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Maybe he was going to die.
"I can't," he kept sobbing, utterly lost. It felt like a piece of his soul was being torn away. "Seth, I can't! I'm not going to survive this."
"I've got you, baby," Seth said hoarsely. "I'll catch you. All you've gotta do is fly."
The cry that tore from Aiden's chest terrified him. He sounded like an animal. No, he was an animal, mindless and helpless, as a tidal wave of pleasure crashed over him. He'd never come like this before. He couldn't even spare a hand to jerk himself off; he was too busy clinging to Seth's shoulders so he didn't get washed out to sea. It started as a squeezing sensation deep inside, pulling his balls tight and then exploding. His cock twitched wildly, spurting hot jets of come all over Seth's flannel shirt.
"Fuck, yes," Seth hissed, squeezing his eyes shut and arching, shoving into Aiden to the hilt. His girth seemed to expand, growing even bigger, filling every corner of Aiden and chasing away the shadows. Aiden could feel him throbbing relentlessly, feel the heat that pooled inside him, scalding, burning him clean.
They hung there for what felt like an eternity, clutching at each other and riding out the spasms. When it was over, Aiden collapsed against Seth's chest.
He stayed there for a long, long time.
Chapter Nineteen
AIDEN
It was the dead hours of early morning, but Aiden was wide awake and energized like he'd been slamming caffeine all day. The temperature had plummeted, but his drafty trailer felt unusually warm with two bodies heating up the small space. Outside, a loose gutter rattled against the metal siding. It was a familiar background noise by now, one that Aiden had grown used to ever since the last big storm, when the zip-ties he'd used to secure it had snapped.
"How do you sleep with that racket?" Seth asked, pausing with one hand inside Aiden's tiny fridge and glaring toward the noise.
"That?" Aiden said, stacking his hands behind him as a pillow and grinning lazily. "That's just a trailer park lullaby, ol' son."
He lay sprawled on his narrow bed, naked beneath a thin sheet, watching as Seth rummaged through the makeshift kitchen. The bulb above the stove flooded the space with yellow light, warming the sinewy muscles of Seth's bare back. Aiden's gaze traced the definition of his lats and traps, the breadth of his shoulders, and the tautness of denim over his ass when he crouched to search a bottom cabinet for a frying pan.
He thought back to the day Seth had pulled him from the broken ice. In his delirium, he’d still recognized him. Even without the scars curving almost gracefully over his ribs, Aiden would know the shape of him.
"Try the drawer beneath the stove," Aiden suggested, propping himself on one elbow to get a better look. The drawer was empty, but the way Seth stretched to reach it was delicious. "Now, that's a sight a man could get used to," he drawled appreciatively.
Seth shot him a sidelong look over his shoulder. "You know, I don't have to do this," he warned, raising one eyebrow. "You could make your own pancakes."
"Yeah, but I don't want to walk. My ass hurts." Aiden grinned crookedly. "You owe me."
Seth's gaze dropped from Aiden's mouth and trailed down his exposed chest and stomach. "I guess you earned it," he said huskily. "You just lay there and look pretty. I'll do all the work."
"Damn right," Aiden said, stretching lazily. "I'm good with being objectified. Just don't burn my house down, chef."
Seth's warm chuckle pleased him. It sounded like the old Seth, the easy, happy cowboy Aiden remembered. He enjoyed Seth's relaxed grace as he moved around the kitchen. It was a stark contrast to the gruff reserve Seth carried around like armor these days. It was…nice. More than nice. There was nothing like a half-naked Seth McCall armed with eggs and a whisk.
Aiden shivered and lay back down, fluffing the cotton sheet and tucking it around his hips to disguise his interested cock. They'd already jerked each other off after their showers, and even though Aiden was ready to go again, he wanted to give them time to catch their breath.
They'd crossed a boundary that couldn't be uncrossed. This was new territory for both of them in so many ways, and Aiden was acutely aware of how unstable it was. He was pretty sure Seth had never so much as touched another man before, and Aiden usually only managed some drunken fumbling. But it was more than that. He'd never been with anyone who mattered this much to him, and he was terrified of putting a foot wrong. Their friendship had barely gotten back to stable footing after years of neglect, and now it had changed forever. But for now, he was willing to shove those worries aside and bask in the simple pleasure of Seth's company.
He watched as Seth cracked eggs into a bowl with practiced ease before adding pancake mix and a splash of milk. The sound of the whisk against the metal bowl was almost hypnotic.
"You seem comfortable in there," Aiden remarked, breaking the silence.
"Tessa loves pancakes," Seth replied, focusing on his task. His hair fell messily over his forehead, giving him a rough, wild look. "She went through a phase after Mom died where she wouldn't eat anything else for breakfast. I usually make 'em from scratch, though."
He poured the batter into a sizzling pan, and the bready aroma filled the trailer. Aiden's stomach grumbled, reminding him of all his effort working up an appetite. He shifted impatiently as Seth flipped the first two pancakes onto a plate and poured more batter. There was no way he could wait for a whole stack, not after Seth added the toppings and Aiden got a whiff of cinnamon and melting butter.
"I'm going to gnaw my arm off if you don't give me one of those," Aiden warned, licking his lips.
Seth's mouth twitched into a half-smile. "You can wait."
"I'm starving," he whined. "You think recklessness is my problem now? You ain't seen reckless 'til you've come between me and a stack of pancakes."
"Big baby." Seth shook his head but removed the pan and killed the stove. Aiden sat up eagerly, practically salivating as Seth carried the plate to him and knelt on the mattress. Seth braced his knees on either side of Aiden's legs and dangled a pancake over his head. "What'll you give me for it?" he teased.
