This is not a game

This is not a game: Pizza run

Eli wakes up to the sound of laughter. Hi sits up and blinks his eyes open, trying to figure out what's happening. Lin Shen is laughing loudly, dodging Luo Ye, who, fake offence on his face, is attacking him with a pillow. There's no one else in the room, and his waking up, just like his arrival earlier, goes unnoticed.

Well, that is for about fifteen seconds — and then Qi Yi walks out of the kitchen and catches his gaze. Still sleepy, Eli doesn't have much control over his emotions or expressions, so he beams at him, practically glowing. It's a little embarrassing that he came over to someone else's place and fell asleep, but the joy easily overshadows any other feeling.

"Eli!" Luo Ye suddenly yells, causing Eli to break eye contact with Qi Yi.  The next moment, Luo Ye is jumping onto the bed, squeezing himself between Eli and the wall. "Save me!"

Lin Shen, still laughing, joins them and tries to tickle his friend. Eli, trapped between them, isn't spared either. He giggles and tickles Lin Shen in return. By the time the tangle of bodies breaks apart into three red-faced breathless people, any remaining awkwardness has long since disappeared.

"Is this how you treat guests?" comes Huang Kai's stern voice. Eli feels a bit embarrassed again, but Luo Ye dismisses it with a wave.

"Eli doesn't count as a guest anymore. He's the friendly neighborhood ninja."

Luo Ye is a big fan of Marvel comics.

"Did you really not notice when I arrived?" Eli laughs, and Luo Ye dramatically shakes his head.

"We've been slaving away half the day! When we paused for lunch, and our dear compiler went to the bathroom, I looked over and saw something moving by the wall. Scared the hell out of me! I almost jumped!"

"You definitely jumped," Lin Shen interrupts and, with a practiced ease, catches Luo Ye's finger mid-poke as the latter attempts to jab his side. "Straight into my arms, too."

Eli imagines the scene and isn't sure whether to laugh or apologize. Qi Yi sits down beside him and shoos the others off his bed.

"So, did you manage to eat lunch in the end?" Eli asks, suddenly feeling very hungry.

"We had lunch, then went back to work for a few more hours, and now we're getting ready for dinner," Lin Shen informs him. "You're a master sleeper, Eli. Respect."

Eli stares in shock at Qi Yi, who nods — confirming that yes, he really had slept through the entire day.

"Sorry, guys, I hadn't slept at all last night, but I definitely didn't mean to pass out here," Eli apologizes, but they all brush it off.

"Me and Eli will go get some pizza," Qi Yi volunteers. "To celebrate."

"Celebrate?" Eli asks, confused. Surely, they're not celebrating his visit? Did he miss something? Someone's birthday, maybe?

"We finished the first working demo version," Huang Kai explains and flashes him a rare carefree smile. Eli is convinced all these tall, handsome Chinese men must be conspiring to give him a heart attack. Huang Kai is annoyingly straight and doesn't attract him as a man, but that doesn't stop Eli from being aware of how devastatingly attractive the man is He stares dumbly at the unusually relaxed and happy leader of the group for a few moments until his boyfriend gives him a playful pinch, snapping him out of it.

They head out to get the pizza.

"Why didn't you sleep last night?" Qi Yi asks as soon as they step outside.

"Mmm... got tangled up in thoughts," Eli vaguely responds. He doesn't feel like explaining his very real, but admittedly silly, fears.

"You can come by anytime," Qi Yi says. "Or call me. If you're feeling lonely, or you miss me, or can't sleep. Or if you get tangled up in your thoughts."