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It’s not so common that Jamie meets someone so attractive that he’s at a loss for words, but tonight it happens after a long time: he doesn’t know his name, only that he’s been drinking mezcal since he arrived at the house party, has amazing hair and every time he flexes his arm muscles Jamie feels faint.
He’s tried to talk to him, like actually have a conversation, but he can’t help but to get tongue tied time and time again when he stands near him.
“Who even is he, anyway?” Jamie asks Colin later, when they’re sitting on the sofas and judging people.
“One of the exchange guys that came for this semester with Jan Maas, I think he’s called Daniel or something like that,” Colin answers, slurring every other word.
Oh, so he’s a foreign student, that explains why Jamie has never seen him around before tonight.
“Thanks, Col. You’re a great helper.” He pats Colin on his thigh and gets up, determined to go find Dani and flirt with him.
He wanders around the house—whose house was it again? O'Brien’s or Bumbercatch?—until he sees Dani going out to the backyard. Jamie smiles a wicked smile and follows him, thinking of what he can say to start up a conversation.
“HEY! TARTT! WANNA PLAY TABOO? WE NEED ONE PERSON MORE!” Reynold yells at the top of his lungs when he sees Jamie at the door’s threshold. Suddenly all eyes are on Jamie, including Daniel’s. Jamie shrugs, feigning nonchalance, and accepts. “Great! Dani, Tartt will be your partner. Jamie, Dani, Dani, Jamie. Take this card, let’s goooo!”
And just like that, Jamie is formally introduced to Dani. That was too easy, he thinks.
He greets Dani with a nod and a half-smile, hiding his sweaty hands inside his jacket pockets. “What’s this taboo game about?”
“I have to make you guess the words in these cards without using certain words,” Dani explains, showing Jamie only the back of the cards with the game logo on them. “I warn you, Tartt, I’m very competitive.” He gives him a cheeky smile and Jamie laughs.
“You’d be surprised at how competitive I am,” he says, “Also, just call me Jamie, yeah?” He gives him a wink and Dani cocks a brow, amused.
The game starts and they have a good laugh at all the things people say and do to get their partners to guess the words. When it’s finally Dani and Jamie’s turn, Dani dramatically cracks his knuckles and winks back at Jamie.
Maybe they got easy cards, maybe Dani is great at this, but Jamie manages to guess correctly all of the words just before their time runs out. When they’re declared the winners of this round, Dani pulls Jamie in for a hug, laughing and patting his back in celebration.
“We make a great team, hermano.”
“Yeah, we’re the best partners ever,” Jamie agrees, slightly upset when Dani lets go.
They keep playing together until late, and when it’s time to say their goodbyes before returning home, Jamie finally musters up the confidence to ask for Dani’s number.
He happily goes home still slightly drunk, with a stolen can of beer under his arm, and Dani’s number on his phone.