Page 112 of Melting the Ice

They detoured to the apartment, grabbing their bags and then heading out into the darkening drizzle towards Hazel Hall, the library.

They’d both pulled their hoodies up, sheltering them from the rain.

For a split second, Dean had wondered if Brody would suggest a quickie when they returned to the apartment, but he just picked up his backpack and said he was ready to go.

You could always suggest it, Dean reminded himself as they approached the library.Nothing saying you can’t proposition him.

They neared the stairs leading up to the main doorway, but before Dean could take the first step, Brody’s hand closed around his arm, and he tugged him away, leading him around the corner, between Hazel and Clark Hall, one of the dorms. Just after dinner on a Saturday night with the rain coming down, nobody was around, and Brody tucked him under a little awning, pressed Dean’s body to the wall, and kissed him.

Dean fell into it immediately, cupping Brody’s cold cheek, rough with stubble, against his palm, and said everything he hadn’t been able to earlier.Thank you for coming. Thank you for being proud of me. Thank you for being a friend. And more. But mostly, thank you for being you.

There wasn’t a way for a kiss between the two of them to not be passionate, and it was, but it was sweet, too, Brody ducking his head as he pulled back.

“I just had to do that, before we went inside.”

“You could’ve done it when we were at the apartment,” Dean pointed out wryly.

“Yeah, and then it wouldn’t have stopped at a kiss,” Brody retorted.

Dean had to give him that. “True.”

He knew friends who were enjoying benefits didn’t want to kiss each other like this. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask Brody if that had changed, if hisfeelingshad changed, like Dean’s had, but what stopped him was the worry that Brody would just shake his head and smile lightly, like that was still all he wanted.

Like it didn’t really matter that Dean craved Brody’s whole self with his whole body.

And he’d had enough experience with rejection in his life that he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk it. Not now. Not from this person. Dean could take a lot andhadtaken a lot. But he wasn’t sure he could take that.

So he didn’t ask.

“Maybe keep that in your back pocket as a promise for later.” As he said it, Brody tucked a hand into Dean’s back pocket, his hand warm against the chilled fabric of his jeans. Cupping him and squeezing. “I knowI’llbe thinking about that.”

“You keep that up,” Dean said roughly, “and that’sallI’ll be thinking about.”

Brody grinned. “Good.”

Then he turned and walked off.

Dean chased after him, following him up the stairs, willing his erection to die as they approached the big open room with its rows of study tables.

There was a girl with dark brown hair, a bright pinkish-purple streak weaving from the crown of her head, sitting at a table near the back, and that was the direction Brody took them in.

She glanced up. “There you are!” she said. She tilted her head, glancing around Brody and looking straight at him. “And you must be Dean, the roommate. Brody said you were big but I think he—”

“Yep,” Brody interrupted her.

Dean was a little disappointed. He wanted to know what else Brody had told Gina, but Brody’s glare made it clear she wasn’t supposed to say anything else and predictably she clammed up.

“Well, it’s real good to meet you,” she said.

Dean inclined his head.

“Even,” she added, the corner of her mouth lifting into a smirk, “if you’ve been monopolizing Brody’s study time.”

“Sorry. I didn’t know he’d been bailing on you. We could’ve invited you.”

Brody flushed. Like he’d just been caught out.

“Uh, yeah, we should’ve,” Brody said. He nudged Dean under the table, and Dean wasn’t sure he understood.

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