"So this is your idea of a date, a basketball court?" The Master asked. He still had dress pants on and an imbeccably white shirt. Somehow he looked a little less formal, but ever so serious.

The only thing that looked most casual was the way he'd left a few buttons open at the front so you could peek at his chest. Riley peeked, all the time, even when the Master noticed and caught him staring. It seemed almost like he was trying to send a message to him. Hey! I'm looking at your chest so lets talk about that.

In actual sense, Riley had actually thought hard about this date, he couldn't bring himself to understand why, until he'd found something to blame it on.

The fact that he had never taken anyone out on a date, or even gone on a date for that matter. The idea had always made him uncomfortable, but here he had no other choice. It still didn't answer it though, why he was trying to make it worthwhile.

He'd searched his head for what to do until a thought finally struck him. The only place that would bring him comfort, where he could focus on getting it over with.

"I have no idea how to do this," his hands gently rubbed the back of his neck and Riley tried to find something more to say.

He always had a remark, a word, anything at the tip of his tongue just waiting to get out. Right now the ability seemed beyond him. It would be really embarrassing with the Master looking so expectantly at him. 

"Aren't dates like, supposed to be meaningful or some shit?" Riley asked instead. And then he realized it made him sound weird and a tad bit ridiculous.

It was the exact reason why he suspected dates freaked him out. To his understanding, the effort meant you wanted to get to know someone better, you cared about them. He didn't really care about many people, the Master included, so this was weird and out of his comfort zone.

"Could have fooled me yesterday, that cocky mouth," said the only calm and collected one between them.

The image wasn't really helping him either. He pulled his mind out of the gutter at the next question thrown at him.

"This is meaningful?" The Master added.

"Over here," Riley said, ignoring his question, trying to hide the fact that the question made him feel stupid.

The Master's smirk seemed like it was becoming more permanent by the minute. And despite it all, he gave nothing away, no emotion on his face. Only an expression that looked like amusement.

The footsteps let Riley know that the man followed him. The sound, for a moment the only thing that could be heard in the empty space. The floorboards shone to the most they could. Who even used this place that it was always kept in such perfect shape?

It was a beautiful indoor court and one side of it, right under a basketball hoop, Riley had placed several soft pillows around a little table full of snacks for the Master and himself. This was the part he didn't struggle with. All he did was grab a bunch of snacks he'd found and brought them along.

Riley sat crosslegged on one end of the table and waited for the Master to do the same on the other. He did.

His eyes caught Riley's and never looked away. It started to become overwhelming.

Sometimes Riley thought he could really give up his favorite shirt to know what was running in his mind. And it was worse when he smirked. He studied him for the time his eyes would allow him to look before they looked away.

It wasn't the first time the Master was looking at him, and most of the times he wondered what he was looking for. And just like every time, he looked away.

"This is the part where we talk," said Riley, then muttered under his breath.

"Are you sure?" The Master asked.

Ah shit, what did I forget? Riley thought long and hard but he'd ticked all the boxes. This was it. He really didn't see what-

Riley's thoughts came to a halt when he heard the soft laugh emanating from the person across from him.

"You look hot when you're thinking," said the Master.

"What are you talking about?" Riley replied with a look of mild shock on his face. "I look hot all the time."

Fucking tease.

"Can I run my fingers through your hair?" Riley was already reaching out, it looked glossy and yet not, ruffled at the slightest, coupled with the shirt it made him look sexier than he should be.

The Master moved out of his way, hand closing around Riley's wrist.  "No, that's annoying."

That was another thing about him, he never lacked an answer or said one thing to cover another one up. Everything was how it was, whether he hurt your feelings in the process or not. Well, if you had any.

More accurately, he had no filter. And somehow, Riley liked it.

Riley withdrew his hand after he let it go. "You know I'm not going to rest until I do it."

"You have a death wish, what else is new?"

"Oh come on, don't be like that," Riley clasped his hands together then offered a snack to the Master.

"I know you're stalling. Go ahead, ask," he said to Riley, his tone patient.

Riley was definitely caught off guard. How did he? "How old are you?"

"Hmm?" There was that smirk again. "What is it? Wondering if I'm old enough to be your father?"

"You clearly aren't." And that's why it didn't make sense to him. "I expected different."

A dark eyebrow cocked. "How old did you think I'd be?"

"I don't know," Riley twisted where he sat. "Older? At least a few greying hairs, hopefully handsome."

The Master laughed. "Well I'm not sorry I disappointed you."

Who was he fucking kidding?

"Well you should be, old men are so hot. They make my knees weak."

The Master leaned in from across the table. "Is that what you fantasize about every time they turn jelly for me?"

Riley wanted to answer that, he really did. But his brain was taking too long to respond to him. Feeling a little embarrassed, he changed the subject.

"I made this, for you. I sort of feel you don't eat enough snacks." Idiot.

"You made these?" The Master asked. Riley realized his mistake too late. "Well, nice packaging."

"I try," Riley ignored the sarcasm. The snacks were obviously all manufactured, he only selected them. "I'm helping you try something new, I'm sure you've never had these kinds of snacks."

The Master looked at the potato chips and a large assortment of nuts. "How would you know?"

"Well, as we sit here, I'm sort of your husband no? So I'm going to assume I know you really well."

The Master didn't say anything as he looked at Riley. So he took it as a sign to continue.

"As far as I know, my darling works all the time, eats food when he remembers to, never does eat snacks, doesn't show it if he's stressed out, in-fact, I'm starting to think you aren't being honest in this relationship," Riley clutched his chest and the Master scoffed.

"Maybe it's because you've never asked. Darling."

Riley hesitated. "Are you going to call me that now? Because I'm not complaining. You must not have called anyone that in a while."

The Master's jaw ticked but his expression never changed. If Riley had struck a nerve, the Master didn't show it.

He decided to change the subject anyway. "You still haven't answered my first question."

The Master cleared his throat. "I'm going to give you three guesses. Use them wisely."

"Nothing ever comes easy with you huh?"

"You'll have to be more specific," it was clear the Master was trying to do.

He pushed the image away. "That's exactly what I'm talking about."

"I know, but nothing good ever does."

"Fine," Riley said getting up. "I have a present for you."

He walked over to one side and picked up a ball from a rack. Riley bounced it twice and caught it perfectly in his hands. "I hope you prepared, you're about to witness awesomeness," he walked towards the Master.

"Watch carefully," said Riley. He kissed the Master. "This is you wishing me luck. Because everyone deserves a good luck kiss."

Riley walked back and bounced the ball again. Then threw it in the air, towards the basket. It was easily a perfect score. In the next few seconds he was already dunking and scoring again.

He scored over and over, sneaking winks and licking his lips every now and then at the Master and making only successful shots.

Then he stood far from the hoop, all the way on the other side in the corner of the court, but not really far from the Master.

A shot from this far and this angle was usually really tricky, but that's why it gave him a thrill. He turned to him. "This one's for you darling."

Riley kissed the ball as his hands tightened around it. He focused. He was back to the moment where he fell in love with the game. It was practice, and it was the furthest shot he'd ever taken, and when he'd all eyes had been on him but his eyes had remained on the hoop.

Love. That was the only word for it.

He shot the ball and it got in, just like he knew it would.

He'd been dribbling and putting on a show for the Master until he started to get sweaty. With that being the last shot, he let the ball bounce away and looked at the Master. His eyes seemed darker as he sat watching him, a hand gripping his knee tight.

"I know you won't admit it, but that was an amazing present right?" Riley didn't sit across from him this time. He was right next to him.

"Not bad," the Master said. His voice thick.

"Of course it wasn't. You can't even take your eyes off me," Riley ran his eyes all over the Master.

He got closer. "Are you getting turned on? Is this sexy, sweaty, muscl-" the Master drowned his words with his mouth.

In a heartbeat, Riley was beneath him, his legs being parted. He smiled into the kiss as a pillow under him caused his back to arch perfectly.

"You play with fire," the Master said when he broke away.

Riley's hands found their way inside the front of his shirt, feeling only skin. "Burn me Daddy."

The Master just shook his head. "It's more fun if I leave you like this; horny, wanting and waiting. You're going to think of me the whole day, then I'm going to give it to you."

Riley remained silent, listening intently.

The Master bit his bottom lip, and pulled gently then let go and chuckled. "Rule twelve. Show me your self control."

"Fuck..." said Riley.

The Master got off him and walked away. His own cock straining in his pants, aching with need and the knowledge that he couldn't do anything about it.

The source of his problem was also the solution, and yet he walked away so elegantly.

"Oh fuck," Riley muttered after he'd nestled between two pillows and stared at the ceiling.

His gaze drifted to the little table after a while, the snacks lay untouched on the table.

꧁____________꧂

Much later in the day, Riley thanked the heavens for small mercies.

He needed a distraction big enough to get his mind off the Master, he shamelessly been thinking about him since he last saw him.

Thankfully, the distraction came.

There was only one problem. That was the fact that it added to the burden on his shoulders.

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______________________________
Game:
Luck or Riddance

Six will vote.
One will not be lucky
Who will remain?

To be clear, you are being asked to cast a single vote. Vote only one member out. The member with the most votes collectively, will fall victim to a final verdict.

Voting is not optional.

You have two weeks.
Decide now

Writing a name shouldn't be difficult. It is all you have to do

Defy the game. Risk disqualification.
_________________________________
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