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False is not thinking about Ren at the moment. Well, if she were to be honest, every time they meet up in real life, she has a baseline awareness of him. She needs to keep track of that strange guy, come on now! Especially now that they’re sharing hotel rooms and walking around Twitchcon together.
Anyways, the point is, False has way more important things to care about instead of Ren. Such as the MCC that is currently happening and her wonderful teammates. She wonders if Ren can find a seat in the packed venue, then remembers that of course he will, because he’s Ren and he loves watching her play. (Even if he forgot to sign up for it. Seriously, this guy.) He’ll probably be lost in the crowd, but that’s fine because he’s not the focus of the afternoon.
So it’s a pleasant surprise (not a secret surprise) when a Twitch chat from Ren flies past, saying, “Stage looks AMAZING from up here on the balcony, let’s go False!!!!”. Wow, Ren actually got a balcony seat? Perhaps this adult man can be competent after all.
False excitedly tells her teammates and instantly begins scanning the balcony for a familiar face (a face she knows all too well). Even with her observation skills and experience with spotting Ren in a crowd (okay, maybe she’s a little too aware of him), it’s a difficult task. There are too many people, the lighting is going crazy, and the balcony is just so far away.
“Wave at us, Ren!” False demands. “Wave! So I can see where you are!” With her hands shielding her face from the bright lights, she squints at the rows of people on the balcony. It takes a while, but in the end, her strange yet loyal guy follows her order (as he always does).
False’s eyes instantly light up when she sees a small figure frantically waving his arms. It’s Ren! It’s actually Ren! And maybe Doc is beside him, judging from what Ren said at breakfast, but Doc isn’t waving (rude), so False doesn’t care. False grins, but Ren probably can’t see it. Then again, she knows he’s in her stream.
The rest of her team is busy. The casters are saying something. Nobody on the balcony seems to care that this weird freak guy is waving his arms like a windmill. False is only looking at Ren, and Ren is only looking at False. For one split second, despite the raucous crowd, it’s only them. A moment only she can see.
Nah. False’s hyped. All sorts of chemicals are being pumped into her brain and she’s giddy with adrenaline. Oddly enough, she wants to show him off. She wants her chat to see.
False reaches for her phone. “Ren, if you wave again, I’m gonna take a photo and show chat.” She holds her phone up. “I’m gonna zoom in where you are. Put your hands in the air.”
Thankfully, she locates Ren quickly. False’s always had excellent kinetic vision, and hey, she can be a little selfish with her skills sometimes.
“There he is!” False glances down at her phone, a satisfied little smile forming on her face. The photo is way blurrier than her vision, but Ren’s raised and crossed both of his arms, so he’s easy to spot. Though to chat, Ren’s an unrecognisable blob. That’s fine with False. Ren’s just another streamer to her chat, but to her, he’s… her Ren.
(False doesn’t mind labels, “boyfriend” “partner” “best friend” and whatnot, but she’s known Ren for so long that he’s simply Ren. He’s always by her side and they enjoy each other’s company. He’s Ren, and she’s False. It’s just that.)
False pulls up the fullscreen of her facecam and puts her phone close to the camera. At the same time, she instinctively looks up at Ren. (Now that she did it twice, it’s getting easier to find him. It’s an acquired skill.) Ren pauses, then his arms rise up again, even though she’s not taking a photo. Is he waving again—
Oh.
A heart. He’s making a big heart with both of his arms. He’s so silly and stupid, he’s probably embarrassing Doc, but False knows Ren isn’t ashamed at all. He’s shouting it from the mountaintops—I love you I love you I love you. The whole world knows I love you.
False’s heart skips a beat, bashful and girlish. She giggles, and internally winces when the hand holding her phone shakes. Even though he’s so far away, False knows that Ren knows she’s looking. She took a picture for the public, but now that’s done, he’s doing this dramatic act only for her.
Confident that his message was received, Ren now lowers his arms. Just as she thinks he’s done, one of his arms move again. He bends his arm at the elbow and pulls his hand close to his face. Then he thrusts it out in the open air. It’s a clumsy gesture, but False reads it instantly. It’s an air kiss. Rendog, the freakin’ madman, is blowing her an air kiss right before the Decision Dome.
False sighs. Shameless, she thinks, but her stomach flutters with delight. Maybe he didn’t get her heart balloons, but he’s making hearts with his arms and blowing her kisses. Ren blows her another kiss, and False laughs so hard that she leans back in her chair. She’s able to hastily disguise it as her removing her phone. She puts her phone down and thinks about that incredibly low resolution pic of Ren waving at her. It’s barely anything, but it makes her disproportionately happy.
(Ren always makes her happy. It took her far too long to realise the significance of this irrefutable, simple truth.)
A video from Noxcrew is being played, and False knows she has to tune in. And then when it’s all over, False has the rest of the day to celebrate her birthday with friends. She’s honestly so glad she came here this year.
A familiar red name in her Twitch chat. Ren happily tells her, “Rendog spotted!”.
Despite everything, False’s lips quirk up.
Message received.