Notebook [Book One]

Thirty-Six

Aiden grinned as he entered the hospital room, dumping his school rucksack on the floor by the door and advancing toward the boy sitting by the window, hiding what he held in his hand firmly behind his back.

It sucked going to school without him the last few days, but Nathan was being discharged in a few hours so that they could spend the weekend together.

The younger boy never wanted to spend a single moment alone in that bed again. It was vast and empty without the other body to keep him warm.

Nathan's head turned the second he heard footsteps, and his face lit up when he spotted the orange-haired boy walking toward him.

"Hi," Aiden said softly, leaning down to kiss the sweet lips he'd been craving all day. "I've missed you."

The older boy's eyes sparkled with adoration as he looked his boyfriend up and down; he looked good. Happy. Confident. And he'd picked that outfit for him today.

Nathan loved whenever Aiden wore any of his button-up shirts. It didn't matter whether they were plain, floral, striped or patterned; every single one looked divine when tucked into his jeans and belted up.

The material stuck to his body and showed off everything he had, highlighting the beautiful, slender frame.

But then Nathan discovered a style he loved more, and he certainly let the younger boy know the first time he saw it.

A few days before the older boy's surgery, the pair went shopping to distract him and keep his mind occupied.

Aiden bought a white shirt, two sizes too big, which initially confused the dark-haired boy. All of his others were tight-fitting.

When they got home, and the younger boy changed his clothes and tried his new purchases. Nathan's jaw hit the ground as he sat at the desk, watching.

The boy kicked off his jeans to put on something more comfortable, but he got distracted by the shirt. As a result, he stood in his room wearing nothing but his underwear and Nathan's new favourite item of clothing.

He looked good as he wrung his hands together; the sleeves bunching up at his wrists. He barely covered up his thighs, leaving little to the imagination, and the older boy worshipped it.

He didn't give Aiden much choice when he grabbed his hand and dragged him onto his lap.

Just thinking about the sound the younger boy made when he sat down made the elder shiver with excitement.

It was a good thing Aiden's parents worked that day. There would have been an uncomfortable conversation about the noises coming from his room around the dinner table that evening.

Shaking off the thought before it took over, the older boy tipped his head, trying to catch a glimpse of what his lover was hiding.

"You look g-good." He said, reaching his hand out to bring the boy closer.

Aiden blushed heavily; he couldn't help but think about that day when he put the shirt on this morning, so he knew what was playing in the Nathan's mind.

"Thanks," the orange-haired boy whispered, nervously running his fingers through his hair. "I got you these."

He'd done nothing like this before and wasn't sure how his boyfriend would react. It wasn't something boys typically did for each other, and he felt a little shy about it.

Timidly, Aiden held out the small bunch of flowers he'd bought from the hospital store on his way up to Nathan's room.

He had to get them the second he saw them because the soft pink daisies called his name. The cotton-candy-coloured petals reminded him of the day he and Nathan met, way back when Evan practically forced him into Jago's restaurant.