The heatwave that had descended on the city turned the air into a thick, humid soup. In the square outside the Sunbeam Cat Shelter, the atmosphere was even more stifling due to the frantic energy of the fundraiser setup.

"I really hope this does well," Chloe said, wrestling a folding table into submission. Her usual ponytail was wilting, and she looked like she was holding onto her sanity by a very thin thread. "Between the rising rent and the building owner making vague threats about 'redeveloping' the block, we need every cent."

Nico nodded, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. He was currently fighting a losing battle with a gazebo that seemed determined to collapse on him. "It'll be fine," he said, though he wasn't entirely sure if he was reassuring her or himself. "People love cats. And buying things they don't need for charity."

"Let's hope," Chloe sighed. She pointed to a stack of boxes near the curb. "Can someone help me with those t-shirts? They weigh a ton."

"I got it," Nico said. He abandoned the gazebo and moved toward the boxes, grateful for a task that didn't require an engineering degree.

He reached for the top box, bracing himself, but a large hand landed gently on his arm.

"You get the signage," Ben said. He was right there, solid and reassuring in the flurry of activity. He was wearing a linen shirt that was already sticking to his back. "I'll get the box. It's heavier than it looks."

The touch was light, barely a squeeze, but it short-circuited Nico's brain for a second. "Oh. Okay."

He stepped back, watching as Ben bent his knees and lifted the box with an easy, practiced grunt of effort. The movement rippled through his back and shoulders. He had no business being that distracting during a charity event. Ben carried the heavy load to the table and set it down with a heavy thud.

"Man," Ben exhaled, straightening up. "It is way too hot for this today."

With his hands now free, Ben unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt, then used the fabric to wipe the sweat from his neck. The casual reveal of his collarbone and his upper chest, glistening with sweat, made Nico's mouth go dry. He forgot about gazebos. Forgot about signage. He just stared.

Ben walked off toward the tables, unaware that he had caused a minor internal crisis. Nico stood there for a beat longer, staring down at the "FREE CUDDLES" sign in his hands. Yes, please, he thought, gripping the cardboard a little too tight.

"Okay, let's take five minutes before we all melt," Chloe announced about half an hour later. The setup was mostly done, the gazebo standing in crooked defiance of the sun. "I'm grabbing us some cold water."

She disappeared into the shelter, leaving Nico and Ben in the sanctuary of a large eucalyptus at the edge of the square.

They slid down to sit against the trunk, seeking the shade. The ground was hard, but the relief from the direct sun was instant. Nico leaned his head back against the bark, closing his eyes. The air smelled of resin and dry leaves, mixed with the scent of Ben’s skin, warm and dangerously close. Their shoulders were touching.

"You doing okay?" Ben asked softly.

Nico opened his eyes. Ben was looking at him, his face glistening from the heat, his eyes focused entirely on Nico.

"Yeah," Nico said, his voice coming out a little rougher than he intended. "Just... hot."

"Me too," Ben murmured.

He didn't look away. The humidity thickened, weighing down on them with a heavy pressure. It was the same feeling as the night at Romy’s door, but amplified by the heat and the sweat.

Electricity shot through Nico's veins. He knew this moment. He had sketched it in his head a dozen times in the last week.

Ben leaned in. Slow. Giving Nico every chance to turn away, to make a joke, to check his phone.

Nico didn't move. He didn't want to move. He watched Ben's eyes flutter shut, and then, with a surge of adrenaline, Nico closed his own.

Ben’s beard scratched softly against Nico’s chin, and his lips were confident but soft, pressing against Nico's with a hunger that surprised them both.

Nico made a small sound in his throat, his left hand coming up instinctively to slide into the open collar of Ben's shirt. His fingers brushed against hot, damp skin, and Ben groaned low in his chest, pressing his weight into Nico, pinning him slightly against the tree. For a few seconds, the world narrowed down to just this: the heat, the taste of him, the solid presence of Ben's body.

But as the initial rush settled, a cold sliver of dread pricked at the back of Nico's mind. This felt too good. Too real.

Ben’s hand came up to cup Nico’s jaw, his thumb brushing over Nico’s cheekbone. The touch was so tender, so incredibly careful, that it terrified Nico more than the hunger had.

This went beyond physical. Beyond a transaction or a hookup that would be forgotten by morning. If he messed this up, it would be a loss. The weight of that expectation hit Nico like a bucket of ice water.

Panic. The intimacy was a rush a second ago. Now, it felt like a rising tide threatening to pull him under. Nico pulled back abruptly, gasping as if he’d been underwater.

Ben froze, his hand still suspended in the air where Nico’s face had been. He opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. A slow, hurt look started to dawn on his face, replacing the heat.

"Nico?" Ben asked, his voice low.

Nico's chest was heaving. He couldn't look at Ben. He couldn't explain that he wanted this more than anything, and that was exactly why he couldn't have it.

"I..." Nico stammered, his voice trembling. "I can't."