Work Text:
Twice over did Matt's fingers roll over the send button. Goodness, it couldn't have felt more cumbersome. All it was was just a simple question, yet it made his heart flutter slightly.
Corpz.Blud
Hey, Norski. Wanna play Minecraft today?
Oh, his nerves stung his stomach when it sent. His online friend, username unusualnorski, and him had been playing together for a while now. He'd known the fellow for a few years, though, he still didn't know his real name or how he looked. It was a little anxiety-inducing asking as Norski had been very busy lately, with his new job at a tech shop. Matt rarely got to speak to him now... But today, Matt had calculated this. It was Norski’s day off. He should be able to... Yet Matt was still scared.
unusualnorski
yes! :D
finally amiright? lol...
Matt feels a tingle in his chest.
Corpz.Blud
Awesome! :)
Actually, I've got something cool to show you when we join...
unusualnorski
netherite?
Corpz.Blud
No :sob: Still keep dying in the nether with no luck
unusualnorski
riiiip TnT i'll help when we get on.
Corpz.Blud
Thanks :)
unusualnorski
np, Matt :>
Matt blushes at his name on screen. Yes, he wasn't as precious as Norski when it came to his private life. Honestly, his name was nothing. He wanted Norski to know it, to call him it... He's in love, he thinks..
Matt puts his headphones on, scootching closer to the desk in his somewhat uncomfortable chair. He boots up Minecraft Launcher, and while it's loading, sends a notification to his friend.
Corpz.Blud
It's a new skin.
Tord woke up pretty early, considering he worked the late shift yesterday. Damn manager can stick it, but he needs the money like hell... He's a good technician, way overqualified for the position, but since he didn't finish uni... Well, that's how it is.
He stretches, and reaches for his phone, only to see something that actually makes him smile.
Discord
Corpz.Blud sent you a message
Matt is probably his best friend, the only person keeping his mind off... Well, everything. And he's missed him so damn much this past week...
Fuck capitalism, man. This is homophobic. Sure, Tord was still nervous to say his name to Matt, and he still doesn't know how Matt looks, but... Well, is that really so important? He knows Matt loves the same movie franchise, 'Insane Zombie Pirates From Hell'. He knows Matt lives in a house full of roommates. He knows Matt is funny and awesome. Who cares about how he looks?
God, Tord wishes he could know... He bets he's pretty...
Matt says he's going to boot up the server, so Tord quickly hops out of bed to get in his swively chair and face his computer. Matt told Tord he had something to show him, that both excited him and made him nervous... But as he's booting Java, he gets a Discord notification.
Corpz.Blud
It's a new skin.
A new... skin?
But Tord always liked the zombie one... It was based off of Tord's favourite character from 'Insane Zombie Pirates From Hell', Marten. A pirate who's pirate needs outweighed his zombification, it was a fun version of the concept, and yet he was so underutilised. Tord, thusly, had his skin as Patricia. She was in the same movie as Marten, and they're often shipped by the fandom. Not canon, though. Tord does enjoy the ship, and so he giggles at the idea of him and Corpz's matching skins...
But now Matt is changing it... Did he finally get the romantic aspect and get uncomfortable?
Tord doesn't know what to say, so he just lets Minecraft Java boot up. He goes to their multiplayer world, nicknamed 'two guys minecrafting it' by Tord. Clicks. Slowly loads into the world...
...
He's in.
unusualnorski joined the game
<Corpz.Blud> Hiiiii!!
<unusualnorski> heyyy!
<unusualnorski> where are u?
<Corpz.Blud> Nether, it seems
<unusualnorski> ahhh lmao.
<unusualnorski> you've been grinding a lot, huh?
<Corpz.Blud> xP
Tord chuckles. He steps into their shared home, which he built, of course. Matt was more for strip mining and gathering resources. Tord was more for burning through those resources in less than a day to make a cool redstone build they barely need.
They were perfect for each other...
<Corpz.Blud> I'M GONNA DIE
<unusualnorski> o no
Corpz.Blud tried to swim in lava
<unusualnorski> NOOO!!!!
<Corpz.Blud> Muy fuckig ing ots....
<unusualnorski> poor guy
<Corpz.Blud> Well, at least I can show you my new skin...
<Corpz.Blud> Come to me. Our room.
Tord hops over to their room. Yes, they put their Minecraft beds together. Red and purple, their favourite colours. Though, when Matt needs to sleep in the mines, Tord sometimes secretly sleeps in the purple bed. Oh, how scandalous...
Tord closes the door behind him, and swivels his mouse around to see his friend. What greets him, he's unsure how to feel about...
<Corpz.Blud> So, what do you think?
<unusualnorski> hm.
<Corpz.Blud> :( ?
<unusualnorski> who's your skin of?
<Corpz.Blud> I'm me. I decided to make myself into a skin
<unusualnorski> oh
<unusualnorski> you're ginger?
<Corpz.Blud> Yea?
<unusualnorski> huh...
<Corpz.Blud> Do you... not like it??
<unusualnorski> i mean... it's just that i liked that we were matching, yk?
<Corpz.Blud> I wanted to show you what I look like.
<Corpz.Blud> I mean, sort of show you...
<Corpz.Blud> We've known each other so long and all.
<unusualnorski> no yea ur right...
<Corpz.Blud> I couldn't figure out how to put my freckles on the skin, tho
<unusualnorski> you've got freckles??
<Corpz.Blud> Yeah. LOTS. All over. Makes my hands look old LOL
Tord leans back in his chair and really takes the skin in... and that message...
Cute...
God, Matt's cute...
Tord's a little embarrassed realising just how little he's opened up to his friend in all these years... He's so scared of being vulnerable... But today, he might as well try...
<unusualnorski> you look good.
<Corpz.Blud> Thanks :)
<unusualnorski> np. i like your shirt, what's it supposed to say?
<Corpz.Blud> "I <3 Matt"
<unusualnorski> lol???
<Corpz.Blud> Real shirt I have BTW. I found it at like a thrift store. Thought it was cool
<unusualnorski> that's awesome.
<unusualnorski> sry for being like.. weird abt the skin before.
<Corpz.Blud> It's OK
<unusualnorski> i was just a bit nervous bc like you share so much abt yourself and i'm still to scared to share my name and crap...
<Corpz.Blud> No, I get that.
<Corpz.Blud> You're shy. Nothing wrong with that :3
<unusualnorski> eeuuuhggg
<Corpz.Blud> unusualnorski more like unusuallyshynorski
<unusualnorski> shut upppp
<Corpz.Blud> LMAO
<unusualnorski> so you wanna go to the nether?
<Corpz.Blud> Yes. Please kill those fucking pigs for me
<unusualnorski> i love doin that.
<Corpz.Blud> Go, my commie bastard! Kill the pigs!
<Corpz.Blud> They're like rich bc of the gold n stuff. So you'll love killing them.
<unusualnorski> o yea >:]
They spend the rest of the day killing piglins. They do find a netherite upgrade template, but keep going looking for another for Tord.
They die and lose it...
<unusualnorski> FUCK
<unusualnorski> rip man... i had infinity on my bow, too...
<Corpz.Blud> Should have gone back home, honestly.
<unusualnorski> yeaaaaa... i better get off now. pretty late. :(
<Corpz.Blud> Yeah...
Corpz.Blud left the game
unusualnorski left the game
Discord
unusualnorski
least dying there gives us something to do next time?
Corpz.Blud
Yeah... In a billion years...
unusualnorski
sryyyy :( my boss haaaates me. i can't have a DAY off...
aside from the legally mandatory ones. :sosad:
Corpz.Blud
God, stupid as fk.
I hope you get a better job soon.
unusualnorski
me too.
oh btw.
Corpz.Blud
?
unusualnorski
before you sleep, wanna see my new sketchbook?
Edd got it for me.
Matt was already pretty beat, but he'd stay up for days just to chat with Norski any longer.
Corpz.Blud
Sure :D
Edd’s your roommate, right?
unusualnorski
yup. not a very good one tho lol.
IMG_0502202501.jpg
Matt takes a good, long look at the photo.
It's Norski's bedroom, a downward angle view onto his bed. His dark weighted blanket is noticeably layered under a softer, deep red blanket. On it is the sketchbook, as promised. In fact, a few of them. Norski's hand is keeping the top one steady.
Matt supposes that's the new one. It certainly looks new. Well, aside from all the stickers and painted doodles already littering the front. Matt awes at them, especially one he can't help but notice is an exact recreation of their Minecraft skins. Well, Matt's old one, and Norski's current... The stickers aren't in Norski’s style, Matt sees Edd in the way the mouths are drawn, definitely. He must've made custom ones. That's adorable... Matt wishes he could gift Norski cool things like that...
He nearly kicks his feet with excitement. He's about to gush about the stickers of his fav franchise when he sees something much more... peculiar, at the top. In big bold letters, it reads...
‘TORD'S SKETCHBOOK’
Matt jumps to the edge of his bed, eyes wide. That can't have been on purpose, right? Tor- Norski wouldn't reveal his name just like that, would he? And it was wrong of Matt to have seen that, Tord- NORSKI would flip if he found out...
....
Tord's a nice name...
Really handsome...
UGH! No! Nonono, crap, Matt's an awful friend. Can't even respect Tord's privacy. He's been thinking Norski this whole time, right? That's Tord's name. Norski. Not Tord. Matt sees the text on his screen move and finally pays attention to it again. Though, his eyes do glance back up at the beautiful name written on it in Tord's handwriting... Norski's handwriting. Right. God...
unusualnorski
wdyt? pretty cool?
Corpz.Blud
Yeah! Looks great, Norski :)
unusualnorski
lol
Corpz.Blud
?
unusualnorski
you still gonna call me that, Matt?
Matt's hands shake a little as he types out his next message.
Corpz.Blud
What else would I call you? netherbite?
Matt weakly chuckles at the inside joke from their recent Minecraft sesh. He feels just about ready to die seeing "unusualnorski is typing..." from below
unusualnorski
read the stuff on the notebook, gingerbrainz.
Matt pouts at the stupid nickname that somehow still stuck whenever Norski would playfully tease him for being a little slow to the count. Then he chews his lip...
Corpz.Blud
At least my name isn't Tord
Matt suffocates on his heart, stuck in his throat, beating insatiably. He's trying so hard to be casual in text, to not scare Tord off, but he's DYING over here!
unusualnorski
:(
>:(
what if i just delete my whole account, huh?
what then?
Matt scrambles to type quickly.
Corpz.Blud
NO DIN"T!
I mean don't plz
:pleading:
unusualnorski
LMAO
i'm not going to. xD
i'm just kidding.
you're kidding, too, right?
Corpz.Blud
Yes, of course.
Tord's a cool name, I love it.
unusualnorski
<3
Matt's a cool name, too.
Corpz.Blud
Yeah...
We both have cool names! :giddyboy:
unusualnorski
yea. :)
Corpz.Blud
Goodnight, Tord
unusualnorski
goodnight, Matt.
Matt sets his phone down. Tord stays on a little longer to doomscroll some technician-related reels, then he turns his phone off and rolls over in bed.
Matt thinks... His name is Tord...
Tord thinks... His face looks like that...
They both smile warmly... He's so...
Amazing.
Tord can’t take it anymore. He bites the bullet and sends it, the message he’s had bouncing around in his head for months. The feeling he’d tried to contain...
unusualnorski
you're my best friend.
Matt looks at the message, a grin appearing again on his lips.
Corpz.Blud
You're better than just a friend, Tord. I love that I know your name now.
Tord swallows thickly, his cheeks burning red.
unusualnorski
haha yea
you're better than a friend, too.
Corpz.Blud
...
Dude...
unusualnorski
lol
yeah?
Corpz.Blud
I think I'm in love with you...
Tord clicks the spoiled words and his heart bubbles, nearly pops out of his chest.
Unusualnorski
i love you, too.
<3
Matt lets out the breath he’d been holding in, his smile growing larger.
He’s definitely not going to sleep tonight...