Page 19 of Static/Cling

“You good?” Bjorn asked.

“Fine.”

“Okay, okay. Keep your pants on.”

“What?” Kassian clamped down on his power, forcing it off by multiplying pie by itself in his head. Now was not the time for it to go rogue on him at the mere suggestion of clothing removal. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Bjorn tilted his head, his gaze speculative.

Thankfully, Leif had reached them then, and he put a hand on Bjorn’s hip to guide him to one side.

“Careful!” Bjorn snarled at him.

“It’s fine.” Leif touched Kassian’s elbow, so he could ease his way past in the confined space, and the sharp heat of his touch made Kassian gasp.

Leif groaned softly and swayed.

Kassian and Bjorn both reached for him, Kassian catching his wrist, and Bjorn splaying a hand across his back.

The power that snapped and sizzled in the air arched Leif’s spine.

“Fuck!” Bjorn yanked his hand away and Kassian tightened his grip to keep Leif from tumbling backwards down the stairs, but the electricity still zinged through him and had Kassian’s blood pumping in seconds, most of it south, making him a bit light-headed.

He pulled Leif towards him, grateful when the tiny man wrapped an arm around his waist to steady himself. It freed him to keep his stack of boxes from sliding down the rail into Bjorn’s stack.

“Leif?” Bjorn’s face was pale, his eyes huge, his expression one of horror.

“I’m okay,” Leif whispered, his face buried in Kassian’s side.

Bjorn had a hand out, as if he wanted to touch Leif, but power still crackled off the ends of his fingers, so he didn’t.

“How much power did you pull?” Kassian asked.

“Had to make sure it would be enough.”

“Doesn’t take that much to fry a computer.”

“What part of ‘can’t control it’ don’t you get?” Bjorn snapped.

“I’m just trying to understand.”

“Guys.” Leif rubbed a cheek against Kassian’s shirt and sighed. “Fuck.” He groaned softly. “You smell good.”

“What?” That was not at all something he thought he’d hear under the circumstances. He thought maybe “fucking ow” or “fuck, that hurt” or something, but “you smell good” was not what he’d anticipated following that expletive.

Bjorn grunted, and Kassian expected a glare, but Bjorn only flicked his gaze between Leif and Kassian, still speculating.

“Um.” Kassian shifted his weight, lifting a leg to brace the boxes better, accidentally brushing his thigh against Leif’s crotch in the process.

Leif moaned. His hips swayed in tight.

Kassian often got referred to as a mountain of a man, but he was not made of stone and Leif’s obvious erection did not go unnoticed.

“Jesus,” he whispered.

Leif chuckled, low and filthy. “Sorry. Can’t help it. Fucking turns me inside out, that.” But he did push himself upright at last. “Don’t tell HR, yeah?”

Kassian grunted. “We don’t have an HR.” He gripped his boxes with both hands, because he was only human, and the look Leif was directing at him seemed designed to test the virtue of a saint.

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