26 Sleeping Together

Markus grabbed the bottle of water on the desk next to his pod and drank a large gulp. Although he felt energetic, he had been in the pod for so long without drinking anything. He let out a satisfied sigh just as a strange sensation overcame him. He immediately leaned to the side and twisted his body as a towel soaked in bodily fluids whizzed past his head and plopped against the wall behind Markus.

"Tsk." He heard an annoyed click of the tongue come from Carlos. He was drenched in sweat as usual. He had a second and even third towel around his shoulders, that he occasionally used to wipe his face and neck. Markus looked around and saw that he was the last one to leave his pod. Most had already left, but it looked like Carlos stuck behind to start trouble.

"Hey punk, you finally got out. I thought I'd have to wait all morning. Listen up, you are a washed-up former champion. Nothing more. I don't want to see you trying to one-up me again. I don't know why Leona believes you, but I can tell you are lying about your progress. And one more thing…"

"Shut up. Your bad breath and slobber is reaching me all the way over here. You have no grounds to lecture me. So, you are a little good at a few games? I was already winning six-figure tournament rewards before you even entered the eSports scene. I may be a former champion, but you've never even been a champion, so what does that make you?"

Markus felt something flip within him and he went off on the disrespectful teammate. The courage and confidence he once had come back in a surge at that moment and his sharp tongue woke from hibernation. Markus walked toward the door and stepped out. However, he said one last thing as the door closed.

"Also… pick up your dirty laundry." He left the stunned Carlos as he walked to the rest area in the gaming club. There were a few beds for people to rest between training sessions. The whole time he walked he was distracted with thoughts of what happened just then. His reaction speed was very good, but his body wasn't really able to keep up with his reflexes. But in that moment, he felt like his body reacted instinctively.

He pulled the door open in front of him and went straight for the empty bed on the side. He didn't even look around before throwing his shirt on the ground and sliding under the comforter. He found a nice position and his muscles released all of their tension. Once he was settled down, he pulled off his shorts and threw them on the ground. With nothing holding him back anymore, he drifted off into the land of dreams.

…

"You can't take him! He's my child!" A muffled, pained voice sounded out. Markus tried to get closer, but his little arms couldn't break free from the tight bindings of the soft blanket around him. He wanted to comfort that sad, crying voice. He wanted to see her face. A deep voice replied but he couldn't hear any words that the deep voice said. "Fine! I agree as long as it means you disappear from his life!"

A bright light flashed, and a sudden sleepiness overtook his baby body. As he fell asleep in the dream, he woke up in reality. He was intrigued to find a topless figure creeping stealthily past him. She tried to walk by without disturbing the sleeping Markus, but the intention to not alert him had the opposite effect. His body came to full attention when it sensed someone sneaking around him.

"Captain?" Markus said, still slightly groggy from the dream he just woke up from. He recognized her silhouette and hair. His mind started to catch up and he realized the situation. Unfortunately, it was too late as Leona threw a pillow at his face and ran to the bathroom. Markus, who would have become overcome with awkwardness and guilt, felt strangely calm at the moment.

He realized what happened, he accidentally entered the same cabin as Leona. The room contained bunk beds and he didn't even think to check the top bunk or the surroundings before going to bed. Leona always wore loose clothes and baggy cargo pants, so he never noticed her nice figure. The interactions they had together played through his mind as he picked up his clothes from the floor and got dressed. Leona finally got out of the bathroom fully dressed.

Her extremely thick and wild hair was tamed once more in a ponytail. Just as she was going to reprimand him, she felt something was different with Markus's aura. He stood confidently and looked her directly in the eyes as she came out from the bathroom. Markus never looked her directly in the eyes, before his fall it was arrogance, and after it was guilt. But now, he was looking only at her.

"Want to go get coffee?" Markus took the chance after analyzing their past together. Although harassment was strictly banned, it wasn't against the rules to date within the group as long as both parties consented. Although it seemed rather ambiguous and could be interpreted as a friend asking someone to get coffee, Leona seemed to understand his intention.

"Huh?" She was stunned for a moment. Markus seemed to be a lot more pleasing to the eye than before. She didn't expect to be asked out while ogling him. Caught off guard, she unexpectedly answered "…Okay."

…

Markus sipped his espresso while Leona focused on her complex drink that took up several lines on the receipt. He hadn't said anything since they arrived at the coffee shop. He had taken a quick shower since he was gaming all night and when he met up with Leona, she had completely transformed her previous relaxed look to a fashionable one. After getting halfway down her drink, as she was about to lose her patience and leave, Markus spoke.

"You look pretty." Although his comment seemed very casual and perfunctory, the way he looked at her and his tone made it sound very serious and genuine. She was taken aback once more by his attitude. She couldn't take it anymore and had to ask.

"What happened to you? Why are you so different all of a sudden?" She spat out.

"Different how?" Markus knew what she was saying, but he couldn't pinpoint the change in him either, so he took the chance to narrow it down.

"More… mature? No, it's more like you know exactly what to say and how to say it… like very skilled?" She couldn't figure it out exactly and gave her best explanation. However, this was enough for Markus to figure out a connection. He stood up and gestured to the door. Leona got up and they walked out of the coffee shop. It was just down the street, so they didn't need to go far from the gaming clubhouse.

"So what's this all about? Why did you suddenly ask me out?" Leona asked as they walked side by side back to the clubhouse.

"Do I need a reason?" Markus said mysteriously. Leona stepped on his foot as he took a step and nearly caused him to trip. However, he was stronger than she expected and ended up lifting her and nearly toppling her. Fortunately, he expected that and hooked her waist with his arm. Seeing her frustrated expression, he continued speaking. "Because I figured out that I liked you and felt that you liked me too."

"Hah, how did you come to that conclusion?" She was purposefully vague, not feeling flustered at all.

"When you defended me just a few hours ago, I realized I was wrong about how you thought of me. And when I thought back to when you were a noobie always being a nuisance, I realized it wasn't malicious like I originally thought. Actually, I realize now you were really cute back then— cough" She elbowed him in the gut, and he corrected himself. "Still cute, still cute."

"Right, but how did you figure out that I liked you?" She asked curiously, but Markus just smirked.

"I wasn't sure honestly, but you just verified it." Hearing this, she frowned and took several long strides forward in anger. After walking separate until the stop light, she glared at him.

"You tricked me." She wasn't really upset, but having her bottled up, nearly forgotten feelings dug up with a trick made her mad. She wished he would have figured it out sooner, or not at all. Now was not a good time for this. "You thought I was being malicious back then?"

"Mm, that's right, I was in a bad place. Everyone was my enemy, vying for my position. In the end, I lost it with my own efforts." Just as he was reminiscing, he felt his hand being grasped. He looked down and saw her small, but firm hand holding his. She didn't look at him and just silently comforted him. Once the green man appeared on the crosswalk light, they walked side by side like that.

"Since its already out in the open, I won't mince words. We either date officially, or cleanly break here. There is too much going on in the company and the game for half-assed bullshit. Don't answer right away. Think about it while we walk. Tell me once we get to the clubhouse."

Markus nodded and they walked hand-in-hand the rest of the way. Meanwhile, in an upper floor window, a sweaty figure stared through the blinds at the duo outside. He gritted his teeth and speed-dialed a recent contact.

"I'll do it." He said decisively.

"Good, wonderful, contact me immediately once it's done." A deep voice said from the other end.