Page 39 of Perfect Storm
“You wanna play?” Aidan asked, handing him the controller even though the round hadn’t ended.
Levi shot him a skeptical glance. “No, bro, don’t take this the wrong way, but youneedthe practice.”
“Ouch,” Aidan retorted.
“Hey, just the voice of truth here,” Levi said. “You really don’t play.” He sounded surprised by this, like Aidan’s lack of gaming system hadn’t been enough to give him away.
“I don’t,” Aidan said. “I’ve been a little busy.”
“You’re gonna make me say it, aren’t you?”
“Say what?”
“All work and no play makes you averydull boy,” Levi teased, nudging him with that ridiculously bare thigh. Even worse, he didn’t even move it away after, the line of it hot even through the fabric of his sweatpants.
“I’m not dull,” Aidan argued, even though he kinda was. Boring and over-focused and over-serious. Maybe that was why Mo didn’t—no,no. Aidan cut that thought off fast and ruthlessly. Modidlove him, just not the same way he loved Mo.
Levi looked over at him as the round finally ended, and he came in so far behind the other little cars he should be embarrassed, except that he’d essentially given up halfway through.
“Sure, bro. Not dull. No games for you.” Levi reached out and snagged a second controller. “Come on, I’ve decided I’m gonna take pity on you.”
“Pity?” Aidan squawked.
Levi’s faux frown deepened. “I’m deeply,deeplyconcerned for you, dude. Youneedto be better than this. It’s my duty to make that happen.”
“Whatever,” Aidan said, rolling his eyes, but he pressed the button to restart the game.
This time, he didn’t give up halfway through. Levi was way better, no question, but he was slowly getting his feet under him again, remembering how to work the controller. The one thing he didn’t have to worry about were his reaction times. Those, after a lifetime playing football, were stellar.
He just had to figure out how to apply those instincts to the game in front of him.
Second time around, he got closer to beating Levi. Notclosebut a lot closer.
Third time, he got really fucking close, and it was Levi’s turn to squawk about it.
“Goddamn it,wereyou faking me out?” Levi demanded as he mashed the shit out of his controller, leaning over and falling halfway into Aidan, which wasn’t distracting at all or anything.
“No, of course not!” Aidan practically yelled back, and a second later after the race ended, Levi barely squeaking out a win, mentally shot a half-hearted apology to his neighbors.
It wasn’tlatenecessarily, hardly late enough for them to be pissed, but Aidan was sure this was probably the loudest he’d ever been since moving into this building.
“Shit, shit,” Levi said, breathing heavily. He looked over at Aidan, way too close, his eyes sparkling with enjoyment. “Were you seriously having me on?”
“Are you really gonna claim I can’t figure out how to get better?Me?” Aidan questioned.
Levi shrugged, still grinning. “Bro, you were so bad.”
“I’m still not good. Maybe you’re just taking it easy on me.”
“Hardly,” Levi scoffed.
It was dangerous. Aidan could feel it, the pitfalls lighting up in his brain, but it was easier than it should’ve been to pretend they didn’t exist. To lean into what Levi had just claimed hecouldn’tand play a little. He pressed the button to restart the round.
This time he had Levi’s number the whole way; how the controller felt in his hands, the way his fingers moved, all gelling again like he’d never stopped.
“Holy shit,” Levi said when the race ended, and Aidan had won by a healthy margin.
Aidan couldn’t resist turning to him. “Eat shit,bro.”
