Page 26 of Cover Up

“Do you want me to?” Dei asked. “I don’t know if I can keep my hands to myself. I just know I can’t give you what you want.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” Felix told him. “I want a lot of things. And the other day, when I fell asleep with you, was probably the best afternoon I’ve had in years. I’m never, ever going to turn that down.”

Dei knew he should probably leave. He didn’t trust himself not to push boundaries, but at the same time, he didn’t want to be alone. He wanted a moment to be selfish and reckless and brave. He had no idea where this thing with Felix was going to go, and he wanted to be greedy while he was allowed.

Taking a slow breath, he eventually shuffled lower on the love seat, then kicked his leg up on the table and rested his arm along the back of the couch. “Come on, then, sweet thing. This big ol’ body isn’t gonna cuddle itself.”

Felix laughed all the way into Dei’s embrace, and he didn’t let go for a long, long while.

9

Felix hadn’t seen Dei in two weeks. At least, not as far as Felix was aware.

His memory for faces was still shit, but it felt like more and more, his brain was compensating in other ways. It had been a long while since he couldn’t recognize most of the guys at the shop, and not just by the bracelets they wore. He was starting to just get a feel for their presence, and although sometimes he still had to search his brain for names—and so many things still felt like he was trying to find a word on the tip of his tongue—it was getting easier.

Not better, but he could live with it.

His mood was definitely shitty, though, wondering if he’d fucked up by kissing Dei. He hadn’t told a soul about their evening together, and the guys were all distracted by the fact that Dei had knocked out his sister’s ex.

Zeke came over to Midnight sometime after Paris, Felix, and Dei left, and the cops showed up not long after that. Zeke told the harrowing tale of Clark trying to get up and run off, and he and Max pinned the fucker to the wall until a deputy arrived.

Felix was unsurprised to learn that Clark had both a criminal history and a reputation with the sheriffs, and he was immediately searched and arrested for possession.

None of them had been questioned further, so Felix knew Dei wasn’t facing any legal charges for knocking the fucker out. Felix had assumed that would cheer Dei up, but with his pressing absence, he supposed he was wrong.

“You’d look prettier if you smiled.”

Felix’s gaze darted up to a smiling Linc, who was leaning over his partition. “Keep it up, asshole, and I’m gonna pierce your lips shut.”

“I met a guy at a piercing convention once who did that. He ate all of his meals out of a straw,” Linc said. He let his arm hang low over the partition, his finger drawing shapes along the fabric.

Leaning back in his chair, Felix crossed his arms. “What would be the point of that?”

“Aesthetic,” Linc said, then stuck out his tongue to reveal his three piercings.

Felix absently clicked his own against his teeth. “Do I really look that bad?”

Linc stood up, then walked into the stall and dropped into Felix’s tattoo chair. “Babe. Take my shoes off. My feet are killing me, and I only have a couple fingers.” He waved them in Felix’s face.

Felix rolled his eyes but did as he asked. “You’re such a toddler. Do you pull this shit with Ryder?”

Linc wriggled the two toes he had, humming happily. “No. I’m the massager at home, so I have to take what I can get here.” He waved his left foot at Felix. “Please. I’ll love you forever. I’ll pierce your dick for free.”

“I don’t want a pierced dick,” Felix said, but he grabbed Linc’s socked foot and began to knead at the tight tendons. He was always begging for foot rubs at the shop, and everyone always gave in. “Thinking about my lip, though.”

“You’d look hot as fuck,” Linc told him. “Right here.” He pressed the tip of his finger against the center of his bottom lip.

“I think my face is crooked,” Felix mused as he dug his knuckles in, making Linc fall back and groan. “Would it look weird?”

“Never. I’d never let you walk out of here lopsided, my love.” Linc wriggled happily, then took his right foot away and offered his left. “Do you wanna tell Daddy why you’re pouty today?”

Felix faked a gag. “First of all, never call yourself that again. Second, no, not really.”

“But you are upset,” Linc said, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “What happened?”

Felix took a slow breath. “I, uh…had a weird…” He stopped. He didn’t know what the hell to call the night he took Dei home and cuddled with him on the couch until they both passed out. He’d woken up alone with a blanket around his shoulders and no note, but Dei had texted him a few hours later and told him to have a good shift.

So he wasn’t being ghosted.

---