Каран Андерс - The Book of Firsts

The heat and movement all began to build toward something for me, but Rin was far further along, and came in a spurting explosion.

We both wobbled, and Rin relaxed his hold, then pressed me beneath his chin. Unable to see his face, I wondered what his expression was now, but when he finally dropped his arms, I glanced up and found he looked mildly amused, not as impacted as I thought.

"Technically not a skip ahead to the next challenge," he said. "Would you like a drink?"

I nodded, and then found the hose to clean myself—and the summer house wall—before returning to separate out my clothing. Rin took a few moments longer, and stood with a towel watching me dress before putting the main parts of his own uniform on. He brewed me a cup of green tea, and we were silent for a time.

"I enjoyed the game you three released," I said eventually. "Other than it being very short, that is."

"Did Kyou tell you the name? A sampler app. We plan a series of free releases over the next few years, tiny things that function as prequel stories for a very ambitious RPG." He smiled lazily. "This year our focus is exams…and a different game."

"What’s your next challenge? More basketball?"

"No, for balance’s sake we’ve drawn up a varied schedule, trying to alternate physical and non-physical. This weekend we’re playing Go, which all of us are competent at, without being at competition level. But I believe I have an edge." He drained the last of his tea. "So, I’ll see you Tuesday, Cheshire."

On Monday I kept seeing the Three Kings everywhere, always together. First in the corridor as I was heading to class. Then, because I’d forgotten to bring lunch, standing in the line next to mine and slightly ahead of me, in the main refectory. Then as I was heading to the bus.

It seemed I’d need to keep myself extra busy Mondays and Tuesday morning, or I’d spend all my time thinking of them, particularly now that I didn’t know whether my day would involve hickeys, a massage, or the next big step. Tuesday lunchtime, I admit to being disappointed seeing Bran. Gorgeous he might be, but I’d connected with him less, and was wary of the way he’d spoken to me on the weekend. And I’d wanted it to be Rin, wanted something vigorous and non-teasing and hopefully satisfying.

He was standing in the middle of the garden with hands buried in blazer pockets, staring at his shoes. By the time I was over the wall, I’d set aside frustration and replaced it with curiosity. He’d been an incredible kisser. Would he win effortlessly today as well?

He looked up, and I caught a glimpse of open doubt before his expression switched to something completely neutral.

Deciding this needed to be settled, I said: "The initial question’s already been answered. Do you want to leave it at that?"

"You’re backing out?"

I could see I’d surprised him, as if it hadn’t occurred to him that his attitude toward me might dim my enthusiasm.

"I’m saying that you’re free to," I said, firmly. "This isn’t a game that will work if one of the players is in two minds about participating."

"You think you know my mind?" he said, harsh voice cracking, but he caught himself up, met my eyes a moment, and then turned his back on me.

I went across to the big wooden picnic table tucked into the corner where the wall and the administration building met, and sat cross-legged on top of it. "Liked the idea better in abstract?"

"That’s—" He stopped, scowling. "I don’t know you," he explained. "I’ve no reason to trust you."

"Trust?" I laughed. "What do you think I’m going to do? If this story gets out, yes, I suppose you’d be spattered with a bit of mud. I’d be drowned in it. An ocean of hate. It would probably even undermine my plans for the future."

"Then why are you doing this?" He crossed to stand before me. "Whatever you find relaxing, you still don’t know us. Even if you trust us not to be people who’d use this against you, how can you do…so much with utter strangers?"

"But I’m not." I considered him, then said: "I think you need a massage way more than me. Sit down. Sit."

He almost baulked, but gave in, sitting down on the bench attached to the side of the picnic table. I shifted so I could comfortably reach his shoulders.

"Rin’s a little confusing because his public reputation doesn’t match the way he talks to me," I said, working with an extremely tense set of muscles. "He’s obviously close to his family and you two, and acts obliging and polite, but I have the impression he operates on light goodwill with most people while not actually liking them very much. Kyou…Kyou is stimulated by a certain amount of risk-taking, but it’s carefully calculated, and I doubt he’d go near anything which had only a small chance of success. He enjoys ritual, and likes to push boundaries, and likes even more when he meets friendly resistance, but for all that he’s very courteous and gains, I think, genuine enjoyment from helping people. You…"

I paused as he shifted beneath my hands, and I dug my fingers into his shoulders extra enthusiastically before going on.

"You’re extremely private, and I don’t know you particularly well yet. I suppose it amused you to suggest me for your competition when you saw me listening, but you didn’t expect it to go anywhere. Now that Rin and Kyou seem enthusiastic, you don’t want to disappoint them by ending the game early."

He snorted, and I grinned.

"Don’t tell me what parts of all that I’ve got wrong—I’m sure some of my impressions are a little out. The point I’m making is that I’ve come to know you a little. We shared a kiss after I’d spent a week or two finding things out about you three, and Rin and Kyou at least talked to me first. Later, they gave me a nice massage and we chatted, and I decided I liked them enough for more kissing. And so on. It never was a single decision, and any of us might back out at any time. Tell me about rowing."

"What?"

"Rowing. I’m guessing that’s not something you three have been doing since kindergarten. How’d you get into it?"

He clicked his tongue, but the tension had gone out of his shoulders.

"We tried a bunch of clubs first year here, and rowing was the one with the fewest gawpers getting in the way. And Kyou likes it. Rin is more neutral because he doesn’t like the early morning cold. I just wanted to pick something and stop changing clubs. Swap places."

I moved without comment, and sat quietly as he explored my shoulders and began experimentally kneading. Not a practiced masseuse, but attentive to my reactions.

"I saw Venetian Masquerade made it on to the voting list for the dance."

"Mm. The Art Club is working on posters now, and some people from the Rose Court are going to sponsor it. All very complicated just for an end-of-year dance."

"End of school. End of friendships. The dance is taken very seriously."

"Really? Well, if nothing else, I’ll enjoy the costumes."

Bran checked the time on his phone, then said: "There’s a segment of formal dancing lessons every year here, as part of the sporting curriculum. Have you learned any?"

"One session a couple of years ago. A big group dance."

"I’ll teach you. Next time."

He stood, and in a single swift movement climbed from the table to the top of the wall, and walked along it a few steps before jumping down the far side.

An improvement. I still wasn’t entirely sure I could continue the challenge with Bran, but would probably know after the next session.

And now I had a second challenge to rate. This one was a reversal, with Kyou in first place, for while he had taken the definition of a massage to an extreme, I had enjoyed it enormously, while Rin’s effort had been several steps up from Bran’s. I entered the ratings, and mentally totted up the scores. First and last combined amounted to fourteen points, while two seconds gave Rin twelve.