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“Why do you taste like chocolate?” Aaron leaned back slightly to look at Eric, guessing at the answer already but wanting to hear it anyway.
Eric smiled slyly, “Carol brought us a plate of brownies. She wanted to pass along a message to Daryl when you got back. Is he in the garage?”
“I think so, he was going to check something on the bike before heading home.” They stepped apart and he removed his jacket as Eric hobbled over to the door to the garage. “I hope it wasn’t a problem that she needed him for.”
It was fishing for more information, but he couldn’t help his curiosity, and Eric only grinned before opening the door and shouting at Daryl over the noise he was making with the bike. “Carol wants you home for dinner tonight; she said she was making something special.”
A sharp clang sounded as Daryl dropped a wrench, and he turned with a scowl. He bit off whatever he was going to say when he saw Aaron standing just past Eric’s shoulder though, “Fine.”
“You can always come back later, if you want.” Eric shrugged, calm, “I’m just passing on the message she left for you, not kicking you out.” Daryl seemed to take that at face value, but there was a tone in Eric’s voice that made Aaron a little uncomfortable. The door was closed again, before Daryl had gone, and they were quiet for a few moments.
“I’m going to get cleaned up first, and then do you want help with dinner?” There was a sudden feeling that something was wrong, and he wasn’t sure what it was, but it made him nervous. Aaron watched Eric carefully, looking for any sign that what he was feeling was just paranoia or over-reaction.
Eric only nodded though, not giving anything away. “Sure, that would be great. I put clean towels out for you and I can take care of your boots if you’d like.”
“I can do that later. They really aren’t so bad today. Barely got out of the car this time.” Aaron shrugged, “I won’t be long.” He almost reached out to touch Eric again as they passed in the hall, but stopped himself.
He swallowed back his unease until he was finished cleaning up and changing into something more comfortable. They had been falling back into old patterns; ones they had before the world fell apart and they had been working different hours. Now that Eric was staying in Alexandria, instead of going out on the recruiting trips, he was taking care of the house and household chores more and more on his own. Aaron tried to do his part, and always made sure to pick up after himself when he could. He examined that thought for a moment, wondering if his kernel of guilt about not helping as much was at the heart of his current feeling of unease. It didn’t quite fit though.
Eric was in the kitchen when he went back downstairs, already putting something together for their meal. There were several vegetables laid out on the counter, from their own small plot in the backyard and from the community garden, and he grabbed a second cutting board to start helping. “Any special instructions?”
“Nope, I was just thinking stir-fry. The rice is steaming, and this won’t take long to cook.” That tone was still present and Aaron frowned, but started chopping. They worked in silence for several minutes before he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Is there something wrong? Ever since you relayed the message to Daryl, you’ve sounded different. Did he say something to upset you earlier?”
“No, he didn’t say or do anything. It isn’t Daryl, or it isn’t Daryl’s fault anyway.” Eric was quiet, and his movements stiff with tension.
“Is it my fault, whatever it is?”
Eric huffed softly, “No.” He set the carrots aside, “I’m sorry. I don’t want to take out my mood on you, it isn’t your fault. It’s just-“ He turned slightly so he could look directly at Aaron, “I forgot what some of our neighbors in Alexandria were like; the gossip, the cruel little digs at others, pretending that they aren’t overheard when I’m standing nearby. When I was out there with you I forgot how bitchy the people here can get, and how easily they forget about the real problems so they can focus on all of the drama they create instead.”
Aaron nodded, coming to understand the reason for Eric’s mood. “I remember the things they used to say. Still as bad? What did they say?”
“Still as bad, but in different ways.” He sighed, and picked up an onion to start slicing, “I was out with Carol this morning; she was helping me get these from the garden and with the weeding. While we were out in the yard we overheard someone, I think you can guess which neighbor, speculating about what you and Daryl are doing outside of the walls.”
“I’m going to guess that they didn’t mean the recruiting.” Aaron doesn’t even know what to say to that. He likes Daryl, but only as a friend. The man was about as sexual as his bow.
Eric shook his head, staring at the onion slices, “Carol thought that it was funny at first. She knows him better than anyone, I’d bet, but I think she understood the reason they were saying it where I would hear it and then she got mad. Hence the brownies she brought over later.”
“You know that it’s ridiculous, right? I would never do anything to hurt you like that. I love you.” Aaron paused, hoping that the tearing up was a result of the onion, “I’m not with you because we don’t have other options. I don’t need other options. What we have together is the most valuable thing I have to hold onto and it’s because of you.”
“I know, and I feel the same. I love you too.” Eric glanced away for a second, “I just forgot how hurtful it was to hear my fears repeated by others. My mother always said that I would never have a lasting relationship because monogamy didn’t work for gay men, and that’s what they were implying today. The only upside was finding out that Carol was a friend who would be upset on my behalf. I have the feeling that if someone says something near her, about any of her friends, they might get more of a reaction than they bargained.”
He sniffled and wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. “I know I shouldn’t take it out on Daryl, it wasn’t his fault. It just kind of hit me when I looked at him in the garage. It’s good that he’s comfortable here, and that you can trust each other, but it’s hard to let go too.”
Aaron moved the sliced onion aside, and brushed his thumb across Eric’s still moist cheek. “I understand. I worry about you here by yourself; Rick showed us that even our walls aren’t enough to save us all the time. I know you can defend yourself, but it doesn’t hurt to spend time with people like Carol, and I’ll bet Daryl didn’t even notice anything was wrong. Their group seems to be a better quality of person than our neighbors, right?”
“Absolutely.” He started to turn back to his cutting board and Aaron stopped him, tilting his chin up to kiss him.
“I know it’s hard not to let them get to you, but we’re adhesive and you’re stuck with me forever.” It was a dumb joke, but it still made Eric smile.
“Like glue.” He grabbed the next vegetable, as soon as he was released again, and restarted the dinner prep.
Aaron watched for a moment, nodding, “Like glue.”