Aiden McGill

20 YEAR OLD KID Marcus | Charlie

[aidenmcgill]

marcuskinsella​:

A small sound escaped him, as Aiden’s teeth teased the skin over his collarbone. Soft but unmistakably pleased, from low in his chest. His conscious thoughts were still slow from sleepiness, reluctant to wake up fully but his body always seemed to know and react to the pull that came from Aiden, no matter what he did to him. Always crackling, crunching under the surface of his skin, especially where he could feel the bruises forming. Like footsteps in fresh snow. A fact he could not get over, mostly because there was simply no rational explanation for the feeling nor for him yearning for it. Waiting for it when together and when apart.

It was concerning. Therefore he would keep that locked in his mind. Too soon, too fifty-cent novel. Although, maybe Aiden would appreciate it that he was somehow no different than a lonely housewife borrowing those in the library. Marcus chuckled at his own thought, as it was lightening what was about to be a dark passageway of thoughts beforehand, and pressed his forehead snug against Aiden’s for a good moment.

Any retort to Aiden’s statement was lost in the kiss, kisses really until he could pull himself together enough to suggest a relocation to the bathroom, the implication of continuing there heavy in his words.

Kissing Marcus, being around him, was almost like being on fire but in the best way. It made him feel alive, it made him forget all about his illness that was often just tucked away at the back of his mind, lurking and waiting to pounce and ruin a moment. That hadn’t yet and Aiden hoped that it wouldn’t happen for a long while, desperate to live in the bliss of a seemingly normal relationship where physical health wasn’t something that they had to worry about.

Being able to distract Marcus so easily with just some simple kisses made him grin, making said kisses slightly awkward given that he couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. He knew that eventually the man would pull himself together but there was still plenty of time to enjoy the fact. 

The moment did come and Aiden was forced to pull back to look down at Marcus, tilting his head as if considering whether he really wanted to do that, as if he hadn’t picked up on the very obvious intentions he had and what he was trying to imply. As if he hadn’t been suggesting the very same thing just a few moments ago. He pushed himself back completely until his two feet were planted on the floor and he could reach out to take Marcus’ hands, pulling him in the direction of the bathroom.

[aidenmcgill]

marcuskinsella​:

Marcus couldn’t turn of that feeling that he should be working completely but the urge to be with Aiden was stronger and he almost let the kiss lure him into false security from Aiden’s snark too. It was slow, deep and with Aiden still being a comforting weight on top of him it was it was just too damn nice. Adding to the relaxation of a good whole nights sleep where the frosty surroundings could not reach him as strongly as they usually seemed to be able to.

His eyes were already closed again and he tried to follow Aiden’s lips when they moved down his jaw, trying to catch them with his own again. Until the whispered words registered, making him smirk slightly. He had almost forgotten how he had been woken up. The potential reason behind it as well. There was obviously nothing he had against those certain activities but considering Aiden was living his best life as a little shit this morning, Marcus figured he couldn’t let Aiden play that game alone. “That’s all we’ll have time for I’m afraid,” he murmured back, not without running a hand down Aiden’s back as he spoke until it was resting just so on the swell of his ass.

Aiden knew that Marcus was only playing hard to get because of how he was acting and he had to admit that he loved it. The fact that they could tease each other like this and have such a playful tone even though they had only woke up a short while ago. He never thought he’d have something like this, or that someone would be willing to put up with him. Yes he still had to open up to him about his illness but he was enjoying what they had right now, living in the moment. The time would come where he would tell him about what his life was really like and not just these happy, content moments that they were living in.

His lips continued their journey down until he could pull the loose collar of Marcus’ shirt out of the way to get his teeth biting down on his collarbone, changing from the light bites to sucking on the skin to leave a nice little row of bruises on his skin. Aiden lifted his head to press his forehead against his lover’s and smiled softly, pushing his ass back into the hands that were now resting there. “Then we’re going to have to make time for more than that,” he told him, grinning softly before leaning in to kiss him again.

[aidenmcgill]

marcuskinsella​:

“Miracles do…” Before Marcus finished his sentence, his fingers sought out the most ticklish spots of Aiden that he knew as retaliation for that boy’s cheekiness. It was one of the many things he loved about Aiden, he just couldn’t let the teasing slip just like that. Not to stop Aiden obviously, he was pretty sure this kind of reaction encouraged it anyway. It was good. It was needed. Marcus had been with his work as a partner for so long that Aiden communicating his want for Marcus to stay was necessary for him to push that rock of a thought process to start rolling.

He ceased the tickling when Aiden wanted to speak and brought their noses together again. A slow intake of breath was followed by a low thoughtful noise before he voiced what had gone though his mind. If he did that with an overly innocent expression, who could fault him. “Well, I could see us taking a nice, hot shower. And then I could put together an assemble of breakfast food and we could eat that in bed. If that sounds good enough to you?”

Aiden, surprisingly, stayed quiet the entire time that Marcus was talking. There was rarely a time where Marcus could get all of his words out without him saying something, more because Aiden was always bouncing off the walls whenever he was around him. The guy just had a good effect on him, he rarely ever felt ill or down when he was around, as if he gave off this whole healing aura that made it easy for him to forget about how bad his health really was. So he stayed quiet, let him explain his thoughts about how the morning would go and there wasn’t any part of him that wanted to argue with what he suggested. He couldn’t just agree though, that would be too easy.

“I like the sound of all of that,” he admitted, leaning in to give him a slow kiss before trailing his lips down his jaw, not saying anything more until he was at his ear. “I hope you don’t only plan on showering though,” he whispered, rubbing his nose gently against the shell of the man’s ear before he took the earlobe between his teeth, tugging it lightly.

[aidenmcgill]

marcuskinsella​:

Once again, Aiden put a smile on his lips with his response. Making it grow with each word. It was not as much what he said and more how he said it. The absolute cheekiness that came from familarity, from knowing for sure it would not be taken the wrong way. It probably shouldn’t have such an effect on him, he knew that. He was a grown ass man for fucks sake. It made him even happier everytime such an intimate moment happened nonetheless. The moments where he tried to stop himself from loving Aiden recklessly were few and far between now.

Marcus really wanted to give a snarky retort answer to those words too, how Aiden loved helping him with opening and heating that place ™ up. Only his decision had been made already. Just this once he would open a little later and enjoy some domestic moments in less public surroundings. “I’ll stay,” he finally murmured back, nose nuzzling against Aiden’s neck before pulling back and rubbing said nose lightly against the other’s, not being able to stop a tiny bit of snark from escaping after all.

“Does here only entail the bed or…..?”

Aiden couldn’t help but grin at the snark, finding it just as entertaining and as lovable as he always did. If Marcus could hear half the thoughts going through his head he was sure he’d call him a loser or a dork or anything in those realms because of how much he waxed poetry about the man as soon as he smiled at him.

“Miracles really do happen,” he teased when the man agreed to stay in bed with him and Aiden leaned in to bump their noses together after Marcus had had his little delicate moment with the soft touches. A laugh followed when he questioned whether staying here meant staying in bed, wanting to say something just as snarky back but he was already too distracted by the promise of a lazy morning with the man he loved. “I suppose it can mean out of the bed too, depends on what you have in mind. I just want to keep you to myself for a bit.”

[aidenmcgill]

charlesamcgill​:

Aiden avoiding eye contact seemingly at all costs betrayed his words, his answer to Charlie’s question. Sucked any truth that there might have been in there out of it. At least for Charlie. He was really trying to keep his facade  - that he was okay - up and it upset him as much as it hurt him. Still. It was normal, he guessed. It was how he conveyed his feelings and emotions that determined to what degree he should check himself. Most of all the guilt of possibly having punished Aiden with this illness himself by passing it down to him.

So Charlie tried to reason with himself. That Aiden was an adult and Charlie’s influence on choices Aiden made should only run so deep at this point. That included telling him about his health. Of course it went against every loving, protective fibre in Charlie’s body and soul and yet it needed to be done. Otherwise Charlie would give in and start yelling because of his own desperate need to help. To feel like he was still the most relevant.

That ending thought, caused by the spilling of the first aid kit,  made him cringe at himself inwardly. At how co-dependant on his son he sounded. How ridiculous. Charlie’s own unadressed demon’s coming out to play.

Charlie abandoned the broom and stepped up next to Aiden, gently loosening his fingers around the opened bandage. “Not that one. The silver one is for burns,” he explained gently, examining the injured hand of his son before his tone became somewhat firmer again. “You’ve said this before. With the same exact wording. I know it’s hard for you. I’ve been there. But you really have to stick to your promise to let your loved ones know when you feel like this before it becomes dangerous for you”.

It was hard to tell if that wording was intentional or not, he just realized how pregnant that last sentence was. What it implied. “It’s okay to be not okay. We love you,” he added, not quite to soften his words just to remind Aiden again that those things were not mutually exclusive.

Aiden kept his eyes on the counter as his dad spoke, slowly releasing his grip on the bandage as Charlie took it from his hand. Maybe it was the added pressure of hiding this from Marcus that was making everything feel so much worse. He didn’t want to be a burden to his boyfriend and that had transferred into not being a burden to his dad. To Charlie, the man that held his hand and told him stories and brought him back to the present whenever his illness had got the better of him. He should have known better than to try and hide it. He couldn’t blame hiding things from Marcus for this feeling, though. This feeling, the need to hide and not burden people, had started long ago and was only amplified by his mother randomly deciding that they were too much and that she no longer wanted a family.

Despite everything Charlie did, and every promise he made, Aiden couldn’t help but feel like he was the reason that they were stuck in this never ending winter that they found themselves in. That definitely played a part in wanting to hide things. He’d ruined their lives enough for a lifetime and he’d been a cause in his dad’s heartbreak. Dealing with that guilt was impossible.

“I love you too,” he mumbled, turning his head slightly to watch as he inspected the burn. The mention of danger made him close his eyes again, letting out a quick huff of breath. He knew what it meant, what it could mean, and he’d had many nightmares about just what sort of danger he would end up in. He hated thinking about it. 

All of a sudden his emotions were too much and he could feel his eyes start to water. He blinked a few times, turned his head towards the ceiling before tilting it down again, sniffling quietly. “I’m sorry dad.”

[aidenmcgill]

charlesamcgill​:

Another sigh left Charlie once the alarm was shut off, although it was a relieved one this time. It made sense that the beeping was loud and obnoxious since it was meant to alarm people but those things should come with a remote or something to turn it off when it was a non-life-threatening situation. just added stress. He stood there for a moment to let the echoes of the alarm in his ear wear off and then used the broom to sweep up the burned food on the floor.

Charlie still didn’t offer any words at first. He wasn’t sure what he should say. This clearly wasn’t like Aiden. Or rather, it wasn’t like Aiden in a normal state. Normal Aiden would have used his logical thinking skills and wouldn’t have tried to touch something clearly hot and burning with his bare hands. Which meant that there was something wrong. That he was feeling off. Really off and didn’t want to let Charlie know.

Aiden had been hesitant since he had reached a certain age, had eventually sought him out for comfort and help though. But since they were here, he had gotten pretty secretive about it in his opinion. And Charlie hated that. He could be down with it if there was someone else Aiden would confide in and not be alone with it. Marcus for example. Obviously. The man was involved with his son and seemed quite capable. The thing was, Marcus didn’t know. Otherwise, Charlie was pretty sure Aiden would have been there to sit it out and hide it from Charlie in a more effective way.

Maybe he was more upset than he realized. Worried too.  He really didn’t want to be that kind of parent that went down that stupid ‘as long as you stick your feet under my table’ road, he couldn’t say that he wasn’t tempted in this situation though. Of course, it was worse for Aiden than it was for Charlie, he was the one dealing not only with the mental but the physical sympthoms. It was just that he didn’t make it better by not sharing how shitty he was feeling. The worst case being that help would be too late.  Which was probably the reason that caused passive-agressiveness to creep into his words. The fear to lose Aiden.

“We’re back to hiding it and choosing to hurt yourself then?” 

Aiden did everything he could think of to not look up at his dad. He couldn’t deal with the disappointment and potential anger that would be there waiting for him. He could have turned the tap off a while ago, the water had reached a point where it was just freezing his hand rather than actually quelling any of the searing pain that came from touching the hot pan. Eventually he turned it off and reached for a nearby towel to pat it dry.

He wasn’t purposefully hiding this from Charlie - there had been plenty of days where he’d had absences and it had meant nothing. Absences weren’t always a guaranteed seizure and he hadn’t felt completely run down that day, just slightly.  Okay so it he may have been slightly underplaying it in his head as if that was somehow going to convince his dad he didn’t know what was happening. His dad could always tell when he was lying and he already knew that Charlie was well aware of how bad it was. It was rare that he ever put himself in the position to get hurt, just like it was rare for him to be away from the pub without informing his dad. Aiden was secretly hoping that if he carried on like normal then, some how, his body would just give in for the day and let him carry on.

He moved to one of the cupboards on the wall to pull out the first aid kit that they had stashed up there when they had first moved back to Aramore. He fully intended on bandaging his hand. “I’m not trying to hi-”

Aiden blinked and then next thing he knew he was staring at the contents of the first aid kit that was now spilled across the kitchen worktop. “Shit,” he mumbled, quickly reaching out to grab the various medical supplies. His hand wrapped around an opened bandage and he let out a sigh, letting his head fall forward as he tried to put his head on straight.

“I didn’t think it was going to be this bad,” he mumbled lowly. “I thought I could handle it.”

[aidenmcgill]

charlesamcgill​:​

Was that the smell of smoke? Confused, Charlie closed the container of lye solution and sniffed the air again as he looked up at the closed door. He kept sniffing as he took his earbuds out and was immediately assaulted by the loud beeping of the smoke detector, making a mental note to not wear them when he was sleeping anymore. Yaga would alert him too, no doubt, but at this point, he should be the one looking more after the door than the other way around. He hurriedly walked to the door, basically ripping it open and the smell of smoke intensified.

He hadn’t left anything in the oven or on the stove, he was sure of it. He remembered wanting to wait with the preparations until Aiden got home to see what he was feeling up to eat tonight. The fireplace was off too. A memory of some psychotic moron setting their house on fire when he was young to ‘burn the witches alive’ came unbidden to the forefront of his mind again and he couldn’t help but panic a little bit deep down. Yaga was outside running about too, what if someone….

It was then when he heard the faucet in the kitchen running and he beelined for that room, finding Aiden holding his hand under the water and charcoal that was formerly known as something edible on the kitchen floor. He took a moment to take the whole scene in, the visible wince from his son telling him half of the story already before he sighed and went to the lumber-room to grab a broom to turn the still awfully beeping smoke detector off.

Aiden only winced even more when the cold water hit his scorched skin. They were going to have to be cleaned and dressed and he was sure he’d face endless questions from anyone that decided to go into the library that week and saw him with a paw instead of a hand. He chose to ignore that thought for the time being and instead focused on Yaga out the window, someone who he hadn’t noticed earlier. The little pup was having the time of their life outside and Aiden envied just how much the snow made him happy and how carefree he seemed to be.

The sound of Charlie sighing made him tense up. He hated being a burden for his dad - though he knew that Charlie would never say that that was what he was or that he resented him for being such a handful. Aiden would always see it that way, though, and would always carry around the weight of being the reason his mother left on his shoulders. He’d never actually admitted to feeling like that out loud so he was hoping that his father didn’t know that was the case but Charlie had always been able to read him, it was a side effect of worshipping the ground he walked on ever since he was a baby.

Even when he heard Charlie come back in, he didn’t turn to look at him or offer up an apology. Usually it would be the first thing that he did but he knew that he’d fucked up here and not just for burning the food. Usually he wouldn’t care, he would apologise and move on, but it had been a long time since he had last actively hidden how he was feeling and tried to get on with things. He’d also never almost burned down a house because of absences so this situation was sort of new and he wasn’t sure how his dad was going to react to that. He was sure it would end with everything being okay but there was an ass reaming waiting to happen before that, he just didn’t want to kick start it.

[aidenmcgill]

marcuskinsella·:

Marcus chuckled into the kiss as Aiden rolled himself on top of him but made no move to stop him. His arm stayed rested across Aiden’s neck, loosely like their tangled legs when he followed The other’s lips to not break the kiss. The urgency wasn’t something he had imagined then, although everything still had a unhurried feeling to it. Which might have been him not being fully awake yet, just enough to tag along for the ride, kissing his boyfriend with almost lazy slides of lips.

Licking them when Aiden broke the kiss, he took a slow, deep breath through his nose. One that was full of content, of happiness. Mixed with a strong feeling of belonging, the sizzling on his skin whereever they touched not subsiding. Even intensifying where Aiden’s teeth had grazed him, where his fingers played with his chest hair, going beyond the usual tingle and spreading along with his forming smile at the mumbled words.

He was already siltently agreeging, about to voice the affectionate compliment in turn but was already distracted by Aiden’s other words. It still amused him how casual Aiden spoke of the snow and the affect it had on the people here, like they would react like a common city slicker to it. Not to mention, like his good were not something people would wade through snowstorms for. Of course, he knew Aiden didn’t mean it like that. 

“You’re a bad influence,” he told Aiden, tilting his chin up to rub his nose against the one in front of him, followed by a shallow peck. And another.

“Me? A bad influence? Never,” Aiden grinned, posing each questions between each little pecked kiss he got from the man. “If anything I am a good influence, saving you from wasting money heating the place up.”

He didn’t actually mean any of the words he said because he would never go out of his way to keep Marcus from his pub. The pub came before Aiden had even been a part of Marcus’ life and it was clear just how much he loved the place. He would never want to get in the way of that. If anything, the pub was starting to become his home as well. He spent as much time there as he did at his home in Old Town and he found himself helping behind the bar more often than not, or offering to make snacks or food for some of the regulars that came in as soon as Marcus opened and stayed until they were forced to leave. Taking Marcus away from that was never part of the plan.

Aiden moved from Marcus’ lips, choosing instead to press kisses along his neck. Soft, yet long, kisses. “Stay here with me,” he mumbled against his skin, letting his voice take on a pleading quality. He didn’t even care whether it sounded desperate because in every sense of the word he was. Desperate to stay in bed; to hide from the world; to be with Marcus. He could stay here forever if the world allowed him the chance.

[aidenmcgill]

a promise broken

“It just makes sense considering I gotta open up in the morning, there’s no point in me waking you at the ass crack of dawn to trudge through the snow and past my own home to get to work,” he explained, willing his headache to go away as he reached into his coat pocket for his keys. “You’ll see me in less than twenty four hours, when did you become such a dork?” He laughed as he teased Marcus through the phone. He hoped that the terrible reception that they now had to deal with was enough to mask just how forced the laugh was.

Aiden had been feeling out of it all day, he had spaced out a few times and at the beginning of the day he had put it down to a lack of sleep or too much work. With how many he’d had, though, and the way that his hand had started to twitch, he knew that it was something more than that, something that he wasn’t ready to introduce his boyfriend to just yet. How was he supposed to introduce Marcus to it when he couldn’t even have one in front of his dad without feeling an overwhelming amount of embarrassment? 

When he finally pushed his way through the door he called out a hello to see if his dad was home, but got no reply. As he made his way through the house he spoke to Marcus about his plans, how he was going to make him and his dad something nice for supper and then watch a movie or something, pulling out ingredients as he went. The phone call eventually ended and Aiden was allowed to focus on-

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Aiden blinked his eyes a few times shocked to see the smoke coming out of the oven. “Oh fuck,” he gasped, moving to wrench the oven open and pull the tray out. “Oh fuck!” he yelled at the searing pain that engulfed his fingers. How the fuck did the tray get so hot in such a short space of time? He slammed the oven door shut and grabbed the nearby oven mitt to move the tray from the floor, the charred remained of whatever it was he had put in were going to be almost impossible to get rid of. Next thing he did was run the tap till it was ice cold, shoving his red raw fingers under the stream to try and kill some of the pain.

When he glanced over his shoulder, he winced when he saw Charlie hovering in the doorway and quickly turned away. He’d promised him that he would let him know when he felt like he was feeling but he was so worried that he would make a bigger deal out of it that he had tried to hide it. This time it hadn’t worked out for him though and not only had he both figuratively and literally been caught red-handed but he had also almost burnt their house down which meant this was going to be a whole thing because he had lied and he’d broke a promise.

@charlesamcgill​

[aidenmcgill]

[aidenmcgill]

marcuskinsella​:

Marcus was pulled back into the land of the wake by soft lips pressing kisses into his skin. He turned his face more toward them before he was even fully aware of his surroundings, eyes fluttering but not quite ready to open and a smile on his own lips. Waking up to a different kind of additional happiness and revelling in it, let it warm him up from the inside as much as Aiden’s body tangled with his did from the outside, the goosebumps on his skin not coming from the gaps in the windows at all.

He was used to the freezing weather, to it finding a way into the crooks and crannies of his old house. It was a part of his story as much as everyones that was tied to this town. But to the touch of someone he had given his whole heart to? It had been a while. A whole damn while. It sizzled, it burned on his skin and then through it in the best ways.

The first good morning kiss had his smile grow, the second mirroring Aiden almost, his hand cupping the side of his neck, his large hand covering most of it as he rubbed the pad of his thumb over the boy’s cheek when he finally pressed back into the kiss.

His voice was rough from sleep, betraying the smile that hadn’t left his face or faded in any way, when he returned the good morning, adding an amused, “I’m awake”, too. Not sure if he was imagining the urgency for him to be awake in Aiden’s actions or not. Then he took his turn, using the arm Aiden was laying on to pull him into another less chaste but quick kiss.

“Good morning indeed”.

Aiden grinned against Marcus’ lips as he spoke, his fingers keeping a hold on his chin so that he couldn’t pull too far away. He felt a little bit bad for waking him from his slumber but he couldn’t help it. He had blinked his eyes open and his breath was stolen by the man’s beauty and he had to do something with the emotions that filled him.

Clearly Marcus was feeling similar to him that morning and Aiden let himself melt into the kiss. It was over too soon, though, so he took it upon himself to push further, using the leg trapped between the man to roll them until he was laid on top of him, hand sliding down to rest in the hair on Marcus’ chest as he leaned in again. This kiss was clearly a way of telling him that he wanted more, that this may have started chaste but it didn’t need to stay that way. He wasn’t at work and the bar didn’t open for hours, he was sure that adult life could be paused for a while to make room for time with just each other.

As he pulled back, he let his teeth tug at Marcus’ lower lip before releasing it, leaning his head down to press their foreheads together. “It’s always a good morning when I wake up with you,” he mumbled, his fingers tangling gently in his chest hair. “Let’s just stay in bed. People won’t be here for ages with the snow.”

[aidenmcgill]

domestic bliss.

Aiden woke to the sound of wind forcing itself through the small cracks and gaps around the window, desperate to cover Marcus’ home in a layer of white both inside and out. He woke to the sound of deep, content breathing, his hair moving slightly with every breath from his partner. His leg was trapped between two strong thighs and an arm was thrown over his waist to keep him close and Aiden just couldn’t get enough of it. Once upon a time he never thought this would be something that happened. A few years ago he had promised himself that he wouldn’t let people get close to him because he didn’t want to burden anyone else with the weight of his illness. Except along came Marcus, who only asked if he had a book available, who managed to take his breath away in an instant, made butterflies dance in his stomach and his heart sore with a feeling he wasn’t used to. It was all so intense, so perfect, that it terrified him and after that momentary rejection he was sure that he would never be able to touch the man like he wanted to. 

Now he was waking up in his arms, content and in love and ready to fight whatever came his way because now he didn’t only have his dad but he had his person as well, the one that was with him through everything.

Before he could stop himself, Aiden was tilting his head to press soft kisses against Marcus’ cheek. They were slow and soft, a little bit awkward given their position, but they meant just as much as an I love you. His hand slid up the arm that was draped across him until his fingers danced along a sharp jawline, their journey coming to an end as they held his chin. He paused for a moment before leaning in again, this time for a real kiss. A chaste one but a real one nonetheless.

“Good morning,” he whispered a few seconds later, pressing another quick kiss to the lips, “Good.. morning.”

[aidenmcgill]

marcuskinsella​:

Marcus cackled quietly and quite smugly. “I sure am”. He was sure of himself sober and even more when he was drunk. Especially, when his ego was stroked. In an honest way or not, as he did have a feeling that Aiden was just humoring him right now and he did not care in the slightest. Not when there was laughter, followed by even more kisses and Aiden holding him. It was just the right amount of tenderness and passion.

His legs wrapped themself round Aiden’s hips as soon as he got the memo to lay down and pressed their bodies together. Not only his subconscious was still hanging onto their exchange down in the pub and was apparently fully intending to put words into actions, having given it too many thoughts until now.

He had to admit that he was kind of expecting for Marcus to be more bossy when he was drunk but he wasn’t going to complain when he could make himself comfortable on top of the man’s broad frame, claiming kiss after kiss. As soon as the legs wrapped around him, Aiden gave in putting his entire weight down on Marcus. It wasn’t like he was heavy and he was sure Marcus’ broad frame would be able to hold him with no issue.

“I’m kind of madly into you,” he whispered against his lips, hands slipping up to cup his cheeks as he let his tongue stick out again to gently lick over his lips. When he had done it earlier they had both been more sober than they were right now. Aiden had only had a few sips of the vodka but it was strong and had gone straight to his head because he hadn’t eaten much that day. He was definitely more sober than his boyfriend but not by much. He licked over his lips again with a small laugh before he took his bottom lip between his teeth, sucking on it lightly before pulling away, relishing in the way that the man’s lip now looked slightly swollen. “Madly.”

[aidenmcgill]

charlesamcgill​:

The silence before aiden answered his follow-up question spoke volumes. It was not what his son was expecting and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. They hadn’t talked about her for a while, what Aiden felt about the situation now was unclear. Charlie could only base his knowledge from before. Which logically applied to Aiden as well. What he could say for certain for the moment was that her behavior on her son’s birthday made him angry. Let his disappointment in her rise. Why put Aiden through that emotional turmoil intentionally? She couldn’t claim that she had no idea what that would do to the boy. On his birthday no less.

Maybe that was what it was in the end: intention to hurt. To ruin.

Charlie swallowed heavily, his own feelings about her threatening to overwhelm him. “I’m sorry, kiddo. I would love to explain her behavior but it’s beyond me at this point,” Charlie said after he had picked up the plates and carried them over to the table. His hand found the juncture between Aiden’s shoulder and neck and squeezed gently, a promise of physical comfort if Aiden needed it. “Pancakes and waffles. Some with chocolate chips in them. I just couldn’t resist”.

Aiden leaned into the hand on his shoulder for a few seconds before he decided to just fully slump against his dad, resting against his side in what can only be described as awkward considering Charlie was stood whilst he was sat at the table. “Chocolate chips are pretty great so I can’t blame you,” he answered, letting out a little laugh to show him that he was okay, that he just needed a little bit to get over what had happened that morning. He wasn’t going to let it ruin his dad because he got to chill out with his hero all morning and then got to spend time with Marcus too before the meal on the night that both men were invited to. Not that either of them knew they were invited, he was just going to tell them that they’re having a take away party and everyone would have to deal and get along. He should probably mention said idea to his dad soon though, considering they would be coming here to eat. 

“You’re like... the best dad, you know that right?” He said a moment later when he had a mountain of pancakes and waffles in front of him.

[aidenmcgill]

charlesamcgill​:

Charlie had been in birthday mode since the beginning of the week. He had taken the day off in advance, despite being almost one hundred percent sure that he wouldn’t get the full day with Aiden. Not when a certain too tall, scruffy pub owner was involved. It was fine. Honestly. Charlie didn’t want to feel anything negative towards Marcus. He had no reason to. But at the same time, he guessed, it was normal for a parent to feel some sort of way when their sick child started dating someone. Anyone. To feel overprotective. 

Charlie had also picked Aiden’s birthday presents up this morning and thinking about that thankfully gave his thoughts a new direction again. One was part of a tradition he had started for Aiden when his love for jewelry and his ailment had reached a new level. A way to keep Aiden connected to Aramore and their ancestors, as well as all the pieces were handmade there.  He had them send to him every year when they had lived in the big city, no matter the cost. Too important the meaning of them.  Aiden had come to expect it so he had added another present to reflect Aiden’s more recent interests. 

Once breakfast was at a point where it was ready to be served, he sent Yaga to wake Aiden up, humming to himself as he prepared the plates. Turning around to smile at his son when he heard him shuffle in, he quickly cut away at the fruit garnish to finish the plates. He cut right through a strawberry instead only to the middle at the mention of his ex-wife, grimacing slightly. He hummed in response at first, to not let too much time pass without one, but also to give himself time to act nonchalant about the initial shock. 

“Tried?”

The hum from his father confused him because that definitely wasn’t what he was expecting. They hadn’t really spoke about his mother since they had came to Aramore, more because Aiden was doing everything he could to avoid it than anything else. He kept his eyes focused on Charlie, even when Yaga came over and rested his head on his knee. After his little breakdown to her voicemail box this morning, he knew that the need to speak about it with him was stronger than before and that at some point it would have to happen, even if it was just to take some of tension out of the air and to move on with their lives. They were okay now, though. They were happy in Aramore, right? Was it really his place to ruin something again? 

“I woke up to her ringing, by the time I got to my phone she’d hung up. I tried to ring her back but she just... hung up. Twice,” he explained, staring at the dog on his knee, gently combing his fingers through the soft fur. “It’s not important I just...” he trailed off with a shrug and sighed before lifting his head, “Are we having pancakes for breakfast?”

[aidenmcgill]

@charlesamcgill​

Aiden made his way slowly down the stairs that morning, hesitating on the bottom step to listen to the sound of his dad cooking away in the kitchen. Yaga was nudging the back of his leg, forcing him down the last step and towards the kitchen, as if he knew that Aiden was going to need some pushing that morning. He didn’t want to start off the day badly because he knew his dad always went to great lengths to make him happy but he also couldn’t lie to him about something like that. He slid into the seat at the table slowly and smiled softly in greeting, waiting for their to be a momentary lull to give him the chance to speak. “Mum... mum tried to call me this morning.”

[aidenmcgill]

Happy Birthday To You - November 12th, Early Morning

Aiden woke to a high pitched whine from the lump of fur curled up next to him on the bed and the sound of his phone ringing, the ringtone in question being one that he hadn’t heard for months. It was enough to make him shoot up into a straight upright position, almost throwing himself out of the bed to reach the culprit of the noise.

He just managed to see the name ‘Mum’ printed across the top of his screen but by the time he had answered and put the phone to his ear she was gone, met with the robotic voice saying the other person had ended the call. His chest heaved and his head swam trying to figure out why she would ring today of all days. Then he glanced to the date on his phone and realised that it was his birthday - he couldn’t believe he’d forgotten considering Marcus and Charlie had both been making a big deal out of what he wanted and what he wanted to do for the day. So much had gone on in the past year that in some ways it didn’t feel right to celebrate. He was the root of the problem in so many ways. In reality he was the whole reason that he was back in Aramore. He didn’t have much to celebrate other than Marcus and they had celebrated for him.

His mother was a whole other issue that he had yet to deal with and he wasn’t sure how to feel about her randomly ringing him out of the blue only to end the call on him. He sat himself down on the chair next to his desk and stared at her contact information. Did he really want to try again and be let down? Maybe he needed to try and then the disappointment would make him finally realise that this was it. His mother didn’t want him just as much as he didn’t need her.

In a moment of bravery he pressed the call button and lifted his phone to his ear. The dial tone had barely rang through once before he went through to voicemail, sending an icy cold through his veins as everything came to a sudden halt. He quickly hung the phone up and stared at the screen for a few minutes longer before he decided that this was something he needed to do. It was now or never and never wasn’t an option.

He pressed the call button again and lifted the phone to his ear, this time the immediate ending to the dial tone didn’t surprise him and instead he waited until he was allowed to speak.

“Hey mum,” he started, throat and lips dry from nerves, “I- I saw you called and I just wanted to check in and make sure you were okay... wherever you are. It’s my birthday today which is probably why you rang anyway... Or I hope that’s why anyway. Dad misses you I think, he’s really good at hiding it but he misses you. We all do. Me, him and Yaga.” He went quiet for a minute, trying to figure out what to say next or whether that was where it should end but, deep down, he knew that he had more to say than that. “I’m sorry for getting in the way, mum. For... not being the easy baby, or the easy kid. For making you feel like the only right thing for you to do was to leave. I never wanted that and I know dad didn’t want you to go either. I thought we were okay. Tat we were all happy and I guess I should have realised something was wrong then maybe it would have just been me moving to Aramore and you and dad could have been happy at home.” Aiden cut himself off again with a sniffle, wiping his free hand over his face. “I just- I’m sorry, mum. For not being enough. Or for being too much. Or just... not being what you wanted. I hope wherever you’ve ended up is better for you and maybe one day down the road we’ll see each other again and fix whatever went wrong. No matter what though... I love you, mum. I love you a lot. Have a- have a good day and... you know how to find me if you need me.”

He pulled the phone away and ended the call, cradling it in his hands as he crumpled, letting his head fall forward, the tears running down the bridge of his nose to slowly drip onto his sweats, turning the light grey dark. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, tears rolling down his face. The only reason he opened his eyes again was because Yaga had made his way over, licking his knuckles before placing his head in his lap. “I’ll be okay, boy,” he whispered, putting his phone on his desk then sliding to the floor, spreading his legs and arms so that the pup could move into the space, resting his head over Aiden’s shoulder so he could cling to him, letting more tears fall now that his comfort was there. This wasn’t how his birthday was meant to start and he was sure that he wasn’t going to be able to hide the fact that his mother had rang from his father when he went downstairs for breakfast but right now he wasn’t focusing on that. He was focusing on the very real emotions he was finally starting to process, bit by bit.

Happy birthday to him, he guessed.