Noah woke up to curly, brown hair and freckles. Aden's head was rested on Noah's chest and Aden's hands softly placed on Noah's stomach. Noah's breathing was slow and calm, mimicking Aden's who nuzzled his nose on Noah's chest sleepily. Butterflies flew crazily in Noah's stomach as he stared at the sleepy boy next to him. He didn't try to get up though.
It was weird. If he ever found himself waking up in this situation, a situation in which a person was sleeping with him, he would freak out. Especially since he's only met Aden just two days ago and was already feeling nervous around him, but bizarrely enough, not as nervous as he found himself around other people. After all, he would never have been in the dark with a person he just met, and he did that yesterday. He would never let a stranger that he met online stay over with him, and he did that yesterday. He would never doze off so easily with someone so close to him, but he did that yesterday.
What do I do? Should I get up? Do they know that I'm feeling anxious? Is it so obvious they can smell it off of me? I feel so awkward. My legs are so shaky, what if I fall when I get up to leave? How humiliating would that be?? Do they even feel comfortable that I'm so close? Do I even feel comfortable that I'm so close? Did I lock the door? What if someone comes inside? What if someone finds out I kidnapped him? What if he's lying? Am I sweating? Oh frick- I think I'm sweating. I wonder if I smell. I haven't taken a shower in awhile. I bet that's what he's thinking.
But those weren't his thoughts for once in his life, even if of those worries did pop into his head that morning, all he could concentrate on was his slow breathing. He felt his stomach go up with every breath in and down with every breath out, raising Aden's hands along. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down.
Aden shifted and his eyes fluttered open. Big brown eyes looked into Noah's blue ones. Noah shyly smiled.
"Hi," Noah said softly and Aden grinned.
"Hi," Aden said back, stretching.
"How did you sleep?" Noah asked him. He couldn't lie, his back was kind of aching from sleeping in a sitting position.
"Good," Aden said, which was only half true. He was comfortable and all, but thoughts of his parents were on his mind for so long until he could finally get shut eye. Noah made him feel more secure. If he wasn't there, he probably wouldn't have been able to sleep at all.
"That's good." Noah stretched and Aden sat down upright next to him.
"Yeah," Aden responded. They stayed in silence for a moment, recollecting their thoughts. "Breakfast?" Aden said, turning to Noah who was on his phone. Noah looked up at him.
"Yeah, good idea. Coffee or tea?" Noah asked.
"Coffee," Aden said. Noah got up and Aden followed him into the narrow kitchen.
"How do you like it?" Noah asked.
"Two sugars, brown sugar if you have," Aden said and Noah surprisingly looks at him. "What?"
"Just like me." Noah smiles. "Two brown sugars."
_________________________________________
It was a lazy day for both of them. Noah decided it wouldn't hurt to not go to school for one more day, especially since the classes he has to take today were Noah's least favorite. Maybe he would have been more motivated if it was a photography class, but he wasn't supposed to have one of those till next week.
Even though it was a sluggish day, it was a good day, because Aden and Noah got to spend more time with each other.
Aden liked to look at the framed pictures in Noah's apartment and wonder who they were.
"That's my brother and me when he graduated from College. We are nine years apart, so I didn't get to spend as much of my childhood with him as I did with my sisters. I don't have many pictures of us together so I thought I'd put up this one." Noah said when Aden asked who the guy in the gown and cap was in one of the framed pictures. "I mean, there are his wedding pictures, but I look way too cringy."
Aden asked about another.
"Oh- that's my mum and dad's 25th anniversary. They had a small wedding ceremony to say vows again. It was really sweet. It was actually about a year after my brother got married."
"Ew! That picture was actually given to me for my birthday last year. My best friends hate me. It's us when we were only fourteen. I regret everything about that outfit. I wouldn't have put it up on the wall if it wasn't already framed!"
"Haha! That's the whole family. Me, mum, dad, Liz, Martha, and Mathew." Aden stared at the picture for awhile. "You really like my pictures," Noah said laughing shyly.
"I like the stories. They're cool. I don't have any except a few of my baby pictures, and those are at home. I probably won't ever see them again." Aden said. "Well, also the terrible selfies I took on my phone."
"Wait right here, let me grab my phone. I want to take a picture with you." Noah said and rushed to his room where his phone was left on the nightstand.
"What?!" Aden shouted after him. Noah came back, phone already open to camera mode.
"You said you don't have any pictures, now you'll have one of you and me," Noah said. "Only if you want, of course." Noah stuttered, blushing at his little outburst of confidence.
"Yeah! I would love that!" Aden said.
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