Chapter Five
Rodney
“Hi guys! Nice to see you again!” Damien says from behind the counter of The Devil’s Sweet Tooth. “Thanks again for that little shout out a while back. We got so busy after that with people coming and checking us out.”
“No worries,” Rin says right away. “You know we can’t seem to get enough of this place.”
“Do you want your usual?”
“Yes, please!”
Damien walks away from the counter towards the glass display case where they keep all their ‘adult candies’. Things with alcohol or candies that will get you high. He selects the kind that Rin prefers, tossing them onto the counter with the rest of his things.
We catch up a bit before we’re taking our candy and leaving the mall. Normally, we would drive but because the weather was so nice, we decided to walk. As professional streamers, it’s important we force ourselves to get outside once in a while. It’s important to touch grass and all that.
“Why are you pouting? Shouldn’t you be happy?” Kei asks, turning towards me.
“I’m not pouting.”
“You totally are,” Rin says right away, pointing at my face. “Right there. If you pout any harder, those wrinkles might stay and you’re far too young to be all wrinkly.”
“Fuck off,” I say but there’s no heat behind the words. “I don’t know. I was catching a vibe from Snow. Wait. I mean, Gayle,” I correct myself, ignoring the heat that runs down my spine at saying his real name. “But then he’s got a teenage kid and a partner! Sorry if that bums me out.”
Kei tilts his head to the side. “He doesn’t have a partner. I’ve got nothing to say about the kid though. If that’s too much for you, that’s fine. It would probably freak me out if the person I was interested in had a kid.”
“That’s not. I don’t.” I run my hand through my hair, trying to unscramble my thoughts. “I don’t care that he’s got a kid,” I tell my friends.
“Then what’s the deal?”
“He’s got a partner!”
Kei shakes his head. “I don’t think he does.”
“How do you know?” Rin asks.
Kei taps his nose. “He smells like a shifter. I’d be able to smell if he was mated.
He just smelled like himself, no one else has been rubbing up against him and that other guy was an alpha too which means if they were together, they’d smell like they’d just rubbed up against each other.
Trust me, man. My nose is pretty spot on about these things. ”
I do my best not to hope but without my permission, there I go, hoping. Maybe that guy was just Calloway’s other dad? Maybe they’re not actually together?
I should really learn not to assume about these types of things. Gayle said he was interested in playing with me again and I should just stick to that and take him at his word. At the very least, I could ask him if he’s single. Then I’d know one way or another.
“Thanks, Kei,” I say, bumping my shoulder with his.
“It’s whatever. I just didn’t wanna smell you pining all weekend.”
“You love me.”
“Yeah? So? Is that so awful?”
Rin starts giggling. “No one said it was awful! Calm down!”
We banter and laugh at each other all the way back to our house, my chest feeling just a little bit lighter from what Kei told me.
I bring my laptop into bed with me, sinking down into my sheets which are freshly cleaned. I sigh happily, loving the feeling of freshly cleaned laundry around me. I tuck a few pillows on either side of me, encasing myself in a miniature nest of sorts.
I open a new tab, typing out Snow’s full username. It’s Monday night and Snow is live. Once the ads are done playing, I finally get to see his face again.
My stomach is a mess and I can feel my face heating. Gods, am I really this hopeless when it comes to this little crush? I am down horrendous.
“Okay, chat,” he’s saying as he plays another battle royale type game.
This one is a bit different than the one we played the other night.
Instead of it being hyperrealistic, this one is super cartoony.
When you use a weapon, it makes a silly ‘pew pew’ sound and everything.
“I’m feeling so confident that if I lose this one, I’ll gift the community five subs. ”
CJforMayor(mods): I believeeeee
SnowsOffspring(vip): Don’t choke
BedheadRooster: Someone’s feeling confident tonight…
SwanDive: Don’t choke on deez
CJforMayor(mods): Don’t finish that sentence
I didn’t realize Rooster had started watching Snow. I love seeing familiar names in chat. When I sit in Blue’s stream, I love seeing his community talk amongst themselves and bully Rin. I swear, there are whole relationships blooming in that chat.
The same cannot be said for my chat. Whatever Rooster and WhoCares have got going on cannot be called love, not unless they have a kink for bullying each other.
Okay, now that I think about it, maybe that’s exactly what those two are up to.
“Thanks for the dono, Charlie’s Chocolate. Am I single? Oh lord,” Gayle says, looking away from the game for a moment to read the dono. “I don’t normally talk about my personal life too much on stream, you guys know that. But yeah, I’m single.”
BedheadRooster: *cough* I’ll have to make sure Rodney knows *cough*
billstopay(mod): What happens in Snow chat stays in Snow chat
SnowsOffspring(vip): *gigglesnort* hopefully not for long
“Not you too,” Gayle says with a groan. “You’re grounded.”
My heart hammers in my chest. I close my eyes for a moment. Gayle is single. That guy in the store wasn’t his mate or boyfriend or partner. Oh my gods. Maybe I have a chance?
Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself here. I focus back on the stream, watching as Gayle finishes the match. He wins and I can’t help but feel a little hot and bothered by the gameplay. I cannot believe I find him playing well so hot. I’m such a nerd.
Before I second guess myself, I subscribe to Gayle’s channel. I bite my bottom lip as the notification pops up on screen.
“Thank you for the new sub,” Gayle says right away, out of habit. Then he looks at my name and I watch his eyes widen. “Oh, Rodney! Hi! Are you in chat?”
RodKneeonComs: I’m here! :)
SnowsOffspring(vip): Hi Rodney! Don’t say anything weird please!
RodKneeonComs: I would never dream of it! I’m a PG streamer thank you very much!
BedheadRooster: I’ve heard the things you say about Clifford Lloyd…
RodKneeonComs: This ain’t about him! We’re focusing on Snow!
Clifford Lloyd is a fictional character in an RPG I’ve played on stream. It’s not my fault the man is sex on long legs! I may or may not have said I would let him tie me in his basement to use however he see fit. It was one time! Can’t a streamer thirst in peace!
“I’m happy to see you here,” Gayle says with a grin at the camera. “Mods, can you vip Rodney please?” He reads through a few more donos and names a few more people with subscriptions before jumping into a new match.
I type in chat and find myself grinning at the little VIP tag beside my name. It’s when Gayle gets two shots off, one right after the other while running through a field that I finally crack and make a fool of myself.
RodKneeonComs(vip): Respectfully…
RodKneeonComs(vip): *bark bark bark bark bark*
BedheadRooster: Oh lord, here he goes..
RodKneeonComs(vip): IM SORRY BUT THAT WAS SO HOT
SnowsOffspring(vip): *covers my eyes*
billstopay(mod): Get behind me, Spawn! We’ll save you from the pervy streamer!
JumpingNinja: HI RODNEY!
starportaldestroyer: I mean.. He’s not wrong…
CJforMayor(mod): Look what you started Rodney! Now the chat is thirsty!
SkateboardKid(vip): Someone get the hose!
“Godsdamnit, Rodney,” Gayle says with a chuckle, his cheeks turning the most beautiful red color. “Stop trying to distract me! You’re terrible!”
RodKneeonComs(vip): Sorry sorry! I’ll try to reel it in!
WhoCares: *scoffs* I’ll believe it when I see it
RodKneeonComs(vip): What are you even DOING here!
BedheadRooster: Ohhh my favorite grump is here!
WhoCares: I’m leaving
CJforMayor(mod): Nuuu don’t leave! We’re such a better chat than Rodney’s! Trust!
I laugh to myself, watching the chat try to persuade WhoCares into staying. He’s always so grumpy but he’s almost always in chat whenever I go live. He’s a real one.
Gayle loses this match but that’s okay because he wins the next one. He’s really good at these types of games and it’s really fun to watch him. I almost wish he had a hand cam so I could see his technique.
At the end of the stream, he says goodbye to everyone. I’m about to close my laptop when a ping of a direct message comes through. I open it up, my stomach fluttering when I see it’s Gayle.
SnowbodysSorry: Are you on Discord?
I quickly give him my Discord information and we friend each other. It’s much easier to talk one on one over there.
Snow: It made me really happy to see you in chat today
Rodney: It was super fun! Your streams have a nice vibe
Snow: Thanks :D Do you still wanna do something on Thursday together? It’s fine if you don’t. No pressure or anything!
Rodney: I would love to. Do you have something in mind?
Snow: Have you seen that Halloween game? If you get your roommates to play, we’d have a pretty good lobby.
Rodney: Hell yeah! That sounds like a blast. I’ll talk to them and let you know!
Snow: It’s a date!
I stare at the words before closing my laptop. My stomach is a complete mess. A date? Surely, he didn’t mean it the way I want him to mean it, right? It’s not really a date because Rin and Kei will be there too.
Why are these feelings so complicated? Why are they completely taking me over? Ugh, I feel like such a mess when it comes to Gayle.
I put my laptop away and make my way into the kitchen where Kei and Rin are already sitting. Maki is here as well, waving at me when I step in.
I go into the fridge and pull out a soda, sitting down with my friends.
“Do you guys have plans on Thursday?”
“Not really,” Rin says, shaking his head. “Probably just stream my current Dungeons run. Right now I’m playing as an evil thief and chat has been eating it up.”
“Kei?”
“I have a commission I need to finish up on but otherwise I’m free. What’s up?”
“Do you wanna try that Halloween game with me and Snow?”
Kei freezes, turning to look at me while Rin hides his smile behind his hand.
“Snow is the man you barked at, right?” Maki asks, tilting his head to the side.
“Yes. Yes, it is.”
“And he still wishes to play with you?”
“He does,” I say slowly. “He’s the one who suggested the game. It’s a horror game where one person is the killer and the others in the lobby have to work together to break out of the house. It should be really fun.”
“Count me in,” Rin says with a grin. “My chat loved hearing you make a fool of yourself last time.”
“I’m also in,” Kei says. “I felt left out last time so this is perfect.”
“I hate you both.”
“You don’t.”
“I do.”
“Nope.”
I aggressively drink my soda but that only results in me spilling it all along the front of my shirt. Kei starts laughing so hard he’s wheezing and Maki hands me a napkin. At least Rin’s boyfriend has some manners! These other two could learn a lot from him, thank you very much!
“Great. Thanks,” I say with a huff. “I’ll let Snow know we’re on for Thursday.”
“We’re delighted to be chaperoning your date, Rodney,” Rin says as I go back to my room.
The rest of the week flies by. Gayle will come say hi during my streams and I’ll go say hi during his.
It’s adorable, to be flirting like this.
Every time, I can’t help but grin even though chat teases me.
Thankfully, I’m not the only one affected because every time I jump into Gayle’s streams, he blushes so prettily.
Somehow, between one blink and another, it’s Thursday and I suddenly don’t feel ready.
Time doesn’t really care if I’m ready or not because now, I’m joining a Halloween lobby with my two best friends and my crush. I’m sure nothing could possibly go wrong.