"Shit, dude I'm fucking dying- I'm so bad at this game-"

It was a calm Monday night, and he was over at my place once again. The same bed, on the same spot, playing the same game, for the last couple weeks.

It's not like he was a nuisance, though, since he had always been the lone ranger, and seemed to only open up to me; I thought I had the responsibility of keeping him company, like caring for a stray cat. And I kind of held a sort of savior complex over him, which is quite controversial in itself, but our relationship seemed pretty healthy the way it was. I thoroughly enjoyed his company however, and obviously he seemed to enjoy mine as of recent.

"Nah, dude you only got a couple hits on him left, you got plenty health to beat him up. Don't even need to use your items, easy money."

"A'ight, man, I'm trusting you."

Before, it was only a sometimes thing where he would come over and we would talk and play video games together, but during these couple months its been more of a prominent routine type of thing. He'd arrive at my doorstep every evening, I'd invite him in, possibly share a smoke here and there and we'd fall into the same comfortable position on this bed of mine, hanging out and playing games until he had to leave for work in the morning.

I didn't think much of it at first, mostly only as a regular thing you do with the people you're close with, but I started to notice things about him more than you would for someone you know as just a friend. Even more so, considering that we're both males. But with him being here every Monday night, until the earliest hours of the day, there's no way I couldn't have.

It's normal, right?

"…ude. Dude. DUDE. Yo, man are you even listening to me?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah yeah, I'm listening and I totally agree."

He looked at me with confusion, and the slightest bit of worry.

"Dude really? I mean like I guess it's fine if you're like super distant relatives or whatever, but I didn't think you'd be so gung-ho over incest."

He smirked, and let out a soft chuckle, the kind of chuckle you'd imagine when reading those "10 Things Girls Love" BuzzFeed articles. Not like I loved it or anything.

"But you know, whatever floats your boat. A little illegal, but hey you're from the South or whatever right?"

A blush creeped over my face, and not only because I had absentmindedly agreed to the act of incest, but also because of the fact that he vaguely remembered the places I used to live, insinuating that he at least payed a little attention to our past conversations.

"I mean, not really, but I did live in Missouri for a bit, which is more of a midwestern country, but same ideals you know."

We paused and looked at each other for a bit, bursting out in laughter. These were the moments that I really lived for, sharing a good laugh with a good guy.

A good FRIEND I should say. Because that's what we are, and that's what we'd always be.

At least, so I thought.

"And BOOM, defeated, easy, we did it boys. And it's all thanks to my main man over here."

He pointed finger guns at me, and plopped the controller down onto the bed.

"And that's enough video games for tonight-"

He glanced over at his watch, becoming wide-eyed.

"Or should I say morning. Looks like I gotta head out in a couple hours, haha. Time really flies past you when you're hanging with your bud."

He nudged at me, and I smiled weakly at him with an unexpected disappointment. I had no idea why it was there, as this happened every Monday and I never really was bothered by him leaving, but it was something about today that just made me want him to stay longer. Or maybe it's always been like that, without me ever noticing.

It seemed like he noticed it right away however, faster than I could process, as if he's known it's been happening and finally decided to do something about it.

"Hey uh, is something wrong? You've always seemed a bit distraught these past couple weeks."

I hate how I'm never wrong.

"Wow, distraught, such high vocabulary. Where'd you learn that?"

Witty comments always seem to be the best escape plan.

He laughed, "Pfft, very funny, but seriously what's up? Like I think we're good enough homies for you to tell me this stuff and it makes me sad seeing you this way. Be real with me, because I've always been real with you."

Or not.

"Nah homie, for real, like it's no big deal; I've just been a bit tired, that's all."

"I mean if you say so. I trust you."

I sighed in relief, thanking God that I wouldn't have to face such an awkward situation because it was obvious that he was normal, and saw me as just a friend, but yet I couldn't help but feel a little hurt knowing that.

"But like, I gotta be real with you."

I gulped. "Real with me? You've always been though. And like, I know your whole life story basically so I think you've been pretty damn real, haha."

"Yeah I know, but like its something else. Something new. Something kind of… Unexpected?"

"U-unexpected, how so?" I chuckled nervously, taking back the thanks with the situation's tension worsening by the minute. Feelings of unease began to wash over me, with the slight brush of anticipation of something I never would have dreamed to have wanted.

"Yeah but don't like, be weirded out okay, tell me we're still gonna be homies after this."

"Y-yeah of course, why wouldn't we be? We're the dream team and always will be." I never thought I could want anything more than the latter, but the want was apparent at this rate, and I couldn't stop it, and neither could I stop the blush taking over my face.

"Haha that's true, but.. I.." He cleared his throat, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Mm, how do I word this..?"

He looked around the room aimlessly, everywhere but my direction.

"It's um, pretty cold yeah?"

I sat there, confused, and slightly angry. "Dude what kind of question is that? Of course it is, it's fucking fall."

"Uh yeah, totally, you're right but like… Um…"

"Umm..?"

"Cuddle. Cuddling is, it's a really helpful um, thing during the season, the fall season, this um, season you know?"

"What-"

"I mean like, like, do…do you wanna cuddle or something?"

"Woah, woah, what. Where did that come from?" A welling tingly feeling began forming in my chest, feeling as if it were to overflow out of me and make me explode.

"Okay I know it's weird but like these past couple weeks it's…I'm not going to lie it seems like you've been a little disappointed when I leave like I'm not that oblivious to things, and I kind've… felt the same and… I'm really bad at conveying what I want and-"

At that point, it was a fast decline down a slippery slope that neither of us were ready for and honestly, I could care less. I grabbed him, holding him tight, wrapping the blankets around us.

"Yes. I one hundred percent get you. Cuddle me you dork."

I could feel the blush radiating off of him now, melting the awkward tension between us, and bringing us closer together than we would have ever thought.

It was a calm Monday night alright, but on that same bed, on the same spot, I felt a flurry of emotion sweep us both off of our feet and into a new definition of a Monday night, which would forever change us both.