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The mischievous smile Nick responded with only made Kelly want to squirm Goddarinned like that?

Nick licked his lips to wipe the s why"

"Yes"

"Does it matter?" Nick asked neutrally

Kelly held his breath, considering "Yes?"

"Okay"

Kelly smiled Of course Nick would just accept it and proceed to try to find a solution That was the way Nick was That was the way they both were, to an extent, which often led to a distinct absence of gnashing of teeth and wailing between the with both hands "Part of the exciteht?"

Kelly nodded "We found out last night that we, urinned,each other’s eyes The warmth and excitement of new attraction were bolstered by years of history Years of ca entirely new, and it was soht

Kelly inhaled sharply as the realization hit hi Instead he reached out and ran his fingers over Kelly’s wrist

"God, O, this would be so easy," Kelly said more e beside Nick "You and ave that a lohistle and nodded He raised his head, the sh"

"Why?"

"A feeeks ago you alh "Your view of the world has shifted"

"How do you know?"

"Because I’ve almost died a couple times, Kels I remember what it’s like toto realize you’re still here when you shouldn’t be"

Kelly sed hard and nodded He re when Ty and Nick had goneto accept that they were gone and he’d never been able to say good-bye, to tell them what they both meant to him He’d written letters to their families They’d never beenthem

He remembered the day he’d seen a transport truck roll into ca they were dead He and Owen had climbed into that truck faster than the lieutenant had been able to order them away Kelly’d found the pulse at Nick’s neck and wanted to throith relief

His stoers Nick squeezed Kelly’s hand as if he knehat he was thinking, what he was recalling

"Before last night, you’d never even considered kissing another man, much less whatever’s in your head now," Nick continued

"That’s not entirely true I’d thought about it Just never seriously Or while sober"

"Still You’re in uncharted territory It would be easy Us"

Kelly looked up

"Just sex is one thing I think we couldabout anything else right noould be"

"Crazy?" Kelly asked

Nick srin

Kelly barked a laugh "Shut up Hear h Okay?"

Nick picked up Kelly’s hand and held it, his fingers playing with Kelly’s He nodded

Kelly tore his eyes away from their hands to examine Nick’s profile "We know each other better already than we could ever hope to know anyone else Our pasts, our hopes and fears, all our secrets We’ve already shared all that We knoe’re coether"

"That’s debatable," Nick rin

"Shut up At least you already know all er it back in the drawer?"

"I only did that once," Kelly mumbled "But you know I love M&M’s in my pancakes I know you eat French fries with ranch instead of ketchup and that you steal the marsh"

Nick began to laugh

"You know I squeeze the toothpaste froo behindand fix it so no one else would get ht sonize your own naht in bed with you are people you know can fight you off if you try to hurt theht to s as Kelly spoke He looked vulnerable, so Nick rarely see

"So too," Kelly whispered "But I never have when I was sharing a bed with you And after last night we know there’s a whole lot to ith below the belt, you knohat IKelly reached for hi him to meet his eyes to make sure Nick heard him

"This could work out pretty nice for both of us, Nicko I’ve never been with anyone where it was so easy so fast Where it felt like hoht the sunlight and al

"Kelly," Nick tried His voice faltered, and he had to stop to s

"I’ve already got more with you than I’ve ever had anywhere," Kelly said in a rush, trying to beat Nick to whatever he’d been about to say He took a deep breath to calht?"

"It would be easy" Nick sighed and ran his thu Kelly’s knuckles

Kelly dropped his hand away fro to say no, aren’t you?"

"I will never say no to you," Nick said, his voice soft

"Is it this guy you’re not dating?"

"Aidan," Nick provided, trying not to laugh "We’re not dating, but not for lack of trying"

Jealousy spiked so quickly that Kelly barely recognized the feeling "I don’t understand what that ht fire," Nick explained "He left me at the fire station Do you have any idea the rivalry between cops and firefighters in Boston? I’m surprised I didn’t end up duct-taped to the fire pole or so his lip to stop himself