Page 70 of Piece Us Together
“We don’t talk aboutHulk, baby. We sure as shit won’t make Hunter endure it.”
Nolan laughs softly. “Fair enough. I think we should do timeline order, then. For, like,authenticity, of course.”
“But also for Bucky,” Maison says with a knowing smirk.
Nolan sighs again. “Bucky.”
Maison rolls his eyes, but it’s almost disgustingly fond. “Timeline it is.”
They both look at me expectantly. I blink at them, not entirely sure they were speaking the same language as me just now. I find myself asking, “Who the hell is Bucky?”
This is apparently hilarious for reasons I’m not sure I’ll ever understand.
“That was perfect,” Nolan says breathlessly.
“It really was,” Maison agrees.
I frown at both of them. “Sorry, but…what’s happening?”
Chuckling, Maison takes the remote from me, more fingertips on my skin. He looks me in the eye this time. I look right back. His grin is confident, his eyes bright. It sets me on fire. “Patience, Mr. Dominant. You’ll see in time.”
I shiver, all of that confidence suddenly directed at me almost unbearably sexy.
He likes that, his pupils dilating.
I look away quickly, trying to figure out what in the world this man is doing to me. The both of them, even.
“I’ll set it up,” Maison says, his voice lower now.
“Sure.” I swallow. “Thanks.”
I notice Nolan is starting to sway toward me again, even with my hand not in his hair this time. I can tell what he wants—to lean his cheek against my outer thigh. I run my fingers through his hair, gripping it gently. He startles for only a second before calming beneath the touch. When I pull him to my leg, he melts against it, a soft sigh falling from his lips.
It settles me.
I can breathe again.
Maison gets the movie started before handing Nolan his mug and taking his own with him to settle back against the cushions. I realize as I watch that I’ve never actually gotten to see these two together outside of scene dynamics. Sure, I seem to still besirtoday, but this is different. I’m not in charge like when we’renegotiating or playing or doing aftercare. I’m just here beside them.
Beside them, I can watch better.
For example, during the first movie, I discover that Maison is even more of a caregiver than I had previously believed. He manages Nolan’s mug for him and checks his blanket to make sure it’s covering him well. He reaches a hand over to rub his thumb along the right side of Nolan’s neck and murmurs, “You sore yet, baby?”
When a certain scene with Bucky strapped to a table has Nolan flinching and turning his face into Maison’s leg as if to hide, Maison reaches down to grab his hand and holds it tight. When the scene is over, Steve having saved Bucky, Maison gives the hand a squeeze, then whispers conspiratorially, “I did it better,” and Nolan laughs a watery laugh, lifting his face to Maison’s forearm for a few shaky breaths and a little kiss.
I hold my breath when Bucky fuckingdies.
Nolan must have watched this a lot though because he doesn’t seem very affected for someone who claimed to be in love with the man. He barely even puffs his bottom lip out as the man falls screaming to his death.
I still don’t understand how my question about the poor dead guy could have been so funny.
We take a bathroom break after the first movie. Nolan makes a platter of sandwiches and fills a large bowl with pretzels. Maison tends to the fire. I exchange our mugs with lemonade.
I come into the living room again to find Maison much closer to my spot than before, his thumbs working the muscles of Nolan’s neck and shoulders. When Nolan catches my gaze, he rolls his eyes. “I’m not sore, sir. He’s just paranoid.”
“Hush,” Maison chides before pressing a kiss to the back of his neck and grabbing the remote again. He gets the second moviestarted. This one is set during present day, it seems. The screen informs us it’s about Iron Man.
I wait for Maison to move back to the other side of the couch now that he’s done massaging his boyfriend’s neck.