A/N

I don't mean to sound selfish by saying this, I really don't, but I sometimes feel as if I'm the only (fluff) writer left here (that somewhat regularly updates, at least).

This is not to discredit any other writers, of course. Just letting my feelings out.

And also letting you know that I'll never, never write proper angst. I know people can be sensitive so... yeah. I just wish more people would specify what type of fic/oneshot they've written.

But if you're still here, even by just a little bit... Thank you :).

Anyway, rant over, time for video games.

Enjoy.

🕹🕹🕹

🎮ℕ𝕪𝕒🎮

The next day comes, and I'm actually excited for once.

I get ready quickly, way earlier than normal.

My steps slow down when I pass by my parents' room, however, not wanting to wake Kai up. I still haven't learned his work schedule, and if I'm being honest, I don't think I ever will.

Still, I make sure to grab my coat and backpack, running out of the house in a hurry.

Despite still not knowing how to drive, I feel an urge to drive to school today.

Although, I hesitate.

Not worth it. At least not today.

I turn on my heel, slowing down as I take out my phone.

I've got time for one more game.

🕹🕹🕹

"Remember to sign up for the organising team at the principal's office by the end of the week," Ms Misako tells us as we all leave the classroom. I don't think anyone bothered to listen to her, though.

I go outside, where Skylor's already waiting for me with a big grin.

I raise an eyebrow at her sudden happiness as we walk to my locker.

"Excited for the end of the day?" I tell her, opening my locker and taking out my books.

"Guess who gets to be this year's prom organiser!" she says, pointing at herself.

"Gee, I wonder who..."

It's only March, so I don't really get the hype about May's prom. But it is going to be our last one, so I can't blame her.

"That would be correct!" she says cheerfully. "I get to skip like four classes a week for a month just to put on some decorations!"

And now I learn the real reason she's excited for this new job.

I trust Skylor with organising events (she does run her own restaurant, after all), but something tells me that Principal Garmadon won't be all too happy when he discovers that noodles are the only dish that's going to be on the menu.

Suddenly, she stops.

"Oh, right, I have to take you home."

As she walks away, I frown. "Aren't we going to go to the club?"

She comes to a halt yet again, blinking as she turns to face me.

"Wait, so you want to join?"

I smiled awkwardly. "I thought I had already joined."

"Oh," she says, her face lighting up. "Well, welcome to the club, then!"

She grabs me by the hand and drags me all the way upstairs, not letting me escape her grip as she drags me to the club room.

"We have a fifth member!" she announces, not even letting Lloyd do the secret code thing before busting through the door.

My fave turns red when the spotlight is on us, but to my surprise, I'm only met with smiles.

Lloyd's is the biggest one. "Finally, someone with common sense joins," he jokes, and Seliel responds by throwing her magazine at him.

"Perhaps we ought to celebrate our new member a PE session."

"Jason in the background while we play?" Seliel says and everyone but me nods in agreement. Lloyd opens his phone and puts one of Gordon's streams in the background as if it were merely a background noise to him.

How anyone can find the guy's voice relaxing is beyond me, but I'm not here to critisise his squeaky voice.

"Still can't believe you don't like the guy," Lloyd tells me, booting up his game. "At least look him up on social media."

"I'm not some crazy fan, Lloyd," I say, rolling my eyes as I plop down on the floor beside him. "I'm not gonna stalk his profile or anything."

🕹🕹🕹

Fine, maybe one picture.

I roll around my bed, thankful that I got home rather quickly. I take out my phone, curiosity overtaking me.

I open his profile, and it's filled with anything but celebrity photos.

One photo is of him and his friends making a crown out of straws. I recognise one of them as Zane, Pixal's boyfriend. As for the other one, I'm not so sure. He does remind me of someone, I just can't remember who...

I check the tags and look at his username, his identity immediately coming back to me.

Cole Brookstone, Lou Hence's son. I don't remember which one of the Royal Blacksmiths he is, but he's the most famous one of them all, so probably the lead singer.

I look at another photo, which is a livestream announcement. The game? Prime Empire, of course.

I can't help but roll my eyes at the lack of creativity. His avatar is quite literally just an exact copy of himself.

"Talk about a big ego..." I think to myself, swiping to see the next photo.

This time, it was a collage consisting of a recent photoshoot, one that was all over those gossip magazines when it was published.

'Fallen Angel' was the theme, advertising some sort of perfume of whatever. I'm allergic myself, so I'm not too intrigued by the product itself despite the nice bottle it came in.

Still, his outfit was a bit... revealing, to say the least. And those huge, realistic wings didn't help either.

Whatever my opinion may be of him, Skylor was right. I can't deny that he's absolutely gorgeous.

Then again, makeup and editing can be deceiving, so I don't hold my breath. You never know how a person truly looks like until you see them in their natural state, away from all the cameras and paparazzi.

I go to click on one more, when a text bubble slides from the top of my screen.

SuperstarRockinJay: ya there?

I smile, clicking on the notification. I'm glad for Prime Empire having a Private Message system.

He sees that I've read the message and he continues to type quickly.

SuperstarRockinJay: how about that story?

I'm only slightly disappointed that he didn't notice my new User ID, but I guess I can't blame him. I brush it off, focusing on his words instead.

My smile turns into a grin. I don't know why, but I just feel warm inside knowing that he remembers it still.

So, I tell him. I tell him about Sky, dragging me into the club, how I first learned about the game... everything.

It feels like hours come and go as we talk, though barely an hour passes by the time I've finished my story.

Something tells me to open up the game, have something to keep me occupied while we're talking...

Another part of me though, it wants to focus on him.

I wrestle with the covers, sliding beneath them slowly as I pick up my phone, awaiting eagerly to see his response.

SuperstarRockinJay: So... you learned of it through your brother?

I bite my lip slightly, my fingers heavy on my screen as I type out my reply.

DazzlingJamminNya: I've only seen him play it. We don't really talk.

At this point, he stops for a bit, and I worry that I may have scared him away. I mean, it's not his business, so why did I even share it with him?

At last, he starts typing again.

SuperstarRockinJay: is he a bad person?

The question catches me off-guard, but I still reply.

DazzlingJamminNya: nope. We're just going through things, I guess.

I wipe my eyes with my blanket, cursing at myself for tearing up over something like this. Ignoring Kai's existence has been the norm for me for months now, that someone would actually question it... I didn't expect it.

By the time I look at the screen again, he had sent another message.

SuperstarRockinJay: Friendly advice, just talk to him. Before it's too late.

Okay, now he just sounds like one of those fake psychics Sky used to believe in.

DazzlingJamminNya: Late for what?

SuperstarRockinJay: You never know when things can end. So... shoot your shot, I guess.

I look at the screen in confusion, but the next message makes me laugh.

SuperstarRockinJay: hope I don't sound too creepy.

I shake my head and bury it in my pillow, my smile stretching across my lips.

DazzlingJamminNya: you're less creepy than some others I've met on here.

I shudder at the memory of our first-ever group session at the club today. I swear, I've never seen so many dudes try and hit on a fictional avatar before.

While I was, as you'd expect, surprised, Sky spent her time laughing in the corner, especially when a dude mistook Lloyd's avatar for a girl's.

SuperstarRockinJay: is that a good thing...?

I chuckle to myself, feeling Sky's mischievousness rubbing off on me.

DazzlingJamminNya: I don't know, is it?

SuperstarRockinJay: I'll take that as a yes ;).

I cover myself with the blanket completely now, preparing to say goodbye and finally take a nap.

But he gets to it first.

SuperstarRockinJay: wait

SuperstarRockinJay: is that a new User ID?

I cheer inside, proud and satisfied that he finally noticed.

I decide to be snarky, replying almost instantly.

DazzlingJamminNya: I got inspired by someone ;).

I can feel my face heating up when he replies with the same tone.

SuperstarRockinJay: I wonder who ;).

SuperstarRockinJay: So your name's Nya?

I nod.

And then I mentally slap myself for not realising that he can't see me nodding through the phone.

DazzlingJamminNya: Yes

I couldn't have written a more vanilla response, yet his makes my heart flutter.

SuperstarRockinJay: It's a pretty name :).

I bite my lip, lowering my head and blushing as if he were next to me.

Then I realise that I don't really know who's even next to me. Or, more accurately, whom I'm even talking to.

Still, I can't help but feel I've made a friend.

DazzlingJamminNya: I've gotta go. Thanks for listening to me.

I could be nicer, sure, but I'm really tired. I don't think I'll thank him for the compliment just yet, though; I'm not even sure if it was a compliment, anyway.

Unsurprisingly, he accepts it, and we both say our goodbyes.

It feels... odd; how I talked to someone I don't even know for over an hour. Maybe it's Kai's stranger-danger lessons having an impact on me, maybe it's just a normal thing between players to talk outside of the game.

I guess I'll ask Sky about it.

I lie on my back, Jay's advice still on my mind.

Again, I don't know him, so the advice seemed... oddly convenient. He didn't know me either, so he doesn't know anything about me and Kai. He can't possibly give advice on a situation he doesn't know.

But then again, maybe he's right. After the first month or so, I sort of just... gave up on Kai. We never had much in common anyway, so...

I turn my head and look at the picture of our parents by the night table.

Carefully, I brush my thumb over the glass, sighing. They would know what to do.

Then again, they'd also hate to see us apart. Me and Kai used to be inseparable, so... I don't know. I honestly don't anymore.

I get out of bed, looking at the floor intensely as I grip my phone.

I put on my slippers and slowly make my way to the living room.

As always, Kai's doing the same thing.

He's playing Prime...

... Empire.

It finally clicks.

I walk over to him slowly, giving him a small wave as I stand in front of the TV.

I lean down, taking the second, dusty controller in my hand as I sink next to him on the couch.

He pauses the game and looks at me curiously. "Everything okay?" he asks.

I lift the controller up slightly, smirking as I speak. "Care for a game?"

To my surprise, he smiles.