“I will beat the dicks out of your noob ass, Bitchbuster.”
“Do your worst, Slutlet.”
So Erza hit him with a hadouken and knocked him out. As Gray gripped his controller, fuming sourly, Erza put hers down gently and tossed her hair in victorious grace.
“You asked,” she said smugly as Gray tossed away the controller and leaned back into the sofa. Erza swung her legs onto the sofa, folded them one atop the other and placed her chin on Gray’s shoulder. “What was the score this time?” She bumped him with her shoulder. “I didn’t keep count.”
“31-19,” Gray replied with a sigh. Erza hummed.
“So maybe after two years of practice, you’ll finally be able to tie with me.”
“I love you too,” she replied cheerfully and kissed his cheek. Gray’s shoulders sagged as he embraced the pity kiss of defeat. They were still Erza’s lips, and that was something he wouldn’t say no to.
Playing games together wasn’t really something that happened often for them. Work got in the middle of everything, but Sundays existed for a reason. Sundays were their days and when they were too lazy to go out, Gray got the console out and much swearing ensued.
Games always brought out the worst of Erza’s competitive spirit. If she didn’t win (she mostly won, thankfully), she got all sullen and miserable and her determination levels skyrocketed. That always spelled massacre for Gray. Why he continued to subject himself to humiliation after humiliation, he didn’t know.
Oh, right. I have no dignity.
“I feel like we are always playing against each other,” Erza said. “Do you have no games where we are on the same side, Gray?”
“Hmm. Well, there are a few…”
“It’s a fantasy rpg, and I dunno if you-”
“I live for fantasy!” Erza declared passionately, thumping the sofa with her fist. Gray believed her. “Put it in and turn it on!”
“That’s what she said,” he commented quietly as he got up to fetch the game, grinning to himself. Erza threw a cushion at his butt.
“Your sense of humour is deteriorating.”
“Hey, it’s an evergreen joke, okay?”
“This is a two player game?” she asked as the game loaded up. Gray nodded.
“It’s designed to have two player co-op. If you play alone, you get to control both players.”
“There are two protagonists?”
Erza rubbed her palms together, smiling. “I shall like this.”
And it was clear from the character creation menu that she did indeed like it. Erza spent about an hour customising her character. She chose to play a female knight with long, red hair, heavy armour and a two-handed sword.
“What?” she asked when Gray shook his head. “I was just aiming for accuracy.”
“I know, honey,” he replied and kissed her temple lightly. “Just amused by your pedantic attention to detail.”
Erza pouted, but looked impressed when Gray completed his character within ten minutes.
“Battlemage with a white coat,” she commented. “Not accurate at all.”
“What can I say? Your pedantry rubbed off on me.”
“You’ve played before, haven’t you?”
Gray nodded. “With Loke, yeah. Our characters ended up romancing each other and he wouldn’t stop calling me ‘husbando’ for weeks.”
“There is a romance option?!” Erza’s eyes practically glimmered. Gray couldn’t look at her directly. “It hasn’t even started and I love this game already!”
Erza was in full attention from the opening cutscene itself. Gray didn’t blame her. He rather liked the game’s story, and it did a good job at hooking one’s attention from the get-go. When gameplay actually started, and Erza saw and moved around her character for the first time, she shook a deep breath and whispered softly under her breath: “It’s so pretty!”
Gray said nothing, though he prepared himself for being slain by her cuteness. I wish I could record all this.
After telling her which button did what, Erza spent a few seconds testing out the skills of the knight class. She had gone for a more tank-ish build while he would be able to provide ranged offense and support. The gameplay called for teamwork, and their respective roles would complement each other quite well.
Just like in real life, he thought as he glanced at her fondly. She looked so happy while slashing her way through rabid orcs and undead zombies. Gray wondered whether she could solo the whole campaign on her first go. He wouldn’t put it past her.
“Gray!” She slapped his thigh gleefully. “There are dialogue options! Our characters can talk to each other! Inside the game! And we get to choose what we say!”
“Yeah, they discuss what decisions to take pertaining to quests,” Gray replied, amused. “In case they can’t come to terms, they can play stone-paper-scissors for it.”
“Nawp. Wait, I’ll show you.”
So he did. And won. Erza didn’t even seem to register the loss for she grinned widely and said, “I love this game.”
Dialogue choices and in-game decisions stacked up and helped determine the character’s personality. By the time they made it halfway through the game, Erza’s character had a distinctly romantic outlook while Gray’s was pragmatic.
After spending six hours on the campaign, Gray yawned and looked at Erza. She was completely absorbed. One of their allies had just betrayed them and she was muttering curses under her breath.
“What do we do for dinner?” he asked.
“I’ll think about it after I lay the smack down on this bitch.”
Gray snorted and reached for the phone. “I’m ordering pizza.”
But the pizza had to wait, for within five minutes of its arrival, the final boss appeared. It was indeed a titanic battle of epic proportions, and health potions were consumed wholesale. Erza was indefatigable in her efforts, and Gray could not help but be impressed by her drive. He was most amused when after the Void Dragon was finally defeated and sealed away, Erza leapt up from her seat, thrust her hands skywards, exclaimed “Hallelujah!” and sank back into the sofa, spent.
As the ending cutscene started rolling, Gray put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.
“We did it,” he said quietly as Erza snuggled into his side.
“Mhmm. Truly a test of our bond.” She wrapped her arms around his torso. “What happens to our characters?”
“There are multiple endings, but we’ll be getting an epilogue soon enough.”
When it came, Erza read it aloud, “Well, our saviours were fine companions, one slightly love-struck, the other a respectful friend. Many more adventures had they, side by side, slaying beasts and evil barons with ease. After battle, saviour the first would gaze affectionately at saviour the second, and in time… well, in time saviour the second began to gaze back.” She smiled. “Awww. That was sweet.”
“Mhmm. Just like in real life, eh?”
He’d meant it jokingly, but when Erza didn’t respond, he looked down, slightly worried. Erza had her head on his shoulder and had her eyes closed. She was smiling to herself.
“Whatchyu thinkin’?” he asked her.
“Just about what you said. The game did mirror our life slightly, didn’t it?”
“Mmm.” She rubbed her cheek against his collarbone. “Thank you, Gray.”
“Giving me a chance to be with you. Letting me prove that I can do this.” She paused. “It couldn’t have been easy for you.”
Gray sucked in a breath and gathered his thoughts.
“No,” he said. “It wasn’t.” He rubbed her shoulder with his thumb and kissed the top of her head. “But it was worth it.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, for there is nobody better to watch my back than you.” Erza sat up and took his face in her hands, smiling warmly. “Whether in a game, or in real life. You’re my partner, my husband, and I love you very, very much.”
In an effort to hide his blush, Gray pressed his forehead against hers. He placed his arms around her waist and kissed her slowly.
“I love you too,” he replied. “Though I must confess I enjoy watching your front, too. That’s where all the good stuff’s at.”
“Hopelessly in love with you, yes.”
Erza snorted and pulled him into another kiss, probably just to shut him and his endless supply of bad jokes up. Gray didn’t complain as he gently pushed her down onto the sofa.
After all, what was the point of winning if there were no celebrations to follow?
