“Focus up, gays!You can make out later,” Kaina demanded.Sothatwas the downside of competitiveness.He got it now.
“Sorry,” Sami said unapologetically, resting his head on Baz’s shoulder.A curl got stuck on Baz’s lips.He guided it back to Sami’s head, scratching along his scalp as he did.
They were the strongest team for the first half, which earned them a round of shots.Baz had barely put his glass down when Sami swung a leg over his lap.Straddling him, in front of everyone.Baz’s ears were on fire.
“What are you doing?”
“I told you you’d get glitter after a few drinks.”His nifty fingers undid Baz’s tie.He carefully rolled up the satin—good to know he had some sense of self-preservation—and squeezed the bundle into the pocket of Baz’s pants, never breaking eye contact as he did.
“I haven’t agreed to that,” Baz rasped.
“Shh.The less you resist, the quicker this will be over.”He opened the top buttons of Baz’s shirt, briefly paused to draw figures of eight on Baz’s chest.“Naija.The glitter.”
To Baz’s horror, she pulled out a small container of the same golden glitter that sparkled on her cheeks, along with a brush and a bottle of hand sanitizer.
“Sami, seriously—”
Sami cupped his cheek.His thumb traced over his bottom lip.“I won’t ruin another shirt.”
“I’m holding you to that.”Baz said and leaned against the backrest.He grabbed Sami’s hips, ready to throw him off if necessary.
The hand sanitizer was barely warmed by Sami’s fingers when he smeared it on Baz’s chest.He grabbed the paintbrush and glitter, repeatedly pressed the scruffy end against Baz’s skin.When he was done, Baz snuck a glance down, followed the shape with his finger.
“You shit, is that a heart?”
“I thought it’s about time you got one.”
Oh, was that so?
Baz couldn’t be doing all that badly, given that Sami still bothered with him, still leaned in.The tip of his nose brushed over Baz’s, once, then again.Baz tightened his grip on his hips.The sweetness of Sami’s breath caressed his cheek, his lips…
“Do you two need a room?”Tony whispered, his face suddenly right next to them.
Baz flinched back.He dropped his hands, but Sami shamelessly pressed a wet kiss on his cheek.
“Later,” he whispered.He slid off Baz, but only to melt into his side.His cold hand snuck under Baz’s shirt.His thumb traced circles on the skin of Baz’s waist, rhythmic and comforting.
Baz started to understand why some couples felt the need to do this.
“And that from the guy who doesn’t believe in love,” Kaina remarked.
“Or so he says,” Zahra added with a wink that Baz had to ignore before he spiraled about what it meant.Hearing Sami was a secret realist was much more interesting.
“Maybe you have some common sense after all,” Baz muttered.Sami’s forehead was so close.So inviting…
“Oh, so you haven’t heard the duck story yet,” Naija said in a way that made Baz desperate to hear every detail of that right now.
Sami shot upright.“Naija!”
“I think he has a right to know who he’s been hooking up with!”
“I will smother you with a pillow when you sleep.Don’t try me.”
Jesus.Must be one hell of a story.
“Fine.”Naija chuckled.
“I’ll tell it!”Kaina announced.Sami, instead of extending another death threat, groaned.His breath permeated through Baz’s shirt when he hid his face in his shoulder.Baz buried a hand in his thick curls.
