Page 13 of Static/Cling

Sal yawned. “That’s good.”

“Were you hiding from her?”

“Maybe.”

“You sleep okay?” Kassian studied them, not for the first time wondering when they had arrived that they looked so sleepy, and had managed to get there before even April had, so they could hide from her. He was beginning to think Roger’s theory that Sal slept at the office was the correct one, as weird as that seemed to him.

Sal waved a hand at him. “Fine, thanks.”

He refrained from asking anything else as he watched them pad over to their station and curl into their massive desk chair. It was none of his business.

Roger arrived then, and a few minutes later, Bjorn and Leif.

Leif’s smile when he noticed the wooden desk and chairs was radiant. “These for us?” He ran one hand along the curved back of one of the chairs.

Kassian grunted but quickly focused back on his computer. The man’s smile could make anyone weak in the knees, and he wasn’t having it.

“That’s thoughtful,” Bjorn rumbled, in a voice that was no easier to ignore than Leif’s smile. “Thank you.”

Kassian pursed his lips. He wasn’t. Having. It. He scowled, trying to focus his concentration on whatever was on his computer screen that for a second, was making zero sense to his beefy, stupid brain.

“What about the computers?” Leif asked.

“In the box.” Kassian waved at it sitting on the table, but didn’t turn from his screen. The packet notifications were coming fast and furious and he didn’t like where they pointed.

“Is he fucking serious?” Bjorn whispered after a minute.

“Just…” Leif’s tone was conciliatory, but the fury underlying it wasn’t completely covered. “Let me talk to him.”

Frowning at his screen, Kassian tried to ignore them. He hadn’t been too worried about the packet when it had been passed around the various bureaucratic divisions, but now it was on a military server. That was bad enough, but there was also a name attached to it of an executive government officer Kassian had once heard about and it made him nervous. No one with powers needed the Ministry of Natural Resources up in their business. Having the attention of the MNR was decidedly Not Good.

“Hey.” A light knock on the metal frame of his office divider pulled at Kassian’s attention.

“Got a sec?” Leif asked.

Kassian’s shoulders lifted uncontrollably. A shiver passed down his spine, and no matter what he told himself he wasn’t having, clearly some part of him was totally on board with all the having.

“You know, I appreciate you setting up a wooden desk for us. That was thoughtful.”

“Sure. Whatever.” Ruthlessly he pushed down the preening bit of himself that was pleased at being noticed for being smart, rather than strong.

“But that overall thing. What’s that about?”

“Fuck.” Annoyed, Kassian pushed his keyboard tray aside and spun his chair.

Leif straightened, his gaze steady, and not happy. “I’m trying to be nice here,” he said, jaw tight, making his scar stand out, white against already pale skin.

“Insulating your boyfriend was easier than insulating all the machines and wires and everything else.”

Leif waved the rubber gloves Kassian had picked up at the hardware store on his way in.

“Seriously?”

Kassian squirmed. He did feel a bit bad about those, but in his defence, it had been short notice.

Leif tossed the gloves into his lap. “Fuck you. Get used to refurbishing computers.” He turned and stalked off.

Kassian grimaced.

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