Page 68 of Under the Mistletoe with You

‘Eh, kinda, yes and probably also that.’

He wants to pry.And he also wants to take the phone and fling it away from Nash, especially now that he knows that sleeping is important to keeping his seizures under control.Which, now that he thinks about it, is probably why he just disappeared off to bed last night and was quite blunt.Obviously it’s not Christopher’s fault for not knowing, but he feels a bit bad about judging him so harshly now that he knows he was just looking after his brain.It must be pretty tricky to manage, after all.

But before he can find a way to suggest Nash settles down in a non-irritating, non-overbearing way, Nash says, ‘Sorry.Do you want me to turn the light off?’

‘No, it’s fine.’And with a gulp of breath he adds, ‘But maybe you should go to sleep?We’ve probably got another busy day coming up tomorrow.’

‘All right, Mother.’Nash might growl at this, but he does set his phone down on the table and flick the light off.

Christopher rolls back over onto his side, facing the wall.‘I’m not your mother.’

‘Thank God.Else this would be really weird.’

‘But ...you did come here to escape or relax or whatever, and it’s hardly been that.And as we’ve probably got another big day tomorrow, you probably need your beauty sleep.’

He hears Nash grumble something about beauty sleep, but soon his soft breaths give way to light snores.

As they both settle down to sleep, Christopher can’t help but think about how nice it is not to be alone up here.To have someone else with him.He really had been lonely.And that’s probably the only reason why he’s thinking about it, and noticing how close Nash is to him.

Definitely.

Sometime later, Christopher stirs from a dreamful sleep filled with gingerbread and reindeer and so much snow.When he opens his eyes, he finds himself facing Nash.In the night, they must have both rolled over in their sleep, and now their faces are close, so close that he can taste Nash’s sweet breath.

It’s as if they’ve been drawn to each other.Perhaps, in a way, they were.Not just in this bed but in a broader, cosmic sense.Christopher isn’t one for superstition necessarily, other than enjoying blaming things going wrong on Mercury being retrograde and his and Kit’s annual tradition of a Christmas wish, but he can’t deny this whole situation feels ...not magical, butcreated.

What a coincidence it is for Nash to be here in his bed when, for the last few months, he’s been watching Nash act out so many magical stories on his tablet.And as much as he protested to Laurel and Ambrose about whether he’s interested in Nash, he’s undeniably attracted to him.There’s something chemical.A spark that sometimes shocks, but maybe it could thrill too.

Part of him wants to stay here, capture this moment where this beautiful gremlin of a man is quiet and at peace, rather than frustrating the hell out of him.But sleep drags him back under.And, without either of them knowing, as they are too deeply asleep to truly feel it, their hands intertwine.

Chapter Sixteen

Christopher

When Christopher awakes, he’s alone.The sheet is still warm to the touch on Nash’s side, so he must have got up recently.Hopefully, Nash managed a good long sleep.From the growing sunshine outside, Christopher seems to have, and he definitely feels better for it.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Nash wanders back into the room, steaming cup of tea in hand and a paperback from Christopher’s shelf under his arm.

‘Oh, you’re awake,’ he says.

‘Yeah I just woke up.Did you sleep okay?’

‘Yeah thanks.I needed it.’

Good, thinks Christopher.Good.

Nash sets the cup down on top of the bureau with the book, which turns out to beThe Moon of Gomrath.

‘I didn’t take you as a fantasy reader.’

‘Oh, yeah.Loved that stuff as a kid.I decided to challenge myself by picking the most ridiculously named book on your shelf.’

‘You missedThe Weirdstone of Brisingamen.’

‘I swear you’re making that up.That cannot be an actual book’s title.’

‘I’m not.It’s a real book by the same man, Alan Garner.’

‘Well, either way, I guess I’m about to learn some exciting new British words.’He sits down on his side of the bed and pulls the cover up over his lap.