“I’m fine,” he said too quickly.

Nikolai only picked up Max and pushed him gently into Elliot’s arms.

“Max is here, and if you are changing your mind, is okay,” Nikolai said.

Elliot forced himself through a slow, deep breath. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve Nikolai. He wrapped his arms around Max and gave him a squeeze and immediately some of the tightness in his chest eased.

“I’m fine,” he said again, but this time with more confidence. “I-I want this. Sorry, I just–”

“Is no need to apologize,” Nikolai said, pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder.

Elliot nodded. Then, “Can we lie back down?”

They did, with Max between them. When Elliot got cozy and tilted his head up to look up at Nikolai, Nikolai was looking back at him soft and easy.

When their lips came back together, Elliot shivered, but this time Nikolai didn’t pull back. His hand only soothed down Elliot’s neck and the bare skin of his back. Elliot pressed in closer, smooshing the bear and its soft fur between the two of them.

Electricity fizzled in the air. It came from the ticklish fur against his skin and radiated outward, filling him up. Nikolai’s hand drifted further down to the small of his back, and Elliot heard himself moan. A rumbling answer came from Nikolai, and the careful kisses became more hungry.

Heat bloomed slow and steady. Elliot’s lips were sore from kissing, but he didn’t want to stop. The desire grew until Elliot was pushing the blankets down not to overheat.

When Nikolai shifted, one of his bare thighs brushed Elliot’s legs and Elliot moaned again at the touch.

Nikolai pulled back, creating the smallest amount of space between them. “What do you want, ??????”

Elliot looked down at Max pressed between their bellies. It wouldn’t take much to push him lower, and the idea was as terrifying as it was thrilling.

“Can Max help?” Nikolai asked, when Elliot didn’t say anything.

Elliot knew he must be bright red. He looked back up to meet Nikolai’s eyes, because he wanted to be brave and honest, and he wanted Nikolai to know how much it meant that every part of Elliot was welcome here.

“Is that… okay?” Elliot asked.

The hand on his back stroked a soothing circle. “Anything you want is okay,” Nikolai murmured. “Max and I will make you feel good.”

The words made the breath in his lungs catch. Then Nikolai was leaning back in, kissing him tenderly.

The hand on his back slid around and between them, nudging Max lower until the bear was pinned between their hips. Elliot gasped at that first brush of fur against his cock. He’d gotten hard somewhere in the middle of all the kissing and touching, but he was made fully aware of it now, whole body buzzing.

Then Nikolai’s tongue was slipping back into his mouth, and Elliot’s hands found places on Nikolai’s back. Elliot touched restlessly over the warm skin as they both started to move against each other.

It was barely anything at first, a push and pull that Elliot’s body demanded. His hips moved, thrusting him against the fur. Nikolai did the same, giving that softness a pressure he could work with.

In seconds his whole body was trembling. He was being consumed by the soft kisses, by the heavy hand that had found its place on Elliot’s hip, guiding him into a steady rhythm. He could hear his own moans and the rough, answering sounds Nikolai gave him in return. All of it wrapped around him, twisting him around in a soft tumble that made him dizzy.

He whined into the next kiss, hips pushing against Max. One of his own hands had slipped further down Nikolai’s body, and he could feel the man moving, the thrust of his hips.

What would it be like without anything between them? The idea was almost overwhelming.

Elliot faltered, hips jerking forward faster, seeking release that suddenly seemed close.

“Nikolai,”he pleaded.

“Sweet one.” Nikolai’s voice was practically a growl. “Let us take care of you. Make you feel good.”

Elliot was breathing hard now, his body full of sparks. He wasn’t going to last much longer. It felt so good, so safe, so open. He didn’t feel ashamed. Didn’t feel afraid.

Emotion burned behind his eyes, and he didn’t try to stop it. He kissed Nikolai and kissed him andkissed him.He tried to pour all the thoughts he had, all the feelings he’d held these last few months into the kisses. He tried to show Nikolai in this way what it meant for them to be here together.