Play It Again

by Aidan Wayne

  “‘Hey, Sam, so you know, one of your loyal fans gave Dovid the shovel talk. Isn’t that great?’ Basically that.”

  “I mean...if you want to. He’ll probably just be embarrassed. He still doesn’t really know how to deal with how popular he is.”

  “Well, no time like the present to talk about it. Especially since we’re in person and there isn’t a time difference. I mean, what, he’s uploading two videos a week and attempting to make a presence on Twitter, right?”

  “Yeah. I helped him set up that Ko-fi account a while back, and he’s been getting donations through it. And his revenue through YouTube is not insignificant anymore. It’s basically the equivalent of a second job for him now.”

  “Yeah...”

  “What?”

  “I mean, he could be doing more, if he wanted to. Have you talked to him about it?”

  Dovid shrugged. “Only a little. I get the feeling he still doesn’t want to bother me about it. Which I’ve said that it wasn’t at all, but still. He doesn’t like feeling as though he’s a burden.” Dovid wished he knew why. What made Sam feel like he had to walk on eggshells all the time?

  But Sam was opening up to him more each day. Which was so ridiculously fantastic.

  “Maybe we can be the ones to bring it up, then,” Rachel suggested. “He’s, uh, he’s mentioned in his videos about how he doesn’t love his job. We’re as good a success story as any about how YouTube can be a viable career. And I know for a fact that there’s been fans asking him to review and play more games. He might not be able to hold to that sort of upload schedule with a full-time IT job but if he maybe moved to part-time for a little while, used his YouTube and Ko-fi earnings to supplement—have you talked to him about Patreon?”

  “Whoa, whoa, I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself here.” Not that Dovid hadn’t had the exact same thoughts. He just hadn’t been sure how to bring them up to Sam.

  Rachel sighed. “Probably. I just...forget you feeling mushy, I really like him. And I really like his stuff, and his review of Brightforest was a thing of beauty. I’d love to have more of his content out there. And I know for a fact that there are a lot of people who share my opinion.”

  “Yeah, I know. Did I tell you he had someone ask him to review a Loot Crate box?”

  “Oh hey, no. And?”

  “And Loot Crate reached out to him about starting a complimentary subscription for him to review.”

  “Awesome! What’d he say?”

  “It was a couple of days ago. He asked if he could think about it and get back to them. I think he’s nervous about showing more of himself on camera.”

  “That’s easy,” Rachel said dismissively. “He can do what Ashens does and just keep the camera in front of him and review like that. They’d only ever see his arms.”

  “Yeah...”

  “Excuse me? Terribly sorry to interrupt but—”

  “Sam! Hey!” Dovid stood and turned in the direction of his voice, holding out a hand. “You made it!”

  Sam’s hand slid into his. “I rather said I would.” He sounded like he was smiling.

  “Come on, sit, sit.” Dovid tugged Sam down into the seat next to his, and then faced forward again. “Rachel, this is Sam.”

  “Really? I couldn’t tell. It’s not like you didn’t just sigh dreamily and fawn all over him.” Followed by, “Hi, I’m Rachel! Dovid’s better half. It’s really great to meet you.”

  “The feeling’s mutual,” Sam said. “I’ve heard so much about you. And, erm, I’ve watched your videos, of course.”

  “Awesome. I’ve watched yours too. I was the one who introduced Dovid to your channel, actually.”

  “Oh yes! I remember Dovid saying so. Thank you for that.”

  Rachel laughed. “Hey, you getting more popular was a gift. Now I get two videos from you a week.”

  “Maybe more,” Sam told her. “I...maybe.”

  “Oh,” Dovid said. “Really?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it. Maybe we could all have a chat? About that?”

  “No, yeah, of course. Rachel?”

  “Oh, I’m totally in. Though speaking of videos, Sam, do you mind if we record part of this?”

  The hand in Dovid’s clenched, then relaxed. “O-oh, I, well, if you want to.”

  A pause, and then Rachel said, “It’s really okay if you don’t want to.”

  “No, no, if you were planning on it, I don’t want to get in the way of that.”

  “Nah, it’s cool. We got plenty of good shots about coming inside the restaurant. We don’t have to film the whole thing. Really.”

  “Rachel can just get some video of the food coming to the table, close-up shots of cutlery being used, maybe me eating it. I really don’t have to review the food; we were going to be using this stuff for montage shots mostly anyway. It’s not a big deal at all.”

  “It’s a tiny deal,” Rachel said. “Miniscule. Not even a deal. The deal doesn’t exist.”

  Sam laughed, and something in Dovid unclenched in hearing him more at ease. “Alright. That’s fine, then. I just don’t want to upset any of your plans.”

  “You aren’t,” Dovid said. “Believe me. You are pretty much my one plan right now.”

  A thumb stroked over the back of his hand. “Thank you. You are to me too.”

  “Mush,” Rachel announced. “You’re both so cute it’s gross. Can we order food now?”

  * * *

  After dinner, they all went back to where Dovid and Rachel were staying to continue the night. They’d talked pretty much nonstop through dinner, Sam included, and the only part Dovid could complain about was that Sam had to split his attention between himself and Rachel.

  Okay, he wasn’t at all complaining that his best friend was getting along with his boyfriend. Which is what Sam was, right? Like, neither of them had actually used the word, but they were dating and had said ‘I love you’s so...right?

  Wait a minute, had it ever actually been established that they were dating?

  “We’re dating, right?” Dovid blurted out.

  There was sudden silence. Probably a confused one, since they’d all been talking about Sam setting up a Patreon moments before.

  “Yes?” Sam said, at the same time Rachel said, “Um, duh?”

  “Okay. Okay, good. I just wasn’t sure since we’d never actually, like, said it. I mean, I thought we were dating but—”

  “Dovid,” Sam said, reaching for his hand and squeezing, “I’m so happy I’m dating you, and you’re the best boyfriend I could ever ask for. Even if it is a long-distance relationship most of the time, I wouldn’t trade it, or you, for the world.”

  “Wow,” Dovid said after a minute. He cleared his throat, cheeks hot. “Now who’s making who blush, huh?”

  Rachel laughed. “Sam, I’m gonna have to shake your hand. Dovid is not usually one for flustered, but where you’re concerned he has, like, no chill.”

  Sam laughed and he shifted, seemingly taking Rachel’s hand when she offered it to shake. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said.

  “Now then,” Rachel said. “I’m going to my room. I will be doing work, with my headphones on, sound up. If you absolutely need me, just bust down my door but other than that, I’m out.”

  “Oh,” Sam said, “I didn’t mean to overstay—”

  “Are you kidding? You didn’t at all. I’d love to keep talking to you. But might as well give you and Dovid some more time together, right?”

  “Right,” Dovid said immediately. “Besides, overstay? I was hoping you’d stay the night with me. You brought your overnight bag, yeah?”

  “Well, yes, I did.”

  Dovid grinned. “Awesome. You wanna grab it and head back to my room?”

  “Oh! Yes, I—goodnight, Rachel. It was lovely to meet y
ou in person.”

  “Same. Looking forward to talking to you more tomorrow. Sounds good?”

  “Yes, definitely.”

  “Night,” Dovid said, before taking Sam’s hand and pulling him along. Sam laughed and followed, presumably swinging up his backpack onto his shoulder.

  Once inside his bedroom, Dovid got nervous again. He wanted so much. He wanted so much with Sam. “Want to just get ready for bed first?” he asked, in part to procrastinate thinking too hard. “Teeth brushed, change, all that?”

  “Alright.”

  Sam went through his bag to get his toothbrush and then they both headed into the bathroom to get ready to turn in. Back in the room though, ready to change, Dovid sort of froze. He hadn’t thought this far. Shorts and the shirt Sam had sent had been Dovid’s night clothes for quite a while now. Did he want to wear less with Sam there, to feel more skin? Would Sam mind that?

  He cursed himself for being so weird about this. Forget his casual flings; he’d never even overthought stuff like this in any of his serious relationships. He and Olivia had dated for months and Dovid had barely ever second-guessed himself. Even Brian hadn’t flustered him like this, and certainly not so often. Sam was just...

  He was something else.

  “How would you like me?”

  “Sorry,” Dovid said, mind blanking out. “What?”

  Sam cleared his throat. “I mean, I thought maybe you wanted to go to bed together? Or not even to sleep, not right now, but to cuddle again. If you wanted. I mean, I do, but obviously it sort of is up to you whether or not we do anything.”

  “Yes, absolutely to cuddling,” Dovid said. “And sorry I just, uh, I sort of get caught up in my head sometimes.”

  “I certainly can understand that,” Sam said. “I do that too. Far too much, probably. My father always says I’ve got my head far too high up in the clouds. Not that I think you do!”

  Dovid had to smile. “I get it. No, yeah, I just—how comfortable would you be if I, uh, if I didn’t wear a shirt? So I could feel more of you. But it’s totally cool if you’d rather I wore one.”

  A very loud silence.

  “Uh... Sam?”

  “Well, I... I can’t say I’m against you not wearing a shirt,” Sam said, like an admission. He cleared his throat again. “You’re incredibly good-looking.”

  Dovid swallowed, taken aback. To hear Sam just out and out say it, like it was just fact, like he was just being honest... “Oh.”

  “I rather thought you knew that,” Sam said. And then he chuckled. “What was it you said, in one of your videos? That just because you couldn’t appreciate looks, you knew that many of your viewers could?”

  Dovid covered his face with his hands.

  “Hey now, what’s that for?”

  “Because I’m such a nerd.”

  “You’re a popular YouTube sensation who’s incredibly personable, smart, and quite handsome. You do all nerds a service, by ranking yourself among us.”

  “Okay, you’re a nerd too. And I want to kiss you a lot right now.”

  “The feeling is quite mutual. But did you want to keep your shirt on, or take it off?”

  “Fuck,” Dovid said, pulling his shirt off and folding it up, leaving it on the chair by the door. He shimmied out of his pants and put those on the chair as well, then went to the bed, taking a seat and holding out his hands. “C’mere?”

  The sound of quiet footfalls, and then Sam sitting down next to him, his leg brushing Dovid’s own. Sam was wearing long pants made of a soft fabric. Dovid reached out to stroke it. “Let me guess,” he said. “This is plaid.”

  “How did you even know that?” Sam asked.

  Dovid grinned. “Because these feel like legit pajama bottoms. And everyone I’ve ever talked to tell me that men’s PJs only come in plaid or stripes. And you didn’t seem like a stripes guy to me.”

  “I marvel at you every day,” Sam said, putting an arm around him and kissing his temple. Sam was wearing a shirt himself, but Dovid wasn’t going to hold that against him. He was, however, going to happily hold himself against Sam.

  That thought in mind, Dovid turned and pushed closer, wrapping his arms around Sam and nosing along his shirt until he reached the open collar at Sam’s throat. He pressed a kiss there and was rewarded with a quiet intake of breath. “That okay?” he asked, just to be sure.

  “Yes,” a sigh.

  Another kiss there, then, a little higher up. “Can I keep going?”

  “Yes, yes please.”

  Dovid grinned against Sam’s skin and then pressed a kiss just underneath his jaw before mouthing there, not sucking too hard to leave marks but enough that—

  “Ah!” High and thready, and delicious to hear. Dovid surged forward, laying Sam down on his back before finding his mouth for kisses, hands running up and down his sides.

  His fingers found the hem of Sam’s T-shirt, and he dipped them underneath just a little, just enough to stroke skin. “Can I touch you? Would that be okay?”

  “More than okay,” Sam breathed. “I—would you—shall I take it off?”

  “God, yes, if you want to.” All that skin, all of Sam. “Fuck, please.”

  “Here.” Sam sat up, hands brushing Dovid’s own, and then he was lifting his shirt over his head. Dovid heard the soft fwump as it fell to the floor. “There, is that alright?”

  “Can I...” Dovid swallowed. Sam was right there. He was right there. “Can I touch you?”

  Sam took his hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. Dovid shuddered. “However you’d like.”

  Permission granted, Dovid brought his hands up to feel him, to run his fingers over Sam’s bared skin. Arms to shoulders to pecs, sides, stomach, back again. He pressed Sam back down against the sheets, tucking away all of Sam’s little inhales and gasps, moved to kiss his mouth and taste them as his hands stroked down Sam’s body.

  * * *

  “I am going to fucking miss this,” Dovid murmured sleepily. He was pressed against Sam’s side, arms wrapped around him, and if he never moved again it would be too soon.

  Sam chuckled. “Hey now, your visit only just started. We still get to see each other for several more days. And yes, well, I won’t be here in the morning, but Friday night to Saturday to Sunday I’ll be there to wake up with you.”

  “I know,” Dovid said. “I can’t wait. I’m with you right now and I can’t wait til I get you again. I’m gonna savor, like, every moment.”

  “Same here. I spent the whole day knowing I’d be seeing you again. Everyone at work thought I was mad, I was so happy. Cynthia, my cubicle mate, even commented on it and asked if I’d gotten good news, and, well, you know the most we interact is to exchange pleasantries and comments on the weather. And I’ll be the same way tomorrow, I assure you.”

  “Aw. But no, yeah, me too. At least Rachel knows why I’ve been so crazy happy. She’s just glad I’m able to get it out of my system a little.”

  Another laugh. “I’m glad too.”

  “Ugh, I love you so much, stop it.”

  “I love you too.” Easily.

  “Hey, Sam?”

  “Mm?”

  “If you close your eyes, it’s like I’m right here with you.”

  Sam shifted just a little. “You’re right,” he said a moment later. “It is. What are we doing?”

  Dovid smiled. “I’m turning you onto your side, so I can be the one to hold you this time.”

  Sam obligingly moved as Dovid guided him, until Dovid’s cheek was pressed against Sam’s back, their legs tangling together. “Oh,” Sam said faintly. “I like that very much. Being held by you.”

  Dovid kissed him there, because he could. “Good,” he said. “I like it too.”

  Chapter Ten

  Sam wearily sat back down at his desk, and it took him a moment to pu
t his headset back on. Cynthia glanced around her own monitor to raise an eyebrow at him. “Office call, eh?”

  Sam bit his lip. He often didn’t know how to respond when Cynthia spoke to him.

  “Oh, you know,” he said gamely. “Sometimes they need to yell at someone in person.”

  She huffed a laugh. “Don’t I know it.”

  Interaction over, they both turned back to their screens. Sam had to type up the report of his office visit, which needed to include why he had personally gone by instead of just fixing the problem with TeamViewer like he was supposed to.

  He couldn’t very well write “Because my father insisted,” though, so he maybe fudged the trouble a bit to make it seem as though the solution was more difficult than it had been.

  He was unable to stop the small sigh that escaped him as he wrote. Sometimes he wished, just a little, that his parents treated him a bit more like they did Charlie. More often he at least dreamed that he and his father worked at different companies.

  He flicked his eyes over at Cynthia’s monitor. She had gotten a call and was asking a question in bright, bubbly tones. “It’s the way to do it,” she had told him once, after a particularly angry client had Sam needing to turn off his headset and just breathe. “If they become upset at you telling them to do something simple, just repeat yourself with more exclamation marks. Helps to just steamroll their bad mood.”

  Cynthia was an interesting woman. She had told him once, cheerfully, that she was utterly without ambition. She went to work, got to sit and talk on the phone all day, went home to her cat and her husband, and that was a pretty well-rounded week for her.

  Sam had no qualms going home to his empty apartment of course. It was wonderfully devoid of people and their social expectations. Though lately he had come to be a touch envious of Cynthia. To have someone she loved so close by. To not mind the work she was doing, even if it wasn’t necessarily her dream job.

  But while Dovid lived far away, Sam wouldn’t trade him for anything. He was so, so lucky to have Dovid in his life. And today, for the next few days, Sam did have him to come home to. As for his displeasure with work, well, with Dovid and Rachel both talking to him about Patreon, coupled with the fact that his channel really was doing well in terms of ad revenue...