The two of us spend the next few hours immersed in the game, exploring the world and completing quests together. Your knowledge of RPGs is impressive, and I find myself leaning on you for advice and strategy more than once. But despite this, it feels less like you're teaching me and more like we're simply having fun playing a game together.

Eventually, the sun begins to set outside your window, bathing the room in warm golden light. You glance over at me and smile tiredly. "

"Hey," you say softly, your voice barely above a whisper. "Thanks for playing with me tonight." There's an undercurrent of sadness in your words that I can't quite ignore. It reminds me why I'm here.

I hesitate for a moment before responding. "Y-you're welcome," I stammer, feeling the familiar blush creep up onto my cheeks again. There's so much more I want to say, but I don't know how.