Aiden dipped his spoon in the tub of ice-cream that was currently resting on the edge of his knee. "Are you coming to watch this movie?" he called out across the apartment.

Chase walked into the living room. He looked like a mess. His hair was a complete catastrophe and he wore loose sweatpants that sat low on his sculpted hips. Chase practically stumbled across the room and fell dramatically on the couch next to Aiden. He rested his heels on the coffee table, displaying the two different coloured socks on his feet.

Aiden looked over at his friend. He and Chase had been in a daze of wallowing and self-pity for the past three weeks. They had both been spending their days watching movies and ignoring their responsibilities. It had worked well for the first two weeks, but now Aiden was starting to feel like he should do something productive, or at least call Oliver.

"Is there any more ice-cream in the freezer?" Chase asked. Chase, the health freak, had been knee deep in ice-cream since the moment Mary had broken his heart.

Aiden shook his head. He didn't want to remind Chase that he had eaten an entire tub the day before. He handed him the tub he had been holding. "Have this one."

Chase took it and nodded.

"Maybe we should get off the couch today and do something with our lives," Aiden suggested. He knew that his request would be met with much discontent.

Chase shook his head with determination.

Aiden had thought he would get more than that out of him. "That's all I get? A head shake?" he asked.

Chase nodded solemnly.

Aiden laughed and nudged him on the arm. He wasn't exactly upset that Chase wanted to spend more time wallowing. He was partially in the same mood. Avoiding the real world was the best thing for him right now. He had turned his phone off a week ago after Oliver had called for the fiftieth time. He couldn't stand seeing his name on the screen. He had just wanted space. Now, thinking about Oliver made him want to turn his phone back on. He wasn't sure how he felt about the man, but he knew that he wasn't in the same self-pitying mood he had been these past weeks. He wanted to sort things out with Oliver, somehow.

Aiden pressed play on the movie. An hour later, when the movie was almost finished, he heard the intercom buzz. He looked over at Chase, but he was so engrossed in the movie that he didn't seem to hear it. There was a chance that Chase was being insolent in an attempt to hide from further responsibilities. Aiden sent Chase a quick look to see if he was right, but Chase was staring at the screen in concentration. Aiden sighed and got up. He walked quickly over to the front door. He wondered who would randomly turn up at his door and he hoped that it wasn't anyone important. He was sure that he didn't want anyone to see him and Chase in the state they were in.

Aiden pressed the button and asked who was there.

"Delivery," the person said.

Aiden buzzed them up. He stood with the door partially open so that he could just see out into the hallway. He was embarrassed by his faded band shirt and his pants that were covered in holes and rips. He was sure that his hair was even more of a mess than Chase's had been. Aiden was very surprised when he saw a man walking down the hallway with a bunch of pizza boxes.

"Did you order pizza?" he yelled back at Chase. He was about to chastise Chase for making such an unhealthy lunch choice while he was already stuffing his face with ice-cream.

"No, why?" Chase called out in reply.

Aiden stepped out into the hallway. "We didn't order any pizza," he told the man, who stopped in his steps.

The man carrying the pizzas was in his late fifties with a blue and white striped uniform and a bright blue cap. He seemed very amused by the situation and just laughed at Aiden. He stepped closer and handed over the pizzas.

Aiden looked back at him in confusion. "Who ordered these?" he asked as he looked down at the three warm boxes in his hands.

The man's smile grew. "They are a gift. I guess people just don't send flowers like they used to in my day." He extended his hand.

Aiden saw that the man was offering him a white envelope. He balanced the boxes with one hand and awkwardly grabbed the envelope.

"Have a good day," the man called out to him as he walked away.

"Thanks," Aiden called back.

He looked down at the envelope. On the front was the word, Aiden. Aiden quickly went back into the apartment. "Chase, come see this," he called out.

Chase met him in the kitchen. He didn't seem amused that he was pulled away from the movie. "Where did you get pizza?" he asked the second that his eyes connected with the pizza boxes.

"Someone sent me pizza," Aiden replied. He placed the boxes on the counter. "The pizza guy gave me this," he said as he held out the envelope for Chase to see.

Chase opened the lid to one of the pizzas. "Mmm," he murmured. "Whoever sent these is my new favourite person."

Aiden ignored Chase and instead focussed on the envelope. He opened it and pulled out a small white card. He read it out loud. "Aiden, I didn't come to the apartment because I didn't want you to feel pressured to talk to me. I want an opportunity to apologise to you and see if things can still work with us. If there's no hope for us, then enjoy the pizza and forget about me. If there is any semblance of hope for us, then please meet me at that café we went to on our second date tomorrow at three o'clock. From, Oliver." Aiden spent a few seconds staring at the note.

"Don't go," Chase muttered. Aiden looked over at Chase. He had a piece of pizza half sticking out of his mouth.

"You really think that I shouldn't go?" Aiden asked in all seriousness.

"Love isn't real," Chase replied. He bit into more pizza.

Aiden rolled his eyes. He couldn't count on Chase's unbiased opinion. Chase was usually very level headed when it came to conundrums such as these, but he wasn't in a state to be weighing in on life choices when his own love life was a mess. "You're only saying that because your heart is broken right now."

Chase stopped chewing. His eyes met Aiden's. "And, why exactly is my heart broken?" he asked, his words muffled by the food in his mouth.

"Because Mary broke up with you?" Aiden said. Chase kept looking at him. "Because love isn't real?" he corrected himself.

"Correct." Chase kept eating the pizza.

Aiden rolled his eyes again. He reached over and grabbed a piece out of the box and bit into it. "I think I want to talk to him. He did something bad, yes, but he didn't kill someone. There's still hope for us."

Chase shrugged.

Aiden nudged him. "All jokes aside, do you really think I shouldn't go?

Chase sighed. His face softened. "Go on the date."

"But love isn't real. Should I even try?" he asked as a joke.

Chase laughed. "Shut up." Aiden loved seeing the smile on his face.

Aiden smiled. It was the first time he had really smiled in days. "Let's go eat this pizza and finish that move."

"I'm glad that I have one more day of wallowing left with you," Chase muttered as they carried the pizza boxes to the living room. 

Aiden was twenty minutes early. He walked into the café and instantly saw Oliver. He was sitting at the table in the back, a coffee in his hand and a blank look on his face. Aiden walked towards Oliver, but was stopped by Paul who was clearing a table.

"Thank god you're here," Paul greeted Aiden with a smile.

Aiden couldn't help but look confused. "What?"

Paul just smiled brighter. "Oliver has only been here for twenty minutes and he's already on his third coffee." Paul glanced back over at Oliver. "He only drinks this much coffee when he's nervous."

Aiden smiled over at Oliver, who was still looking down with that unreadable expression on his face.

"Oh really?" Aiden asked. "How did you know he was nervous about meeting up with me?"

"He told me," Paul replied.

Aiden wondered exactly how close Paul and Oliver were. If Oliver was that open with him about his personal life, then Aiden had to wonder if he was just some casual friend or if Paul was more like a father to him.

Aiden nodded. "Well then, I better get over there and stop his caffeine high."

Paul smiled and then continued to clear the table.

Oliver looked up just as Aiden reached him. Oliver jolted in his seat. "Aiden!" he said. His face transformed into a smile. His eyes lit up. "You came."

"I got your pizza message," Aiden told him. "Flowers were too old fashioned?"

Oliver motioned for Aiden to sit down. "They weren't personal enough."

Aiden laughed as he sat down opposite Oliver. "So," he said, "I came."

"So you must not hate me," Oliver said. He paused for a moment. "Well I hope that you don't."

Aiden shook his head. "I don't hate you."

"You are mad, though," Oliver corrected. His eyes suddenly lost their brightness. "You should be mad. I'm mad at myself. I'm so sorry, Aiden."

Aiden looked into Oliver's eyes. He saw how sincere he was. Aiden decided that he had to move on. He couldn't be mad at Oliver. They had real issues to discuss, their past mistakes shouldn't dictate their future. Aiden offered his hand across the table. Oliver placed his coffee cup back down onto the table and reached over. He took Aiden's hand, their fingers interlocking.

"I was mad," Aiden told him. "Actually, I was furious, but I don't want to be mad anymore. I care too much about you."

Oliver squeezed his hand. "I care about you too. I won't do anything like that again." 

"I know you won't," he replied, and he actually believed it, "but, I need you to be honest with me."

"Honest about what?" Oliver asked. He looked confused.

Aiden shrugged. "Everything. You keep so much of your life a secret from me and it makes me wonder if I even know who you are."

"You know who I am, Aiden."

"Do I?" Aiden asked. "I don't know a thing about your job, your family, your friends. I don't know if you spent your childhood moving around or if you stayed in the one place. I don't know what your parents are like. I don't know what the name of your best friend is. I don't know what kind of future you want."

"That's a lot of questions you have," Oliver commented. He looked nervous. He used his free hand to reach over and take a big gulp of your coffee. "I don't know if I can tell you all of that stuff in one afternoon."

Aiden smiled softly at Oliver. "I don't want to know it all right this second, I just want to know that you will be more open with me. I want to learn more about you every day. Right now, it seems as though you know every detail about my life and I don't know a thing about yours," Aiden explained. "A little each day, that's all I want."

"A little each day," Oliver repeated to himself. "That I can do."

Aiden couldn't help but smile. He let go of Oliver's hand and reached over and stole his coffee.

"Hey!" Oliver said with a laugh. "That's mine."

Aiden shrugged and took a long sip of the coffee. He laughed. "I was thirsty."

Oliver laughed. "You are a blessing," he muttered.

"What?" Aiden asked.

Oliver shrugged. He was silent for a few seconds before continuing. "Most of the guys I've been with the last few years, they give up on me after a month or so. You haven't."

Aiden felt bad for Oliver. He didn't know how people could give up on him. He saw the light in Oliver, the kind, funny person that Oliver hid from the rest of the world. He wondered if that was why he determined to learn more about him. He wanted to see what else was hidden behind that hard exterior. He was sure that there was more to like under there.

"I won't ever," Aiden promised him.

"You have to understand, Aiden, I don't open up to people. I used to, when I was younger and I didn't know better. I opened up too much, maybe. Now, I hide so much from the rest of the world and I wish you didn't feel like you have to fight so hard to get through to me."

"You're worth the fight," Aiden assured him.

Oliver shrugged. He cast his gaze downward. "I don't know if I'll ever be the open book you want me to be."

"I don't want you to be an open book. I just want you to know that you don't have to hide things from me, but don't feel pressured to tell me things because you feel obligated."

Oliver looked up. He sighed. "I won't tell you anything I'm not comfortable with."

"Good," Aiden replied. He stole another sip of Oliver's coffee. "So what have you been up to these last few weeks."

"I've been working a lot." He paused for half a second before adding, "I've been spending time with Ava," he said. He slipped her name into the conversation so easily that Aiden almost didn't notice. He was talking about Ava, the girl who called and messaged him all the time, the girl that Aiden had been waiting for him to finally mention.

"Oh," he muttered. He was pretending like this wasn't a big deal, but this was major. "What did you guys do together?"

"She's a chef and she's in the process of writing a cook book, so I've been helping her test out different recipes," Oliver explained.

"So you were basically eating heaps of free food made by a chef?"

Oliver smiled. "Basically."

Aiden wasn't sure if he should ask any questions about Ava. He didn't want to be too invasive, but Oliver had just opened this door and it was a missed opportunity if he let it slip by. "Is she a good cook?"

"She's incredible. She's been cooking her entire life, she's only twenty-five, but she's already a head chef at this really nice place in the city. You'd like her."

"Maybe I'll meet her one day."

Oliver's eyes lit up. "Saturday I'm going to a dinner party at her house, she's testing out some different recipes with a couple of friends. Do you want to be my date?"

Aiden's mouth was moving before he even had time to think. "Yes. Yes, I would love to."

"Perfect," Oliver said.

They spent the next few hours in that café discussing pointless things and Aiden lost track of how many times Oliver made him laugh. He loved this. He loved spending time with Oliver, and he couldn't stop thinking about how much Oliver had let him into his life. Meeting Ava was a great step in the right direction, but a small voice in the back of Aiden's mind wouldn't let him forget about the many other things that Oliver kept a secret. He knew however, that he wasn't going to give up on Oliver, like others had. He would be there for him, holding out hope that one day there wouldn't be any secrets between them.

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