Exile

Interrogation

Benji's prediction turns out correct. Before I left, I was a much better fighting game player, and while Benji was much better than me, he could never dominate me.

These matches weren't even close. Tekken 4, Tekken 5, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, Capcom vs SNK 2, the list goes on and on – I tried and he beat the crap out of me every single time.

I guess it's just as well, considering I practically emasculated him in front of everyone.

Alex, however, was another story. He clearly still plays fighting games and it shows. He meets Benji's challenges head on, and while I get the feeling he's holding back, he's still pretty damn good. Benji can't stop scowling as Alex gives him a run for his money in every one of their matches. He hates that he has a worthy challenger here in his own house, but he manages to behave himself.

My whisper is a wonderful motivator.

Kenzo and Benji are tit-for-tat. They clash, and Benji wins, but then they clash again, and Kenzo wins. The thing is, Benji never gets mad when Kenzo wins. It's the most curious thing! Instead of scowling, he smiles and tells him what a good match it was. Same thing with Kenzo – when Benji wins, he's all grins and gushes about how fun it is to play with Benji. They're all chummy, patting each other on the back, bumping fists, and giving other man hugs. Benji has a sparkle in his eye, and Kenzo won't stop grinning.

I'm stunned. No wonder the girl Kenzo was dating dumped in. He's in a full-fledged bromance with Benji! They should just file with the domestic relationship registry and call it a day.

Andrew may be here and Emily may have invited me, but they're off in their own little world, being all lovey-dovey on a nearby couch. Andrew, still shaken from my whisper, wants to be comforted by a beautiful lady, and Emily is all too willing to fill that role. If they keep this up, they'll show us a preview of their wedding night.

Eww.

It makes sense then that my eyes are on Alex the entire night. Everyone else is too into his or her actions to notice my staring. When he plays the games, I watch his fingers push buttons in various combinations, his face devoid of emotion as he tries to win the match. Every now and then, though, he cracks a smile, usually when Benji growls in frustration.

There is nothing out of the ordinary about commands he inputs or even his style of playing, but that doesn't stop Alex's playing from fascinating me.

When he's not playing, my gazes are more clandestine. I don't want him to know that I'm looking at him – that he has that affect on me. It's very easy to do when I'm playing a round with the arrogant Benji and the much more forgiving Kenzo. The challenge is when I'm not playing and neither is he. I have to fight the urge to just look at him and let all those wild emotions come rushing in.

…I'm not going to be able to fight this am I?

I shouldn't be all that surprised. Last time, I tried to fight it, and I failed miserably. After the almost-kiss at ACen, I realized just how strong my feelings were for him, and it frightened me. Oh sure, you read about crazy-intense-passionate love in those Harlequin romance novels that tempt you at the checkout line, but you never think it could happen in real life. I sure as hell didn't, and it was nothing like that with Mike. It's so stupid now that I think about it. Love had nothing to do with the formulation of our relationship. The reasons were completely shallow. In my eyes, he was tall, dark, and handsome. He chose me over all the girls in college, and I wasn't about to let that go. In his eyes, I was weak, submissive, and I had nice tits. It was a match made in dysfunctional relationship heaven.

Of course it wouldn't last.

It's different with Alex. Sure, we didn't start off on the right foot. He thought I was a guy, proudly declared that he would marry me, and roped me into a harebrain scheme that ended up bringing Andrew and Emily together six years ago. But the more time we spent with each other, the more feelings changed, from iciness, to friendship, and then to something more…