A Stroke of Love (BL)

Chapter Eleven

Rhys cleared his throat, pushing aside the thickening tension between them. He swallowed thickly, his earlier bravery waning quickly. "So, your turn."

Lux blinked rapidly, giving a subtle shake of his head. "For?"

Rhys didn't want to be pushy, so he turned whatever was happening between them into a drinking game, believing they'd both be more comfortable if what they shared could be blamed on the alcohol.

Even though you were hella sober when you said it.

"Secret for secret," Rhys spoke a little louder than usual, intending to cover up his inner voice. "But, if you're uncomfortable with sharing, you can take a sho—," he didn't finish his sentence before Lux hopped off the counter, poured a shot of clear liquor and took the drink to the head, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Your turn."

Rhys stared at Lux, unblinking. After a few seconds, a large laugh rumbled in his chest, his hand flying up to cover his mouth. "Sorry, sorry. I just wasn't expecting that."

"Well. Your turn." Lux readied the shot just in case, avoiding Rhys' eyes.

Rhys felt that this was a ploy, an attempt for Lux to get out of saying anything he wasn't able to take back once the words met the air between them. But, he went along with it, sharing something that wasn't exactly a secret, but more so a testament to either his unhealthy work life balance or his fear of actually dating again. "I haven't been in a relationship since Lillia."

Lux spluttered on his swallow of beer, his cheeks brightening to a soft pink. Rhys didn't know whether or not to be offended, so he sat in silence until Lux was able to explain.

"I–I just find it hard to believe that you would, y'know, not be in a relationship since then." Lux looked as if someone had forced him to choke down his most hated meal.

Rhys pointed that out with no qualms.

"Why does it look like complimenting me is causing you physical distress?" Rhys expected Lux to ignore the question, but he was pleasantly surprised when he answered, presumably honestly.

"I-haven't been in a position to compliment another person in a long time."

Rhys' brows drew together, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Lux. "I don't understand."

Before he explained, Lux huffed a heavy sigh. He reached up to pull his hair free from the bun, scratching at his scalp in an attempt to soothe his nerves. "Not to make this weird, because it's not weird—it's a product of your foolishness— but I haven't gone on a date in over a year. I'm an author. I work from home. I haven't exactly been in situations in which I'd have the opportunity to compliment another person in over 365 days. So, it pains me just a bit."

Rhys heard everything Lux said, but he became stuck on one aspect. "You haven't been on a date in over a year?"

"This counts as my secret or I'm keeping it to myself."

Rhys didn't hesitate. He wanted to know more about Lux and he had this feeling that tonight was the only night he'd be able to get some, if not most, of the questions he had answered. "Deal."

Before he continued, Lux poured himself another shot, downing it in one gulp. He grimaced and Rhys couldn't tell if it was from the taste of the liquor or the words that were on his tongue. "I haven't been on a date in over a year. I agreed to it in the first place because Kerin set it up, thinking it would be good for me."

Rhys felt a jealous twinge. He pushed it to the side, forcing a note of lightheartedness into his tone as he asked, "How did it go?"

"Awful. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Your turn."