This one is a lot shorter than the others, but I like it. Cheating in gaming in something I've always had mixed feelings about, so if anyone tries sending me their opinions on the matter... I'll probably ignore it. I work in a game store guys, trust me, I've heard it all. This chapter is not meant to praise or put down cheating in video games, so don't focus on that. Thank you!

That being said, I hope you guys enjoy this part. I felt like going back to the way that Sora first met, or really how it lead to their first meeting. Leave a review or favorite or follow if you like, thanks for reading!

Will You Use My Konami Code?

It should be fine, if they carry on this way forever. A basic routine, rules, guidelines, boundaries, all established and clear. Nothing left to chance, no risk of pain.

No destruction. No progress.

Sora was never very good at following rules though.

When he had first noticed Roxas, it was in a dungeon of some cheap MMO that he was playing for shits and giggles, he was ridiculously outmatched for the monsters attacking him and was about to be killed and then… Someone just ran in and absolutely destroyed all of them, by himself.

It saved his character, and despite not caring much for the game you don't just forget about those that take special time to help someone else out of a tight spot.

Especially not when you click on their character and realize they're 40 levels higher than you.

Even then though, he only glanced his profile name and typed out a quick thanks message.

It wasn't until he started noticing the man in other games as well, noticing that same profile name popping up, noticing the guy saving his ass or completely obliterating the enemy… No matter where he was or what style the game, it was like he was the perfect AI. He considered it for a while, whether it was actually a computer, but the way he played… He was skill incarnate.

He wanted to be up there with him, to stand on the same ground… No matter what it takes.

"You're a hacker."

The way Roxas looked at him that day was truly heart breaking. It felt like everything had reset itself, like the power cord was yanked from the wall before the file was saved, like the power went out in the middle of an auto save.

He always said that auto saves would fuck him over.

"N-Not really, I just… use some codes…"

"You're cheating!"

It was the first time Roxas ever put his controller down for him, the first time he let whatever was happening on the screens around him happen without any of his concern. This should have been a satisfying moment, it was something he had been trying to achieve for so long now, but it was giving him a heart attack. With a death grip around his ribs, the blonde just continued to glare at him, as if he expected another excuse from Sora.

Nothing seemed to be forth-coming, though.

"How do you do it? Do you cheat in Halo? Did you cheat to platinum Final Fantasy? Have you actually earned anything?"

"Well how else was I going to get your attention?!" Sora snapped back at him, leaning forward from his spot on the floor, with just the light from the TV in the room, he hoped it was dark enough that Roxas wouldn't recognize he was close to tears. Roxas himself, he looked almost ethereal, yet somehow natural in this light. It only made this situation that much harder to swallow.

For so long he admired the other boy, he watched his gamer score, tracked his trophies, followed him up the leader boards. He was someone born for gaming, someone who belonged to this life, he was… so pure. He wasn't those douche bags at game stores trying to compare gamer scores like the size of the dicks, he played because he loved it and was really fucking good at it. His skill was the kind honed from devotion and adoration…

He was someone who deserved the recognition and praise… Whose hands fit around a controller like he was born with it… Who charged into a fight with monsters 20 levels higher than him just for the challenge and not for the rare items.

He was what Sora wanted to be.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Roxas snapped back at him, "You think I would ignore you otherwise? You think I would pay any attention anyways?"

"I didn't realize that until later!"

No matter what game, no matter how he asked, no matter who he pretended to be, Roxas always ignored his messages. He didn't team up with other people. He didn't look for fights against other people. He was there for the game. MMORPG's, shooters, fucking Portal 2 even! He ALWAYS ignored him. If he had realized that Roxas was strictly a solo-er than he would probably not have put so much effort into cheating…

"WHY?"

He flinched slightly at that, looking away from the blonde.

"Why start cheating?! I don't buy it! It's not just about me! What even made you want to cheat to meet me?! Why me?!"

"Because you're great!"

"It's the game that's great!"

Sora's jaw snapped shut, teeth making an awful click from the force, but Roxas wouldn't stop.

"It has nothing to do with me! You just want to be good at the games! When you were playing those games, were you even paying attention to them? Or were you just trying to get another trophy? Did you cry at the end of Final Fantasy X?! What about the Mass Effect series?! How many times have you fought the Seneschal in Dragon's Dogma?! Do you even care about the Grey Wardens?!"

"Of course! I've played them all, I know them!"

"Did you?!"

Roxas was gritting his teeth. The glare was intense. Then he suddenly turned back to his screen, exiting the game was playing and moving to the home screen. He logged out and began creating a new profile.

"Pick a name."

"Huh?" Sora muttered, raising an eyebrow at the blonde, but Roxas just stood from his chair and handed the controller over to the other man.

"You're starting new on my system, since yours is probably modded and can't be trusted. You're going to play ALL of those games again, I don't care how long it takes. I'm going to sit next to you the entire time, you WILL NOT cheat."

It would take a long time, tons of time of just the two sitting together, of only them and the game… It only took him about a month to realize something.

It was never about the games.

They were great, really. But he didn't feel the same attraction to them as he used to.

Sliding down to the floor, he wrapped an arm around the blonde who was silently sobbing over Mordin in Mass Effect 3, bringing the blonde's head down into his shoulder. Weaving his fingers into the light hair, he rubbed his fingers comfortingly into the base of the man's neck. He wouldn't lie, he was pretty torn up about the scene too, but it was seeing Roxas connect in this way, seeing Roxas so passionate about something…

He was a casual gamer at best. Games were never that important to him, cheating was never something truly significant to him, his achievements never meant much… they were all for one purpose. The only reason they became important to him in the first place was Roxas… Roxas was what made gaming special.

Roxas was what was really important.

3 Months Later

Roxas leaned against the chair, staring at the TV in disappointment, watching the loading screen for the fight against Orphan in Final Fantasy XIII for what must have been the 10th time…

"… You suck."

"Shut up."