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“I don’t enjoy karaoke,” Nelson said under his breath after she left them to get their drinks.
Nox smiled as he studied the menu. “Why? I’ve heard you sing and you have a really nice voice.”
“It’s the other singers I don’t enjoy. They’ll let anyone who can write their name on a piece of paper have a turn and that often yields unfortunate results.”
“That’s half the fun for everyone,” Nox said, giving their knees a playful bump under the table.
“Not for me,” Nelson murmured, his hand sliding around Nox’s thigh and giving it an absent knead as he read. It wasn’t a particularly provocative gesture and something that had become Nelson’s habit whenever they were close. There were no tablecloths in the Stained Glass Pub, but Nelson’s display of easy, affectionate possessiveness, in the middle of a simple sports bar on a Thursday afternoon, would have swept Nox off his feet if he wasn’t already sitting down.
“Oh! They have two types of crab soup,” Nox noted, predicting that Nelson would bypass the burgers and the pizzas in hopes of finding something “healthy” on a bar menu. Nelson ordered the Maryland crab soup and a salad while Nox went with a medium pizza with pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese. “When in Rome,” he said as he unrolled his silverware and smoothed out the napkin.
“I’m sorry. It’s not very much like a pub, is it?” Nelson asked, staring at Nox before giving his head a faint shake. He frowned at the ceiling tiles and the Formica-topped tables.
Nox shrugged. “It’s close enough in spirit. I’ve been to all kinds of pubs in the UK and Ireland and you’d be surprised. They’re not all cozy with old men playing chess and smoking pipes.”
“Do many of them serve pizza?”
“Only the better ones,” Nox teased and winked at Nelson. “And a lot of them have karaoke in the evenings, so you’d probably be disappointed.”
“I’d be fine if I was with you,” he said with a shy half-smile that sent Nox’s heart soaring.
“We should go.” He leaned across the table, offering his lips and forgetting that they were in a faux pub and in the middle of what was shaping up to be an all-around shitty day.
Nelson chuckled softly as he sat forward and brushed his lips against Nox’s. “If you want. I could take leave later. I have plenty saved up.”
“Later?” The idea dazzled Nox. “We should go on a trip once we’re on the other side of this.” They hadn’t really discussed what they’d do once they’d found all those involved with the cult and the investigation was concluded. “I have mixed feelings about going back to the Celtic mothership, but I think you’d love summer in Ireland.”
A furrow creased Nelson’s brow as he considered. “What if we saved Ireland for next year or the year after? No offense, but I could use a break from Celtic lore and history. I’ve heard Eastern Europe is nice in the summer and I’ve always wanted to visit Alaska.”
“Alaska!” Nox gasped at the thought. “The Land of the Midnight Sun! I love Alaska’s summers.”
“That’s right… The sun doesn’t set in the summer there.”
“No! Not for months! There’s so much unspoiled nature and magick. The First Alaskans worship the earth and revere their ancestors, living harmoniously with nature and the wildlife around them,” Nox said, keeping his voice low despite his rising excitement. “You don’t enjoy hunting animals anymore, but we could go tracking so you could see all the moose and bears and wolves and we could go on a day cruise to see whales and walruses.”
“That would be fine, I guess,” Nelson said with another one of his shy smiles, then sat back when their server returned with their food.
“It would be,” Nox agreed dreamily. They had gone rockhounding with Merlin a few times when the weather was nice and Nelson looked rather fine himself in tight T-shirts, flannels, cargo khakis, and hiking boots. A summer of infinite sun, untouched nature, and Nelson in tight T-shirts sounded like heaven on earth, the more Nox thought about it.
“I’m going to make it happen as soon as this investigation is closed. We deserve to get away and I deserve you in tight T-shirts and pants with lots of pockets.”
“What?” Nelson coughed as he tasted his soup.
“You know I have a weakness for men in casual, tactical-style sportswear and you really fill out a pair of khakis well. And your arms are obscene, they’re so sexy. It’s probably a good thing for all of us that you keep them hidden in shirts and coats unless I make you do something in nature.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You should. You could be stopping traffic and ruining lives with those arms and that ass.”
Nelson shook his head as he stirred his soup. “I don’t think I want that.”
That made Nox laugh. “Smart man. With great power comes great responsibility,” he said while serving himself two squares of pizza from the small tray the server had set next to him.
Nelson coughed softly again and looked around before ducking closer. “Is that why you—?” he started, then shook his head. “No. Don’t answer that. We’re not thinking about…that or the case.”
But Nox knew what Nelson was referring to and let out a heavy sigh. He had grown to resent fate and hated the destiny he’d been burdened with most at times like these, when he could see Nelson grappling with what it meant to love him. “It’s a lot of responsibility. What if I’m the only thing standing between humanity and a Gaelic Godzilla? I’ve always been scared of letting the world down, but I mostly want it to go away so I can have more time with you,” he whispered.
“That is a lot of responsibility,” Nelson agreed. His hand covered Nox’s and it trembled. “It scares me too but I’m not going anywhere.”
