Aron
I wake up confused and disoriented, in unfamiliar surroundings.
Where’s Emily? Why am I not at home? Why is Matt spooning me?
As I stare at the heavily tattooed arms around me in the late morning light, my mind slowly processes the events of the previous evening.
Emily’s death. Matt saving me, trying to save her …
Matt confessing his love for me.
I shift my weight, trying to get more comfortable, and my ass brushes against Matt’s morning wood. He still snores lightly behind me, so I know he’s not trying anything, but it’s a bit awkward.
With as much care as I can muster, I untangle myself from Matt’s arms and slide out of bed, heading for the bathroom. I have to pee like crazy.
Matt finds me there a few moments later while I drain. I guess I wasn’t as slick as I thought I was when I got up.
“You were gone,” he says.
“Had to pee.”
Then I look over, and the expression on his face rips a hole in my heart.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“You were gone.” He steps into the bathroom and embraces me from behind. I freeze, uncertain what to do with this. I just got up to pee for fuck’s sake. Is he really this upset because I left the bed while he was asleep?
“Matt, dude, can I finish before you start this?”
“I’m not starting anything,” he says, but his lips brush the back of my neck. “You scared me. I wasn’t expecting to wake up in an empty bed. That’s a worse nightmare than anything my subconscious could dream up.”
Shit. If there’s one thing I never expected, it’s for Matt to get emotional like this. His life dictates control and hardness; he can’t be vulnerable.
Except here, I guess. It’s just the two of us, with no one else to witness his weakness.
I give myself a couple of shakes then stuff the lizard back in my sweats. To my relief, Matt doesn’t offer to help with anything. That could make the awkwardness even worse.
Once everything’s back where it belongs, I turn around in Matt’s arms and return the hug. Hugging Matt has always been natural, but now it seems a bit strained. I still don’t know what to do now that we’re being open with each other. Do I kiss him? Stroke his back? What does he want out of this embrace?
“I made it weird, didn’t I?”
I chuckle and give Matt a squeeze and a few pats on the back before letting go. “A little. But it’s okay. You also caught me before my coffee, so to be fair, I’m not functioning on all cylinders just yet.”
“Coffee!” Matt releases me and whips around. “To the kitchen!”
Ten minutes later, I meet Matt in the kitchen. We’re both dressed in jeans and tees, clothes that were already stocked in the panic … mansion?
Eggs and bacon sizzle in separate pans on the stove, and the oven timer dings, indicating even more food is ready. Matt pulls out a cookie sheet filled with hash browns, and my mouth waters.
“You realize you’re only cooking for two here, Matt? That’s enough food to feed the entire Syndicate.”
I realize my gaffe a second too late. Matt stiffens, but when he turns away from the stove, his face is set with a pleasant smile. “I could make two bagels and have enough food to feed the entire remaining Syndicate, Aron. Let me have some fun. Cooking is a safe place for me.”
“You don’t know that, Matt. There could be more survivors out there. Others who made it to safety. You said yourself that you only saw a few Syndicate locations explode.” I take the coffee mug he offers and drink it black, burning my throat on the bitter liquid.
With caffeine coursing through my system, I’m more awake, and sadly, more aware of the events of the previous night, events that cycle through my mind on a horrendous loop.
“So … What do we do now?”
