Home - Part Four
This episode is part of a larger story, Soft Touch. If you haven’t yet, you can go back and read it from the beginning right here.
Late night. The rain is falling against the windows. I’m curled up in my blankets, listening to the soft pattering sound. Still half in my dreams.
I thought I heard familiar, heavy footfalls. The sound spoke to me of Aiden, and it drew me out of my sleep.
I wonder if I imagined it. I was having sweet, warm dreams of him, so that would make sense.
But then I hear the sound of a jacket being dropped onto my desk, followed by the quiet rustling of my sheets as someone climbs into bed with me.
Aiden has me wrapped up in his arms before I can even blink my eyes open. Cold night air is clinging to him, his clothes, his body. His hair is damp from the rain.
He gathers me up against him, my back to his chest. He tucks his knee into the back of my knee, his thigh across my thigh. Then he locks me into place with his powerful arms, holding me like he has no plans of ever letting go.
I let out a soft, half-asleep laugh.
“Hi, you. I thought you were sleeping at your own place tonight?”
Aiden nuzzles his nose into my neck. I can feel him smiling, and smiling hard.
“Had to see you,” he murmurs, his deep voice like a gentle rumble of thunder in my ears.
I take a deep breath, still barely awake, but happy to have him here. Then I pause, surprised.
I had expected the familiar taste of vetiver, and it’s there, but the fragrance clinging to Aiden - it’s layered, complex, different than usual. Rain and crisp night air, which makes sense. But there’s also something fresh and rich, evergreen. The scent of him is like spring, like earth, like a garden.
He must have been somewhere so beautiful and natural, to smell like this. I sleepily think to myself that I want to go there, too.
“Where’ve you been?” I mumble, stroking my thumb up and down his wrist.
“With Noah.”
“Yeah, I know - that’s not what I - what I meant…”
I fade off as Aiden puts his soft, warm lips to my neck and brushes a kiss onto it. He tightens his arms around me, and when he speaks, I hear the depth of the happiness in his voice.
“Thank you for my flowers.”
“Oh, you’re welcome,” I murmur drowsily. “Is that why you’re so happy? The flowers?”
Aiden huffs out a quiet laugh against my neck. “That’s part of it, yeah.”
“What’s the other part of it?”
“I think,” comes the slow, eventual answer, “I think I found…”
Aiden trails off. There’s a silence, and then he shakes his head. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
I’m too sleepy to think too much about that, so I just roll over and burrow my face into Aiden’s chest.
“Mkay,” I answer, already starting to fall back asleep. “Do you know that you smell good? You and Noah must have gone somewhere nice. Take me with you, next time. Bet I’d like it there.”
“Yeah.” I can hear the smile in every word Aiden speaks. “Yeah, I think you will.”
~~~~
It took me a long time to really fall asleep last night. I didn’t feel right without Aiden by my side. I kept waking up from shallow, restless sleep, reaching for him, and coming up empty-handed.
I know that he came here in the middle of the night, and I vaguely remember that we had a quiet conversation. I know that I slept much better and more deeply as soon as he got here, but he got here late.
Upon waking up, I find that I’m sore all over from all the tossing and turning I was doing for the better part of the night.
I sit up stiffly, rubbing my eyes - then blink them open immediately when I suddenly remember that we’ve got the bachelor party tonight.
Oh, god. I’m so nervous and stressed out. I’m hoping that Raj and Noah will both have a blast, that they’ll like what we planned.
Aiden and I have a few last-minute things to do today, and it’s important that they all go smoothly. I run through the mental checklist, increasingly frustrated about how sore and tired and groggy I am. On today, of all days.
It all culminates into a blanket feeling of extreme irritation, a frown turning down my lips.
As soon as my eyes focus, I can see that Aiden is not feeling the same way.
He’s in his boxers, leaning against the doorframe, a mug of coffee in his hands. Looking at me, his whole face glowing.
“Hey, sunshine,” he laughs, taking in the scowl on my face.
When my eyes meet his, he smiles even wider, then sets his coffee down on my dresser. Before I can blink, he bounds across the room and leaps onto the bed, nearly sending me flying.
“Aiden!” I let out an indignant sputter, seizing hold of the mattress. “You dumb idiot, what-?”
“Oh, yes,” he sighs happily, pressing a warm kiss against my mouth. “Please tell me I’ve got grouchy early morning Jamie on my hands.”
“Okay, I don’t see why you’d want that, but - yes, obviously you do.” I make a pouty face at Aiden, then groan loudly, tipping my head back. “We’ve got so much to do today, and nooooo, oh my god, I have a whole-ass shift at the shop before we can even get started! God help me, honestly-”
I stop mid-sentence, surprised and confused to see such a bright smile shining through Aiden’s eyes as I list off my complaints.
I arch a questioning eyebrow at him, and he lets out an affectionate laugh, taps my nose with his fingertip.
“I love it when you grumble at me like this, Keane. Half asleep and shit.”
“What?” I blink at him, taken aback. “Why?”
“Because it’s cute. You kinda sound like your mom.”
I narrow my eyes at Aiden, doubtful. “How’s that?”
“Just, um. You get all…” Aiden shrugs, bites his lip. “Irish. It only shows up when you’re sleepy and grumpy, but you caught a little bit of her accent.”
I jerk my head back, startled. “I did not, you terrible liar!”
Aiden breaks into a wide grin, as if I somehow just proved his point. He laughs, then dodges as I swat at him. I try again, and he springs up out of the bed, easily and gracefully darting out of my reach.
“You nuisance,” I complain, getting up onto my knees. “Go on ‘n run, see how far ya get ‘fore I catch y-”
I stop abruptly, putting my fingers over my mouth. Aiden presses his lips into a thin line, fighting down a laugh.
“Okay,” I grumble. “Yeah, I hear it now.”
Aiden snickers softly, then immediately joins me in the bed again.
“You’re in an awful good mood,” I tell him, as he locks his arms around me. “Is something-? Aiden!”
He’s easing me onto my back, settling himself between my legs, painting enthusiastic kisses up my throat. “Yes?”
“Are you fucking kidding me, right now?” Suddenly I’m struggling to keep the frown on my face. “We have literally no time for this - listen, today is about to be a disaster! I slept all wrong, I’m sore all over…”
I fade off as Aiden pulls back and traces a fingertip in a slow, wavy line down my chest, then my abdomen. Heat seeps into me wherever he touches, sinking deeply into my aching muscles.
“Does that help?” Aiden murmurs, blue eyes gazing right into mine. And then, when I nod silently - “Where do you need it?”
“Like - everywhere?”
Aiden smiles, then drops his head, brings our parted lips together. Sinks his bronze body into mine, spreads himself over me like a blanket.
Delicious heat melts into me from every point of contact between us, affecting me like a deep-tissue massage. It feels so fucking good that I take in a sharp breath, catch my lip between my teeth. Aiden nuzzles his nose slowly against mine, and without thinking I wrap my thighs around him, push my hands up the hard muscle of his back.
Flames of serene warmth slowly roll up and down my body, making my toes curl in bliss.
“Better?” Aiden rumbles softly, a few perfect minutes later.
So much better. “Sort of, yeah. I guess.”
I try and fail to bite back a smile. Aiden breaks into a warm smile of his own, brushes a kiss onto my mouth. Then he pulls back, gets to his feet.
I sit up, trying not to look too flustered. Useless, probably. I know that my cheeks are burning, that I’m now all the way awake, that I really wish I could pull Aiden back into bed.
I clear my throat and covertly adjust my boxers as Aiden snaps his watch onto his wrist. He pushes his fingers through his rich chestnut hair, sweeping it out of his face.
“Gabby said I’m okay to leave early,” he tells me, taking his work clothes out from the dresser. “I’ll take your car, so - mind walking to the shop for your shift?”
I’m in such a good mood right now, I can’t think of anything I’d mind.
“Nope. Go ahead.” I climb out of bed and take a long sip from Aiden’s cup of coffee. “I’ll swing by Kent’s house after my shift, pick up the stuff we got for Raj.”
“Perfect. I’ll come get you, we can leave directly from there.” Aiden pauses and tips his head to the side, looks at me searchingly. “Still nervous about how the party’s going to go?”
I hesitate, nibbling my lip.
“My only concern is that it’s two very different things we're doing for them. We blew practically the whole budget on something wild for Noah, and what we’ve got planned for Raj is just - relaxed, and chill, and cozy.”
“Yeah, true.” Aiden pulls on his dress shirt, and I reach up to fix the collar for him as he buttons it up. “But, I mean - doesn’t that sound right? Knowing them?”
I think that over, then feel myself break into a small smile. Aiden matches it and pops a kiss onto my nose.
I set his collar right, then lift my hands to his face, drag my palms over his thick stubble.
“You’re getting a little shaggy, aren’t you?” I ask, loving the soft, intimate scratch of it against my hands.
“Am I? Guess it’s been a day or two without a shave.” Aiden glances in my mirror. “Shit. I left my razor at my place again.”
“Well, at least that won’t be a problem anymore, soon,” I tell him. “All our stuff will be in one place.”
Aiden looks down at me, his blue eyes shining with some kind of secret, radiant brightness.
“Soon,” he repeats, and presses a kiss onto my mouth.
~~~~
We’re driving with all the windows down, the moonlight spilling into the car.
It’s loud inside. We’ve got Noah’s phone plugged into the aux cable, and everyone is laughing and shouting and arguing. We took Mel’s car, which is roomy enough to fit all of us comfortably.
Outside, though, it’s very quiet.
The air is cold, crisp, unmoving. The very faintest dusting of rain was drifting down earlier, making the smooth black asphalt shine beneath the streetlights. The road flows out before us in a great, glowing pathway, perfectly straight for miles and miles ahead.
We’re far out of town. Ketterbridge is to our left, a distant cluster of familiar lights cradled below the stars.
All the way out here, the roads are completely empty, especially at night. It’s a secluded spot, very flat, but enfolded in the hills.
Perfect for what we’re doing for Noah.
Raj is in a bright mood, bouncing with excitement even though he knows we’re doing Noah’s thing first. Ripley is full of excitement, too. Laughing, talking loudly to Raj, gesturing with his paint-stained hands. Aiden has a small, knowing smile on his face. He breaks out into laughter as Raj sticks his head out of the window to try and get a glimpse of where we’re going.
Noah is the only one who seems disconnected from it all.
My eyes flit up to find him in the rearview. He’s leaning back in his seat, preoccupied and silent, his face turned out to the moonlight.
He looks like his normal self. The torn-up black sweater he’s wearing is so worn and thin that I can make out the vague outlines of his tattoos beneath it. He has his bomber jacket on over that, as usual. His long black hair is swept up in a messy bun, his piercings glimmering in the combined glow of the moon and the streetlights. The one in his eyebrow glints as he arches it and leans forward to add some sarcastic comment to the conversation.
But he seems uneasy. His eyes are fretful, their color like a cold grey ocean.
I’m not worried about it, though. I know Noah very well, and I’m pretty sure I’ve worked out what’s going on here.
When Noah is seriously happy or excited about something, he has a tendency to get mistrustful of it, decide it’s too good, and start looking for the harsh truth beneath the surface. I mean, Raj told me that Noah assumed he and Mel were joking, when they proposed.
Noahs’s past still haunts him, sometimes, so it’s no wonder that surprises make him nervous and apprehensive. He’s had a lot of nice surprises in his life since Raj and Mel came into it, but he’s way more used to the kind of shitty, bad surprises he always got with Ralph.
That’s why I’m not worried, right now. We’ll be there soon, and then Noah will see that he should be excited, he’ll see what we -
Noah snaps upright in his seat, staring intently out of the window. His eyes suddenly get very, very wide.
“Holy shit - is that-?” He reaches up to smack my arm. “Jamie, pull over for a second, man!”
I drove right past it on purpose, hoping Noah would notice it himself - and he did. Smiling to myself, I guide Melanie’s car over to the side of the road, park it, and kill the engine.
Noah’s boots hit the asphalt before the rest of us have even gotten our seatbelts unstrapped. He goes flying back down the road, the wind whipping through his bomber jacket.
By the time we reach him, he’s stopped still before the sleek, gleaming red car parked just off of the road.
His grey eyes roam slowly over everything. The immaculate paint job, the pristine tires, the two sharp black racing stripes down the front. The raindrops clinging to the car catch the moonlight, making it almost sparkle.
Noah holds out his tattooed hands as if to touch the car, but stops himself just short of the hood.
“Oh, my fucking god,” he breathes, in a reverential voice. “Do you boys realize what the fuck this is? This is a Shelby GT500.”
“Damn.” Raj lets out a low whistle. “This is a pretty sweet car.”
“Pretty sweet-?” Noah whips around to stare at Raj incredulously, but almost instantly turns back to the Shelby. “Dude, this is not just a car, okay? It’s a beast. It’s a mint, top-of-the-line muscle car, and sports car. The horsepower on this baby - she could outrun a Hellcat, easy, she could damn near outrun anything! This car is like - freedom, man.”
Again, Noah looks like he wants to touch it, but he holds off. He drops to a crouch for a closer look, his enormous eyes roving over the slick, bright red contours.
“Sick as hell supercharged powertrain V8 engine, all the Mustang power, but in a light as fuck frame,” he murmurs. “Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission - this car can basically read your fucking mind. Jesus, what I’d give to just once...”
He fades off, then straightens up and steps back. Very slowly, like he really doesn’t want to.
“What a beaut,” he says softly, shaking his head in disbelief. “I’ve never seen one of these in person.”
“Yeah, you can’t even rent them in Ketterbridge,” I inform him. “Aiden and I had to drive like, three towns over to pick it up.”
Noah opens his mouth to answer, then seems to realize what I said.
He freezes, goes completely motionless.
There’s a long silence before he slowly turns to look at us. His grey eyes are even wider than they were before, his expression otherwise perfectly blank.
“What?” he asks, in a scraping voice. “You guys - what?”
Aiden slaps his shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. “Welcome to your bachelor party, man!”
Noah stares at him blankly, then speechlessly turns back to face the Shelby.
“Aiden picked out the car,” I tell him brightly. “Sounds like he chose the right one, huh?”
“Seems like it, yeah,” Ripley laughs, looking at Noah.
“Here’s the situation, Noosh,” Aiden rumbles, folding his arms over his chest. “We’ve got open road for miles and miles in both directions. Cops don’t really come out here, and nobody else drives here this late. So - this is your own personal dragstrip, for tonight.”
“It’s a two-seater, so we can take turns going with you,” I jump in. “And you can go as fast as you want, but just be careful, because-”
“You do anything to hurt the car, Jamie and I are gonna lose our deposit,” Aiden finishes. “And that means we’d basically be broke for the rest of our lives. So - don’t fucking crash it.”
Aiden slips the keys out of his pocket and presses them into Noah’s inky fingers. Noah takes them automatically, but remains silent, expressionless.
“Holy shit!” Raj beams at me and Aiden, then slaps Noah’s arm. “This is so dope, this is - dude, can you believe this?”
No answer, no response, nothing from Noah for almost a full minute. Then, moving as if in a daze - he presses a button on the keys, unlocks the Shelby.
We all watch as he very slowly walks alongside the car, trailing his fingers just over the hood. He stops, seems to realize he can touch it, and gently, carefully lowers his fingertips onto the racing stripes. Pauses for another long moment, then swiftly opens the door and gets inside.
I hear the soft click of the keys, and then the Shelby roars to life. First with a deep growl, then a rich, purring hum.
Noah holds still for a moment, then revs the engine.
Clouds of white exhaust furl out into the cold air behind the Shelby, glowing in the shimmer of the streetlights. The car gives another huge, raw growl, which rises to a smooth roar that seems to shake the very earth beneath our feet.
I don’t know anything about cars, but the sound of this engine is like nothing I’ve ever heard before. It’s immense, startlingly powerful. I feel it in my bones.
Noah closes his eyes, listening, and his blank expression finally melts away. A look of pure, breathless ecstasy slowly spreads across his face.
He takes his boot off of the accelerator and stares out through the windshield, his grey eyes perfectly round.
“Holy shit,” he finally says. “I’m - I’m so…”
He fades off, and we all wait for him to finish his sentence.
“I’m so turned on, right now.”
There’s a short silence, all of us just blinking at Noah.
“Wh-?” I begin, and that’s as far as I get before everyone, including me, bursts into laughter at once.
A massive grin spreads across Noah’s face, so big that his cheeks round all the way out.
“Like - I need a cigarette, yo. Or some alone time with the car. Or both.”
“No!” Aiden laughs. “We’re not losing the deposit, goddamn you, Noosh, especially not like that - the car is for driving.”
“Well, guess I gotta have my best man for the first ride, right?” Noah says.
He fixes his shining eyes on Aiden, then tosses his head at the passenger’s seat.
Aiden breaks into a gigantic grin, then sets off striding around the Shelby. Noah closes his door, and Raj leans in through the window, quietly says something to him.
Noah smiles, then rolls his eyes when Raj presses a kiss onto his cheek before he draws back. But I catch the flash of radiant magnesium brightness even from here.
Raj rejoins Ripley and me. We all fall back towards Melanie’s car, where I turn the music back on. I also get some bags of popcorn from the trunk, which I hand up to Raj, who is already seated on the roof. Ripley is on his way up, and I follow after him.
We sit together on the roof of Mel’s car, the lights of Ketterbridge before us, the music floating up around us.
Aiden closes his door, and Noah flips on the headlights, gives the Shelby’s engine another rev. We all cheer loudly, yelling for Noah, who makes a face at us like we’re embarrassing.
He turns his head to glance at Aiden. The two of them look at each other, and I think I see something warm and unspoken pass between them.
Noah braces Aiden’s arm, and Aiden smiles at him affectionately.
Then Noah has the Shelby going so fast, so suddenly - I almost miss it as it flashes past us. It sends up a blast of wind in its wake, which whips through our clothes and hair. Ripley, Raj, and I all gasp, then burst into laughter when we realize what we’re hearing. It’s nearly impossible to discern over the ear-splitting roar of the engine, but we can just make it out.
Noah is basically screaming with excitement, and Aiden is - maybe screaming with excitement, or maybe out of fear for his life.
But he’s a Guardian. He’ll know if there’s about to be trouble.
Everyone’s gonna be just fine.
I toss some popcorn into my mouth. Grinning happily, because Aiden was right. I had nothing to worry about.
It’s early yet, but I’d say that so far, the bachelor party is going pretty damn good.
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