Chapter 15 #2
Frode rolled his eyes. "It wasn't in Chance's nature to be disappointed."
There was a small smile on Nikolai's lips as he nodded. Frode didn't get it. What was he happy about?
"Because?" Nikolai sipped his beer.
A loud sigh left Frode without his permission. "How the fuck should I know? You want to watch a game or not?"
There was no game on. Frode had switched on the TV but hadn't changed from the news channel, so it wasn't Nikolai's fault he couldn't shut up and watch the game--whatever game they were going to watch.
Nikolai laughed. Laughed. The bastard.
Frode flipped through the channels and found a basketball match, not his favorite sport to watch, but what can you do?
"Who are we rooting for?"
"No idea, I don't follow basketball."
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."
* * * *
Nikolai wanted to caress Frode. He wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to slide his hand underneath his clothes, but he didn't move. He was surprised he'd managed to get Frode to lean against him; pushing for more would be stupid.
He didn't know where he stood. Frode had spent twenty years avoiding him, and he didn't think his animosity would go away overnight. They had talked about the incident, though. Nikolai had acknowledged he might have been a dick back in school, had tried to explain why he'd acted the way he had.
He should've kissed Frode then. Not with the whole football team watching, but he was at Hjalmar's place several times a week. He could've gone to Frode. Could've talked to him, could've...done a lot of things.
Hjalmar might've been pissed for a week or two, but he honestly didn't think it would've been a problem. Not like it would've been if anyone in Nikolai's family had found out.
Or maybe it was good things had turned out the way they had. Teenage relationships seldom lasted, and maybe he'd have lost Hjalmar in the process.
Though he could've been there for Frode when his powers manifested. Could've supported him.
Sighing didn't help much.
He was glad he hadn't allowed his family to say hurtful things to Frode. If they'd been a couple back then, he was sure they would have found out, and it wouldn't have been pretty.