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It happened occasionally, just enough that it started to catch Theo’s attention. Lithe fingers would brush against his own while they were walking through the streets of towns they came across. But he always shrugged it off as Ghost being nervous and standing a bit too closely. Not that he minded though.
Then came the leaning. It wasn’t as often as the hands brushing against each other but often enough. Theo would feel Ghost lean into him late at night when they got too caught up in research and the other would get tired, body sagging in his chair before tipping sideways a bit into Theo. One time, Ghost even used his shoulder as a pillow and that threw him for such a loop he didn’t move for about an hour.
Then there were the gentle touches against his arms when Ghost needed to get around him. Or needed him to move but didn’t want to verbalize it. Those left a warm spot for what felt like hours. So he started going out of his way to get in Ghost’s way just to feel them again. It didn’t seem like the other was catching on either.
Until one day when Ghost slipped up behind him and pressed his forehead between his shoulder blades. It made him freeze, scared he was about to finally get a dagger to the spine. But Ghost didn’t move, nor did he speak. When a hand pressed against his back and gripped lightly, he tried to reach back to grab at the other but it broke the moment and Ghost was gone, leaving him dumbfounded in the middle of the library.
After that, the touches got more frequent. Lingering. Ghost would be fully awake but leaning into him while reading a book. He would link their pinkies together when making their way through a busy crowd (Theo tried holding his hand one time but that backfired painfully).
And the thing Ghost kept doing. Sneaking up behind him just to put his head on his back. No matter how many times he tried to react to that, Ghost would slip away before he could turn around. It took a few more instances before he finally asked why he did that.
You cause me headaches but sometimes you make them go away too.
Theo didn’t sleep that night, too giddy and overrun with emotions.
And if he left his back open a little more often than before, Ghost didn’t say anything.
Nor did he ever try to put a dagger in his spine either.