by Darien Cox
“Kay. See you guys tomorrow.”
“Later,” Nolan said.
Once Christian went out the door, Elliot grabbed his own jacket and prepared to leave.
“Elliot hang on a second,” Nolan said.
Elliot busied himself with buttoning up his coat. “Yeah, what’s up?”
“I’m sorry, okay?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nolan.”
Nolan’s cheeks reddened and he placed his hands on his hips, lips tightening. “I’m sorry I got a boner while you were on my lap. Okay?”
Elliot forced a casual shrug. “You’re an adult male hominid. It happens. Didn’t expect it to be so big though,” he quipped. “My congrats.”
Nolan barked a laugh. “Yeah, well…didn’t expect you to smell so good, so. Sorry.”
Elliot turned away, uncomfortable. Why did he have to say that? Now it was awkward. Or rather more awkward. Somehow Nolan commenting on how Elliot smelled was far more intimate than Elliot joking about the size of his dick. “Yeah, well I really am beat. I’m gonna head home. Text me in the morning when you know where we’re all meeting.”
“So we’re good?”
“Of course,” Elliot said. “We’re fine.”
“Good.”
Nolan darted off into another room before Elliot even made it to the door. A decade of friendship and we’re fleeing from each other. Christ.
It was just a boner. The weirdness would pass. Nolan was his best friend, and they worked together almost daily. Elliot could not deal with weirdness between them. He’d just do all he could to put things back to normal and pretend nothing had happened. It would pass.
When he stepped outside, he saw that Christian and JT were still there, standing in Nolan’s driveway, talking to Tim. And laughing. Elliot had to remind himself of his earlier assertion that he didn’t care if the others were friendly with Tim, that it didn’t matter. Because part of him wanted to swat the forest ranger away from his friends.
They all looked up as Elliot headed to his car. “See you guys tomorrow,” he said to JT and Christian.
“See ya tomorrow,” JT said. “Goodnight, Tim.” He and Christian headed toward JT’s car.
“Hey Elliot?” Tim said. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
About to open his car door, Elliot paused. This ought to be good. He turned around as Tim approached, waving to JT and Christian as the car left the driveway. “What can I do for you, Tim?”
Tim tried giving Elliot his cheery grin, but it wilted when he saw Elliot’s stone-face. He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, rocking on his heels. “I was hoping you could make an announcement on your radio show about that part of the mountain being prohibited. Discourage locals from hiking up there.”
“Sure, absolutely,” Elliot said. “I’ll do it tomorrow. That it?”
“No, there’s something else. Um…this is a little awkward, but I get the feeling you have something against me.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes. You make it pretty obvious you don’t like me. I’d like to change that.”
Elliot chuckled. “I see.”
Tim sighed. “So I’m right. You don’t like me.”
“I don’t think about you, Tim,” Elliot said. “We barely know each other.”
“Oh come on,” Tim said. “We know each other, Elliot.”
“No, we really don’t. We fucked once. That’s it.”
“Are you…still mad that I never called you after?”
Elliot couldn’t stop the laughter that bellowed out of him. “Are you fucking serious right now? You think I wanted you to call me?”
Tim shrugged.
“That’s what you thought. That I was actually pining for you? Guy, no offense, but the sex was sloppy and too quick and not all that memorable.”
“Jesus,” Tim said. “Why you gotta be like that? I’m trying to have a nice conversation with you.”
“Why?”
Tim removed his ball cap again, but this time it wasn’t to primp his blond hair. He twisted it in his hands, jaw tight. He was getting annoyed. What Elliot couldn’t figure out was why he was still standing there. Why make such an effort? “Elliot, I’m just gonna say this. It probably sounds childish, but I get the feeling you and your friends talk behind my back. It makes me uncomfortable, so I’d like to set straight whatever wrong I’ve done.”
“My friends and I don’t sit around talking about you, Tim. Relax. After that night with you years ago I told them you said condescending, insulting things to me. If you don’t like the fallout, well, you probably shouldn’t say condescending things to people.”
Tim’s handsome face folded in a scowl. “What did I say to you?”
“You don’t remember?”
“I was really drunk that night. Like…really drunk.”
“Whatever, Tim, I speak the truth when I say it really, really doesn’t matter now.”
“I’m sorry, Elliot. If I said something nasty to you, I apologize.”
“Okay. Apology accepted. We done?”
“You’re still looking at me like you hate me.”
Elliot sighed. “Why do you care, Tim?”
“I’m just trying to clear the air, Jesus! Talking to your friends tonight, well, JT and Christian were really cool. It was nice, to have an amiable conversation with them for once. I like your friends. I like you. Can’t we just…”
“What?” Elliot said. “Hang out? You want to come to our clubhouse?”
“Why do you have to be such a dick about this?”
“Because I don’t like manipulators. Just be straight, Tim. You don’t particularly like JT and Christian, and you don’t like me. The truth is you want to fuck Nolan, and you think that his friends’ negative opinion of you is the only thing standing in your way. That’s why you’re trying to butter us up.”
Tim stilled. His hands ceased twisting the ball cap, and his fair skin flushed dark. “You’re very blunt.”
“I don’t tolerate bullshit well.”
“Okay, part of what you said is true. I am interested in Nolan. I thought it was just a passing crush, but it’s been months and I can’t stop thinking about him. I’d like to explore if there’s something there.”
Elliot threw his arms up. “Then fucking ask him out! He’ll either turn you down or he won’t. It’s got nothing to do with me.”
Tim chuckled at that, raising his eyebrows. “I think it has a lot to do with you. You were sitting on his lap. Are you two together?”
“I think you know we’re not. Otherwise you wouldn’t be still working so hard to get in his pants.”
“Then why…” Tim shook his head. “Do all you guys…fool around with each other?”
“Yes, Tim. Orgies every night. We’re all fucking. You want in?”
“I’m serious.”
“I know, that’s what’s so hilarious. Nolan and I were just messing around. Go after him if you want, I don’t care. Just leave me out of it, okay? I’m not his keeper. Neither are JT and Christian. We’re just his friends. And he’s a big boy.”
Tim nodded and backed away. “Okay.” He rolled his eyes. “Good talk.”
“Great talk.”
“See you round, Elliot.”
Elliot got in his car and Tim strode over to his truck. “Great fucking talk,” Elliot mumbled as he pulled out of the driveway.
Elliot was tense on the drive home, and only when his jaw grew sore did he realize he was gritting his teeth. Tonight had left him agitated. And confused. Especially since some part of him hated the idea of Tim asking Nolan out. And he wasn’t entirely sure if his disdain for Tim alone was the culprit.
He took a long shower when he got home, then read for a while in bed, consciously trying to push every thought of what happened tonight from his mind. Particularly how nice it had felt being wrapped in Nolan’s arms. The shivers he’d gotten when Nolan nuzzled his neck.
No. Nope. Not doing this. It’s Nolan for C
hrist sakes. He’s like my brother.
As he’d said to Nolan, he was an adult male. Elliot was as well. His reaction to sitting on Nolan’s lap, feeling his erection swell beneath him, was a mere physical response to the touching. It was not something that needed to be explored and analyzed.
His relationship with Nolan, their real relationship, went too deep to ever cross into that territory. Sexual interaction with a longtime friend was a recipe for disaster. It’s why Michelle and Nolan imploded and ended so quickly. Because the friendship base, particularly one that ran that deep, made it so there was no way to have casual sex. There was already too much love and affection at the friendship core to switch it off. It would be too intense. To weird. Too overwhelming.
“…didn’t expect you to smell so good.”
“God dammit, Nolan!” Elliot tossed his book aside and shut off the light. He punched his pillow and flopped down, tugging the blankets up. “Asshole.”
He wasn’t sure why he couldn’t just put what Nolan said out of his mind. It was just a little banter to counteract an awkward moment. A quip. A little flirty, sure. But Elliot had just made a joke about Nolan’s boner. Nolan was merely reciprocating. He probably didn’t know what to say.
So why couldn’t Elliot stop thinking about it? It was because of the look in Nolan’s eyes when he said he was sorry. There was something in Nolan’s expression Elliot had never seen in the decade he’d known him. Something questioning. That was it. Even as Nolan apologized, there was a question in his eyes.
A question that can never, ever be answered, Elliot determined as he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Three
“Unchain mah heart!” Nolan sang along with the music as he drove. “Baby let me be.” He glanced at Elliot, who sat silently in the passenger seat, staring out the window. “Hey.” He smacked Elliot’s knee. “You missed your part.”
“Huh?” Elliot glanced at him then looked away. “Oh, sorry. I’m still half asleep.”
Nolan scowled as he took the dirt road that led to JT’s house. He and Elliot always sang together when they drove somewhere. It was kind of their thing. But Elliot was acting weird this morning. Nolan hoped he wasn’t bothered by what happened last night. He’d said it was no big deal, but he wasn’t acting like himself. Elliot had seemed so much happier lately. They’d had a great time setting the cameras up on the mountain last week, laughing and joking and enjoying the crisp autumn beauty of the forest. But this morning, his normally chipper, snarky friend seemed off.
Nolan himself had woken up in a great mood. The sun was blinding. Red and gold leaves fell from the trees and blew through the air like confetti as he drove around the lake to go get Elliot. Villagers were out and about, every lamppost and storefront lively with harvest and Halloween decorations. He’d been looking forward to having a cup of coffee with Elliot and hanging out a bit before they drove over to JT’s for the briefing. But the Elliot sitting beside him in the truck right now was not the Elliot he’d been hanging out with all week. He was quiet and sullen.
“What’s up with you?” Nolan asked. “You’re not going all gloom and doom on us again, are you?”
“I’m fine.” Elliot looked at Nolan. “You didn’t have to pick me up this morning. I could have met you over here.”
Nolan put the truck in park outside JT’s lake house. “What the hell difference does it make? You didn’t want to ride with me?”
“No, it’s not that. Forget it.”
“Whatever, Elliot.”
Nolan’s good mood sank as the two of them left the truck and headed to the basement entrance of JT’s house. Whatever was bugging Elliot, Nolan had no doubt he’d get over it. He always did. But what if it’s about last night?
Nolan cursed inwardly. If he’d somehow managed to fracture their friendship by stupidly popping wood while Elliot was on his lap…that would be a travesty. Elliot was one of the crucial puzzle pieces that made up Nolan’s life. Their friendship was more important than he could say. When he was with Elliot, a calm fell over Nolan. Like all was right with the world, and nothing bad could touch them. If he’d somehow fucked that up, he needed to mend it fast.
But while Elliot got melancholy once in a while, he wasn’t typically a drama queen. Elliot laughed everything off. So why would he be grumpy because of this? Christ, it was just a boner. It wasn’t like Nolan planned it. Was it his fault Elliot’s body felt surprisingly good pressed against him? That his dark blond hair was so much softer than it looked, and smelled like pine needles and sunshine? Shit, Elliot was the one that started wiggling around because he couldn’t sit still. So Nolan’s cock had reacted, big deal.
“Hey guys,” JT said when they stepped into the basement room. “Welcome back to the bat cave. Ogden’s gonna be coming through on the big screen in a minute.”
Nolan sat beside Christian at the long rectangular table. Elliot went to the other side and sat next to JT. “I didn’t know Ogden would be speaking to us today,” Nolan said. “Is anything wrong?”
“When isn’t something wrong?” JT drummed his fingers on the table. “He called this morning and said make sure everyone’s here. Anything to report from you guys before big brother beams in?”
“I didn’t get any further correspondence from that guy online,” Elliot said. “Everything was quiet when I checked this morning. But I had time to dig into that teacher, Brett Kuna’s background. Nothing interesting. A university degree, string of teaching jobs. Not much information about him. No signs he’s a UFO enthusiast or anything even remotely eccentric, so not sure what his deal is.”
Christian shrugged. “Well, we do have the power of Ogden if you want to look into this guy a little deeper. Has teacher-man been back up on the mountain again?”
“I haven’t had a chance to check the camera feeds this morning,” Nolan said. “But I’ll do it later.”
Elliot met Nolan’s eyes across the table. “Ogden has access to the cameras too, doesn’t he?”
“Of course.”
“I wonder if he saw something and that’s why he’s calling in.”
Nolan shook his head. “No idea.”
“Ogden mentioned something about a weird signal coming from the area of the base,” JT said. “Well, coming from somewhere above the base, maybe from incoming craft, but of course nothing shows up visually.”
“What kind of signal?” Christian asked.
JT shrugged. “The phrase he used was ‘bizarre static’. You know how he said they’d tried electronic communications with the Whites way back, but got nothing? Before we ever made contact with Baz. Well, they’ve kept up monitoring all this time, and have been getting weird noise all of a sudden.”
“Huh,” Nolan said. “The Whites block all their own noise. Even their ships are silent. So what would Ogden and his cronies have heard?”
“That’s the question,” JT said. “Could be anything. Solar flare. Satellite noise.”
“Pretty sure Ogden knows the difference,” Nolan said. “If he’s concerned about it, then it’s an anomaly.”
“Well, we have something to report,” Christian said. “JT and I hiked up to the field this morning.”
Nolan shrugged. “Why?”
“To try and contact Baz,” JT said. “No luck. We hung out by that rock near the field where we talked with him that first time. Shouted for him. Waited an hour. Nothing.”
“That’s weird,” Elliot said.
“Does it have to be?” Nolan asked. “Baz never said he would check in with us. That he’d be at our beck and call.”
“True,” JT said. “But at the very least I wouldn’t expect him to give up a chance to talk to Christian.”
Christian’s brows lowered over his brown eyes. “Can we stop doing that?”
“What?” Elliot grinned. “Bringing up the fact that the alien hybrid has a crush on you?”
“Yes. That.”
Elliot laughed hard, and Nolan smiled, watching him. Elliot’s hair was still da
mp from the quick shower he’d taken when Nolan showed up to retrieve him, and he wore a thick baggy sweatshirt with jeans. His cat-like green eyes were still a bit sleepy and Nolan thought he looked cuddly.
Cuddly? Seriously?
Cuddly was not a word he’d ever associated with Elliot. Nolan cast his eyes down to his clasped hands so he’d stop staring. He’d gazed upon Elliot thousands of times, and never felt compelled to assess his appearance. He needed to shake off these odd feelings. Elliot was laughing now and acting normal again, which was what Nolan had wanted. For things to be normal between them. He glanced at Elliot again. Elliot looked up, frowned at Nolan, then looked away.
If you want things back to normal, Nolan, then stop fucking staring at him.
“Ogden’s coming through,” Christian said.
Nolan looked up at the giant screen behind the table, where the logo of the double iris was flashing. JT and Elliot shifted their chairs to face the screen.
Then Ogden appeared, head and shoulders visible. He sat behind a desk, high forehead furrowed into a serious frown, brown skin appearing a bit paler than usual. His suit was wrinkled, and Nolan guessed he hadn’t slept.
“Can you all see me?”
“We can see you,” JT said. “What’s up, Ogden?”
Ogden smiled only slightly. “That is the question of the day, JT.” Ogden’s chin lifted, eyes searching the group around the table, finally falling on Nolan. “Nolan. Have you checked last night’s footage from the cameras in the woods?”
“Not yet.”
“Ah.” Ogden sighed. “I spent the morning going over it with Wiley. We found something odd.”
“What?” Christian asked.
“Switching to the feed,” Ogden said, then his image on screen was replaced with a night vision view of the woods up near the field.
Nolan leaned forward, watching the screen. Everyone around the table jumped when a blur of white mist sped past the lower portion of visible trees.
Ogden’s image reappeared. “Did you see it?”
“I don’t mean to be flip,” Elliot said. “But so what? We’ve seen Whites move in the forest before. We know they go topside sometimes, for whatever reason.”