LOVE ON TOP [BXB]

26

☁️

The normal routine for Halloween as kids: come home from school, candy part one, get dressed, trick or treat, candy part two, sleep.

The normal routine for Halloween in high school: candy part one, come home from school, candy part two, get dressed, haunted house, candy part three, second haunted house, Nolan's house party, get drunk, candy part four, crash wherever, candy part five.

The normal routine for Halloween in college: candy, study, cry and more candy.

This was the pattern Romeo had noticed throughout the years and as much as he hated the college routine, he was currently in the middle of phase two and three.

His book for his criminal psychology course was opened on his lap and his pen was halfway in his mouth as he nervously chewed on the tip. He was in shorts and a t-shirt Aron had bought for him as a little gift for not skipping a guest lecture for his criminal psych class.

Aron was busy shuffling around the house, refilling a candy bowl as the doorbell rang for the fourth time in ten minutes.

"Trick or treat!"

The little voices could be heard through the door and the man sighed, walking back to give out more candy.

Camila was busy with Charlie. They were both free and going to a Halloween party together with their friends. Rio was busy with the hospital, working in the children's wing and giving out candy. Even Nolan was busy helping Jacob at his "Holy-Ween" church night (Ironically, Romeo thought, because Nolan probably had anything but holy thoughts working with Jacob).

So Romeo ended up at Aron's for the night, studying his notes and listening to Aron reluctantly hand out candy.

"One of those little shits just called me "Mr. Grumpy Gills"," Aron groaned, setting the bowl down on the table and taking a Kit-Kat bar from it.

"Well, maybe if you smiled more, they wouldn't?" Romeo teased.

"Fuck that. I fucking hate kids."

Romeo leaned his head back against the sofa. "I fucking hate studying. Let's quit both and watch a movie?"

"Can I quit and not watch a stupid movie?"

"Aroooon," Romeo whined. "It's Halloween. Get the stick out of your ass, sit down and watch a scary movie with me."

Before Aron could reply, the doorbell went off again. He rolled his eyes and picked up the candy bowl.

"Pick something out then," he said, vaguely pointing to the T.V. "And it better be a good movie. Don't pick some shitty slasher flic with a big-tits blonde."

"How about a big-tits brunette?" Romeo called. He looked around to catch Aron shooting him the finger and laughed, turning on the television.

He opened Netflix and went straight to the horror section. He flipped through the Thriller section and started to scroll through the Supernatural movies.

Aron returned and flopped on the sofa, throwing his arm around Romeo's shoulders. He rested the bowl on his lap and Romeo reached into it for a small bag of M&Ms.

"How does Sinister sound?"

"I don't care. Whatever you want. And don't get candy on this sofa, Rom, I swear."

Romeo ordered the movie and the two of them got comfortable. Aron put the candy bowl on the table by the sofa and Romeo rested against his chest. He pulled Aron's arms around his chest and pressed play.

It didn't take long before Romeo was a tense mess. He had substituted sitting in Aron's lap for hiding behind a blanket. The blanket did more than hide his fear; it hid the grin on his face every time Aron jumped.

"Fuck."

"Fuck!"

"Shi-FUCK!"

"Fuck it, I'm leaving. No, Romeo stop, I'm leaving. Romeo, no, fuck, let go! FUCK!"

The long string of curses came and went throughout the movie. Romeo eventually left the comforts of his ball to curl back into Aron's arms, the blanket still thrown over their bodies. He ran his hand over Aron's arm, trying to sooth the man. He listened to Aron's racing heart and decided to himself that horror movies were possibly the worst (but still best) idea he could come up with.

And suddenly the movie lost its appeal. Romeo was wrapped up in Aron's arms, inhaling his scent, listening to his heart, watching his throat bob every time he swallowed. It was serene and graceful and utterly terrifying.

Romeo was too relaxed. Too content. Too comfortable in the man's arms and it sent his mind whirling out of control. His thoughts overwhelmed and his emotions boiled to the surface. He wanted to run and scream and cry and break another vase and cry more. He was ready to do it, too, but Aron's arms weighed him down and kept him in place.

In place.

His place against Aron's chest, in his arms. Wrapped up and safe and warm and wanted.

For the first time in years, he felt wanted. He didn't feel like a nasty burden to be pushed away or tossed aside. Something left on the backburner; a second choice; a last resort; an afterthought.

The tension in his body faded, letting himself form against Aron's body. He slipped his hand from on top of Aron's arm, and pushed it under his shoulders to hold him close. He snuggled under Aron's neck and heard a soft hum escape the man's throat. Romeo smiled and accepted, for that moment, that he was happy.

But the more it sank in, a fear started to bubble up with it. He didn't have any real emotions for Aron, did he? Nothing too serious. It could have been a crush. But nothing more.

At least, that's what he thought. And the more he thought about it, the more he dwelled on it, he realized that maybe, just maybe, it was something more than a silly high school level crush. That maybe, it was something deeper.

And that was scarier than any demon movie. That was scarier than any feeling of rejection or being tossed aside.

Because the last time Romeo had been in love, he ended up with the pain of a broken heart.

"You don't get to pick movies anymore."

Aron's sudden, firm voice shook Romeo from his wild thoughts. He blinked back tears—he didn't know if they came because he was lying on his side or if they were because of his thoughts—and sat up enough to look Aron in the eyes.

Tired dark eyes bore down on him and Romeo dug his chin into Aron's chest.

"Well you can choose next time," Romeo sang, giving his shoulders a playful shimmy. "But I still get the final say."

"You're way too spoiled."

Romeo grinned, Aron rolled his eyes and the doorbell went off. The chime of "trick or treat" from a pack of children rang through the house.

"I'm not answering."

"Yeah, but you saw what happened with the kids," Romeo snapped, pointing at the TV. He let go of Aron to properly sit up. He grabbed the bowl of remaining candy, most of it being wrappers, and stomped to the door. "Not taking any chances."

"It was just a movie!"

"No chances!"

Romeo opened the door and passed out candy to a Rapunzel, Optimus Prime and Captain America. They thanked him with big smiles and ran off into the night. Romeo happily hummed before turning off the porch light and closing the door. He turned off the lights in the entrance hall, hoping that the trick or treaters would get the hint that they were out of candy, and shuffled back to Aron.

"Do you want to marathon through Iron Man?" Aron asked. Romeo sat the candy bowl back on the table. He sank down against Aron, back to chest, and pulled Aron's arm to rest across his shoulders.

"Let's do this."

☁️

This book is starting to get attention 🥺