The Waters - A Beta Squad Story (bxb)

12. All Day Long

There was a knock on Niko's bedroom door. Niko struggled to open his eyes as his bedroom door creaked open. Aj stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. He was wearing a hoodie with shorts.

Niko rolled over to look at the time on his phone. It was just after three in the morning.

"Aje?" Niko croaked out.

Aj walked over and sat down on the edge of Niko's bed. His eyes were red from sleep deprivation. He yawned, bringing his legs up crossing them, revealing his mismatched socks. "I can't sleep."

Niko watched as he fiddled with his hoodie strings. He knew how hard it was to sleep when your mind was racing. He also knew that Aj had trouble sleeping at night. He reached out and put his hand on Aj's knee. "You want to talk about it?"

Aj shook his head, the mess of curls on his head giving away the tossing and turning he had been doing all night. Niko moved back and opened the covers as a silent offering.

Niko was fairly surprised to see Aj lay under the covers and curl up to him. He put a hand on the side of Aj's face, his fingers combing through his hair. Aj's eyes fluttered closed, and Niko stole the opportunity. He leaned in and kissed Aj softly on the lips. Aj let out a soft moan into their kiss, deepening it. They kissed for a few minutes, their hands exploring each other, before pulling away. Aj looked up at Niko with a small, satisfied smile.

"Go sleep," Niko chuckled.

Aj smiled, shaking his head. "I'm not tired anymore." He paused, looking at Niko with those big brown eyes, and then leaned in, kissing him softly on the lips. Niko let out a small moan into the kiss, his hand running through Aj's curls. They kissed for a few moments, their breaths mingling, before pulling back. Aj smiled up at him.

"Well, I am." Niko mumbled, wrapping Aj up in the covers and in his arms. Aj was finally able to let his mind be empty and fell asleep in Niko's arms.

They spent the rest of the week lounging around in Niko's bed. Watching videos, sleeping, pleasuring each other, and making out whenever they had a spare moment. It was perfect, like they had been doing it forever. The thought of going back to their old routine seemed unimaginable now. They had grown so close, and the thought of losing that closeness was unbearable.

Niko came up from between Aj's legs. Aj placed his hands on either side of his face, using his thumbs to wipe the corners of Niko's mouth. Niko leaned on his elbows to kiss Aj. When he pulled back, Aj moved to put his thumbs in his own mouth. Looking up at Niko with doe eyes, he licked his thumbs clean.

"Yeah, mental!" Niko breathed out and chuckled, leaning his head against Aj's neck. "We need to go get ready."

"I'm not gonna lie, yeah?" Aj stretched out underneath Niko. "I'm not going."

Niko frowned, propping himself up on his elbow to look down at Aj. He knew his friend was serious. Aj didn't like big social gatherings. Knowing there were going to be over one hundred influencers at the event tonight made every bone in his body ache. The start of the event was going to be giving out awards, which Niko was hosting.

He cupped Aj's cheek with his hand and gently kissed him on the lips. "You don't have to stay the whole time," he whispered. "Just come for an hour or two, and then we can leave if you're not having fun."

Aj considered this for a moment, his expression softening. "Okay," he said finally, a small smile curling up one corner of his mouth. "But only if we can leave whenever I want."

Niko grinned, returning the smile. "Deal." He leaned down to kiss Aj, their lips lingering for a moment before pulling away. "Now, let's get cleaned up and dressed."

Together, they made their way to the bathroom. Niko turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature, before stepping under the spray. He waited for Aj to join him, and when he did, he reached for the soap, handing it to his friend with a small smile. "You can wash first if you want."

Aj accepted the soap and began to lather it up, starting with his neck and shoulders. "I just don't like being around so many people," he confessed, rinsing the soap off. "I get overwhelmed."

Niko nodded, not surprised. He knew Aj didn't like big crowds. "You don't have to talk to anyone if you don't want to," he said gently. "We can just hang out together, dance, and have a good time. And if you need a break, you can always find me and we can sit outside or something." Aj kissed Niko softly, and if other activities are perused in the shower, it's nobody's business but their own.

They got out of the shower, with Aj heading to his own room to get ready. Niko had just finished getting ready when Aj opened the door.

"Nick, man." He looked nervous and reluctant to continue.

Niko smiled reassuringly, stepping closer to him. "What's up, Aje?"

Aj bit his lip, hesitating before speaking. "I just... I don't think I can go. I don't want to, you know?" His voice was barely above a whisper, and he looked like he was about to cry.

Niko felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. He'd been so sure Aj would be there with him tonight, supporting him. "You can't just decide not to go now, Aj!" he exclaimed, his voice raised. "I've been working so hard on this, and I need you there. I need you to be my friend."

Aj flinched at Niko's words, looking hurt. "I am just your friend, am I Niko?" he said quietly.

Niko took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "No, of course not. You're... more than that." He reached out to gently brush a strand of hair from Aj's face. "You're my best friend."

Aj grimaced and pushed Niko away. "You just don't get it, do you?"

He walked out of the bedroom and headed for his own room. Niko followed him, trying to catch up. He grabbed Aj's arm, but Aj pulled away. "You don't have to come if you don't want to, but please don't leave me alone right now."

Aj stopped and turned around, his eyes flashing with anger and hurt. "I'm not just leaving you alone, Niko! You're making me leave! You're acting like I'm just some piece of trash you can throw away when you're done with me!"

Niko stared at Aj, feeling a mix of guilt and frustration. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean it like that. I just..." He trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

"Good luck tonight." That was the last thing Aj said before he slammed his bedroom door in Aj's face.

Niko stood there for a moment, feeling lost and confused. He had never meant to make AJ feel like that. They had always been so close, and now he didn't know what to do. He wanted to go after him, to apologise and make things right, but he couldn't force AJ to forgive him, and he needed to leave for the event.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves, and then left the apartment. The night air was cool and crisp as he walked to the car, a light sheen of sweat already forming on his brow. He hoped that once he got there, he could forget about his troubles with AJ, if only for a little while.

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To all my lovely people, how we feeling?
Next chapter will be cute Kenny and Sharky domestic behaviour.
If you wanna see anything specific, leave a comment :))))
Thank you for all the love <33
- B🎧