Page 15 of Stop and Seek (Our Childish Games #1)

“That’s shit you had to go through that,” he said. “But thanks, I guess. We’re cool.”

“Thank you.” Benji smiled, blowing out the smoke. “I appreciate that.”

Inside, the tension was palpable. The sound of shoes on the floor echoed as the hiders regrouped. This time, Theo could actually count them—thirty . There were only thirty people left.

Why Noah didn’t tag him out when he had the chance—

Didn’t matter.

He had a shot . A real shot at winning. Or his heart would give out from the stress and he’d be dead.

Either choice was viable in his books.

“Last round of Saturday. Who’s excited?” Decker called, and Theo couldn’t help but clap and yell with everyone else. His palms were rubbed raw, he was sweaty as shit, but he was almost fucking there .

He waited for the pop gun, lingering back in the gym longer.

One other person seemed to have the same idea, and he locked eyes with a girl in a ball cap. She grinned at him and shot off to the right.

Theo headed left.

He still hadn’t hyped himself up enough to make the sprint to the stairs, get caught, and keep running to the pool. Too risky.

Doubling back around to the cafeteria, he slipped into the classroom he’d spotted earlier. The front windows were covered in posters—newer, colored card stock layered over older ones he knew his class taped up. If he couldn’t see out, no one could see in.

He stopped, listening for the others.

Nothing.

Well, seemed safe enough.

That damn door was the loudest thing as he shut it behind him.

The wall of windows facing the courtyard wasn’t the best, but he was a floor up. If someone saw him? Dash into another room. Still. Bomb-ass spot.

As the second pop sounded, Theo edged into the corner closest to the outside windows so he could keep a lookout .

The floodlights faced the other way, illuminating the people still running across the muddy field.

Ten minutes. Ten.

He stuck an earbud in, turning the volume to the lowest possible setting.

“B.F.F.” by Destroy Boys filtered into his left ear, and he popped his fingers.

Lyrics weren’t necessary.

It was just something in the background that wasn’t the dead silence; the confinement and quiet was freaking him the fuck out.

The song looped.

Two and a half minutes down.

Something flashed in the corner of his eye from outside the window, and his stomach clenched.

It’s fine. It’s fine. I’m safe here. I’m—

Sneakers on linoleum.

Same.

Damn.

Sneakers.

Noah’s sneakers.

Not again. Seriously. Just… go away.

Theo held his finger over the power button on his phone, squeezing deeper into the corner until the edge of the shelf bit into his spine. He rose onto his tiptoes to hide his shoes, legs protesting the entire time.

The door creaked open.

Breathing became a secondary thing.

He couldn’t chance it. Couldn’t.

The door shut, shuffle of feet too loud.

Nausea rolled through him in waves .

The faint glow of a phone lit up the floor, and Theo couldn’t look away.

Then, Noah sighed.

“I know you’re in here.”

Shit .

Noah had to be bluffing.

The light disappeared, and the bookshelf creaked when Noah leaned against it.

“The spot isn’t bad,” he said, quiet and casual. Fucking disturbing . “But where you’re standing blows.”

There’s less than six minutes left.

“Why do you keep running away from me? I mean, it’s cute.”

Maybe because you're a fucking psycho?

The footsteps went the other way.

Noah was screwing with him.

No, not him .

That bastard was pulling some stunt with whoever he thought was with him.

Theo couldn’t take it anymore. His legs were on fire. He lowered himself back onto his heels, gritting his teeth against the burn.

One breath.

He inhaled—hand pressed against his chest—

And Noah was right there.

No sound.

No warning.

Nothing .

“Freeze,” Theo said, barely above a whisper.

One one-thousand. Two one-thousand.

Noah removed his glasses, and Theo hadn’t hated his shit eyesight more in his life.

That blond prick turned into a big-ass smudge, Theo’s heart hammering against his ribs so hard he was sure Noah could hear it too.

This can’t be fair, right? It can’t be.

It has to be against the rules.

Is this fucking karma?

If someone spotted them? He was out.

He’d lose. Everything .

“Two chats in less than an hour,” Noah murmured. “We gotta stop running into each other like this.”

His fingers trailed down Theo’s shoulder to his chest, leaving a trail of goosebumps that made his skin crawl.

Who’s fault is that?

How long had it been?

Eight seconds or nine?

Theo needed to see so he wouldn’t break his goddamn neck when the time was up.

Noah grabbed his arms, and everything in Theo tensed.

“Shh,” Noah breathed. “I wanna show you something.”

He guided Theo’s hand, pressing it against what felt like the inside of his elbow, before moving it down to his wrist. He switched sides, repeating the process with his other arm.

Theo’s face twisted. What the fuck is he doing?

It felt like skin, but it was just… stupid. The whole thing was stupid .

Noah was wasting time, or maybe messing with him for fun, but—what was the point?

Noah leaned forward, and the side of his spiky head and silver earring came into focus. “You really can’t see, can you?” he asked, mouth against Theo’s ear. “I’m not playing. I got eliminated last round and lost my band. Chill.”

“Then hand over my glasses, you prick ,” Theo hissed. His heart lodged in his throat, heat crawling up his stomach.

If Noah wasn’t holding his glasses, where were they ?

He’d be screwed if they broke. Big time.

Fuck the game. He wouldn’t be able to get out of bed without them, much less win .

Noah leaned their foreheads together, white teeth blinding. “Kiss me first.”

“Is this—is this a fucking prank? ” Theo spat.

He shoved Noah back, and the blond asshole dissolved into a smear of shadows.

“Did someone put you up to this? Har har, go bully the nerdy kid. It’ll be fun. News flash: it’s not. Grow up.”

“Yikes. Spicy.”

That was it.

That was the entire fucking explanation out of Noah’s mouth.

Theo shook his head.

He’d lost track of the damn time, and he couldn’t deal with Noah’s games.

He couldn’t .

Reaching out, he groped around until he found the side of the shelf.

This was ridiculous .

Noah’s hand latched onto Theo’s wrist, tugging him away from the corner.

Theo’s body jerked, knee colliding with the sharp edge of a desk. Pain shot through him, hot and fresh, blotting out all other thoughts.

Get out. Right now.

He shuffled to the side once, twice, and then his feet caught.

There should’ve been a solid wall there, or the shelf.

No.

Instead, his palms met glass.

The window.

And the noise was d eafening.

“I was trying to help,” Noah sighed, his face coming back into view. He leaned his cheek against Theo’s. “Jesus, you smell good.”

“What the fuck is your problem ?” Theo’s muscles froze when Noah’s lips traced a path up his neck. He kissed his jaw, and heat flooded through Theo’s body as Noah’s teeth found the sensitive part under his ear.

This isn’t happening.

Hell no.

Not here.

Theo tried to push him away, but Noah only crushed their bodies closer, the weight of his hip pressing into his own.

Noah was damn heavy.

“You can’t be serious,” Theo mumbled, turning his head away. “You cannot be fucking serious.” But Noah’s hands were already sliding down his chest, slipping under his jeans .

Noah’s tongue traced the shell of his ear, and an uncontrollable shiver ran down his spine. “This isn’t some prank, babe.” Noah’s cock pressed into his leg, and Theo could hear his erratic breathing, his pounding heart, and—despite it all —Theo was starting to enjoy it.

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Noah continued. “Your moans sounded so good in the bathroom.”

Wait.

Wait.

This couldn’t be happening.

Random hot guy was…

“Why didn’t you say shit earlier?” Theo asked, irritation boiling under his skin.

Noah undoing the button to his jeans and pulling them down did nothing to fix the anger but when Theo felt Noah’s hand palming his cock through his boxers? Damn near bit his tongue clean off.

“Why spoil the fun,” Noah whispered, pressing his fingers into the head, circling the leaking precum. His teeth grazed Theo’s ear, dragging out a ragged breath. Noah moved the fabric out of the way, stroking his length from base to tip, slow as hell, and Theo couldn’t stop the moan.

Fuck , it felt good.

As much as Theo really wanted to hate him, he was so horny he couldn’t think straight.

This was fine. It was just another random encounter with someone he could go back to ignoring tomorrow.

He could close his eyes and forget it was Noah getting him off.

“Can you,” Theo murmured, struggling to swallow, “move a little faster?”

As if to prove a point, Noah went a hell of a lot slower, dragging it out until Theo was panting, desperate for more, heat spiraling down his spine.

All he could think about was Noah’s hand. He rocked into the touch, gentle at first, picking up speed when Noah wouldn’t increase the pace. His teeth dug into his lip, trying to stay absolutely silent.

Noah twisted his wrist, and Theo saw stars .

God, he was so fucking close.

“Beg,” Noah whispered against his ear. “I wanna hear your voice again.”

“I—” Theo started, and the last shriveled part of his pride kicked up. “N—no. No .”

“And that’s time, kiddos!” Decker’s shrill voice cut in over the PA system. It couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Noah stopped touching him, and Theo wanted to cry or punch the shit out of him, he couldn’t be sure.

“Beg,” Noah repeated. “Or kiss me. You pick.”

Theo’s pulse hammered in his ears, his body hot.

Neither was going to happen.

“Give me your hand,” Theo said.

Noah wanted to screw with him? Play games?

They were going to do it on Theo’s terms.

Not some bullshit this or that.

Noah’s face lit up when his palm settled on Theo’s throat.

Theo could feel the weight of Noah’s thumb pressing into the side of his neck, and everything fucking blistered into white, lovely dots. This felt like heaven. Lightheaded, swimming in pleasure.

Theo’s trembling fingers found their way to his own cock, and he couldn’t help but whimper.

“You’re lucky I'm not fucking you against this glass. Let everyone see what a mess you are,” Noah whispered, and the back of his skull tingled like hell.

The pressure on his neck increased, enough that Noah’s gray, hooded eyes went fuzzy, and Theo couldn’t move his hand fast enough. His balls tightened, the tension spiraling at the base of his spine too much.

It all felt too fucking good, and when Noah’s tongue brushed against his lips, he came with a strangled moan.

Noah slowly released his grip, and Theo gasped for air.

Spit dripped down his chin, probably on Noah’s hands.

The fuzzy edges of his vision were fucking vibrating .

But Noah was staring at him with this wild, manic excitement, and he couldn’t get the goosebumps to calm down.

Someone slapped the door, and Theo jerked, pulling his gaze away.

The PA crackled back to life.

“And this is our final call for players who may have fallen asleep or simply forgot they were playing!” Decker sang out, the feedback bouncing around his head. “We’ll be locking the front doors in ten minutes, so please head to your cars, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Still couldn’t breathe right.

Couldn’t think straight.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

But damn, it felt good.