Page 88 of Contested

“No.” Marcos laughed. “You need to roll the ‘R’.”

“What? Roll the—what does that mean?”

“Like, flutter your tongue behind your teeth.”

Sebastian scrunched his nose before trying, producing a wet humming sound.

“What was that?” Marcos asked, his face recoiling.

“I fluttered it.”

“You sounded like a baby trying to breathe for the first time.”

Sebastian tried again with the same amount of luck.

“You’re gonna hurt yourself.” Marcos chuckled, and Sebastian rolled his eyes.

“Whatever.”

They stayed in silence briefly, both watching each other, Marcos swinging his arms slightly at his side. The room was brighter here, cooler, with the counter between his hands and the bedroom out of sight. He could breathe without having to look at the tangled sheets.

Then the pressure of the game the next night crept in properly.

“I should probably go,” Marcos finally said. “Game tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian said quietly. “Geelong.”

Marcos caught the word before it settled. Geelong.

Sebastian had played there for two years, and Marcos knew enough to understand the game tomorrow wouldn’t sit like any other fixture. The Rams had been his team before Melbourne, before the Mustangs had offered him more money, before ruck-rover became something he had to pretend didn’t still scrape at him.

“That’s exciting for you.” Marcos kept his voice light, but he noticed Sebastian shrug.

“Yeah.” Sebastian paused, then shook his head “Anyway, uh, I guess I’ll walk you to the door.”

Sebastian threw his arm toward the hall, and Marcos smiled, falling in step beside him as they shuffled toward it. Marcos pulled his shoes on slowly, taking his time to make sure they were on properly and tied. When he straightened, he brought his hand to Sebastian’s cheek.

“I…had a really good time,” he murmured, his thumb brushing across Sebastian’s cheek.

“Me, too.” Sebastian’s lips met his again. “Thanks for staying.”

Marcos leaned back and gave a small smile. “You made it easier.”

“True. I could’ve made you finish asking if you needed to take it in the ass.”

Marcos’ ears burned as he stared at Sebastian, who was smirking. “You’re an ass.”

“I’m fucking hilarious.”

Before Marcos could say anything else, Sebastian kissed him again, harder this time, pushing him against the wall.

Marcos went with it too easily. His back hit the wall near the door, and his hands found Sebastian’s waist before he’d properly decided to touch him. The kiss turned heated quickly. Everything in Marcos leaned forward. His chest, his hips, his hands gripping tighter at Sebastian’s sides.

They broke apart before it got too heated, both of them breathing harder than the kiss deserved.

“One day,” Sebastian muttered.

“What?” Marcos questioned, lifting his eyebrow, as his heart thumped at the idea.