Sidegirl (Reverse Harem)

11. Gamer Girl

My cousin and I hadn't much in common. He was four years younger than me and the only topic he wanted to talk about were computer games. However, we had one thing in common. Whenever we met, we were addicted to game – guess what – Smash Bros. When my mum lost her old job and my parents couldn't pay the rent anymore, we had moved in with my aunt, uncle and cousin before we moved here. We lived there for a year. And I think in this year, I played more Smash Bros than I slept. I wasn't good in this game. I was more like...invincible.

I bit my lip, trying to contain a grin as Ben handed me the fourth and last controller.

"You have to chose one of those characters-" he started to explain.

"I know," I quickly chimed in, "I've played it before."

"Oh, okay. Cool."

Two hours later...

"What the fuck, y/n??" Dante whined and let his head fall against the headrest. He made a chucking motion with his hand, as if he wanted to toss his controller away, but kept it.

"Played it before. All right," Ben chuckled and ran his hand through his hair.

"Seriously, y/n, can you please let me win once? This is hurting my fragile ego," Nate whined jokingly.

I couldn't help but grin with glee. On the screen, princess Peach made her victory pose again.

"I'm really trying to let you win, Nate. But you're all just so bad."

With a determined look, Dante started another round.

"I need to win this. I need to win this," he murmured.

My chuckle became a laughter. Honestly, I didn't had this much fun in months.

Dante turned to my laughing self. His eyes softened as he watched me and a small smile played on his lips.

"I want to play too," Ellie suddenly said and looked up from her phone.

She got up from Dante's lap and went straight to me. I sighed. Since there were only four controllers, I knew how this was going. I handed her mine and stood up.

"Hey, take mine, Ellie," Nate held out his controller to her.

"Why? The game is boring when y/n plays. We already know who will win then," Ellie explained, not taking his offer.

Nate shrugged. "It's still a lot of fun."

"Yeah, I need to win against her at least once or I won't sleep tonight," Dante clarified.

I bit my lip as I saw an annoyed look cross Ellie's face.

"No, no it's fine. I have some things to do at home anyways. I need to go," I assured and quickly bid them goodbye.

This night at the Reom mansion...

Ellie came from the bathroom, clad in her baby blue pyjamas. She plopped down on the sofa in between Nate and Dante. Ben sauntered towards his window and looked into the distance.

"Nate, can we cuddle?" Ellie turned to the blonde and pouted.

Nate gave her a side-glance, then sighed.

"Yes." He opened his arms and she climbed into his lap, straddling him.

Dante stood up and joined Ben at the window.

"I don't get why we're in an open relationship," Ellie mumbled into Nate's shoulder. He held her with one arm and gently caressed her back with the other.

"You don't even fuck me and I'm the only 10 out of 10 at our school. You guys are asexual or something. Why do you need the option to do it with other, less attractive girls. I don't get it."

"We already told you this is not up for discussion," Nate spoke into her ear, his deep warm voice sending goosebumps along her spine. She arched her back to press herself closer into him.

Drowsily, she lifted her head and blinked with half-shut eyes at him, her full lips seductively parted.

"Kiss me, Nate," she pleaded.

He stared down at her, his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

"Please, just a little good-night kiss!"

He sighed and leaned down to lay his lips on hers. Ellie purred as she pushed her mouth against his. He moved against her lips sensually, but his stayed sealed shut and when her tongue danced across his lips, he left her mouth and peppered small kisses along the crook of her neck. Ellie sighed in delight and relaxed into him. A few minutes later, she was asleep.

Nate carefully scooped her up and draped her onto the bed, then tugged the covers over her.

After whispering "Good night, princess", he joined his best friends at the window.

Ten metres away and one story lower, y/n lay in her bed, reading a romance book, unaware of the three pairs of eyes that lay on her. She wore her wide sleeping shirt, that reached barely mid-thigh and now, that she was lounging on her bed, it had ridden up, revealing her whole legs. Her skin glowed gently in the dim light of her fairy lights and the bedside lamp. When her eyelids sank and she could barely focus on the words anymore, she put the book aside. Stretching her body, she yawned heartily, then rubbed her eyes. She rolled onto her stomach and reached for the switch of her bedside lamp. She halted when her gaze fell onto one of the lit high windows of the Reom mansion. She thought, she could make out three silhouettes in the window that she knew now belonged to Ben's room. Squinting her eyes, her vision started to blur and the picture appeared like a hallucination. She shook her head and finally turned off the light.

The three boys stared at her darkened window for a moment, before they returned from their brooding state. They shot their best friends glances, seeing with relief that they were as confused as themselves about why they had just been watching their new friend so intensely.

"Y/n's very ordinary," Dante felt the need to mumble, hands in his pockets and dark brows furrowed low above his stunning eyes.

"Kind of," Nate chimed in, "Wouldn't say she's boring though. I could spend like...every minute with her. Somehow."

"Yeah, somehow."

"She's not ordinary." Ben looked back out of the window to the black of her window below them. "She's...strange," he mused. "And I don't know if I like it."

Nate ran his hand through his golden locks, then chuckled.

"When I think about it...I have to agree. She is strange."

He threw himself onto the couch, one arm above the backrest. "I mean, she has a strange humour... which is kind of funny."

"It's strange that she doesn't seem to have a clue that she looks actually really...presentable," Dante added.

"Presentable," Nate repeated mockingly, "You mean like in beautiful?"

"Yes, whatever."

"She feels good," Ben murmured, "Hugging her feels really good."

"God, you need to get laid, Ben," Dante chuckled.

Ben snorted and flicked his finger against his friend's temple, who flinched with a laughter.

☆・*。