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Being a Pilgrim who didn’t drink was like being an Irish person that doesn’t like potatoes. The one thing to motivate most Pilgrims after spending each and every day living through absolute hell was the prospect of getting to escape reality through alcohol. However, for Aiden, the thing motivating him the entire time had been finding his sister. And in reality, he just…didn’t like alcohol. It made him feel weird and fuzzy, and say things that were better off unsaid. He’d had a tiny bit of celebratory beer with Spike after the older Pilgrim had hooked him up with his now deceased-informant, Dylan, and even then he found himself feeling dizzy and queasy once he set off to the radio tower.
Fortunately, the entire time he’d been in Villedor, he’d been able to avoid the prospect of drinking by claiming that he was too focused on his mission in order to have any alcohol. Now, however, he did not have that excuse, and he was desperately searching for one.
Lawan dragged him through the Fish Eye tavern as he struggled to break away. “Aiden, c’mon, it’ll be fun!”
“Lawan..” Aiden sighed. “I really don’t like drinking. I want to focus on my mission.”
Lawan frowned. “Focus on what? We have days worth of downtime while waiting for Jack Matt’s next orders. Relax a little! You haven’t done anything fun since you arrived here.”
Lawan flagged over the new bartender Frank had hired after she quit her part-time bartending job due to becoming a Nightrunner. “Hey Nik, can I have a couple shots of vodka?”
“And I’ll have a beer as well.” A smooth, french voice quipped from behind the bartender, Nikolas.
Lawan scowled, her face dropping as soon as she saw Hakon in front of her. “Ugh, it’s you.”
“Glad as ever to see me, aren’t you?” Hakon grinned, his eyes lighting up as he saw Aiden. “And I see you’re dragging Aiden around with you too, huh?”
Aiden sighed in relief. Thank fucking god, he thought. Hakon was like a saviour descending from the heavens, freeing him from the sin of drunkenness. If he couldn't convince Lawan to let him go, Hakon definitely could.
Hakon walked around the table to where Aiden was sitting. He pulled up a chair, manspreading in it before slinging an arm around Aiden. Aiden's heart beat faster whenever Hakon was near, and now it was going a mile a minute with him so close.
"Finally gonna join us for some fun, huh, Pilgrim?" Hakon asked, his face way too close to Aiden's and the Pilgrim desperately hoped that his face wasn't noticeably turning red as it burned up.
"C'mon, Hakon." Aiden pleaded. "I thought you'd help me get out of this.."
Hakon grinned. It was hot when Aiden begged. "No way. You should let loose for once."
Across the table from them, Lawan frowned. "I never said you could join us, Hakon." She said, spitting out his name like it was something poisonous.
Hakon only grinned more. "Well, I invited myself. Beside, Aiden wants me here, doesn't he?"
Now it was Aiden's turn to frown. "Hakon, seriously?"
Thankfully for Hakon, at that moment, Nikolas came back with their drinks, setting down two tiny glasses full of clear liquid and a cup of beer.
"That's… all?" Aiden questioned, looking at the tiny glasses.
Lawan laughed. "Of course it is. Now drink up!" She said cheerfully, pushing a glass towards him.
"Lawan.." Hakon said, almost as a warning, but Lawan brushed him off.
"C'mon, don't be a party pooper." She pouted, grabbing her glass. "Cheers, Aiden." She clinked their glasses together before they both downed their shots.
Aiden coughed, the liquid burning his throat. He regretted drinking it all at once as his mouth felt like it was on fire. "Lawan… holy shit… what was that..?" He sputtered.
Lawan just laughed again. "That, my friend, was true alcohol."
Aiden just coughed again, Hakon turning towards him. "Are you okay, kiddo?" He asked. Aiden nodded, but his eyes were tearing up. This kid would rather die than admit he's not okay . Hakon thought. He flagged down Nikolas again, asking him for a cup of water. "Here Aiden, drink this."
Aiden gratefully took the cup of water, drowning it in one gulp. At the same time, Hakon rested a comforting hand across his shoulders, squeezing his biceps. "Thank you, Hakon." He said gratefully. Sure, the road he and Hakon had traversed together had been rocky and bumpy, but Hakon truly cared for him, and he showed it in moments like these. He was eternally in debt to him, and he probably wouldn't have lasted even 10 minutes in Villedor without Hakon's aid. Hakon was something he'd never truly had, a friend. Something about their relationship seemed to run even deeper than that, with Aiden's heart picking up every time he saw the other…
"Aiden, are you okay?" Hakon questioned. "Your face is red."
Aiden cursed internally for slipping up and letting his feelings show. "Yeah.. I'm fine. I just feel a bit.. fuzzy?" He wasn't lying then, his vision seemed duller around the edges and the world seemed to be spinning more than usual. Not to mention the pounding headache he had. "Is this what being drunk is like? It fucking sucks."
"Pretty much, kiddo." As Hakon spoke, Aiden leaned closer into his touch as his body seemed to melt like jello, resting his head on Hakon's shoulder and closing his eyes.
Lawan gagged. "Ugh, other people are here, you know." She squished her nose at the two men in front of her. "Why don't you two just make out already, honestly.."
Aiden's body felt like it was slipping away, and his mind was weightless, like it was encouraging him to say all the things he normally kept locked up inside. "Why not?" He slurred.
Lawan just rolled her eyes, and now it was Hakon's turn to feel his face burn up. Fuck, was the kid that drunk already? He was painfully aware of the feeling of his heart in his chest. God, he couldn't just play with his feelings like that. Not when the Pilgrim was so… Words ran through his mind: helpful, kind, loving, thoughtful, pretty, cute, hot… kissable. Fuck. Hakon groaned. Do I seriously have a crush on this kid? Wanting desperately to move on from his realisation, punctuated by the man currently snuggling into his hold, Hakon tried to move the subject along. "Aiden, for god's sake, you're hammered. Let me bring you home."
Aiden nodded, as Lawan sighed in annoyance. "This sucked." She complained. Hakon just shrugged, helping the Pilgrim to his feet. By this point, the sun had started to creep through the clouds, and the infected on the streets were retreating from its harsh gaze, making it easier for them to traverse home.
"Let's just go to my place, okay?" Hakon said, supporting Aiden as he pushed them out through the door.
By the time they'd made it back, the sun had completely risen and was scorching down on them. Even though Aiden was completely out of it, he was still a fucking incredible fighter, dodging zombies with impressive ease considering how drunk he was. Hakon clenched his fists. How was this kid so goddamn attractive…?? He ushered them both inside, where Aiden immediately collapsed on his bed in misery.
"I'm gonna make us some food." Hakon announced, trying to busy himself to distract him from his thoughts.
Aiden frowned. "Hakon…" He pouted, ushering him over. Hakon came as he was called, folding immediately to the Pilgrim's will. "It was nice when you held me.." His words were a request, and Hakon gently took Aiden in his arms, resting his head against his shoulders. Aiden leaned in, wrapping his legs around Hakon's back, and Hakon panicked.. there was no way he couldn't feel Hakon's heart pounding, or…
"Aren't you gonna kiss me?" Aiden asked. Hakon froze.
"What?" He almost yelled.
Aiden pushed him onto his back, Hakon melting under his touch. The Pilgrim towered over him, his hands holding Hakon still, their faces mere inches apart. "Hakon..." He whispered, his voice dripping with booze and lust. Hakon could listen to it forever.
Hakon's face had to be blood red by now. "Aiden.. no.." He whispered, begging that Aiden wouldn't remember this in the morning. "I've wanted this for so long, and now it's only happening because you're drunk." His eyes filled with tears, threatening to spill down his cheeks.
Aiden's face dropped, and his eyes widened. His grip on Hakon relaxed, and he backed away, sitting up and leaving Hakon lying stupidly on the bed. Fuck, did I ruin this? Hakon berated himself, sitting up to match Aiden's gaze again. I still want this, even if he's drunk. Even if… it doesn't mean anything.
Aiden's gorgeous features softened, his eyes sparkling with something Hakon never thought would be directed at him again. "Hakon.." His voice cracked, his eyes briefly moving to Hakon's lips. "I.. I can only say this because I'm drunk and my mind feels free but it's still so, so hard because it feels like the world will end if you don't feel the same but…" He moved back closer to Hakon, closing his eyes. "I.. I love you, I really fucking love you, and I still love you when I'm sober and I still love you after everything that's happened because… because…" He stumbled over his words. "You're you. You're Hakon. How could I not love you?" Aidens eyes were still closed, like he was begging, praying for Hakon to feel the same.
Hakon's heart exploded into fireworks and jumped into his throat and his face burned red and his mind went blank. He gently placed a shaking hand on Aiden's cheek, before pulling him in, closing the distance between them, giving him the kiss he oh so desired. They fell down onto the bed, their kiss sloppy but loving, their tongues exploring each other's mouths, Aiden gently moaning into his lips as Hakon's hands explored his body, tugging on his hair and touching his arms and moving up his shirt to touch his bare back, Aiden trying to do the same while being absolutely hammered. After what was either seconds or hours, Hakon gently pulled away to breathe, whispering into the bright new morning, finally confessing, "I love you too, Aiden."
And he kissed his Pilgrim again as the morning sun bathed them both in its light, and as they built the world together, anew, fresh with the hope of their love and the rest of their lives laid out in front of them, forever together, and suddenly Hakon's dream of living by the beach felt so real and attainable, because what couldn't he do without Aiden by his side? His Aiden. The Aiden that he loved and that loved him. And so he said it again, this time louder, like he wanted the entire world to know. "Aiden Caldwell, my name is Hakon and I fucking love you."