38
Aiden
The first thing Aidensaw when he woke up was Darren’s charming smile at eye level. He was crouching by the bed, fully dressed and seeming to have just returned from outside. The dimmed room lights gave his face soft shadows and hid the pretty indigo of his gaze, turning it into that equally captivating midnight hue.
“Hey,” Aiden rasped, his eyes fluttering closed as Darren placed a kiss on his eyelids. “You went out? Is everything okay at the base camp?”
“Yes. They are still working out how to get the cruisers down here, but for the time being the Astero and the Eris are docked by the sinkhole. We’re using shuttles to transport people, equipment and materials.”
Aiden sat up, leaning his back against the headboard. The silk covers slid off his torso, pooling at his lap. “Are the water and plant results in?”
Darren nodded. “Water is drinkable. The plants are not poisonous and technically edible but low on nutrients. But Dr. Hudson is more interested in the soil.”
If the soil had the right components, then they could grow some of their own plants. If it didn’t… well, Aiden was sure the scientists would figure something out. Once the food source was sorted out, they could move onto exploring the planet and maybe building a more permanent settlement than tents.
“That would make sense,” Aiden agreed.
“And also…” Darren trailed off, a boyish smile teasing his lips.
Aiden hitched an eyebrow. “What is it?”
Huffing a chuckle, Darren grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. “Well, if we can grow food here, then we should probably pick a place and build some houses.” He shrugged, the smile only growing. “I was thinking that… maybe you’d be interested in leading the urban and settlement teams.”
Aiden’s heart swelled, goosebumps erupting all over his skin. How did Darren know Aiden was qualified to do that? They’d never really talked about his job before Horizons, and now that he thought about it, he wasn’t quite sure why since he knew about Darren’s background.
Was it because he’d not been ready for it all this time? Because he’s still been hanging onto his past? He felt a little silly about it, but also excited, because the expectant look in Darren’s eyes betrayed more than just hope that he would take the job. There was curiosity there, a wish to hear about Aiden’s passion and… just know more about him.
“I… would love to.” In fact, he’d been toying with the idea of bringing it up when the time was right, of offering to help the architects and builders shape their new home, but this was somehow better. Monumental even, because Darren had not only taken note of Aiden’s passion, but he was giving Aiden the chance to rekindle that spark. “How did you know? That I was an architect. I don’t remember ever bringing it up.”
Darren sat on the bed, not letting go of Aiden’s hand. The mattress dipped, causing the covers to slide down Aiden’s lap even further. “I had a hunch that time in Horizons when you let slip that you helped with the repairs. But when you tried to kill me, I thought maybe that was why. You got involved because you needed access so you could stage the accident. But after we escaped, every time we went somewhere, you’d sometimes space out and just… stare at buildings.” He chuckled, his gaze turning fond and a little nostalgic. “I thought it was random at first, so I started paying attention to what would grab your interest and sort of pieced it together. I did ask Bea eventually though. She confirmed my suspicions.”
Aiden was at a loss for words. In a good way. Perhaps he should’ve been concerned Darren had worked it out just based on observation, but then again, Darren seemed to have a knack for it. At least when it came to him.
“A team is out to scout the area, but they won’t be back until tonight,” Darren continued, rubbing Aiden’s fingers. “I told them to give you the rundown once the findings are in.”
“That’s… fine, but what if I had refused your offer?”
“I didn’t think you would,” Darren challenged, pride lacing his words.
Aiden hummed, the warm feeling in his chest growing stronger. “It’s probably best we use what we brought until we’ve extensively studied the native materials.” He slipped out of Darren’s hold and swiveled sideways, standing up. “So, we’re not needed for now?” he said and stretched, following Darren’s eyes with an over-the-shoulder glance as they roamed his naked body.
“We aren’t needed, no,” Darren answered absently, clearly distracted. He pushed up to his feet and retrieved a pile of folded clothes from the desk, handing them to Aiden.
Unsurprisingly, Aiden found a burgundy silk thong on top of them. The black shirt with the purple lotuses was there, too, and just like always, he pretended he didn’t remember it was Darren’s.
“How many of these do you have exactly?” Aiden held up the sexy underwear, waving it around.
Darren shrugged, pulling on his piercing with his teeth. “I like you in them.”
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Aiden pointed out, trying to sound stern and struggling not to laugh.
The truth was that he didn’t really mind it. He’d gotten used to wearing luxurious underwear and, if he was being honest, he liked the way Darren looked at him whenever he chose to put a pair on. He also liked to pretend he was indifferent to them, though that was hard to maintain when Darren himself seemed to have a preference for wearing them, too. His collection was rather impressive, and that one time Aiden had asked him to wear those sexy purple jockstraps, he’d been more than happy to oblige.
“Enough so you can wear a different pair every day for a while?” Darren offered with an impish spark in his pretty eyes.
“How very thoughtful of you.”
Darren pursed his lips. “I’ve seen the way you leer at my ass, Aiden. Don’t pretend you aren’t reaping the benefits of my superior taste in undergarments.”
