I don't know if anyone is still alive in this fandom, but I'm still here and still completely in love with it

Nao smiled wistfully at the computer screen, the ghost of his character hovering over its body while an armoured mage made short work of the large beast thing that appeared to be a cross between a lion and a man with a scorpion's tail. Nao didn't know what it was supposed to be but it looked scary and had killed his hunter in under thirty seconds.

With a final death cry the Lio-scorpi-man fell to the ground.

"Wow, Kou-kun, you're so amazing!" Nao exclaimed, his eyes sparkling and a smile lighting up his face. It dimmed slightly. "I'm sorry I'm really no good at this. I hate that I keep holding you back. I'd totally understand if you didn't want to play with me anymore."

The silence on the other end was deafening and Nao's head drooped in defeat. He liked playing games with Kou, even if he was no good at it. Usually Kou was so patient and helped him along the way but this time Nao had obviously become too much of a burden.

Nao adjusted the microphone back in front of his mouth. "It's oka-"

"N-no, it's no-nothing like that," Kou's stuttering voice finally came through Nao's headphones and his head came back up from where he had rested it on his crossed arms. "I r-really... um... really like playing with you. You're really not a bother to me." Some of the sparkle was back in Nao's eyes. "I mean... this manticore was really high level." Ah, manticore. That must have been what the big boss thing was. "So maybe we could... um... try somewhere else? Only if you'd like!"

Nao was almost like a puppy with his tail wagging enthusiastically behind him.

"Yay! That would be great! You're the best, Kou-kun!"

"Um... sure..."

Nao spotted a familiar head of brown hair bent low, headphones blocking out the sound of the busy cafeteria. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he turned to the group he had walked in with.

"I've just spotted a friend of mine so I'm going to go eat with them, okay?"

Murmurs of acknowledgement followed but he barely heard them as he hurried over to where Kou was busy playing a game. Nao bent over his shoulder to watch and as his chin came to hover just over Kou's shoulder, Kou let out a shriek and nearly toppled onto the floor. Laughing apologetically, Nao held his arm to steady him then went around the table to sit opposite.

"Sorry, Kou-kun. I just wanted to see what you were playing. I didn't mean to scare you."

Kou's face was flushed a bright pink and his speech became more stuttered than usual.

"I-I-I... um... then y-you... I-it w-w-was... b-but..."

Nao smiled warmly, his chin resting in both hands as he waited for Kou to finish his sentence. Kou took a deep breath, the steadying action doing nothing to reduce his blush.

So cute, Nao thought.

"I-I d-didn't see you there. What are you d-doing here?"

Nao picked up his chopsticks, crossing his legs on the chair and tucking into his food. "It's lunchtime. You want some?" he pushed his bentou towards Kou, the brunette carefully setting his headphones aside and tentatively reaching a hand towards the food. He drew back.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Nao only laughed, plucking a piece of fried pork and offering the morsel. "Say 'ah'."

Blushing a deeper red than Nao had ever seen, Kou opened his mouth. "Aah."

"Who's that girl sitting with your little brother, Nifuji-kun?" Hanako dropped into a seat beside Narumi, both hands wrapped around the cardboard cup filled with hot chocolate. Tarou sat next to her, draping one arm along the back of her chair and looking over to where Nao sat.

"What are you talking about? That's his gaming otaku friend from University, isn't it? He hangs out here sometimes and he's always playing on a handheld. I think he plays more than Nifuji does."

"Why do you keep saying 'he'? That's a girl. Is she his girlfriend?" Hanako directed the last to Hirotaka who studied the twosome briefly before turning his attention back.

"That's Kou-kun." He explained, unhelpfully.

"Exactly. Are you stupid as well as ugly? Kou-kun."

"Actually," Narumi cut in before Hanako could start in on her inevitable tirade. "I think Kou is a girl."

All four of them squinted over to where the pair sat, games console discarded as they chatted happily, leaning in towards each other. Nao's smile was open-mouthed and shining teeth, his eyes closed behind the force of it. Kou's was smaller, shyer, just a quirk of lips and pink tipped ears but it was clear the brunette's enjoyment in the conversation was as much as Nao's.

"Nope," Tarou disagreed, looking away again and Hirotaka just shrugged.

"No, she's definitely a girl!" Narumi protested. "And pretty cute too, I think."

Hanako's smile was broad. "Agreed. I know a girl dressed like a boy when I see one and I'd bet a night's worth of drinks on it." She raised a challenging eyebrow to her boyfriend who's eye twitched in response. They both knew he wouldn't turn down a bet.

"Done. If Kou-kun," he spoke the name pointedly, "is a boy, you pay for my drinks for the night and if he is a girl, I'll pay for yours."

"You're going to regret it when you find out that she is definitely a girl."

The two shook on their wager.

They quickly dropped their hands, adopting casual poses when their loud exchange caught the attention of the person in question, who sent a curious look in their direction.

Narumi smiled, her fingers fluttering in an awkward wave which Kou returned equally awkwardly. Nao turned his own baffled gaze their way and they all stumbled to their feet with varying levels of urgency.

"Well, time to go back to the office, I think."

"Yes, yes, lots of work to be done."

"Let's go."

Hirotaka followed slowly behind the other three, eyeing Nao and Kou appraisingly as he went, the lid on his coffee cup pressed to his lips.