FALLING | MxM (completed)

Chapter 55

They were all there. All seven of them at Aiden's apartment, their usual gathering place. Aiden never really questioned them as to why they always hung out in his and not anyone else's. He enjoyed having them there, though. It was nice to know his friends chose to come to him. It just felt good.

Finn brought food from his restaurant as usual and they ate gratefully, loving his cooking. Everyone else drank. Be it beer or wine or the vodka sodas Brad had brought. There were two people who didn't. Aiden and Ian. Ian kind of didn't drink much after his drunken sex with Joe, and Aiden just didn't want to. Because of his brother and Edwin. So he just sipped on his cola instead.

The whole night, Max didn't talk to him one word. He could say that the younger was mad at him, but he let it pass. He would make things okay once he was completely out of this mess.

Aiden was sitting at the corner of the couch with Edwin in his arms, basically leaning his weight on his chest and playing with his fingers. Max at the far end with his head on Joe's lap. Finn and Ian sitting in front of the TV playing a game, and Brad sitting on the armchair by the glass wall, drinking his nth beer.

"I swear to god, man! Your liver is gonna stop working at this rate. What's with all the drinking?!" Joe pointed out.

"What?! I love beer!"

"Anyway, when will you finally tell us the reason for your disappearance?" Brad asked and Aiden grew stiff.

Clearing his throat and sitting up a bit, he said, "Nothing important. There was just this thing we had to do."

Max gave him a death glare before looking back at the game the duo were playing. Soon Finn lost, and the two turned around to face them and join the conversation as well.

"Even I can say that was a lie, Den! Just say you don't wanna tell us if you're not gonna say the truth." Finn said, sipping on his wine.

"Fine then, I don't wanna tell you. What I said wasn't a lie though." He shrugged. Finn rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Fiiiinn! I'll tell okay? I just wanna sort out my thoughts first." He felt how Edwin looked up at him in surprise, but said nothing and put his head on his chest again.

"So when did you two meet each other there?" Joe was the one who asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Huh?!" Aiden was confused. He knew the question was for him, but he didn't know what it meant.

"You and Ian. You were both in Jakarta."

Aiden widened his eyes in surprise and turned to his ex. "You were?!"

Ian grinned widely. "Yeah!" He laughed. "I didn't know you were there though. I only saw you on the plane."

"WHAT?!"

The other laughed some more. "You were on the phone and then just dozed off a second after that. I hadn't noticed you either until I heard your voice."

Aiden laughed himself as well, and Edwin? Well, Edwin was inwardly happy and relieved that the weird thought that kept swaying around in his mind wasn't true after all. It wasn't like he doubted Aiden or anything, but the thought was there nevertheless. Without him noticing, he hugged Aiden's waist and placed a kiss on his clothed pec muscle. Aiden was quick to run his fingers in his hair right after and kiss him on top of his head. They didn't really notice how everyone was looking at them with a smile on their faces.

The others left around 2 AM and they were finally able to spend some quiet and alone time together after almost two weeks of separation.

They were lying in bed. Aiden leaning against the headrest and Edwin's head on his lap, lying on his back and facing him.