Riker's eyes opened as Nolan agreed, and he leaned forward to kiss his boyfriend deeply. "You're sure? You don't need to like, think about it?" He asked, his eyes closed again. "I'd rather have you be sure than decide that you don't like it once I'm already used to it..."

He smiled, snuggling closer to Nolan and laying his head on the other boy's shoulder. "We can do it later, if you're still sure you want to. You need to finish studying...Or napping, whichever one you feel like doing," he added with a smirk. 

"I'll just be over here...Thinking about all of the new uses for all of our extra bed space," he teased, opening his eyes briefly to wink at Nolan. "But you have fun studying, baby..."

Para: I'm Sorry if I Say I Need You // Nolan/Riker

"I’m not mad at you, baby," Nolan said automatically. "And wanting or needing space doesn’t mean I’d be mad at you in the future, either." He shrugged. There were just some times that Nolan wanted to roll around in bed without bumping into Riker, and as he’d never been in a relationship this serious before, he wasn’t sure about whether or not he’d feel comfortable doing this.

It wasn’t as if he could try it for a day or two and then ask Riker to let him pull apart their beds again, after all. Nolan could already imagine the fight that that would lead to, and he thought it was better to be safe than sorry. However, he couldn’t deny that the other boy’s idea had merits. As much as Nolan thought that he might not want to roll around in bed and bump into Riker, the idea of sleeping while having him wrapped in his arms was actually a fairly pleasant one, now that he knew it was on the table.

Chewing on his lower lip, he nodded slowly. “Okay,” he said. “I’m willing to try it if you are…” Now that Riker had opened his mind to him, it was clear it was exactly what it seemed like: a request for more physical intimacy. Nolan didn’t think they were particularly lacking in that department, but if Riker wanted it and Nolan wasn’t completely opposed to it, then mathematically, it was obvious that he should be the one to bend. “Are we doing it now, or…?”

Riker sighed, shrugging slightly. “I just,” he paused, frowning as he realized what Nolan had done by getting him to open his eyes. Jerk, he thought at the other boy, rolling his eyes slightly. You could’ve just said so…

I get you wanting your own space, and I don’t blame you, I just…Even with our beds the way they are now, your space is like, twenty feet from mine, at the most. That’s not really doing any good if you’re mad at me, you know? He paused, kissing Nolan back gently. He frowned as Nolan mentioned that he might have another reason for wanting to be closer together. What, like the fact that we should totally try that whole ‘getting each other off’ thing in a bed where we can actually move? I mean, other than that, I’m pretty much solely in this for the cuddles. You have really nice arms, don’t judge me, he added, looking at Nolan warningly.

Para: I'm Sorry if I Say I Need You // Nolan/Riker

"I didn’t think that part was a joke," Nolan said, lips twisting in a smile. "I thought the part about pushing the beds together was." He wrapped his arms around Riker’s waist and looked into his eyes, knowing that his powers would be kicking in soon enough.

"I like sleeping next to you," he said honestly. "But I also like having my own space sometimes. You’re right about sleeping practically on top of each other being incredibly uncomfortable the way it is now, though, so I’m not opposed to the idea completely."

He leaned forward to kiss Riker softly, brushing their lips together before pulling back to look into his eyes. “I have to ask, though— is this just about the beds? Or something else?” he asked. “Because if there’s something else… We should talk about it before we do anything else…”

"It's honestly fine if you don't want to," Riker said, fairly certain that he didn't sound convincing in the slightest. He was trying, but even his vocal chords seemed to know that he didn't mean it. "I get wanting your own space." He didn't really, but he was coming to recognize that as one of the big differences between himself and Nolan. He was constantly in people's spaces, whether he had known them for ten years or ten hours. Nolan stayed back to watch and observe. It was something that was going to make him an excellent superhero one day.

"Why would I joke about wanting to sleep next to you?" Riker asked. Frowning, he shrugged. "I mean, I know I'm not serious that often, but it happens..."

He followed as Nolan tugged at his hands, putting his arms around Nolan's neck to keep from falling. At Nolan's request, he opened his eyes, looking at Nolan and smiling softly. "Hi, Nol. What's going on?" 

Para: I'm Sorry if I Say I Need You // Nolan/Riker

"No, I—" Nolan frowned again, biting at his lower lip. "I don’t know what to say, Ri." He crossed his arms over his chest, mulling it over. "I guess I’m just used to having my own space and like, sleeping in my own bed whenever I want to." He tried to think of what it would be like if he and Riker shared a bed every night instead of just sporadically, and how it would feel to have the other boy curled against his side as a constant thing.

"I don’t think it would be a problem," he said finally. "I’ve just never thought about it before. I mean, I thought you were kidding…"

He reached out stilled Riker’s hands, pulling at them so that his boyfriend would straddle his lap. “Ri?” he said, peering into his closed eyes. “Can you do me a favor? Open your eyes and look at me.”

"I know that," Riker said, sighing softly. "But we're so cramped together that my face always ends up like, in your armpit, which is gross. And it hurts your neck, which isn't good, either." He frowned, opening his eyes to pout at Nolan slightly before closing them again.

"I just think it would be a good idea," he said, shrugging slightly. "If you don't, that's equally fine." He bit at his lip, not sure of what else to say. He had thought Nolan would be excited about the idea, but apparently not. "I mean, do you not like sleeping together? Like, if you've got space issues, that's fine, just...You probably should've told me that a while ago, 'cause I kind of like being all over you all the time..." He looked down, fiddling with his hands nervously. "I just...I can't hear what you're thinking, so you kind of have to tell me, dude."

Para: I'm Sorry if I Say I Need You // Nolan/Riker

Nolan caught Riker’s hand and pressed a kiss against his palm, amused in spite of himself. He thought it was pretty funny how Riker had to control himself in this way, and it secretly pleased him that his boyfriend thought about him so often. (Of course, it could also be that Riker just liked taking naps a lot, but Nolan chose to think otherwise. It was more flattering that way.)

"…why do you need them put together?" he asked, frowning slightly. He rather liked the option of having his own space, never mind the fact that he got a crick in his neck whenever he fell asleep after they made out on Riker’s narrow bed. Nolan liked having the option of sleeping by himself, so that he could take it if he wanted it.

He got up nonetheless, taking his boyfriends hand and walking them both over to Riker’s bed. “This is big enough to share if you want me to sleep with you, you know,” he said, sitting down on the mattress. “It’s not like we haven’t done it before…”

Riker rolled his eyes at Nolan pointedly before closing them, not wanting to be thinking at his boyfriend at the same time that he was talking to him. They still hadn’t found a way around that particular hurdle, and it was starting to bother him. Nolan was good looking, and Riker was missing out on getting to see just how good looking he was, all because of his stupid power. "Sure you were, babe," he said sarcastically, reaching out and trying to pat Nolan’s head. He was pretty sure that he mainly got Hunter’s ear and part of his jaw, but it was close enough to count. "Learning by osmosis are we, Doctor-to-be? I mean, it’s not unheard of…" He shook his head as Hunter mentioned going to sleep, shaking his head. “I’m not going to bed, and neither are you. Not just yet, at least. Like I was saying before I realized that you were sleeping…I need your brain muscles.” He pointed at their beds, one after another. “I want those to be put together…You know, like I mentioned when we started actually dating?” He turned his face towards where Nolan was sitting, attempting to glare at him, even with his eyes closed. “You’ve been depriving me of my sleep cuddles, Nolan. I feel hurt. Wounded, even.”

Para: I'm Sorry if I Say I Need You // Nolan/Riker

Nolan woke up with a start, his head jerking up as the single most annoying song filled his mind. There was notebook paper stuck to his face, and he tore it off, glaring as he found himself face-to-face with none other than his roommate and boyfriend, the annoyingly cheerful Riker.

"What’d you do that for?" he complained, running a hand through his hair. "I was studying for an exam on Monday…" He took his glasses off and rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, waving at Riker’s iPod in order to shut it off.

He glanced at the clock, noting that it wasn’t quite midnight yet. “I can still get another hour of studying in before bed, babe,” he said pointedly. “Just give me a bit more time and then I’ll kiss you goodnight, okay? It’s not like you’re going to sleep this early, anyway…”

Para: I'm Sorry if I Say I Need You // Nolan/Riker

Babe, I need to use your brain muscles for a minute, Riker thought at Nolan. He was leaning with a hip propped against Nolan’s desk, his head tilted as he looked at the room in front of him. I promise, it’ll only be two minutes, then you can go back to being a serious, studious, future Dr. McSexy.

He frowned when he didn’t get an immediate answer, looking over to see that Nolan was half asleep over top of one of his textbooks. Chuckling fondly, he bent over the edge of the desk just enough to kiss Nolan’s cheek gently. Wake up, babe…You’ve got the whole weekend to study.  He waited again, rolling his eyes as Nolan slept through his (in his opinion) adorable version of a wake up call. He knew Nolan wasn’t faking being asleep, which meant that it was time to bring out the big guns. Just remember, you did this to yourself, he warned, focusing his attention on Nolan completely before starting to mentally sing at him. 

IT’S FRIDAY, FRIDAY. GOTTA GET DOWN ON FRIDAY. EVERYBODY’S LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WEEKEND, WEEKEND…

"Yeah, well, in high school, you seemed fun, and easy-going...We got here, and you were kind of a snooty dick, babe. I may have been overreacting because you weren't living up to my daydreaming," he admitted, sighing softly. 

"See, this is why I didn't want to say anything," Riker said, frowning. "I just...If we're being honest, you know...And like, I just wanted you to know." He cuddled up to Nolan, pressing his face against the other boy's shoulder, slightly embarrassed. "I knew it'd freak you out, though..." He sighed, shaking his head and reaching up to put a hand over Nolan's mouth. "One, that makes me sound like a creepy stalker. Two, no work talk. Three, finish reading, I'm getting hungry..."

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

"Fine, fine," Nolan said, calling his text book towards him. "But if you wake up and start freaking out again, don’t blame me." He flipped to the chapter he needed and started reading once more, trying to get through it as quickly as possible so they could head to dinner. He stopped short when Riker started nuzzling his neck, however, glancing at him as he spoke. 

"Since high school…?" he repeated, frowning. "But— you hated me when we first started rooming together…" He still winced internally every time he thought about their extremely rocky first month. Riker had made no secret of his distaste for him or the fact that he thought he was boring as hell, and part of Nolan was still trying to reconcile the extreme differences in their personality.

"I… I don’t know what to say," Nolan confessed, putting his book down. "I care about you, Riker, and I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you, but this is… sort of a new thing for me." He’d known Riker in passing in high school, but he’d never really thought much about him. They didn’t have a lot of classes together and hadn’t said more than a handful of words to each other, after all, and he hadn’t been on Nolan’s radar until they roomed together at university.

He frowned. “If you’ve been feeling this way for a while, though,” he said. “That might be the reason why only I can hear your thoughts. Maybe it’s the fact that you’ve been fixating on me for a few months that’s forming the link….”

Riker closed his eyes, shushing Nolan gently and leaning up to kiss him. "Babe, no...Less than 24 hours, remember? No more work talk. Shh. Just let me cuddle up to you for a little bit while you finish reading, then we can go to dinner."

He nuzzled at Nolan's neck, settling in to his spot and smiling as Nolan tightened his grip. He knew wanting to cuddle like this was a bit ridiculous, given how tall he was, but he liked that Nolan went along with it, because it really did feel awesome. 

"And, um...Just so you know, I'm pretty hard to scare off, too..Just as a thing that you should know," he mumbled, blushing slightly. "And also, I'm pretty sure I had a crush on you back in high school, and it didn't actually go away? So now, it's just like...'Hi, I'm pretty sure I love you', and that's weird, but awesome, and if that means you get to read my mind, and I make you better at superhero-ing, then that's awesome, too."

He peeked an eye open to judge Nolan's reaction, then closed it again. "And, um...Yeah, I'll let you study, now..."

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

Nolan gave his boyfriend a wry smile as he shifted his grip on his lap, leaning back slightly to make room for him. Riker was lean but he was still six feet tall, and his penchant for climbing on top of Nolan still took some getting used to. Still, it was definitely one of the more pleasant changes in the mutant’s life, and he rubbed his cheek against Riker’s shoulder thoughtfully. ”I don’t see how anyone would find out about it, though,” he said. “Are you afraid I’ll accidentally answer something that you think at me out loud, or…?”

To be honest, being mentally linked to Riker one-way didn’t really seem that big a deal to Nolan. Maybe it would take a bit of getting used to, as Riker had said, but he didn’t really see it as a bad thing. “You’re not going to scare me off, by the way,” Nolan said, distractedly. “I wouldn’t have started anything with you if I didn’t think there was… something properly here.” It was matter-of-fact for him; one of the main reasons he’d had trouble accepting wanting to date Riker was because he knew it was all or nothing. His roommate-turned-boyfriend wasn’t the type to do casual relationships with, and the fact that they were living together just made the risk that much higher.

Still, Nolan had made a choice, and he was sticking to it. “So… what are your thoughts on this?” he asked, changing the subject. “Do you want to try experimenting with actively blocking your thoughts from me, or…?”

I never said it was bad, to be fair, Riker countered, raising an eyebrow at Nolan. I just said it's weird. It's been less than 24 hours, babe. Give me some time for it to sink in, first. Or, at the very least, time to figure out how make my 'brain to mouth' filter just a 'brain' filter.

He rolled his eyes as Nolan mentioned his lack of a filter, shaking his head slightly. Of course I know I don't have one, I'm in my own head, why filter thoughts from myself, when I'm the one who thought them in the first place? Besides, when I'm talking out loud, I have time to think about word choice. This is like, practically stream of consciousness, babe. Congratulations, you're dating Faulkner, he added with an eyeroll.

That eyeroll continued, but in a more fond fashion, as Nolan pulled him down next to him. He immediately shifted, moving so that he was back in Nolan's lap like he had been at the library. My spot, he projected at Nolan happily, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend on the nose. And of course I have intense feelings for you. I maybe-love you, just like you maybe-love me, only mine is less of a 'maybe' and more of a 'I'm trying not to scare you off by how much I want you around'. 

He sighed in relief as Nolan turned on his iPod, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. We don't really have a choice, babe. We have to figure this out, and then figure out how to keep anyone else from finding out about it. I mean, I don't want to hide it, but...

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

"Good point," Nolan said. "I’m not sure, though not looking at me seems to work…" He sighed, stepping forward into Riker’s space and dropping a kiss on the tip of his nose. "You know, there are worse things to be than mentally linked to your boyfriend."

He smiled a little as he heard Riker’s voice inside his head once more, the expression on his face turning increasingly more chagrined as Riker continued to think at him. “Has anyone ever told you that you don’t have a filter?” he asked, half turning away as he blushed brightly. “I mean, it was bad before, but it’s even worse now…”

Nolan sat down on the edge of his bed, tugging Riker down onto the space next to him. “Look, I don’t know how or why this is happening, but there’s enough of a romantic in me to think that maybe it’s because you have intense feelings for me,” he said. “So that’s not such a bad thing, is it? You say a lot of stupid shit around me as it is, and your sexual fantasies— while distracting as fuck— aren’t unwelcome. It’s not like I’m going to say ‘no’, you know?”

He raised a hand, popping Riker’s iPod back on the dock and pressing play. “In the meantime, we’ll just have to drown out your thoughts the old fashioned way,” he said. “When there’s music present, it seems like it becomes more of a conscious effort on your part, anyway. As for the rest of it— we’ll figure it out one day at a time, okay?”

Riker thought about what Nolan was saying, his lips pursing as he thought. He opened his mouth to say something, then promptly closed it again. Turning away from Nolan, he blushed slightly at how ridiculous he probably seemed.

"Sorry, I just...There's an echo," he said lamely. "Like, reverb, but inside of my head, when I talk and think at the same time? I'm pretty sure it's starting to give me a headache. Anyway," he continued, shrugging slightly. "That makes sense...Sorry about the bathroom thing, then," he added sheepishly. "To, in my defense, I didn't know. Also, don't give me that look. There's nothing wrong with wanting you naked, or practicing safe sex. Also, it's about time that there was a utility belt with real world uses, okay? Not everyone needs a grappling hook." 

He thought for a few seconds, then turned back, facing--well, it couldn't be called facing Nolan, since his eyes were firmly shut, but it was the same intent--continuing the conversation. "So here are the big questions: Why are we linked? How did we *get* linked without realizing it? Is there a way to *unlink* us, or at least find ways to like, toggle parts of it on and off?"

He frowned, reaching out and making grabby hands at Nolan blindly for a second before sighing and opening his eyes. I hope you don't mind getting thought at, because I'm not going to do both all night. It's kind of redundant. Anyway, what I was going to say is that, while I don't mind helping make your powers better, I'd like to be able to look at you without you knowing that I imagined you using your powers to hold me down while you jerk me off with your hands...There goes that dream, I suppose...

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

A smile played across Nolan’s lips as he heard just exactly what his boyfriend was thinking about, shaking his head as he managed to simultaneously insult the King of the Seven Seas as well as both of their gifts. Riker was a lot of things, but he wasn’t subtle, and when he was being a brat, he was a total brat.

The stream of words inside his head stopped abruptly as soon as he shut the door, cutting Riker off mid-sentence. “Huh,” Nolan said. “Well, that answers that…” 

Just to make sure, he eased open the door once more, his eyes meeting Riker’s just as he caught a snippet of a thought regarding being naked and— Nolan slammed the door shut once more. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered, blushing brightly as a couple of students on their floor walked past. “Please fucking tell me no one else can hear that…”

"Hey man," Mike said, nodding his head. The other student made no indication of having heard any of Riker’s highly inappropriate thoughts, and Nolan managed a weak wave before entering his room once more.

"It’s line of sight," he said without preamble, giving his boyfriend a rather telling look. "And it looks like it’s only working with me, so… That’s a relief." He was still a bit red from Riker’s last thought snippet, but he forced himself to push it aside and approach the subject clinically. He was going to be a doctor, right? So right now, Lynch was just another body to be studied, and he needed to approach him that way. "I don’t think the distance matters as long as you can see me, and since I’m the only one who’s said anything about your extremely inappropriate thoughts—" He gave Riker another look. "I’m guessing you and I are linked somehow."

Finally, he let himself grin. “As cliche as it sounds— I guess we make each other stronger…”

"Yeah, well, there's no accounting for taste, babe," Riker tried to joke, frowning as his tone came out forced and awkward. He sighed, walking over to Nolan and resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. He didn't know what was going on, but if Nolan was sure that it wasn't him, then that meant that the problem was somewhere in Riker himself--and how freaky was it to not be able to control if someone heard your thoughts or not?

He stood up as Nolan straightened, taking his boyfriend's spot against the desk and nodding as Nolan asked him to think about something. "Anything?" he confirmed, nodding as Nolan said that it didn't matter, and to not try and project. "I haven't been trying at all, babe," he reminded his boyfriend, a touch more gently than he would have before, but still rather snappish.

Okay, thinking...He said, watching as Nolan walked to the door leading to the hallway. Thinking...Thinking about superpowers...Thinking about how we have kind of the most annoying fucking powers on the list..Thinking about how Aquaman still has both of us beat for the official 'Lamest Power' Award...He registered Nolan closing the door, but kept thinking as his boyfriend had requested. Thinking about how we should probably talk about costumes...I'm seeing you in something naked...Maybe with a utility belt for lube and condoms.

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

"I noticed," Nolan said dryly. "But I’m kind of used to it by now and I still like you, so…” He opened the door to the bathroom and herded Riker out again, perching on the edge of his desk as he tried to piece together what they knew.

"I heard all of that in my head," he said. "So it’s not the bathroom walls blocking you. And it’s not the distance either, so it must be something else…" He looked his boyfriend in the eye, squinting at him. Riker was starting to look fairly freaked out— which Nolan really didn’t get because like he’d claimed earlier, Riker had a big mouth and told him pretty much everything— but he could appreciate that he was less than happy about this.

"Going about this by process of elimination… what haven’t we tried, yet?" Nolan asked. "How about…" He straightened, frowning. "Okay, can you try to think something right now? It doesn’t matter what, just make sure you keep at it. Don’t try to project because I’ve been hearing you regardless. Just… think about something, anything, and don’t stop until I tell you.”

Pacing to the door leading to the hallway, Nolan stepped outside. Process of elimination: it wasn’t the bathroom and it wasn’t the distance, so it had to be something else. Keeping his eyes locked on Riker, Nolan shut the door abruptly, breaking his gaze.

Then what *is* it?! Riker huffed, crossing his arms and glaring at Nolan. I’m thinking, same as always. The only difference from yesterday and today is that suddenly you can hear me when I’m not trying to make you hear me. And it just *happens* to be at the same time that your powers are getting stronger? That doesn’t make sense, Nolan.

He raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend. “So did you hear that?” he asked and projected at the same time, unaware that his thoughts had, in fact, been getting through to Nolan the whole time. “Because if not, then I should probably warn you now, I can *see* that the shower isn’t on.”

He sighed, frowning and running a hand through his hair. Turning away from Nolan, he shook his head. "I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to help," he said, his thoughts finally not accompanying the words. "I just...It's..." he sighed, turning back to face Nolan. "It's just really freaking me out, that's all," he said, looking his boyfriend in the eye. "And apparently, I turn in to a douchebag when I'm freaked out."

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

"This isn’t me!" Nolan exclaimed in exasperation, crossing back to Riker and standing in front of him. "Look, I don’t know why on earth this is happening, but I couldn’t hear anything from you when I was in the bathroom… So will you please just calm down for two seconds while I try to figure this out?”

He grabbed his boyfriend’s hand and pulled him into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them. “Try it now,” he said. “If there’s some special concrete in these walls that stifle your powers, it probably won’t work if you’re in it…”

"It’s either that or there’s a certain distance that you need to maintain for sound to travel, but that doesn’t make sense because you’ve thought stuff at me from larger distances before," Nolan continued, biting his lower lip. "Either way, you have to trust me when I say that this? Isn’t me.”

No, I'm not, Nolan. I think I'd know when I'm using my own power, babe. I need *sound* to project, and there's nothing playing. I'm not projecting! Riker insisted, glaring at Nolan, now that he knew the other boy was hearing what he was thinking.

He huffed as Nolan told him to stop thinking so loudly, rolling his eyes. Of course. You waltz in to *my* brain, and *I'm* the one doing something wrong. Thanks, babe. Maybe-love you, too. And forgive me, by the way, for thinking loudly in the middle of being freaked out that my boyfriend is *reading my mind*. Telepath or not, something weird is going on, and *I'm* not the one in the middle of a power surge, here.

He groaned in frustration as Nolan walked in to the bathroom and shut the door, rolling his eyes. Hiding out in the bathroom so that you can pretend not to hear me again? Really mature, babe. Really. I'm in awe of your maturity and wisdom in the face of a difficult situation. I practically swoon at your poise. I'm damn near giddy at how calmly you're handling this. NOW, WILL YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK OUT HERE AND FIX THIS?!

He raised an eyebrow at Nolan as his boyfriend asked if he was calm. Did it *sound* like I was calm just now, Nolan?! Seriously, you can only use the 'I was in the shower, I didn't hear you' excuse if the shower is *actually running*. I know you heard me. Now, like I was saying: Get over here and fix this!

Riker huffed, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly. I don't know why you wanted to read my mind, anyway, I tell you everything. I mean, sure, this is easier for if I like, want to talk smack about somebody with you (because newflash: you aren't subtle), but like...This is a bit much, babe.

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

"I— what?" Nolan said. "I’m not reading your mind, you’re projecting…" He winced when he heard the verbal hemorrhage in his head, about to go after his boyfriend when he realized that Riker wasn’t, in fact, doing any of this on purpose.

"I wasn’t eavesdropping! I’m a telekinetic, not a telepath—" he held up a hand, trying to block the stream of panicked words from Riker’s brain. It didn’t work, of course, and Nolan got up from the bed and crossed to the other side of the room in an effort to get some peace. "Stop thinking so loudly," he complained. "I didn’t hear anything this morning if that’s what you’re so worried about, so you don’t have to freak."

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Riker was so antsy about, anyway, and Nolan didn’t really see anything to be ashamed of. He was fairly certain that every guy in existence jacked off in the shower every now and then. And speaking of which— Nolan waved a hand at his roommate and retreated into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Riker’s steady stream of mental chatter finally cut off when he did so, and he sighed in relief.

"Finally," he muttered. "Well, that answers that, at least…" He shoved the toilet lid down and sat on top of it, drumming his fingers against his leg as he waited for Riker to calm down. Nolan highly doubted that the bathroom walls were made of some impenetrable material, but it seemed as if his roommate’s powers didn’t penetrate here. At least that solved the question of their big fight a few weeks ago, when Riker kept insisting that he’d said something to Nolan when Nolan had, in fact, not heard a god damned thing. Apparently, his sound telepathy did not extend to solid walls… except, that wasn’t right, was it? Nolan had heard him at the 7-11, and there had been fairly thick glass between them…

Frowning, he got up and opened the bathroom door. “Baby? Are you calm, now?”

Riker leaned in as Nolan spoke, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and sighing softly. "I guess you're right," he said as Nolan mentioned practicing with his powers. Riker hadn't really practiced anything since he had gotten to school, but it wasn't a horrible idea.

He frowned as Nolan continued to talk, however, the other boy answering questions that he hadn't asked, even though they were at the forefront of his mind. "Nolan," he said softly, taping at his boyfriend's leg. He sighed as Nolan kept trying to reassure him, only succeeding in freaking him out more. He hadn't said any of that, so how in the world did Nolan seem to know exactly what he was thinking?

"Nolan, stop," he finally said, mentally as well as physically, pulling away from the other boy slightly. "How did you know that was what I was worrying about? Like...There are lucky guesses, and then there's that, which was just fucking weird..." He frowned, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Did you suddenly get the ability to read minds and not tell me? Because that's so not cool, especially since we're dating and you maybe love me now." 

Awesome. So now, my boyfriend-who-maybe-probably-loves-me can read my mind. I'm never going to have a peaceful shower ever again--holy shit, this morning. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck--NOLAN, GET OUT OF MY HEAD, IF YOU'RE IN HERE...And like, fucking wear a bell, or something! Mental eavesdropping is so not okay, babe. My brain, my space.

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

"I’ve been practicing without you," Nolan replied honestly. "It took me ages to do that thing with the iPod when you weren’t in the room, but… I don’t know, Ri. When we were at the 7-11 and you were in trouble, it felt like my powers were working on overdrive because you were in danger."

He bit his lip, mulling it over for a bit. “Of course, another explanation would just be proximity to you— like maybe there’s something about your body’s chemistry that I’m reacting to on a physical level, but that doesn’t explain why my powers didn’t immediately spike when I first got here.” Nolan smiled slightly when Riker nudged him, giving him a look. “I mean, it wasn’t until we had that big fight that things just sort of went crazy, you know? And the closer we get, the crazier my powers are…”

Nolan wrapped an arm around Riker’s shoulders and drew him closer, shaking his head when he heard his worries inside his head. “Hey, no pressure, okay?” he said. “I— I’ve never actually said that to anyone before, and… It’s more than a little weird to say it just a few weeks in, so I don’t expect anything from you. It’s… to be honest, I’m not sure if I’m ready for it, either. It’s… it’s something incredibly physical at this point, like my body is reacting to something that—” He shrugged helplessly. “I can’t really explain it… and I don’t know why you’re not reacting the same way. If I had to guess, it would probably be because you aren’t a mutant…? Or maybe your impetus needs to come from something other than heightened emotion.”

He pulled away just far enough so he could look into the other’s eyes, pressing a mental kiss against his forehead. “Either way, don’t worry about it, okay?” he said. “I won’t let this get in the way of things just… happening between us. My powers shouldn’t have anything to do with whether or not we work out, either away, and all that matters is that we like being with each other.”

Yeah...Definitely nicer, Riker thought, not realizing that he was sharing his thoughts with Nolan again. "I, um...I mean, I don't have a problem with that? I just...You didn't really seem super excited about it, so..."

He bit his lip, reaching out and squeezing Nolan's hand gently. "How, um...How would you test that theory? Since you're not 100% sure..." He looked over at the other boy, nudging his shoulder lightly. 

"You, um...I feel the same way about you, to be honest. I kind of thought it was just me being pathetic, but like..." He trailed off, shrugging helplessly. "I kind of always want to be touching you, or spending time with you, and like...Even when you annoy me, I'm kind of still okay with it, because it's you being annoying, and not somebody else..."

This is like, way too fast...And like, what if he's wrong, and he just thinks he's in love with me, and then it turns out that his powers are just spiking now, and it *is* just a really weird coincidence? That would suck,  Riker thought to himself (and Nolan). And I mean, if he *is* right...Why aren't my powers getting stronger? I mean, not to like, be a brat, but like...How unfair is that?!

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

Nolan was still far too preoccupied with his not-so-inconsequential breakthrough that he didn’t really realize how Riker was reacting. His boyfriend commanded his attention when his question was stressed in his mind, however, and Nolan was so surprised that he dropped both iPods down onto the mattress. “Sorry—” he muttered, picking them both up and floating them back to the desk. He realized then, that it was such an odd way of saying it— it was clinical and almost detached, to be honest, the way he would have read out a laundry list of chemicals he needed to embalm a body. Nolan winced.

"Uh— It’s a working theory," he said, swallowing hard. "That’s all." In truth, he wasn’t sure if what he thought was the cause of his powers working overtime was actually love, but it made sense. That was the only thing that had changed. Nolan had had sex before, and he’d had casual boyfriends before, but he didn’t think he’d ever been in love before. Not really.

The fact that Riker was constantly on his mind— whether it was because he was annoyed with him (as it was before they’d officially gotten together) or because he just missed him and wanted to spend time with him— seemed like it meant something. “It’s just— you’re the only thing that’s changed in my life,” he said, trying to reason it out calmly. “My powers have been on a plateau for years with no change, but suddenly I meet you, and… I don’t know, Ri. There’s got to be a reason why you get under my skin the way you do. Either I’m in love with you or I’m obsessed with you, and I think the former is a much nicer way of putting it…”

Riker listened as Nolan explained, slowly catching up to what the other boy was trying to tell him. "So you think we're like, meant to be some sort of like, superduo?" he asked, not mentioning that his own powers didn't seem to be getting any stronger .

Nolan's having a breakthrough, I'm not going to rain on his parade just because my powers suck, he thought to himself, not aware that the thought had also gotten sent to Nolan's brain as well. He wasn't even worrying about it possibly happening, since there was no music playing.  He had tested his powers pretty thoroughly, and they only worked if he was listening to music, or something else where he could twist the soundwaves. Even then, he had to be concentrating in order to do it, and at the moment, all of his attention was focused on Nolan.

His eyes shifted to the broken iPod pieces, his eyes widening in slight amazement as they reassembled themselves so quickly. "Babe--That's amazing, I don't--" he cut off as Nolan spoke over him, and the other boy's grip on his hand tightened. He blinked, his still wide-eyed gaze shifting to Nolan quickly.

"I'm sorry....What?" he asked, his brain unconsciously sending part of the message as well. "I...Nolan, seriously, what?!"

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

"This—" Nolan said, shifting slightly as he sat up. "You. Us, babe. I thought it was because I was angry, but…” A smile broke out across his face, extending a hand as he called the iPod back to him. It practically flew across the room as it smacked into his palm, and Nolan held it for a moment before letting it hover in the air.

"The first time I disassembled something— it was because we were fighting," he explained. "I thought it was because I was angry, but when we first… you know… something weird happened with my powers then, too. And, like, when you were in trouble at the 7-11— I’ve never actually used my telekinesis to rip something apart like that. It’s never worked that way, ever. It’s just too much of a coincidence, isn’t it?”

Nolan reached out, taking Riker’s hand as he called the busted iPod from his own desk towards them as well. Both devices hung in the air, his mental grip on both items firm as he spun them around. “As weird as this sounds— I think being around you makes my powers stronger,” he said. “Either that, or… things are clearer when you’re with me and things kind of just… make sense, somehow…” There was a soft click as the broken iPod began to disassemble, the pieces floating towards the mattress and dropping down with soft thuds. 

“Watch…” Keeping the new iPod firmly in view, Nolan clenched a fist, and abruptly all the pieces laying on the bed snapped into a perfectly shaped music player. It wasn’t like before where he’d been sweating over his desk for a good three hours— this took all of fifteen seconds to reassemble, and through it all, Nolan hadn’t even broken a sweat. “Jesus,” he muttered, his fingers tightening against Riker’s hand. “I think I’m in love with you.”

"Hmm?" Riker asked, opening his eyes slowly from where they had drifted shut. Nolan using his powers to touch him had officially gone from 'mostly hot, but still pretty weird' to 'completely hot' in a matter of seconds. It had left him so relaxed and pliant that he had all but melted in to Nolan's arms as he was touched.

He looked over at the dock, smiling as he saw that Nolan had gotten the iPod connected to it securely. "Awesome, babe. I told you all you needed was another try." He shifted slightly, tilting his head to kiss Nolan gently. "Just so you know, this is an 'You did an awesome thing' kiss, not an 'apology' kiss," he added as he pulled away.

He frowned slightly as he thought over what Nolan had said again, looking up at him, confusedly. "What do you mean? Where are you seeing a pattern, babe?" he asked, running a hand through Nolan's hair gently. "I don't think I'm seeing it, whatever it is..."

Para: Talking Shop // Nolan/Riker

"Mm," Nolan mumbled, making a non-committal sound in the back of his throat. Still, his powers seemed to work best when he had Riker somewhere in his vicinity, and he turned a speculative eye towards him as he kissed his cheek. "Actually… maybe I shouldn’t be pulling the rug…”

Not taking his eyes off of the other student, Nolan held out his hand, using his powers to move the iPod slowly across the room and towards the dock. The last time he’d used his telekinesis to touch Riker had been the night they’d hooked up for the first time, and he hadn’t really tried since. “Hold still, okay?” he said softly, taking a breath as he touched the nape of Riker’s neck. It was the same sensation as the kiss he’d given him had been weeks ago, with Nolan registering the soft, silky hairs that traveled down from the base of his blond head. He kept the pressure light, doing his best to mimic the touch of fingertips trailing down until he reached the smooth bumps marking his spine, and lower still as he traveled down his back. It was as if he was mapping parts of his body that he’d never seen before, (which was mostly true, since the only time he’d seen Riker naked had had him on his back), and Nolan realized with a start that he’d completely forgotten about the iPod.

Turning a startled gaze towards the room, he wasn’t greeted with the device in pieces on the floor, but it was, instead, nestled safely in the dock sitting on Riker’s deck. “What the…?” Nolan didn’t even remember tucking it into place, but there it was all the same. Waving a hand at it, it started playing whatever song Riker had left it at, and the mutant shook his head in wonder.

"I… have no idea how I did that," he said, glancing down at the boy in his arms. "But I think I’m starting to see a pattern here…"