Relocation - Interlude Six

[churbooseanon]

Relocation - Interlude Six

    “Daniel? Daniel, it’s you. Call or fold? D? Earth to Daniel, you still with us?”

    It wasn’t the call of the voice practically in his ear that brought Daniel’s thoughts back to Earth, but rather the light touch at his elbow. Daniel blushed as he looked at Stephen, embarrassed to have zoned out so deeply, and turned his attention to the cards in his hand. After a moment, and a quick evaluation of the pot, Daniel just folded his hand and stretched.

    “Would you mind terribly if I took a moment to brew some more coffee?” Daniel asked his friends at the table with a soft smile, hoping they would take it as something other than a chance to get away so he could clear his mind. Gary seemed rather bored with the prospect, focusing instead on gathering up his winnings from this hand, but Stephen nodded gently. He was always kind like that, and Daniel smiled with appreciation at his friend as he got up and made his way into the kitchen.

    “I promise to bring you both back beers,” he assured them as he walked off, earning appreciative murmurs in the process.

    Some traditions could not be forsaken just because Daniel had a new boyfriend he had spent every waking hour since the date last night thinking about. One such ritual, as it were, was the poker game that Stephen hosted every other Thursday in his apartment. As neither Stephen nor Gary had classes on Fridays until late in the day, their games lasted into the wee hours of the night, sometimes ending with Daniel crashing on the couch. Normally he took a lot of pleasure in taking the other two for their money.

Yet as traditional as the game was, after the mini-golf last night, poker was the last thing on Daniel’s mind. There were places he would rather be than here. Out with Nate, for instance. It had been frustrating to admit to Nate this morning that he wasn’t going to be free for a movie night at his apartment, or anything else for that matter. Even though there was so little time for him to know Nate, to be around him, just about a week at this point, Daniel owed this night to his other friends. Two games ago Daniel had ducked out a few hours before he intended because of Shaun calling him in a panic the night of his first date with David. The most recent one he’d missed out on because Gary had been out of town for a conference, and though Stephen had offered to still play with just the two of them, Daniel hadn’t wanted to have a game with only two people. Now that he thought about it, though, that had been the same day that Daniel had met Nate at the cafe the first time, and Shaun had proved to have another date with David go a bit sideways, leaving him in Daniel’s apartment, in his arms. So, despite how badly he wanted to be somewhere with Nate, just holding his hand, Daniel was here.

    Coffee took forever to brew. That was always the ultimate failing of his favorite beverage Daniel thought. He sighed and stood there, looking at the coffee pot, wondering if the old adage about watched pots and boiling applied to coffee as well. More than that, he wondered where Nate was. The man’s expression had fallen so much this morning at breakfast when he’d offered his evening to Daniel, noting that his cousin had kicked him out for the better part of the evening and he hoped they could do something together. When Daniel had turned him down he had looked so crestfallen. Good thing David had been nearby to offer his own company. Shaun had pouted, but Daniel had appreciated the fact that he wasn’t the only friend Nathaniel had made.

    For a moment he considered taking out his phone to send Nate a message apologizing once again, but the coffee pot made a noise to announce the finished brewing. Soon Daniel had gathered up the drinks he had promised and made his way back to the table. Gary and Stephen had clearly started a quick hand of gin rummy while Daniel had been gone. As he set the drinks before them Gary picked up another card and discarded a three, and Stephen smirked up at him.

    “So, D, why so distant tonight?” Stephen asked.

    “Distant?” Daniel asked, shocked. Had he really been so bad that Stephen had noticed his lack of focus?

    “I believe Stephen means to question you as to how we haven’t been relieved of at least fifty dollars apiece yet,” Gary provided, not looking up from his cards as he shuffled and reshuffled them, perhaps contemplating a new meld strategy.

    “Well, he put it bluntly, but yeah, you aren’t winning nearly as much this week,” Stephen chuckled in agreement. “Figured maybe something happened in the last month that you hadn’t told us about yet. So fess up, because as nice as it is to not be losing all my money, the game isn’t as deep with you unfocused.”

    “You’re losing all your money to Gary,” Daniel reminded Stephen, but… Well, what was the harm in explaining? “I… I suppose you could say I’ve met someone.”

    “Met someone?” Stephen parroted, and there was something a little off about his voice, but Daniel wasn’t sure enough about that to really try to think too hard about it. “Well, look at that, Daniel finally has some change in his monotonous life. Okay then, tell us, what is the man who finally caught D’s eye like?”

    Daniel couldn’t help but smile warmly at that idea. Talk about Nate? That was definitely something he could do. After all, Nathaniel was amazing, and the way he made Daniel feel was pretty amazing as well, right? Wasn’t that something to be shared with, maybe even lauded by, his friends?

    “I guess you’d say he was amazing,” Daniel admitted. And then he had to chuckle at the fact that he hadn’t been able to put it better than that. Normally he was so good with words. What was it about Nate that made him a bit less competent? Was it the affection that swelled up within him when he thought about the other man? If only he’d had more time to explore the concept of Nathaniel. Maybe then he could put it into words.

    “Eloquent,” Gary told him, and Daniel wished he had a poker chip in hand to toss at him. Gary, though, would take that as money surrendered, and Daniel was not giving him cash like that.

    “It’s a very new relationship, though I suppose I met him when we were last supposed to meet,” Daniel shrugged. “We actually only had our first date recently. His eyes are warm, his laughter a true pleasure to hear. He’s strong and confident, and he will sit there for hours to talk to me about books we’ve read, or music we like, or movies we watched together.”

    “Sounds a bit like me,” Stephen rolled his eyes. “Except, you know, I hope he pays for meals for you two.”

    “Not exactly,” Daniel laughed. “But he did pay for things last night, which I suppose is a good thing. Are boyfriends supposed to do that? Well, anyway, he makes me laugh and makes me smile and always cares about what I think. I don’t know if Shaun likes him, but that hardly seems important. And his hands are… warm.”

    As Daniel looked up at Stephen, smiling, he couldn’t help but notice the less than pleased look his friend was wearing. Now why would that happen? Perhaps he was just jealous. So far as Daniel knew, Stephen hadn’t been in a relationship since they met, though he had his suspicions about the nature of Gary and Stephen’s relationship when he wasn’t around. Not that it stopped him from speculating from time to time.

    “Sounds nice,” Stephen noted, his voice a touch flatter as Gary took the cards and started to shuffle them for another hand of poker. “But what is it about him that’s special. That makes him more than just a friend.”

    Wow, talk about something Daniel didn’t know how to put into words. “Well, I guess… he makes me feel comfortable, like I’m safe and back home. He speaks French, almost perfectly. My mother was from France, came over here to work for a family. I used to hear it so much. To have someone who prefers it, who likes it so much. It’s like I can share more with him.”

    It was strange, the way Stephen was watching him, his eyes intent.

    “How’d you meet this mystery man of yours?” Stephen asked. “Surely that’s a story and a half.”

    “If you’d believe it,” Daniel chuckled, shaking his head, “I was singing at the store, a French musician whose music I enjoy. He heard and provided the next line. Turns out he hadn’t heard someone speak French in a while, because he…”

    “Just got back from overseas,” Stephen provided for him, and Daniel was shocked to have him say that. How could Stephen even begin to guess at that?

    The question went unasked because even as it came to Daniel’s lips, the apartment door opened and all eyes were turned toward it. And there, framed against the hallway, was Nathaniel.

*        *        *        *        *        *

    When Nate had been told that morning that he had to keep himself out of the apartment for most of the evening, he hadn’t really had a problem with the order from his cousin. After all, it was a one time thing, and it wasn’t like he couldn’t turn to Daniel for something to do with his time. That, clearly, had fallen through, but even so he had not been dissuaded from hoping to find some way to pass the time. David, first thing that morning, had offered to have Nate over for the night to help him ‘break in his new game system.’ The offer had sounded nice enough, and so much of his life might have gone differently had the thing not broken down the second they turned it on. David had cursed and threatened the thing for nearly an hour until Nate, though amused, had offered to visit his cousin to borrow a functioning system, maybe even some games. No way Stephen would need it with his scheduled poker game, and Nate could get all of that packed up and even some clothes for the next day if he asked nicely enough. There couldn’t be anything he was really interrupting after all.

    To say that walking into the apartment to find a familiar form sitting with his back to the door was surprising would be a definite understatement. But perhaps surprise wasn’t as important as concern when he saw scarlet quickly consuming his cousin’s face. A scarlet that only seemed to spread all the faster as Daniel turned, saw him, and rose immediately out of his seat. The smile that met Nate’s gaze was as warm as Stephen’s expression was murderous, and were it not for the fact that Daniel was approaching to greet him with a light hug, Nate might have just closed the door and walked away. As it was…

    “Nate,” Daniel greeted him, his voice loud and happy. “What are you doing here? I thought the door was locked. Wait… Stephen is the cousin you keep telling me about?”

    The expression on Stephen’s face only darkened, and as Gary pushed away from the table, as if to get himself out of the line of fire, Nate knew. Just like that he understood what was going on, and why it was so bad. The person Stephen had alluded to, the one he was interested in and had been trying to catch the eye of for a while? Of course it had to be Daniel. How could Nate not have seen it coming? Whenever Stephen had chosen to confide in him in the past about the people he was interested in, they were always of a type. Delicate features, vivid eyes, soft spoken but smart, and absolutely confident when it came to the things they cared about. Daniel could only ever be a flame that his Sig was drawn to. The only question now was how he was supposed to handle it.

    “Nathaniel,” Stephen greeted him after he cleared his throat. “I can see you met my friend Daniel around town.”

    “I didn’t know the two of you knew each other,” Nate returned, defending himself already. Because the only thing he could do was play defensively here. Daniel probably didn’t even know that a battle was about to be waged here. In fact… maybe that battle shouldn’t be waged while he was still standing in the hall. Thankfully Daniel had released the hug and stepped back to let Nate into the apartment. “I didn’t know Daniel was your other poker friend.”

    “Well, not surprising,” Stephen answered. “Though I do remember telling you that poker night was just for us. What are you doing home so soon?”

    “Friend’s game system broke down. Was hoping we could borrow yours. Maybe grab some clothes for myself so I can crash there tonight.”

    The fury that flashed in Stephen’s eyes seemed to say that Nate was definitely staying there tonight.

    “Want to borrow some games too?” Stephen asked. “I’ve got some in my room. How about you come back and pick some out? I’ll show you where they are.”

    And so the battle ground was chosen. Even though it was a low blow, Nate did lean down to kiss his boyfriend’s brow before slipping past him. From the corner of his eye he see the ire drawn by the action. Not that Nate cared too much. Maybe the gesture was possessive, but Daniel was dating him, so for the moment he didn’t care.

    “Of course,” Nate agreed, moving to follow Stephen once his cousin was moving.

    “Should I deal the next game?” Gary asked from the table.

    “Not until I’m back,” Stephen answered, and that was ominous in and of itself. Still Nate was silent until his cousin was leading him off, and he left Daniel behind as he went to join Stephen.

    Of course he found the door to Stephen’s bedroom closed behind him as he entered the room. No good getting everything off of their chests if it turned out they were overheard. Nate didn’t even bother to wait for Stephen to open his mouth before he sat down on the edge of his cousin’s bed. As used to getting yelled at as he was, he thought it would be better for them both if he wasn’t towering over Stephen, seeing him as the enemy.

    “Daniel?” Stephen snarled. “Of all the men in this city, of all the people, you had to choose the man I’ve been after forever?”

    As if that was a fair argument to present. Nate just shook his head. “One, I didn’t choose him, it just happened. Two, you never told me who it was you were after. Three…”

    “You never told me who your ‘mystery man’ was,” Stephen countered. “Fuck, you’re only here for a few days, and you’ve already ruined more than a year of work. How could you do this to me? Thank god you’re leaving town soon, because I don’t think I could handle…”

    “I’m not leaving,” Nate interrupted him. Which left Stephen just staring at him in something like horror.

    “No, Nate, you are,” Stephen insisted. “You’re going home to Maine. Remember? When this is over you’re going to go home to Maine and you’re not coming back here because making a rash decision like that, even for Daniel, is way too much.”

    “I’ve made up my mind, and I want to try to live a life here instead,” Nate insisted. “Listen, I’m sorry that the man I feel for happened to be the one you wanted, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m dating him. So will you just relax about…”

    “No,” Stephen snapped. “God, don’t you even… God, just get your stuff and get out of here, dammit. The last thing I want to see right now is your damn face after you’ve gone and done this to me.”

    “I haven’t done anything to you, Sig,” Nate sighed, trying to keep himself calm. “I haven’t…”

    “Don’t call me that. Don’t you dare call me that when you’ve hurt me like this. Betrayed me.”

    Why in the world did he have to see it like that? It was stupid, more than stupid. Frustratingly bad decisions were being made here, and there was nothing Nate could do. Well, no, he could give Stephen the space he needed right now.

    “Fine,” Nate sighed, pushing to his feet. “You know how to reach me when you calm the hell down. Because you will. Sooner or later you’ll realize how stupid it is to be mad at me for something I didn’t even know, not to mention something I can’t really control.”

    Stephen huffed at that statement, moving to open the bedroom door. “Maybe you’ll come to your senses and stop setting Daniel up for the pain you’re going to inflict on him when you disappear in a week. Seriously, what sort of asshole starts romancing a guy you’re never going to see again?”

    For a moment Nate just stayed there, trying to put it all together. Why did Stephen have to be so irrational over all of this?

    “What do you mean he left!?” Stephen’s voice tore through the apartment, and Nate could tell what it meant. Apparently Daniel had gotten a feel for the situation after all. Nate almost wanted to smile over that. But really, it was only going to make things with Stephen more complicated. Nate reached up to run his hand over his head. He could feel it getting a bit longer than he liked. Quietly he decided he would have to deal with that in the morning, which meant packing his shaving kit as well. Sighing Nate headed for the bathroom. For now he’d only grab the essentials. Surely Stephen would cool down by the morning. Still, on the off chance he wouldn’t, Nate wanted to grab things for a few days. Which meant his toiletries had go into the duffel in Stephen’s office with some of his new clothes. And, once all of that was done, he headed for the door, not bothering to meet the gaze of either Stephen or Gary, who had settled on the couch. Interrupting them now would only make things worse.

    Good thing David was due back here soon enough.

*        *        *        *        *        *

    The thing is, neither of them was nearly so subtle as they may have liked to think. Or perhaps it was they underestimated Daniel’s powers of observation when things seemed off. Perhaps they didn’t realize they were radiating aggression in a way that Daniel couldn’t help but see himself in the middle of. And then the muffled shouting had started and Daniel knew, without a doubt, what was going on. Okay, well, really he was more suspicious than anything, but something told him he knew how this was going to go. Which was why, in the end, he had bundled back up into his warm clothes and headed out of the apartment building to sit on one of the benches near the door. The chill of the night air was getting to him, but Daniel just fluffed his scarf up around his neck, ducked the lower part of his face into the warmth, and pulled the gloves from his coat pocket so he could tug them on.

    They weren’t, of course, nearly so warm as Nate’s hand in his. But Daniel, well, he’d have to do for just a bit longer.

    In the end it turned out to be fifteen full minutes that Daniel waited outside, trembling with the cold, before the doors of the apartment opened and Nate came out, his own fists in the pouch of his sweatshirt and a large, military issue duffel bag over his shoulder. Clearly the other man didn’t notice him, though, not with the attention he was giving his phone. Probably contacting David if Daniel really thought about it. Not that he intended to let David get Nate away from him before they could talk.

    Which was why he cleared his throat. The sound, due to the chill of the air, came out less clearly than Daniel had wanted. God he could use a hot drink. But there were more pressing things, so he just licked his lips and called out.

    “Was that what I thought that was, Nathaniel?”

    The other man moved like a flash. One second his boyfriend was there, walking away from him, the next the duffel was on the ground and it was like Nate was reaching for a weapon that wasn’t there. Daniel really wasn’t offended by that, in fact he was impressed by the other man’s reaction speed. What he was bothered by, though, was the look Nate wore, one that almost said the shock had been enough to drive Daniel’s very existence from the other man’s mind. But that expression was gone in half a second, and Nate was looking at him bashfully as he grabbed up his bag again.

    “Depends. What did you think it was?”

    Daniel rolled his eyes as he pushed himself to his feet and moved to stand in front of his boyfriend. “Stephen, your cousin… he isn’t dating Gary, is he?”

    “No,” Nathaniel agreed quietly, and Daniel felt himself deflate a little at the confirmation. All this time, and he hadn’t even suspected. And now he had hurt his friend, and used his cousin to do it.

    “It is me that he’s interested in, isn’t it?” Daniel asked with another sigh, and Nate just nodded in response. “Well, tidy little mess I got us into, isn’t it? Your cousin has a touch of a temper, if you didn’t know.”

    “Figured that out,” Nate answered, shrugging. “Listen, I…”

    “David must be waiting for you, right?” Daniel provided immediately, and Nate nodded briefly. “Can he wait?”

    “He thinks I’m staying there tonight,” Nate admitted, and when Daniel gestured toward the parking lot, Nate started to move with him. “My cousin, Stephen, he may have kicked me out for the night.”

    If Daniel knew how Stephen could hold a grudge, and he’d heard plenty of stories over poker of things Stephen did to people he didn’t much like, he thought it would be more than that. Asking David to agree to something like that for so long, Daniel found himself wondering if there wasn’t something better he could offer. And couldn’t he? When he really thought about it, couldn’t he? His couch was surely as comfortable as the other man’s, and it was his fault this was happening, wasn’t it?

    “Stay with me.”

    The words tumbled out quickly. Daniel almost wanted to call them back, but he knew he had said them so fast because he had wanted them out there before he could go back on the decision. If he was going to be losing the other man, he might as well steal as much time as he could with the other man, right? But Nate froze at the question, and when he looked, Daniel saw the shock on his face.

    “Really?” Nate asked after a moment. “You’re certain?”

    “We’re friends,” Daniel pointed out. “Well, dating really, but this is still my fault, to some degree. At the very least I’m as responsible as you and Stephen are for this whole thing. Besides, it not forever, right? My couch is comfortable, you eat breakfast with me anyway, and I have to say I’d enjoy the excuse to have dinners with you, so it’s not a problem, right?”

    Instead of a straight answer, he found himself pulled into a nearly painfully tight hug. Daniel tried not to laugh too much at the pleasure of it, at the warmth. There was so much strength here, and already he knew he was going to miss it when it was gone. For now, though, he intended to revel in the contact while he could have it. All he wanted was to stay here in the limitless wonder of these arms.

    “Shall we?” Daniel asked when Nate finally let him go.

    “I should probably tell David that our night together is off,” Nate reminded him, producing his phone from the pouch on his sweatshirt. “Mostly because we don’t want to upset another person tonight.”

    Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle at the statement. Even though he’d upset one of his better friends, something about tonight felt good anyway. Maybe it was the way Nate didn’t continue to the car, but rather focused on the text first. Because the second it was sent off Nate’s hand reached for his, and Daniel had to smile. Even through his glove he could feel the warmth and the strength of the grip. How could anything possibly be better than this?

    “There,” Nate announced as he let Daniel pull them toward his car. “What are we going to do with our night?”

    “If we’re lucky, we can enjoy a quiet night in my apartment, maybe with a movie or a game,” Daniel suggested. “Mostly I spend Thursdays on music when I’m not here. Well, that and lately I hope David and Shaun don’t have another bad date. Sometimes Shaun ends up in my apartment, hoping for cheering up. If he does…”

    Nate nodded without prompting. “Best friends who are like brothers before boyfriends. I get that.”

    Thank god for the small things. Daniel smiled and stopped them by his car. As much as he hated it, he had to drop Nate’s hand to unlock the door. God help him he just wanted to hold that hand all the way back. But for now he had to be reasonable. Soon enough he could be home, sitting on his couch, maybe leaning against Nate, as they watched a movie. It would be amazing. Amazing enough that Daniel couldn’t help but smile.

    “Penny for your thoughts?” Nate offered. “Why the smile?”

    “Would you be horribly offended if I told you that I intend to use you like a pillow while we watch whatever we watch?”

    The smile the got in return was amazing, and it made Daniel’s heart swell in a weird way. But the best way. Chuckling Daniel got into the car and leaned across to unlock it for Nate. Almost immediately the door opened before him and Nate caught his hand again. Daniel stared at him with a blush, one that only grew deeper as Nate leaned in and pulled Daniel’s hand up. Nate’s lips brushed against the back of Daniel’s gloved hand, and it was just amazing to watch him like that. If only his glove had been off. Then, with a chuckle, Nate released him and Daniel was left to stare as his boyfriend got into the car. God help him, he had to figure out how to keep this man in his life. The only question was how.

    “Don’t be so silly,” Daniel chided him once Nate was in the car and his bag was in the back seat.

    “Silly? Thought that was supposed to be charming.”

    “Charm and sap are two different things,” Daniel warned. “And I know sap. Shaun has a secret fixation on romantic comedy movies.”

    Nate’s laughter warmed the atmosphere of the car, and Daniel had to laugh with him even though he didn’t know why.

    “Of course,” Nate said at last. “It seems right up his alley. He seems quite happy with David though.”

    “Trust me, he’s living his own little romance movie right now,” Daniel responded as he buckled up and started the car. “I just hope he gets a happy ending.”

    For that matter, he wouldn’t much mind one himself.

*        *        *        *        *        *

    Being in Daniel’s apartment felt different than it had before. Granted last time he had been here because he had been a friend invited over for a meal, but that had been the night things had changed, hadn’t it? Still, was the difference between him now and him then so marked that he should feel different simply by being here? How did that make any sense at all? Yet the difference was there in the air as Nathaniel toed his shoes off and looked around the apartment. Perhaps it was in the fact that he was going to be staying. When his shoes came off this time, they wouldn’t go back on until the sun had risen. The difference was important, even if he couldn’t put his finger on quite why.

    He must have been caught up in those thoughts because when he had his shoes finally arranged by the door and looked up again, Daniel was nowhere to be seen. There was light and noise from the kitchen, though, and so Nate had to assume the location.

    “Where should I put my stuff?” Nate called out cautiously. Would the noise be loud enough to draw Shaun’s attention? He hoped not. The last thing he wanted was to explain the whole situation to Daniel’s best friend right now. His hope was that Daniel would come up with a way to make this sound less terrible by morning.

    “Just drop your bag inside the door to my bedroom,” Daniel’s voice suggested from the kitchen. “I’m making hot chocolate. Would you like some?”

    “I would, thank you,” Nate agreed, looking around. There was only two doors in the apartment he hadn’t gone through yet. One was in the bathroom, and it was in the wall the bathroom shared with the room Nathaniel assumed was behind the other door. Daniel’s bedroom.

    “Anything special with it?” Daniel called again as Nate came to a stop in front of the closed door. “I’ve got cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder, and mini-marshmallows. Oh, and milk or water?”

    So many questions. Still, thinking about those did keep him from over thinking as he opened the door to the bedroom. He caught a brief glimpse of green by the light of the living room, and then just tucked his bag around the corner of the door. That done he closed it and shuffled in his socks toward Daniel’s kitchen. There he found the slight man, smiling to himself as he worked to gather everything he had mentioned. Nate leaned against the frame of the door and smiled.

    “Milk, and nutmeg,” Nate answered, and while Daniel flinched the tiniest bit at his sudden words, when the other man turned to look at him, it was with a smile.

    “A man after my own heart,” Daniel smiled. “Though I am also fond of cinnamon, late and night I prefer the richer flavor of the nutmeg. Just so you know, my couch, it’s a fold out bed. I haven’t used it since I moved in, but I’ve got sheets, and hopefully it will be long enough for a man your height. I can bring out some spare pillows and sheets for you, but I’m not sure what to do for blankets. None of the ones I have are quite as long as you are.”

    “Few tend to be,” Nate assured him, moving into the kitchen to be closer to Daniel. “Don’t worry, it already sounds like a better setup than I’ve had at Stephen’s. And what you’re offering me is already a great kindness.”

    “Do good for your fellow man and good will be done for you,” Daniel shrugged. “My mother tells me that all the time. I try to live by it.”

    “Good lesson.”

    Daniel smiled again, and then turned his attention to constructing their drinks. For a few minutes they were there in a comfortable sort of silence. For all that Nate had never been a big talker himself, listening to other people talking tended to be a comfort. Yet here, with Daniel, he was quite content to enjoy the silence between them. Perhaps it was because of the ease of it. It was as if neither of them really felt obligated to fill the silence. It was another companion for them, and a welcome one. So they stood there, Daniel making cocoa and Nate just watching the motion of his delicate fingers.

    “Here,” Daniel said, when he finally offered a mug to Nate. “Join me on the couch?”

    Nate smiled and nodded, gesturing for the other man to lead the way in his own home. That drew another smile from the man, and together they moved to get situated on the couch. Almost immediately after Nate got himself comfortable leaning against an arm, there was Daniel, looking at him with a question in his eyes. While he didn’t know what it was, Nate nodded to it, and it was good to know that whatever it was, Daniel was asking. Then, a second later, Daniel was sitting as well, leaning against Nate.

    It was like parts of him became hyper aware. Every bit of him that was in contact with Daniel seemed to heat up. Not that he was really warmer or uncomfortable. It was just that the contact was comforting. The warmth of him was wonderful. No, more than wonderful. Welcome, like the heat of the cocoa through the mug. He didn’t need that heat, didn’t need to let himself be caught up in it, but the touch made him feel like he was home. It was comfortable, it was nice, and it was right. Something in the back of his head said it was right and good for Daniel to be here like this. Like it was something he’d always wanted but never known to ask for.

    “Luckily you’re not going to need it too long.”

    Nate sat there, blinking, as he tried to figure out what Daniel meant. Maybe he went stiff in his pondering, or maybe Daniel just thought it was a weird statement as well, because soon his shoulders were shaking with a held back chuckle.

    “Well, that was indeed a non sequitur. What I meant as the couch bed. I imagine Stephen might hold this against you only a few days. Then you’ll be back at his place, and then wherever you’re going when you leave for your reunion. And then…”

    The way Daniel’s voice trailed off, getting slower and sadder, only made Nate’s chest ache. Good thing he had a way to handle that, to get rid of the sorrow that threatened to bubble up in him.

    “And then I’ll come back here,” Nate supplied, his voice a whisper. Maybe he was nervous about admitting this to Daniel. Okay, he was definitely nervous. What if Daniel didn’t agree with David? What if he was more of Stephen’s point of view, that such a decision was rash? Or what if he didn’t think he was worthy of such a decision?

    The way Daniel tilted his head up and over his shoulder to look at Nate. Was it hope or concern he saw in those eyes? As Daniel leaned forward and put his mug on the table, was he doing it because he was about to lecture Nathaniel, or was it because he was hoping to do something else altogether.

    What he got was Daniel turning so he was really looking at Nate, and those eyes, those vivid green eyes were so perfectly beautiful in that moment. They shone and danced in the light of the room. So beautiful, and so perfect as Daniel leaned forward and again their lips met. Could a touch be more perfect? Soft and gentle, warm from the cocoa and Daniel’s on body heat. Without thinking Nate let his free hand wrap around Daniel’s shoulders, and the other man let it happen. Time must have meant something still during that contact, but that didn’t mean Nate could really feel it passing. The moment was infinite, and so painfully fleeting as Daniel finally pulled back and looked up at Nate, a slight smile curling his lips.

    “If that’s what you want, who am I to do anything to stop you?” Daniel said, his voice a whisper that made Nate want to lean in again and rejoin their kiss, just for the simple pleasure of the contact. But he kept the space between them, smiling back at the look he was given.

    “So you don’t disapprove? People seem to think it would be a way for me to throw away a sure thing.”

    “People don’t know what it’s like to need a fresh start sometimes,” Daniel chuckled, shifting once more so he was sitting with most of his weight resting against Nate once more. “Shaun and myself? We’ve been through it. This is our second chance, our new shot at life because of our own decisions. If I let myself have that, how could I be so hypocritical as to deny it to you? I told you, ‘do good for your fellow man’ is my mother’s motto. How can I not apply it to you?”

    Nate chuckled and draped his free arm over Daniel’s shoulder, pulling him closer. For a time he was just going to enjoy the contact. Until it was taken from him so Daniel could sleep, he was going to enjoy this. The warmth, the companionship, and most definitely the support Daniel was offering.

    “If you want, I’ll even help you find a job, if you’ll do one thing for me first,” Daniel said, amusement in his voice.

    “What’s that?” Nate asked, smiling himself, even though Daniel wouldn’t see it.

    “Could you reach over there and get me my cocoa?”