Callum didn't expect his evening to include gaming with the boyfriend of the man he so desperately wanted, but here he was. Sitting in his gaming rig, a state-of-the-art setup designed to fully immerse him in the virtual world of any game he happened to be playing. It was basically a glorified chair that kept the back pain at the minimum, nevertheless Callum leaned back in it, his headset over his ears, and stared at the monitor over his eyes with a growing sense of regret.
Through the speakers, Micah and Damian's sugar sweet voices filled the silence.
"Are you sure I'm connected? My screen is dark," Damian asked, his voice tinged with frustration.
Micah, ever patient, replied, "Did you switch it to full vision mode?"
"Oh, got it. You're so good at these things, babe," Damian said warmly, his tone oozing affection. "I wish you could change it for me in person."
Callum suppressed a groan and reached for his water bottle, tuning out what he knew was coming next.
"D… you're gonna make me miss you more than I already do," Micah said softly, his voice low and intimate. Callum had no business listening to this.
"I can show you a hundred more ways I miss you."
"Babe! Not in front of Callum!" Micah yelped suddenly, and Callum nearly choked on his water.
"Oh, he's still online," Damian said, feigning surprise.
Callum felt an annoyed vein throb in his temple. Was this hell? It had to be. Actual hell.
"If you're all set up now, Damian, we can start playing," Callum said, his voice clipped.
Damian replied cheerily, "Before that, babe, go pick up a Gatorade."
Micah groaned, "But I don't want one."
"Please," Damian insisted. "You know how lost you get in games. It'll make me feel better if you're hydrated."
Micah sighed audibly. "Fine."
The sound of him pulling off his headset crackled through the speakers, followed by the distant clatter of it being set down.
The moment Micah left, Damian's entire tone shifted.
"You cheeky bastard," Damian said sharply, his voice suddenly dripping with venom.
Callum sighed. "Damian Wells."
"Don't think I'm not onto you," Damian hissed. "Trying to wiggle your way into my boyfriend's pants. The only one allowed to wiggle into his pants is me!"
Callum's lips twitched into a mocking smile. "You'd know all about wiggling, worm dick."
There was an audible gasp and another release of breath, clearly Damian ready to retort with something vulgar, but the sound of Micah's headset being picked up again interrupted him.
"Sorry I took a while," Micah said brightly. "Rosa caught me in the kitchen."
"You're fine, babe," Damian replied smoothly, his tone shifting back to saccharine sweetness.
Callum resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Did you get one for me?"
Micah groaned, the blush evident in his voice. "Callum…"
Callum smirked slightly. And Damian, audibly annoyed, hurriedly said, "Okay. Let's get started. I don't game that often, and I didn't want to use a character with a level lower than you gamers. Luckily, I found a dude selling his account. I hope that's okay."
Micah froze, his voice sharp with concern. "Wait, you what?"
Damian let out a low chuckle, clearly catching onto the implication. Callum frowned. Buying and selling player accounts was against the rules, something Callum himself had set strict server checks to prevent. But here Damian was, taking the back alley through a game Callum had designed to work on the merit of hardworking players.
He bit back an annoyed growl and said "Let's just log in."
The three of them logged in, the immersive interface of 'Pantheon' flickering to life. Callum's avatar spawned in the polis of Ithaca, his last save point. The ancient Greek-style inn was dimly lit, with clay lamps casting a warm glow over wooden tables and the sound of NPC chatter filling the room.
"Meet up in the Gardens of Eros," Micah said over the mic.
"Got it," Callum replied.
"Take the portal, babe," Micah added.
"I got it, love," Damian said, his voice thick with warmth.
Callum rolled his eyes so hard it nearly hurt. If he had to listen to them call each other "babe" and "love" one more time, he was going to stand up from his rig and throw himself out a window.
He took the portal to the Gardens of Eros and arrived to see Micah's avatar standing there next to the statue of a cupid. In game, Micah was a tall, broad-chested beastman with red fur, wolf ears, and a long, floofy tail. A son of Hephaestus, judging by the hammer insignia beside his gamertag, 'MicDrop23'. It was a shame Micah's avatar looked nothing like him. Still, Callum had always admired the underrated crafting skills of Hephaestus characters, though most players avoided them, calling them boring.
Micah's tail wagged slightly as Callum approached, but before he could say anything, another avatar appeared—a tall, golden-haired Greek noble with jewelry glittering in his ears and a staff in his hands. Damian.
His avatar swaggered across the screen, all glittering jewelry and overblown confidence. It was fitting, Callum thought. Loud. Gaudy. Completely unnecessary. He checked the insignia beside Damian's tag; @Damianator followed by the thunder bolt insignia of Zeus. It was fitting.
Micah's avatar immediately enveloped Damian's in a hug, his tail wagging like an excited puppy. "I wish I could feel this," Micah murmured wistfully.
Damian's voice softened, soaked in affection. "I'll be home soon, love."
Callum clenched his jaw. The pang of longing in Micah's voice, the warmth in Damian's response—it was unbearable. It was just pixels and code, but the way Micah's tail wagged like an overzealous puppy still made something twist in painfully in his chest. He cleared his throat. "We should get to it soon. I believe we all have work tomorrow."
Micah's tail stilled, and his voice came through, tight with embarrassment. "Right."
In the game, he set Damian's avatar down, and Damian stretched. "Story mode or PvP?"
"Story mode, please," Damian said eagerly. "I'm curious about the lore."
Callum and Micah avatars exchanged a quick glance and, even though neither could see the other's face in real life, Callum knew they shared the same panic.
"Uh…" Micah drawled, unsure.
"Story mode it is!" Damian shouted, hitting the option before either of them could stop him.
"No—!" Callum started, but it was too late. The screen darkened, loading the next scene.
The three of them appeared in a shimmering chamber of sea pearl and pink wash. Silk draped from the marble columns, rose petals scattered the floors, and golden light filtered through the air as though the room itself were alive. At the center of it all, reclining on a bed of clouds, was Aphrodite.
"Guests?" she purred, her voice sultry and musical. "I wasn't expecting visitors today… certainly not three of them."
Callum quickly hit the safest dialogue option. His character stepped forward and said, "We've come at the request of your lover, Ares."
Aphrodite's expression darkened, her golden eyes narrowing. "Ares? Sending you to speak for him? How typical." She stood, her movements languid, her gown shimmering like liquid gold. "Perhaps we should have some fun first."
Micah's avatar said, "We have important matters to attend."
And Callum let out a sigh of relief. That was the refusal option. He clearly knew what was going to happen next. "Thanks Micah," he murmured.
"Maybe we should pick another DLC," Micah muttered in response, voice tense.
Aphrodite smirked. "Now, now," she said, circling them slowly. "This is one of the only ways to gain the power you seek. Are you sure you want to refuse?"
Damian snorted. "Why are you both being so chicken? I want to see what she has for us." He clicked the acceptance option without hesitation.
Callum's stomach sank.
Aphrodite's gown slipped off her shoulders, pooling at her feet as she stepped toward them. "Am I to your liking?" she asked, her voice dripping with seduction.
Three dialogue options appeared:
1. "Of course."
2. "I prefer men."
3. "I don't mind either way."
Micah groaned audibly. "Damian…"
Callum sighed, already regretting this. He selected "I prefer men," knowing there was no point in beating around the bush anymore. Damian did the same, his voice unashamed. "I mean, obviously."
Finally, Micah hesitated, then selected the same option.
Aphrodite's skin shimmered as though dipped in sunlight, her form stretching, reshaping. Her curves sharpened into lean muscle, her soft pink hair turned short and her golden eyes held the same dangerous allure. Her new form was unmistakably male, and impossibly beautiful.
"Interesting choice," Aphrodite said, her lips curling into a wicked smile. "I can be anything you desire."
Callum bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself to focus on the gameplay. It was just an avatar. Just another NPC. But even he couldn't deny the effectiveness of Aphrodite's design— courtesy of Genesis and her talented team. The way her new form radiated confidence and desire, the way you couldn't help but stare. This was what Callum had had in mind when he'd pitched the Aphrodite DLC; an in-game lust sim that would tie into the overarching story of the game.
Across the mic, Damian let out an exaggerated, "Oh, damn," which made Callum's eye twitch.
"My husband is insufferable, and my lover—nothing but a brute." Aphrodite sighed, her— his voice now an octave deeper. "But maybe you three… maybe you can give me what I truly desire. And, in return, I shall give you the power to bring Olympus to its knees."
Micah whined, "There's still time to pick another DLC. Please!"
Damian whispered into the mic in realisation, "Don't tell me… Oh, fuck."
Callum groaned. This was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid.
Aphrodite snapped his fingers and their avatars began undressing.