closed plotted starter for @middlefade
aedan wiped a smear of drywall mud off his forearm with a rag that was more grey than white , his joints popping as he straightened up. his phone had been buzzing against his hip for the last ten minutes , a persistent vibration that usually meant elm was bored in a boardroom or picking a fight over something trivial like the "unacceptable" brand of coffee aedan kept in his kitchen.
when he finally checked the screen , the message was short : meet me at 'the gilded bean' in twenty. wear something that isn't covered in dust. someone special wants to meet you.
“ special. right , ” aedan muttered , shoving the phone back into his pocket. elm lived for the dramatic , for the curated experience. after two months of dating , aedan still wasn't sure if they were actually in love or just locked in a perpetual , high-stakes game of chicken to see who would break first. they were oil and water elm with his bespoke suits and filtered water , and aedan with his calloused palms and a diet consisting mostly of whatever was on sale at the deli.
he didn't have time to go home and change. he did his best to beat the dust out of his jeans , scrubbed his hands until the skin was raw , and hopped in his beat-up truck.
the cafe was one of those places where the chairs looked more like art installations than furniture. aedan felt the familiar prickle of irritation the moment he stepped inside. it smelled like expensive beans and pretension. he spotted elm immediately , looking every bit the shark in a silk tie , but their eyes weren't on aedan. they were fixed on the kid sitting across from them.
“ you’re late , ” elm said by way of greeting , though his tone lacked its usual bite. they looked… excited. that was the first red flag.
“ i have a job , elm. remember ? it involves moving heavy things , not staring at spreadsheets , ” aedan retorted , pulling out a chair that creaked ominously under his weight. he didn't sit yet. he looked at the third person at the table.
he looked like he’d never worked a day in his life. the kid beornmod , apparently had skin that looked like it had been airbrushed and wore a sweater that probably cost more than aedan’s monthly rent. he was young , soft , and currently looking at aedan’s work boots with a faint , twitching curl of their lips.
“ aedan , sit , ” elm urged , gesturing to the kid. “ this is beornmod. he’s in his final year at the university. his father is... well , you’d know the name from the side of the hospital downtown. ”
aedan felt the air in his lungs turn to lead. a nepo baby. perfect. “ hospital , huh ? must be nice to have your future paved in gold before you're even out of diapers , ” he said , his voice dropping into that low , gravelly rasp that elm usually called 'uncouth.'
“ aedan , ” elm warned , their eyes narrowing. “ don't start. beornmod is… special to me. we’ve been talking for a while , and i think he’d be a perfect addition to what we have. ”
aedan froze. he looked from elm’s polished face to the kid’s wide-eyed , slightly smug expression. “ addition ? what is this , a corporate merger ? you’re bringing in a junior partner because i’m too much of a project for you ? ”
beornmod finally spoke , his voice light and airy , like he was discussing the weather rather than a human being’s life. “ elm said you were a bit... rugged. i didn't realize that meant you actually brought the job site with you to lunch. does that scent come in a bottle , or is 'wet cement' just your natural musk ? ”
the blood in aedan’s veins hit a boiling point. he leaned over the table , his grease-stained knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the marble. “ listen here , prince charming. while you’re busy studying 'theory of whatever' on daddy’s dime , guys like me are the reason you have a roof over your head that doesn't leak. i don't do 'additions,' and i certainly don't do them with kids who think manual labor is a personality flaw. ”
“ he’s not a kid , aedan , he’s twenty-one , ” elm snapped , standing up to bridge the gap. “ and he brings a perspective you clearly lack. grace. refinement. maybe if you spent less time being a martyr for the working class , you’d see what i’m trying to do for us. ”
“ for us ? ” aedan laughed , a harsh , jagged sound that made a woman at the next table jump. “ you want a pet , elm. you’ve already got me to argue with , so now you want a shiny new toy to look pretty on your arm when i’m too tired to play dress-up. look at him ! he looks like he’d break if he had to carry his own groceries. ”
beornmod rolled his eyes , leaning back and crossing his legs. “ and you look like you haven't seen a moisturizing cream since the turn of the century. elm , i told you this would be difficult. some people are just… comfortable in the dirt. ”
aedan’s hand shot out , not to strike , but to shove his chair back so hard it clattered against the floor. “ comfortable in the dirt ? you wouldn't know real work if it bit you in your pampered ass. and elm ? if you wanted a throuple , you should’ve asked. but if you think i’m sharing a bed with a silver-spooned brat who looks down on me because i have dirt under my fingernails , you’re more delusional than he is. ”
