Page 137 of Pistols and Plush Toys

“Which is your favorite?” Nikolai asked, voice low and almost whispered into Elliot’s ear. “Pick one you like.”

Elliot shuddered, sucking in a breath. Nikolai’s smooth deep voice in his ear was already enough to make Elliot squirm, but hearing that voice tell Elliot topick one?

Pick out a stuffed animal, in broad daylight, where anyone could see.

Because Nikolai didn’t care. Nikolai didn’t care who could see, or that Elliot was an adult, Nikolai just knew that Elliot liked stuffed animals so he…

He wanted Elliot to have them.

Elliot’s gaze drifted back to the polar bear. The table was full of cute choices, but there was just something about thebignessof that one. If it were in his bed, it would be almost like another body. Instead of tucking the plush to his chest, Elliot would be able to tuck up to the polar bear's chest.

Suddenly he longed for that. He didn’t have a person to cuddle up with, but if he had the polar bear…

What would happen if he told Nikolai he’d picked out that one? But oh—it would have to be expensive. Certainly for a handmade toy that big, Elliot couldn’t—

Seconds were drifting by while he stood there paralyzed. The woman with the foxes had decided to go with the arctic fox. She was pulling out her wallet to pay, and Elliot knew in less than a minute she would be gone. She would be gone, and the owner would turn her attention to Elliot.

“You see something?” Nikolai asked, coaxingly. “Which it is?”

“T-the polar bear,” he admitted.

“Ah.” Nikolai nodded. “Big guy. He’s nice. You should see up close.”

The hand around him urged him forward, and Elliot let himself be led, until they were right in front of the polar bear.

“Maybe see if he’s soft?” Nikolai suggested, when Elliot only stared at it.

It was one thing to know that Nikolai didn’t mind Elliot’s love of stuffed animals. It was something else entirely—an entire new level of acceptance—to have Nikolai encourage Elliot to touch one in broad daylight where anyone could see.

Elliot reached out a shaking hand and his fingers settled into the bear’s fur. It was longer than he’d thought, thick and plush. The polar bear was almost as soft as Sheep.

Elliot brushed over the ears and down the face. The blue stitching was beautiful and well done. It was clear the polar bear had been made with a lot of love and care.

“I see you’ve met Fezzik,” came a woman’s voice. Elliot startled, and it was only Nikolai’s hand supporting him that kept him from leaping back away from the bear. The woman who ran the stall had finished with the other customer and come over. She looked of a similar age to Elliot, dressed in overalls and wearing glasses on a pretty beaded chain. She had an artsy and hip sort of look, and was beaming at him.

“Yeah,” Elliot croaked. He’s—he’s beautiful.”

“Thank you!” She gushed. “He was really just a passion project. I wanted to see if I could make something really big. I bring him because people like to see him, but he never sells. Something this big is, ah, expensive just in the materials, you know?”

“Yeah.” Elliot had figured as much. “I’ve never seen one this big.”

She laughed, but it was sweet and not mean. “So a fun fact about plush toys; when they’re this big, you actually put in a support structure instead of just down cotton. I wanted Fezzik to be able to stand on his feet, so he’s got some metal under all that fluff.”

Elliot looked back to the bear. He could see it now that she’d mentioned it, the way Fezzik was seated on his haunches, upright and stable.

“Wow,” Elliot said. “Um, your work is amazing.” She was clearly skilled at her craft.

“Thank you!” She beamed. “I've been selling mostly online for a while, but it’s been so nice to come to fairs and actually sell to people face-to-face.”

Elliot was saved from having to come up with further conversation by another person interrupting to ask if it was possible to get a custom colorway for one of the animals. The vendor excused herself to go help the other woman, and Elliot let out a breath.

“You’re liking Fezzik?” Nikolai asked.

“Yeah, he’s—yeah,” Elliot said wistfully.

“Okay, good,” Nikolai said with a nod, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. “Be right back.”

Elliot let out a sound of surprise and snagged Nikolai’s wrist as the man turned to get the vendor’s attention. “What? No, Nikolai, you can’t—he’sexpensive.”

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