[cc&&bs] An Easy Burden

Aidan couldn't believe it. This apartment was his. It was the strangest feeling - he owned it, he occupied it, he freaking lived in it. Actually, he'd been living in it for a week and a half, but he was finally unpacked, so it really felt like it was his. The thing that really put it over the edge was the fact that the place was a total and utter mess. As soon as you walked into the two bedroom, one living room, one kitchen, one bathroom apartment you tripped. Clothes already littered the floor, old take out boxes lined the counters and table, a few Playboys peeked from under their perch on the couch and beside the TV ... yup, home.

The only people who knew of his apartment was Solstice and his family, and his best friend, [????]. He'd told Solstice in an effort to casually invite her over ... man, he had it bad.

Aidan heard someone approaching his door and he nearly toppled over the couch in an effort to pull on a pair of jeans, and as the door [unlocked, as all his rooms were] swung open he was pulling them up his knees.

Cautiously, Solstice opened Aidan's front door. It had seemed safe enough that she could come, because as far as she new, she was one of about three people who knew of the eldest Richter boy's apartment, so she wasn't likely to run into...any of them.

"Ai--Oh." Stopping halfway over the threshold, she stared for a moment, at him, his pants either, part-way on, or Fuck-Forbid, part-way off. Quickly, she glanced around to see if anyone else was here, and was relieved to see it lacked in another life sign.

"Have I come at a bad time, Aidan?"

"Have I come at a bad time, Aidan?"

Aidan's cheeks began to burn as he realized all that was on his slightly built but still scrawny frame was a pair of half on jeans and red plaid boxers that were ... er ... much too tight. He hastily pulled the jeans on the rest of the way and buttoned them up, running a hand through his shaggy black hair and biting his lip. God, this girl had an affect on him. No one had ever made him feel embarressed, clumsy or - ugh - blush.

"Nah, I was just ... you know ..." he waved a hand at the pig pen-esq room, quickly pushing an issue of Playboy farther beneath the couch. That was the last thing he wanted Solstice to see.

"So w-what are you doing? Here, I mean ... well, of course I mean here, but, yeah ..." okay, this was getting out of hand. This girl better show some appreciation - she was freaking making him stutter!

Solstice's eye caught on Aidan's movement, and watched as the corner of a magazine was pushed skillfully beneathe Richter's couch. She didn't catch waht magazine it was.

"Well, you did tell me about your apartment...And you did seem happy. And although I'm not all- I mean...I don't talk to you, you're friends with Brett, and Brett and i talk...A lot. So. I came to visit. You did seem really happy about this place." She glanced around, taking in the clothes scattered about the apartment. Though it looked more like the apartment was scattered around the clothes, there was more denim and cotton the tile, carpet, and table top. "How did it get so dirty, so quickly?"

Aidan laughed as Solstice's comment.

"This is me you're talking to." He scratched his chest lazily and asked her awkwardly,

"Yeah, I haven't seen Brett in a while ... he's off with some new chick." Aidan paused. "He hasn't actually said there was a new girl, but you can just sorta tell. I'm his best friend ... I know when somethings going on."

Solstice's breath caught awkwardly in her throat, and something quite like fear rose up to follow it. If Aidan found about that shewas the girl, no doubt he'd flip his bitch.

"Oh? I see him a lot...At the dorm, since we share, but I've never seen him with a girl, he doesn't bring anyone round except you when you guys hang out...And he's usually at the dorm, or out...Maybe you aren't looking..looking hard enough?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow a fraction of an inch.

"Anyway, last time I checked, you were his best friend not his keeper." Her remark came out harsh, which wasn't her intention. She'd only been trying to mask the anxiety in her voice. The fear. The hope, that he would figure it out. But what could he do? Even if he knew they were dating, he still wouldn't know what his best friend did to her...

Aidan cocked an eyebrow ... what?

"Yeah, I guess I am his best friend..." he looked strangely at Solstice. Was she hinting at something? Nah. Solstice was the girl who came straight out about everything. But maybe ... nah!

"So what about you? Any guys in your life? Besides me, of course." Aidan said playfully. But although his voice was joking there was some harshness. His little secret obsession with her wasn't all that secret.

Solstice frowned, wishing he'd just make it easier for her, and at least not flirt. Her paintings did mean the world to her.

"Don't, Aidan. Don't talk like that. It's bad enough I'm at your apartment. What would happen if---Nevermind. Mentally, she kicked herself. Exceptionally hard. What was she doing, not only was she not allowed to talk to him, but she wasn't allowed to tell him why she wasn't allowed to. That fucking Wnetz bitch would strangle her, and torch her paintings.

"And other then you, Brett...My dad...My brothers, my uncle, and my cousins. No. No men-slash-boys in my life. Why?"

Aidan looked at her strangely. Paintings? What paintings?

"Of course the family manly men," he sighed playfully, and then, seeing Solstice's pained face, he stopped.

"Well there really aren't any girls in my life. Not being funny, of course, but there just aren't. Poor old Aidan is getting cold at night," Aidan curled his bottom lip out, before remembering he'd made a promise with himself not to tease her. Oops.

"So you want something to eat?"

((Just a note, Skylar. Solstice didn't say anything about paintings, she thought about them. What Aidan's thinking wouldn't quite make sense.))

She grimaced, as he pouted, complaining about a cold bed.

"Well, if your bed is so cold, why not plug in a heating pad, and stuff it under the covers before bedtime? And, yeah, sure. As long as it's fresh, or save to eat, nothing with mice or anything in it. 'Kay, Pig-man?" She laughed and finished walking into the house, closing the door behind her, and looking for a relatively clean place to sit.

"Erm, do you mind if I move some stuff? So I can sit?"

[[sorry]]

Aidan nodded, laughing before walking to the fridge taking out two pizza thingies. He didn't know what they were called but his mom had sent them to him. Aidan suspected she was fearful he may poison himself and his dinner guests so she bought him like twenty of them. You just popped them in the microwave and presto! pizza in five minutes.

"Go ahead. Drink?"