Page 20 of Playing with Fire

"Too much?" I asked quietly, as Xander debated the merits of different cuts of denim with Misha.

He gave me a grateful look. "A bit. I'm not used to this much attention."

I nodded, understanding immediately. "Go try those on," I said, gesturing to the small pile he'd accumulated. "I'll handle Xander."

Relief flooded his face. "Thanks."

I waited until he disappeared into the dressing rooms before turning to Xander. "Ease up. He's overwhelmed."

Xander raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Wow. You've really got it bad, don't you?"

I didn't answer, which was answer enough.

"So what exactly is happening between you two?" Xander asked, their voice dropping to ensure our privacy. "Because last I checked, you weren't exactly into... well, anyone. You literally told the entire family you were asexual at Thanksgiving three years ago."

I shoved my hands in my pockets, uncomfortable with the scrutiny. "It's complicated."

"I've got time," Xander said, leaning against a clothing rack and dramatically examining their nails. "Uncomplicate it for me. Use small words so my tiny, fashion-obsessed brain can follow."

I shot them a glare, but Xander just smirked, completely unimpressed. They'd been immune to my death stares since we were six and I tried to intimidate them into giving back my stolen Halloween candy.

"I don't know what it is," I finally admitted, the words feeling foreign in my mouth. "Last night was... different. We were in bed together after the fire, and things happened. Not sex, but... something.”

“You’ve done stuff with people before,” Xander pointed out.

“Yeah, but that was like… kinky stuff. This was…” I shrugged. “I don’t know. Sweet.”

Xander cocked his head to the side and stared at me like I’d grown a second nose. “Oh my God. You totally had vanilla sex, and it weirded you out!”

“It wasn’t…” I lowered my voice to make sure it didn’t carry thorough the store. “I told you it wasn’tsex.”

But Xander was having none of it. They pretended to pull out their phone. "Hello, CNN? My brother's dick finally woke up after twenty-three years and get this… Vanilla is his kink. Yes, I'll hold for the breaking news team."

I rolled my eyes. “You’re the worst.”

“Itry,” Xander said, rearranging a stack of overpriced beanies like they had a vendetta against wool. “But explain this—how do two emotionally unavailable code gremlins spend two years sleep-deprived andnotrealize they're in love? You guys have been orbiting each other like two confused roombas with unresolved sexual tension.”

I winced. “It’s not like that.”

Xander snapped their fingers. “Classic deflection. You’re flustered. You never get flustered. Not unless someone’s messing with your code. And Leo? He’s got that ‘I accidentally saw my best friend naked, and it changed me’ energy going on.”

I coughed. “He didnotsee me naked.”

“Okay, but like... something happened,” Xander said, squinting at me like they were loading a mental spreadsheet of clues. “Did you two cuddle? You cuddled, didn’t you? Oh my God, is that what this is? Emotional aftershock fromplatonic spooning?”

“It wasn’t spooning,” I said too fast.

Xander blinked, and a slow, evil smile spread across their face. “Okay.NowI’m interested.”

“I didn’t mean—” I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Look. We were both wrecked, okay? The fire, the smoke, the adrenaline crash. We were lying there and… it just felt safe. Close.”

Xander gasped. “Youcocooned. You did that weird burrito blanket wrap thing you used to do with stuffed animals.”

“I didn’t cocoon.”

“Yousococooned.” They wiggled their fingers like jazz hands. “And let me guess… there was deep eye contact. Lingering touches. A brush of fingers that accidentally became hand-holding and now you’re having a full-on identity crisis.”

I looked away.

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