Friday, March 18, 2005
(Leah)
By the time I dragged myself home after work, all I wanted was food, silence, and maybe unconsciousness. Preferably in that order.
Instead, I opened the door and walked straight into chaos.
There, sprawled on the couch like a gremlin, was my little brother Seth. A slice of pizza dangled from his mouth, one hand glued to his Nintendo 64 controller while the other mashed buttons like his life depended on it. The TV flashed with the chaotic colors of Killer Instinct Gold, and Seth's desperate button-smashing filled the whole living room.
And sitting right next to him, cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk, mid-chew, was my boyfriend, Mike.
Who was also mashing buttons like a man possessed.
"TAKE THAT!" Mike yelled just as his Sabrewulf unleashed a thirty-six-hit Ultra Combo. The word Perfect exploded across the screen like he'd just won an Olympic event.
Seth let his controller drop onto his lap and snatched the pizza from his mouth to shout, "That's not fair! You always use Sabrewulf! He's the easiest character in the game!"
Mike didn't even blink. "Hate the game, not the player," he said, then chugged an entire glass of soda like he was reenacting a commercial.
I sighed, kicked off my shoes, and walked over to the couch. Mike turned his head before I even sat down; right, wolf senses, and smiled at me with that ridiculous goofy grin of his.
"Hello there, gorgeous."
Smooth. Very smooth.
I kissed him on the cheek and grabbed a slice of pizza before Seth could yell at me.
Too late.
"HEY! That's OUR pizza! And you can't sit there! This is boys' night!"
I took a bite, chewed once, and opened my mouth wide, half-chewed pizza on full display. "Here, you want it back?"
Seth recoiled like I'd tried to hand him nuclear waste. "You're DISGUSTING!"
Mike snorted mid-chew and almost inhaled a pepperoni.
And then it hit me. Right, Mike was here.
Which meant he just saw me do that.
A wave of embarrassment washed over me. But he didn't even react, he just kept smiling like I'd done something adorable instead of horrifying.
"So," I said, trying to salvage my dignity, "boys' night, huh?"
Mike nodded earnestly. "Yep! Seth invited me over. Hope you don't mind?"
"You spending more time with my brother than with me?" I said sweetly. "No, I don't mind at all."
"Oh. Good."
The idiot looked genuinely relieved, the sarcasm going right over his head.
I had to fight the urge to smack my forehead.
My eyes drifted to the TV, and revenge glimmered like a gift from the spirits themselves. I turned to Seth and held out my hand.
"All right. Give it here, squirt."
Seth tried to protest, but one look from me and he wilted instantly, placing the controller in my palm like a peasant offering tribute.
"Let's see how good you are," I told Mike.
He raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want your ass beat?"
I didn't bother answering. He'd find out soon enough.
Mike picked Sabrewulf again, of course he did, and I selected Spinal, the skeleton pirate. As soon as the match started, Mike went aggressive, mashing buttons with all the confidence of someone who'd been bullying my brother for hours.
Too bad for him I knew Spinal like the back of my hand.
Teleport. Shield counter. Teleport again.
Mike didn't land a single hit.
"Wait, hold on, Leah-what-HEY!"
Too late.
I caught his Sabrewulf in an Ultra Combo so brutal Seth actually cheered, bits of pizza flying out of his mouth.
Mike's health bar hit zero, and with a perfect input, two giant skeletal hands burst out of the ground beneath him. A massive skull slammed down on Sabrewulf from above.
Fatality.
Beautiful.
Seth pumped both fists. "YES! PAYBACK!"
Mike just stared at the screen, frozen, controller limp in his hands.
His face was priceless, eyes wide, completely betrayed.
I smirked and took another bite of pizza. "Still boys' night?"
He blinked slowly. "I… I need a moment."
I leaned back on the couch, suddenly a lot less tired than before.
Yeah. Coming home to this wasn't bad at all.
…
After a few hours of playing Mario Kart, Conker, and Super Smash Bros, and inhaling a disgusting amount of junk food, especially Mike, whose stomach apparently had a portal to another dimension, Seth finally started yawning. The twelve-year-old rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and turned to Mike.
"Time for bed, Mike. Come on, I got a mattress with your name on it in my room."
My eye twitched.
Seth was acting like Mike wasn't my boyfriend at all, but one of his little buddies he'd invited for a sleepover. And sure, it wasn't like I could sneak Mike into my room without Dad having an aneurysm on the spot, but still…
Mike seemed to pick up on my mood.
"Go ahead," he told Seth gently. "I'll be there in a minute."
Seth trudged upstairs, half asleep, controller still in hand, he only noticed when he almost dropped the game console because he was tugging on it with the cable.
Once he was gone, Mike turned back to me with that soft smile of his, the one that made my heart do stupid things.
"Hey," he said quietly.
I smiled back before I could stop myself. "Thanks… for being so nice to my annoying little brother."
"It's nothing," he shrugged. "He's a fun kid. And I'm good with kids."
I snorted. "Because you are a kid as well."
Mike didn't get offended; he just blinked in mild concern. "Is that a bad thing? I can try to act more mature if you want."
I rolled my eyes fondly. "No, it's fine. I love you just like this."
And then, right then, my brain caught up to my mouth.
Love?
Did I seriously just say that? Out loud? Like a complete idiot with zero self-preservation instincts?
But the more the word echoed in my head… the more it didn't feel wrong. It fit him. It fit us. That's probably why it slipped out so easily.
Mike, meanwhile, was looking at me like he had just ascended into some higher plane of existence. A full-on goofy grin. I could practically read the thought stamped across his forehead: 'She said she loves me.'
We stayed quiet for a second, both of us very aware of the moment. Mike cleared his throat, then gently took my hands in his.
"You… really love me?" he asked, lifting his eyes to mine, careful and hopeful all at once.
My face went nuclear. I suddenly couldn't keep eye contact, my gaze darted everywhere, my heart trying to escape my chest.
"Don't you think it's too soon to be using that word?" I croaked.
"Who set the rules?" Mike said softly. "The heart wants what it wants. There's nothing wrong with saying what we feel. I don't think there's a timeline for this. I love you, Leah."
His sincerity hit me like a punch. A gentle one, but still a punch. My throat tightened, my stomach filled with fluttering wings, and my heart, God, it was practically thundering.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but words refused to come out.
So I did the only thing I could.
I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him down into a kiss, pouring every tangled feeling straight into it. When we finally parted, my voice came back in a shaky breath.
"I love you too."
And just at that moment, I heard an excited squeal from behind us, my mom's. Because apparently, she'd been spying on us for a while now.
Fantastic.
I had completely forgotten my parents were even home, since they'd kept out of the way the entire night. Mike's face went red instantly, like someone had swapped it with a ripe tomato.
"Mom!" I groaned, dragging a hand down my face.
Mike cleared his throat, still flustered. "R-right. I should head up to Seth's room. He might still be awake waiting for me."
"Sure, go ahead," I sighed. "I'll stay here and have a word with my mom about respecting privacy…"
Mike quickly said good night to both me and mom, and then fled upstairs like this situation was more terrifying than a vampire.
Once he was gone, I turned to my mom, who finally stepped fully out of the hallway leading to her and dad's bedroom on the first floor.
Seeing my expression, she lifted her hands defensively. "Come on, dear, there's nothing to be ashamed of." When my glare didn't soften, she added, gentler, "For what it's worth, I like Mike much better than Sam. He's good for you. You seem much more relaxed with him. Like you don't have to pretend to be someone you're not."
My annoyance melted a little at that. "Yeah," I admitted. "I really like him."
Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "I know. I heard everything."
"Moooom!" I squeaked, mortified all over again.
…
(I'm not that sure about this chapter... It's not that I feel it's bad, just, maybe too fast? Idk. But well, I'm too lazy to make a rewrite. Share your thoughts, and give me those power stones if you liked it 🐢🎶)