Page 36 of Static/Cling

“So why’d you ask?”

“It seems like a total pain in the ass is all.”

Bjorn snorted. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“What?” He stepped back, fast, and his shoulders hit the closed door.

“It is a total pain in the ass,” Bjorn said, sounding tired. “For me.”

“You don’t think it bugs Leif, having to follow you around and fix shit?”

“And turn on lights and work elevators, and make me fucking toast? Sure, I think it does. Why do you think I try so hard not to be a complete idiot all the time? It sucks to have this thing I could do, but can’t because I have zero control over it. I don’t want to make his life harder by also being too stupid to live.”

“He actually said you could control it. If you were pissed off or when you’re—” He snapped his mouth shut.

Bjorn grinned. “When I’m turned on?”

“Well…” Fuck.

“Right? So, what kind of power is that, that the only time I have any real control over it is when I’m having sex, right? How stupid is that?”

“No, it’s not stupid.” Listening to him tear himself down like that was awful, and Kassian didn’t quite know why. A week or two ago, he’d said these exact things. He didn’t know what had changed, except watching him, every day, sit down and read his way through box after box of training material, and always, always, check in with his “best friend” to make sure he was content.

“Don’t try and be nice. It doesn’t suit you,” Bjorn said, his low growl drawing Kassian back from speculation.

Ouch.

Bjorn sighed. “Look, I know Leif intrigues you, or whatever. You do the same for him. So if something happens, great. Go for it. You have my blessing. Its not like I own him or anything.”

“You just use him for sex.” Which was unfair, because he’d seen Bjorn’s attention towards Leif on a daily basis, and it wasn’t always about sex.

“No. He and I are a team. The sex is nice, but not the point of us.”

“The friendship is the point.”

“Yeah. Exactly. And part of that is giving each other the freedom to get with other guys when the feeling strikes, because he has to have a life outside of me. That’s only fair.”

Goddam. It was impossible to hate a guy who cared about what his friend needed. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Bjorn looked startled.

“What about if you want a life beyond him?”

Bjorn looked endearingly confused. “But not with you, you mean. You… don’t want… . With me, then? Just him.”

“I didn’t say I wanted to anything with either of you. I just was asking is it only him who gets to play out, but not you?”

“I wouldn’t. Not without him there. It’s too dangerous. I’m too dangerous.”

“Even though you kissed me?”

“I was tired. You looked… hungry.”

Well, hell. Ouch. Again.

“And I was barely carrying any charge at all, so it wasn’t like I could have actually hurt you by then.”

“So if you wanted to,” Kassian clarified, “he would have to be into the guy too.”

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