Page 90 of More than Need

He got halfway through a bag of Freddo Frogs, one packet of Tiny Teddies, a few snakes from a party-sized Allen’s bag. He stared contemplatively at a pack of Wizz Fizz. Did he feel like a sour hit? No, he had an urge for something else.

He reached over again, lolly packets sliding over his thighs and onto the tiled floor. He opened the bottom freezer and looked for—there. Chocolate chip ice cream. Mostly full since he’d onlybought it a few days ago. Luckily, he’d set up shop right under the cutlery drawer and didn’t even have to move to get a spoon.

He’d managed to eat almost half the small container when his front door opened. Gideon froze, spoon halfway to his lips. He cannot have been so scatterbrained as to have not locked his front door. Right? Christ, he could not handle someone coming in here and fucking up the rest of his night. Had he not had enough issues to deal with? Kicking him while he was down seemed uncalled for.

He slid his spoon-filled hand down his side, curling his palm around the clip over his gun. Good thing he hadn’t put it away in the safe yet.

Maybe his next-door neighbour needed a cup of sugar?Heat least had some in his house, unlike some people. They could grab it themselves and leave.

“Gideon?”

Riley. Gideon relaxed, a flutter of happiness dancing in his chest. The sound of his name coming from that voice somehow made everything better. He had no idea how much he’d needed to not be alone until right then.

“Down here.”

Riley came into view, immediately spotting him. “What are you doing on the floor? And why was your front door unlocked?”

“Forgot to lock it.” The unfortunate truth. Thinking had become difficult hours ago.

“You forgot to lock it?”

Gideon scooped up more ice cream and shoved it into his mouth. “Mhmm.”

Riley glanced over the array of food surrounding Gideon on the floor. “May I join you?”

“Please.” Gideon didn’t care how needy that sounded. He wanted Riley closer, in touching distance.

Riley gingerly moved some of the food out of the way and sat beside Gideon. Their thighs pressed tightly together, and Gideon relaxed even further, melting against him.

“Chocolate chip?” Riley said, tilting his head to read the side of the ice cream.

“Want some?” He had enough left to share. “I can get another spoon.”

Riley glanced between Gideon and the tub. “Alright.”

They were silent for a few minutes as they finished off the rest of the sweet dessert, each scooping in turn. It sat uncomfortably in Gideon’s gut, and he kept eating anyway. Totally valid for him to be eating his feelings.

“Did you and Ange—”

“No,” Gideon interrupted. “No sex at work, no work at sex.” He frowned. That hadn’t come out right. Whatever. “You know what I mean.”

“A good thing that I do.”

Gideon reached forward and snagged another packet of Tiny Teddies. Caramel flavoured. Not his favourite—he liked the choc chip vanilla. They would still hit the spot. The packet exploded when he tried to open it, and they sprayed everywhere. Over his lap, over Riley’s, into the ice cream, and some on the tile. Honestly, that tracked, considering the night he’d had so far. He couldn’t even be mad they’d decided to join in on the fun.

He rescued the ones that had fallen in his lap and ate them one by one. “I always bite their heads off first,” he said conversationally. “So that they can’t watch as I eat the rest of them.”

“I believe they call that anthropomorphism,” Riley said.

Gideon grunted in agreement. “Does that make me psychotic, then? To give the Tiny Teddy a personality and then eat him?”

“Probably.”

“Would you have to arrest me? For Tiny Teddy murder?”

Riley chuckled. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

Gideon grinned, turning his head to face Riley, leaning against the cupboard. He was too heavy to hold himself up. He could fall asleep like this. “How do you eat them?”

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