Page 102 of Pistols and Plush Toys

“You should be getting more sleep,” Nikolai said. “I can stay. Make sure you are safe.”

That…

That sounded nice.

Elliot nodded and started to shuffle back down. He felt selfish for asking this of Nikolai, but he couldn’t make himself turn the offer away. He wanted to feel safe enough to sleep. And…

And Nikolai made him feel safe.

When he was laying down, Nikolai very carefully tucked Apricot, Sheep, and Max around him.

“Sleep Elliot,” Nikolai murmured. “I’m here.”

When Elliot shut his eyes, he was comforted by the weight on the bed beside him, the sound of Nikolai breathing. He was here with Elliot, which meant that Nikolai was safe too.

Elliot reached out blindly and found Max, cuddling the bear in close. Max, who was whole again.

Elliot wished it was so easy for him to feel whole again.

Before long, he started to drift off again. This time his sleep was dreamless.

***

The next day was Friday, so Nikolai suggested a dinner-and-a-movie date when they met for breakfast. A simple outing, but effective if there were anyone on Vitale’s payroll watching Nikolai.

Nikolai spent the day working, popping in and out of the house to take care of things, and Elliot busied himself in the kitchen. He didn’t have to cook since there were leftovers, but he spent the time reorganizing the kitchen and setting up a calendar of recipes on his new computer so he could better order groceries ahead of time.

Then it was five and Elliot was ‘finished with work.’ He returned to his bedroom to pull on one of the nicer outfits Meredith had helped pick out for him. When finished, he took a seat on his bed, gathering up Max to give him a squeeze.

“It’s just dinner and a movie,” he told Max. “And Nikolai is perfectly capable. Alex is going to be around just in case, and Mattia isn’t even in the country right now. Nothing bad will happen.”

Max didn’t reply, but somehow talking to him made Elliot feel better anyway. Max was okay, so Elliot would be okay.

Almost an hour later Alex pulled the car into a downtown parking garage instead of dropping them off on the curb. Since he was on security detail, he’d be tailing them at a distance to the restaurant.

Nothing was going to go wrong, but if somethingdid,Nikolai would have backup.

Elliot had picked the restaurant at Nikolai’s encouragement, and he’d chosen an Italian restaurant with a strong menu that he’d only eaten at once years and years ago.

Tonight Elliot was dressed in a button up and slacks, and Nikolai had gone with the same, but had added an evening jacket. As they got out of the car, Elliot regretted not grabbing a jacket of his own. He’d underestimated how cool the evening was.

“Cold?” Nikolai asked as he slid an arm around Elliot, guiding him toward the stairwell to exit the parking garage. Alex hung back.

“No, I’m fine,” Elliot replied automatically. It was a short walk to the restaurant anyway, so he’d be okay. He tried his best not to tense at the touch of Nikolai’s arm around him. To not to hear Mattia’s voice in his ear.

Touching was the point. The plan. When Mattia came back, Nikolai and his people would be ready. No one was going to hurt Nikolai. Alex was with them, and both Meredith and Gerard knew where they were going and when. They were as safe as they could be.

For the two block walk Elliot repressed the shivers and did his best to ignore the anxious tension coiled inside him. When a sleek black car rolled down the street as they walked, he automatically tensed.

“Is okay,” Nikolai said in his ear. Elliot tried to believe him.

Still, he was glad when they got to the restaurant.

The place was small and cozy, and as he and Nikolai were seated in one of the private booths near the back, Elliot pretended like he didn’t see Alex coming to get his own table.

Elliot had already looked over the menu earlier in the day when he’d chosen the place, so when the waiter came by after their drink orders, they both ordered their food as well.

“Is okay,” Nikolai said again when the waiter left. “You are safe.”

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