Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Kei
I change the title of my stream to ‘Date Night’ and then hit the go live button, throwing up my ‘starting soon’ screen. This is either going to be super fun or a complete and utter disaster. Honestly? It might be a little of both.
Sookie and I have an interesting dynamic.
He’s been my mod since I started streaming just because he was in chat, yelling at people to not be weird.
I took an instant liking to him, especially because he can handle how grumpy I am.
He’s not afraid to push back, or tell me when I’m in the wrong. I like having him around.
We talk, we tease each other, we prod at each other’s walls, but so far, nothing serious has ever happened between us. I can tell he’s not interested in anything more than what we already are but for some fucking reason, he sent me that care package?
I was fine just thinking of him as this disembodied being who riled me up over text and made sure my chat was under control. I was fine pining over a person I knew I would never meet or get to know past our pleasantries online.
He’s the one who broke that wall and dipped his toes into something more.
He’s left me floundering and part of me resents him for that.
We could have kept doing this weird dance where we talk and flirt and poke at each other.
We could have enjoyed this ‘will they, won’t they’ dance, knowing it would never come to anything.
I run my hands through my hair, sitting back in my computer chair with a loud sigh. Thank Christ I’m not like Rodney and I actually know how to mute my mic because there’s no way in hell I’d let chat hear me sounding like this.
I sound like a lovesick asshole.
Maybe I am a lovesick asshole.
Nah, that would mean I’m in love and fuck that. I’m too mean to fall in love. Love is for people who’re soft and kind. Love is for people like my best friends, Rin and Rodney. Love is for people like Maki and Gayle. I’m not like them. I’ll stick with fucking and going home alone.
Rubbing at my eyes, I double check that I look okay before flipping the scene of my stream. Now I’m front and center, my webcam taking up the whole stream screen.
“Hi, everybody,” I say in greeting. “How’s it going? I see there’s more people here than usual. Y’all have got to get your voyeur kink under control. I say I’m having an online date and you’re all fucking creaming yourselves to watch.”
CherryCherry: Love the tone we’re starting the stream with…
GuessWhat(vip): This is going to be GREAT
GuessWhat(vip): Also HEY! Don’t kinkshame us!
WizeWizard(mod): I’ve been looking forward to this stream all week
“Hey, Wizard?” I say, looking into the camera. “Go fuck yourself.”
WizeWizard(mod): Nah, that’s Azaad’s job
GuessWhat(vip): Heyooo?? 0.0
Azaad(mod): *blushes*
ExcitedOwl: WHAT DID I JUST WALK INTO???
OliverandCompany(vip): Hi Suga! Sully and I are watching together! He says hi too!
BedheadRooster: I’m so excited for this stream
“Jesus Christ,” I say through gritted teeth as I watch my viewer count skyrocket.
That’s when the notification pops up on the screen.
‘BlueStreamer has raided you with 34k viewers’.
I am going to kill him. I am going to actually walk out my door, walk over to Rin’s streaming room, and cover his face with a pillow until he stops squirming.
“I hate you. I hate you all. Out of all the streams to raid, you pick this one. Of fucking course. While you’re all here, make sure you subscribe because I’d love the money but otherwise, you really don’t have to stay.
I’m just going to be playing a co-op game with one of my mods. It’s no big deal.”
I read through chat, smiling the tiniest bit to myself. “Hi, Oli. Hi, Sully. I know you’re only here to watch me suffer but it’s nice to know you’re here. You’ll know if you need to come and help me drink my embarrassment away in real time.”
OliverandCompany(vip): Just don’t do anything embarrassing?
WhoCares: Sounds like a skill issue
TenMonster(vip): Are you good at dating? I could use some advice if you are.
Azaad(mod): I wouldn’t say he’s GOOD at dating…
“Okay, first of all,” I say, looking into the camera. “Go fuck yourself, Azaad. And before you get on my case, I’m not trying to fuck your man, Wizard. Jesus. Second of all, of course I’m good at dating, Ten. What do you need advice about?”
TenMonster(vip): I am thinking about kissing a boy for the first time. He’s my friend though, so I’m worried about making things awkward.
GuessWhat(vip): 0.0
ExcitedOwl: OMG THATS SO CUTE!!! ANOTHER BOYKISSER IN THE CHAT!
BlueStreamer(mod): I am sat for Suga’s advice hour
“A fellow boykisser,” I read, unable to keep myself from smiling.
“I think that’s amazing, Ten. Good for you.
I think when it comes to kissing a friend, the best you can do is just ask if it’s okay.
Find a moment when it’s just the two of you, maybe scoot closer to him on the couch, make sure the mood is set with dark lights, and then just ask him. ”
RodKneeonComs(mod): Instructions unclear. Too dark. Ended up kissing a pillow instead.
OliverandCompany(vip): LAWL
CherryCherry: …not terrible advice
GuessWhat(vip): Just do what I do and guess if they’re into you or not. Never failed me yet.
TenMonster(vip): I will take all of this under consideration. Thank you.
I thank a few of my new subs before turning to my second monitor and checking Discord. Sookie is in a call waiting for me. With a final sigh, I jump into the call.
“Hi, Sookie,” I say, doing my best to keep my nerves from being too obvious. This is all fake. All of it is a set up because of a stupid game we played during the charity stream. It means nothing. So why the fuck is my heart hammering in my chest like this is an actual first date?
Fuck me.
“Hi, Suga,” he says back. I fucking hate it when fans try to use my real name. I want that divide between us. I want them to know that I’m not really their friend. For the first time, probably ever, I desperately want him to call me by my real first name. I want to hear Sookie’s voice call me Kei.
“You downloaded the game already, right?” I had to pick something I knew his shitty ass computer could handle.
“Oh, right! About that,” he says and I swear I can hear a smile in his voice. “It says it’s got thirty-seven more hours to go. You’ve got time, right?”
“I swear to god, Sookie.”
Sookie snorts and I feel my shoulders fall away. “I’m kidding! Don’t get all bent out of shape. Invite me into the lobby and we’ll get started.”
“Great,” I say with more venom than necessary. Out of all my mods, Sookie is the most strict. He’s also the one who can ragebait me the easiest. I don’t know what it is about him but I always end up getting all fired up about his little teasing messages. He knows exactly how to press my buttons.
The two of us get into the same lobby and start the game. This is a collaborative escape room type game. We’ll go from level to level, working together to get to the next area. We’ll have to figure out puzzles and work together.
What better way to experience a first date, right?
Okay, so maybe this was a terrible idea.
ExcitedOwl: Not to be parasocial but I think I work with Sookie
WizeWizard(mod): Damn, this is brutal…
OliverandCompany(vip): It’s like a car crash.. You just can’t look away..
TenMonster(vip): …I thought this was supposed to be a date? Why do they keep screaming at each other?
TenMonster(vip): Maybe taking dating advice from Suga was a bad idea…
GuessWhat(vip): Hold my hand @TenMonster I don’t think I can handle watching this alone!
GorillaJoe: I think it might be foreplay?? Maybe??
TenMonster(vip): How can I hold your hand when we are not in the same place?
GuessWhat(vip): *pouts*
Makiplaysvolleyball(vip): This doesn’t seem like the proper way to treat someone on a date.
“Fuck off,” I say, looking over at chat. “No flirting while I’m on my date!”
“Quit looking at chat and help me find the right fucking letter. Jesus Christ. Can’t you focus for five seconds? We’ve been stuck on this level for like thirty minutes because you won’t hand me one stupid letter!”
“I’m looking! It would help if you’d stop screaming at me!”
“You were not! I have your stream pulled up! I know for a fact that you’ve walked past the fucking letter three times now!”
I huff, gritting my teeth. “I have not! What the fuck?”
“I’m so serious right now, Suga. If you pass the letter one more time without grabbing it, I’m going to disconnect from this stupid game.”
Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Don’t do it.
I purposefully walk past the letter again. Then I look into the camera and give a little wink.
I wait a moment and when the stream delay finally hits, I hear Sookie actually screaming. Then I hear banging as he slams his headphones against the table. He disconnects from the game.
Chat goes absolutely wild.
“Oh my gods,” I get out between fits of laughter. I laugh so hard my stomach starts to hurt. Gods, is this how he feels when he gets my gears going when he’s in chat.
GuessWhat(vip): I’m not sure if I’m allowed to laugh or not
WizeWizard(mod): Suga… that was mean even for you..
OliverandCompany(vip): Sully wants you to know you’re an asshole and he will NOT be coming over tonight
ExcitedOwl: Wooooow
TenMonster(vip): This has been a truly terrible date
“Shut up, Ten,” I say, wiping my face. “I had a fabulous time right there at the end. It’s not my fault someone got their panties all twisted up.”
“I’m still here, you jackass. I don’t wear panties so stop thinking about me in such. Also hi, Owl! Please don’t doxx me!”
ExcitedOwl: I WOULD NEVER! brOS BEFORE HOES!
“Hey!” I cry out. “I’m not a hoe! What the fuck, Owl!”
Sookie just chuckles and the noise does something inside my chest. I like the way he sounds when he laughs. It’s much better than when he’s screaming at me.