Chapter Text
Twister is a game usually played by children that requires two to six players to orient there feet and hands on a colourful mat according to colours and body parts picked by a spinning wheel, and if a body part other than hands or feet touch the mat that player is out. Today however it was the months class challenge for the school for thieves known as V.I.L.E.
Coach Brunt had decided that this game would determine an operatives agility, stamina, and ability to cooperate with others, and depending on how well you do the higher your test results will be.
The roommates Black Sheep, Graham, kid they still didn't know the name of that they just called Quiet Kid, Antonio, Sheena, and Jean-Paul were picked to be a team, while a graduate with the code name Sticks was there spinner and judge. There other six roommates were too there left and it was a personal goal of there team to at least outlast them.
There was one student who was nervous, well two, Quiet Kid always seemed nervous so he didn't count, no it was Antonio who was nervous about this game. He had over his few months at V.I.L.E. developed feelings for one of his roommates and knew that in this game players tended to get all tangled up in positions on top of each other and he wasn't sure just yet of how he felt about being on top of Jean-Paul, even if it was just a game.
In the center of the room Coach Brunt spoke out to all the different teams.
"Ok, you all know the rules, and the judge will be recording your scores and making sure there is no cheating, and for once I want no cheating, are we clear? Okay than, timer starts now."
Sticks spun the spinner for the first time.
"Left foot red."
And that was where everyone put there left foot.
"Left hand green."
Everyone leaned over.
"Right hand blue."
This started the communication part of the trial, as although there were enough circles for each, it was easier for some to share. Black Sheep called out to Quiet Kid.
"Can we share a spot? It would help a lot."
And he just nodded and shifted his hand over a couple of centimetres so Black Sheep could put her hand down. The rule in the game for touching a colour was the majority of your hand or foot must touch the circle, so although sharing did help, to much sharing and too little circle was a possible problem Antonio had to think about, especially with him having the biggest hands of them all.
"Right hand yellow."
"Left foot green."
"Right foot red."
"Right hand red."
"Right foot yellow."
"Left hand green."
After five minutes they were starting to get significantly tangled. Quiet Kid was trying to reach his right hand to blue but because of how he was tangled he could not reach, Antonio noticed that he was trying to morse code on Sheena something, probably to move a certain way to let him reach. But either she didn't understand or she intentionally ignored him, before Antonio could verbalize Quiet Kids request his arm slipped and his elbow knocked into Graham who lost his balance a little and his back touched the mat.
"You, brunet, your disqualified."
In his Australian accent as he got up and off the mat Graham halfheartedly protested.
"Only because the silent one bumped into me."
"No excuses, your score has been recorded, go work on other assignments until everyone is finished."
The game continued, Antonio soon became aware that his roommates were breathing more heavily as the game continued. He knew that holding these weird positions forever would be impossible, but so far he wasn't really feeling any strain. From his angle he could see Jean-Paul's chest, he watched it rise up and down in an almost rhythmic way and because he was staring he almost didn't hear the new position called.
"Right foot blue."
This was a major shift and everyone repositioned and got even more tangled, before he could say another world Jean-Paul was sandwiched between him and Sheena, with Jean-Paul and him being face to face.
There bodies were completely lined up and Jean-Paul's arms were encasing his head as he was trying to reach a blue circle. Antonio went completely red, half from basically holding the weight of both Jean-Paul and Sheena on top of him, and the other half from being in in such a close proximity to his crushes face. After seeing Antonio like this, before Sticks could call the next position Jean-Paul blushed a little and spoke.
"Oh, um, bonjour."
"H-h-hola."
"Left arm red."
And just like that it was over, but Antonio was still very embarrassed for several minutes to come. He did not know if Jean-Paul would judge him for his blushed face or hesitant reply, or if he didn't even think of Antonio at all.
"Concéntrate idioto"
Antonio whispered to himself. He needed to focus on his grade and not his non existent love life. He was strong and still wasn't tiring like the others, but he was also short and clumsy so if he put his hand or foot in the wrong spot he could easily slip and fail.
Quite Kid failed, and than Sheena, until it was just down to Antonio, Black Sheep, and Jean-Paul. With less players, and better communication, the three got into a rhythm that kept them all in for another ten minutes. Communication did not help muscle strength however, and after 40 minutes since the game had started Jean-Paul's leg went out and he was disqualified. This made Antonio sad as he had hoped he would finish neck and neck with Jean-Paul, but what was done was done and he needed to focus on himself now, as he was finally getting fatigued from this challenge.
After three more minutes Black Sheep's hand slipped and her elbow hit the mat, leaving just Antonio. Being the last in his group Antonio thought he should now quit, but he remembered that other teams were still competing and that it wasn't over until Coach Brunt says it was.
He continued to do what Sticks said. In one sense it was easier because it was just him alone, but in another he was getting tired and he wasn't sure he could keep it up much longer.
Too his delight he was being cheered on by both Jean-Paul and Black Sheep. This didn't give him any extra energy, but it did give him determination to continue.
"Bravo mon ami, keep going."
"You can do it Antonio!"
Finally after 55 minutes had passed since the start of the challenge one of Antonio's legs gave out and his hip hit the floor, soon followed by the rest of him.
"Hair dye, your out."
"Si, si, I know, just give me a minute."
He just laid there a moment and breathed deeply, a minute later Coach Brunt named a student called Ty the winner, which gave him mixed feelings. On one hand he did not want the attention of winning, but at the same time he came so close, but still losed. Lying on his back, still on the mat, he covered his face with his big hands in embarrassment. He stayed like that for about a minute until he heard a voice.
"Need a hand, mon ami?"
Antonio removed one hand to see Jean-Paul standing over him, on his face was a rare genuine smile. He was holding a hand out to Antonio to help him off the ground.
"Um, sure. Gracias Jean-Paul."
He took his hand and with his help stood up. Once on his feet he was going to just walk away and hit the showers, but Jean-Paul actually tried to start a conversation with him.
"That was absolutely amazing, it was incredible to watch!"
"It was just a game, and I losed."
"Oui, but you were so close, and you kept going until the very end. It was very impressive."
Blush once again went over Antonio's face.
"You really think so? Thank you."
"Yes, I do. I knew you were well built, but I had not quite realized how strong you were."
Antonio was about to complement Jean-Paul back, but just after complimenting his muscles Jean-Paul put his hand on Antonio's brod shoulder. The touch seemed almost affectionate, and as a response Antonio looked directly into Jean-Paul's beautiful brown eyes. He wanted to say something, admirer him, tell him how he felt, but all he could do was stare.
Finally Jean-Paul's arm went back to his side and he just smiled again.
"We should really get to know each other more, no?"
And with that he turned and just headed for the showers, Antonio could barely pull himself together enough to call out after him.
"Si, we should!"
It was only much later after Antonio had time to process what had happened, that when he was staring into Jean-Paul's eyes, Jean-Paul had been staring fondly back. That thought put a smile on Antonio's face.