“Brother?” he mutters under his breath, shaking his head. How does someone go from being a complete stranger to being his everything? And yet, here they are, stuck in some weird limbo where nothing makes sense anymore.

He leans down and wraps an arm around Aiden's shoulders, holding him close as they lie there together. “Don't say that again,” he whispers, trying to sound convincing despite the hollow feeling growing in his chest.

"Shut up," Dax says, laughing and pulling away slightly. But instead of releasing Aiden completely, he finds himself tracing the curves of his lips with his fingers, studying their shape and contours like they're something precious. "No," he repeats, softer this time. "I mean... don't say it unless you really mean it, bro."

For a moment, they just look at each other, the air thick with unspoken emotion.