Chapter Four #2
“You wouldn’t really leave me, would you?’ Nix asked Evan. “Like that would be the worst thing ever. What if it snowed?”
“We live in Florida,” Evan reminded him.
“It could happen,” Nix argued.
“It’s only October,” Evan said.
“But I could be tired.” Nix was never tired after a game. His adrenaline was still racing through his body.
“Say goodbye to your brother. He needs to get on the plane,” Evan ordered.
“Fine.”
Aries shuffled closer and Nix opened his arms to once again hug the stuffing out of Aries. He wanted to hug Aries so tight that it hurt a little. That way Aries would remember how much Nix loved him.
He might have also admired Evan as he leaned back against the wall next to Vin.
Fuck, seeing Evan with wet tousled hair and a relaxed smile was hot as fuck. Damn, Nix had it bad for his goalie.
“Come on, Aries, we need to go, little one.”
Nix drew back to grin at his brother. “Little one?” Oh, that was just precious.
His brother’s face turned bright red.
Nix was so going to share this with Gem!
“Enough, brat.” Evan started to walk in the opposite direction. “I’m leaving. If you want a ride still, then it’s time to leave.”
“Okay!” Jeez, he just wanted to have a little fun with his brother. Get a little more teasing in. He kissed the top of Aries’s head. “Have a safe trip back.”
“Thanks.”
Vin led Aries away. Already feeling the ache in his chest for his brother, Nix chased after Evan.
“You would leave me?” Nix asked as he caught up to his goalie. Not that it appeared Evan was in that much of a hurry. “What kind of bestie would leave me behind.”
“One that wasn’t going to put up with you teasing your brother about his relationship,” Evan told him.
The hallway was clear of their teammates, so Nix just bopped along beside Evan. The rest of the team was probably gone anyway. Nix just didn’t want to accidently out private information about his brother. “Aries can take it.”
“I wasn’t worried about Aries,” Evan said as he pushed open the exit door. “Vin could squash you like a bug.”
Nix was a little offended. “Hey!”
Evan stopped walking and turned to him. “Nix.”
“Yes?” He moved closer to Evan. Nix gave Evan his most innocent expression, even batting his eyelashes.
“I know you like to make your brothers smile. And you laugh and joke with all the guys to make them like you. You don’t have to do that with me.”
Nix dropped his shoulders. “Sorry. It’s habit.”
“You are an amazing person,” Evan said. “A great hockey player.”
He swallowed hard. “Thanks.”
“I saw how much you love your brother. And how much he loves you too,” Evan said.
Now Nix was getting embarrassed. He’d already told Evan more than he’d shared with anyone else. Evan was just so easy to talk to. And Nix liked to talk. He dropped his gaze.
“What are you doing tonight?” Evan asked.
Nix shrugged. He’d hit the store earlier.
Luckily there was a small grocery store only a block from his condo so Nix could walk there.
By the end of the weekend Nix planned to have so many yummy treats made.
Maybe he would even take some to his teammates.
But they needed dinner, not only all the amazing goodness that Nix baked up. “Want to order some food?”
“Sure.” Evan drew him down the ramp to where he’d parked. “But no dumb shark movies.”
“Well,” Nix drawled. “Have you seen the one about the shark tornados? There are like five of them.” He knew how Evan was going to react. Nix bit his bottom lip, so he wasn’t smiling.
“A shark tornado,” Evan’s voice was flat.
“It’s called Sharknado ,” Nix informed him.
“No!” Evan barked. “I get to pick the movie.”
“Fine.” That was to be expected. And truthfully Nix hated to make decisions, especially if it was for more than just him.
Nix was always scared that he’d make a bad choice and someone would be disappointed.
All in all, it appeared that his teasing worked out quite well for him.
He shuffled his feet as Evan practically dragged him toward the SUV.
Nix liked having Evan directing him. It almost felt like he was being taken care of.
Not that Nix planned to get used to the sensation.
It was just nice that Evan wanted to be around him.
“And we’ll go to my place.”
Nix nearly tripped over his own feet. Luckily, Evan still had a hold of his arm and kept Nix upright.
Nix was just so shocked. He hadn’t been to Evan’s condo yet.
They’d hung out at his a few times. Spent a lot of time driving to and from practice and games.
Nix made sure that Evan always had a text message waiting for him.
But he hadn’t made it inside the sanctuary yet.
“I get to see the Batcave?” he teased. He was so freaking excited that he wanted to do a little dance.
“You're the bat,” Evan pointed out as he unlocked the vehicle with the fob. “Wouldn’t your place be the Batcave?”
“The dragon cave!” Nix danced to the passenger side because why not? Dancing was fun. He yanked open the door to throw himself into his seat. “But it’s not really a cave. It’s where you keep your hoard.”
“It’s one of the places,” Evan told him.
Hmm, Nix was totally going to be blown away by Evan’s hoard. He just knew it would be amazing. But Evan had just given him some more information and Nix wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass him by. It was so hard to get Evan to talk about himself. “You have your hoard in more than one place?”
“I do,” Evan confirmed.
Score! “Can I see the other place?”
Evan snorted.
“I’m going to take that as a yes if you don’t specifically tell me otherwise,” he warned.
“We’ll see how the rest of the season goes,” Evan said. “It’s not someplace I can go often when I’m playing hockey.”
“You could fly,” Nix suggested. He was dying to know more about Evan’s dragon side. He’d tried to do research but anything he found online was more myth and guesses. There weren’t any dragons as part of the paranormal council that had decided to lead their kind.
“Really? Can I?” Evan turned onto their street.
“Maybe?” Nix shrugged. “Can you fly?”
“Yes.”
That was it! Evan just answered with one word. So unfair! “And…?” Nix pushed.
“I don’t like to draw attention to myself,” Evan said quietly. He was looking straight ahead as if he was concentrating on the traffic to make his turn into the parking lot.
Nix knew better. Evan’s heart was beating fast. With Nix’s paranormal hearing, Evan’s rapid pulse was easy to catch.
This conversation was bothering him. So Nix did what he always did and tried to lighten the mood.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to fly if I was a dragon either.
It’s not like being a bat. Bats are awesome. ”
Evan chuckled as his shoulders relaxed.
“Really, being a bat is amazing,” Nix explained. “Not only can I fly but I also can hang upside down for as long as I want. My brothers and I used to do that all the time when we were younger.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s fun, obviously!” Nix shared.
“Is it?” Evan questioned. He pulled smoothly into his parking spot.
“So much fun.” Nix hated that with his brothers so far away they couldn’t have the same fun as they’d always had. Even Gem had joined in with him and Aries when they shifted. Gem loved shifting more than anything except maybe for his family.
“I’ll have to take you word for it,” Evan told him. “Now for the rules.”
Rules? That didn’t sound like fun. “What rules?”
“First, no stupid shark movies,” Evan said.
Nix rolled his eyes. “I think they’re good.”
“Second,” Evan said without acknowledging Nix’s words, “food stays in the kitchen or at the table.”
Oh! Nix straightened. “To protect your hoard?”
“And third,” Evan said. “No touching anything.”
“Like anything? Anything?”
“Yes.”
“What about a fork? Can I touch a fork? Or spoon? Glass? Am I supposed to eat with my toes?” Nix shook his head. “No, that would still be touching, right?”
“You know what I mean,” Evan replied.
He did but this was Nix they were talking about. “I’m going to be real honest with you.” As much as he wanted to see Evan’s apartment and the infamous hoard, Nix also didn’t want Evan to be mad at him. “I’m totally going to touch stuff.”
Evan stared at him then shocked Nix by smiling.
Wow, Evan was so pretty when he smiled. Wait! He couldn’t think that. They were friends. Just friends. “What did I miss? Why are you smiling?”
“I would suggest you follow the rules unless you want to be punished,” Evan warned.
A shudder rocked through him so hard that there was no hiding his reaction. Fuck! It had been the tone. Nix hadn’t heard words like that, said quiet and firm, in months!
“Damn!” Evan dropped a hand on Nix’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Nix swallowed hard. Evan shouldn’t have said it if he didn’t mean it. If he didn’t mean it the way that Nix wanted him to. Friends. They were just friends. Nothing more. Evan hadn’t given Nix any indication that he would be interested in anything more.
Food. Nix should concentrate on food.
“Nix?”
“What are we going to eat?” Nix asked.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have joked—”
“It’s fine,” Nix assured him. “But I am starving!”
Evan smiled again. “You’re always hungry.”
“I have more pumpkin seeds but that’s not real food,” Nix complained.
“I need real food. I use up so much energy playing. And I played good, right? Didn’t you think I played well?
Did you watch me? Since you were on the bench the entire game.
I bet you did. I would watch me. But anyway, I need food that isn’t pumpkin seeds although those can be a snack if you want to share some.
” He did need to restock his seeds though.
“Let’s get settled inside and we can decide what we want for dinner,” Evan offered.
“Cool.” Nix grabbed the handle and pushed open the door. By the time he made it around the car, Evan was standing waiting for him.
“Let’s go.”