Page 130 of Pistols and Plush Toys

Elliot smiled shyly as he poked his head in. “You weren’t up for breakfast, so I wanted to make sure you ate? I made apple tarts.” He had a plate in hand that smelled delicious. Nikolai felthis stomach rumble, and pleasure suffused his whole body at the thoughtful gesture.

“Thank you,” he said warmly. “I have… late morning.”

Elliot crossed the room to the desk and handed the plate over. “I also—I mean, I thought you might also like some coffee,” he said next, offering a sealed thermos.

“Coffee, yes, good,” Nikolai said with feeling, immediately opening the top to take a sip. It was just how he liked it, and even the first sip had him groaning. Fuck, he’d needed coffee this morning. “This is very good. Thank you, Elliot.”

He met Elliot’s eyes when he said it, and could see that pretty blush as it bloomed on his cheeks.

Elliot shuffled his feet, but he was smiling. “You’re welcome.” The bruising on his face was almost gone now, and Nikolai was glad to see it fading away. Elliot had such beautiful eyes, such a sweet smile. Neither should ever be marred by bruising, the way Vitale had done.

Nikolai took another sip of coffee. He was looking forward to trying the apple tart.

“Are you… feeling okay today?” Elliot asked.

“Yes,” Nikolai assured him. “Just was late night. But is okay. Better now with coffee and breakfast.” Nikolai considered telling Elliot about the sighting, the pictures, but decided not to for the moment. Nothing was happening yet, and so there was no point in worrying Elliot unnecessarily.

“I’m glad I could help,” Elliot said, again with that same sweet smile.

He was too good. It made Nikolai’s insides ache. He wanted—

Stop,he told himself sternly. Mattia Vitale was going to come back, Nikolai would take care of him, and then all of this would end. Without danger hanging over him like a shroud,Elliot would be able to leave Nikolai behind. He could go on and live the rest of his life.

He wasn’t Nikolai’s to keep.

Nikolai’s phone pinged with another message coming in and Elliot’s eyes flickered to it.

“Well, I’ll leave you to work.” Elliot said, starting to shuffle back out of the room.

“Thank you for breakfast,” Nikolai said.

“You’re welcome,” Elliot said, sounding happy. Like simply being thanked had brightened his day.

Elliot left, closing the door behind him, and Nikolai got to work.

***

After work and the shooting range, Nikolai was ready to be home. The day had been a slog with how tired he had been, and only the judicious use of coffee had helped him see it through.

But once he came home, toeing off his shoes and dropping his keys by the door, he smiled, because he could smell Elliot cooking.

Nikolai followed the sounds and smells to the kitchen and found Elliot there feeding flat strips of dough into the pasta cutter. He had his light blue sweater rolled up to his elbows, and there was flour on his forearms and a bit smeared across one of his cheeks. It was an incredibly charming picture, and Nikolai felt the day’s stresses start to roll off him.

Elliot looked up when Nikolai came in. “You’re back,” he said, grinning.

“Yes,” Nikolai said, coming further in to lean against a counter. “You are making pasta?”

“Figured I’d give the machine a try,” Elliot said. He finished cranking the noodles through and then scooped theminto a nearby bowl. Then he picked up another sheet of dough to repeat the process.

Nikolai’s eyes drifted to the stovetop where there were two pots, one covered and simmering with what Nikolai would guess was a tomato based sauce from the smell in the kitchen. The other was a pot of boiling water.

Dinner at home, made from scratch.

There was something about the way Elliot thought through his meals, or maybe the way he enjoyed them so much, that felt special. Like he was making themforNikolai,not because Nikolai was a paycheck.

It made Nikolai feel helplessly fond all of a sudden, watching Elliot roll pasta through the cutter. There was an ease in the way he moved about the kitchen now, a softness to his features. He hadn’t even jumped when he’d realized Nikolai was in the room. He no longer had that haunted, weighed down look to him.

Just in time for Vitale to be coming back.

---