Devil's Effect

Strange Bedfellows

Chester stood up from the couch. He waited a minute watching as Mike sat, his hands gripped tightly around the controller like he was hanging onto it for dear life as he moved left, then right, his whole body moving with his controls to steer his race car on screen around the track. "I'm going to make coffee, Mike. You want some?"

"Sure," Mike muttered, his voice colored with frustration as he drove his car right into a wall and it burst into flames. "I don't understand why I can't do this. You make it look so easy." He didn't look away from the screen as his car reappeared - at the starting line.

Chester stepped over Mike's legs, and headed for the kitchen. "It just takes practice, Sexy Boy. I've been playing video games forever." He stepped into the kitchen, keeping one eye on the television and Mike's sad attempts at keeping up with the other drivers, and making coffee. "Just remember to use your brakes!"

"Which button is the brakes?" Mike shouted back. "There's too many buttons on this, I can't remember which one does what!" He was ready to chuck the controller at the wall, but it was hard to find a clear shot. Boxes and piles of Jason and Ryan's stuff were everywhere.

"It's the top left, but don't use it too much or you'll never keep up," Chester advised as he pulled down two coffee mugs from the cabinets. "You have to drift, that's even more important than the brakes." He quickly filled the reservoir with water, turned the machine on, and scooped out enough coffee to make two cups, before he headed back across the room. He stopped at the edge of the couch, right next to his boyfriend.

"I'm frustrated," Mike admitted as he crashed again. He didn't want to tell Chester that nothing about video games was fun for him, but he was losing patience with the process of learning to play. "I don't know how you can do this for hours. You'll never want to play anything with me where we're on the same team. I'd just hold you back."

Chester looked down at his lover, and the downhearted expression on his face. "Aw, don't say that." He leaned over the arm of the couch and nuzzled his nose to Mike's ear. "I'll always take you on my team."

Mike sighed, dropping his hands into his lap. "Thanks, Ches. I'm just not good at this. I wanted to have fun with you tonight. This is really making me mad, though. Maybe when the coffee is done you can show me what you're talking about with the drifting and the buttons." He leaned his head closer to Chester's touch. "I'll try again, but you'll have to help me win. I don't think I can take losing any more."

"Coffee's got a few minutes," Chester answered before he sat down on the arm of the couch, one leg dangling, while the other was tucked up under him. "And it's really just about learning how your car works. I'll show you how to drift, and that's half the battle." He pulled his cell phone from the pocket of his jeans, but it was still blank and quiet. He leaned forward, tossing it to the bed in the corner, figuring he wasn't going to need it for awhile.

Mike looked over, ready to complain more about his lack of skill, and his eyes caught the red belt he'd bought Chester earlier. There was just a peek of it from under Chester's shirt when he leaned forward, but it was enough for all of Mike's thoughts to go straight from the game to the new accessory. He reached out and slid his fingers along the outside, feeling the small beveled stars. "This looks really good on you," he said. "I'm glad we decided to get it. And I had a great time with you at dinner." He wanted to put the game controller down and take advantage of having the loft to themselves. The idea of getting Chester upstairs and out of his clothes was far more appealing than learning to drive a fake car.

"Dinner was excellent," Chester agreed thoughtfully. He could feel Mike's hand on his belt, and he leaned a little forward, showing it off a bit more. "I'm glad we did that...dinner and shopping. It's been fun."