Ever since that evening when Liam cornered him and showed him the photo, Aiden hadn't known a moment of peace.
He would walk through school hallways with a fake smile stretched across his face but his hands would always shake, his back would instinctively tighten whenever someone called his name. He had become jumpy, laughing too loud, hugging his books too close, and avoiding empty classrooms or bathrooms when he could help it.
Because Liam had kept his word. Every day, Aiden would receive a message from him reminding him of the things he's capable of doing.
He wanted to tell Hunter so badly. Some nights he would lay in his bed at Hunter's place and thought about just blurting it all out. But then his phone would buzz again and he would stop.
And worse, Liam wasn't alone, he would send his friends who would shove Aiden against lockers when no one was watching, knock books from his hands and threaten him that worse could happen to Hunter.
Since then, Aiden had developed a fear of being alone. He'd deliberately stay around crowds whenever Hunter wasn't near him.
But amidst the fear and exhaustion, there was one place where Aiden felt safe. It was at Hunter's place.
It wasn't big or fancy, but it smelled like Hunter and now belonged to Aiden. He'd sneak in under Hunter's oversized hoodies, let the older boy tug him close during movie nights, and fall asleep in his arms like he was trying to escape the rest of the world.
The only downside? Hunter had officially entered exam-mode. And that meant Aiden was no longer allowed to play dead during study hours.
"No, put the highlighter down, you fool. That's not lipstick!" Hunter yelled at him, making Aiden groan dramatically who was lying face-first on Hunter's bed, legs kicking behind him.
"I'm not meant for this. My brain rejects numbers." Aiden threw the highlighter back at Hunter when Hunter didn't allow him to use it on his lips.
"You're doing this because you want to get into my college," Hunter reminded him for the nth time, snatching the notebook and flipping to a fresh page. "So focus now, you can cry later."
Aiden peeked up from the sheets, lips trembling with an exaggerated frown. "But I am crying now."
Hunter ignored his fake crying. "Then multitask. Read and cry."
Still, for some reason, Aiden listened to him. For the first time in his life he truly tried to study. Not just because he wanted to pass but because he wanted a future with Hunter. Sitting across from him at a university café. Walking home together from classes. Sharing more than just high school memories.
Some nights, when Hunter wasn't looking, Aiden would pause and just stare at him, at the calm way he wrote notes, the way his lips twitched when he's concentrated.
And Aiden would think, I can survive Liam. I can survive all of this if I get to stay with you forever.
But deep down, he knew the fear wasn't going away until the photo disappeared and Liam was out of the picture.
"Ugh, I'm so bored," Aiden whined and flopped back onto the couch, narrowly missing Hunter's head.
Hunter, who was diligently reviewing his notes, simply arched an eyebrow. "Boredom is a luxury you can't afford right now. That calculus isn't going to study itself."
Aiden, being the mischievous brat he was, didn't argue. Instead, he scrambled up and straddled Hunter's lap with a playful grin. Before Hunter could even react, Aiden's lips were everywhere, planting soft kisses on his cheeks, his forehead, the tip of his nose, and finally on his jawline.
Hunter chuckled but his focus completely derailed for a second. "Are you trying to seduce me?"
Aiden pulled back just enough to smirk at him wickedly. "Is it working?"
Hunter's breath hitched as Aiden subtly moved his hips to grind down against Hunter. A low hiss escaped Hunter's lips.
"Oh, it's definitely working," he rasped, his hands instinctively going to Aiden's waist.
Their eyes locked and the playful teasing melted into desire. Aiden grinned in victory and captured Hunter's lips into a kiss so spine chilling that made Hunter forget about everything. Aiden's fingers threaded into Hunter's hair to pull him closer while Hunter's grip on Aiden's hips tightened.
Just as things were about to escalate further, Hunter pulled away as he gasped for air. "We...we should probably go grocery shopping."
Aiden momentarily disoriented by the abrupt change of subject. "Grocery shopping? Now? But I want kisses instead!"
"Let's go," Hunter laughed and kissed his whining lips."
Later, at the grocery store, Aiden's eyes widened at the displays.
"Hunter, look! Chips! And cookies! Can we get these? Please, please, please!" he begged, already reaching for a bag of cheesy puffs.
Hunter chuckled, gently pulling Aiden's hand away. "Hold on, little goblin. We're here for dinner ingredients first. We can look at snacks after."
"But I need those gummy bears!" Aiden pouted, his lower lip jutting out. He pointed a dramatic finger at a massive bag of candy.
Hunter sighed playfully, knowing this was an uphill battle. "How about this, a healthy dinner tonight, and then we can have a whole tub of ice cream for dessert?"
"Deal!" Aiden's eyes lit up, the pout instantly vanishing. He wrapped his arms around Hunter's neck, right there in the snack aisle. Hunter just laughed though held him close. He loved this about Aiden, demanding and a bit of a handful but always willing to listen to him in the end. His boyfriend was truly adorable.
They were debating the merits of organic versus conventional apples when a voice cut through the grocery store's cheerful hum.
"Well, well, if it isn't Hunter and his adorable little boyfie."
Aiden suddenly stiffened at the voice.
"Liam? What are you doing here?" Hunter's brow furrowed. Seriously? This guy is everywhere we go nowadays.
Liam, however, just offered a disarmingly innocent smile. Aiden was silently cursing him to the deepest pits of hell. He knew Liam's routine which is following them after school and popping up at their usual spots. He even knew where Hunter lives now, a fact that always made Aiden's skin crawl.
"Oh, just picking up a few things," Liam replied smoothly. "Do you know where the...uh...artisanal vegan cheese is? I can never find it."
"It's in aisle seven, near the dairy section," Hunter simply informed him and began to leave with Aiden but Liam feigned a look of confusion.
"Oh, right! Would you mind showing me? I always get lost in these giant places. Oh, you know what. It'll be really helpful if you can bring me it," Liam put on a genuine expression.
Hunter, ever the helpful one, gave Aiden a quick squeeze. "I'll be right back."
He started to walk away and Aiden's eyes widened. He instinctively moved to follow him but Liam suddenly raised a hand and stepped forward to block his path, trapping him against a towering shelf of breakfast cereals.
"And just where do you think you're going, little star?" Liam's voice dropped, losing its innocent facade.
Aiden was absolutely fed up with this 'bitch' as he furiously labeled Liam in his head. He glared at him, his eyes spitting fire.
"Get away from me, asshold! Stop doing all this! When Hunter finds out about your creepy little stalker habits, he's going to break every single bone in your body, you psycho!"
Liam merely smirked and leaned closer. "If you become my boyfriend instead. Then I'd have no reason to do all this, would I?"
Aiden stared at him as if he'd just suggested the sky was purple. "Are you stupid?! Me? With you?! You'll burn in hell! Seriously, you'll be nothing but a crispy little coal nugget, writhing in eternal torment! Your face is so punchable, it should be a public service announcement! You're a dirty stinky monster!"
"You're just so adorable when you're angry, Aiden." Liam just threw his head back and laughed, finding Aiden's insults cute. Suddenly, his hand shot out and grabbed Aiden's chin in a surprisingly strong grip, his eyes turning cruel and predatory. "Listen carefully, little star. If you break up with Hunter and become mine, I won't upload that pic. Understand?"
"What's going on here?" Hunter's voice made both of them jump.
Aiden's blood ran cold. His mind raced. Oh no, what if Hunter misunderstood? What if he thinks I'm actually doing something with Liam?
Hunter didn't wait for an answer. He pushed Liam away from Aiden and immediately pulled Aiden into his side while keeping his arm as a protective barrier.
A single muscle twitches under his right eye. The vein in his neck pulsed visibly. His jaw was clenched so hard you could hear the faint grind of his teeth if you stood close enough. His shoulders were rigid, his fists curled so tightly at his sides that the knuckles turned bone white. The sight scared the hell out of Liam, even Aiden flinched. Though, his fear turned into a smirk as he watched Liam blinking in pure fright.
If looks could kill, that glare would have torn through the flesh and bones of Liam. "You have five seconds to explain or I swear, I'll lose every ounce of control I have left. What were you doing to Aiden?"
Liam felt them like knives across his skin. That unblinking, deadly stare pinned him in place like a cornered animal. There was no ounce of emotion in Hunter's face, just that pure rage pouring straight out of his eyes like poison.
"I–" Liam's mouth opened, but no words came out. His tongue felt dry and his heart thundered so hard it made his vision blur for a second. He instinctively took a tiny step back without meaning to. But the floor beneath his feet felt unstable. Like something horrible was about to happen. He chuckled and instead of looking at Hunter, he turned his gaze to Aiden. "Oh, nothing. We were just playing, right, Aiden? You know how I like to tease you."
Before Aiden could refuse and expose him, Liam pulled his phone up his chest to show Aiden. Aiden, seeing the unspoken threat, had no choice but to nod.
Seeing Aiden's confirmation Hunter was still fuming. His grip on Aiden tightened progressively. "I don't care if you were playing, Liam. I ever see you get this close to Aiden again, you'll regret it. Understand? I don't play with it when it comes to Aiden."
"Possessive much? Fine, I won't do anything again," Liam just laughed again though his palms were sweaty. He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Ignoring him, Hunter wasn't in the mood of shopping anymore. He dragged Aiden away towards the checkout.
As they walked away, Liam's smile dropped and was replaced by a sneer. Enjoy your miserable life as long as you can, you poor bastard. Soon, I'll steal your boyfriend.
On the way home, Aiden was utterly silent. And Hunter was still burning with anger and jealousy remembering how close Liam's face was to Aiden earlier.
"Aiden," Hunter called out, trying to keep his voice as gentle as he can with Aiden. "I don't ever want you to go near Liam ever again. Do you understand?"
Aiden just nodded, burying his face into Hunter's side. Hunter held him tighter because he began to think that Liam was becoming more than just an annoying friend, he was genuinely strange and unsettlingly so.
A chilling feeling settled in Hunter's gut. For some reason, he felt an urgent need to keep Liam as far away from Aiden as possible. He started to piece things together, how Liam always showed up wherever they went. It was too much of a coincidence. Hunter narrowed his eyes. Something was definitely off with Liam.
Let's stop being friends with him.