Side Story (2) - Chapter 5
After helping his parents decorate the tree and finishing off the last of the cookies, Raxian made his way back up to his room. The warmth from downstairs still clung to him, and the faint strains of Christmas music followed him through the halls. He pushed open the door to his room, half-expecting the familiar urge to power up his PC and dive into another match.
But tonight, the screen stayed dark.
He stood in the middle of his room, hands in his pockets, feeling the strange quiet settle over him. Usually, he'd be itching to queue up for a game, to throw himself into the familiar rhythms of victory and defeat. But now, after the laughter and warmth downstairs, the thought of gaming felt... distant.
He crossed the room, sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at his setup. His fingers itched to reach for the mouse, to lose himself in the rush of competition. But instead, he found himself wondering, What else is there?
For so long, League had been everything—his goal, his outlet, his way of making sense of the world. But now, in the soft glow of the Christmas lights strung up outside his window, he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe there was more. More to him, more to life. What other interests did he even have? Music, sure—but what else? He couldn't even remember the last time he'd thought about it.
The thought made him uneasy, and he found himself glancing back toward the doorway, listening for the faint sounds of his parents still moving around downstairs. He knew they were probably getting ready to turn in for the night—his dad had work early, and his mom liked her routines.
But maybe, just this once, he could do something different.
Before he could overthink it, Raxian stood and headed back downstairs, the stairs creaking beneath his weight. He hesitated for a moment at the bottom, wondering if this was a stupid idea, but then he took a deep breath and pushed forward.
He found his parents in the living room, his mom tidying up the last few decorations while his dad flipped through the channels, looking ready to call it a night. Raxian cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice casual. "Hey, uh... you guys want to watch a Christmas movie? Like, together?"
His mom froze, turning to look at him with wide eyes. For a moment, the only sound was the soft hum of the television. Then, her face broke into a delighted smile, her eyes practically sparkling. "Oh, Raxian, that's such a wonderful idea! Of course, we'd love to!"
His dad looked up, arching an eyebrow. "A movie? At this hour?" He glanced at the clock, then at Raxian, clearly surprised. "You sure you're feeling okay, son?"
Raxian rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. "Yeah, I'm fine, Dad. I just thought... you know, we could spend a little more time together. It's not like it happens often."
His mom, still beaming, quickly moved to the couch, patting the cushions. "Come on, dear, it'll be fun! Just one movie, and then we'll all go to bed. It's the holidays, after all."
His dad hesitated, glancing between his wife and his son, but finally, he sighed and gave a small, resigned smile. "All right, all right. But only because you're both so eager."
They settled in on the couch, Raxian taking a seat between his parents, who pulled a warm throw blanket over all of them. His mom flicked through the Christmas movie options, her excitement contagious as she pointed out her favorites. Raxian found himself relaxing, sinking into the moment as they finally picked a classic holiday movie—one they hadn't watched together in years.
As the movie played, Raxian felt a warmth spread through him, different from the rush of the game or the excitement of competition. It was quieter, softer, like the glow of the Christmas lights reflecting off the snow outside. He glanced over at his parents, catching the way his mom's face lit up with every festive scene, and he couldn't help but think that maybe this was something he'd been missing all along.
And as they laughed at the cheesy holiday jokes and shared commentary on the familiar scenes, Raxian realized that some of the best moments didn't need to be about achieving something or reaching a new level. Sometimes, they were about simply being present, sharing time with the people who mattered.
For once, he wasn't thinking about ranks, about wins or losses. He was just... here. And it felt surprisingly good.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The movie came to an end with the familiar, heartwarming finale, and the room was filled with the soft hum of the credits music. Raxian's mom let out a contented sigh, her head resting against his dad's shoulder as she murmured about how lovely it had been to watch the movie together. Raxian stretched, feeling a pleasant drowsiness settling over him—one that didn't come from hours of gaming but from something simpler, more genuine.
His dad stood, offering a hand to help his mom up. "All right, time to hit the hay," he said, giving Raxian a small smile. "Thanks for the movie, kid. It's been a while since we've done that."
"Yeah, it was... nice," Raxian admitted, shoving his hands into the pocket of his Christmas sweatshirt. He walked them to the stairs, pausing as his mom turned back to give him a quick, warm hug.
"Goodnight, Raxian. Sleep well, and don't stay up too late," she said with a teasing smile. "It's the holidays, after all."
"Yeah, yeah, night, Mom. Night, Dad," Raxian replied, watching as they disappeared upstairs. He lingered in the hallway for a moment, letting the peaceful quiet of the house settle over him. It was strange—usually, he felt restless after a night like this, itching to burn off that extra energy with a game. But tonight, the edge he always carried with him seemed to have softened, replaced by a feeling he couldn't quite place. Something peaceful.
With a yawn, he made his way back up to his room, running a hand through his hair. He was starting to feel sleepy, the warmth of the evening weighing down his eyelids. But as he brushed his teeth in the bathroom, he found himself reaching for his phone, half out of habit. He wanted to check if he'd missed any messages, just a quick look before he tucked in for the night.
There was nothing new, except for a message from Raze, referring back to their earlier encounter at the market: Didn't expect to see you out there, Rax. Glad you're enjoying the holidays.
Raxian couldn't help but smile as he read the message, a small warmth spreading in his chest. He typed back a quick reply: Yeah, it was a surprise. Thanks for not blowing my cover, old man.
As he was about to turn off the screen and set the phone down, his eyes drifted over the list of contacts, scrolling through the familiar usernames. And there it was—Sable's name, glowing softly with the green dot that meant she was online.
It wasn't anything unusual; she was often online late at night. But tonight, seeing her name on the screen made something twist inside him. It was like a small, quiet ache that he couldn't quite explain—a pull toward her, even though he couldn't think of a single thing to say.
Raxian stared at the screen, feeling the urge to reach out to her, even though he had no real reason to. He could imagine the usual banter between them, the back-and-forth that always felt like a sparring match. But right now, he wasn't in the mood for that. He just... wanted to hear her voice. To know what she was up to. To understand what was on her mind, even if she wouldn't tell him outright.
But he couldn't just call her out of the blue without a reason. That would be weird, right? He wasn't that kind of guy. And she wasn't the kind of girl who would appreciate a random call, either—she'd think he was being nosy or wasting her time. Why am I even thinking about this? he wondered, clenching his jaw. Why am I only like this... with her?
Raxian shut off his phone and set it down on his nightstand, ignoring the restlessness gnawing at him. He tried to convince himself that it didn't matter, that it was just the weird mood the holidays put him in. But as he lay in bed, staring up at the shadows on the ceiling, his thoughts kept circling back to Sable.
He remembered the way she'd looked sitting on that bench the other day—quiet, distant, like she was carrying some weight he couldn't see. He wondered what she'd been thinking about, what had brought her out to that lonely spot in the park. It was just like her, always showing up in the most unexpected places, always leaving him with more questions than answers.
As he wrestled with his thoughts, the quiet of the night was broken by the soft beep of a notification. Raxian reached for his phone, instinctively hoping for a moment that it might be a message from Sable. His heart beat a little faster in his chest, that small, ridiculous hope flaring up even though he knew better.
But when he glanced at the screen, disappointment settled in. It was just a random update from a group chat—nothing from her.
He tossed the phone back onto the bed, letting out a sigh as he buried his face into the pillow. Why am I even doing this to myself? he thought, frustrated at the mess of emotions twisting through him. He didn't want to admit how much he wanted to hear from her, how much she'd been on his mind.
And as he lay there, unable to sleep, he realized something that made his chest feel tight. Every time he had tried to find her—tried to seek out clarity—she'd only appeared when he stopped looking. She'd always been like that, showing up just when he thought he'd lost track of her.
Raxian rolled over, pulling the covers tighter around himself, trying to push the thoughts away. But in the quiet of the night, with the snow falling softly outside his window, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them. And he wasn't sure what to do about it.