Chapter 31: The Rules

We set the rules in the afternoon, sitting on my couch with the sunlight spilling across the floor.

“We’ll be teammates in public, we’ll be professional and distant; just to be on the safe side.”

He nodded with a tight jaw but he didn’t argue.

“And in private?” He asked.

I pulled him close. “In private, we’ll be everything.”

He kissed me slowly, like we had all the time.

———

Soon enough, my apartment changed.

It started with his toothbrush, he left it in the cup next to mine one morning, when I saw it in the evening, sitting there like it always belonged there, I felt a pang in my chest. I didn’t move it or mention it, I just let it stay there next to mine, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Next were his clothes; a hoodie draped over the chair, a pair of jeans on the dresser, a t-shirt hanging in my closet. I cleared a drawer for him without second thoughts, clearing out all the things I don’t use. When he saw it, he said nothing, looking at his folded clothes next to mine, then his eyes moved to me before he walked over to me and pulled me down for a kiss; we didn’t make it to the bedroom then.

His skates appeared next to mine by the door. I stared at them longer than I should have, standing in the entryway as I got ready for practice.

He ordered coffee and it arrived on a Tuesday, it was dark roast, something with a French name I couldn’t pronounce. He set the bag next to the regular coffee brand I’d been buying for years.

“This is ours now.” He said, gesturing between the bags.

“Ours.”

“Yeah; shared counter space, shared caffeine.” He kissed my cheek. “Get used to it.”

I watched him make two cups, he looked at ease like he’d been doing this for years. He handed me a cup and I drank it black, like I always did; but it tasted different this time. It tasted better because Cassian made it.

The protein bars arrived like an invasion.

One morning, I opened the pantry and saw them stacked neatly. They had bright wrappers with aggressive flavors; salted caramel, peanut butter chocolate, birthday cake. They took up more than half of the shelf, sticking out from my plain oats and rice crackers.

“You’ve invaded my kitchen.” I said lightly.

He leaned against the counter, with his arms crossed and a satisfied look on his face. “I didn’t invade, I only improved your kitchen.

“You didn’t improve it, you’ve polluted it.”

He laughed, the sound filling every corner of my apartment. I grabbed him, kissing the laugh off his lips, his back hit the counter and his hands slid under my shirt. We were in the kitchen for an hour because of that.

———

Some time later, Gerald came.

Cassian showed up one evening with a small pot in his hands. The plant inside had wide vibrant green leaves that reached towards the light, alive and bright.

“This is for the window.” He said. “It’ll brighten the place up.”

I looked at him, then at the plant. “You’re moving in.”

“No, I’m nesting.” He set the pot on the windowsill, making a few adjustments before stepping back to admire what he had done. “Looks perfect.”

I pulled him away from the window, kissing him till the plant was forgotten. His legs wrapped around my waist, I carried him to the couch and we didn’t think about plants or anything apart from each other.

Three days later, I awoke to Cassian standing at the window, holding his pot with horror written all over his face.

“You killed Gerald!”

I sat up, blinking at the brown wilting leaves hanging limply over the edge of the pot. The soil was dry and cracked, the green was gone replaced with something dry and brittle.

“I didn’t kill anything.” I murmured.

He held up the plant. “He’s dead, Tor. Look at him.”

“Gerald needed more light.”

“Gerald needed you to take care of him.” He said, staring at me.

I got out of bed, walking over to him. I took the pot from his hands, setting it aside. “I’ll buy you another plant.”

“You’ll buy me ten more plants, and you will keep them alive.”

I pulled him close.

“Deal.” I said with a smirk.

He glared at me, but his hands were already sliding up my chest, his body leaning into mine.

“I’m serious, Tor. You can’t just kill things I bring to your apartment.”

“Our apartment.” I corrected.

He stilled.

He gasped audibly.

“It’s our apartment.” I repeated. “You said you were nesting, it’s the same as this being your apartment, your nest.”

He looked up at me with parted lips.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “It’s our apartment.”

I kissed him and we forgot about the dead plant and everything else. There was just him, his hands in my hair, his lips pressed against mine and my body pressed against his.

We pulled apart to take in deep breaths.

“Ten plants.” He said breathlessly.

“Of course.”

“You’ll have to water them and trim them when necessary.”

“I’ll set reminders.”

He laughed and pulled me in for another kiss.

Later, we sat on the couch with his head in my lap and my fingers gently combing through his hair. The dead plant was still there; neither of us had bothered to throw it away.

“We have to be careful.” I said.

He nodded against my thigh. “I know.”

“We have to stay professional, we can’t give anyone anything to use against us.”

He looked at me. “Tor, I know.”

I traced the line of his jaw. “I just want you to know that when I pretend to not see you out there, it’s not because I don’t want you, it’s because I want to keep you.

He sat up then, facing me.

“I know, but in here; you’re mine, and I’m yours.”

I pressed my lips to his.

“I know.”

We sat in silence after that, the city outside bubbling with activity.

In this apartment that was slowly becoming ours, there were no cameras, no Sloane or Brynn.

There was just us.

And for now, that was enough.