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“Its not my fault that it’s literally the best song on earth, Ricardo.”
He liked it when Sidestep called him by his first name. Always when joking, always in a tone a voice that Ortega would read too much into. Surely Sidestep didn’t mean it in a flirty way, but the way it made his stomach do flips begged him to consider otherwise. The fact that Ortega still didn’t know what the other man’s name was, was irrelevant. He’d given him a letter, ‘starts with a R’ he’d said, and Ortega would sometimes choose one at random to call him. Once he called Sidestep Ricardo, and the man had laughed long and hard, and Ortega had never wanted to rip a mask off so badly in his life. To see who was under there, laughing as if Ortega had told the funniest joke of his lifetime. To see who had Ortega’s heart wrapped around his finger.
The furthest he’d gotten was half a face, and the knowledge of an R name. Not that he was complaining, the exposed jaw was handsome. Brown skin, full lips with a little scar on the right side and few days worth of stubble.
And apparently, a favorite song.
“Is it?” Ortega asked
Sidestep looks at him, unimpressed. For wearing half a mask, it’s surprisingly easy to read the expression on his face. “You got ears?” He asks, “Obviously.”
Ortega was more than a little tipsy, but the song wasn’t anything to write home about. Small artist, never been played on the radio, probably wouldn’t ever be. A woman signing about past loves and about how maybe they’d have a future again. Maybe he was thinking about an ex while listening to it- the thought suddenly soured his mood. Sidestep having a ex? Maybe. He was weird about touch, but maybe that was just because Ortega was a man too. Wasn’t used to having friends who were very physical. Women though? He’d never seen him with a woman, but he’d never seen him with anyone else, aside the Rangers. Did he even have an ex? Most likely, but hopefully she’d stay there, as an ex. Was he seeing anyone? Should he ask? Was Sidestep even interested in men? Is he? Enough to risk coming out as bisexual? The media would have a field day if he did. Was all that worth it if Sides was interested in him?
Why is he having the crisis again?
For a man whose face he hasn’t seen? A name he doesn’t know?
“I’ve got ears.” He says, mainly because his brain is urging to talk about Sidestep’s relationship status, and for a man as private as Sidestep, he didn’t imagine that conversation going well. “Maybe she’s touring? We could go see her live.”
Sidestep snorts a laugh, “I don’t do concerts.” He says, tapping his temple, “I’d get a migraine fast enough to make my nose bleed.”
“Oh, I hadn’t considered that.” Ortega says, “Okay, I could learn it and play it for you.”
Sidestep’s hands freeze, beer halfway to his mouth, staring at him for a long moment “You know how to play guitar?”
“Yeah- learned while I was a teenager.” Ortega says, “Trying to impress the girls in my class.”
“Ah.” Step says, and was it his imagination, or did he seem a little hurt at the comment? “Of course, should’ve guessed, always the ladies man.” The tone is joking, but there’s definitely a softer undertone there. He finishes his beer, and sets the bottle down on the floor with a soft clink.
Ortega doesn’t rush, and he’s definitely not quick to stand up and get the man another beer. And he definitely doesn’t hold the glass in such a way that their fingers have no choice but to brush when Step takes it from him.
“Oh, my hero.” Step says, his lips upturned in a grin that Ortega finds it hard to look away from
“I aim to please.” Ortega replies, he can feel his cheeks heating up, but he squashes any embarrassment as he flops back down on the couch, stretching out his legs out so they go across Sidestep’s lap. Step chuckles as he pops the lid to the beer, resting his arms on Ortega’s shins. Ortega doesn’t miss how stiff the movement is though. Pretending everything is cool, but maybe he’s blushing under that mask too. The thought makes him smile. “So, would you?”
“Would I what?”
“Let me play that song for you?”
Sidestep turns to look at him, “You’d really do that?”
Ortega sits back up, leaving his legs in place, but scooting a bit closer. Step tenses as he approaches, but relaxes again soon after.
“Of course- it’d be fun, I think.” He grinning, so wide it hurts his cheeks, but he can feel Step’s gaze on his lips from under the mask- at least, he hopes he’s watching his lips as closely as he’s watching Step’s.
“Ricardo… are you trying to serenade me?” Step’s lips form a grin that mirrors his own, and the cocky bastard even leans in, their faces only inches apart.
“Maybe. Is it working?” Ortega asks, shortening the distance a couple more inches
Sidestep laughs, just a quiet one, soft. “Don’t know. You haven’t actually serenaded me yet.”
“Tell you what, if you do one thing for me, I’ll promise to learn how to play that song for you.”
“Oh? And what would you have me do?” The voice is playful, Step leaning closer so his breath runs over Ortega’s lips
“Kiss me?”
Ortega was expecting a witty retort, a teasing word and then for Sidestep to lean back, laughing. Maybe a jab about not being gay. Maybe this was all a joke.
But he doesn’t. Instead, Step closes his mouth over Ricardo’s, lips softer than he was expecting. The kiss is tentative, but when Ortega leans in, he hears the beer he gave Step fall to the ground as Step wraps his hands around to the back of his neck, making the kiss deeper. The beer is forgotten entirely as Ortega opens his mouth and Step’s tongue slips in between his lips.
Ortega had experienced a lot of different kisses. But the way this one made his stomach tingle and his heart skip a beat, reminded him way too much of his first kiss. The giddy excitement, oddly nervous, as if he hasn’t kissed anyone else before. Maybe it was because Sidestep was the first man he’s ever kissed, maybe because he liked Sidestep more than many of the other people he’s kissed. He didn’t know, all he he know was that he liked it.
When Sidestep pulls back and presses their foreheads together, Ortega is gasping for breath. He’s never kissed a man before, never gotten a boner from a kiss so fast. Hopefully Sidestep hadn’t noticed that bit yet. The alcohol already had his mind spinning, but that kiss sent him on a spiral.
“Ryker.” It’s whispered, Ortega almost misses it
“What?” Ortega whispers back
“My name. It’s Ryker.” Sidestep- no, Ryker says
“Oh. Well. It’s nice to meet you, Ryker.” Ortega says, still breathless
Ryker laughs again, “It’s nice to meet you too, Ric.” Then presses their lips back together, and Ortega thinks he could get used to this.