No Rulebook for Flirting Page 2

  Aitor shook his head and put the last cards from their previous game into its box. “I’ll go give this one back, and you can amuse yourself by separating the black tiles from the white ones.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Aitor flipped him off and picked up the box, Gabriel’s laugh following him on his way to return it to the organizers.

  Chapter 3

  Gabriel

  Gabriel started separating the tiles and found some pieces he had never seen before. He was certain the last time he’d played Hive there hadn’t been any ladybugs or mosquitoes. That meant he had new rules to learn, as if he wasn’t already looking forward to being done with the game.

  He was still studying the new insects when Aitor came back.

  “If you hate it that much, I can choose another game.”

  Gabriel startled. A lot of his teasing had been just that, and he didn’t want to make the other guy feel like he needed to change his choice for him. It’d been a long time since he’d played Hive, and who knew, maybe he’d like it this time. If nothing else, he’d enjoy talking with Aitor through the game.

  “No, no. I was just thinking that I haven’t seen these pieces before. You may have to explain those to me, along with the whole game, because I really don’t remember much.”

  Gabriel tried to focus on the explanations, but the words went flying over his head. He could easily focus on Aitor, though, and the way his hands worked on the tiles. While other people typically said the first thing they noticed about people were their eyes, their smiles, or other romantic notions, that hadn’t been the case for Gabriel. Hands had always been the first thing he noticed about guys. They fascinated him; he found himself studying the different ways people used them, from menial tasks to expressing themselves. Whether people noticed it or not, their hands and the way they moved them said a lot about themselves. Aitor’s hands were small and looked smooth, with the nails cut close. He used them a lot, to accompany his words with gestures and to show the pieces to Gabriel, who still wasn’t sure what each of them did.

  “Do you mind if we play a pretend game? This is just confusing me more.” He saw Aitor’s frown and rethought his words. “Not that you’re a bad teacher! You aren’t. It’s just that I’m more of a hands-on learner.”

  He awarded himself a point when the frown transformed into a smirk. “Hands-on, eh? I can work with that.”

  “Mind. Gutter. Out.”

  “Why? Like you said before, I like it here.”

  There was something about Aitor that made Gabriel want to keep inciting those smiles, but that way could only lead to trouble.

  “Are we going to play or not?”

  Aitor’s laugh was even more dangerous than his smile. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were actually looking forward to playing.”

  “You wish. I just want to get this over with.” He smiled to show he was joking, mostly. “So come on, show me how to play insect chess.”

  Loathe as he was to admit it, Gabriel had fun playing. He didn’t win once, not even when he could tell Aitor was holding back, but he enjoyed playing with someone who knew what he was doing and considered every move.

  “You know? Even though it will never be my favorite game, I’m starting to like this.”

  The other man looked up from organizing his tiles. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I think the problem is that I’d never played seriously, with someone that actually knew how to play, you know? We just moved our pieces and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t, but there wasn’t any kind of logic behind it.”

  Another smile took over Aitor’s face, crinkling the corner of his eyes. “I’m glad. It’s really not my favorite either, but it’s a good game for two people and well…convincing someone to play it with me is easier than trying to convince them to play actual chess.”

  “I can see that. This one looks a lot less serious. Chess is intimidating.” Gabriel shuddered visibly, making Aitor laugh.

  “We should play chess sometime.”

  “You’d have to teach me how to play. I never learned.”

  “I can do that.” He smiled again. “Now, should we play a last game before I disappear to have some dinner?”

  Gabriel groaned and dropped his head to the table. “I forgot about dinner.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t get that. Or were you talking to the table?”

  He looked at the other man, who had a bemused expression. “I said I forgot about dinner. I usually pick up something before coming, but I left work late and I…” His stomach grumbled, as if the thought of food had awakened it. “I can’t believe I forgot about dinner.”

  Aitor started laughing, the tiles he’d been picking up scattering all around the table. By the time he stopped to catch his breath, there were tears in his eyes. “Sorry, sorry, but you looked so adorable saying that!”

  Gabriel startled. “What? I’m not and have never been adorable.”

  Aitor chuckled again. “I beg to differ. You are. Like a teddy bear.”

  “Oh, my God.” Gabriel hid his head between his arms on the table, not wanting Aitor to see how his cheeks had certainly turned red.

  The other man patted his head, and Gabriel wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d heard him say “there, there” any moment. But he didn’t, instead staying silent until Gabriel couldn’t feel the heat on his face anymore.

  “There you are.” Aitor’s smile did weird things to Gabriel, like giving him the urge to lean over the table and kiss him. “I always go get dinner at the same place during these events. Maybe you could come with me?”

  “What are you offering?”

  “Best hamburgers you’ve ever tried and a bit of company.” He gave Gabriel a wicked smile. “Anything else we can negotiate later.”

  Gabriel didn’t try to hide his face this time, even though he was surely radiating heat by now. “Sounds good.”

  Aitor finished scooping tiles and got up. “Let’s go, then.” He returned the game at the desk, then started walking, Gabriel following. “Mind you, I had to park almost in the next village over. Some arsehole stole my spot.”

  Gabriel raised his hands and laughed. “I’m sorry! Is that what you want to hear?”

  Aitor looked at him, his gaze traveling from his feet to the top of his head, and Gabriel had to contain a shiver. “It’s a start.” Then he smiled.

  * * * *

  Dinner was nice, the burgers as good as Aitor had promised and the company really enjoyable. They talked about anything that came to their minds, and Gabriel didn’t remember having so much fun with anyone on a first date for ages. Not that this had been a date, although anyone who might have listened to them would’ve likely disagreed, seeing as they flirted over the meal just as they’d done over board games. But Gabriel felt no pressure behind the flirting, no expectations, and that made him like Aitor even more. He could tell the other man liked him, too—Aitor certainly enjoyed making him blush—but Gabriel wasn´t sure if he’d be brave enough to follow through on the flirting. He’d been out of the game for so long, he wasn’t sure if he’d even know how to do that, much as he would have liked. He shook away his thoughts and decided to just enjoy the rest of the night with his new friend.

  When they got back to the convention, Gabriel took great pleasure in directing Aitor to park in a space that had opened just beside his car, smiling when he heard the other man muttering under his breath about arseholes stealing other people’s parking spots.

  They were both smiling when they got back inside. The organizers had posted the lists of people playing different tabletop games that night.

  Aitor looked at him. “Tell me your surname. I’ll look to see which games we’re playing.”

  “It’s Calvo.” God, he had known this could happen, but he wasn’t ready for the night to end with them playing on different tables.

  Aitor grinned from ear to ear when he came back. “We’re both playing Dungeons & Dragons.”

  Gabriel smiled
back so wide, his cheeks hurt. They wouldn’t get to talk much over the game, and they wouldn’t be alone, but they’d still be sharing the same space, and Gabriel looked forward to that.

  They found their table and sat, chatting while waiting for the other players and the Dungeon Master to appear. Gabriel looked up when someone plopped down in the chair in front of him, and he met an already familiar sneer.

  “I see you two are still flirting. Can’t you do that somewhere else?”

  Aitor moved his chair closer to Gabriel’s and put his arm around his waist. “Why? Are we making you uncomfortable?”

  The jerk snorted. “I don’t think anyone should be subjected to that awkwardness.”

  Aitor looked at Gabriel. “Are we awkward? What do you think? There’s no rulebook for flirting, so I couldn’t say if I’m doing it right.”

  That made Gabriel laugh and relax into Aitor’s touch. “I don’t think we’re awkward. But then, I don’t know the rules either.” He had trouble keeping a straight face, and at the hint of a smile on Aitor’s lips, he lost it, laughing so hard his chest hurt when he tried to catch his breath.

  He looked up in time to see Raúl rolling his eyes and looking away, clearly disgruntled. Gabriel shouldn’t have felt a spike of triumph, but Raúl had been an arsehole, so he didn’t let the guilt show.

  Aitor’s arm was still around Gabriel’s waist when the rest of the players, along with the DM got there, and he didn’t remove it even though it meant he had to manage his character sheet with one hand.

  Chapter 4

  Aitor

  Aitor had put his arm around Gabriel’s waist only to unnerve the jerk, but after feeling Gabriel practically melting against it, there was no way he’d move anytime soon, even if it forced him to play one-handed.

  The game was familiar enough he didn’t have to pay a lot of attention to the DM’s explanations, and he gave in to his curiosity and studied the rest of the people sitting around the table. Raúl looked everywhere except at Gabriel and him, studiously ignoring them. The other three people—two women and a man—were focusing on the DM’s explanations. They looked scared enough that Aitor could tell they’d never played anything like this. But they were in luck. Dungeons and Dragons was a great game for beginners, and the DM appeared like he knew what he was doing, his explanations simple but to the point.

  Gabriel was focused on his character sheet, and Aitor scooted closer.

  “What have you got?”

  He jumped a bit, startled. “An elf, a magic user.” He looked at Aitor’s sheet. “What about you?”

  “Oh, a cleric. Whenever one of you is injured, you’ll come begging for my help.”

  “Begging, eh?” Even if the tone of Gabriel’s voice hadn’t given away the innuendo, his blush would have. Aitor had never seen a grown man blush that much. He liked it.

  The DM coughed, and they all fell silent while he explained their mission. It was an introductory adventure, easy enough that Aitor’s healing powers weren’t of much use. He had fun observing the reaction of the first-time players, and how the DM was patient with them, explaining their options when needed and giving advice, with Aitor and Gabriel chiming in from time to time.

  The only one who didn’t seem to be having a good time was The Jerk, as Aitor had labeled him. He wouldn’t cooperate with the rest of the players, having his character—a knight—go out on his own, then run back when he encountered creatures he couldn’t defeat alone. When he suggested they all deal with those creatures, Gabriel and the novice male player told him that their mission called for rescuing someone being held in the other direction, but that he was welcome to disappear again, seeing as how he wasn’t being much help to the others. He stayed, tailing the main group after that.

  They managed to complete the mission and rescue the princess, who rewarded them and offered the possibility of another adventure if they were up for it. While The Jerk and the first-timers talked about it, Gabriel excused himself to go to the bathroom, leaving Aitor’s arm feeling cold.

  He shook it to get the blood flowing again, then gasped when he caught a glimpse of his watch. He needed to go if he was going to be awake enough to work in the morning. But he didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to Gabriel, and he didn’t want to say goodbye in front of everyone.

  “Excuse me.” He got up and made his way to the bathroom, ignoring the knowing looks from most people at the table.

  Gabriel glanced up from washing his hands when Aitor entered the bathroom. He smiled. “Are you ready for another adventure? I kind of want to kick that jerk’s arse. It’s a pity he’s on our own team.”

  Then something clicked, and Aitor understood what had been happening during the game. “You’ve been making all the possible kills so he wouldn’t get any, haven’t you?”

  “Serves him right, going off on his own, then expecting us to come to the rescue.”

  Aitor snorted. “You’re unbelievable.”

  He shrugged. “The first-timers appear to be having a good—”

  Aitor’s mouth didn’t let Gabriel finish that sentence. Someone moaned, and Aitor couldn’t swear it hadn’t been him. Gabriel’s beard felt nice against his skin, but when his mouth opened, Aitor forgot all about that, losing himself in the rhythm of the kiss and the stroke of Gabriel’s tongue against his.

  Aitor turned them, his back against the wall, his front plastered against Gabriel. His hands rested on Gabriel’s arms, and it surprised him when he felt the man’s thick and toned biceps. Gabriel’s hands, still wet, ended up on Aitor’s arse, pulling him up to meet his lips with more force than before. Just when Aitor wondered if he could pass out for lack of oxygen during a kiss, the door opened.

  “Fucking hell,” the stranger said. “Couldn’t you have at least made it into a stall?”

  Neither of them said anything, both looking at each other while the other guy took care of his business. Once the guy finished and left, Gabriel burst out laughing, his body still close enough that Aitor felt every tremor and sharp breath until he laughed right along with him.

  Gabriel calmed first. “I wouldn’t recommend those stalls, but my car is pretty spacious if you want to continue this.” He gestured between them, blushing once more.

  Aitor touched his cheek, his beard scratching his palm. “I’ve never met someone that blushed as much as you do. It’s cute.”

  That made Gabriel blush even more and avoid his gaze. Aitor rose to his tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss. “Actually, I came to say goodbye. I need to go if I want to be awake for work tomorrow. Hell, I should have gone ten minutes ago, but you distracted me.”

  “A good distraction, I hope?”

  “The best. But I really need to go.”

  Gabriel stepped back, letting Aitor move away from the wall. “Will you return tomorrow?”

  “As soon as I’m done with work.” He swallowed. “Will you be here?”

  “I never miss a day. I’d be crazy to start doing that now since I’ve something to look forward to.”

  Aitor almost melted right on the spot. “Okay, sweet talker, I have to go, but I’ll definitely see you tomorrow.”

  Gabriel grabbed him for a fast kiss that left Aitor feeling dazed. “Now you can go. Sweet dreams, Aitor.”

  He opened the door, muttering, “Oh, I’ll show you sweet alright.”

  The sound of Gabriel’s laughter accompanied his exit.

  * * * *

  When he arrived the next afternoon, he had no trouble finding a parking spot right in front of the door. He’d been distracted at work all day, thinking about seeing Gabriel again, and, after that amazing kiss last night, what may happen between them later. Yesterday, he’d intended only to test the waters a bit, maybe share a closed-lipped kiss, but things had gone much farther. Not that he had complained; he’d enjoyed it way too much. The ladies at work had teased him all morning whenever he’d space out or blush, remembering the kiss. Aitor was used to their good-natured ribbing or efforts at matc
hmaking, introducing him to all their nieces and, on one remarkable day, their nephews. Aitor accepted their teasing, even had fun with it, but he’d never accepted any of their matchmaking attempts.

  Although he had become friends with one of the girls, and they went out for drinks every other week. He’d been tempted to call her last night and tell her about what had happened with Gabriel, but he’d feared it would jinx whatever was growing between them. Besides, it’d been late and she would’ve screamed at him for disturbing her beauty sleep, before demanding every detail he wasn’t sure he was ready to share.

  And speaking about Gabriel…where was he?

  At first glance, Aitor looked around but couldn’t find him anywhere. He bit down his disappointment; it wasn’t as if they’d promised they’d wait for each other before playing games, even if that had been Aitor’s silly hope. He decided to tour the place, to see if he might find Gabriel at one of the game tables, when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned to find the object of his thoughts smiling at him, as if he were the best thing he’d seen all day.

  Chapter 5

  Gabriel

  He couldn’t hide his happiness at seeing Aitor again. He’d been thinking about him since yesterday, wondering how his day had gone and if he would welcome another kiss when they saw each other that afternoon. In the end, he settled for awkwardly patting his shoulder.

  “Hey, Gabriel.”

  “Hey, yourself. Have a good day at work?”

  “Just the usual,” Aitor said, blushing for no reason Gabriel could think of. “Did you stay to finish the game last night?”

  “I did, although it wasn’t long.” He smiled. “That idiot Raúl got his character killed. Without a cleric to heal him, he was the perfect target for the bad guys. I think his man died five minutes after you left.”

  Aitor laughed, which made Gabriel look at his mouth. Bad idea. He wouldn’t kiss him in public before knowing if he would welcome public displays, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to do exactly that. Shy of dragging him to the bathroom again, he couldn’t do anything about it, so he tried to get the conversation back on track.