Serendipity

It's a co-op

"No way!" Timothy gapes at the screen, where my character's name lights up under the 'first place' title. "I was so close!"

"I told you," I shrug, grinning. This is the fifth rematch we've had, and he has yet to win any of them.

The first round, it was an AI that won (embarrassing, I know) then I won, AI won, I won, and now I won again.

I'm starting to wonder if I should pull back and let him win at least once when he laughs.

"I'll admit, you're pretty good," He puts down his controller and offers out a hand with a good-natured smile. I take it gingerly, and we shake. "Wanna play something else now?"

Tired of losing? I open my mouth to say, then close it again. No, I can't be mean to someone so pure.

"Sure," I smile and nod. "You pick this time."

His eyes light up, and he exits the game and presses on the horror game from before. I suppress a flinch at the entering screen picture.

"It's a co-op," He waves his controller towards the tv. "So we have to work together or else we both lose."

"I actually do know what a co-op is," I tease him, and he blushes.

"Sorry, I just wasn't sure-"

"It's okay," I shake my head and boop his nose. He flinches, but mostly from surprise. "You're so easy to mess with."

He shifts in the beanbag, bringing us closer (which I wasn't sure was possible) so our legs are pressed against each other and our shoulders touch.

"Okay," Tim says, pointing at the screen. I pull my gaze away from his pretty eyes and look where he's pointing. "I'm usually this guy, but all of them are pretty much the same, except this one has a knife and this one has a flashlight..." He furrows his brows as he tries to recall the information about the characters he has the controller pointed at. "This other dude with the funky hair has a medkit, and the girl is really fast...and I think this one has smoke bombs."

"Which one do you suggest?" I ask, not sure I remember any of what he just said. Something about the girl being fast?

"Oh, I like this one," He repeats, going back to the first character. "He has a big pole. But I think...maybe you'd like the girl?"

"The girl?" I echo, squinting to try to see her stats under her name. "Whazzat say... Under the thing about agility?"

"Oh, yeah," Timothy nods and leans forward a bit. "She has good sight and hearing."

"Anything else?"

"Uh....she also has a low detection rate. Meaning it's harder for the monster to find you."

I purse my lips. Sounds like the girl is basically the best thing for someone who wants to be able to escape quickly. She doesn't carry any default weapons or tools like the guys, but she's also less clunky and harder to spot.

"Alright," I nod and move my joystick so I can select the girl. "I'm ready."

"Okay, hang on-" Tim stops me from pressing 'select' by sliding his fingers under mine. "I need to show you the controls first."

"Oh?" I feel my face heat up at the contact as he slides a little behind me so he can hold the controller over my own hands. His fingers are warm and callused, but still soft and gentle at the same time, and they wrap around my own carefully.

"So, this makes you jump-" He slides my pointer finger over to the bottom button and presses down. I feel the click of the button under my finger, but I'm more focused on his warm breath on my ear as he leans his head close to mine. "And this is to activate something."

"What's this button do?" My voice is much too breathless for my liking, but I can't help my heart racing when Tim's so close.

"It's to crouch," He smiles, and somehow I actually feel his mouth moving, even if it isn't touching me. My face is definitely on fire, but he either doesn't notice or doesn't care. "It makes you less detectable-"

"You boys want some iced tea-?" The door swings open to reveal a petite middle-aged woman, holding out two small cups with what I'm assuming is iced tea. Loki squeezes past her legs and leaps onto the bed.

Tim must've briefly grown wings, because when one second he was right next to me, the next second he was on his bed, stroking Loki slowly.

"Hey, Mom," Tim says casually, looking up from Loki as if there's nothing unusual happening.

"Oh, is this the boy I keep hearing about?" Tim's Mom smiles and offers me a cup, which I take gratefully. "Sydney, was it?"

"Yes, ma'am," I nod respectfully, smiling and crossing my legs. I'm pretty sure she doesn't know I'm gay, and I don't that to be her first impression of me....how does someone 'not gay' sit? I uncross my legs, then cross them again, feeling uncomfortable with the previous position.

"You're so polite!" She gasps, patting my head. "And you can just call me Danny."

"Danny?" I repeat.

"It's short for Danielle," She nods, offering Tim his cup and giving Loki a few pets. "I find that Danny sits better with people, though."

"Okay," I smile, sipping from the cup and lifting one leg so my right ankle rests on the opposite knee. "Thank you for the iced tea, Danny."

"Of course!" She pats my head again. Tim's family seems to be very touchy-feely, but I don't particularly mind. My own mother never was one to show affection through physical means, so it's a nice change of pace. "It's homemade."

"That must explain why it's so delicious, then," I take another sip and uncross my legs.

"You're too kind, dear," She presses a hand against her bosom and takes a step back towards the door. I haven't glanced over at Tim yet, but I can feel him relax slightly as she approaches the door. "Anyways, just let me know if you need anything. I just came home from the store, so I'll be downstairs unloading groceries."

"Thank you, Danny," I smile. "I hope I won't be too much of a bother."

"Not at all!" She shakes her head, one hand on the doorknob and the other running through her hair. "You're quite a handsome young man, and you've got the charm to match your face. I hope Timmy brings you over more often."

"Don't call me that, Mom!" Tim, who has been silent through this whole exchange, groans. "It's embarrassing."

"You're just jealous I called him handsome, aren't you?" She winks at me, then ducks out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

There's silence, then I hear the bed creak and Tim slides onto the floor with an aggrieved moan.

"Sorry," He mumbles, lifting his head to look at me pitifully from the floor.

"For what?" I snort, tempted to reach over and ruffle his hair.

"My mom," He winces. "And for jumping away like that."

"Oh," I smile. "It's okay."

I extend my hand and let it rest by him. I don't touch him, simply leaving it next to his head.

He stares at it for a moment, then pulls himself closer and places his chin in my palm. He looks up at me, his eyes shining with an unrecognizable emotion. All I can tell is that it definitely isn't negative.