Page 96 of The Head Game

“Ahh, well …” August went tense under him. “I haven’t had a full night’s sleep in days. I’m too tired to get it up at the moment, I think.”

Nico hesitated. “I know I don’t look like I used to.”

August shook his head, scrubbing his hands across his face. “It’s not you, I promise. My head’s not in the right place for sex right now.”

“Sure.” Nico pulled away, rolling onto his back, and shoving down his shorts, kicking them off the edge of the bed. “Whatever. I’ll get myself off then.”

But when he reached down, he realized his dick was limp too. “What the fuck?”

He spat into his palm and stroked a few times, his cock giving a little jerk. Well, at least the fucking thing wasn’t completely dead.

Still, he’d never had that happen before. It felt strange. His mind wanted sex but his body definitely wasn’t cooperating. It made him feel weird and too naked so he slid under the covers, covering up his limp, pathetic dick.

“Hey, give yourself a break. You’ve been through a lot,” August said quietly. “Besides, the medication can mess with you.”

Nico turned to look at him. “You don’t think I’m permanently broken?”

“No.” August reached out and stroked his flank. “I think your body is exhausted and can’t quite summon up the extra energy. Give it time.”

“Ugh. Fine.” Nico let out an annoyed sigh. “What fucking good is it having a fiancé if I can’t fucking fuck him though?”

“Well, I like to think I bring more to the table than that,” August said, his tone very dry.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. You’ve been great,” Nico admitted. “I know you were at the hospital for days straight and that means a lot. I’m just frustrated by all this shit.”

“I know. Just believe me when I say I want you but this isn’t the time.”

Nico wasn’t so sure.

Right. Like anyone would be able to get it up if they were thinking about the long scar they’d stapled together to hold his brain inside his skull. He looked like Frankenstein’s monster.

“Nico,” August admonished.

And Nico realized he’d said that aloud. Goddamn it. He needed to have his brain-to-mouth filter reinstalled or something.

August continued. “You aren’t a monster. You’ve been through a lot in the past week though and if you’d stop making my lack of desire for sex all about you right now, you’d realize I went through a lot too. Seeing you on the ice seizing, watching you get wheeled off and wondering if you were going to die from a brain bleed or something …” August’s voice hitched. “It was awful. And I thought I’d caused it somehow. That I’d missed something on that first hit.”

“I don’t remember much of the game,” Nico admitted. “It’s blurry. Some flashes here and there but nothing solid.”

“Well, I’m not likely to forget it. It scared me. A lot. I’ve woken up several times since then, dreaming about it.” He shuddered.

Nico turned his head, squinting to see August in the darkness. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I know.” But there was something haunted in August’s voice.

Nico hadn’t considered what it would be like for him. He vaguely remembered Dustin coming into his hospital room at one point and talking about how worried the team was. But he hadn’t thought about how August would feel.

If they were engaged, surely August loved him, even though he hadn’t said it aloud.

“I didn’t mean to make it about me,” Nico said in a small voice.

“I know.” August slid closer and pressed his lips to Nico’s head. “Just … let’s give it some time, okay? We’ve both been through a lot.”

“Yeah, okay.” Nico shifted until he was in a more comfortable position. “Thanks, Auggie. Don’t know what I’d do without you here to talk some sense into me.”

“Well, I’m here now.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

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