Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 133: Introduction

A/N: Yes, "introduction" is an odd title for the 133rd chapter.

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"Hey buddy," Damien greets Shayne, mid-afternoon Saturday when Shayne shows up at his apartment. Shayne follows him inside, laughing when Freyja immediately starts sniffing at his legs. "Oh, you've got different cat smell on you now!"

"I wondered whether your two would have an issue with me now... yes, Freyja, we got our own fur babies now, my clothes probably smell like Mocha and Nutmeg, not the food kind," he replies, voice rising in pitch as he leans down to greet Damien's cat, before he straightens up again, "Nutmeg has taken to sleeping in our closet."

"Mm, yes, welcome to the life of constantly being covered in cat hair," Damien empathises, laughing as they wander into his apartment and to his living room. It has been quite some time since they've hung out by themselves – between both of them being in relationships, Shayne's wedding and house-moving, and a packed work schedule, they'd been busy.

As much as they get to catch up all the time at work, it's a little different, and they quickly dive into animated conversation sitting across from each other in Damien's living room. Damien enthuses about two new animes he'd been binging the last few weeks, encouraging Shayne to watch one, although he admits the other is probably less up his alley.

"You been watching anything interesting?" he queries, Shayne shrugging in response.

"I don't know if you'd call it interesting, but Court got me hooked on Love Island UK. It's just... so trashy it's good. It's wild, and the accents are amazing," he shakes his head at himself, "oh, and I think we'll start Loki soon, since everyone keeps trying to spoil it all over the internet."

"Oooh, Loki is fantastic-"

"No spoilers!" Shayne emphasises, Damien laughing in response.

"No spoilers, promise, but you'll like it, it's an interesting one. Couple of good twists, but it fits in well with the MCU aesthetic," he confirms, Shayne humming in agreement.

Shayne and Damien had worked well on the So Random set, largely because they found themselves able to sit in conversation for the hours they spent in their dressing rooms between takes and scenes. It had continued through their friendship, and their conversation flows naturally and comfortably through the afternoon, from anime and TV to games and, for quite a chunk of incessant questioning from Shayne, Damien revealing what he can about the VO auditions he's doing and jobs he's been booking in the last few months.

They settle into playing a new game Damien's been doing solo on his streams that also has a co-op mode, as afternoon becomes evening, ordering takeaway to have for their dinner as they do. It hooks them both in, Damien bemoaning that the co-op mode is so much better than the one he's been playing – and will have to keep playing – on stream.

"You think you'd ever be up for doing co-op on a stream with me?" he asks, when they put aside their controllers for a moment to eat dinner, although they remain on the sofa.

"I mean, I guess I could try, I don't exactly have a streaming setup to be on camera or anything though," he answers, shrugging, "I don't know if live stuff is my vibe a whole lot, I did an Instagram live with Courtney once and the comments weirded me out a bit too much. But gaming might be okay."

"My stream comments don't get too bad, got mods to deal with that a bit, but you could be part of it without seeing the chat too," he offers, before continuing, "no pressure, of course, but it could be fun."

"It'd get you a bit of hype and whatever too, wouldn't it? People are always looking for us to do stuff together," he pushes, Damien nodding silently before he continues, "well, let's try it out sometime? We can try it once and see how it goes, one of your Sunday afternoon streams or something?"