aidenmcgillâ:
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 heâd 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 hadnât 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. Heâd never actually admitted to feeling like that out loud so he was hoping that his father didnât 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 didnât turn to look at him or offer up an apology. Usually it would be the first thing that he did but he knew that heâd fucked up here and not just for burning the food. Usually he wouldnât 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. Heâd also never almost burned down a house because of absences so this situation was sort of new and he wasnât 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 didnât want to kick start it.
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 didnât offer any words at first. He wasnât sure what he should say. This clearly wasnât like Aiden. Or rather, it wasnât like Aiden in a normal state. Normal Aiden would have used his logical thinking skills and wouldnât 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 didnât 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 didnât 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 didnât want to be that kind of parent that went down that stupid âas long as you stick your feet under my tableâ road, he couldnât say that he wasnât 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 didnât 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.
âWeâre back to hiding it and choosing to hurt yourself then?âÂ
