“Really? What’s your favorite universe?” Dev asked.
Did he mean the setting or the planet where the story takes place? “I likeThe Mandalorian.” Roman liked how Mando protected baby Yoda at all costs, begrudgingly at first, then later with a loving ferocity. He’d do the same for Ezra.
“Star Wars,” said another man named Yousef and rolled his eyes like it was beneath them.
“It’s pretty complex, though, isn’t it?” Roman asked, a little less certain now. “Many galaxies? Or at least one that is far, far away…”
That launched them into a discussion about the scientific fallacies that were rampant in theStar Warsuniverse, ranging from overly simplistic planets with implausible ecosystems to the fact that sound requires air to travel, and there is none in space.
“Which means no pew-pew,” Dev said to Roman like he needed a primer. In Dev’s defense, Roman probably did look a little lost.
“Also, no boom-boom,” Ezra added with a snort, and then explained, also for Roman’s benefit, “Since space is void of oxygen, and fire needs oxygen to exist, it makes it very hard for things like the Death Star and Alderaan to actually blow up. Thus, no boom, boom.”
And so, the night continued, with Roman feeling more resentful by the minute, kind of like when his classmates in high school had assumed he was just a stupid jock. It didn’t help matters that he kept having to be reminded of the rules of the game. He really should have studied up for this. Once he realized he was going to lose yet again, he grew despondent, reflecting on the obvious gaps in he and Ezra’s knowledge, something that had never bothered him before but did now.
“And that’s why we’re all ultimately at the mercy of gravitational collapse,” Dev concluded after a lengthy oration on the fate of the universe. Spoiler: it was pretty bleak.
Roman yawned and was not even faking it. They’d been at gaming club for nearly four hours already. “Whew, I’m beat. How about you, Ezra? You ready to go home and get something to eat?”
“Yes, I think I’m ready,” he said with a smile, still glowing from his recent victory. The man was truly ruthless when it came to gaming.
Ezra went to gather up the games the other members had left behind while Dev turned to Roman and said, “Do you know the Krauthammer Conjecture, Roman?”
“I do not,” Roman said warily. “Why don’t you explain it to me, Dev?”
“It theorizes that in sports, the pleasure of winning is less than the pain of losing. The calculus is such that the sum gain is less than zero, which makes you wonder why anybody plays games at all.”
“For exercise? Recreation? A sense of camaraderie?” Roman posed, believing this to be a legitimate question. “The natural high of endorphins maybe?”
“I imagine it’s a lot like relationships.” Dev’s gaze shifted to where Ezra was stacking board games into a cupboard with geometric precision.
Roman squared his shoulders out of habit. “What are you trying to say, Dev?”
“Ezra is one-in-a-million, as intelligent as he is handsome and kind. And for anyone looking for an easy score—”
“Which I’m not,” Roman interrupted.
Dev frowned and looked deeply disappointed. “Just know that if things don’t work out between you two, I’m playing the long game.”
Roman nodded at Dev’s not-so-subtle flex and found that he respected him more for being upfront with his disdain, as opposed to nesting it in passive-aggressive condescension. “Message received,” he said, and then Ezra returned and Dev was all smiles again as he offered him a friendly pat on the back.
“It was so nice to meet you, Roman,” Dev said, looking completely innocent, which for Roman, automatically doubled his threat potential.
“Yeah. You too, Dev.”
Roman wrapped one arm around Ezra’s shoulders and gently steered him away, across the lawn, and right to the passenger side of his Escalade where he shut the door behind him and breathed a sigh of relief.
That had not gone as expected.
Roman was quiet on their way home, wondering if he should mention Dev’s behavior towards him to Ezra or if that might make him seem overly jealous. Meanwhile his own doubts about where he stood turned broody as they put away their coats. Roman sat on the couch with his arms crossed and got real into his feelings.
“Roman, is something wrong?” Ezra stood in front of him with his head tilted like an inquisitive owl.
Roman sighed. Where to begin? “You and your friends are all smarter than me.” He felt like a child complaining like that, but he couldn’t help it.
“You think so?” Ezra asked as if the thought had never occurred to him. Roman glanced up to see if he was messing with him, but Ezra didn’t do sarcasm. He was playful and teasing but rarely sarcastic.
“They were debating the death of the universe and spaghetti space.”
