Heyo! Chapter 2, coming your way. This one felt a little short too, well, word count wise. Anyway, there is a third chapter in the works, so the story isn't done yet. Warning, this chapter has some of the sexual content ahead. I feel like this chapter also introduces some random stuff that just kind of gets dropped? Whatever... And as the recurring theme for this line of stories, big shout out to S.
"Ugh! I can't believe I was so stupid! I never should've trusted that asshole..."
The Batter kept his distance from his Player. When she came back from her vacation, she was upset. She didn't tell The Batter why, but he was able to piece it together from her random angry outbursts as she beat the ectoplasm out of any Spectre they came across with his bat.
"Thinking he cared!"
The Batter knew trying to talk to his Player while she was in this enraged state wouldn't accomplish anything. He sat back and focused on waiting out his Players anger.
Her anger dissipated with the same ferocity it came upon her. She dropped the bat and leaned against the wall. Today they were in the smoke mines of Zone 1, an ironic fit to The Player's mood. She muttered angrily for a few more moments before sighing and sinking to the ground. She looked over at The Batter with a deceptively bored expression, an invite for him to join her. He sauntered over and sat down. His Player slumped over and rested her head against his shoulder.
"I messed up." She said matter-of-factly.
The Player was brutally honest with The Batter about the events that transpired on her vacation with her debate friend. How they had been seeing each other for the past few months and were considered to be 'dating'. The Batter couldn't feel a twang of heartache knowing she was in a relationship, but all the same he knew it was only to be expected. It was the deal after all.
She was hopeful about the relationship because having one as a law student was difficult enough, and her also running a coffee shop gave her less time for relationships on top of that. The Batter listened patiently to her story.
"Anyway... When he asked me back to his room I knew full well the subtext behind that and went with him. Well, I woke up super late the next day, I was a little tired-"
The Batter looked away nervously. The last thing he needed was to be thinking about his Player, sans clothing and exhausted in someone's bed.
"So when I was rushing out of his room to get my stuff packed up I accidentally left... Um... Some clothing in his room. Well, when he gave it back to me later that day I was freaking out like, oh my God, he had my clothes I've seen enough TV to know where this is going..."
She took a shaky breath.
"And it did. He took photos of my underwear and sent them to one of his buddies. Now almost the whole damn school's seen them, and I'm under an expulsion review from the school. On my last year..."
The Batter balled his fist tightly. If he could, he go and beat the hell out of the slime that did that to his Player.
"And your brother broke his arm?!"
"Yeah, in two places. Ugh, I fold."
Sitting around a circular table was The Batter, The Player, Dedan, Enoch, Japhet, The Judge, and Zacharie. Piles of credits sat in front of each person, and everyone had some cards in their hands.
"So... Are you still getting kicked out of school?"
The gang had assembled for a game of poker and gossip. They all knew about The Player's unfortunate situation with her school and her now ex-boyfriend, and so that was the topic for that night.
"Well, after Del broke his arm, he had a couple of his buddies... Make sure that jerk was found in even more unsavory circumstances. Batter, if you're going to try to bluff one of us, stop switching your gum to the other side of your mouth."
The Batter made a quick rude gesture and tossed his cards to the center of the table.
"Do tell me dear Player, what circumstances did your brother ensure this tormentor of yours find himself in?"
Both Japhet and The Judge had some difficulty with their cards, being as paws made very poor tools for holding cards. They sat next to each other so they could help the other see what cards they had.
"Well, he had some of his friends plant some drugs in the guys car. Wait... Should I be telling you this? I don't want people to think Del is a crooked cop..."
Enoch laughed and took a large drink of a pitcher of Plastic he had beside him.
"You really think any of us are going to be able to tell anyone this? It's not like we could- ZACHARIE, DON'T TOUCH MY CREDITS!"
It was too easy for The Player to lose track of time when she was with The Batter and her other friends in-game. It seemed that more and more often Zacharie, Dedan or The Batter had to remind her to log off and get some food. She could eat most of the food in The Batter's world, even drink Plastic without any ill effects, but food and drink from that world couldn't keep her physical body going.
"As often as you talk about food, how can you forget to eat?"
Ironically enough, The Player had a mouthful of some Elsen dish when Enoch asked the question. It was a question The Batter asked often enough as well, seeing as he was the one usually buying his Player food when she was in-game. She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Pfft, lawyers don't ever remember to eat."
"What the Hell's a 'fjord'?"
"Fjord, noun; a deep inlet of sea between cliffs."
"That's bullshit."
The game of the night was Scrabble, and the whole gang save for Sugar was playing. The Judge was leading in points, followed closely by Japhet. The Batter was third, shockingly, and The Player, Dedan, and Enoch squabbled for last place.
"Yeah it is bullshit, because I'm one 'D' away from 'Dystopian' aka first place."
While The Batter didn't find Scrabble as enjoyable as games his Player brought them such as Poker, or Jenga, it was a nice way to sit down and socialize. Or a good way to figure out ways to get under someone's skin.
"I'll bet The Batter has a 'D' you can use." Enoch said under his breath.
It was a friendly enough jab, one that didn't have any real meaning, but when The Player heard it her face turned redder than The Batter had ever seen it before.
"Woah there, keep it PG." Dedan scolded.
The Batter, while not being completely naive , was still occasionally lacking knowledge in more perverse subjects and failed to see the humour of Enoch's comment.
"Oh come on, I'm sure The Batter's given up the D before."
The Player shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Hey, can you not joke about that?"
The rest of the game was spent in an awkward silence, Dedan occasionally glaring at Enoch for obviously stepping out of line. The Player eventually did get her 'D', and did win the game by playing 'Dystopian'. The Batter ended up finishing third, The Judge second, and everyone else squabbling for last.
After the game, The Player left and The Batter decided to track down Dedan to ask him to explain Enoch's joke. Dedan laughed at the innocence of the man's question, and laughed even more when The Batter's face reddened.
"Batter, stop."
She said it with a sudden terror that made The Batter's stomach drop. The arms that had been wrapped around her, and the hands trailing sensually along her body were cast aside as his Player pushed him away. He looked at her worriedly and reached a hand out to her.
"Just! I'm sorry... Don't... Don't touch me like that."
The Batter's hand fell limply to his side. He had been greedy, impure. He had let his fantasies affect his actions and as payment made his Player uncomfortable. The gentle kisses were fine, if they were short. Casual hugging, linked arms, and held hands were welcome. Tender moments of being in each other's arms could happen too, but there was a limit.
He could not kiss her, and let his lips stray along her jaw and down her neck. He could never hear the sound she would make as her breath hitched and his hands slid along her soft skin, feel her shiver as he would slide a hand ever lower and she would melt just for him. It was an irrational wish. One he would just need to forget.
"It's better for the both of us if we don't get too involved."
It was The Batter's turn for a break now. His Player understood completely and for the first time ever they spent their time in the game away from each other.
The Batter wandered around in Zone 3, paying Enoch a visit and reflecting on the past several days. Enoch expressed some guilt at poking fun of The Batter's relationship with his Player, but certainly not enough to poke more fun. This, needless enough to say, made The Batter cut his visit short and wander elsewhere.
He returned to the same room where he finally confessed his feelings to his Player. Even with the warm glow of the furnaces, the room seemed infinitely more cold than it had before. There was a moist breeze circulating, that when mixed with the sweet smell of cooking sugar made The Batter relaxed and sleepy. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, deciding to take a light snooze. He sank low to the ground and took a couple deep breaths of the sweet air to relax.
"Batter~!"
His name left her lips in a breathy sigh and ghosted across his neck. The hands clenching his shirt loosened their grip and instead ran along his chest. The Batter placed his hands on his Player's hips and tilted his head down to kiss her. She eagerly returned the kiss, parting her lips and guiding The Batter's hands along her body.
"Batter~!"
She reached for his belt and fumbled with the buckle. He guided her hands and groaned when one of them slipped under the waistband and closed around him. She pushed him back against a wall and pulled her lips away from his to nip his neck. He groaned and mumbled his Player's name as her hand began to teasingly caress him.
"...In a place like this?"
The Batter reached under his Player's shirt and traced patterns on her skin. She purred against his neck, and he could've sworn he heard her chuckle.
"Batter..."
Oh snap! Cliffhanger! Yeah... This chapter is for real all over the place. I have no idea what's going on. Review?