Chapter 29
TROYE
I wasn’t used to wearing things that weren’t standard gamer attire. Graphic tees and jeans or cargo pants were basically my uniform. But I could hardly go to the big launch dressed in jeans with pizza stains and tees with holes in the armpits. So I might hate clothes shopping a little.
I did, however, don a pair of underwear that were electric blue and had fainting goats on them. No one would see them under my fancy new trousers. Well, Matthew would, but later in the evening after the launch party was over and his attention was all mine again.
The past few months had been hectic. Especially the past few weeks when we’d worked round the clock to get the bugs out of MushMushGo. We ran on fumes and caffeine like people who just brought a baby home. Only we were letting ours out into the world today.
By all measures, the game was already a success.
There’d been a substantial amount of preorders, something Jett attributed to me playing early versions on my channel.
Once people realized that the developers were actively listening to feedback, the game seemed to take on a life of its own.
Suggestions started to pour in, so many that I had to basically make it Charlie’s job to sift through chat and catch suggestions from people.
I had a form they could fill out if they needed to go into more detail than they could in chat.
Then, because I could, I made him deal with Jett about the suggestions from chat. Basically, I agreed to hand over all chat suggestions if he promised not to be a dick about it. It was a good system.
Jett and I had smoothed things over. It would do no good for either of us to hold a grudge, not when we both loved Matthew. But thankfully in different ways. Jett was his platonic bestie. A man who was his family through bonds of time and affection instead of blood.
“We’re going to be late.” Charlie called through my bedroom door. “You can’t get any prettier than you already are, Troye.”
“Someone’s impatient.” I pulled my door open and pushed past him, heading for the door.
I’d given up my apartment a few months ago.
I’d wanted to hold on to my independence for a while, but when I realized I was paying rent and utilities on a place I hadn’t been inside in over a month, that’s when I called it quits and moved in with Matthew officially.
“Someone was told there would be free food at the event, and I’m fucking starving.”
“Dude, you’re definitely supposed to eat before you go to these kinds of things. It prevents you from eating an entire platter of devilled eggs by yourself in ten minutes.”
Charlie scoffed. “As if a pesky thing like being full ever stopped people from ingesting too many devilled eggs.”
“Why do I feel like there’s a story there?” I glanced at him from the corner of my eye as we made our way out of the house and to where Charlie had parked when he came over to get ready with me.
“Because there is. There’s always a story. This one isn’t very interesting. Just me and some booze, and a Christmas party where my aunt brought devilled eggs and I stood there and basically ate the whole thing while my relatives argued over the best way to deep fry a turkey.”
Charlie continued to distract me with tales from his family all the way to the office, where the launch was taking place.
Officially, the game had launched last week, but the party was scheduled for today.
They were going to announce the amount of the first donation to the charity Matthew worked with.
All the sales from the game would be donated to this organization, but the presales and first week’s numbers had been kept tightly under wraps.
I’d worried the secrecy meant something bad, but when I asked Matthew about it, he just smiled at me and moved past the question with such skill that I almost didn’t realize he’d changed the subject.
When I did realize, his smile sparkled a little brighter, and he looked at me a little fonder as if he liked that I caught him. I didn’t press the issue. I let him have his surprises.
The party was in full swing when we walked in, and right away I started looking for Matthew. Not that he was hard to find. I just had to follow the source of the booming laughter and I’d find Jett, and where Jett was, Matthew was never far away.
“There they are.” I motioned to where they stood, surrounded by people dressed like I was, but they wore it better than I did. I dressed like I shopped in a catalog, and they dressed like they stepped off a fashion show runway.
“Who are they with?” Charlie leaned closer so he could whisper to me.
“No idea. I think some reps from the charity were going to show up. So probably them.”
Charlie clapped me on the back. “You have fun with the execs. I’m going to schmooze with the little people.” He motioned to the group of programmers that he’d met through fielding suggestions from my followers and passing them on to the developers.
“Lucky.”
Charlie blew me a kiss and then abandoned me to my fate.
The room was suddenly ten miles across and full of danger. The weight of people’s stares kept me from moving. Rational me knew that I’d only gotten a little attention, likely from people who knew me already and who were probably wondering why I was standing in one spot, staring at Matthew.
Then suddenly Matthew was on the move, striding toward me, his face split into a gorgeous smile that made my bones turn to liquid.
“You’re here.” He swept me close and brushed a chaste kiss against my lips.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“You’re not late. We’re just eager and started the party early.”
“That’s a lie but thank you.”
He slid his arm around me and tucked me against his side.
Usually, when we were at the office together, we kept things a little less close.
He’d put his hand on my back or gently brush his hand against mine when we walked together.
If the elevator was empty, he’d sometimes sneak kisses between floors.
Today his touch was more possessive than most times.
I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t like it.
“I want you to meet everyone.” He ushered me over to the group of people he’d been talking to before. Up close they were somehow less intimidating than they’d seemed when I was across the room. Maybe because now I had Matthew by my side.
Everyone turned out to be the heads of The Foundry, the charity that the game was going to directly benefit. They were all former foster kids who’d struggled in the system and who’d ultimately felt like they’d been forgotten and failed by it.
“I’ve been watching your channel since before you hit ten thousand subs,” one of them confessed. He was on the young side, but his eyes gave away the fact that he’d been through some shit. They were deep and soulful. The kind of eyes that could bring a man to his knees… for all the reasons.
“Thank you,” I managed not to trip over my tongue.
Matthew held me tighter, his fingers digging into my waist. It made me feel like he was possessive of me, like maybe I should flirt a little to drive him crazy, so maybe he’d be even more possessive of me.
On any other day, I might have. Just to be a brat.
Just to satisfy my inner insecure child who wanted constant validation and was willing to do stupid shit to get it.
But today was not the day. I pressed that urge down and ignored it and instead made polite small talk until I thought my brain might melt and leak out of my ears.
Finally, it was time for Matthew and Jett to make the big announcement, and that’s when Charlie appeared at my side.
Matthew had been collected by Jett mere moments before.
“How are you holding up?” he asked, concern pinching his brow.
“My social battery is mostly empty, but I’m okay. Hanging in there.” My smile was weak and tired, but still genuine so Charlie didn’t push it. “With any luck, I can leave after this.”
Charlie started to say something but stopped when Jett started banging a spoon against a glass. A hush fell over the room like a wave and when everyone was silent, Jett stopped clanking the spoon.
“Now that I have everyone’s attention, I’m giving the floor to Matthew, who likes talking to people.” Jett delivered the line with a smile, and he got a roar of laughter from the room, but I wondered how much of what he said was the absolute truth.
“Thanks, Jett.” Matthew took center stage.
Well, it wasn’t really a stage, but he stood at the head of the room and everyone turned to face him.
“As you all know, The Foundry, an organization that helps kids in and aging out of foster care, is near and dear to both Jett and me, but no matter how much it means to us, it means a whole lot more to the kids that it helps. And that’s why Jett and I wanted to pursue something like this.
Donations are great, but they’re a one-time thing most of the time.
Charities like this one need constant support because there is, unfortunately, constant need.
” Matthew paused to take a sip of his water.
“With presales and first week numbers, we’ve officially raised $750,000.
That’s almost a million for the kids. That money will go a long way to making sure kids have the essentials. Food. Safety. An education.”
A round of applause went up, drowning out whatever Matthew was trying to say. He paused and waited for it to die down before continuing.
“Gemstone Games is proud to support The Foundry and the kids who need it, and we acknowledge that none of this would have happened without the ideas and expertise of Troye, also known as SilentHowl. He’s been an integral part of the game.
He’s contributed countless ideas and hours to making this the best product it could be.
And he doesn’t know this, but in the final upload, we tweaked a few things and there will be a fully interactive friend with his name that the player will meet on their way.
We wanted to make sure everyone knows that his contributions will not go unacknowledged. ”
Heat climbed my face, rushing to my skin.
I was suddenly lava hot, volcanic eruption unstable.
I was used to having people watch me, but not in person.
Charlie slid an arm around me and anchored me to his side.
His fingers dug into my shoulder, but it was Matthew’s concerned gaze from across the room that grounded me.
I gave him a nod, silently assuring him that I was okay. Though I didn’t pay attention to the rest of his speech, I smiled and clapped in the right places and was relieved as hell when he did the toast and then made a beeline for me.
“Let’s get some air, shall we?” Matthew steered me away from the crowd of people and into the comfortable familiarity of his office. He sat down in his chair and pulled me onto his lap.
“Still can’t handle a bit of praise and acknowledgement of a job well done, can you, sweetheart?”
I huffed out a laugh as Matthew combed his fingers through my hair. He’d already learned how best to calm me down. How to easily wind me up. How to soothe me when I was overstimulated and how to settle me. Matthew was my rock, and I leaned against him, letting him shelter me.
“I’m working on it.” Realizing that this was the first time we’d been alone all day, I wriggled around on his lap until I was straddling him. Looping my arms around his neck, I stole a kiss. A hint of whiskey lingered on his breath, and I wrinkled my nose.
“Jett insisted on a pre-party celebratory drink.” Matthew cradled my face and kissed me again, slower and deeper. The spicy, smoky notes mingled together and if it had been up to me, Matthew would be stripping me naked and fucking me on his desk.
But it wasn’t up to me. It was up to Daddy. And Daddy still had an important party to attend. He had more hands to shake and more people to pay attention to who weren’t me.
“Problem, darling?” Matthew asked. He narrowed his gaze at me like he already knew what was wrong but wanted to see if I’d tell him. Sometimes I would and sometimes I wouldn’t. Today, I decided to be honest. I didn’t want to cause problems on his important day.
“I hate that we have to go back out there.” I admitted, doing my best not to pout, but I couldn’t help it.
Being with Matthew had grounded me in many ways.
I was calmer overall. I got into fewer loops of self-destruction because he was there by my side, every step of the way.
A partner in every sense of the word. He stood beside me when I needed him, and behind me, and sometimes he stepped in front of me.
Matthew also gave me the freedom to express myself in ways that I guess I always had done, but without the safety net of a person who cared about me.
He made it safe for me to pout, to be moody.
He gave me room to act out sometimes, whether it was part of a role play or me expelling excess emotions.
“Who says we have to go back?” Matthew’s thumb brushed against my cheek and I leaned into his touch.
“It’s your big launch day. Everyone is here.”
“And we launched. And we transferred the first donation this morning. And the announcement has been made. In fact, I think,” he paused and looked at his watch.
“Right about now, Jett is herding everyone down to the bar on the first floor. We are not expected to make an appearance. Unless you want to.”
“Can I say no?”
“Sweetheart, you can always say no. I was hoping you would actually. Daddy wants to take you home and celebrate with you.”
“On one condition.”
“What’s that?” Matthew asked, though the way he smiled made me think he probably knew before I asked.
“Spank me?” I batted my eyelashes at him.
He smiled like he’d expected me to ask that exact thing. Matthew could read me like a book. There was never hiding anything from him. Which was just as well, because I didn’t want to. All of me was for him. Always.