"Hale, I swear to God?—"
"You swear what?" Hudson taunted, backing toward the wall.
Shaw lunged. Hudson tried to sidestep but Shaw anticipated it, cutting him off. They collided, shoulders bumping, and Shaw used the momentum to reach past his guard and snatch the book back.
Hudson felt Shaw's exhale against his mouth.
Color flooded Shaw’s cheeks. His eyes shone a bright green, clearer than usual. His lips parted slightly, breath coming fast. He didn’t step back, he just studied Hudson’s face with an unreadable expression.
If Hudson just leaned forward maybe six inches— Heat crawled up his spine, and he was very aware it had fuck-all to do with wrestling over a book.
"Got it," Shaw said quietly, voice dropping lower.
Hudson swallowed, mouth dry. "Yeah. Gotta win at something, I guess."
Neither of them moved.
He should though. Should step back, make a joke, do literally anything except stand here staring at Shaw's mouth and wondering what the fuck he was doing thinking about?—
Someone cleared their throat from across the room.
Shaw stepped back instinctively.
Leaning against the door frame stood Briggs. How long had he been there?
Briggs's expression shifted, mouth curling.
Shaw shot Hudson one last look, then he turned toward the door and left, leaving Hudson behind.
Briggs watched him go, before shooting a calculating look at Hudson. "Interrupting something?"
"No," Hudson said flatly.
Casually, he entered the room. "You and Shaw are pretty tight these days."
Hudson forced himself not to look at the door where Shaw had just left, or to react to Briggs's tone. He would do nothing that would confirm whatever the fuck Briggs thought he'd seen.
"We get partnered a lot. Not our decision." He kept his voice level.
"Right." Briggs let his gaze drag over Hudson. "You two ever take a break from each other?"
He let it hang there—not quite an accusation, but close enough.
Hudson grabbed the deck of cards someone had left on the table and started shuffling, keeping his hands occupied. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
"Just here to pick up my jacket." He grabbed it from the back of one of the couches and headed for the door. "See you around, Hale.”
The door closed behind him.
Cards moved through Hudson’s fingers on autopilot.
Shit.
A few minutes ago, Hudson had been standing there thinking about closing that six-inch gap between him and Shaw.
What even was that? Hudson had never thought about kissing another guy. Not once in his entire life.
And now, if Briggs had walked in thirty seconds later?—
