Chapter Text
If his strategy was to intimidate Sam into losing before the match even started, well, it worked.
With his black boots and leather jacket, a red streak through his black hair, a stare to send basilisks running—he was the kind of person Sam had seen often on TV or whatever, but never expected to meet in real life.
Their eyes weren't far from level, but Sam could swear he towered at least a foot above him.
They sat down and took their controllers; Sam barely felt his in his hands. He thought he was doing pretty good in this tournament, but now he found himself mistiming every hit, rolling into attacks, grabbing at nothing. It was over, fast.
At least the challenger didn't even flinch upon shaking Sam's sweaty hand. At least. "Good game," he said. And then he was gone.
On the third day of school, in the middle of lunch, Sam blanked for a critical second on where his locker was and took a wrong turn behind the science building, where it should have been quiet and empty—except someone was there, leaning on the wall, reading a book.
Dressed in black, with a stony gaze.
Seeing him a second time, out in the open, on a high school campus just like any regular teen, Sam didn't think he looked so scary now. In fact, he was thrilled to see a familiar face. "Hey! You're that guy who beat me in last week's tourney!"
There was no reaction until a full two seconds after Sam finished speaking. Then he turned his head, very slightly, enough to look Sam over. "Yeah. I am," he said at last.
"How far did you get?"
"I lost the final."
"Wow! You're really good."
"I just play a lot. And I watch the pros play."
"Oh, so you're like, into the meta, huh? Hmm... I don't think any of my mains are high tier, so maybe that did it."
"You know," he said, closing his book and actually looking at Sam. "It's interesting you should say that..."
The warning bell chimed: seven minutes to next class.
"Oh, man! We better go. It was nice talking to you!"
"Yeah."
"Oh! By the way, I'm Sam! I'm just a freshman, hehe. What's your name?"
"Sebastian."
"Really? Wow, that's cool!"
"Uh." That was a reaction he hadn't seen in a while. He struggled to remember how to respond. "Yeah. It's all right."
Sam grinned; he really did look like a freshman. "See you later, Sebastian!"
And he meant it.
It took until the fourth consecutive day of Sam eagerly trotting up to his new friend at the start of lunch, that Sebastian began to suspect this was going to be a regular thing—and it would be unconscionable not to try to stop it.
"Hi, Sebastian!"
"Hi." He held up a hand before Sam could continue. "Look. Don't take this the wrong way. But don't you have anything better to do than hang out with a delinquent junior?"
"Huh? Um..." Sam scratched his head, frowning thoughtfully. "Not really, honestly. I just moved here last summer... so I don't exactly have a lot of friends here." He grinned up at Sebastian again. "Besides, I like talking to you! I never had anyone to talk about games with before."
"Thanks," Sebastian replied, after a beat of silence. "But... I won't be around forever. You should try to make some friends in your own year."
"Yeah, I know... It's just kinda tough."
"Yeah. It is." Sebastian looked off into the distance. "But I think you can do it."
Sam's eyes lit up. "You believe in me, huh? Thanks!"
"So why do you dress like that? I mean, it's cool! But why?"
Sebastian vented a sigh as discreetly as he could. At least Sam liked it, he supposed. "I don't know. I just do."
"So you're not, like, in a biker gang?"
"No. I'm not."
"Or a heavy metal band?"
"No."
"A, um, goth... team?"
"No."
Sam considered these answers carefully; Sebastian wondered if he'd figure it out. "So you're a real lone wolf, huh? That rules."
He did—and had the entirely wrong opinion on it. "I... Yeah. It does."
"I think you should play it for yourself. I'll bring in my copy tomorrow."
"Oh! You'd really do that?"
"Sure. It's not like I'm doing anything with—"
"Lee."
A tense silence fell upon them. Sebastian turned, with clomping footsteps, to glare at whichever teacher had busted him this time.
They were unmoved. "Don't you have business elsewhere?"
He sighed a sigh that was half a growl, but took his backpack and left without a word.
The teacher spoke again as Sam watched Sebastian leave. "You'd best stay away from that boy. He's a terrible influence."
"Really?" Sam frowned. "But he's good to me."
"He must want something from you. Be careful."
"That teacher told me you're a bad influence," said Sam, as he walked with Sebastian on a deserted path behind the school. "But... I'm not sure. You seem okay."
"Do I?"
"Yeah! You've been nice to me. You help me with my homework. And you don't say anything bad—um, except for, swears, I guess."
"Hmm."
They reached their destination—though Sam seemed confused. "Hey, isn't this the faculty parking lot? What'd you bring me here for?"
"Oh. Uh." Sebastian took a cursory look around the area. "Oh no, I was going to show you something cool, but it's gone now. Sorry about that."
"Aw, man!"
One lunch, Sam was a bit late in showing. Sebastian looked in the direction his friend usually arrived from, wondering if something came up at the last minute.
No, there he was now, but talking animatedly with two others. Good for him. He'll be better off, thought Sebastian.
Wait. Are they looking at me?
Whatever they saw, it seemed to incite some kind of commotion among them; their voices grew louder and seemed to gain a hostile edge, though they were far enough away that their words were still indistinct. Sebastian watched with growing consternation, wondering if he should intervene.
But soon enough, the two unfamiliar students were leaving. Sam hollered something at them, then stomped over to his usual lunchtime spot next to Sebastian.
"What happened?"
"Ugh! Those jerks don't know what they're talking about!!" Sam huffed. "Did you hear what they were saying?!"
"No."
"They were just—! Saying all sorts of rude stuff, about you! Can you believe it?"
"Um." Yes.
"Well, they're wrong... they're wrong! You're better than them! And I told 'em to screw off!!"
Sam took a moment to catch his breath; Sebastian had never seen him so angry, and it truly seemed to tire him out. "I... I know you said I should make more friends in my own class. But if that's how they're gonna be about someone they don't even know...!"
Sebastian watched Sam sit down against the wall, and then he looked away. "You're all right, Sam," he said suddenly.
Starstruck, Sam looked up at him. It was the first direct compliment he'd received from Sebastian, the coolest person he knew. "You mean it?"
"Yeah. For sure."
"No way... no way! That's so stupid!"
Sebastian shrugged. "It's the truth," he said simply.
"You really think I'm gonna fall for the classic playground rumor? Hey, you forgot to tell me your uncle works at Nintendo!"
"No, see, that's the thing. At this point, developers know all about this stuff. They know the vintage memes. And you know self-awareness is the big thing right now. Of course they're gonna put this kind of secret in their games."
"Hmm..." Sam considered this carefully. "Well, when you put it that way," he began hesitantly—but at the most critical juncture, a tiny movement caught Sam's eye. "What? Are you smiling? This is a freakin' joke, isn't it?!"
Sebastian's smirk turned into a full grin as he stomped his foot playfully. "Damn! I was so close."
"You can't fool me, you...! You!!" Sam pointed impotently at Sebastian, which only made him break into a chuckle.
And just then, time seemed to slow.
It's incredible how much a genuine smile can change someone's face. Especially for someone like Sebastian, whose expressions up to this point appeared to have been limited to "glower at you" and "glower at something else". But, now... he had told a joke. And he was laughing.
Sam blinked. Sebastian—the best friend he'd made this year, no contest—he had always looked cool, but in that instant he was... more so. But somehow different. Were his eyes always so bright? Or his hair, so vivid? Was his presence always so...?
"Sam? What's wrong?"
Sebastian had stopped smiling, the mirth replaced with concern. Wrenched back into the normal passage of time, Sam blinked again. "Oh, uh, nothing. Guess I must've zoned out for a second. Haha." He struggled to keep his voice and nerves steady.
"Hmm. Well, go home and get some rest."
"I-I will." His mouth was rapidly turning to dust at a very inconvenient moment. "Have a good summer..." A small but crucial breath. "... Sebastian."
"Yeah, you too." Sebastian grabbed his backpack and nodded at Sam. "See you." He started on his way home.
Sam leaned on the wall and tried to collect himself. Three months to see that smile again.