“I…yeah. Slept.” Brendan dragged a hand down his face, trying to jump-start his brain. “Need caffeine.”
If he didn’t get some synthcaf soon he was liable to say something super embarrassing about Trevor’s hotness.
Trevor stepped aside and waved a hand at the machine. “Don’t let me stop you.”
The galley kitchen was tiny; there was really just enough room for one person. Two people in that space meant Brendan was acutely aware of how close Trevor was, and how the other man just kept watching him. Brendan poured himself a mug of synthcaf but he couldn’t drink the stuff black.
“Sorry, I need to get the creamer,” Brendan said, gesturing vaguely at the refrigerator Trevor was leaning against.
Trevor moved away from the refrigerator just enough for Brendan to squeeze past him and open the door. Brendan drew in a breath as he leaned down, getting a whiff of Trevor’s cologne and wow, did the other man smell good.
“Bottom shelf on the door,” Trevor said helpfully when Brendan stared blankly at the shelves for a few seconds too long.
“Right.”
Brendan pretended the heat in his face didn’t exist as he carried the creamer back to the counter, where he poured more than he usually liked into his synthcaf. Trevor wasdistracting, especially when Brendan wasn’t awake enough to properly deal with the hotness taking up space in his kitchen.
“Need to do anything today?” Trevor asked, leaning against the counter in a way that put his entire torso on display.
It took a moment for Brendan to process the question, too busy wondering if Trevor’s abs were as hard as they looked, and wishing he could touch them to find out. “No? I mean, I don’t know. Maybe?”
“What do you normally do on your days off? Yesterday we just stayed in but that doesn’t strike me as your usual habit.”
“Errands. Chores. Hang out with friends. I’m not that exciting.”
“No girlfriend?”
Brendan shook his head. “Or boyfriend.”
Trevor made a thoughtful sound before taking another sip of synthcaf. “Tell me what you want to do.”
You, his traitorous brain offered up. “Honestly? I’m still not awake enough to think about even getting dressed.”
“Don’t bother on my account.”
Brendan choked on his synthcaf and coughed hard a few times to clear his throat. He had to set the mug on the counter so he didn’t spill his drink. Trevor watched him with a bemused look in his brown eyes, and Brendan wasn’t sure, but he thought Trevor wasflirtingwith him. Which was probably Brendan’s tired brain thinking up a daydream because a guy like Trevor probably had his choice of people begging to date him. People who were hotter and more interesting than Brendan was.
“What about you?” Brendan asked, desperately trying to change the subject to help cool the flush he could feel in his face.
“No boyfriend or girlfriend,” Trevor replied.
Brendan stared at him. “That…wasn’t what I was asking.”
Trevor shrugged, sliding past Brendan in a way that pressed their bodies close together. “Doesn’t change my answer.”
The words were spoken in a low voice, directly into Brendan’s ear, and he couldn’t stop the shiver that snaked its way down his spine.
Okay. Maybe Trevorwasflirting with him.
“But if you have no plans today, I’ll break out my tablet to catch up on some studying. Feel free to do what you normally do. Don’t change your habits at home just because I’m here.”
Brendan took in a steadying breath before turning to face Trevor. The other man had returned to the couch where he’d slept last night. The blankets had been neatly folded up and set aside, the suitcase with his clothes tucked out of the way against the living room wall. Brendan spotted a sleek-looking tablet on the coffee table, but Trevor didn’t immediately reach for it.
“Staying home it is,” Brendan muttered under his breath.
It was strange being restricted to what amounted to house arrest. He went to the window overlooking the street and lightened the plas-glass from opaque to clear. Morning sunlight made him squint, but he could still make out the squad car parked near the building’s entrance down below.
The security detail was comforting, but having Trevor stay with him made Brendan feel safer. Trevor’s presence hadn’t been officially announced to the police, though Brendan’s family knew. Apparently, even when retired metahumans deployed, the world at large wasn’t privy to their location.
