Who: Aaron and Mila When: Evening, Saturday January 13 Where: The marina, the Moretti house Warning: turns NSFW Status: complete
To celebrate Mila’s new job, she and Aaron had gone out to dinner to Basi Italia. It wasn’t as pricey as The Boathouse, but it wasn’t the Lobster Shack either, and Mila had found herself having a good time. It felt like she was settling into a routine, and she hadn’t had a nightmare in a couple of nights, which was nice too. Sitting at a small, cute table with Aaron, sharing pasta and wine… it was nice. It felt like it had before the tunnel. Or maybe she so desperately wanted that that it made it easy for her to ignore all the lingering badness.
When they finished dinner, Mila suggested a quick walk down the marina. It was cold, and snowing, but she was in no rush to go back home. She needed the fresh air and maybe they could just window shop with some of the stores near the harbor. Aaron seemed pretty open to anything Mila wanted, which was nice, and despite the weather, the marina seemed quite busy. Probably because it was a Saturday night, and there were places to eat, and a bar nearby. Even in the middle of a Maine winter, this town rarely shut down. Probably because at any moment there could be a blizzard and they could all be snowed in for days.
She held Aaron’s hand as they walked down the boardwalk, and Mila thought about stopping into the chocolate store at the end of the marina to get them hot chocolates. Looking up at Aaron, Mila smiled. “Thank you for dinner. This is really nice, you know, despite it being thirteen degrees out.”
Any time he got to spend with his love was good time in Aaron’s book, so taking her out to dinner and then walking the marina was just about heavenly. Especially since they’d kept the conversation light and happy and he’d made her laugh a few times. She looked absolutely beautiful, even just slightly dressed up for their date, and he’d put on some church clothes to look halfway decent. Not that anybody could see it now, layered under coats and gloves and a hat pulled down over his ears. Aaron felt good as they walked, in spite of the cold. Normal, which was a relief from how things had been going.
“Thank you for being you,” he countered, looking over at her with a lopsided smile. Aaron lifted their hands to kiss the back of her glove. “I’m having a really good time, so ... yeah. No thanks necessary. Just wish we had like, our own place to go back to. But that’ll come soon.” Dropping Mila off at her parents’ house hadn’t gotten any easier, but that was just motivation for them to save more money for an apartment.
"Me too," Mila murmured. She loved her parents dearly, but having their own place would be so much nicer. And Adrian could visit too, without being worried about being seen. But she didn't want to get depressed about her current situation. She had a good job now, and she had Aaron. It might take a bit to get their lives back on track properly, but they would do it. She smiled then, squeezing his fingers with her own. "It's kind of funny, when you drop me off at their house after we've been out. I feel like I'm sixteen again, being driven home after a date. Wanting to make out with you in your car outside the house, but then afraid my dad would be watching out the window." Not that Mila had many dates when she was a teenager, but there had been a few. "Honestly, I think they've forgotten I'm an adult now, since I've been staying with them. It's both really endearing, and really frustrating."
Aaron laughed a bit, more at the mental image he got of Mr. Moretti peeking at them through the blinds than anything else. Sometimes they did kiss in the car for a little while before he walked her up, and he had those same feelings of high school nostalgia. It was sweetly frustrating. Aaron missed being able to take off Mila’s clothes and lay down with her whenever he wanted. It would come though, and then they would feel even better about everything. “My mom still asks me if I’ve eaten every time I set foot in her house,” he said, still looking amused. “I think it’s just a parent thing, forever.” With most parents, anyway. His dad could give a shit less about him, and he didn’t foresee Gavin being that kind of older parent either. “Do they know we wanna move in together yet?”
Mila smiled and wondered if they would be those kind of parents. For once it didn't hurt to think about being a mother. It was something she wanted, but maybe she had been removed from the miscarriage long enough, mentally, that it didn't make her want to cry anymore. Maybe that was a good sign that she was healing. His question prompted Mila to glance at him, her smile slipping just a little. "Not yet," she admitted sheepishly. "You know how my mom is. I was hoping to get a couple paychecks in the bank first before I told them. I think they'll be happy that I'm feeling up to being on my own again, but you know... living together before marriage is a sin and all that. She'll pray for our souls. Loudly."
Aaron wasn’t too surprised by that answer, but part of him was a teensy bit hurt. He’d wondered to himself before if Mila’s parents would be more okay with the idea if she wasn’t moving in with a Lucas. Maybe that was unfair, especially since they’d warmed up to him as Mila recovered, but he knew how most of the town felt about his family. He gave a low chuckle and shrugged one shoulder. “She’s welcome to, I guess,” he said. “We could prob’ly use the prayers, but I don’t think there’s anything really wrong with it. It’s no good for you to be alone. God understands.” He squeezed Mila’s hand and smiled at her. “Whenever you feel like it’s the right time, I was just curious.”
"I don't think there's anything wrong with it either," Mila said quickly, not wanting Aaron to think she was unsure about it. She had asked him to move with her in Seaview, despite knowing what her mother would think about it. It just felt different living under their roof again. Mila knew deep down she was scared of disappointing her parents, or angering them. "I'll tell them, I just..." Mila exhaled softly and reached up to brush some hair back from her cheek. "I already feel like a burden to them since I've been back and they've had to take care of me. I guess I just don't want to upset them. Maybe we can just start looking for a place together? Once we have somewhere in mind, I'll tell them."
Aaron knew Mila didn’t have any moral objections to cohabitating, or she wouldn’t be willing to do it. She was a good person like that. He understood her parents were very religious, he was too to some extent, but it wasn’t like they were eighteen or anything. They were grown ups, they could take responsibility for their own souls. Moms were gonna mom though, that was just life. He frowned vaguely at the rest of what she said and squeezed her hand again. “You’re so not a burden babe,” he murmured. “They help ‘cause you’re their daughter and they love you. And there’s no rush to tell them, I was just askin’. But yeah, we can start looking, scout out where we wanna go ... an apartment, right? Or you wanna find a house to rent?” Buying was probably out of the question, at least with Aaron’s credit in the mix.
Deep down she knew he was right. But Mila had a hard time letting go of the guilt. Waking up with nightmares, still spitting up black sludge, random bouts of crying. She knew it wasn't easy for her parents, especially since they had no idea what had actually happened to her. But Mila knew telling them the truth would be worse. She didn't think they would believe her anyway. But Mila didn't want to focus on that. She was having a good time with Aaron, and she didn't want to ruin that. "I don't know," she admitted with a small smile. "Maybe we can look at both? I mean, if there's a decent house somewhere for the same kind of rent we'd be paying for an apartment... depending on its condition, that might be nice. I never really liked sharing a wall with other people, you know? But I'd really be happy anywhere we end up. I can look at some listings tomorrow, if you want. Do you have any preferences?"
Renting a house could be really nice, Aaron thought. It seemed like something that would always be more expensive than an apartment, but he didn’t know that for sure, since he’d never done it. He’d bought his mobile home, but he’d had a co-signer and those were cheap as hell anyway, in comparison to real houses. “Something with a garage,” he said, a slow smile crossing his face. “And like, a fenced in yard, so maybe we can get a dog eventually?” He was daydreaming now, but hey, if they found a place like that they could afford, why not? Selling both of their current homes would certainly help. “And like, anything else you want, of course. I’m not picky about the inside. Or the outside. If it sucks, me and Gavin can fix it up, like we fixed Charlie’s porch.” It was good to know handy people.
His enthusiasm for it definitely heightened Mila's, and she smiled at him, squeezing his hand. "We'll definitely look for a yard with a fence." She wasn't opposed to getting a dog, but she hoped Aaron would be open to maybe getting a cat too. Even if they had to get a cheap place off Ludlow, it would be nice to have the space and some privacy, even if they had to rent it. Mila's smile slipped only a little at the mention of Gavin. She hadn't seen him since she came back, and that was probably deliberate. Though Mila knew there was no reason for him to visit her at all, and she was grateful for that. But she didn't know how she would feel when that time actually came. Mila was about to suggest hot cocoa when her body seemed to turn to ice, despite the layers she wore. A violent shiver ran through her, every bad memory of her time in the tunnel replaying in her mind like a movie. Mila yanked her hand from Aaron's and brought her hands up to her head, covering her ears as she closed her eyes tight, a strangled sort of sound forming in her throat.
Oblivious to Mila’s discomfort at the mention of his brother, Aaron was busy daydreaming about having a nice house and a dog and a heated place to tinker with cars when he wanted to ... maybe he could even do some mechanic work on the side to earn some extra money. And Adrian could park in the garage and spent time with them without being seen. He didn’t know if they could find a place like that so he didn’t want to get too excited, but it was still nice to think about. He was torn out of his reverie by Mila pulling away, and Aaron looked at her stupidly for a second as his brain caught up with what was happening. Or tried to anyway -- was she having a sudden headache? Had something hit her in the head? “Babe?” Aaron asked with alarm, stepping in front of Mila. He cupped her elbows and looked at her scrunched face. “You okay? What happened?”
Mila didn't know what was happening. All she knew was the time and distance between her and the tunnel didn't seem to matter, because it felt as though she had just stepped out of that thing, her feet cold in the snow and Adrian rushing toward her. She heard Aaron's voice, felt his hands on her. What did it mean? Was this happening? Was it in her head? Mila opened her eyes to look at him, her hands still pressed against her ears. She was so damn cold she didn't think she would ever stop shivering. "I don't know," she managed, her eyes filling with tears. "This isn't real, is it? Are we really here?" Her questions were panicked and quick, needing the reassurance that she hadn't been tricked again. She wouldn't go back. Couldn't. She would drown herself in the ocean before that happened.
Looking into her eyes, Aaron’s heart broke a little, but he only had time to feel that for a few seconds before another, stronger feeling washed over him. It was fear, intense fear, and he heard the echoing call of ‘mommy!’ in the back of his mind. The child’s voice that had drawn them deeper and deeper into the tunnel, the thing that had started all of this. The still-healing wound in Aaron’s chest started to burn, as well as the spot in his stomach where the other stab wound had been. It was a crazy, scary rush of emotion and memory and old physical feelings, and he was suddenly much colder than he’d been a moment ago. Aaron cast a scared glance around, like something bad might be right there in their faces, but there was nothing but the marina. Nearby he heard a woman start to cry. “We’re here,” he told Mila, but that didn’t sound like a good thing at the moment. “This is real, but ... let’s go. Come on.” Aaron started to pull Mila back the way they came, his heart pounding hard. He just had the sense that they needed to vacate the area, get somewhere safe.
It was misery all around her. Mila could feel it, not only from Aaron, but from some people that they passed on their way back to the car. Distress. Crying. Even Aaron was trembling. She wanted to help him too, hold him until all of this went away. A voice whispered in the back of her mind that he was lying to her. It wasn't really Aaron at all, but the tunnel. He was going to take her back there, shove her inside. "I don't want to go back," Mila whispered desperately, torn between trusting him and pushing him off so she could just run. There was a need to focus, to try and not get caught up in the panic that seized her chest. She had breathing exercises, things she was told to do if she started to doubt herself, and where she was. But Mila couldn't seem to concentrate on anything but the weight of her feet with every step they took. She clutched at his hand, her grip unnaturally tight. "Don't take me back."
She was hurting his hand, but Aaron barely felt it. There was too much else to feel, his system overloaded with all of the horrors that they’d been through. He didn’t know what was happening or why, only that he had to protect them, he had to do what he hadn’t been able to do before. He hurried along as much as he could, dodging around people who might stab him at any moment, his breathing thin and fast as his lungs felt like they were being compressed. “We’re not going back,” he said, fighting to focus on Mila and not everything else. She needed him ... but God, their baby was dead and used against them and it hurt so bad. “We’re not, we just ... we need to get out of here, Mila. Somewhere safe, it’s not safe here.” If she really started to panic, he would pick her up and carry her again, because apparently history was repeating itself over and over.
She inhaled deeply, the prickles of anxiety and panic causing her to sweat beneath her coat and sweater. What was happening? Why was she feeling this way? Aaron felt it too, or he wouldn't be trying so hard to get them away from the marina. But with every step, Mila felt the apprehension start to slip away, leaving her slightly exhausted, but perhaps not as terrified as before. "Aaron," she murmured, slowing her steps a little to try and catch her breath. "Just wait, please." There was still discomfort in her gut, and images floating around in her mind that she wanted so desperately to forget. But she needed to stop, to reassure herself that this wasn't happening in her mind. "I need to breathe."
Aaron didn’t want to wait at first, because they had to escape, but he knew somewhere that there wasn’t actually anything to escape from. They weren’t in the tunnel, possessed-Mila wasn’t bearing down on him with a knife, they were just feelings exploding in him, and feelings passed. Whatever had sparked it had happened to Mila too, first, and if they couldn’t agree on what to be afraid of, maybe there wasn’t really anything. That didn’t help his insides much, but he stopped walking anyway, still holding tight to Mila’s hand as his head swiveled around, eyes scanning for any obvious threats.
She was relieved when Aaron slowed to a stop, though she could still sense he wasn't feeling right either. A few people walked by them, giving them strange looks on the way, but Mila did her best to ignore them. She had been pretty content in her small bubble since Adrian found her and brought her home, and Mila had nearly forgotten that Point Pleasant was a small enough town that nearly everyone probably knew what she had done to Aaron. She hadn't been harassed or anything, though that might have more to do with Aaron's last name than anything else. Taking a deep breath, Mila slipped her arm around Aaron's waist and stepped in close to him. "I don't know what happened," she murmured. "Are you okay?"
The part of Aaron still locked in those newly-fresh memories recoiled at Mila touching him. She obviously didn’t have a knife in her hands, and this was Mila and not that evil thing, but the fear was still there at the moment. Aaron managed not to pull away, he only stiffened for a beat before he put one arm around her too. His heart was starting to slow down, but he still felt shaky and nervous. “I dunno either,” he murmured back, trying hard to focus on her and bring himself back into the present. Mila needed him. He rubbed at her back. “I’m just ... I dunno. Are you okay? You know you’re here?” He gave her a concerned frown, not wanting her to doubt her reality, but ... damn. He’d doubted his own.
It had been only the briefest of moments but Mila had felt Aaron tense when she put her arm around him. She nearly pulled away then, but then his hand was at her back and Mila exhaled slowly as she tried to relax. The memories of what happened in the tunnel had been painfully fresh in her mind. But she was breathing easier now, and aware that she hadn't been the only one affected by whatever had just happened. Aaron had been scared too, and she could still feel the tremors in his body as she held him. She cleared her throat and nodded. "I know I'm here. It just felt like every bad thing that had happened had just happened. Like deja vu, but in a twisted kind of way." Mila frowned and searched his eyes. "Did it happen to you too? You're shaking."
Aaron nodded, having to look away from her face for a second or two before his blue gaze came back to hers. The way she said it was perfect, like everything bad had flared up in some awful deja vu feeling, all jumbled together. “We’re okay though,” he murmured, partly to himself, and he wrapped Mila up in more of a hug. Aaron gave another wary glance around over her head, then kissed it and pulled back to take her hand. “C’mon,” he said softly. “Let’s get out of here.” It wasn’t the marina’s fault, he was pretty sure, even though he’d heard a couple sounds of distress from people around them. Aaron just wanted to be somewhere else, he’d lost his taste for romantic strolling.
They were okay. For the most part. Mila still felt uneasy and downtrodden, and she was frustrated that such a thing would happen when they were having such a good night together. But Mila didn't protest leaving. She was ready to be in out of the cold anyway, and she walked with Aaron back toward the car. "Do you think you could stay tonight?" she murmured. "My parents are probably already in bed. And they have church in the morning..." They were going to that other church across town, since St. Dismas was still gone. Aaron wouldn't have to worry about having to sneak out at least.
Aaron gave her a semi-surprised look, though he probably shouldn’t be. Mila missed living with him as much as he missed her, he was pretty sure. Going to bed with her every night had been heaven for him, and now that there was even more reason for him to want her company, it really sucked to be apart. “If you wanna risk it, then yeah, for sure,” Aaron said, smiling faintly and squeezing her hand. He was more than game to park down the street and sneak in and spend the night cuddled up tight to Mila in her tiny childhood bed. It was the place he most wanted to be anyway. “Your mom doesn’t just come into your room in the mornings, right?”
Mila did miss him when they weren't together. It had been different when they shared the same house, because they would always go to bed together and wake up the same. And Mila felt like even if she continued to have nightmares, waking up beside Aaron might keep her calm rather than waking up alone in the dark. She couldn't help but smile a touch at his question and Mila shook her head. "No. They know I need rest so they never wake me up, not even to try and drag me to church. So if my door is shut, they know I'm sleeping and they'll leave me be. You don't have to worry about my mom seeing you in your underwear, don't worry."
Aaron couldn’t wait until they had their own place again. Even besides the freedom to have sex anywhere and anytime they wanted, there was something sublime about just having that private sanctuary, that space that was only theirs. Maybe he’d just been living with his brother too long, but he missed that. He could always go back to his own trailer, but ... no. It was time to move forward. “Who says I’ll be wearing underwear?” he murmured, giving Mila a little grin. He leaned in to kiss her cheek, then pulled back to fish his keys out of his pocket, since they were getting close to the truck. Now that he knew he was staying the night, he was even more eager to get on the road.
"Well, I didn't want to assume," she teased, the lightness in her tone feeling out of place with the discomfort still plaguing her. Maybe it had been silly of her to think she was finally getting past everything that had happened. Maybe it would continually trigger whenever she started feeling too happy. It was a miserable way to think so Mila pushed it out of her mind for the time being. Once they got to the truck Mila climbed inside and bit her tongue on apologizing for what had happened. She knew saying I'm sorry over and over again could get frustrating but she felt bad, like she had ruined the night and somehow triggered something in Aaron's mind as well. She reached out to set her hand on his thigh, more in a comforting gesture than anything else. "Are you okay?"
Aaron had some lingering discomfort too, but he wasn’t placing any responsibility on Mila’s shoulders for that. It hadn’t been her, it had been something else. He’d seen her freak out before and not had the same sorts of feelings invade him too. Aaron couldn’t explain it, but at least it had been short-lived and it was going away. He started up the truck and looked over at her as she touched his leg. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he said, giving her a small smile, his tone sincere. Aaron covered her hand with his and studied her face in the dim light. “Are you?” He was always going to be more concerned with her than he was himself; she’d been through so much hell.
"Yes." Mila licked her lips and settled back against the seat. "It hit me pretty fast. Sometimes it does. But I got really cold beforehand, which had never happened before. But it seemed to pass more quickly than usual, so... I don't know what's going on. Especially if you felt something too." There was no rhyme or reason to it anyway, and Mila knew better than to try and predict when she might experience a panic attack, or deal with a bad memory. But at the same time, Mila knew Aaron had been affected too, and while she didn't want to force him to talk to her about what he was going through, she wished he would.
“I don’t ... think it was just you,” Aaron said after a moment’s thought. He put the truck in reverse and pulled out of the parking spot. “I got really cold too, and it was like ... I dunno.” He chewed on his bottom lip as he stated to drive them away from the marina. It wasn’t so much that Aaron didn’t want to talk about it -- not this time, at least -- he just wasn’t sure how to describe what he’d felt. Words weren’t his strong suit, after all. “It was like, everything came back, all at once,” he said quietly. “How it was in the tunnel, I heard the kid voice again, how you looked ... what happened before you disappeared. Like all that fear was really there again.”
That was a lot and Mila felt the urge to apologize again for everything that she had done. Even if it hadn't been her, she still felt responsible in a way and she didn't think that would ever go away completely. He had been just as affected by that tunnel as she had. Mila took his hand and brought it to her lips to kiss his fingers gently. After a moment, Mila lowered their hands, but held onto him. "Do I still... I mean, do you ever feel frightened of me? Since I've been back? I know it wasn't me, Aaron, but it was... it can't be easy for you."
The finger kissing felt nice, and it just reaffirmed her natural warmth to Aaron -- Mila never would have tried to hurt him if she’d been in control of herself. It was something he knew in his head, but every reminder helped push it deeper into his subconscious. “No, I’m never afraid of you,” he answered with quiet emphasis. “I get bad dreams some nights, but they fade. I worry sometimes that that thing will come back for you, that something bad could happen again. But I’m not like, thinking you’re a danger to me, or afraid to go to sleep with you or anything like that.” Aaron glanced over at her shadowy face and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m really okay, Mila. I mean that.”
The reassurance did make her feel better because Mila often wondered if Aaron would end up realizing he couldn't live with her, or be with her, after what she had done. Maybe the shine of her being back would fade and Aaron would need to move on. It was guilt and self-doubt pushing those concerns, but Aaron's words helped relax her quite a bit and she felt like maybe she could breathe a bit easier now. She had no idea if that thing in the tunnel would ever come back for her, or for him, but Mila couldn't spend too much time thinking about it. If she did, she wouldn't be able to function. Being away from Seaview helped. As long as she never had to go back there, she felt like she might be okay. "I love you," Mila murmured. "Out of everything that... happened to me in there... thinking I had hurt you, that you were dead... that was by far the worst thing I experienced."
Mila hadn’t told him a ton of details about what she’d gone through -- and in spite of his natural curiosity, a big part of Aaron thought he didn’t really want to know -- but he’d pieced together enough to understand what kind of statement that was. It made him wish he wasn’t driving so he could hug her tight. Aaron squeezed her hand and brought it up to kiss it instead. “I love you too,” he murmured back. “I wanted to die without you, so ... I’m happy you’re back, even with like, difficulties, you know?” Aaron hoped that had come out right, that Mila understood that he loved her no matter what and he would be there with her through her struggles. That was his goal, at least, what he was striving for. He wished she would let go of her guilt, but he understood that might just take more time.
Mila nodded, because she did know. And deep down she knew he wouldn't abandon her, even if things got rough, or she couldn't let go of the guilt or pain right away. She was going to try, but Mila had learned she couldn't predict when those feelings or fears would surface again and throw her off. But she was glad he had agreed to stay the night with her, because all she really wanted to do was curl up around him in her bed and stay there. "I'm happy I'm back too," Mila said finally. "I mean... obviously. But I'm starting to feel like I'm really going to be okay, especially with you here."
That was good news, and Aaron smiled brightly through the windshield. No matter how hard the road got, if it ended with Mila being at least mostly okay, it would be worth every step. And if he was more of a help than a hindrance ... that really made Aaron happy. “You will be,” he said, soft but sure. Aaron let a silence settle as he drove them through town, and soon enough he was pulling in front of the Morettis’ driveway. “You go on inside, it’s cold. I’ll park down the road a piece and jog back.” And then would come some sneaking, but Aaron had confidence he could do it. He leaned over to give Mila a kiss before she got out.
This really was like being a teenager again, although Mila had never snuck boys into her room before, especially not after her parents went to bed. In a way it felt kind of sweet, like she was living out whatever fantasy she'd had about Aaron when she was younger. Of course, they had already had sex in her bed, but Aaron sleeping over all night was much different. It was hard not to linger in the kiss he gave her before she smiled softly and moved to climb out of the truck. "I'll leave the front door unlocked and wait for you," she promised. If her parents were, by some chance, still awake she would be able to make an excuse to step outside really quick to stop him. But given the hour, and the fact that they would go to church in the morning, Mila wasn't terribly concerned.
“Okay,” Aaron answered with a grin, really glad they weren’t saying goodnight. Once Mila had shut his truck door and she had made it to the porch steps, he drove away from the curb. Aaron found a good spot to park that was around a curve in the road and not in anyone’s way. He took a moment to text Caden that he was spending the night at Mila’s so his brother wouldn’t worry -- not that Caden seemed to ever worry about him, but still -- then climbed out into the cold. The back of Aaron’s neck felt a little prickly as he started to walk back down the street in the dark, flashes of what he’d re-experienced at the marina surfacing again. He started to jog. Aaron made sure there weren’t any lights in the front windows of the Morettis’ place, and walked quietly up the porch steps. He paused in front of the door to unlace his boots and tug them off, then reached for the front door knob to open it and step inside.
As she expected, her parents were asleep and most of the house was dark but for the light above the stove that her mom tended to leave on. Mila listened for a few moments, holding her breath to make sure she didn't hear the sound of their television, or any murmured voices. But the house was mercifully silent and Mila toed off her shoes and hung up her coat and scarf as she waited for Aaron. When she heard the door opening behind her, Mila tensed instinctively, but the discomfort vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, and she smiled at him when he stepped inside. He was already carrying his boots, which was probably a good idea, although she hated that he'd taken them off outside with how cold it was. But now that he was safe inside the house, Mila reached past him to quietly lock the door before she took his hand to lead him upstairs. She paused just before the first step and looked back at him. "Do you want anything to drink?" she whispered, just to make sure before they got comfortable.
It was kind of like high school. Aaron had snuck into more than one girl’s room in his teenage years, and this was sweetly nostalgic. Only now he kind of wished he hadn’t, that he’d somehow known to save all that shit so he could do it for the first time with Mila. Which was silly, they were adults, but still. He huffed a soft chuckle and shook his head, squeezing her hand and giving her a tiny nudge to get her going. He didn’t need anything but her. Aaron walked up the steps on his toes and down the hall the same way, hardly breathing and being very careful not to bump into the walls. It wasn’t until they were safely in Mila’s room that he set his boots down and started getting out of his coat and scarf.
Mila closed her bedroom door quietly and locked it - just in case - before she moved to turn the lamp on beside her bed. After Aaron discarded his coat, Mila approached him and reached out to grip his shirt gently. She tugged him down just enough to kiss him, something she had been wanting to do for most of the night before all the horrible feelings surfaced. In this town, Mila knew what people thought about the Lucas family. But Mila also knew she had gotten unbelievably lucky. Even when she was younger, she knew Aaron was different, and he deserved much more than he thought he did. Maybe he wouldn't agree with her, but that was okay. "If you're going to sleep in your underwear, I think it's probably only fair that I do it too," she murmured against his mouth before smiling. "If that's okay."
Aaron hummed softly into the kiss, running his hands down Mila’s back to settle them warmly on the curve of her ass. She was so gorgeous, so sweet, so sexy, he couldn’t believe how lucky he’d gotten, and it left him wondering often why they hadn’t come together sooner in their lives. Maybe because he would’ve fucked it up as a younger man. God knew what He was doing when it came to timing though, and now Aaron didn’t want to live without Mila. He grinned a bit, rubbing his thumbs against her butt, and nodded a little. “No objections here ... what if I go ahead and take ‘em off?” he asked, low and soft. He would definitely put them back on after the sex he was hoping would happen, just in case a nosy parent did make an entrance, but they could be naked together for a while, right?
Mila nodded, wanting to undress him as badly as she wanted him to undress her. They would have to be quiet with her parents down the hall, but she felt like they could. At least her bed wasn't terribly squeaky. Rather than wait, she began to unbutton his shirt with quick, deft fingers. It felt like they had all the time in the world, and Mila was eager to put the bad parts of the night behind them. If she could end the evening in Aaron's arms, happy and sated, then she wouldn't be able to think of a more perfect night. Well, until they were in their own place and they wouldn't have to worry about locking the door and being quiet. But she had to admit, being sneaky added a tiny bit of excitement to the whole thing.
There was definitely something enjoyable about having to keep it on the down low, like it added a taboo element to everything. Aaron didn’t want to offend or disrespect Mila’s parents ... but what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. It was impossible to explain to parents that they needed this intimacy, both of them. It was a grounding connection, something actually good between them, and neither of them wanted to wait for weeks until Mila moved out. He wanted her now, and vice versa. Aaron kissed her again as she started to undo his shirt and pull it free from his jeans, reaching for the bottom hem of her top to get it off as well. The desire to get his hands on her bare skin was suddenly very strong.
It would be one thing to try and describe just why they needed this, but it was another thing for anyone else to understand it, let alone her parents. Mila wasn't worried about going to hell for having sex with Aaron before they were married. She had already been there, and she had survived it. So she was going to take what she needed, and wanted, now and that was the end of it. Mila pulled her hands away from Aaron long enough to help him get her shirt off, and she didn't hesitate to reach behind her to unhook her bra, not wanting to fuss with that later. She had the vague thought that she ought to turn off the light, but she could do that in a minute. Right now she just wanted to focus on Aaron, kissing him and touching his body, and getting his jeans unzipped and down his hips.
If Aaron was going to hell, it wouldn’t be for this. He’d done plenty of other shit wrong in his life. What he had with Mila was more pure and holy than any other relationship he’d ever had. That was how he felt, anyway, and part of why he wanted to make her his wife. That was probably crazy to other people, but Aaron didn’t give a fuck. They didn’t know anything. Somewhere in the tangle of arms, he slipped the straps of Mila’s bra down her arms so it could drop away. She was pushing his pants down by then, and Aaron pulled away from her enough to peel his undershirt off and wiggle-kick out of his lower-half clothes. Bare now and not minding the light at all, he pulled Mila in against him for a heated kiss, his hands caressing her sides and the curves of her tits before they dipped down lower to start working her pants down as well.
Mila had never really cared what other people thought of her, or Aaron. She supposed she did care what her parents thought, but that was because she loved them and even if she wasn't religious the way they were, she cared about their approval. She would be with Aaron whether they liked it or not, but it would be so much easier if they could be happy for her. She would tell them about moving in with Aaron soon. Hopefully they understood that nothing, and no one, would be able to change her mind about it. Mila was lost in his kiss now, absently helping Aaron get her completely undressed. She only realized she was totally naked when the cooler air hit her bare skin and she shivered but wrapped her arms around him to feel his body pressed against her own. This was exactly what she needed. What they both needed.
This was just the start of what Aaron needed, but he was definitely enjoying every single second of it. Mila’s body felt so slim and soft against his bulkier one, feeling it triggered some deep-seated instinct to protect her all over again. Aaron slipped his arms lower to Mila’s waist and lifted her off of her feet, his lips still pressed to hers. He shuffled them toward Mila’s small bed, handling her weight easily -- she’d been filling back out since her ordeal, but she was still light to him, injuries or no. The wound in his chest protested a little bit, but it was easy enough to ignore. Aaron set her down again at the side of the bed and lifted his face enough to smile at her. “Think you can stay quiet enough if I get down here?” he murmured, slipping one hand between them to brush his fingers over her warm mound. Aaron wanted to give her a dozen orgasms and make her scream the roof off the place, but he knew that wasn’t possible tonight.
Mila loved Aaron's strength, especially when he was using it to lift her up so effortlessly. It was so incredibly sexy and she had to fight to keep from clinging to him when he moved to place her down on her bed. She immediately missed feeling his skin against hers, but it was difficult to concentrate very long on that when his fingers slipped between her legs. Shivering softly, Mila nodded before she reached out to slide her own fingers into his hair, loving the feel of it against her hands. "I guess we'll find out, won't we?" It might be difficult to keep quiet, but she was up for the challenge. In a way, the need for silence increased her anticipation, like it somehow made the entire thing that much more exciting.
Aaron grinned. That was a risky way to go about sneaking around, but he had faith they could pull it off somehow. And hell, even if they did get caught, the door was locked so nobody would see anything bad, and the disapproval of Mila’s parents hadn’t stopped them before. It definitely wouldn’t know. Aaron lowered himself to his knees in front of Mila, giving her a worshipful look-over before he started kissing his way up one of her thighs. He’d had hot girlfriends in the past, so it wasn’t just her beauty that held him so in thrall. She was just such a good person, kind and sweet to him, smart and funny and just the best. He loved her so much, and all he wanted to do was make her happy and keep her as safe as he could. All of that was running through his heart, if not his mind, as he gently nudged Mila’s legs further apart and kept trailing kisses against her soft skin.
Mila wasn't worried about getting caught anymore. She felt like she could be quiet enough, and honestly, her body was so ready for Aaron that she wasn't sure she could stop now even if she had to. Given that he was only kissing her skin at the moment, that was saying something. These moments felt so rare lately that she needed to take full advantage of the time she had with Aaron until they were living together again. Mila was aware that she would eventually have to lay back, but she stayed where she was for now, her fingers brushing lovingly through his hair as she watched him kiss along her thighs. Her entire body seemed to shiver with anticipation and her skin tingled where he pressed his lips. It was so easy to block out everything else, the bad dreams, the memories, even what had happened at the marina earlier. None of that mattered anymore. Aaron knew just how to make her forget.
Aaron was fabulous at forgetting things. He’d probably forgotten more than he’d ever known, or at least repressed the parts that needed repressing. It was a talent learned very young in his family, otherwise there was no way any of them would function. His favorite method of forgetting was distraction, and this was definitely the best kind. Mila didn’t lie back right away, so Aaron nuzzled his face against her stomach, glad that he’d shaved his stubble off before they’d gone out so he wasn’t too scratchy. He loved the way she felt, and part of him couldn’t wait to nuzzle her round pregnant belly when the time came. He was going to be all over her even more then. Aaron trailed some more kisses northward, until he could flick his tongue against one of her nipples before he lightly nibbled and sucked at it. He opened his eyes enough to glance up at her, one hand slipping further between her legs to find her clit and tease it.
This was heavenly distraction, but it was also needed for so many other things, healing being one of them. But there was so much desire too, and the need to feel something good for once. Mila's eyelids grew heavy as she watched him. A soft breath escaped her lips when his mouth found her nipple and she trembled, fighting back the urge to moan. She nearly succeeded, until his hand slipped between her legs, and Mila instinctively parted them a bit more, desperate for the touch. The sound felt shockingly loud in the small room, but she knew that was only because everything else was just so quiet. Biting into her lower lip, Mila let go of Aaron's hair and leaned back against the bed, moving her hips just enough to encourage him further.
Even though they were supposed to be quiet, that sound gave Aaron a little thrill, as it always did. He loved giving Mila pleasure, maybe even more now than he had before, because he knew she needed more of it in her life. Considering all the huge, painful shit that had happened to her, sometimes Aaron felt like that was the only way he could help. It was for him too, of course, sex had always been the thing that made him feel most connected to people, and he was desperate to feel connected to Mila again. So he was more than happy to spoil the hell out of her with his body. As she laid back he nuzzled her skin some more before he reached his destination and parted his lips to give her pussy a long, slow lick, humming in the back of his throat as he finally got a proper taste of her. Aaron explored her all over again, his eyes slipping shut and his cock giving a sweet throb between his thighs.
Mila's head fell back at that first touch of his tongue and she bit into her lip to try and muffle the next moan that formed in her throat. Mila hadn't had many lovers since losing her virginity, but there was no doubt in her mind that Aaron was the most skilled of all of them. She knew that maybe her love for him was clouding her image of it, but Mila knew, feelings aside, that Aaron was damned good at pleasing a woman. He knew exactly what he was doing, and with what. Resting on one elbow, Mila reached down with her other hand to slide it through his hair again, wanting to encourage, but not guide. He had done this to her plenty of times and he knew what she liked, and what she needed. "You feel so good," she whispered, because he did. He always did.
Aaron wasn’t good at a lot of things, but sex was one skill that he’d put actual work into developing. It helped that he was eager to please and be loved, and he’d learned fairly early on that sex was a way to scratch that itch. Mila deserved every ounce of pleasure he could give her and more. Aaron gave a happy little hum at the praise, sucking gently at her clit for a moment before he flicked his tongue against her folds again. He moved his hands to lift and support her thighs for her, wanting her as relaxed and into this as possible. Aaron put more pressure behind the stimulation, gradually ramping it all up as he got happily lost in worshipping at the altar of Mila.
It was becoming more difficult to stay semi-upright to watch what he was doing, so Mila straightened her arm so she could lay back fully on the bed. She kept her hand in his hair, moving her hips gently with his mouth, soft sighs and gasps escaping her lips the longer he licked and sucked at her. How was she supposed to stay quiet through all of this? Mila brought her arm up to cover her mouth and the movements of her hips grew a bit bolder. She wanted so badly to go slow and be soft, but the ache was building for more pressure, more friction. And she knew Aaron would give it to her.
Aaron loved it when she guided him with her body. Or her hands, or her words, all of it was awesome, actually. He just wanted to please her, to fill her up with the most pleasure he could generate between them. Aaron had all but forgotten about Mila’s parents sleeping down the hall now, fully focused on what he was doing. He gave a low moan against her as she started to really move, following her cues to lick and suck at her with more pressure, deeper strokes of his tongue. He still desperately wanted to get inside of her -- his cock was already slowly dripping onto her carpet -- but if she wanted to get off against his mouth first, Aaron was more than happy to oblige. With her clit caught between his lips, he moved one hand to slip a thick finger inside of her body, another muffled groan escaping him.
Mila could feel her orgasm intensifying, building deep in her core. She wanted to stop, to beg Aaron to join her on the bed so she could come around his cock. But she was helpless to do anything now but ride the wave of pleasure that had quickly overtaken her entire body. His finger slipping inside of her only served to push her over, the added sensation causing her to throb rhythmically around him as she tried to muffle her cries against her arm. Her other hand pressed hard into his shoulder, gripping him with her short nails to keep him close, as if he would pull away if she didn't. Mila trembled on the bed and then moaned softly as the pleasure seemed to sink deeper in her bones. Her arm fell away from her mouth and Mila pulled gently at Aaron, wanting him with her.
Making Mila come was always sexy, and it seemed even more so tonight, when they had to be quiet about it. All those muffled moans and restrained cries only served to turn him on more, like the small risk of being caught was a bit of an aphrodisiac. He moved with her through the way her hips bucked with pleasure, his free hand moving down to wrap around his cock and squeeze. It was hard as iron and so ready for her, he didn’t hesitate at all when she beckoned him. Aaron stood up and leaned over her, bracing himself with one hand and slipping the other forearm under Mila so he could scoot her body further up on the mattress a bit. “I love you,” he whispered as he dipped his head in to kiss her. “I want you so bad ...”
She moved with him, trying her best to not have to make him do all the work there, even though her muscles felt weak and lazy in the best way. Mila was still basking but the sight of his cock sent a fresh tingle of arousal down her spine. She loved how badly he always seemed to want her, how his body responded to everything they did together. She knew Aaron was a sexual person, but Mila liked to think that maybe now she was the only one capable of turning him on in that way. Even if she knew it wasn't really true it still made her feel good. "Then take me," Mila murmured against his mouth, drawing her legs up to his waist and sliding her arms around him.
It seemed like ever since they’d started going through hell together -- which had unfortunately been shortly after their relationship started -- Aaron’s eyes hadn’t wandered toward any other women. He’d noticed some cleavage and ass here and there, just by instinct, but he hadn’t had a flicker of desire for anyone else but Mila. Maybe he’d never really been in love before, or maybe the bonding from all the trauma had shifted something in him, or maybe he’d just gotten more mature, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he loved Mila and she was the only one he wanted. Her soft reply sent a shiver of lust down his spine, and Aaron got one knee up on the bed. It was easy for the tip of his cock to find the right spot, and a second later he was thrusting smoothly into her. Aaron let out a soft, shaky breath as he planted his elbows on the mattress, his mouth covering hers again as he rocked his hips and relished those first few deep thrusts.
It was always an erotic sensation when Aaron was inside of her, arousing in so many ways. But it was also deeper than that. It was comforting in a way, like she was safe when their bodies were joined together. Nothing bad could happen. No terrible memories, no awful feelings. It was just Aaron and everything she felt for him. Mila moaned softly into the kiss, her hands clinging to his back when he began to move. She tried to be mindful of any noise they made, but it was difficult to concentrate on anything else but Aaron. How he felt and tasted, how she could feel the muscles in his back move beneath her hands with every thrust of his body. It was close to heaven as Mila figured she would get, and she was okay with that. "I love you," she whispered, opening her eyes to look up at him.
Mila had been through so much, a lot of it Aaron didn’t even know the details of ... but he didn’t have to. He just wanted to be close to her and make her feel good in the here and now. He didn’t know if he could ultimately protect her from everything that was out there, but he felt like he could in these fleeting moments, and that there was nothing for them to worry about but each other. It was pleasantly easy to slip out of his brain and into his cock. Aaron kept his thrusts slow for now, but deep, not wanting to rush anything. They got to do this so rarely these days, he wanted to savor every second of it. And maybe give Mila another orgasm. He cracked his eyes open to gaze back down at her, his jaw slack and his lids heavy. “I love you,” he whispered back, even if he’d already said it. It still meant everything. His breath hitching a little, Aaron started moving a tiny bit faster.
This was just another reason to try and get her life together as quickly as possible. She wanted to be able to come home to this, and sleep beside Aaron every night without worrying about someone down the hall. There was still guilt lingering over what had happened to him, and her part in it, but Mila felt like the healing process would be easier if they were together. At least together more frequently than they were now. It was a process, but during moments like this, Mila didn't want to be anywhere else and she hated thinking he would leave again tomorrow. Her hips began to move with his, lifting to rock into his, meeting his thrusts. Her hands began to wander, roaming over his body, pressing into his skin. She wanted to watch his face but Mila's eyelids had grown heavy with mounting pleasure and she had to bite into her lip to try and muffle the noises threatening.
Aaron was definitely looking forward to the two of them having all the privacy they wanted, with no one to hear and be upset by anything they got up to. Except maybe the neighbors, if they got an apartment, but those were easier to deal with than parents were. Not that he was thinking of any of that at the moment: the pleasure was blotting out everything else in his brain. Aaron was not complaining about that in the slightest. He loved the way she moved underneath him and the way she touched him, and Aaron’s balls felt full and tight and overheated and perfect. Instinct started to take over, and Aaron fucked her more quickly, his hazy eyes locked on her face. She looked so pretty and strained in the best way, and part of Aaron wanted to make her scream and wake up her parents. He knew better, but damn if that didn’t appeal to his animal nature. She was all his, no matter what they thought. Groaning softly, Aaron dropped his head to Mila’s neck and kept working his hips and concentrating on not coming.
She was his. And he was hers. Anyone who saw them together had to know that by now. Her parents couldn't keep them apart, or his brothers, or that... thing in the tunnel. Mila didn't think she could survive any of this without Aaron, and she knew that he felt the same way. Mila tried not to scratch at him, tried not to dig her nails into his hips when she wanted him to do it harder, and faster. She couldn't let go because she would scream and she couldn't do that. A soft, strained sound escaped her and she turned her face to press it against his cheek, her hips moving desperately against his. Trying to focus on not crying out, Mila whispered his name, wanting more than anything to make him come, to feel him lose control inside of her. And she wanted to be there with him too. One hand slipped quickly from his hip to move between their bodies. Mila's fingers began to rub frantically against her clit, intensifying everything she was already feeling and his name fell from her lips again as a broken moan.
Aaron was lost. Between the way Mila kept saying his name and the way she moved her hips and tightened around his cock as she started to rub her clit ... how could any man hold on? Fuck. Aaron muffled his own moans against her neck, loving how close and intimate this position felt. Anybody standing at the door could’ve heard them clear as day, they just had to hope everyone else in the house was still asleep. There was no quieting down now. Aaron’s movements got faster and needier, though he tried not to rock the bed too much. His hands fisted in the sheets under them as hot pressure built to its peak. He made a little noise as his spine jerked and he started to come, his bulk arching over Mila in taut desperation before his whole body shuddered with intense pleasure.
Mila felt overheated and overwhelmed, wanting to touch Aaron positively everywhere while still touching herself. She needed more hands and more arms and just more of everything. She could feel the tension building in Aaron, and she knew he was getting close. That was okay. More than anything else, Mila wanted him to find that same kind of mindless ecstasy too. Her fingers were still working desperately between her legs even as he started to come. Those harder thrusts of his body simply pushed her closer and closer and just as Aaron began to shudder against her, Mila jerked her hips up, sublime pleasure pulsing through her body all over again. She cut off the cry in her throat by biting into her lower lip and instead she wrapped both arms around Aaron and clung.
Coming together always felt like a magical sort of event and Aaron basked in it for those few blissful moments. The way Mila’s body pulsed and squeezed around him made him feel tingly all over and out of breath, it felt amazing. The wound in his chest hurt a little from all the straining, but Aaron didn’t mind that either. He waited until the most intense pleasure had faded and the little aftershocks around his cock had slowed down, then lifted his head to give Mila a dopey grin and a soft kiss. “I love you,” he murmured again. Aaron didn’t feel like he could ever say it enough. “I can’t wait to do this every night.” Some voice in the back of his brain that sounded like Gavin reminded him that was a good way to get her pregnant again, but Aaron ignored it. That would be a good thing in his book. When they were ready for it, at least.
Mila was completely spent. Her body felt damp and weightless and she wished she could just lay there and enjoy orgasm after orgasm. It seemed to be the only way to completely wipe her mind free of everything else lately. Lifting her hands, she brushed them through Aaron's short hair and returned his smile with a sated one of her own. "I love you too. We'll do this every night, in every room, on every surface. And be as loud as we want to be." She didn't care if they had neighbors or not. Mila just wanted to be with Aaron and get things back to normal. She shivered a bit now that her blood was cooling and Mila nuzzled his nose with her own. "Want to get under the blankets?"
Maybe one day in their new place they would do that -- take off work and spend all day naked and giving each other orgasms, until they were just too exhausted to do anything but cuddle and sleep. Get their new home christened right. It sounded like heaven to Aaron. He smiled and nodded, liking the idea of fucking her in places other than a bed. Speaking of bed though, Mila was right, it was time to get in it. “Yeah,” he murmured, and gave her another soft kiss before he started to push his bulk up and off of his petite girlfriend. Future wife. Aaron nuzzled Mila’s breasts one more quick time before he carefully pulled out and stood up. He gave a stretch and a little groan, then glanced around. “You got a towel or somethin’?”
Mila stretched as Aaron pulled away and she realized she would probably have to get up and go to the bathroom. "Not in here," she said as she sat up, groaning a little before slipping off the bed and moving to pull her robe down from the hook on the back of her bedroom door. "Give me a second and I'll grab one from the bathroom." Mila pressed a kiss to his cheek before pulling away. "Sit still and don't make any noise," she teased before quietly and carefully opening the bedroom door. The hall was quiet, the only sounds coming from her parents room was the soft snoring of her father. Mila ducked into the bathroom and a few minutes later returned with a towel for Aaron. She locked her door and then slipped out of her robe before tugging the blankets down on her bed. She thought briefly of slipping on some pajamas but she wanted to sleep naked against Aaron tonight. "You don't have to wear anything if you don't want to. Mom won't come in in the morning so you shouldn't have anything to worry about."
Aaron felt a little bad that she had to get up, but it was much better for a parent to catch Mila in the hallway as opposed to him. He perched on the edge of her bed and waited, taking some comfort in the faint sound of Mr. Moretti’s snoring in the quiet house. Then she was back and handing him the towel and they were all locked up again and everything. Aaron wiped his crotch off while Mila turned the bed down, then re-folded it and set it in the laundry hamper. They definitely needed a place with a master bathroom attached. “Good, ‘cause I totally don’t want to,” he assured her with a little grin. Aaron crawled into the small bed next to Mila and got settled in on his side, draping his arm over her while he tucked the other under the pillow.
She took a quick moment to turn off the lamp beside her bed and then scooted back against him. Mila felt safe with his arm around her, and she hoped he didn't get too hot in the night with her body pressed against his. But for now she felt secure, like nothing bad could touch her here. There was a very good possibility she would even sleep through the night without waking from a nightmare. Aaron had that effect on her. Soon they would have their own place and a bigger bed, but for now, this was perfect.