The next day Ayden woke up late. It was already 5 past 1 and he hadn't done anything but sleep. Not that he had much to do today. Or any day for that matter.
He contemplated getting a job, but as always shook off the thought. He wouldn't even know where to start. He really didn't like it when others told him what to do nor was he ambitious enough to start his own thing.
No, for Ayden, time was better wasted just doing whatever the hell he wanted.
Even though he didn't have much of a desire to do anything at all. Life had become a bit dull. The only true friend he had was Gavin and the only thing that still excited him was seeing how many beautiful women he could get with and show off the the others.
Speaking off, maybe he should go to a club tonight?
If only to have some human interaction. And maybe, he wouldn't have to sleep alone.
Plus alcohol did sound like a good way to lift his spirits a bit.
Maybe Gavin would join him this time? He would have to plead with everything he had to convince him. If he said yes, it would be worth it.
But of course he said no. Gavin was visiting his parent for a few days so he wasn't around. Feeling defeated, Ayden dramatically let himself fall onto his apartment floor.
He really didn't want to go with any of the other guys right now. He didn't have the energy to put up with them. They would probably also ask questions about the date and that was the last thing he wanted to talk about.
So he had to go alone. It was something he felt weird about. The prospect of bringing some girl home was a lot less exciting without anyone to see it. It'll had to do.
In the least it would make him feel a bit better about himself again.
He didn't like to admit it, but his date with Maddy had done a number on his confidence.
It was like he was cursed. Lately, he had felt less and less like flirting with beautiful women.
Putting in the effort would cost a great deal of his energy. It made him feel shallow. Exactly like Gavin had always been saying, like that waiter had said.
Ayden didn't understand what was bothering him. Maybe he was missing some real connection in his life? But he had his best friend and dating, he had found, really wasn't his thing. None of the women he had ever brought home made him feel like wanting more.
He thought that maybe he wasn't meeting the right ones. As soon as they showed genuine interest in him they became the most boring people in the world to him.
Gavin once suggested he'd go and try to make more genuine friends, but Ayden didn't really see why he should. The guys he hung out with were good enough. They wouldn't listen to his problems or comfort him, but that's what he had Gavin for.
He had never needed anyone else. The past few weeks seemed to have changed that though. The emptiness had grown and Ayden had caught himself longing for someone to be there with him. That he could rely on. Like a second Gavin, but something more.
Maybe he should get a roommate?
No that would mess up his personal space completely. He wouldn't feel comfortable with sharing it with a stranger. He tried to convince Gavin once to room with him, but he was quick to shoot it down. Gavin lived close to his job and moving in with Ayden would make the drive to work an hour and a half longer. Ayden perfectly understood why he declined, but he still had felt disappointed about it.
He finally managed to pick himself up from the floor and walk towards the kitchen to make some brunch. He had a few hours to kill before going to the club so he decided to go on a quick run to help him get a bit more energized again. Once outside he immediately started running, feeling a lot better when he got into a nice, steady rhythm. But halfway through, running turned into walking. There was a forest nearby he loved to visit. Whilst running there he often stopped to take in everything around him. From the way the light hit the trees to the crisp sound of the leaves that had fallen on the ground. It was calming. A quick break from the busy city.
He breathed in the fresh scent of the pine trees.
When Ayden was a little kid, he would often ask his parents to take him to the woods. He had a vivid imagination as a kid and he would always pretend he was an adventurer discovering some unknown place.
He remembered his father playing different kinds of monsters he would have to fight and his mother laughing at their shenanigans. Ayden was too old for that now and so were his parents. The happy memories were overtaken by a brief sadness. He couldn't help but wish he were a child again. He used to be so happy and full of life and now he was a miserable adult. He put on his headphones to drown out his thoughts and started running again.
His forest walk wouldn't last forever, naturally. And before he knew it, he stood in front of the building where he lived.
I should take someone with me on a walk someday.
Back in his apartment, Ayden decided he would take a shower, eat dinner, maybe watch a movie and then leave for one of the clubs he regularly visited. One of his more standard days.
The club provided him with the much needed human contact he so desired.
Even though he knew the contact was superficial, he didn't mind. Ayden began to look forward to going again. Maybe he should try what Gavin had suggested. See if he can make some real friends. He doubted it, but he could at least try. He was going alone anyway, there was no one to look out for or accidentally leave behind.
Maybe going alone would be great?
Sitting at home, going for a walk or a run and then end the evening with some socializing at a club or bar. It was a routine he loved and he wasn't planning on changing it any time soon.
Nevertheless, there was this small voice in the back of his mind again. It was questioning why he kept doing this when it never truly fulfilled him. Ayden decided to ignore the voice as alway and to just get ready. It would be a long night.
~^~
The club was busy enough. People dancing, talking and drinking.
Ayden was standing on the side observing others. Trying to find someone who he could talk to. It wasn't so easy without the guys hyping him up and pointing out conveniently attractive women.
He had tried to just make some friends, but the first guy he approached had looked as if he wanted to punch him in the face. Not a great success. So he decided to just stick to women again.
Ayden looked around again. The music sucked, everyone was sweaty and smelled like alcohol and there was almost no room to breathe. A real nightmare for anyone who was sober. Ayden loved it. He loved becoming part of the mass and turning off his brain for the night. God, he needed a drink.
He slowly made his way to the bar. Shoving aside a multitude of people on his way. No one really cared much and if they did, they would have forgotten about him as soon as he was out of sight. After a lot of "excuse me's" and "pardons" he finally reached his destination.
"What can i get you?"
A strong looking women with red dyed hair asked. Her muscles were bigger than those of most of the guys here and he would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed.
The woman looked to be in her thirties and she gave off the impression of having had to deal with tons of difficult situations and annoying people. Ayden had no doubt that she would know how to handle every single one of them.
"Three tequila shots please."
"Looking to get drunk?" The bartender smiled at him amused.
"Indeed i am." Ayden answered.
The faster he would get drunk, the better this night would be right?
Ayden had kept ordering shots, but the bartender eventually had refused to give him any more and just served him water. This saddened him greatly so he resorted to stealing drinks from others. Not the best idea he had ever had.
Two hours later he had been slapped in the face multiple times, danced with multiple women and almost got thrown out for throwing up on some guy who then tried to start a fight. Luckily for Ayden, the guy had mistook him for someone else and was currently being asked by the staff to leave whilst he slipped away.
He ended up in the bathroom, splashing water into his face.
It had dawned on him that this hadn't been a good idea at all. Yes, he didn't have to look out for anyone, but there was also no one to lookout for him. He was really starting to feel sick.
He stumbled out of the bathroom and clumsily made his way to the exit. The world around him was moving too fast. The music was too loud. He needed to get some fresh air.
Before he could escape a women latched on to his arm.
"Hey love, where are you going so alone? Someone as handsome as you should have a women to keep him company." She smirked. Her words were a bit slurred and it was clear she was also drunk. Likely not noticing how bad Ayden was feeling at the moment.
He shrugged her off. Any other day he would have taken her home, but now he could barely think about anything other than getting out.
"Get away from me lady. I don't wanna….no time."
He didn't know if she had actually understood anything he said, but he kept pushing forward. Luckily she seemed to have taken the hint and didn't follow him.
Finally he got to the exit. The soft night air gave him space to breathe properly. The world around him was still dancing, but his mind got a little more clear.
How was he supposed to get home? He had driven to the club, which admittedly was a very badly thought out move, and now he was stuck here.
Maybe he could call an uber or something?
Ayden took his phone from the inner pocket of his jacket. Thank god no one stole it.
He tried turning it on, but the screen stayed black.
Shit.
He had forgotten to charge it.
There was really only one option left now.
He would have to walk. It wasn't a huge problem luckily. He could do a twenty minute walk easily- when he was sober. His drunk mind would make this a lot more difficult, but like hell he would sleep somewhere on the cold, hard ground.
Determined to get home he started walking. Ayden was positive he knew the way well enough, but as time went on it became harder and harder to make out his surroundings. It was late, there weren't many people out on the streets and his tiredness threatened to overtake him. His walk became sluggish and he had bumped into at least three street lanterns. He also failed to notice a biker who was cycling his way.
His mind took a bit to long to take in the headlight of the bicycle and the person on it screaming "watch out!"
He just stood there and stared as he tried to catch up with what was happening.
Before he knew it, he was sitting half on top of a bicycle, squinting to try and see anything.
"Thank god i saw you in time to slow down. What were you thinking!? Just standing in the middle of the path."
The guy was making a fuss. His words didn't quite reach Ayden, who took a few steps back and squinted again, trying to make out this guys face.
There was something familiar about it.
"Are you okay? Oh lord, you are really drunk. I can smell you from here. Did you get lost or something?"
"Kinda." Was all Ayden could muster up.
"Wait a second, i know you. You are terrible date guy! I see you took your loss well."
The man started smirking as if he knew something Ayden didn't. He found it annoying.
"It's Ayden, you got my name wrong. Who even are you?"
"Jay, your savior. And I'm probably about to save you again. Did you go out alone?"
Ayden blinked a couple of times.
"Waiter dude? Yeah, I remember u. You have very shiny hair."
"Oh wow, not what I expected, but alright", Jay shrugged, "so, are you alone or not?"
"You trynna kidnap me or something? That's weird man. I'm not gonna be easy to kidnap. I have arms that can do some painful stuff."
Ayden messily took on a fighting stance and glared at the other man. Jay didn't look impressed at all and rolled his eyes in response.
"I'm not trying to kidnap you, don't worry. Just tell me your address so i can drop you off at your home."
Aydens body relaxed. He had a way home! This was a miracle! Well, if Jay wasn't secretly a murderer or something. He decided to take his chances and told the other his address.
"Alright, i think i know where that it. You have to hold on tight, otherwise you may fall off in this state."
"Yeah yeah, i know how to sit, stupid."
Ayden climbed on and Jay took off.
"Put your arms around me."
"So little faith." Ayden muttered, but he complied. It was surprisingly pleasant. Jay was like a huge pillow that radiates warmth. The thought made him smile. Finally some rest.
He relaxed into Jay as his eyes started to fall shut. The wind caressed his face and his sleepy brain found it all very relaxing despite his slightly uncomfortable seat.
He slowly dozed off.
"Hey!"
Aydens eyes shot open and he warily looked around. His arms automatically tightened their grip on Jay's body.
"Whats going on?"
"You were about to fall asleep, i think. Can't have you making us crash into something."
"Oh….yeah…makes sense."
Ayden leaned his head against Jays back again and made an effort to keep his eyes open and his mind awake. There weren't many thoughts going through him. He just waited until they arrived home. The night air helped to sober him up a little, but his tiredness didn't leave.
"You okay back there?"
A bit of concern seeped through Jays words. Ayden liked it. It made him feel cared for, even though they didn't know each other very well. He couldn't help but smile a little.
"Im all good, shiny hair."
"Do you call me that because you can't remember my name or because you're one of those people that likes to give nicknames?"
"…..maybe."
Jay shook his head a little.
"Maybe to what?"
Ayden could hear him smiling. Jay didn't seem like the type to be offended by someone forgetting his name. Ayden remembered though, but he wasn't about to admit that he did.
"Maybe to both."
"Alright, well we are almost there, i think. Help me out a little."
Ayden peered into the darkness and made out some familiar buildings.
"To the left, past that tree."
Jay hummed and continued on to Aydens apartment. A few minutes later they stopped in front of a building.
"Is this it?" Jay turned to Ayden.
"Yeah." He clumsily got of the bike. Ayden really tried to walk, but as soon as his feet hit the ground he immediately stumbled. Jay chuckled and shook his head.
"Don't laugh at me. I can walk, i swear. Hey! Where are you going?" Ayden felt a bit of panick well up when he saw Jay had slowly started to walk away.
"Don't worry, I'm just putting my bike away so i can help you to your room."
"I don't need the help of some shiny waiter." Ayden huffed and turned his head away.
"Shall i go then?"
"…..no."
Jay put his bike against the building and walked back to Ayden.
A bit begrudgingly, Ayden let Jay help him up and walk him to the door.
"Got a key?"
"Yes, but you ain't getting it."
Jay shook his head as Ayden did his best to open the door. Somehow he managed and he felt a slight satisfaction when he saw the impressed look on the others face.
Warm air welcomed them like a blanket. The colder night air hadn't been unpleasant, but no one was complaining about the change.
Together they managed to climb the stairs and find the right apartment.
"Alright, well i think i should go-"
"No," Ayden interrupted him,"you gotta come in to make sure there is no kidnappers."
"I thought i was the kidnapper?" Jay smirked.
"Not anymore, you just want to steal my keys." Ayden squinted his eyes at him.
"Fine, ill check if there are no kidnappers and then I'll leave. Is that okay?"
Ayden smiled brightly at Jay and turned around again to try and open his apartment door. He failed to notice the slight blush that had crept up on Jay's cheeks. It could've been the temperature difference. Who knows.
The key clicked into the slot.
Finally, finally Ayden was home. It felt good to be back. Jay walked into the room, taking in how surprisingly neat it was. It wasn't packed with all kinds of random things, but it was cozy enough to make it feel like someones home. It was a really nice apartment and Jay caught himself thinking that he wouldn't mind living here. He turned back to Ayden.
"Well, i don't see any kidnappers. So if you go to your bed, I'll prepare a glass of water for you if that's okay. Do you have aspirins somewhere?"
"Yes, euh," Ayden paused for bit,"second drawer, there."
He pointed towards the kitchen and started walking towards a door on the right side of the room. The directions had been a bit vague, but Jay could manage.
He walked towards the kitchen and started looking for the glasses. There wasn't much of anything in the kitchen. It made sense, Ayden seemed to live alone. After checking a few cabinets Jay found the glasses. He took one, turned on the tab and quickly checked the temperature of the water. It was cold, good. He filled up the glass and started looking through the drawer. It felt a bit invasive, but Ayden would probably be a lot happier in the morning if he didn't have to leave his bed and get it himself.
Jay opened the second drawer from the left, but didn't find any aspirin.
"From the right then maybe." He mumbled to himself. The first thing he saw when he opened the drawer were indeed the aspirins. He took a half used strip, picked up the glass and made his way to the room where he had seen Ayden walk into.
Jay carefully opened the door.
"Ayden? Are you asleep?"
No response.
Jay stepped into the room and walked over to him as quietly as he could. Ayden was spread out on his bed. He seemed to have managed to take off his shoes, but not much else. Jay set down the glass and the strip of aspirins on the nightstand. This must have been the weirdest way he ever ended up in someones bedroom. Picking up a random drunk guy you met once at work wasn't an everyday occurrence.
Normally, Jay wouldn't even think about doing it. But something about Ayden had pulled him in. He felt oddly sorry for the guy. There was a quiet loneliness surrounding him. Even if he was kind of an asshole.
Jay shook his head and looked at the sleeping man one last time. Soft snores filled the room. It was peaceful. He almost felt like staying. Just to make sure he would be okay, but that would be very weird. The guy probably wouldn't even remember him in the morning and get a heart attack. Besides, he should really go. It was getting very late and Jay felt the tiredness creep up on him now too.
He quickly tiptoed out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He wondered for a second if he should leave a note, but ultimately decided against it. It's not like they were friends after all.
"What a strange night." Jay said to himself as he opened the front door.
Well, not opened, but tried to open. The door seemed stuck.
Jay's eyes widened a bit as he tried again.
Nothing.
Pushing nor pulling worked. It was locked.
"Shit shit shit, this is not good." He started to feel a bit nervous.
Was he really locked in this random apartment of this random guy?
He looked around. Maybe Ayden had dropped the key somewhere? But he found nothing. In his slight desperation, Jay started to search the kitchen and living room as quietly as he could.
Again, nothing. Maybe he should try waking Ayden up then. He must know where the key is. Jay sneaked back into the bed room and softly shook Ayden.
"Hey, wake up. Where is your key, I'm locked in."
Ayden just mumbled something about waiters always stealing keys and then went back to sleep. Jay tried to wake him up again, but Ayden didn't budge. He really had no plans of doing anything other than sleeping.
Jay let out a deep sigh and held his face in his hands. What did he get himself into? He walked back to the door to try one last time, as if it would magically open for him. Of course it didn't. He really had to stay here until Ayden woke up. Jay thought about the possibility of Ayden deliberately hiding the key, but he couldn't come up with a reason for why. He closed his eyes and felt his body getting heavy. He needed some sleep too. A bed sounded good, but there was no way he could climb in Aydens bed without looking and feeling like some pervert. The couch would have to do.
Jay laid down on the couch under a thin blanket he found whilst searching for the key. It was more comfortable than he had thought and his eyelids started to get heavy. He hoped Ayden wouldn't throw him out before he had a chance to wake up properly. Or explain why he was on the couch in the first place. Sleep overtook him quickly after those thoughts.