Aiden sighs deeply. His eyes are fixed on the bright lights from the empty street outside. He doesn't remember when was the last time he took the chance to admire the quiet side of the city in peace. During any other night, he would be extremely unsettled trying to find non-existent silhouettes in the darkness.
Unlike then, he feels safe right now. Even with the worries that come and go inside his mind, he feels at ease.
A warm hand is gently placed on top of his to get his attention. Though he doesn't move on the outside, his heart starts pounding more fiercely.
"What are you thinking about?" Graham asks him quietly, afraid of being a little bit too nosy.
"I'm just enjoying this moment." His lips turn to a genuine smile. "I've been so busy lately that I couldn't take a break to actually look at the world around me."
The older man follows his gaze. As he looks through the window of the restaurant, he doesn't understand what exactly is Aiden admiring.
Silence reigns between them until the latter clears his throat and slips his hand from beneath Graham's.
"I'm sorry… We should start revising all the recipes so far."
Aiden nods, looking at the empty plates on the table in front of him. Even though Graham has claimed to like every dish he tasted, he has actually given useful feedback. Plus, he has insisted on paying for everything and hasn't accepted a no as an answer.
Of all the recipes he's prepared, Aiden has only three left in mind. A sigh escapes his lips when he realizes all the extra work he's been doing. It would be a waste if nothing came out of it.
"Which one tasted the best?"
Graham checks his notes even though he already knows the answer.
"All of them were delicious, but I must pick the garlic and artichoke stuffed salmon."
"Really? Most of my co-workers also chose that one, including my boss", the chef comments with relief, feeling the weight on his shoulders get lighter. "Is it really that good?"
"Of course it is!" He replies after rolling his eyes. "Why do you doubt yourself?"
Aiden shrugs, looking straight into the brown eyes that tend to boost him with energy every time they meet.
"I'll be competing with hundreds of professionals. Isn't it natural to not believe that someone as young as me can be in the top five?"
"I guess it's natural, but I'm one hundred percent sure that you'll get there."
"Thanks again. You've been extremely helpful for the past few days. I don't know how to repay you."
"I've told you there's no need to give me anything. Tasting these dishes is more than enough", Graham states without mentioning that what he enjoys the most isn't the food, but spending time with Aiden.
"Let's at least open a bottle of whiskey." He stands up and walks towards the kitchen without waiting for an answer from his companion.
"I'll just have a glass, thank you", the older man says with an apologetical smile, not wanting to get too drunk again. "I must go to work early tomorrow."
"If you say so…"
Aiden pours some whiskey in their glasses before placing them on the table along with the bottle.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers."
They take a sip at the same time, smiling right afterwards.
"Don't spill it, please", Aiden warns, also having in mind the images of the first night they met.
"I'm so embarrassed", Graham admits while massaging his temples. "Can we forget about it?"
"Are you talking about that time when I had to lend you my coat and…"
"Don't."
Aiden gives him a playful grin after taking another sip of his beverage.
"I just wanted to make sure that we were talking about that moment when you…"
"Stop. Seriously", Graham pleads with an uncomfortable chuckle. "Don't make me spill this whiskey all over you and leave."
Try me, Aiden thinks, but hasn't drunk enough to say it out loud. Instead, he empties his glass slowly and fills it again with the liquid inside the bottle.
"I'll be the one getting wasted today, then."
Graham gives him a worried look, not knowing if that is a good idea.
"You also have to work tomorrow, so no more alcohol for you either."
Though Aiden doesn't agree with him, he lets him take away the bottle of whiskey from his hand and quickly empties his glass again.
"You're such a killjoy."
"Tell me more."
The red-haired man pouts as Graham completely dismisses the conversation to check his phone. Though he understands it may be something important, he can't help but feel sulky.
"You're also kinda annoying when you're with your phone and don't pay attention", he mutters without thinking much about it.
Graham's brown eyes look up from the screen. No matter how hard he tries, he can't read his companion's expression nor the feelings behind it. Still, he decides to lock his phone and save it in his coat's pocket until he leaves the restaurant.
"Don't you have anything nice to say?" He asks, wanting to know if these comments are all a joke or if they're actually serious.
Aiden leans over the table, which causes Graham to lean back on his chair due to the sudden proximity. His eyes unconsciously lower as Aiden bites his lower lip.
Both men feel like three glasses of whiskey is more than enough to numb their minds because all they can see is each other.
The chef takes his time, not daring to reply with the first thing that comes to his mind.
Your eyes are fun to get lost in.
Your smile makes me dizzier than any alcoholic beverage.
You look cute when you're embarrassed.
I wish I could stay like this forever.
But I shouldn't have let you in my heart too easily.
After what feels like an eternity, Aiden finally finds a decent response that doesn't involve confessing his tangled emotions.
"You're a really good friend."
Graham leans his head to the side. He wanted to close the gap between them so badly yet he thought it wasn't the correct thing to do. Aiden's reply just confirms that it was indeed a horrible idea.
"A good friend. You took all that time to say that?"
Aiden shrugs while leaning back on his chair, looking away from the other male to stop the mess in his head and the heat in his heart.
"Not just a good friend", he corrects with a chuckle. "A really good friend."
"Oh my god, you got drunk faster than me."
"At least my clothes are still clean."
"Aiden!"
Before the older one gets to reprimand him, Aiden has already gotten up and walked to the kitchen with all the empty plates in hand.
"What are you doing?" Graham follows him closely with the couple of glasses in one hand and the bottle of whiskey in the other. "Let me help."
"Don't worry. I'm not that drunk."
"I don't care. Sit down over there while I clean everything up. I'll take you home when I'm done. You're not driving in that state."
Knowing that there's no way he can convince the older one that he's fine, he accepts the offer.
"I'm not driving in any state. I don't have a car."
"Do you take a taxi every night?"
"Yes, it's part of my salary. Plus, I don't live too far away from here."
"Fair point", Graham admits while rolling up his sleeves to wash the dishes.
Aiden looks at him with curiosity, wondering how many times Larson has washed his own dishes.
"I'll punch you if I see even a single stain in that cutlery", he jokes.
"Trust me. I'll leave them flawless, now go sit down and continue enjoying the night."
Aiden obeys and sits back down by the table they were occupying previously. This time, however, it doesn't matter how hard he tries to get lost in the silence and peace of the outside, his eyes, mind and soul always drift back to where Graham is.