Page 63 of Psychic Obsession
Nikolai laughed again.Then, to Frode's surprise, he took hold of his arm and yanked him closer to him.It went so fast, Frode had no time to resist.One second, he was sitting in his seat, the next, he was leaning against Nikolai.
"Hey!"He tried to push away, but Nikolai wrapped his arm around him.
"You're such a sea urchin."
Frode spluttered."Excuse me?"
"Spiky and venomous."Nikolai ran a hand over his hair."They are poisonous, right?"
Frode didn't move away, but he adjusted himself, so he wasn't sprawled over Nikolai's chest.He was trapped in an embrace.Granted, the same kind of embrace he'd seen Nikolai give a hundred people, a sitting guy-clench, a jostling-around-with-a-teammate kind.Did men in their forties still do those?
"I don't know.Maybe."
"Hmm.So blue shirts or white?"Nikolai was watching the TV, but he didn't remove his arm.
"You pick one, and I'll pick the other."
Nikolai gave him a blinding smile."You're on.I'll go with blue."
Frode glanced at the score and realized the blue were in the lead by a lot."Oh, fuck you."
A chuckle, then Nikolai caressed his hair again, and Frode allowed it.He could move away, could push Nikolai's arm off him, could throw him out of his house, but...He couldn't remember the last time someone had held him.And this wasn't hugging, it wasn't snuggling on the couch, but it was contact, and other than Hjalmar, Frode didn't remember when he'd last indulged in carefree touching.
Though nothing about Nikolai was carefree.
The blue team scored, and Nikolai whooped.Frode sighed and relaxed against him.Fuck it.
He watched the game, but after a while he realized Nikolai was watching him, not the TV."What?"
"Nothing."
Frode raised an eyebrow at him, but Nikolai only shook his head."This is nice."
"You're only saying that because your team is in the lead."
"Yes, of course."
Frode chuckled at the dry tone.Then Nikolai drained his beer and put the bottle on the table.Shortly after, he rearranged Frode, put his feet on the coffee table, and had them both half-lying on the couch with Frode resting against Nikolai's side.
It was weird.
But Nikolai was warm and solid against him, and there were no expectations.Frode didn't have to do anything.He could lie there and watch a boring basketball match.
When Nikolai caressed his hair again, he did nothing.He didn't move away, didn't ask him to stop, didn't shove him off.
"Will you move somewhere else when you get the money for the house?"
Nikolai took a deep breath, making Frode rise and fall with it."I don't know.I'm hardly ever home, so I don't know if buying a new house would make any sense."
"You wouldn't have to hear your neighbors move around."
"I don't notice them much.In all honesty, I avoid spending time there."
"Really?And here I thought you were here because you wanted company when watching the game."
"Watch it, sea urchin."
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