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Aidan raised a brow. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“I feel this is where I should note we’re not exactly...well, we don’t actually know what we are.”

Sean cocked his head. “Would you feel less jealous if we were officially dating?”

Aidan opened his mouth, realizing he didn’t know what the answer to the question was, and clamped his lips together. They’d only known each other a month or so, and only in the last few weeks had they put any effort into getting along.

No, that wasn’t it.

Aidan realized they’d never had to work to get along. From the very start, the two of them had been actively working against getting along. They hadn’t learned how to get along in the past month; they had just learned how to stop fighting each other nonstop and look at one another with less stubborn and hotheaded eyes.

“I...don’t know, actually. Probably not,” Aidan admitted.

Sean gently touched Aidan’s cheek, stroking his thumb in slow circles. “Alright, I won’t make comments about other people.”

Aidan grunted. “I don’t need you to hold my hand, Staff Sergeant.”

“I’m not holding your hand. If it makes you uncomfortable because we’re not something you can feel stable with or something you’re confident in, then I’m not going to do it. Fuck knows we spent enough time at each other’s throats before this. I won’t fling it back to square one over something so trivial.”

It was one of the most reasonable things he’d heard anyone say, let alone the stubborn and usually combative team leader Aidan had first met. It still left Aidan feeling a bit unreasonable, but at least, as far as he could tell, Sean wasn’t making him feel that way.

It went some way toward making him feel the same confidence Sean mentioned, and that was a nice bonus.

Aidan sighed. “Okay.”

It wasn’t some grand proposal, but Aidan didn’t feel the urge to argue the point. Plus, his agreement brought a warm look of contentment to Sean’s face, and Aidan was getting used to the sight.

Sean kissed Aidan’s collarbone, nuzzling into his neck. “I’ve been...enjoying what we’ve got going on. I’m not in any rush to make this more than we’re ready for.”

It was exactly what Aidan needed to hear, and he could feel his twisting nerves begin to settle. It didn’t hurt that he was already growing familiar with the sensation of Sean touching him and how it made him feel comfortable. Aidan didn’t think it was Sean intentionally manipulating him, which he might have once suspected. He had honestly come to accept that what was happening was purely genuine.

Aidan said nothing, laying back and closing his eyes as Sean continued to lay on top of him. Their bodies fitted just right as he listened to Sean’s breathing, feeling the man’s hand stroking his side and down over his hips. It was so unbelievably peaceful and utterly civilian, and Aidan was willing to soak up every last second.

Until he felt a familiar presence pushing against his thigh.

Aidan chuckled, reaching down to squeeze Sean’s hip. “Really? Aren’t you tired yet?”

“I swear, it’s just from the cuddling. I’m not thinking dirty thoughts.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay, maybenowthere’s a dirty thought or two.”

Aidan cracked his eyes open. “Oh? Like what?”

Sean smirked, inching his face closer. “I might be thinking of me fucking you against the shower wall last night.”

Aidan tilted his head back. “That’s a good memory.”

“It was a good nap afterward, too.”

“That it was.”

Sean leaned in closer, his breath brushing Aidan’s lips. “We might need another shower soon.”

“A shower,” Aidan repeated with a raised brow.