Page 45 of Static/Cling

Interestingly, Kassian didn’t move away. He watched the sparks glitter as they arched downward and disappeared. When he glanced up at Bjorn, lips parted, his eyes were dark and intense.

Very interesting.

Leif drew Bjorn’s hand down. “Don’t push it,” he warned.

“I’m not pushing him anyplace he doesn’t want to go.”

“We only have one of those earpieces for you.” Kassian pointed a thick finger at him. “And I don’t have the time or energy to make another. So don’t fuck around.”

Again, Bjorn winked, because yeah, okay. Maybe it wasn’t just the electricity he couldn’t always control. “You sure about that, big guy?”

“Fuck off.” He stalked away, shoulders stiff, to stuff more electronic gear into an insulated box.

“Dude.” Leif punched him. “Leave him alone.”

“He makes it so easy.”

“Maybe just…” He made a calming motion with both hands. “Give him a minute.”

“For what?”

Leif smiled and patted his arm. “Let him come to us. Always works better that way.”

“I don’t know about him, though. He’s stubborn.”

Leif nodded.

“But you’re okay with it?” Bjorn liked to double- and triple-check.

Leif’s cheeks pinked and he almost managed to suppress one of those really dirty grins. “Yeah. I’m okay with him.”

“If he ever gets his head out of his ass, that is.”

“All the more reason to wait for him to get on board. If he’s going to, it has to be his idea, yeah?”

“Fine.”

In his ear, Sal snorted. “Guess yours works, then.”

“Oh shit.”

Leif squinted at him, and he pointed to his ear. “Sal.”

That got a snicker from Leif as he, too, wandered off.

“He did stay up all night making that thing for you,” Sal said. “So maybe don’t break it and piss him off before you even get on the road?”

“I wasn’t trying to.”

Another snort. “Just comes naturally?”

“Apparently. To him, too, though.” And didn’t that make him sound like a defensive little shit.

“Well, he doesn’t warm up to people easily, so if that’s what you want, Leif’s right. Give him some time.”

“I don’twanthim.” He sighed. Because yeah, that was a total lie, and Sal’s snort, along with Leif’s dirty chuckle, said they knew it.

“He could use more people in his life other than Rog and I and his older, angry brothers. Even if you’re just friends.”

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