Nico snapped his head around to look at Mal, his face in flames. “Did you tell them?” he asked, his whisper accusatory.
Mal didn’t bother to try to hide his glee. He took Nico’s head in his hands, guiding his eyes back to the screen. “Pay attention. You’re about to get murdered by a dark elf.”
“You’re about to get murdered by a barbarian,” Nico muttered, even as he mashed the buttons on the controller to cast a counter attack.
“Well?” Arsen asked.
Ever tugged his headphones off his ears like he wanted to hear, too. Talk about invasiveness.
“Yeah, tell us all about it,” Lake said, piling on.
“Wh-What do you mean?” Nico sputtered. “Just because you guys over share doesn’t mean we have to.”
Seven looked at Nico like he’d grown a second head. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were gonna get so worked up over a job.”
“A job?” Nico echoed, frowning.
Seven snorted. “Didn’t you guys have a run in with, like, the yakuza or something?”
Oh. Right. That.
“Oh, uh. Yeah, right.” Nico nodded, then quickly shook his head. “I mean, no. Not the yakuza. The triad. Well, a triad member. We think. Yeah. You know. Anyway, he’s…uh, no longer an issue,” he finished lamely.
“Did you take your meds today?” Cree asked, looking concerned.
Had he? It didn’t matter. But he definitely hadn’t. But that was hardly the point. He’d been too busy running from Mal.
“Yes!” Nico lied snappishly. “I always take my meds.”
“Yeah,now,” Arsen said. “But only because Mal gives them to you every morning.”
That brought Nico up short. Did everyone know that Mal had taken over his whole life? Did they all know that he’d madeit so that Nico couldn’t function without him? Did they see the effect he had on him with just the simplest touch? Had they all watched it happen and done nothing?
Why hadn’t anybody told him?
“Why are you all being so mean to me?” Nico wailed. “I’ve had a hard day.”
“Aww,” Ever cooed, the only one to not roll his eyes at Nico’s dramatic statement. “Don’t be mean to him.”
“Thank you,” Nico said, huffy. “Ever gets me.”
Ever beamed at him. God, he really was the cutest thing in the world. Nico wanted to carry him around in his pocket.
“Can we get back to the game now?” Lake asked, his tone bordering on hostile.
Thus began the edging of Nico’s life. Mal’s hands on his waist. Mal dragging Nico’s ass back against his half-hard cock. Mal brushing his lips against the back of his neck while pretending to adjust. Nico had to force himself to remember to breathe.
“What’s wrong?” he murmured against Nico’s ear. “You seem tense. I could take care of that for you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nico managed, swallowing audibly.
“No?” Mal asked, his hand settling over Nico’s fully hard cock and squeezing.
Nico stifled a moan, practically bending in half to deal with the pleasure that was shooting through his veins like a drug.
“Let’s call it. I don’t think I can watch Nico tank another easy hit,” Lake muttered.
“You’re all so mean,” Nico whispered.
