“And he brought pizza.” Nick put the drinks and plates on the coffee table.
Pizza got his attention. Oliver tried not to be insulted. He’d been fifteen once.
Hayden appeared to realize Oliver was still watching him and puffed out his chest. “What kind of pizza?”
“I didn’t know what kind you guys liked, so I got a meat supreme, half with mushrooms.”
Nick, who had gone back to the kitchen and returned with paper napkins and a bottle opener, snorted. “You know, for a guy who was making energy balls and sells beet juice for a living, I don’t think a meat supreme pizza fits the lifestyle.” He handed Hayden a soda and took the spot on the couch next to him.
“Everyone is entitled to a cheat day from time to time.”
Hayden rolled his eyes, but he didn’t complain when Oliver flipped open the pizza box. Instead, he slid across the couch, the leg with the tracking bracelet dragging behind him, and grabbed three slices, dumping the first two onto a plate and putting the third one in his mouth before he’d even gotten back to his seat.
“Hey,” Nick said. “Oliver is our guest. You should have let him take the first slice.”
Hayden side-eyed his dad hard.
“It’s fine.” Oliver took a slice and grabbed a beer, then settled himself in the faded blue armchair.
“We were twenty minutes into this movie.” Nick used his own pizza slice to gesture at the TV. “But we could put something else on.”
“No, we can’t!” Hayden said mid-bite.
“No, I’ve seen this. Keep watching, I don’t mind.” Oliver hadn’t actually seen it, but he was just glad to be there and not at home alone for the evening.
Nick gave him a grateful smile, whether he knew Oliver was lying or not. They settled down to watch.
The situation was trickier than expected. Oliver hadn’t taken the time to plan out what might happen once he showed up unannounced at Nick’s. Obviously, he had things he’dliketo have happen, but most of them involved nudity and Nick’s hands in his hair. He’d known, of course, Hayden would be there, so the X-rated stuff would have to wait, but he hadn’t considered that Hayden would literally be tethered to the couch, unable to give them any kind of space or privacy. And why would he? As far as Hayden knew, Oliver was some weird guy his dad knew from the market who randomly showed up with pizza.
Being in the same room as Nick and not touching him was almost painful. Oliver considered texting him, like they did when Nick was working, but that would be unfair. And Hayden was probably one of those kids as tied to his phone as to the thing on his ankle. If they started sending dirty texts to each other, separated by only a few feet, Hayden would notice.
The movie took forever, and Oliver was nearly ready to crawl out of his skin, but then suddenly, as mutants were about to destroy New York City, a beep sounded on the other side of the couch, and Hayden shot to his feet like he’d been bitten. He scrambled, hopping on one foot, and flung the cable away from his leg. Oliver and Nick were silent as he stumbled out of the living room, and shortly afterward a door slammed farther down the hall.
On the TV, the Empire State Building collapsed.
“Guess he wasn’t enjoying the movie,” Oliver said.
Nick’s mouth quirked up on one side, and he nodded. “He doesn’t like being told what to do, and the tracker basically tells him what to do all the time. The two hours it takes to charge are the worst.” His head lolled on the back of the couch, and he rolled it lazily toward Oliver with a smile that made his heart speed up.
“I’m sorry if I made it awkward tonight,” he said, at the same time Nick said, “I’m glad you’re here.”
They sat, smiling at each other like a couple of lovesick idiots, until footsteps stomped back up the hall. Hayden lurked in the doorway, hands on hips.
“I need to make a phone call.”
“To who?” Seeing Nick in his role as a father was disconcerting. His tone of voice held an authority that made Oliver shiver.
Hayden did not appear to be as impressed, instead sighing dramatically. “To Carson. I have to ask him about some homework.”
Nick raised an eyebrow. “You’re doing homework on a Saturday night?”
“What else am I supposed to do?” Hayden shouted. Nick glared at him until his gaze dropped. “Sorry. Please, it’s important.”
Nick pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Hayden. “Five minutes.”
Hayden sighed again, but he took the phone and stomped back up the hall.
Nick winced as the door slammed. “Sorry. It’s one of the terms of his house arrest. He can’t use the internet without parental supervision, and he’s not allowed to own a phone. Anya and I are responsible for every call he makes, so we try to keep them short.”
