Quite well, actually. The gaming, that is...

When we finish eating, we're almost late to our gaming session with Nick. Thankfully, there's two of us - technically - and cleaning up is a cinch. Especially since we don't have any dirty dishes. The only real problem we have - or at least, I do, Joy doesn't care either way - is that we have to use the in-ear headphones I use for my phone instead of my headset. Which means less quality. But it's the only way that both of us can hear Nick and the game and be able to use the same mic. After sitting down on my desk chair, Joy and I take one earbud each, settle down and start the game after joining the voice channel Nick and I use. Nick, of course, is taking his sweet time, and Joy and I dick around in the central hub until he graces us with his presence.

"Wwhaaat's up, party people, it's ya boy Nick, in da houuuuse!" Even for Nick, that's an over the top greeting.

"Dude, you're aware that you're not a streamer, right?"

"Hey, can't I greet my two favorite people in the whole wide world?"

"You've literally talked to Joy exactly once. Over the phone."

"And that was enough, man!" Nick has this tone of voice that seems to be teasing, but I've known him for years. He means it. "I think I fell in love..."

That, he doesn't mean. I hope. Not only would them dating be awkward as fuck, but Joy is my-- wait. I... really?

"Aww, thanks, Nick." Joy actually seems to like Nick, too. Weirdo that he is; not that I'm one to talk, what with Joy and all. "Now, let's get this going, shall we? I wanna shoot some dudes full of arrows!"

"You bet your a--absolutely beautiful tush!"

Joke's on Nick, Joy's behind is actually mine, as well. Okay, joke's on me, too, really. But nevermind that - we have a boss to kill. The three of us do our best **** hobo impression and kill everything in our way, Nick's spells flying left and right, me throwing enemies right and left as I charge through them, and Joy snipes everyone still standing. We make good progress, until right before the boss area...

"Matt, are you in there? Matt!" Oh no. It's her! And she's knocking on my door! "C'mon, Matt! We need to talk."

I'm completely frozen - why is Ellie in my dorm?! She doesn't live here, she shouldn't even be able to get past the lobby!

"What? Oh come on, we're right in the middle of gaming!" As usual when I'm speechless, Joy has more than enough to say.

"Matt? Is that you?" Wait, what? Is she... My voice does sound nothing like Joy's! Why would Ellie... "Please, let me in. I screwed up... let's just talk, alright?"

"Guys? What's going on?" Nick apparently doesn't hear Ellie calling out to us through the door. "Did something happen?"

"Y-yeah, Ellie is right in front of my door..." I stammer into the mic, and hear Nick suck air in through his teeth.

"Ouch. You gonna be alright?"

Before I can answer, Joy yells back at Ellie.

"Nope, Matt's not here! And I'm not letting you in without his okay!" Seems Joy realized why I froze and tries to protect me. And it unironically warms my heart. What did I do to deserve he-- aw, damn. I did fall for her, didn't I? "Now get lost, before I call... someone to get you out of here!"

"What? Come on, Matt, I know it's you! I... I did something stu--"

"What's with all the yelling!?" Oh thank god. It's the RA! Bill's a big, burly guy, and I made sure to tell him about me and Ellie after our messy breakup. He knows she shouldn't be here. "Oy, Smith! Aren't you banned from this dorm?!"

"I-I just need to... please, let me talk to Matt! I have to--"

"Sorry, no can do. I don't exactly know what happened between you two, but I do know it's best you go your seperate ways. So do us both a favor and scram, alright?"

Good old no-nonsense Bill. There's a reason he was made RA for a dorm full of rowdy guys. I can practically see him, arms crossed and legs firmly planted, a withering stare directed at the offending party - in this case, Ellie. And like many before her, she crumbles before his imposing presence and slinks away, but not without muttering a few half-hearted protests. Breathing a sigh of relief, I still can't help but wonder - why the hell was she so convinced that Joy is me? But before I can think more about this, Nick butts in.

"Guys, I'm totally out of the loop here. Care to fill me in?"

"I, uh... Ellie tried to barge in, but Bill threw her out." Only now do I notice how much my heart is racing. "She said she just wanted to talk, but..."

"Suuure she did. After what she did during your breakup, I really don't think you two should meet again."

"Why, what did she do?" Of course, Joy would want to know that. Inquisitive and mischievous as she is. "You make it sound really bad."

"Eh, weirdo paganist shit and good old-fashioned possessiveness slash stalking." I don't know if I should be thankful to Nick that he takes care of the explaining instead of me or if I should kick him next time we meet for doing it so flippantly. "It was bad, but Matt should explain it to you in more detail. If he's cool with it."

"Yeah, but... let's do that later, alright? I just wanna kill the boss right now and not think about Ellie." Thankful it is, then. In his own, crass way, Nick is looking out for me as usual.

I'm still a little shaken as we start playing again, and it shows in my performance. In the end, it takes us almost three hours and dozens of tries to finally down the boss, although we do take a few breaks to shoot the shit. Nick and Joy get along really well - not really that surprising: She's really outgoing, and Nick's a shameless sweettalker. Even after the boss is down, we still hang out a little and keep talking in voice chat until Joy and me simultaneously have to yawn.

"Goddamn you guys are in synch!" Of course Nick would needle us about this. "Well, off to bed, you lovebirds. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and keep it PG! Okay, maybe PG-13."

"What the hell does that even mean, man?" While I'm tired, I don't think Nick would make any more sense even when I was awake. Actually, I know he wouldn't.

"Dunno, but it sounds good..." Joy yawns again, stretching and pressing back against me. "Let's do this again sometime soon, though. G'night, Nick..."

"See ya, and sleep well, Mattster!"

"Yeah, yeah, you too, dude..."

Dropping the call and shutting down my PC, I get up and take us over to the bathroom, where we're faced with another problem - Joy doesn't have a toothbrush. But our sleep-deprived brains are in luck: I do have one in reserve, still packaged and all. Having gotten around sharing a toothbrush, we get started together and I'm once again reminded how weird my life has gotten in a single day. There's two faces looking back at me, I can't really see my own body behind Joy's, and if I look down just a little, I can see...

"Like whaff you fee~--oop'." Thrusting out her chest, which I may or may not have been ogling, Joy promptly drips foam on the magnificent swell of her bosom. "Damn."

"And that's why you don't talk with your mouth full of toothpaste." I think I'm allowed a little smugness after all of Joy's teasing as I rinse and spit - not an easy feat with Joy's torso in the way, but since she's leaning sideways to grab a towel, I manage. "Almost done?"

"Sure, wise ass. Just let me cleaned up..." As usual, I feel whatever Joy does to her body, and I'm convinced she's taking care to make the cleaning extra stimulating.

But while it does feel good, there is no irresistible lust this time, and we manage to make it into bed after washing up without having to touch ourselves. Thanking god that I'm a sidesleeper and we can basically spoon, I wrap one arm around Joy's body and feel her grab my hand, intertwining my fingers with her. If this is what my life is like now and until the foreseeable future, I can live with it.