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“Good,” Garrett whispered with just a hint of a growl. He brushed his hips against Maxwell again as he leaned over and beside him on the table. “Then let me adjust your grip.”
Maxwell twitched the tip of his lips and glanced at Garrett out of the corner of his eyes. “Do you like a firmer grip?”
Garrett choked on a laugh and dropped his forehead down to the felt tabletop, his ears flushing red. “You’re gonna kill me.”
“Sorry.” Maxwell stifled another giggle, but the lightness still made him feel like years of burdens had been lifted off his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been silly.
“And no.” Garrett lifted his forehead with a valiant attempt at a serious expression, even though his face was still two shades too red. He slid his hands up and down the cue to each of Maxwell’s and rearranged his fingers. “I like a gentler touch. Finesse over strength.”
Maxwell raised an eyebrow. “Finesse over strength? That doesn’t sound like you.”
Garrett turned his face from the ball they were aiming at and looked into Maxwell’s eyes, the heat and meaning naked in his gaze. “Doesn’t it?”
Maxwell’s heart rate trebled in his chest because it did, actually. The way Garrett had touched Maxwell’s body in that cockpit had been gentle, clever, thorough, the very opposite of brute strength. That was why Maxwell was here, wasn’t it? Practically throwing himself at the man? Garrett’s eyes trailed down Maxwell’s face across his lips and to his neck, and Maxwell was sure he could see Maxwell’s pulse in his throat.
“Are you ready?”
Maxwell took a shaky breath. “For?”
Garrett huffed a chuckle and nodded at the striped ball in front of them. “To take your shot.”
Right, pool. They were playing pool. In a bar. In public. Maxwell nodded quickly and checked the new grip Garrett had put his hands into. It was a bit more comfortable and felt like it gave him more control over the cue.
“Alright then.” Garrett took his hands away but stayed bent over with his face just beside Maxwell’s. “Quick jab. Aim right for the center.”
Maxwell glanced at him, followed his intent gaze to the ball, and narrowed his eyes at it. Feeling a ridiculous amount of pressure for something that was supposed to be just a game, he tensed his muscles and struck the cue ball dead center. The cue ball shot forward, hit the striped ball into the bag, then ricocheted to a corner to knock in another one.
“Perfect!” Garrett whooped and slapped his palm down on the table. He straightened up with a grin. “Well done.”
Maxwell stood back up, feeling ludicrously proud of such a trivial thing.
Garrett pointed out another ball in the center of the table. “Try for that one next.”
Maxwell lined himself up under Garrett’s intent eyes, glanced at Garrett, and then adjusted his grip to match what Garrett had shown him before. He bit his lip and focused on the ball, but when he hit it, it shot off at just slightly the wrong angle and sliced the ball he’d been after. He stood with a frown.
Garrett shrugged. “Can’t win ’em all. But did you feel how much more control you had?” Garrett asked as he walked around the table to grab his own stick. “When you held the cue like that?”
“I did, actually, yes.” Maxwell backed up to give Garrett room to do his usual circling and assessing. “Thank you for the pointers.”
Garrett shot Maxwell a crooked, heated grin as he bent over the table. “Anytime.”
They locked eyes for a few moments, and after a second of debate with himself, Maxwell opened his mouth to ask if, after the game, they could maybe… But then he caught movement as the bar door opened, and when he looked over, he felt a sudden burst of distracting delight. “Sebastian’s back!”
Garrett scowled and, still poised over the table, looked over his other shoulder to see Colin and the new human body Sebastian was in. “You and Leon, I swear. How can you even tell?”
Sebastian looked over at them and raised his eyebrows. Then he sneered at Garrett and flipped him off before making his way to Jun.
Garrett rolled his eyes and looked back at the pool table. “Well, now I can tell.”
“I think that’s why he does it.” Maxwell chuckled as the ball Garrett aimed for dropped smoothly into a pocket. “So you’re never confused.”
“How considerate of him.” Garrett shook his head as he stood. Then he glanced at Maxwell and cocked his head. “What’s wrong?”
How had he seen it already? The anxiety had only just started to creep up on Maxwell as he realized he wanted to go see Sebastian but didn’t know how to extract himself from his game with Garrett. After all, Maxwell had asked for the game, and they were still in the middle of it, and not to mention Garrett hated Sebastian.
“Maxwell?” Garrett faced Maxwell fully, leaning his hip against the side of the pool table and crossing his arms.
“Nothing.” Maxwell shook his head but continued when Garrett narrowed his eyes. “I just…was hoping to speak to Sebastian.”
