Page 67 of Pistols and Plush Toys

Nikolai let out a heavy breath and took a seat on the armchair, facing Elliot. “Vitale, he’s get away. We do not know where.”

“O-oh.” Elliot said. Relief warred with fear and settled on nausea.

“Is no good.” Nikolai said. His usually well groomed hair was fluffed up, as though he’d been running his hands through it. “I am sorry. I’m not thinking you should want to stay here again, but Vitale… he’s unstable. And I’m wanting you safe.”

Safe. Nikolai had said that before too. That he wanted Elliot to be safe, which meant not with Mattia.

“You… want me to stay with you?” Elliot asked.

The thought shouldn’t be easing the nausea and fear.

Nikolai nodded. “It would be safer for you.” And then his expression hardened. “Vitale, he plant rat once, but it will never happen again.”

When Elliot didn’t say anything, Nikolai said in a rush, “It would be different now. You are no prisoner, okay?”

“Okay,” Elliot said. Because whatcouldhe say? He did want to feel safe. He so dearly, desperately wanted to feel safe. “I… thank you.”

Nikolai pulled his phone out of his pocket. “You are hungry.” It was a statement, not a question.

Elliot had been ignoring the hunger that had been a constant since Horatio had grabbed him. His body was hungry, he knew that. But he felt sick at the idea. “I don’t know if I can eat,” he admitted, looking down at Apricot, still clutched in his hands.

Nikolai’s shoulders slumped. “Is not good for you. You are so thin.”

Elliot didn’t know what to say to that, so instead he asked, “Is everyone really okay?” He wanted to be sure.

“Yes, is fine,” Nikolai said. “Gerard got grazed, Boris took one in the leg, but both are okay.”

Two people hurt, because of him.Fuck.

“You should’ve left me there.” The words spilled from Elliot’s mouth. “It’s–I’m too much trouble.”

“No.”The word came out hard, and when Elliot looked up, Nikolai's expression was stony. “No. My people, none of them want that. You are no trouble. Is Vitale who is problem.”

Elliot bit down the whimper, the denial.

“Elliot,” Nikolai said, voice gentling as he crouched down to face him. “No biting. Please.”

Elliot released his lip. “Sorry. Um, so, um, what happens now?”

Nikolai sighed. “Now is waiting game until Vitale shows back up. But meeting with his cousin went good. We have Vitale family blessing to take care of it.”

Elliot had forgotten all about the meeting.

Take care of it.

Well. He knew that meant only one thing. “Oh.”

Silence descended.

“You must eat,” Nikolai said eventually. He sounded almost like he was pleading, but that couldn’t be right. “What can you try?”

“I…” Elliot wracked his mind trying to come up with anything that he thought he could stomach. Anything hecouldeat, so Nikolai wasn’t disappointed in him. So he didn’t cause Nikolai even more trouble.

“Maybe… maybe a smoothie bowl?” He eventually said.

Nikolai pushed the phone under his nose without hesitation. “Okay. You pick what you want to order.”

Elliot nodded and focused on the phone, because it was easier than thinking about anything else. When he had picked a place and his order, he handed the phone back to Nikolai, who poked at it for a minute, choosing his own order.

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