Dex explained the rules for those who were unfamiliar, and Oliver nodded like he recognized some of them. “So, like football meets ultimate frisbee.”
“No tackling,” Dex announced as the teams lined up facing each other. “Two-hand touch is enough.”
“You hear that, babe?” Oliver asked Liel, and the Gymnot grinned, almost viciously.
“You know I have selective hearing,” he said primly, sparks crackling between his fingertips. “Watch your back, Mr. Barnes.”
The human pointed at Liel, addressing his team. “Seriously, guys, Liel will cheat. He’s going to try to tackle me.”
“Never heard you complain before,” Liel said innocently.
“Aye-oh!” Dex snickered at the innuendo. “Sex tackle high-five.”
The Gymnot grinned and slapped Dex’s palm with his own as Oliver blushed bright red.
Now, Cya didn’t enjoy sports all that much, but they did like impressing people. Since Sypents were commonly underestimated, especially when it came to speed and agility, they wanted to show-off in whatever ways they could. They stayed low to the ground to wriggle through bodies and dodge hands, popping up to catch the dysc when Oliver threw it to them.
The first time they scored a point, Dex had looked surprised. The second time, he’d given them an impressed onceover, and they couldn’t have stopped their pompous hair-flip if they’d tried. The third time, well, Dex smiled at them with heat roaring in his eyes.
“Okay, Vysov,” Dex drawled as he swapped with Yve to be Cya’s defense cover. “I see you.”
“The only question is whether you’ll be able to catch me,” they slapped back, and Dex growled.
“Enough flirting,” Enfys barked, and Cya flushed hotly as numerous people chuckled.
When they stopped to rehydrate, Oliver poked Liel’s cheek and teased, “My team’s up by one point. Does that bother you?”
Growling, Liel gripped the back of Oliver’s neck and bared his teeth menacingly. “Keep up the smack talk, Mr. Barnes, and you’ll regret it.”
“Don’t think I will,” Oliver said, and Liel hauled the human down into a filthy kiss.
“Keep it PG, kids,” Ellyn admonished the enthusiastic couple.
“Not on my account.” Enfys winked playfully at Abi who was standing beside her, and he ducked his head shyly, snapping one of his armbands against his wrist.
Cocking her head in intrigue, she studied him closely, and the poor Ophys fidgeted under her attention, like he couldn’t decide if he liked it or wished she’d look away. Once she’d finished her assessment, she grinned rather fiendishly and grabbed a glass of ice water from the table and offered it to him.
“You gotta take care of yourself in this heat,” she purred. “We can’t have you melting on us, now, can we?”
Well, if the Ophys hadn’t been melting from the heat before, he certainly was under her care. He took the glass from her with a timid, but no less delighted squeak, and stammered out, “Yes, ma’am. I mean, no, ma’am. I mean, thank you.”
Enfys patted his head dotingly, like she enjoyed his flustered reaction. “Drink up, precious.”
And, swooning, Abi obeyed.
As the game resumed, everyone leaned harder into the competition. Liel was the first to tackle—of course—lunging at Oliver even after the human had sent the dysc sailing through the air. After that, all bets were off. Two-hand touches became gentle grabs or pushes. A block turned into a shoulder-check.
When the sun started to wane in the sky, everyone agreed on one last play to try and break the tie.
“Look alive,” Liel snarled at everyone. “This one’s for all the knickknacks!”
“All the marbles, babe,” Oliver corrected, but the Gymnot simply flipped him off.
Dex crouched in front of Cya, tongue slicking over his canines as they wiped sweat from their brow.
“You’re going down, Vysov,” he growled playfully, and they flashed him fang.
“Down to the goal line? Yes, I agree.”
