Infatuated

IV

"I still don't understand," Lucas sighed in frustration as his friend quickly went over the controls for the game once again. Lucas didn't understand, the controller was clunky in his hands and the game itself was moving way too fast.
"Listen, you'll get it once you start actually playing! You don't have to have everything down, it's not like you have anything to lose. It's just a video game." Ness tried reassuring him.
"Yeah, but, what if I mess up?"
"It doesn't matter!" Ness laughed in slight frustration. "You don't have to be perfect at everything, especially something that's not, like, real! You don't have to impress anyone."
Lucas looked down. He didn't understand why this constant need for perfection followed him to this town too.
"Look, I suck at certain games. I don't really care, 'cuz I have fun while playing them! I'm not gonna make fun of you or anything dude, and it's okay if you don't get it at first. Didn't you say your old town barely even had games?"
Lucas nodded. "Sorry... I, I just... I don't know." He picked his controller back up and tried getting used to the feel of it.
Ness chuckled. "It's fine. Let's just play it already, alright? I'll help you if you need it."
Lucas looked at the array of characters on the screen. They were all so unfamiliar, so bright, so colorful. He pondered his decision, not knowing if who he choose even made a difference. When he finally settled on someone, he was embarrassed to see Ness had made a decision long before he had.
"S-Sorry... I don't understand who I'm supposed to choose." He stuttered out, looking away.
"It's fine! It doesn't matter, really. I mean, okay, it does a little bit. But I don't really care, I choose the guy I like the most." Ness smiled reassuringly before choosing a track.

Lucas was thrown into the game. The feeling of the controller's sticks moving under his thumbs was odd, and they slipped out from under them too much. Nonetheless, he was having fun. He was getting the hang of it, he could tell, especially as he finally passed Ness.
Ness let out a dramatic gasp, "Wow! How could you? I was doing so well in first." he jeered.
Lucas chuckled. It felt great to be doing good finally, it felt great to just unwind.

Lucas let out a yawn. He didn't realize it, but trying new things was emotionally exhausting, even something as little as a video game.
"You can go to sleep," Ness said sternly, almost as if he was commanding him to. "I-I don't need to. I'm having fun."
Then another yawn. Ness raised an eyebrow. Lucas refused again various excuses, but the exhaustion was catching up to him.
"Luke, take the blanket on the bed and chill out. There's always more video games for you tomorrow."
Lucas sighed and gave in, curling up against the wall in the blanket that was suddenly cozier than usual. Ness smiled softly before turning back to the game, thankful Lucas was finally attempting to sleep. There was no way he got enough of it.

"Lucas? You asleep yet?" Ness paused the game after a few minutes and turned around. Lucas was passed out against the wall, and Ness was relieved to see his friend asleep, getting some much-needed rest. Especially judging from the eye-bags that have accumulated on his face, contrasting his almost vampirically pale skin.
"You're not even the one who played a whole sport today," he teased before letting out a sigh. "You also decided to take up a ton of my bed." He took a pillow from his bed and laid on the floor. He stared at the ceiling, letting his thoughts wander. He tried to get comfortable on the hard floor and closed his eyes, thankful when he felt his body drop before falling asleep.

.

Lucas didn't even remember falling asleep.
He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes to check the alarm clock on top of the TV. As his eyes adjusted from his stupor, he saw it was finally morning.
He let out a small sigh as his eyes yet again fought to keep open, attempting to see where Ness went through his blobby vision. He saw him laying on the floor, instantly feeling guilt overwhelm him.
"Ness..." Lucas shook his friend's shoulder with an unnecessary gentleness, feeling guilty about trying to wake him up. "You awake...?"
Ness blinked his eyes open, shielding the light away. His TV was still going, but Lucas was awake. "What time is it?" He turned and looked towards the clock himself. "Eight thirty...? Who gets up this early on weekends?"
"I just woke up and couldn't go back to bed, I'm sorry." Lucas looked down and messed with his hands. Ness hurried to comfort him, it was way too early to be anxious, especially for a worry-wart like Lucas.
"No, I'm just surprised people actually get up this early," Ness chuckled as he stretched and stood up, catching his step after stumbling. He definitely didn't get enough sleep last night. He couldn't tell if it was sleeping on the floor, staying up playing the game, his baseball game, or a mix. "You wanna go to the park? I've got to go to practice in about two hours anyways. It won't hurt to kill some time."
Lucas nodded. Outside was nice and familiar. Ness nodded back in response, stepping out to change out of his pajamas. He grabbed his baseball cap as he stepped out of the room, Lucas trailing behind. He grabbed his familiar bat leaning against the side of his house.
"Ready?" Ness asked. Lucas nodded once again, and they headed off, walking in the direction of the park.

"Hey, maybe I can teach you some baseball!" Ness burst out as they were walking.
"Y-you really think you can?"
"Of course! It's not so hard once you get used to it. Hey, who knows, maybe you'll even pass me again like you did last night."
Lucas looked to the ground. "I don't think so," he let out a small laugh. "But I can try."

Lucas nervously gripped Ness's bat, still unused to the feeling of anything that wasn't a stick. Not to mention this was the thing that Ness loved the most.
"You've gotta stand like this," Ness critiqued as he re-positioned Lucas's shoulder. "You can't be so tense, it affects you a lot."
"Ah, sorry..." Lucas let out a breath and swung after Ness pitched a ball to him. He heard the crack of the bat and smiled when he saw he hit it, at least somewhat.
"I'll get it!" Ness offered as he went to retrieve the ball. Lucas looked at the bat in his hands. He was holding Ness's bat, the star of the team, he was getting tips from the star of the team. It felt odd that this was even happening. Ness was the opposite of him in almost every way possible. He was outgoing, active, cheerful, ambitious, self-assured... the list could go on and on if he let it. But somehow he'd gotten the title of his friend. Lucas caught his mind wandering to what it'd be like to be more than that, but he stopped himself. Ness had Paula in the past, and probably could get any popular girl at school if he wanted. And they were better than plain, old Lucas. This was his new friend, and he was already rushing. Lucas got onto himself for thinking such things, especially so quickly, and tried to focus as Ness came back.
Lucas readied the bat again as Ness pitched again. He hit the ball with all of his strength, and it brought relief to him. He could let everything on his mind go when all he had to focus on was the ball. Maybe there really was something to this whole sports thing.

Ness looked at his watch. "Hmm... we've still got an hour. Wanna go to the arcade before I've gotta leave?"
Lucas felt a bit disappointed when Ness mentioned practice. He forgot he had to go. He nodded again.
Lucas was always quiet, but at this moment, it bothered Ness for some reason. He'd get Lucas to open up eventually. He knew he was so much more interesting than he let on.
Lucas trailed behind Ness as he walked to his favorite game cabinet. Lucas still didn't understand these games either, but at least the joysticks were much easier to use than a controller under your thumb. But the buttons were so close, and the joysticks so sensitive. Ness inserted two quarters into the game for the both of them.
"I'll teach you the combos for this game some day, when we have more time." Ness assured Lucas. He knew not being good worried him.
"Okay!" Lucas said excitedly. Ness grinned at his enthusiasm.
Before they knew it, the hour they had left before Ness's practice had flown by.
"It'll be done around one thirty, so we can hang out again then if you want!"
"Alright... see you." Lucas waved at Ness as he walked out the door. His hand dropped once Ness was out the building and he quickly went outside, groaning quietly. He couldn't keep this up for a lot longer. He had feelings for his friend.