One way to find out.
"Just watching," he repeated one last time, firm in it.
I nodded, looking back to him. "Just watching. And as soon as you want to leave, we're out. Sound good?"
When he gave his agreement, I reached for the handle on the door we'd been sent to, pulling it open. I'd heard slightly muffled voices on the other side, but the full scope of the conversation hit me once the door was opened.
"No, you can't do that. Only rogues can disengage as a bonus action. If you disengage, it takes a full action."
"I'm a bard. Bards come from rogues, so I should be able to do it."
"You're not a rogue, though!"
There were two teenagers arguing, both of them around David's age. A red-haired girl with a face full of freckles was defending her position on disengaging and bonus actions -- which I only barely understood -- while a slightly younger boy countered.
"You may be thinking of another game, Juan," came another, more adult voice. "Sometimes bards branch off from a base rogue or thief class, but it's a separate class in D&D. Angela's right. If you want to disengage, it will take your full action."
"See?" she said, clearly gloating.
"Nope, we're not doing any of that. Juan's still learning, and your job as a veteran player is to help teach him so we can all have a good time, right?"
She grumbled a little, but otherwise seemed to accept this. My eyes were fixed on the guy who'd given the definitive ruling, though. That voice sounded so familiar, and when I saw his face -- his eyes, especially, as he turned them toward me -- I knew exactly why.
It was him. DorianGay.
My heart started to pound, and I could feel my palms just erupt with sweat. It would've been embarrassing if I wasn't trying to figure out how I felt about this new development.
On one hand, my heart was racing because it was him. The guy I'd had a hard time forgetting since our night together. The guy I probably would have asked for a repeat if I hadn't felt so bad just leaving him. But, all of those reasons were more than enough to make that racing heart a sign of panic, too.
Because it was him. A guy who was just supposed to be an easy, one-night hookup. Who I shouldn't be thinking about at all. A flash of... something flickered in his eyes. Whether it was recognition or not, I couldn't tell. It didn't look like a good flicker, and now wasn't the time to ask him if he remembered me. It was probably never a good time for that. What was I even going to say? Hey, remember a few nights ago when a random guy fucked you in a hotel room then left? That was me.
Instead, I went and sat my ass down in the corner of the room, since what he had done was smile and indicate the chairs there. David sat beside me, and we watched the rest of the game progress. One thing I picked up right away was that these were definitely people who valued the rules. They couldn't get through a round of combat without having something come into question. They even had a minor squabble over who should actually be rolling to determine if they saw something, since not everyone would've been looking in that direction.
Through it all, the DM -- Elliot, I now knew -- was calm and patient. He didn't so much correct as guide them to the right answers. He worked with their love of numbers and rules, and the game had a lot more rolls and a lot less talking than what I was used to from watching Critical Role.
David was riveted the whole time. I heard him mouth a few rules clarifications, but he never moved to intervene. I, meanwhile, spent the entire time trying not to stare at Elliot. What was I even going to say to him? Should I say anything? If David liked it here, I was going to be seeing a whole lot more of him, which could be great.
Or it could be a fucking disaster.
"All right, we're cutting it close, so that's where we'll leave off for today. Angela, could you take a picture of the map so we know how to set it up next time?"
She did and, to my surprise, David got out of his seat and started walking that way.
"You want me to come with?" I called after him.
"I just want to see the map."
That wasn't really an answer, but I stayed put. Immediately, I wished I hadn't, because Elliot was heading right toward me. This time, I could see in his eyes he knew exactly who I was.
11
Elliot
My heart felt like it was slamming into my ribcage with every step I took. There was a strong part of me that wanted to just turn around and flee. Having my hookup suddenly appear here was one of the worst things I could imagine. Even worse than seeing him at work.
When I'd first caught sight of him, the most fearful part of me wondered if he'd come here to out me somehow. For what purpose, I couldn't even fathom, but there was no logic behind sudden, irrational fears. I'd only managed to calm from that because I'd seen the young man standing beside him, attention held rapt by the game. I remembered Elise saying someone was coming to spectate the session, and I knew this whole thing was just one big coincidence.
But what an insane coincidence to stumble into.
Worse than all that, I had no idea if he even remembered me. My eyes had never been covered and he'd heard my voice, but that didn't mean anything. He could have hooked up with other guys over the intervening days. I probably wasn't even a blip on his radar.
As I walked toward him, though, I could see that wasn't true. He looked like a wild animal that had just realized the cage door was shut behind it. Which... didn't make things any better, honestly. Caged animals lashed out, and I couldn't help wondering what he would do if I "confronted" him.
"Hi," I said, surprised my voice didn't waver even on that one word. "I'm Elliot. You must be Reuben, and that's your... nephew, right?"
"...Yeah," he said, having to scrape the word up from an obviously dry throat. He cleared it, then added, "David. He's a big time D&D fan."
"I can see that," I said, looking over my shoulder.
David was leaning over the table, his fingers moving like calipers across the battle map. Angela was trying to talk to him -- or at him, more likely -- but he was completely focused on the map.
"I don't know a damn thing about the rules. Well. I guess that's not completely true, but I don't know enough to run a game," Reuben said. "I thought it would be good for him to play, though, instead of just creating characters constantly. He's just... got a specific way he likes to do things, so he wanted to test the waters first."
"That's completely understandable," I said, as if I were talking to any other parent or guardian. "I run two groups here. This group, they're all sticklers for the rules. They like to maximize what their characters can do and get the most out of every dice roll. They want lots of combat and other scenarios where they can use their skills and their knowledge of the ruleset. The other group doesn't really care about the rules; they just want to roleplay and tell stories together. Both are valid ways to play D&D, they just don't tend to be the most compatible at the table."
"I think that's the problem we ran into before," he said with a frown. "My sister took him to Mega Comics a couple nights ago. Ah... we..."
His stammering caught me off guard, until I realized when a couple nights ago was. Heat rushed into my cheeks despite me willing it not to.
Reuben cleared his throat and continued, "Anyway, it didn't go well. The other kids weren't as heavy into the rules as David, and I don't think he really gets why someone would play the game that way. It's simple to him, you know? There are rules and they should be followed."
Elise had mentioned David was on the spectrum, and suddenly the pieces slid into place for me. Reuben left after getting an urgent phone call. Something must have happened at Mega Comics and he'd needed to go pick up his nephew. Now I felt like the world's biggest asshole for even being a little bit hurt over his sudden disappearance.
I didn't know how to express that, though, so I said, "My brother played the game the same way. He used to get so mad when I wanted to take creative liberties with something. I still can't play in the games he runs to this day." I grinned, then
added, "Having two sessions here has helped a lot, though. I think David would fit in well with this group. They're good kids, and we don't have a tolerance here for judging anyone because of the way they choose to engage with the game."
"Does this group always run Fridays?"
I nodded. "From seven to nine. Sometimes a little longer if we're in the middle of something big, but I don't like to run things too long. It can be draining on everyone's energy."
"Seven to nine sounds perfect. Though shit... er, I mean shoot--"
I laughed as he corrected himself. "There's no moratorium on swearing here, it's fine."
"Glad to hear it, I never seem to be able to keep my damn mouth shut." When he grinned, a little dimple popped in his right cheek. I felt my knees buckle a little. "I don't want to just assume he can join, though. There's probably some waiting list, right? Is there a registration fee or something?"
"No fee," I said, waving him off. "Why don't we step into the next room and I can walk you through what we do here and how David can be a part of it. If you think he'll be okay out here for a few minutes?"
"He'll probably have an easier time with it than I will." His eyes left mine and flicked toward his nephew. "Hey David, I'm going to talk to Mr. ...?"
"Harris."
"To Mr. Harris for a few minutes. You good?"
"Yeah," was his only answer, and I noticed Angela seemed giddy over the prospect of him staying a bit longer.
"We'll just be a room away, and the walls here are paper thin so you'll hear if he needs you."
I led him to what everyone at Horizon just called The Quiet Room. While it was true the walls didn't do a good job of keeping out the noise, it was better than some other rooms. The walls had special sound-dampening insulation on them, the carpet was plush, and the room was filled with bean bag chairs and a very comfortable couch.
Which... wasn't at all conducive to having a professional meeting with someone you'd seen naked.
"Ah, sorry about this. I can go grab some chairs from the other room."
"I've had professional development meetings on a chaise lounge before," he said with a smirk. "It's fine."
I resisted the urge to ask him what he did for a living. It probably wasn't weird, but I didn't want him to get the impression I'd been thinking about him nonstop since our night together. Even if I had.
Sitting on the opposite end of the couch, I became acutely aware of every inch that existed between us. Right now, two cushions were the only thing keeping me safe from myself.
"I'm sure Elise made you aware, but this is an a la carte type program. Anyone can sign up for specific classes, workshops, and activities without needing to sign up for anything else. There's no overall registration, and you don't owe us anything. This is a service to the community."
"That's... really great to hear," he said, letting out a breath. "As much as I love the idea of this place, I'm not sure David would be interested in anything else."
"And that's perfectly fine. If creating optimized characters in D&D is his way of expressing himself, I'd like to encourage that. I have a few questions, though. And if I'm pushing any boundaries here, please let me know. I just want some idea so I can better accommodate him."
At the word "boundaries" he stiffened, but abruptly relaxed when I made it clear this was about David. Another wave of heat flashed through me. I ignored it.
"Yeah, of course."
"How long ago was he diagnosed?"
"Well, he was technically five when they first suspected it, but they diagnosed him with ADHD and put him on meds for that for a few years. He wasn't diagnosed as autistic until he was eight."
"What's his school situation like? Public? Private? Home? And how well does he interact with the other kids?"
"Public. He mostly keeps to himself. He has one good friend at school." His jaw clenched, his eyes darkening with a slow-moving storm. "There's been some bullying. I guess that should be expected. He's handled it as well as he could be expected to."
I'd never seen David at my own school, so I could only assume he went to another. No telling what their policies were. Teachers weren't supposed to get involved in bullying. Even the union advised us against it. That didn't mean I didn't break it up every time I saw it, though, and rail on my kids if they practiced it.
"Does he have any particular triggers? I saw he's got some headphones. I assume he wears them when he's feeling over-stimulated?"
"Yeah. Things escalate pretty quickly otherwise, since he doesn't like loud noises coming from every direction. He's big on personal space, too. Doesn't like being touched. We're... still kinda figuring out what his triggers are, but those are the big ones."
I made a mental note, nodding. "All of that's great to know."
"Oh, and if you correct him, he needs to know why. Like, the logic of it. He gets really frustrated if he can't understand the thought process. It just feels arbitrary to him."
"Got it. I'll be sure to explain why I'm saying what I'm saying if that ever comes up. We have kids here who need similar considerations, so I'm sure it won't be a problem. You're welcome to stay and observe the first few sessions if you're concerned, though."
"Can I? It's not that I don't trust you, I just..."
I laughed softly. "You don't owe me an explanation, Reuben. I get it. It's why I offered."
An awkward silence followed that as I grappled with how intimate it felt to call him by his name. Would that I'd known it the other night. It would have been on my lips so many times, clawing its way out of my throat as he sucked my dick, or between ragged gasps as he pounded into me...
I felt my cock twitch, warning me that I needed to get my thoughts under control before I made this situation even more awkward. Fortunately, Reuben seemed happy to beat me to it.
"So, I'm not really good at the subtlety thing. I tend to be direct more often than not," he began. "I'll just come out and say it: Is the fact that we've fucked going to be an issue?"
12
Reuben
There were a thousand ways I could have approached that question, and most of them didn't result in whatever the hell that was. Most of them just involved me keeping my damn mouth shut because it didn't matter. He'd been nothing but professional with me, he listened when I told him what David needed instead of trying to overrule me like a lot of his teachers did, and he was even insightful enough to know I was nervous about leaving him alone.
Now I'd gone and fucked everything up because some part of me couldn't stop thinking about how sexy he looked when he arched back against me. Fuck.
"Um... well."
He was blushing even more now. I'd seen his cheeks flush a few times during our conversation, but he was beet red now. It was adorable, honestly, and gave me a chance to appreciate more of his features. A softer, rounder face. Full, kissable lips. Small, slightly upturned nose that I was definitely jealous of. Black-rimmed glasses that fortunately didn't obscure his beautiful, expressive green eyes. Thick, dark hair that was simply styled with a tidy side-part.
Elliot looked like someone I would have expected to be running a D&D game. He looked like a high school math teacher, honestly, and my thoughts turned to how much more I would have enjoyed math if he'd been my teacher. I still would have failed, since I would've been distracted all the time, but at least I would have enjoyed it.
"It's not a problem for me. I can separate personal and professional. If it's going to be a problem for you, though, I understand..."
"No," I said quickly. "I mean... obviously I'm a little distracted. I didn't expect to really see you again, let alone someplace like this."
He let out a strained laugh, shifting nervously on the couch. "That makes two of us."
"Sorry I had to bail, by the way, I--"
"David. Yeah. I figured that out. It's cool, man. It was just a casual hookup."
He was right. It was just a casual hookup. I should've followed it up with another by now. He should be out of my mind and definitely out
of my fantasies. So why was I thinking about the shortest move I could make to close the distance between us?
"Cool, yeah. Glad you're okay with all of it. I know it's kinda weird, but..."
I tripped over my words because he'd put his hand on my knee. Not in a suggestive, trailing up the thigh way. Just a simple touch, followed up by a reassuring squeeze. It was innocent. My body didn't get that memo, though.
My heart pounded, my breaths growing quick and shallow. My dick twitched eagerly in my pants, making me want to lose all sense and beg him to move his hand higher. It was such a sudden, intense surge of lust that I found myself overwhelmed, my whole body overheating in an instant.
I knew he could see it in my eyes. His own grew cloudy, a luster to them that told me he was having similar thoughts now. There was a charge in this room, something I couldn't explain. I'd felt strong attraction before, where I ached to just touch a man who happened to be nearby. This was something different. This was like two powerful magnets that happened to be only a couple feet apart.
The result was inevitable.
I was on him in an instant, practically launching myself at him. Elliot was ready for it, because his hands came around me and he clutched at my shoulders, blunted nails digging into skin. His mouth opened for me immediately and I thrust my tongue in, swallowing his whimpering moan. My hands immediately moved down to his ass and I pulled him up with me so he was sitting on my lap. He wiggled his ass, grinding down against my swiftly hardening dick, and I had to bite back a groan.
God, he was so fucking sexy. Soft and warm and eager, his own dick straining against his pants. I rutted against him like a god damn animal, content to dry hump him as if I was a teenager trying to sneak in some horny time on the couch.
Which... wasn't that different from right now. Fuck. There were kids in the next room. David was in the next room.
Elliot seemed to realize this as soon as I did, because I felt him go rigid against me. Then, he scrambled off of my lap in a way that would've been hilarious if it wasn't so necessary.
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