-Chapter Five

Magnus got up feeling refreshed, with a buzz of excitement going through him. He hasn't felt that feeling in quite a while. The last time he could clearly remember this sensation was when the trio united forces to defeat a villain monster from an old adventure game last fall.

As he sat on the edge of his bed, he decided to check the time, it was earlier than expected. Definitely, the earliest that he has gotten up in weeks. The initial excitement seemed to have washed away his usual morning fatigue. So he determines to do his morning routine now rather than later, to get it over with, even if he happened to have quite some time on his hands.

Still, in his sleeping wardrobe, he made his way to his desktop set up. Magnus knew it was a bit of a far fetch to try to call his friends at this time of day to play, but he just had to try anyway.

As he guessed, neither of them had answered his call.

The ruse of the game was simple enough to understand. We Players control a game character, sometimes multiple game characters usually called a party, and accomplish victory by attaining a series of quests or reaching the conclusion of the storyline. While exploring the game world, solving some puzzles and engaging in opposition.

The storyline was the thing that really stood out to us. Of all things, it was basically a rescue mission, all types of different characters from different classes have to come together and join forces, as it says in the storyline.

Yes, there probably are gonna be more unrelated side quests, but I'm hoping that all that will tie together later in the main arc.

As for their characters, Magnus believes that he wins when it came to customizing the best one for his role and class. For the short period that they've interacted with the game, what makes it more entertaining is the suggestion of a mystery element to it that caught their eyes last night!

Magnus reacts to his customized character's facial expression range at his home base. There was no going back to sleep now, he thought, so he might as well make the best of his morning, by actually being proactive for once.

As he makes it to the Kitchen, he doesn't bother to open any blinds, because his eyes adjusted to the dark. Magnus wasn't necessarily hungry per se, but some coffee wouldn't hurt. "Ack! My eyes-" The boy suddenly howled dramatically, leaning on the coffee maker. "Looks like someone's an early bird" a low voice announces, coming from near the drapes. Magnus looks up, startled a little, he had forgotten that there was someone else, other than him and mamma in the house.

"It's okay, it's just me, Nolen remember?" The taller male reassures while taking steps closer.

The light coming from behind Mr.Miller, due to the blinds being open by the man, made it seem like an angel was standing before him, declaring "do not be afraid". Although Magnus wasn't all that religious of a person, from the messy bed hair and partly see-through silk pyjama shirt He could certainly tell that that was no angel.

"Morning Mr. Miller" Magnus greets, suddenly feeling shy in his Pac-Man print Pj's. "Morning to you too, you don't have to call me so formally, Nolen is fine" He insists.

The other male didn't have it in him to argue with that this morning. So he simply nods without saying a word. The silence shortly after that interaction had turned the air into an awkward one. With neither of them knowing what to say next, Mr. Miller cleared his throat, before taking a seat at the counter. "I- I could tell that you were about to make coffee, mind if I get a cup as well?" The older one asked sheepishly.

"Oh right! Yeah, no problem" Magnus announced, a little louder than necessary. "Milk, sugar or black?" He listed while looking in the pantry. "Umm, two spoons of sugar and no milk please", Mr. Miller answers.

After the shorter male tells the other that it would take some time for the coffee to brew. He leaned on the counter facing the other one. "Look, I know that this is probably very new to you as it is for me-" Magnus was surprised by this comment but he allowed the man to keep going. "-You don't know me, and I slightly know you, but I want us to get to a place where you can actually trust me with things" Mr. Miller took a breather. "I know that sounds cheap coming from a man who moved in here last night, but I'm hoping that it's not too much to ask" he finishes with a soft smile on his face at the end.

Magnus gave him an unimpressed look, "did you rehearse that small speech last night?" He asks with half a smirk playing on his lips. "W-what?! No- I mean, well not a-all of it, -but" "pfft! Ahaha, it was only a joke" the lad giggles at the flustered man, before reaching for two mugs.

The mood seemed to shift into a less serious one as Magnus prepares their coffee. *sigh* "N-Nolen, I understand what you're saying and it's actually not too much to ask but..." fierce green eyes gazed into Nolan's, as the younger placed down their mugs while taking a seat. The older gulps, suddenly feeling a bit warm. "In my perspective, I see a man twice my age, whose name I've never heard once said... somethings not adding up yet" Magnus finishes, before taking a sip of his cream and sugar mixture, wincing as it was too hot.

"... I love your mother, and I'm not looking to gain anything out of that" Nolen confesses, with a serious look to him, brown eyes longing to be trusted.

Magnus sighs while passing a hand to his platinum blonde hair. "I believe you, you seem like the sincere type", the boy admits, making the taller one grin brightly. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're pretty mature for your age?" Nolan lets out, before taking a sip of his drink.

"Thank you... & Are you sure that you don't want any cream in that?" Magnus asks, changing the topic. "Yeah I'm sure, milk makes me sleepy in the morning" Nolen responds.