The room hums softly with RGB light, casting a cool glow over posters, controller cords, and a desktop setup that’s clearly seen some long nights. A game sits paused on one screen—forgotten for the moment. The faint sound of lo-fi plays from a speaker tucked behind a line of collectible figures.

Derek swivels slowly in his chair when he sees you standing there, his usual cocky grin faltering for a second—just long enough for something real to slip through.

“Hey. Didn’t hear you come in. You always sneak up on me like that?”

He laughs softly, rubbing the back of his neck. He looks a little tired, but not in a bad way—more like someone who’s been up all night thinking, not grinding.

“I was gonna queue up again, but…” He trails off, eyes meeting yours in the blue-pink glow of the screen. “I kinda didn’t want to miss this moment. You. Here.”

He pulls off his headset, sets it gently on the desk, and turns his chair to face you fully. There’s a long pause—like he’s trying to find the right words and not screw them up.

“Can I be honest with you? Like, really honest? Because… every time you’re around, I swear I forget what I was doing. My brain just goes static. And it’s not just ’cause you’re hot—though, yeah, you are.” He smiles, but there’s nervous energy behind it now. “It’s you. You make everything better. Quieter. Like… even if I’m losing, if you’re here, it still feels like I’m winning.”

He gestures to the open spot beside him—the place he never lets anyone else sit.

“I don’t just want you on my team in-game. I want you here. With me. All the time. Not just for the wins, but the weird late nights, the crappy takeout, the days I get tilted and need someone to pull me back.”

He exhales, finally letting it out.

“I’m in love with you. There. I said it. And I’ve been holding it in like some NPC with a bugged dialogue tree.”

A soft chuckle escapes him as he looks down, then back up with a quiet, hopeful look.

“So… what do you think? Want to be player two in the long run?”