God his head hurt. Ayden scolded himself for drinking too much. He had never felt so shitty and it may not have been purely his hangover.
The curtains were drawn and thank god they were dark enough to barely let any light in. His muscles ached as he stretched out. At least he didn't have to do anything today.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a glass of water accompanied by an aspirin standing on his nightstand. He quickly rolled over to it and downed the water and the tablet immediately. It soothed his sore throat a little, but not enough. He contemplated if it would be worth it to get out of bed now or if he should go back to sleep for a bit. In the end his thirst won and he slowly dragged his aching body out of his bed.
It was very strange though. He didn't remember getting a glass of water for when he woke up. He tried to think back to last night, but his mind was too hazy. It'll come back later, he thought.
Ayden walked out of his room and let out a yawn. It felt like his whole body hated him, feeling all gross and clammy.
"Never doing this again." He mumbled.
Thankfully, the drapes in the living room were also drawn.
He slowly shuffled to his kitchen and took a water bottle from the fridge. He really needed this. The cold, fresh liquid helped clear his mind, but did nothing for his body. He rolled his shoulders and neck as he turned around. Maybe he should go shower.
Before he could do anything though, he noticed a weird shape on his couch. It looked like the shape of a person.
"What in the-?"
Again, he tried to remember what had happened last night. Did he really bring someone home? But why would they be sleeping on the couch then? Did some random person just break in?
Cautiously he approached the shape, which made a small noise and shuffled around a bit.
Ayden was ready to scold the person sleeping on his couch, but came to a halt when he recognized their face.
"The waiter?"
Why would he of all people be laying on his couch?
Ayden didn't have to wonder long as flashes of last night slowly came back to him. Something with a bike and Jay. He was going to bring him home. He was probably also the one who set down the water and aspirin next to his bed. But why was he still here?
Ayden opened his bottle and splashed water on the sleeping man.
"Wha- whats happening?"
Jay shot up immediately, looking around the room with confusion clear on his face.
"I should be asking you that. Why the hell are you sleeping on my couch?"
Jay just blinked at him for a couple of seconds, then stared down at himself and looked back up again.
"Euh, i was locked in." He still looked a bit dazed, but seemed to quickly recover.
"Why the hell did you throw water on me?!"
"Because, this is my couch and you are a random person that doesn't belong on my couch. And can you please not scream? I have a splitting headache."
"You could've just woke me up like a normal person." Jay grumbled as Ayden sat down next to him on the couch.
"Okay, you said you were locked up. How? I don't really remember much to be very honest."
"I'm surprised you haven't thrown me out yet."
"Well, i kind of want to know what happened. Not many other people i can ask, you know. And I remember you helping me get home. If you wanted to kill me, you would've done so already."
Jay shrugged, "Fair. Well, in short, i sorta crashed into you, decided to help you get home and then, when i brought u inside, you somehow managed to lock the door whilst i was distracted and hid the key. I tried to wake you up but…"
"Yeah I'm a deep sleeper", Ayden felt a bit embarrassed, "so you didn't stay here for some creepy reason- i locked you in? ...Omg, i am so sorry."
Ayden vaguely remember locking the door and throwing away the key towards his bed. He felt horrified by his own actions. Locking someone in? Who does something like that?
"I was the creep all along. I'm so sorry if i made you uncomfortable. I didn't try to kill you or something right?"
Jay laughed at the very serious expression on Aydens face.
"Don't be ridiculous man, you fell asleep almost immediately. And I don't have to work today, I'm not missing out on anything."
His words didn't calm Ayden in the slightest. He looked even more horrified now.
"What if i made you miss work? Then you would have to explain to your boss about how some random guy locked you up in his apartment. And then your boss would kill me for making you come late to work and stuff. " he rambled.
"Calm down, drama queen. No one is going to kill you and I don't have to go to work in the first place. It's no use to get stuck on what ifs. Im just glad you didn't call the cops on me."
"Why would i call the cops on you? It's my fault you couldn't leave."
"Yeah, but I probably could've done a better job at searching or trying to wake you up or something."
"I guess, well euh i assume you want to go home now?"
"Yeah. Can i get something to drink first?" Jay asked hesitantly.
"Of course, just get whatever you want from the fridge. I'll look for the keys in the meantime."
Jay grinned at that. "Do you not remember where you put them?"
"…..perhaps."
Ayden stood up and rushed towards his room. A flush of embarrassment colored his face.
He would never get that drunk again. Why does the universe hate him? First that terrible date and now this?
He looked around his room, trying to find the key. He had just tossed them towards his nightstand, not thinking in the slightest. He clearly had missed his target so he dropped to his knees and looked under his bed.
"Ah ha!" He picked up the keys looking triumphantly. Thank god he didn't lose them. They would both have been trapped in his apartment then. Not an ideal situation if you asked Ayden.
With a proud look on his face he returned to the living room and presented the keys to Jay.
"Look! I found the-"
He cut himself off. Jay was in the middle of drinking from a water bottle. Head leaning backwards. A small sliver of light had escaped through the curtains and illuminated his frame. It was as if the sun was trying to cut him out from the darkness. The sight was a little ridiculous. Like something out of a cola commercial. Ayden had to admit to himself that Jay wasn't a bad looking guy. His black hair and hazel eyes suited him well. He began to feel a bit self conscious and started to ruffle his own hair.
"You got the keys? Great! I'll be out of here then. Finally some peace and quiet for you." Jay joked. He had put the bottle back in the fridge and turned to Ayden.
"Yeah, thank god." Aydens words didn't carry much enthusiasm.
He walked to the door and opened it for Jay.
"Im so sorry again. I feel really bad for making you sleep over at a strange apartment."
"It's okay", Jay shrugged, "nothing bad happened, so there is nothing to worry about."
Ayden nodded. It felt like there was something else he wanted to say, but it seemed to have slipped his mind.
"Bye Ayden!" Jay waved frantically. Ayden couldn't help but grin at that. He waved back, albeit a bit calmer.
"Bye Jay. Let's hope you never have to pick me up from the street again."
"If i have to, I'll do it again." Jay grinned back. He then turned around an walked away as Ayden shut the door.
He thought of Jay as being a bit strange, nevertheless he couldn't help but be intrigued with him. He had this light, caring energy. One of those individuals most people would love to be friends with. Ayden wasn't one of those people. He didn't need another friend. He had Gavin and that was enough. Right?
An empty silence had filled the room. Maybe, he should reconsider Gavins advice.
He grabbed the water bottle and went to sit on the couch. He really felt the need to talk with someone. As always, he expected some texts from Gavin. It was like that guy always knew exactly when he went out. Ayden opened their chat.
"How bad is the headache this time? I was concerned you wouldn't make it home"
Ayden was almost convinced that Gavin was secretly a wizard that spied on him with a crystal ball.
"If u doubted that then why didn't you come safe me
Also how do you know if im home at all?
I couldve been kidnapped "
"Oh please, you know I keep an eye out for you. I have connections.
A friend of mine is a bartender at the club you went to. She keeps an eye on you for me.
We were a little concerned at first, but she saw u leave with someone she knows and they're apparently a good guy. I trusted her judgement."
"You send someone to spy on me and then decided to let the weight of getting me home fall on some guy you don't even know"
"Well, i wouldn't say spy. But basically yes."
"You're the worst
I could've been killed"
"Would've been your own fault for going out alone and getting way to drunk."
"Yeah I guess that was kinda dumb
Anyways
That guy that helped me get home
I accidentally locked him in my apartment and he spend the night here"
"I don't know how you do it. Im not really surprised tbh."
"He was also that one waiter that helped me out on the date"
"That is a surprise. Such a weird coincidence. How did it go?"
"Better than it should have
Idk i like the guy"
"That certainly is a first. Please become friends. I cannot be your only caretaker."
"So eager to dump me with the next person ey
I guess I could try, it does get kinda lonely now that ur so fucking busy
I just don't know where to start"
"You know where he works."
"God, Gav that is so creepy and desperate
Im not going to wait everyday to see when he comes to work"
"Jezus, I didn't say that. You could go the same day and same time as the date was. Maybe he works again then. And otherwise just ask the owner. You could even use the excuse of wanting to repay him from locking him up."
"Yeah that's a lot less creepy for sure…"
"Just try it. You need better people in your life."
"Fine"
Ayden put away his phone. He knew that Gavin was right. He didn't have many healthy relationships. And something about Jay felt calming. He didn't feel the need to make him jealous with women. He doubted Jay was the kind of person that cared about that in the first place.
And he wouldn't mind a second Gavin. Although Gavin was like family to him, he doubted Jay would ever get there.
He was still hesitant about it. It had been so long since he made a genuine effort to make a friend, it scared him a little. It felt so childish, like he was the new kid at school.
Being desperate about wanting to be friends with someone was completely new for Ayden. He hated the feeling. It was not like he wanted it very badly. Or needed some genuine connection in his life. It would just be nice.
He wasn't going to seek Jay out for friendship though. He just wanted to repay him. Like Gavin said. Only it wouldn't be an excuse, it would be the truth. It made sense. Ayden smiled to himself. Yeah, he would just seek him out to apologize and if they became friends it would be a small bonus. Nothing could go wrong. He already knew Jay wasn't holding some grudge (miraculously).
But no matter how hard Ayden tried to convince himself that it was nothing, a hint of stress gnawed at the back of his mind.
He decided to try and wash it away with a shower. He really needed to freshen himself up. Maybe it would help him feel a bit better.
He took off all his clothes and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked as disheveled as he felt. God, he couldn't believe Jay had seen him in this state.
Wait, why would that even matter? It's not like Jay would think any less of him, right? And besides, who cares what other people thought. It wasn't like he was trying to seduce some beautiful girl.
"I need to get out of my own head." Ayden mumbled and he lay down his phone as he put on a playlist. Music filled the bathroom.
He turned off the lights, ruffled his slightly greasy hair and turned on the shower. It took a bit before it had the right temperature and he patiently waited as he taped his foot along with the music.
He never sung out loud, but he did playback along. And he even danced a little, well, as much as the shower stall allowed.
It was a good time to not think about anything at all. To just let the water glide down your body and let it take away all your troubles.
Unfortunately, it was no permanent solution. As soon as as the tap is turned off the cold air brings you back to the present. Where all your troubles lie in wait.
Ayden didn't like all the newfound anxiety that 'trying to make real friends' brought. It scared him. He never really cared before. The guys he usually hung out with didn't mean much to him at all. He doubted they cared about him either. It was simple and it had been good enough. Gavin had always been there to pick up the pieces. To listen to him when he needed someone to talk to. But he was barely available anymore and Ayden had really started to feel it. Now more than ever. The small bit of conversation he had with Jay and the comfort and companionship had calmed him. It swatted off the loneliness for a while.
He had to get that comfort back. He needed someone to be there with him.
It felt like a lot to ask and maybe it was. Ayden still couldn't help wanting it. Could Jay be the solution?
He had long finished showering when he decided to just warm up some noodles and watch some tv. Another night that would've been heaven before, now seemed dull. He couldn't think of anywhere he would rather be, but he did miss Gavins company. He used to come over a lot and they would play Mario kart together. Gavin always won and it pissed Ayden off every time. He would still much rather have that than sitting alone in his apartment everyday. Ayden thought about taking more girls home, but the idea sounded exhausting. So Jay it was. Stupid waiter. Ayden didn't really know anyone else who he genuinely thought he could be friends with so there wasn't really any other option. He wasn't sure if he minded that. Nevertheless, in a few days a week would've passed and he could try to find Jay. Plenty of days to mentally prepare. And amongst the anxiety there was a little speck of excitement glimmering.
Not that Ayden would ever admit that.
~^~
The few days after were just spend sitting around. It was as if Ayden couldn't do anything but wait. His mind was only focused on the day he would have to seek out the waiter and apologize. He had called and texted with Gavin everyday, who kept trying to convince him that this was the perfect time to learn how to actually cook.
"You have such a nice kitchen and it's wasted on your lazy ass"
"Hey! I can cook stuff"
"You can make eggs and pancakes. That's all. And you barely even make that!"
"I would make it for you if you came to visit"
"Ayden, this is not the time for bribes. You know I don't have time atm"
"Yeah yeah
No worries i forgive you"
"Dude…"
"Im joking
Lighten up"
"I will when you start to finally do something with your life"
"I am! But i gotta wait for that stupid waiter to show up again and stuff"
"Wow, you're really basing your whole plan around him ey. What if he doesn't want to be your friend?"
"Hey you were the one that wanted me to to this
Besides
Who wouldn't want to be friends with me?"
"Everyone but me apparently"
"Ouch"
"Shut up, you did it to yourself"
"Touché"
~^~
The days went by agonizingly slow. Why didn't he just go everyday to see if he was there? Oh right, that would be creepy as hell. He tried to keep his mind occupied, but it felt like he was watching paint dry. And yet, the more days passed, the more stressed he became. This had to work. For some reason it felt like a lot was depending on it. It didn't make any sense. He loved his privacy and he never had a problem with being alone or the friends he had before. It felt like he was admitting something to himself. That maybe he wasn't doing as good as he thought. And maybe he wanted more from life, deeper connections. It was weirdly embarrassing to think about and like hell he would tell Gavin about any of this. He felt the slight urge to just lay in bed and sleep for a month to avoid all these feelings. He knew he couldn't. Gavin would personally drag his ass out of the apartment and force Ayden to see a therapist or something. He couldn't do that to his best friend, he was way too busy with work. Ayden didn't want Gavin to miss work because of his dramatics. It would all pass soon anyway. He would become friends with Jay and then…. Then what? Then they would do friend stuff. Like play Mario kart and drink beer or something. Would Jay go to the club with him? No, he was getting ahead of himself. He was only going to apologize. And if things went well, maybe they could hang out more. Simple as that.
Ayden felt like his mind kept going back and forth between everything. It was incredibly confusing.
Alas, tomorrow was the day he would apologize. He didn't have time for his mind to be scrambled. He wasn't sure how to stop it though. He had tried everything he could think of, but nothing seemed to work. His thoughts kept racing.
That night, he lay awake for way too long. Making up scenarios in his head. And when he finally fell asleep, the sun had already started rising again.