“I’m going to ground that child for trying to play us against each other,” Letty mutters on her way out of the room again. I hear a door shut and then her voice raises as she calls for Anabel.
I wince.
“Wow. Starting the manipulation young,” Etna says.
“She’s got three older siblings. She’s been well trained,” Hilt says.
Pushing my mic up so it’s muted again, I look at Arush. “Sit with me?” It feels really awkward asking these things. One day it won’t, right?
He gives me a shy smile in return and joins me on the couch. I lay my hand on his leg, just so I’m touching him, but I’ll need my hand, eventually.
“Want to cuddle while you play?” Arush asks. I love the quiet, bashful tone of his voice. I also take comfort that he sounds like I feel. Asking for something intimate is a little discomfited.
“Yes.”
Arush brings both of our glasses to the table at the far end of the couch and sits on the sectional’s lounge. He looks at me expectantly to sit between his legs.
Not going to lie. I’ve never been in someone’s lap before. Not since I was a child, and lap-sitting was an accepted seating option.
I don’t think about it. I move down the couch until I’m between his legs and lean back against his chest. It still feels veryawkward. I’m incredibly self-conscious, until he wraps his arms around me and kisses my neck.
I’m not sure why that’s the trigger, but my entire body relaxes. While the game resets and counts our kills and shit, I lean my head back on Arush’s shoulder and close my eyes. It’s a little graceless since I have the big headset on.
His mouth brushes softly over the skin of my neck. Nothing that I interpret as sexy. Just… comfortable. Intimate. I love his touch on me and the way his arms around my torso are secure.
“We lose you, Jules?” Lo asks.
I pick my head up and pull the mic down. “Nope. I’m here. Was getting a drink and comfortable on the couch.”
On my neck, Arush’s lips curl into a smile.
“Cool. You good with another game?”
“Yep. Invite me.”
The chatter is a little mindless as we exchange the missions we have and what we’re going to bring into this map. How much money, which weapons, and do we need keys? That kind of thing.
“So… I did a thing,” Horny says as we’re getting ready.
“What kind of thing?” Lo asks.
“I told you I signed up for Thrustr, right?”
I grin but don’t say anything, preferring to let the others direct the conversation while I listen.
“Yeah, man. You been talking to some guys?” Etna asks.
“Yes. I… uh, met up with him last week and he sucked me.” The nervous jitters in his voice are entirely far too evident.
“How’d it go?” Keno asks. “Did you like it? Hate it? Somewhere in between?”
“I don’t know if it was really, really good, or I got off like I did because it had been a while or… maybe because it felt… scandalous, but yeah, I liked it.”
“Cool, man. You going to do it again?”
“I think so. I told this guy I was just experimenting and stuff. I’d never done anything before. He called me a big hunky guy and told me he’d be happy to help me out.”
My grin spreads wide. Horny isn’t a shy or self-conscious man by any means, but I can hear the vulnerability in his voice. He’s so damn sweet.
