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With a deep sigh, you shut the door to your apartment. Bag carelessly dropped to the floor by the entrance, keys tossed sloppily into the shimmering bowl that sat on the small end table nearby. Wandering further into your apartment you heard muttering over the racket of what sounded like an RPG game you played frequently. Sure enough, when the hallway opened up to the living room, there he sat. Legs crisscrossed, leaning forward slightly with the controller clenched in his hands, eyes focused solely on the TV screen as he worked to bring down the giant enemy on the screen.
You rolled your eyes at him, making sure to huff loud enough for him to hear you. And hear you he did, Sehyoon’s head whipping to the side, eyes wide as they locked on you. Needless to say, he paused the game and had the audacity to give you a sheepish smile.
“I cannot believe you started without me,” You shake your head at him. “And after the day I’ve had too. How rude!”
He pouted. “I didn’t know you were having a bad day. If I did, I wouldn’t have started without you!” Sehyoon stands up, walking over to wrap his arms around you and rests his chin on your shoulder. One of his hands came up to stroke your hair softly as he began to gently sway.
A smile breaks out onto your face as you return his embrace. “I know, I’m just teasing. Besides,” You pull back to look him in the eyes. “You always make everything better anyhow.”
The corners of his lips tilt up slightly. “So if you’re already feeling in a slightly better mood,” Sehyoon pauses, eyes darting to the side for a brief second as he contemplates how to phrase his next sentence. “How about a tournament?”
Airy giggles and a quick nod are the only responses he receives from you. After he verifies the rules by tossing out a quick “Traditional rules?”, and earning another nod, the two of you get settled on the couch. Most games are easily settled on, all but the last one. The fifth round’s game, which you both had to agree on, was always the game that took the most discussion. You see, he was a fan of more old school games and typically stayed within the realm of Space Invaders and Galaga. Whereas you, on the other hand, preferred games of the modern variety such as Overwatch and PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds).
However, the games that were always able to easily break the heated discussions were Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart. And then it was typically left up to the coin to decide which game became the fifth round. This go around, as fate would have it, the game that the coin chose was Super Smash Bros. Almost like it could sense how much you truly wanted to pretend some of the characters were your boss or annoying co-workers and destroy them.
Tournament rules, since they were established years prior when the two of you first started dating, go as follows: Five rounds, two games each chosen individually, and one game to be agreed upon for the final round. Each round is to be assigned a given chore or penalty. The loser for each round must do the assigned chore or penalty. But the overall loser, the one who loses the most rounds in total, must grant one wish to the winner.
For this tournament, the chores or penalties assigned are, in order from first to last round: buying or cooking dinner, cleaning the dishes, taking out the trash, washing the laundry, and acquiring dessert. Of course, you were confident in the rounds that held the games you chose, as those were a safety zone. However, the games that Sehyoon chose weren’t your forte, thus meaning you would likely lose to him. Though you’ve never been one to be pessimistic, maybe tonight would be the first you’d win against him in his chosen games. Anything’s possible, right?
“Let the tournament commence!” You shouted, grabbing the other controller before bouncing onto the couch excitedly. “And may the odds be ever in your favor.”
“Oh, so you’re rooting for me?” Sehyoon questioned cheekily, nudging you with his knee after you’d settled into a comfortable position.
You scoffed, eyes rolling before darting to look at him. “No, just wishing you luck since you’re gonna need it. You’re gonna get,” You paused, giving him a devious smile. “Wasted.”
Instead of replying to your taunts, all he did was chuckle and pull up the first game on the console. It was an intense battle of strategy, one that he held the advantage in as he knew how the game worked. Except it wasn’t the original Space Invaders that could be played at the arcade, it was a revamped multiplayer version. This was the small, almost minuscule, advantage that you had in this round since he was more used to the original arcade version.
“Oh my god! Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod !” You shouted, jumping to bounce on the couch excitedly. “I can’t believe it! I mean- how? I don’t…” Eyes wide, you stared down at Sehyoon’s frozen figure.
A short laugh burst from his figure as he turned to look at you. “I guess I was too cocky.”
“Ready for round two?” You asked, settling back down on the couch.
He nodded quickly, a new, intense focus shone in his eyes. PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds was the next game, whoever made it the closest to winning the round would be the winner. Since you spent a lot of free time playing this game, there was very little hope for him to win. Though he has watched you dominate in this particular game on multiple occasions, so it’s possible he’d picked up a trick or two. This round, in particular, was very tight, and he would’ve won had a sniper not taken him out a split second before you were killed. Thus, you won another round.
“Round three begins in five, four, three,” Sehyoon’s gaze was fixed on the screen, desperate not to lose another round that he almost missed it when you finished the countdown. “Two, one!”
For the third round, Galaga being the game in question, it would be played on an individual basis and see who had the higher score at the end. Since this was a game he’d chosen, you let him go first and watched in awe. He was amazing and watching him play this game, was like seeing him in his natural element. Reflexes on point in order to take out the incoming enemies and dodge attacks. When he finally died, it was upsetting to see, his score was thousands higher than you’d ever achieved. Hope for winning this round was nonexistent. And just as expected, as the levels progressed your maneuvers weren’t good enough, you lost.
“Are you ready?” You asked, voice raised slightly. Sehyoon rolled his eyes, chuckling as he knew what was going to happen next. “Ready to rumble?! Let round four begin!”
He was used to your antics by now, but witnessing them would never fail to earn at least a smile from him. Proficient as you were at PUBG, your skills in Overwatch were close to the same standard. However, so were Sehyoon’s skills at the game- seeing as you always managed to convince him to play it with you on the weekends at one in the morning. No one could claim that this round was anything but a close match. It was intense, both of you leaning forward on the couch, moving with the controllers in hand.
Like many gamers would, the higher the tension, the harder the buttons were pressed- like mashing down the buttons with more strength would actually change anything. The game was on its final leg now, any minute one of you would lose and one would win. Both characters were at the same health level and were evenly matched skill and weapon-wise. All that either of you needed now was an opening for the killing blow. An opening that came at approximately the same time, during which only one had the reflexes to act fast enough. That someone wasn’t you.
Bragging wasn’t much Sehyoon’s style, but it was obvious he was proud of his victory by the way he was beaming. You nudged his shoulder playfully. “Good job, dork.”
“Thanks.” He murmured softly, his face going completely neutral in the seconds after. “Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for,” His voice had changed to that of an old-school sports announcer. “It’s the final round! Get ready folks, hold on to your seats because this one’s gonna be a real doozy.”
As always when playing Super Smash Bros you chose your go-to character, the one whose moves and special powers you knew like the back of your hand. Normally Sehyoon would choose his go-to character as well but for some reason this time he decided to change it up and choose Link. Though it seems he should’ve stuck to his typical character because he seemed to be floundering about the level. Whereas you, on the other hand, followed his character with ease, attacking at his vulnerable moments.
It wasn’t a surprise when you won, looking back at the gameplay. But something felt off to you. Rounding on him, you eyed him suspiciously. “Why’d you choose Link? He’s not the character you use all the time.”
He shrugged. “I felt like switching things up, and since I don’t play as Link often I figured it’d be a fun challenge.”
His words didn’t sway your suspicions in the slightest. “You didn’t let me win, did you?”
Sehyoon looked shocked by your accusation. “I would never.”
“Well then,” You pouted, eyes locked with his. “Why didn’t you tell me you were choosing a different character? I would’ve chosen a different one too so the playing field would be even. It wasn’t fair this way.”
“Next time we have a tournament I promise I’ll let you know beforehand. But you truly won, fair and square.”
Draped over the couch a few hours later, the TV playing in the background, you were waiting for Sehyoon to finish in the kitchen. Of course, the current show was a rerun, one you had seen many times before. Instead, your eyes were drawn to the photos haphazardly placed together on the wall by the television. A couple were from your school days, peace signs joined by carefree smiles. Others dated around the time you both got full-time jobs and went on dates at midnight, a lot of them featured backgrounds of dark starry nights. Your faces then held the beginnings of stress but it was the kind that wasn’t held in your eyes because in your eyes there was only each other.
The more recent ones were in this very apartment. One from when the two of you had made a mess in the kitchen trying to bake a cake for his birthday- flour covered the counters and parts of your clothing, quite a few dirty dishes sat in the flour, and icing covered your faces and hands, but what mattered was the cake that sat in front of you two. It was a shamble of a cake, but it was the first you’d made together and the process of making it held such fun. As long as it tasted good, what did it matter that it looked a bit ragged?
Another that was taken in the living room on Halloween when you were getting ready for a friend's party. You were dressed as Sombra from Overwatch, and Sehyoon had decided to be C3PO from Star Wars. In the background, you could make out your TV and the small collection of video game characters that surrounded it. Standing just in front of that, both of you were positioned, his arm was wrapped around your waist, while yours were wrapped around his torso. The two of you were looking at each other with such softness and care in your eyes.
“I finished the dishes.” The sound of his voice startled you, pulling your gaze towards him.
You smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Good, I’m tired, let's go to bed.”
After going through your nightly routine, you were cuddled together under the mass of soft blankets that made their home on your bed. Your head was pressed against his chest with his arms around you. His heartbeat was practically lulling you to sleep when you heard him speak.
“What do you want to wish for?” The way he asked was so soft, a gentle whisper that swept across the top of your head.
“What?” You questioned sleepily, nuzzling your face against his body.
“You won three out of five rounds, I have to grant you a wish in accordance with the rules. Did you forget?” When you responded with a nod and an affirmative noise, he chuckled. “Okay, well are you going to think of one?”
“Mmm tired. Can I choose later?”
“Nope. That’s not how the rules go- if you don’t choose on the day of your win you forfeit the right to have your wish granted.” He says teasingly.
You pull back, giving him a blank stare before coalescing. “Fine. I wish for a massage, however, I retain the right to hold onto this until I decide to cash it in.”
“That’s a good wish.”
You settle back into your previous position. “It is, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“Thank you for today, for suggesting the tournament. You made my day so much better.” You murmur into his chest.
“I’m glad.” His hand began rubbing circles in your back, filling you with a sense of comfort and belonging, almost sending you straight to sleep. “I love you.”
Eyes closed, the corners of your lips quirked up. “I love you too."