This was Alexandre’s home, something he knew but honestly hadn’t sunk in until the last box had been unloaded from his mother’s car. Jenna waved goodbye before taking off and leaving her brother to the task of actually unpacking.

The question had been posed and after several days of contemplation Aiden had finally accepted the offer to move in with his boyfriend. They spent a sufficient amount of time with one another as it was so it wasn’t really much of a change in routine. Plus, it wasn’t like he hadn’t already spent the night at Alex’s house before… naked… in his bed…

Aiden lifted one of the boxes and carried it to his room noting how clean the house was despite the number of packages that his partner had opened the night before. Tissue paper had littered the floor co-mingled with strips of tape and empty boxes. It was a disaster but Alex seemed undaunted.

Unlit candles decorated the tabletops and shelves and aside from a few dirty dishes next to the sink he would have been none-the-wiser to the ongoings that happened days prior. Then again despite appearances his boyfriend did have a bit of a clean streak and not one he typically passed on to others as most would think. While he had the money for a maid Alex took pride in keeping the place clean himself.

With classes done for the day Aiden set about unpacking his belongings while Alexandre finished up with work. With Cadha at his heels he headed into the bedroom where he found Katya spread out on...their bed, that was still a bit of a new concept for him, but he gave her a simple look over as he went to put his school bag away before going to grab the hamper that was in their shared bathroom. It was when walking into the bathroom, that was connected to the bedroom, that he was hit with the idea of just what this was.

As much as Alex might scoff at married couples here they were, living together. Not just under one rooftop in separate rooms but together together as in the same master bedroom and bathroom; it wasn’t just Alexandre’s anymore.

The realization hit him hard as he sat down on the foot of the bed. Moving in was a bit of a huge step in their relationship. Had Alex even realized it yet? If he had...what did he actually think?

While it had been proposed under the guise of saving him money as to not waste it on living in the dorms; a part of Aiden felt a bit like a charity case being given a hand out instead of a hand up. At least he finally got Alex to agree on allowing him to pay rent even if it was only $200 a month. But after almost two and a half years he knew Alex and he knew that wasn’t the intention behind the offer. No, Alex wasn’t like that. It as just a hard notion to brush off as a paranoid thought given the completely different backgrounds they grew up in.

For a moment he sat there as the gravity of it all hit him and as he glanced around the familiar room a thought brought a smile to his features.

This is home.

Once the moment passed he went to grab the hamper of clothing and brought it downstairs to the wash room so he could separate the colors from the whites, and in the process he made a separate pile for delicates as well. With it getting colder out he also, for a moment, wondered if he should send Alex a text and ask if he had some warmer clothes packed away that he’d like hung up but decide to wait until the other got home.

That seemed to be one of his roles in their relationship, helping Alexandre with what he over looked...simple and mundane things. While his other half was more lavish and had a taste for the finer things he didn’t often think in the most simple of ways at times. He didn’t think about donating clothing to gain some closet space, which he could use by the way, and he didn’t think about buying used books for his classes; always opting for brand new. He didn’t bother with coupons or sales - he just bought what he wanted when he wanted. It was foregin to Aiden and he found his niche in trying to bring some of his savvy into the other's life...while letting the other still be himself and getting pampered a bit in the process. He’d had to learn to accept it and help to balance them both out, which had been a bit of a time consuming process.

Coming out of his thoughts he realized the piles were set, the hamper empty, and he just needed to decide what to do first. Settling on whites he dumped the load into the washer, added the softener and detergent before setting the dials and starting the machine. He closed the lid shortly thereafter and left to get a drink from the kitchen, turning on the tv as he passed through the living room.

With the sounds of the news on the tv, talking about the rain they were due to get and the presidential debate, Aiden grabbed a glass and poured himself a cup of water before taking a seat on the couch to relax until the laundry buzzer sounded indicating it was time to put the next one in.