The sounds of gunfire and lasers could be heard coming from the living room, emanating from the onscreen fracas the two teenagers were entranced in at the moment. Dave skillfully snapped his fingers back and forth across the controller, eyes intent behind the dark shades of his sunglasses, blond hair blissfully staying out of his eyes and becoming no more of a distraction than his own breathing; John, however, was constantly forced to flip his black hair out of the way of his glasses as he clumsily slammed onto the keys, squirming the joystick back and forth as he bit his lip nervously.
"I just, I really don't like playing this game, Dave," John began. "It's kind of scary."
"And you're kind of a wimp, John," Dave retorted. "Seriously. It's just Halo."
John let out a quick, silent profanity as he lost his soldier once more to Dave's skillful aerial assaults. "And it's just, I don't like playing the game because it kind of makes me uncomfortable, you know? Like, it's just, it's out of my comfort zone, and it kinda just makes me uncomfortable."
"Your- your comfort zone?" Dave paused the game and looked over at John, an apparent look of disbelief on his face, perhaps even a bit of shame in his friend.
"Y-yeah, it's just, it's outside my comfort zone-…"
"Your comfort zone?" Dave cocked and eyebrow and cornered his friend on the other end of the couch, leaning in condescendingly. "Do you even hear yourself, John?"
"Well, yeah- fighting aliens that look like shriveled up Predator on steroids is just kinda-…"
Dave stood up from the couch, grabbing a blanket from the back. "They're scary? Do you need your blankie to fight these monsters, John?"
"W-Well, yes, I might actually need the blankie!"
"John, you're being ridiculous." Dave threw the blanket in his friend's face. "Grow up, man. We're 14, seriously. Deal with it."
John sighed and lobbed the blanket aside, snatching his controller and flipping his hair back out of his eyes as he continued to launch attempts to keep his soldiers out of death's grasp at Dave's hands, many of which failed.
"Besides, this was your idea anyways," Dave continued. "Do you see how hard you're failing right now? I've never played this game before and I'm already kicking your butt." The older boy snorted. "It's kinda ridiculous."
"And this game is kinda scary!" John retorted. "I never really play it unless Rose is here, 'cause she's scarier and then it's fine to play it. It's not freaky or anything when she's there."
"John, do you hear yourself?" Dave gritted his teeth together in slight annoyance. "It's just a game! And now you're going and talking about how you can't play this friggin' game unless Rose is here, and now I can't figure out whether you're bagging on her or hitting on here. Get a grip, man, this is seriously weird."
"Ok, you're just being kinda mean now."
"You're just being kind of a wimp now."
The two were silent for a moment as they continued to play the game, until Dave lost an entire cavalry, cursing and tossing the controller to the couch beside him.
"Come on, Dave, calm down." John suppressed a slight laugh.
"I just got trashed, bro! I've been beating you the entire time and my cavalry just got trashed!"
"Are you really having a hissy-fit about a video game, Dave?"
"It's not a hissy-fit," Dave snorted. "This game is stupid, and you are stupid for making me play it. And now I'm stupid!"
John quirked an eyebrow up slightly.
"I don't think you really needed help with that."
"Oh, nice. Real mature, John."
"Well now you're just being silly."
"And you're just being immature."
"Do you have a come-back for everything?"
"Yes."
John shook his head and laughed slightly, picking his controller back up and handing Dave his.
"Just finish the game, ok? It doesn't matter if you don't win every time. You won plenty enough before; don't get greedy, 'kay?"
"Whatever, John, you're just trying to make me go easy on you."
"Not entirely." John shrugged. "Just trying to cheer you up."
Dave sat down, hitting play on the video game and continuing to play for a moment before speaking up.
"Thanks."
"What?" John glanced over at him.
"I said thanks. 'Cause even when I'm kind of asinine about stupid things, you're not rude about it or anything."
"Oh. Well. You're welcome, I guess." There was a short moment of silence. "Hey Dave?"
"What?"
"We're friends, right?"
"If we weren't, I wouldn't be on your couch letting you kick my butt at Halo."
"Ok, well- are we best friends?"
"What?" Dave looked over. "Where is this coming from?"
"I dunno. It's just, we've known each other for a few years now, and we've been through a lot, including that weird thing with the video game and-"
"John, don't talk about that. That was just a weird time for all of us. I'm still trying to get over that."
"Well, I'm sure Jade and Rose are, too. But, still. We've been through a lot together, so I'll ask it again- Are we best friends?"
Dave paused for a moment.
"Yeah. We are. John, you're probably the only person who wasn't a total moron over the stupid crap that I like to pull, so yeah, John, we are."
"That's good."
As they continued to play, John began to sing an old song that fit slightly to the tune of the music in the background of the cut-scene they had entered on Halo, Dave proceeding to hit him in the face with a pillow.
"Stop that."
"It's a space race!" John grinned, pointing slightly at the screen.
"I'm gonna punch you."
John just grinned and shook his head, continuing onto the various parts of Halo with Dave for the afternoon.
It was kind of funny how a video game made people become best friends, John decided.
A/N: This was written for a writing contest at school. Idk if I'll win, but... meh.
This was inspired by (I think) "Two Best Friends Play Sburb", but it was really just an animation I saw on Flipnote Hatena. Idk if the audio matches up w/ the Two Best Friends video. Idk...
Anywho, yeah, please review. Constructive criticism is appriciated as long as you're not like... Rude... Or anything... :I