Page 91 of Pistols and Plush Toys

“I can cook,” Elliot said weakly. They’d bought him so many things today, and he was semi-officially a hired chef now. The least he could do was cook!

But Nikolai was already waving him off. “You cook when kitchen is not full of shopping. Tomorrow maybe, when after you have put everything away. I’m wanting pizza anyway. What kind you are wanting?”

“Um. Cheese for me, please.” Elliot said. Pizza was one of the things he really couldn’t make. The best pizza, Elliot thought, was made with a wood fired brick oven, which Nikolai didn’t have, but the place they ordered from did. “But… tomorrow? I can cook?”

Nikolai paused at the door, a soft smile on his lips as he looked Elliot over. “Yes, tomorrow. But now rest, okay? Shopping is very tiring. Is why I always send Meredith. And I will get you when there is pizza, okay?”

“Okay,” Elliot said, licking his lips.

Nikolai nodded and left the room.

Alone now, Elliot stared at the pile of shopping. He felt both grateful and guilty that all this stuff was his.

Nikolai had been right; Elliot was tired. He sort of did just want to collapse onto the bed. But he couldn’t do that with all the bags piled upon it. At the very least he should put everything away first.

For the next half an hour, Elliot reorganized the dresser and closet to fit all of his new things, putting in jeans and loungewear and T-shirts and button ups. In all of the bags he found additional socks, shirts, and bottoms he hadn’t bought. Pretty much anything Elliot had expressed even a passing interest in, Meredith had secretly snuck in.

When he was finally finished, he collapsed upon his bed. His phone pinged a moment later and he pulled it out of his pocket. There was a text from Nikolai that pizza had just arrived.

Elliot replied that he’d be right there, but before he could slip his phone back into his pocket, an email notification caught his eye.

It was from Dr. Williams.

When Elliot opened it, there was an attachment that had the results of his blood work and STD panel.

And everything lookedgood. Normal levels and nothing of note on the STD panel.

Elliot let out a huge whoosh of breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. That was a relief. That was such a huge relief.

He supposed if he was really looking at moving forward, toward a new life, he’d get to decide what that looked like now. Not what Mattia wanted for him, what Mattia decided for him, but what Elliot wanted for himself.

But what… what did he want?

Chapter 18: Nikolai

When Nikolai came out of his room the next morning, dressed and ready, he caught the scent of breakfast in the air again.

On quiet feet he headed down to the kitchen, and came upon Elliot at the stove, making what smelled like eggs and potatoes. He was wearing a nice pair of soft-looking pants and a high neck sweater, neither of which Nikolai had seen before.

“Is one of your new sweaters?” Nikolai asked as he walked further into the kitchen, headed toward the coffee machine.

Elliot glanced his way briefly and then turned his attention back to the food, but there was a smile in his voice when he said, “Yeah. Um, Meredith picked this one out. She said she thought the color looked nice.”

The sweater was a deep mauve, which did flatter Elliot’s coloring very well. The high neck also hid the bruising around his throat.

“Meredith is right,” Nikolai said in approval. “Looks very good.”

Elliot glanced at him again, cheeks coloring, expression startled but clearly pleased. This time Nikolai got to see the shy smile, the sweep of eyelashes as Elliot bashfully looked down. “Thank you.”

Nikolai smiled and grabbed his cup of coffee. “You are welcome.” He walked to Elliot to peer over his shoulder. “What we are having for breakfast? Smells good.”

“Egg scramble and potatoes,” Elliot said. “If that’s okay?”

“Is very okay. You know how I feel about potatoes. One true love.” Nikolai perched himself on one of the kitchen stools with his coffee to watch as Elliot moved potatoes around oneof the pans. It was really quite soothing, to watch Elliot in his element accompanied by the pop and sizzle and enticing smell of the cooking food.

A few minutes later when Elliot was plating everything, Nikolai went to make himself a new cup of coffee. When ready, Elliot brought the two plates over to the table, and Nikolai detoured to get a glass of water for Elliot, since he hadn’t made himself any tea that morning.

“Oh,” Elliot said, looking up when Nikolai set down the water at his place setting, and giving Nikolai another smile for his trouble. “Thank you.”

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