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“My God, now he’s making jokes,” Aidan said with a surprised laugh.

Sean had a warm smile on his face as he backed toward the kitchen. “It’s almost like I have a sense of humor.”

“The question is, where have you been hiding it?” Aidan said, unable to help his delighted smile.

Sean cocked his head before rounding the corner and disappearing. “Maybe there’s other things you haven’t seen.”

SEAN

Sean jerked awake, realizing he was in the dark but not sure where he was. For a moment, his thoughts jerked back to the dark cave where he’d sat for what he was told had only been half a day, and his heart skipped a beat. Then, the light from the TV registered along with the soft presence pressed against his side.

Looking over, he couldn’t help the bemused expression that crossed his face as he saw Aidan leaning against him, out cold. The man’s expression was one of peaceful sleep, bathed in the flickering light of the TV, as his chest rose and fell evenly.

Despite the intensity of the kiss, neither had been in a rush to do anything more. Sean had ordered them something from a local restaurant, and they had haggled over what to watch in the meantime. After the admittedly cute delivery guy had dropped off their food, they settled on an old Western, chewing away at their pizza.

As the night went on, they stopped paying much attention to the TV. Sean was still pretty worn out from the harrowing trek through the wilderness. Odd dreams had punctuated his sleep, and he always woke up with strange emotions flitting through his head. He supposed it was inevitable he would fall asleep on the couch.

He hadn’t been expecting to wake up with Aidan curled against him.

Finding Aidan so cozy, comfortable, and close might have been a little strange, but it didn’t stop Sean from appreciating the sight. Sean reached down, running a gentle hand over Aidan’s face, smiling as he watched his face twitch and shift at his touch.

Aidan’s eyes opened slowly, gazing up at Sean in confusion. “Time is it?”

The groggy question brought a smile to Sean’s face. Despite having seen Aidan look worried and scared and even open up about his recent struggle with a commanding officer, Sean didn’t think he’d ever seen the man look quite so vulnerable. As he watched Aidan try to make sense of where he was and what was happening, it struck Sean that every other time he’d seen Aidan wake up, he’d been instantly alert and ready to go.

Sean smiled. “Late. You want to go to bed?”

Aidan blinked owlishly at him. “With you?”

“Yeah, it’s more comfortable than this couch.”

The couch was nothing to brag about, but Sean had gone the extra mile when purchasing his bed. When they’d first been stationed at Fort Dale, he’d told himself they weren’t staying for good, so there was no point in buying expensive furniture. His bed, however, had cost him a great deal. He’d reasoned that if he was going to be Stateside again, he might as well have the most comfortable bed he could find.

Aidan nodded. “Alright, lead the way, Staff Sergeant.”

And there was that wry sense of humor again, laced into his words as he pushed up from the couch. It didn’t carry the same irritating edge, though, and Sean could see the playful light in Aidan’s eyes even more clearly than before. He wasn’t sure if it had always been there, and he’d simply missed it, or if Aidan was finally comfortable enough not to be a total shit.

Sean stood up, steadying Aidan with a hand around his waist. “I think just Sean will do.”

Aidan looked up, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Sean.”

It was said so softly and far more gently than he’d ever heard Aidan speak to him before. A shiver ran down his spine as he led them down the dark hallway toward his sparsely furnished bedroom. They might not be sure about what possibility there was in the long run, but Sean could already feel a shift in their dynamic. There was still desire pooling in his gut, warm and electric. Yet he could see something bright and playful in Aidan, and maybe even something he could see himself falling into if they were given the opportunity.

Aidan stopped in the bedroom doorway. “Right, wasn’t expecting that.”

Sean laughed softly, walking around him to flop onto his huge bed. Immediately, the soft bed let him sink into its comforting embrace.

“Yeah, it’s a whole lot of bed,” Sean said.

“You know, I might have expected you to sleep on like...a cot, or maybe a big old rock you dragged into the room.”

Sean snorted. “I wasn’t cranky from lack of sleep...well, not totally. Even a big, comfy bed isn’t enough to chase the bad dreams away.”

Aidan’s face softened. “Clint?”

Sean nodded. “But I haven’t had any terrible dreams about him in a couple of days.”

“Did you before?”