold behind Aiden's neck, trailing his fingers inside his hair and pressed his lips against Aiden's.
Aiden felt that spark the moment he felt those lips press against his. They were soft and alluring, he felt himself leaning more into the kiss with his hands on Kyle's cheeks with a small smile. It was something he had been longing for, he wanted more and he finally had it. He finally had this spark he had wanting, driving for and fuck it- Kyle was the best thing he had felt in a long damn time and he was keeping it.