I gripped the material of his shirt, my heart aching. "I doubt it," I murmured under my breath. "That person doesn't see me as a potential boyfriend. To that person, I'm just a useless brat."
Then, because I knew if we were to stay in that position much longer, I'd lose control of myself and probably go further, like kissing him. I hastily moved out of his arms, which I knew surprised him.
"Sorry," I said. "But we should get home. I'm tired."
"Yeah," he said. "You've worked hard today."
It was some fifteen minutes later when we arrived home, and I exhaustedly headed toward my room. I said over my shoulder to Aiden, "Can I use the bathroom first?"
"Hmm," he responded as he shut the front door.
Noah came out of his room at that moment and said, "Okaeri." As I walked past him, he chuckled. "You look horrible, Haru. Was it that bad at work?"
I said, "It was super busy and I'm about to collapse with exhaustion."
He tousled my hair, probably to tell me that I was a good boy for working hard.
Before I shut the door to my room, I glimpsed the two brothers heading into the kitchen, probably to have some coffee, their nightly ritual. Soon, Reo would probably join them and the three would chat until late into the night. Or should I say early in the morning? Since it was already well past midnight now.
After gathering some clothes, I headed into the bathroom and shut the door. Then I rested my back against it and sighed exhaustedly. A moment later, I started brushing my teeth, and once that was done, I headed into the shower.
The water was nice and cool, especially in this summer heat. As I stood there under the running shower, I thought about Aiden and the warm hug he had given me in the car. Was he even more worried about me, now that I had finally revealed to him I had an unrequited love? The way he acted certainly indicated so. Should I be happy or sad about that?
Fuck! I didn't know and didn't want to think about it further. More importantly, I desperately needed sleep because I could barely keep my eyes open.
I hastily got out of the shower and grabbed for my clothes. It was only then I realized that instead of pajamas, it was a pair of jeans. I sighed. So, I had brought that with me into the bathroom and nothing else. No pajama pants. No T-shirt. No underwear. How stupid.
Well, it can't be helped. I was super tired, after all. My brain wasn't working properly, that was for sure.
After wrapping a towel around my waist, I headed out the door, my hair and body still wet. Obviously, I was too tired and lazy to dry myself properly.
Across the hallway, I felt dehydrated and directed myself toward the kitchen for a drink of water. As I came close, I heard Aiden's voice, along with Noah's and Reo's. I hadn't a clue what they were talking about but it sounded fun, because they were chuckling away with enthusiasm.
Why can't I be like that with Aiden? Just chill and not feel like my heart was about to burst every time I was near him?
I entered the threshold of the kitchen-dining-sitting room and said "Hey" to everyone.
With my eyes droopy and half asleep, I saw Aiden coughing loudly as if he was choking on his drink while Noah and Reo were smirking like they had a juicy secret to hide.
Ignoring their gazes on me, I headed to the fridge, took out a jug of cool water, and poured myself a glass. I drank to my heart's content. When I was just about finished, I glimpsed Aiden getting up from his seat and heading toward me.
Shit! I quickly swallowed the last drop and was about to make my escape when Aiden appeared in front of me, blocking my exit.
My heart raced and my sleepiness disappeared immediately. I avoided looking at his face because I just knew I couldn't handle that right now, especially when I was bloody naked with only a towel wrapped around my lower half, and especially when Aiden had his shirt unbuttoned halfway, his sleeves rolled up, and his hair in the after-a-long-hard-day's mess. He looked way too rogue and handsome for my liking.
He stroked my wet hair and said, "Dry your body and hair properly before going to sleep."
I stared at the bare chest revealed beneath his opened shirt, feeling my throat going desert dry like I had been dehydrated for a century. Not that I had been living for a century, of course, but that muscular chest of his was damned enticing. Fuck, I simply wanted to touch it and caress it and lick it and...
I licked my lips. "Yeah, I know," I said, flicking my gaze away. Shit! Why was my body feeling so hot suddenly?
I took a step back as I put the empty glass on the benchtop. Then I turned on my heel and headed toward the door. "Good night," I said to the brothers.
Aiden and Noah replied, "Good night."
Reo said loudly, "Make sure to dress properly when you sleep, shrine maiden."
I heard him chuckling merrily, and I retorted back loudly, "I know."
Aiden watched Haru go, his eyes on the boy's slender back. He didn't miss the fact that Haru had finally built some muscles either, since he had last seen the boy naked, which was six months ago.
Had it really been six months ago that he had seen Haru nude? Ah, yes, that's right. It had been when he had happened to walk in on the boy after a bath. And there was Haru, completely naked.
Now that he thought about it, Haru did indeed look like a shrine maiden, especially with his dark hair wet and clinging on to his face and his pale skin glistening pink from the hot bath. Of course, the alluring image had triggered some alarming sexual desire on Aiden's part, which had caused him countless nights of sleeplessness and numerous wet dreams.
Yes, Haru's body looked more toned now, firmer, like he had finally grown into a fine young man. He wasn't so boyish like he had used to be. Well, he was eighteen now, and would be turning nineteen in another three months, so of course his body would mature into an adult, which both pleased and scared Aiden shitless.
It pleased Aiden because Haru was so delicious to look at, but at the same time it scared him shitless due to the unwelcome desire that seemed to be mounting daily. So much so that he knew it'd drive him insane one day if he lost control.
Suddenly, the sight of Haru naked came into his mind once again, and Aiden felt his body heating up in the most unwelcome way.
Shit! He was fucking turned on by Haru with nothing on but a piece of towel wrapped around his waist. Then there was the wet black hair clinging to his face and the droplets of water beading on his pale skin. To say the boy was beautiful was an understatement.
Aiden sighed, knowing he was in deep shit.
Noah said from across the room, "What's wrong? You sound like you're missing out on something fun."
Aiden flicked his eyes to his brother. "Shut it, Noah."
Reo chuckled. "That was a sight to see, wasn't it? That's the shrine maiden charm for you."
Aiden glared at Reo. "You two are enjoying this, aren't you?"
Noah relaxed back against his chair and grinned. "It was entertaining seeing you lose your cool."
Reo nodded. "Choking on your own drink just because your beloved was walking around half-naked."
Aiden raked his fingers through his messy hair as he said, "I think it's because he has other things on this mind, that's why he's absentminded."
"Whatever it is that's on his mind, it bothered him that much for him to walk around the apartment naked? Honestly, if he continues to be that absentminded outside this apartment, he'll get attacked by creepy old men for sure," Reo said. "He's so clueless."
Noah asked, "Do you know what's bothering him?"
Aiden wasn't going to spill the beans. After all, he knew Haru didn't want the other brothers to know about his unrequited love. He said, "Personal stuff."
Reo said, "Boys at that age, it must be love."
Aiden raised his eyes at the stepbrother. "How do you know that?"
Reo shrugged his broad shoulders. "Weren't we sickly in love with some hot chicks around his age, too?"
Noah nodded. "Yep. Every one of us. Even you, Aiden."
Aiden had to disagree with that one. He didn't remember ever being sickly in love with any hot chicks when he had been eighteen or nineteen. Nope. Zero. Nada. Although he had always gone out and dated one girl or another. He accepted that he had always had strings of girlfriends attached to him since high school, even after the deaths of their parents. Well, even more so after their deaths because it had helped him forget about his painful life.
The sex. That's right, the sex especially had helped him forget about his difficult, excruciatingly lonely circumstances because of the loss of their parents. After all, he had loved them dearly since they were a pair of strong pillars in his life. Of course, the girls were just there to relieve his loneliness. As for love? Had he ever loved any of them? No. He didn't think so.
Aiden said, "I'm going to shower and then sleep."
Noah raised a brow. "Oi. Oi. You haven't answered my question yet."
Aiden chuckled. "I'm not at liberty to answer, Noah. If you want to know, ask Haru yourself."
Reo nodded his head. "Ah, that means you do know what's bothering that rascal, but you refuse to tell us."
Noah chuckled in amusement. "I see. You're keeping Haru to yourself, again. How cunning, Aiden."
Reo grinned. "I'm guessing he's confided in you about his love, am I right? Come on, tell us."
Aiden ignored his brother and stepbrother as he turned on his heel. "I said I'm not at liberty to tell you two anything. If you want to know, ask Haru yourself. And by the way, don't stay up too late."
"Got it," Noah said.
"Good night, Aiden," Reo said.
"Night," Aiden replied as he left the room.
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