“Fine,” Josh muttered weakly. “But I-I um…” He peeked at Dorian through downturned lashes, pleading with him silently.
“He’ll spin around and choose the spot, but I’ll be helping him pin the tail,” Dorian explained, looking around with a quiet authority that said he was not to be argued with on this.
Ro nodded. “I think that’s fine. Maybe Oliver would like to play that way, too? Just so we don’t leave people out?”
“I can do that,” Oliver agreed.
Hudson grinned like Christmas had come early. “Hell yes.” He approached Oliver and pulled him into an embrace, kissing the crown of his head. “Thank you, pet.”
Oliver’s ears tinged pink. “It’s nothing.”
Ro smiled happily, then approached Josh and tied the blindfold over his eyes with surprising care. “There we go,” he murmured, placing the tail-knife thing in his palm with the point facing away from its holder.
Josh’s fingers explored the knife, and once he had a tentative grip on it, said, “Okay. I’m ready, I guess.”
“Thank you for being a good sport,” Ro told him before gently gripping his biceps.
Josh blushed underneath the blindfold. “Just don’t spin me too hard, please.”
Ro laughed kindly and promised he wouldn’t, then began to count as he spun the larger man. “One… two… three!”
Josh wobbled, reaching for Ro’s hands to steady himself.
“Forward,” Ronan instructed cheerfully. “And remember, you can go for either of them.”
Josh took one cautious step, and when he didn’t wobble, took another. His hands searched the air in front of him. He ended up going slightly to the left, and with another step, his outstretched hand ran into the upper back of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah whimpered, trembling as Josh’s hand fell back.
“Wait, so since I touched him, does it have to be that spot, or do I get a better shot at it?” Josh asked, his voice sounding more confident, like he wanted to prove he could do well.
Ro answered him, “No, that didn’t count since it was just you finding him. But you’re not allowed to feel around, or it’d be too easy. So just point the knife where you think the tail should be.”
Josh nodded, looking determined. “Okay…” He thought about it for a minute, then carefully moved his knife forward until it made contact with Jeremiah’s back. “Here.”
Josh held still as Dorian approached from behind. I thought that Dorian would take the knife from Josh completely, but no. He wrapped his hand around Josh’s.
Josh squeaked, as if realizing what Dorian was about to do. “Oh—um, do I—oh, oh no—” Josh continued stammering as Dorian pushed the knife forward, grip still firmly including Josh’s hand. “Oh gosh, this is happening—Dori, please don’t get blood on my hand, please—”
Halfway embedded, Dorian paused the knife’s entry and looked over at Ro. “You don’t want them dying this round, right?”
Ro hummed, “Yep, that’s not till later.”
Dorian nodded in agreement, then let go, leaving the blade half-embedded in the man’s skin. Jeremiah had lost control of his bladder, to which Dorian turned his nose up at, a disgusted look on his face.
“Alright, now take the blindfold off to see how close you were!” Ro instructed, pleased.
Josh’s hands whipped up, ripping off the blindfold. He blinked, then smiled widely. “Oh my god! That’s so close, right?!”
I quietly chuckled at his one-eighty in attitude.
“Wow, you might actually win,” Hayes remarked, proud surprise in his voice.
Josh turned to look at him. “Really?”
Hudson agreed, “Really, dude. It’s a little off-center, but it’s right at his coccyx. Good job.”
Josh’s eyes brightened like he’d been told he’d won a million dollars. And hey, he didn’t end up with any blood on his hand.
