Page 106 of The Head Game

During a commercial break, Nico yawned widely and August realized how heavily he leaned against him. Not like he was trying to get closer but like he was exhausted.

Huh, Nico missed that last comment about “banging it on home” too.

“Hey, you want to head to bed?” August asked, not even thinking.

“Auggie!” Nico said loudly, wide-eyed. “I know hockey gets you going but I’m just not up for that level of physical activity yet.”

Pieter let out an amused little cough from the nearby chair.

August gritted his teeth. “I meant to sleep.”

“Nah, it’s still early.” Nico shifted, sliding sideways on the couch until he had his head on August’s thigh again. “I just wanna lie here while you pet me.”

August squirmed. Was the lie he’d told so bad he deserved this level of torment?

He was beginning to have doubts.

Still, he stared blindly at the post-game show as he stroked Nico’s head, the velvet prickle of his shorn hair tickling August’s fingers. The words of the commentators washed over him without registering.

At one point, Nico sighed softly and August glanced down to see he’d fallen asleep.

Nico’s incision looked better now. It stretched in a U-shape along the top of the right side of his skull. The staples had come out and the bruising had begun to fade.

August was careful to focus on the back and top left of his head when he was petting Nico. Although the chance of infection was small now, August was still careful to avoid touching the wound directly because he hadn’t washed his hands recently.

August shook his head ruefully. He knew far more about post-operative care of a craniotomy than he wanted to, that was for damn sure.

He sighed quietly. On the one hand, he wanted to throttle Nico for being such a tease earlier.

On the other, Nico looked so soft like this when he was asleep. It stirred up tender feelings in August he didn’t want to examine too closely.

It made him want to reach out and trace the lines of his face, feel the soft stubble on his cheeks and explore the sharp line of his jaw.

“Is everything okay, August?” Pieter asked quietly. “Was something going on earlier between the two of you?”

“Hmm?” August glanced up.

“When Nico dragged you away. Was he upset about something?”

“No. Just a misunderstanding we had to clear up,” August explained. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Good. He seemed more like his normal self this evening but …”

“No, it’s fine.” August gave in to the urge to brush his finger along Nico’s jaw, telling himself it was only for Pieter’s benefit. “We’ll be fine.”

* * *

“Hey. C’mon, time for bed.”

Nico blinked his eyes open to see August staring down at him, his hand wrapped around Nico’s bicep.

“Was sleepin’ fine here,” he said, burrowing his head into August’s lap again. He was warm and he smelled good and those tree trunk thighs had been a surprisingly nice pillow.

He’d slept hard and he was pretty sure he had August’s touch on his head to thank for it.

“I know, but I’m going numb sitting here like this.” August gently shook him again, jostling his shoulder.

Nico groaned and sat upright. God, he felt like he did nothing but sleep anymore. He was turning into a cat.

---