Page 143 of Pistols and Plush Toys

Because who did that with their stuffed animals?

Idid,Elliot thought, stomach sinking.Twice.

First with Sheep, and now Fezzik. While fantasizing about Nikolai.

Fuck.

Elliot forced himself up, went to clean up in the bathroom, and then changed into a new pair of briefs and pulled his shirt back on.

When he climbed back into bed, this time he made sure Fezzik wasn’t touching him. He clearly couldn’t trust himself.

But he still couldn’t stop himself reaching for Apricot and drawing the giraffe into his arms. Stupidly, he wanted toapologize to him. Apologize to all his stuffed toys. He didn’t understand what was wrong with him. Why he kept doing this.

Especially when he knew he shouldn’t.

He curled up underneath his blankets with Apricot and fell into a fitful sleep.

Chapter 24: Nikolai

“Morning,” Nikolai said, coming into the kitchen to see Elliot taking muffins out of the oven. The room was full of the smell of breakfast.

Elliot jumped, the tin in his mitted hand wobbling before he set it on the stove with a clatter. His eyes went to Nikolai and then darted away. “M-morning.”

What? Elliot hadn’t been jumpy with Nikolai yesterday. Had something happened?

“Everything is okay?” Nikolai asked carefully.

Elliot’s head bobbed as he pulled off the mitts. “Yes! I mean, yeah. Fine, sorry. Just, um, didn’t see you there.”

That was not exactly convincing, but Nikolai decided not to press. Elliot was allowed to have things he didn’t want to tell Nikolai. He didn’t owe Nikolai anything.

Nikolai had been getting too comfortable with Elliot being open with him. Especially with how pleasantly the Fall Festival had gone, he’d—he’d almost thought—

When in doubt, it was best to turn the focus to the food. “What we are having this morning?”

“Oh, um, banana bread muffins,” Elliot said, still unwilling to look at Nikolai. He was cleaning up the counterspace, shoulders curled in. “We had some bananas that were going brown.”

“Smells good,” Nikolai said as he walked over to start his coffee, putting a travel mug under the machine. He leaned back against the counter to watch Elliot, who was moving quickly through the cleanup, as if he was nervous. He bit his lip, which already looked red, even with it being the start of the day.

“Elliot, do not bite.” Nikolai said gently. Elliot’s lip had healed, but Nikolai hated the habit of his. Hated how easily Elliot could hurt himself and not think about it.

Elliot released his lip, pausing in his work. “Oh, um. Sorry.”

“Is okay. Habit is hard to break,” Nikolai said, his eyes drifting to his alcohol cabinet. “You’re doing very good. Is not so easy to change.”

That got Elliot to look at him, eyes wide as more pink flushed over his face. “Oh, um.” Then he seemed to catch himself, turning away and moving to the stove to start popping the muffins out of the tin for cooling.

Nikolai wondered what the skittishness was about this morning. Last night had been fairly normal, with the exception of one brand-new stuffed animal companion.

A companion he definitely wasn’t jealous of. Fuck, Fezzik was so big that the bear could probably hold Elliot.

Lucky bear.

“Was nice to sleep with new friend?” Nikolai asked, trying to sound encouraging and not jealous.

Elliot faltered, his whole body stiffening. “W-what?”

What?Nikolai was at a loss. Was he not supposed to ask about the stuffed animals anymore? He didn’t understand. Elliot had seemed fine last night, but he’d been jumpy the other night too with Sheep. The signals were… confusing.

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