Page 59 of Psync
“And I’m not letting you carry me through the campus.”
“Then no coffee for you.”
There was another option.
“Which is?”
“Stop reading my mind!”
“It’s difficult when you’re sitting in my lap,” Haruka said calmly.
“I’m not sitting—” Eli began hotly until he realized that somehow, he’d scooted from his side of the table to Haruka’s and was, in fact, half in the man’s lap. “Anyway, before I was interrupted—”
“I didn’t interrupt you . . . until now.”
“You—” Eli made to get out of Haruka’s lap, but an arm came down like a seatbelt, locking him in place.
Haruka nuzzled Eli’s hair. “At some point we should talk about all of this.”
“Yes . . . but coffee, first.” Eli didn’t want to talk. He wanted to crawl back into bed and wallow in Haruka until the next forever.
“We can do that after we talk.”
“Just because I want to do something, doesn’t mean I intend to do it,” Eli muttered.
“But when they’re good ideas, I plan on fully supporting them.”
“You’re intolerable. Did you know that?”
“Somehow I don’t think that’s true.” Haruka’s arms tightened around Eli. “You’re tolerating me very well right now.”
“Anyway, back to the coffee.” Eli had his priorities. “I have a few cans of Starbucks in my room.”
“You’re finally going to let me in your room?”
“I think at this point I can trust you not to assault me, Haruka.”
“Eli.” Haruka lifted Eli by the waist and turned him around until they were eye to eye. Eli shifted until his legs straddled Haruka’s, but he didn’t know where to put his hands. Haruka took them and put them on his chest. “I will never hurt you. I don’t think I could if I wanted to.”
Eli felt his cheeks heat and watched in horror as the blush went down his arms, all the way to his fingertips. He nodded without making eye contact and pushed on Haruka’s chest until he let him get up.
Eli made sure to keep a hand on him until he was steady, preparing himself for the pain when he let go, but Haruka unfolded himself neatly and easily, rising at the same time Eli did, so they could continue holding hands.
“I’m not holding hands with you in the hallway.”
“I could carry you.”
“. . . but it’s early enough that I doubt anyone will notice us holding hands,” Eli said through clenched teeth.
“That’s the spirit.”
Eli pulled on Haruka’s arm and led him out into the hallway. “You are so much better at English than I am at Japanese. Your idioms trip me up constantly. How do you do it?”
“Well, I’ve been in your country for three years, I’m older than you—”
“Yeah, you are, ojiisan.”
“I’m notthatmuch older than you.” Haruka tugged lightly on Eli’s hand and pushed the elevator button. “But if you want to practice, I’m happy to help.”
