Suns (LGBT - Sci-fi - Romance)

Chapter 21

Chapter 21 

Stefan was supposed to be at the station, but he had to see Nick first. How on Earth could he face him as his Captain after what he had done last night? If Nick was going to yell at him or simply cut him dead, he needed to do that in private. He had taken Liam's advice and taken a quick shower, but he had skipped breakfast in his hurry to catch Nick before he left for his own spell of duty at the station. 

So now he was standing outside his apartment door, waiting for him to answer, still with absolutely no idea what he was going to say to him. 

He was just about to give up and turn away when the door opened. Nick stood there with his arms crossed defensively in front of his chest, frowning. "What?" He was already dressed for duty, wearing his uniform which emphasised the distance between them. His face was closed, unwelcoming. He had spent a miserable night, tossing between angry hurt and trying to get over it, reminding himself what a difficult day it must have been for Stefan. It was just that the joy had been so intense, when he'd thought for a whole minute that Stefan had been serious, that he really wanted him. The cold reality had been simply devastating. 

"I'm sorry," Stefan apologised quickly, before he could over think it. "Can I come in for a minute?" 

"I don't think that would be a good idea." The last thing Nick wanted was Stefan in his tiny apartment, filling it with his presence. He looked tired, as if he hadn't slept well, his uniform was even a little rumpled but it made him appear even sexier from Nick's point of view.  

"I want to apologise for last night," Stefan continued persuasively, running a hand through his hair. 

Nick continued to stand there in the doorway, waiting. 

Okay, if that was the way he wanted it, he'd apologise in the passage. "I was wrong to kiss you like that, just to provoke Viktor." 

"Yes, you were," agreed Nick, his arms folded even tighter. 

Stefan hadn't finished. "I always thought I was straight. Given Viktor's attitude and what I thought I knew about my father, it was never an option to think otherwise! But after kissing you ... now I'm not so sure." 

Nick was suddenly conscious of his heart thudding loudly in his chest. If only that were true! It almost made up for the hurt of last night. If only he could be certain it wasn't still part of Stefan's rebellion, conscious or otherwise. 

"We still have to work together. I think we need to keep our distance from each other on a personal basis, until you know for certain," he said defensively. 

"But how am I going to find out, without you?" Stefan asked uncertainly. Visions of hanging out in seedy bars, working up the courage to approach a stranger flashed before his eyes. He swallowed. He didn't want to experiment with other men, he wanted to experiment with Nick. 

The images those few words conjured up, nearly had Nick on his knees. Did he want to help Stefan discover his sexuality? Step by seductive step? Be his first male lover? God yes! Yes he did, if only he could be sure those feelings were real, not simply a part of wanting to reject everything Viktor stood for. How could he bear it if Stefan changed his mind midway? 

He realised his anger with Stefan had dropped away, to be replaced with longing. If only ... But he had to protect himself, protect both of them if it came to that. 

He let his arms fall to his sides but stepped back a fraction. "To be honest, I'm not convinced you're serious about this. You may think you are," he continued quickly before Stefan could interrupt. "But I think we both need some time out." 

Stefan looked suddenly defeated, as if he had aged ten years. "Of course. I understand. You don't trust me after last night." 

"But I suppose there's nothing to stop us being friends, going out for a drink together or a meal," Nick hadn't known he'd been going to say that until he heard the invitation coming out of his mouth. "Just, no kissing, absolutely no sex," he added firmly. "Not for oh, say a month, then we'll see if you still feel the same way." 

Stefan's face lit up like the sun. Nick wanted him. He had a sudden fantasy of pushing his way into Nick's room right now and pulling him down onto the bed, rumpling those neat covers he could just glimpse in the room behind him. Luckily common sense prevailed. 

"Okay, I can live with that. A month." Maybe if Nick saw that he was serious he could bring that back a bit. "How about tonight? Will you meet me for a drink at the Blue Curtain? 20:00?" 

"Alright." Nick closed the door and leant back against it, please god this compromise would work, it had to! 

Stefan spun on his heel, a spring in his step. He tried hard to stop smiling as he left the building. That had gone so well, better than he had a right to expect. He could hardly wait to get Nick in his arms again, his hard lean body underneath him, get his hands inside that uniform ... He sighed, a whole month. He made an effort to put his excitement aside, he had one more person to see this morning, and this one was not likely to be anywhere near as forgiving. 

XXX 

He stood for a moment outside his apartment which he was sharing with Viktor. Unlike Nick's apartment, it was a decent size, with two bedrooms and a living room. Well, he was as ready as he was ever going to be. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders and opened the door.  

The apartment was empty. 

He went straight to the spare room, but it was empty. Viktor's clothes and possessions were gone, the bed neatly made up. Where had he gone? Had he returned to Capella, or simply moved to a hotel? 

He was already late for work, he couldn't deal with this now. If Viktor wanted space between them he'd give it to him, at least for today, but they'd have to talk sometime. Hastily he changed into a clean uniform and dashed out the door.