Chapter Text
-...I've always wondered why people say “berries” and ‘sailfish’ but not “chicken udder” and “mammal steak”?-
Till let out a weary groan and banged his head against the table, cutting off Iván's words; Iván looked at him in bewilderment.
-For God's sake, guys! Just pick a fanfic already! I can’t stand Iván’s ridiculous questions anymore! It’s like a kid asking why we say the Earth is round when his toy car goes in a straight line!-
-Those are questions that encourage curiosity and critical thinking, Till-
-It’s fine until you start asking the most ridiculous pre-K questions that sound smart on the surface!-
-But…-
Suddenly, their phones vibrated and they received a message from the moderator.
They had already chosen the fanfic.
-It’s here! Till!-
-Show me!-
They both squeezed closer to the screen to see the fanfic’s cover.
-It’s a Wattpad fanfic, - Till declared, eyes wide. -Wow, the interface is very different from AO3’s-
“It’s more aesthetically pleasing and organized, but it lacks tags,” Ivan said, letting out a sigh. “That means people don’t get warnings in case something disturbing happens.”
“And it reaches a smaller audience,” Till said, rubbing his jaw. “But Wattpad looks good; the covers are interesting.”
“AO3 is better,” Ivan said, pouting. “Anyway, let’s check out the fanfic they recommended.”
They entered the story with a slightly colorful cover featuring some green hues, showing Ivan and Till.
(Self-Esteem Lessons
Ivan and Till are inseparable friends.
But everything changes when Ivan gets a boyfriend and distances himself.
This causes a lot of internal struggles for Till, who will be forced to work on his self-esteem)
“It’s so weird to see a story without tags or warnings,” Till whispered, rubbing his jaw. “Anyway, it looks interesting, and the cover looks so cute.”
“We love your fan art, chat!” Ivan exclaimed, making a heart. “We really support your art.”
“Even if it’s pretty weird,” Till coughed. “Anyway, let’s get started on the story…”
They dove into the first chapter and were about to start reading, but Ivan’s phone vibrated.
“Wait!” Ivan exclaimed, checking his phone. “My order’s here!”
“What are you talking about?”
Ivan smiled mischievously, looking at the camera.
“Well, I’ve been noticing that things were getting a little boring, so we’re going to add a new challenge to make the stream more fun!”
“What?”
Ivan didn’t answer; he stood up so forcefully that he fell off the furniture and walked toward the front door, disappearing from the camera.
Till let out a sigh, rubbing his face.
-I hope he didn’t buy a taser; last time he left me with my legs shaking from all those electric shocks-
Mar3di: What did you just say, Till?
Jheon76: So Ivan left you with your legs shaking, huh?
Loeane6: They slammed him hard against the wall.
Skinner2: SO GOOD!
“Damn perverts, you can’t say anything to them or they’ll end up misinterpreting it,” Till exclaimed, letting out a sigh. “Anyway, now that Ivan’s gone, let’s take this chance to badmouth him.”
The chat was flooded with messages, making Till clear his throat with a wicked smile.
-I’ll start: Ivan looks HORRIBLE when he sleeps-
Lianef38: Ooh, new info
Marty383: DESCRIBE HIM
Ivanfan29: DON’T TALK ABOUT MY PERFECT GOD LIKE THAT
Till let out a little laugh, looking at the chat.
-You see, chat, after a series of personal situations, Ivan developed a very strange way of sleeping- he brought his fingers to his eyes- He sleeps with his eyes open! It’s terrifying! He looks like a living dead person! He looks even worse when he’s drooling!-
The chat was flooded with messages full of laughter, making Till laugh and open his eyes with his fingers.
“Yeah! It’s horrible! Once I tried to wake him up and got the scare of my life! My screams woke him up!”
Till started teasing, while the chat filled with thousands of messages.
Watson92: BEHIND YOU
Miriam049: This is the end of Till
Till stopped laughing and spun around quickly, coming face-to-face with Ivan, who was holding a bottle of wine and glass cups in both hands.
“Are we talking about uncomfortable truths?” he asked, smiling menacingly.
-Uh…-
-Okay, I’ll tell you an uncomfortable truth about Till-
-No!-
-Did you know that Till does ridiculous dances every time he’s alone?- Ivan said, sitting elegantly in the armchair and setting the glasses on the table- When he thinks no one is watching, he starts acting like a monkey; last time I caught him dancing with his shirt pulled up-
-You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone!- Till screamed, shaking him.
-You started it when you revealed my sleep problems!-
-It wasn’t as humiliating as what you revealed!-
-It’s my revenge!-
-I’ll never dance in front of you again, you jerk!-
Carry199: My parents are fighting again 😭😭
Lilienpe01: FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT
The streamers stopped fighting after a while. Ivan stepped back, smoothed his hair, and held up the wine, showing it to everyone with a smile.
“Well, getting back to the topic, here's today's challenge,” Ivan said, while Till had his back turned to him. “We're going to do a Wine Challenge. Every time a situation in the fanfic gets awkward or funny, we'll have a glass of wine. We'll see if we're drunk enough by the end.”
Ivan tried to hand him the glass, but Till snatched it away without looking at him.
He was still upset and disheveled from the little fight they’d just had.
“I don’t love you anymore.”
“This isn’t the time to fight.”
“I’m officially divorcing you. Go find someone else you can do queerbaiting with,” Till said, turning his head away.
Ivan pouted and looked at the camera.
“Guys, I just got dumped.”
Ivantillfan123: NOOO MY PARENTS
Ryan1920: This reminds me of my family situation…
Wonka191: Dad? Mom?
Phineas92: NOW YOU CAN FLIRT WITH LUKA, IVAN
“Don’t worry, chat,” Ivan said, pouting. “It’s sad, but we have to accept it…”
He cleared his throat and began to read the text.
(Ever since they met, Ivan and Till had been inseparable. Most of the time they argued, but they always made up sooner or later because they couldn’t live without each other.)
They both looked at each other awkwardly for a few moments.
Ivan winked exaggeratedly at him, and Till turned his head away, frowning.
“That’s not true,” he said, crossing his arms. “This guy is so annoying.”
Ivan nodded and placed his hands on Till’s chest.
“You’re right,” he hummed, starting to tickle him.
Till squealed and started laughing and squirming.
“You’re not so annoying anymore,” Ivan hummed between laughs.
Till didn’t respond and started laughing from the tickling, while Ivan struggled to read.
(Ivan followed Till everywhere, and Till got used to his friend/buddy’s presence; Ivan was his sidekick and went along with every stupid idea Till had.
They were soul brothers, best friends, partners, buddies.
As teenagers, the boys grew up, and with that came hormones and romantic relationships.
Till had his first love, who was his beautiful classmate named Mizi.)
The laughter stopped. Till pushed Ivan’s hands away and approached the screen, his face red.
“Why do they always drag Mizi into this?”
“I wonder why?” Ivan said sarcastically, pouring a little wine into Till’s glass.
Till held his glass and looked at him with a frown.
“It’s not fair; in the end, I’ll be the only one who ends up drunk.”
“I’m also bothered by some scenes, but I don’t show it,” Ivan hummed, handing him the glass. “Don’t worry, it’s a very mild wine.”
Till snorted and drank the wine in one gulp.
“Challenge accepted, keep reading,” he said in a hoarse voice.
(The years passed in school, and Till managed to go on dates with a few girls.
Then came college, where Till experienced many important things.
He lost his virginity to a pretty sexy classmate and reunited with his first love, Mizi, who now had a girlfriend.)
Ivan let out a loud laugh, pouring the wine again.
“Did you hear that? You lost your virginity!”
“Shut up and give me the glass,” Till growled, his face red. “It’s not fair…”
“I’ll have a glass too,” Ivan said, raising his glass. “Cheers!”
They clinked their glasses and drank the wine quickly, making them cough.
“Something tells me we’ll end up completely drunk by the end of the stream,” Ivan said, laughing.
“Chat, if we start acting weird, please ignore us,” Till said, rubbing his face. “Don’t make memes about us, please.”
Jiem689: Weird in what way?
Martha28: As long as they don’t start kissing, we’ll be fine
Liam03: SO GOOD!!
“Damn perverts,” Till growled, letting out a sigh. “I’m not going to say anything to you guys anymore. Every word that comes out of my mouth, you use it against me.”
(That was when Till found out that Ivan was gay.
Ivan simply confessed it to him casually, while they were drinking at a bar and listening to music.
At first he was surprised, but then it all made sense.
The hardest part was convincing everyone else that they weren’t a couple; Till always denied any accusations violently and nervously, while Ivan remained silent by his side.)
“ARE YOU GAY?” Till screamed.
“Am I gay?” Ivan exclaimed, laughing loudly as he poured a glass of wine. “Oh my God! Gay alert! I am gay, guys! What a revelation!”
“Just drink your wine and stop yelling! Your comments could be taken out of context for some clip!” Till exclaimed, shoving the wine toward his face.
Ivan downed the wine quickly and staggered toward the camera.
“It’s true, listen up, guys, I’m not gay…” Ivan said, pointing his finger at the screen. “I think—”
“Whatever. To me, you’ll always look like an autistic guy with no maternal affection.”
“Thanks,” Ivan said cheerfully. “Same to you.”
(But it didn’t matter if people teased them; Ivan and Till were best friends and were always together through thick and thin.
But everything changed one night when Ivan confessed some shocking news to him while they were drinking at a bar.
“I'm seeing someone,” she confessed, her cheeks flushed. “I'll introduce you to him soon. You'll probably like him!”
Till listened with wide eyes.
He should have been happy and congratulated her.
But instead, he felt his heart sink and an unpleasant sensation wash over his chest.
“That’s great,” he said with a forced smile, patting him on the shoulder. “It’s about time you started dating someone.”
“I’ll introduce him to you very soon.”
Till really tried to smile.
He tried not to let it get to him.
The day he met Ivan’s boyfriend, he tried to force a smile as much as he could, but seeing their displays of affection caused a pain in his chest he couldn’t control.
He couldn’t stand seeing them together.
Why? Was he homophobic?
No, it couldn’t be that.
“I think I’m jealous,” he whispered, staring at himself in the mirror in horror. “Of Ivan.”)
“Ivan… give me a shot,” Till whispered, his face darkening.
“Again?”
“Give it to me before the chat starts bugging me,” Till said with a sad expression. “Me? Jealous of you?”
“At least he admitted it quickly,” Ivan said, pouring him the wine. “I thought Till would start thinking he was homophobic and cause trouble because of it.”
“I’m not that stupid!”
“I guess so,” Ivan said, shrugging.
Till downed the shot quickly and grimaced.
“Damn.”
“You can’t get drunk yet, huh?”
“It’s lucky you didn’t include this challenge in the previous fanfics; I would’ve ended up completely drunk.”
“That’s true! We would’ve ended up downing the whole bottle in one go just from reading the description of Till as an omega!” Ivan exclaimed, laughing. “What a lucky break.”
(It was that revelation that caused Till’s mental breakdown.
Before he knew it, he started acting like a total idiot.
Trying to get Ivan’s attention in a thousand different ways.
He wanted him to look at him.
He wanted to be the center of Ivan’s attention.
He didn’t understand what was happening, but he felt like he was losing control of himself.
He couldn’t stand the thought of Ivan being with someone else.
Ivan was his.
No one else’s.)
Ivan let out a loud laugh, pouring two shots without asking.
“That’s it! Don’t let them take your man away from you!”
“Oh my God,” Till whispered, embarrassed. “I could never do something like that. He’s practically interfering in a relationship out of jealousy. That’s sinking to a new low! I’d never do that!”
“Not even for me?” Ivan asked, handing him the glass with a sad look on his face.
Till took the glass and looked at Ivan in silence.
“Cheers, you idiot,” he said, clinking their glasses. “I hope I don’t get drunk just yet.”
They both drank the wine and coughed loudly, making faces at the camera.
Linling19: They’re already looking a little drunk
Riake916: THEY’RE DRUNK
“We’re fine, chat,” Till said, coughing. “Not yet—”
“We’ll see who has more alcohol tolerance,” Ivan said with a defiant smile. “I bet Till won’t last two more shots.”
(And Ivan never set limits, making Till’s madness worse.
He didn’t want to share him with anyone else; he was his.
“Do you want to help me paint my house?” Ivan asked him one day. “My boyfriend isn’t here, so I need help.”
Till obviously agreed and ended up going to Ivan’s house.
They were alone, painting, joking around, playing.
Over the next few hours, they painted the wall, getting paint on themselves in the process and joking around with the paint.
There was a moment when Ivan splashed paint on his face, and Till backed away with a furious look.
“You want to fight?”
“Well, I’m ready!” Ivan exclaimed, raising the brush as if it were a sword. “You won’t be able to beat me!”
“You damn idiot!”
They painted and fought like two kids with too much free time.
They ended up covered in paint from head to toe, blinking because their eyes were burning.
“If I go blind, it’ll be your fault, you idiot,” Till muttered irritably. “You got paint in my eyes.”
Ivan burst out laughing, showing him his red, watery eyes from the toxic paint.
“I’m worse off.”
“Shut up, you deserve it.” Till let out a gasp, feeling the burning in his eyes get worse. “Shit.”
He started rubbing his eyes, but Ivan grabbed his wrists and led him to the bathroom.
“I’m serious, you idiot, paint is toxic to the eyes,” Till complained as Ivan pushed him toward the sink. “I’m screwed.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you wash it out.”
Ivan turned on the faucet, and Till rinsed his eyes over and over, unable to see clearly.
After a few minutes, Ivan turned off the faucet and held Till’s face so he could see his eyes more closely.
“Let me take a look,” he murmured. “They’re a little red.”
Till couldn’t see clearly, but he felt Ivan’s touch on his cheeks, drawing him so close.
He could feel his breath brushing against his forehead; he saw his face blurrily, but he knew he was close.
So close.)
The more they read, the further the streamers moved away from the screen, as if a screamer were about to pop up.
“This is wrong,” Till whispered with a grimace.
“It’s hot, but it’s wrong,” Ivan said, pouring himself a little wine. “We don’t condone cheating, even if it’s between us—”
“We'll take care of taking them down!”
“Exactly, but first...” Ivan raised his glass with a crooked smile. “Cheers!”
“Wait, does this scene make you uncomfortable?” Till asked, puzzled, watching the streamer down the whole glass of wine in one gulp. “Seriously?”
Ivan didn't answer; he snorted, coughed roughly, and blinked.
“Huh?”
“Don’t tell me you’re already drunk.”
“Me? I’m not you, Till,” Ivan said, trying to lean toward the screen with a smile. “I’m so sober I’m going to keep reading.”
Ivan tried to reach his hand across the table, but his hand moved so clumsily that he knocked both glasses over.
Till activated his cat-like reflexes to catch both of them just in time before they fell.
“Seriously?” he whispered, looking at Ivan. “You can barely move your hand.”
“It’s not that, it was just an accident,” Ivan said, pouting. “Don’t be so mean to me.”
(What was Till expecting? Why did he want Ivan to get closer?
Why?
Unfortunately, Ivan stepped back and smiled.
“It’s time for you to go.”)
“Exactly! Go on, Till!” Ivan exclaimed, pointing toward the door. “Bye!”
Till looked at him in bewilderment.
“What?”
Ivan blinked for a long moment, smiled, and sat back down elegantly, looking at the camera innocently.
“Nothing,” he hummed.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
(“Let’s stop here; you’ve helped me enough,” Ivan said softly, looking at Till’s stained clothes. “And you definitely need a good bath. You can take a shower; I’ll lend you some towels.”
Till nodded, watching as Ivan left the bathroom.
“Sure, thanks,” he stammered, but Ivan was already gone.
Till showered quickly, feeling his mind so confused and strange.
What had happened to him a little while ago?
He came out wearing the bathrobe Ivan had lent him and hurried to get dressed in Ivan’s room, while his friend went in to shower.
Till walked out into the large living room, fully dressed and with damp hair, dripping slightly.
Ivan suddenly appeared behind him, wearing a robe that reached his calves and with his hair soaking wet.
“Hey, Till,” he said, “where did you put the shampoo? “I can't get the paint out of my hair.”
“I left it right there, blind man.”
“Who's the blind one here?” Ivan teased, poking Till in the back. “The one who almost cried because he got paint in his eyes?”
“Shut up already,” Till said, turning around to grab Ivan's hand so he'd stop poking his back.
Ivan was about to make another teasing comment while Till smiled slightly, his wet hair plastered to his face.
But suddenly, the apartment door opened.
Ivan’s boyfriend froze in the doorway, looking first at Ivan, who had just stepped out of the shower and had dripping wet hair.
Till’s jacket was half-open, and he looked like he’d just stepped out of the shower too.
The man didn’t move from the doorway, watching them both with a rather strange expression.
“Kick them out of your house! Hit them! Pull each other’s hair!” Till exclaimed, pouring wine into his glass. “How terrible—anyone would think the worst of this situation.”
“Very terrible,” Ivan said, taking the wine glass from him to pour himself a little. “This calls for a shot.”
“A big one! Damn cheaters!”
Both brought the wine to their lips and drank quickly, making intense and funny faces until the taste faded in their mouths.
Till let out a loud cough, lifting his head.
“Fortunately, you wouldn’t be like that, would you?” he said, looking at Ivan with a threatening expression. “You wouldn’t be a damn indecisive cheater like this guy, would you?”
Ivan put his hand to his chest, offended.
“Me? How dare you? I may be many things, but I’m not unfaithful.”
“You’d better not be, because I HATE CHEATERS,” Till declared, raising his finger. “They deserve to have their dicks cut off.”
“Or whatever it is they have,” Ivan said, coughing.
“Exactly! And if I find out you’re cheating on your partner!” Till exclaimed, pounding his chest. “You’re going to face the consequences, you bastard.”
Ivan let out a whistle, raising his hands.
“How scary,” he hummed.
Miley28: Till is so drunk
(The man didn’t move from the doorway, watching them both with a rather strange expression.
Till stepped back, letting go of Ivan’s hand.
It was as if the entire atmosphere had frozen, and the familiar warmth they’d both been feeling had vanished with the man’s presence.
“What’s he doing here?” Ivan’s boyfriend growled, looking at Till as if he were an insect.
Till felt anger and unease coursing through him; he wanted to step forward to confront the man, but Ivan stopped him, looking frightened.
“Till, please, get out of here,” he whispered, causing Till to freeze.
Was Ivan kicking him out because of that guy?
“I’m not leaving,” he growled. “I’m your friend, damn it.”
“I don’t think so,” Ivan’s boyfriend said menacingly. “I want you to leave now.”
They glared at each other with hatred, while Ivan tried to stop them.
“Till, just go. You don’t need to fight.”
“Do you prefer him over me?” Till exclaimed, picking up his things.
Seeing that there was no answer, he just let out a growl.
“Fine! I’m leaving!”
Till stormed out of the house, shoving Ivan’s boyfriend aside in the process.
He felt tears welling up in his eyes as he processed the fact that Ivan had chosen that guy over him.
She felt as if her heart had been broken.)
“They’re going to give me a headache with the alcohol-induced coma they’re going to put me in,” Till growled, pouring herself a glass. “He’s a jerk. Did he seriously expect Ivan to choose him over his partner? What’s wrong with him?”
“But a friend is more important than a boyfriend,” Ivan said, pouting.
Both streamers looked at each other for a few seconds and burst out laughing, while Ivan began pouring himself a drink.
“You’re so funny, Ivan,” Till teased, sipping his wine.
Ivan laughed and downed the shot in one gulp, his cheeks flushing slightly.
“You’re funny too.”
“You more so.”
“No, you more so.”
Juanadearco20: Are they going to kiss already?
Jin392: They’ve already started flirting, awesome
Jimmy292: Hey! You’re in public! We can all see you, guys!
“What? Flirting? I’m just reaffirming Ivan’s ability to say stupid things,” Till said, raising his finger. “It’s not gay at all.”
“And you have to admit that Till is so funny when he’s drunk,” Ivan said with a crooked smile. “Look at him, he can barely process what he’s saying.”
“That’s not true! I’m not drunk!”
Ivan looked at him with narrowed eyes, standing up from his seat.
“All right, then walk in a straight line,” he ordered, pointing at the floor.
“No.”
“Do it! Prove you’re better than me!”
Those words seemed to trigger something in Till, who opened his eyes and lifted his head.
“Fine!” Till exclaimed, jumping to his feet. “I’ll prove I’m the alpha of this room!”
Till staggered in front of Ivan, while Ivan stood a couple of meters away with a smug smile.
“Do it! Walk in a straight line!”
Till hesitated for a moment and took a clumsy step.
Then another.
Then another.
Ivan started laughing and looked at the camera.
“See that? He’s drunk!” Ivan teased, pointing his finger.
Suddenly, Till gathered momentum and ran toward Ivan, raising his arms to attack him.
Ivan let out a high-pitched scream as Till roared and charged at him, knocking him into the armchair.
The camera only managed to capture the two of them crashing into the furniture and starting to wrestle, while they laughed stupidly and tried to crush each other.
“Who’s the alpha here?”
“I am!”
“No! I am!”
Back02: Love
Lillyan29: They’re so drunk it’s scary
Maria192: YOU’RE IN PUBLIC, GUYS
Till was the only one who reacted; he shoved Ivan away and they both crawled back to the couch, looking disheveled and breathing heavily.
-Ignore that-
-This is proof positive that Till is drunk- Ivan teased, running his fingers through his hair.
-You’re just as bad, you idiot!-
-I’m going to start reading, so be quiet-
(That’s how a rift began between Ivan and Till, causing a terrible crisis for the gray-haired man.
But he wouldn’t let Ivan get away that easily, of course not.
Ivan was his.
That was clear; he wouldn’t let some ordinary jerk take him away.
He started showing up unannounced when Ivan had dates, sending messages at awkward moments, and inventing absurd emergencies just to get his attention.
And Ivan was always there, coming back to him.
Even though Ivan tried to avoid it.
Even though Ivan had sworn to his boyfriend to set boundaries with Till, he always ended up coming to him like a lap dog, making Till strut with power.
Even his friends told him he was doing things wrong, but Till wouldn’t listen.
He was blinded.)
“Cheers!” Ivan exclaimed as Till downed the entire shot. “Do it! Drink it all!”
Till finished the wine and let out a gasp, coughing violently.
“Are you drunk already?” Ivan asked with an innocent look on his face.
“Mmm.”
“Looks like it,” Ivan hummed cheerfully.
Till cleared his throat and looked at the camera.
“Can we talk about how real this situation is?” Till said with a serious expression, regaining his voice. “That could happen to anyone—you’re dating someone, but oh, surprise! He has a possessive friend!”
He coughed violently again, blinking awkwardly.
“If I were Ivan’s boyfriend, I’d beat the crap out of the other Till. Someone needs to teach him some manners,” he growled with an irritated expression. “I’d even say Till doesn’t really love Ivan—he just likes the attention he gets from him.”
“Right?” Ivan teased, pouring a little wine into his glass. “Till actually wants to get back the person who used to give him attention, and he’s confusing that feeling with love.”
“And he’s a damn bastard for it. He had plenty of time to confess his feelings, and he does it when he’s already dating someone!” Till declared, pointing awkwardly at the screen. “All I see is a possessive guy!”
“Till, calm down,” Ivan said, massaging his shoulders. “Let’s relax and have some wine, just to pass the time.”
They both poured themselves some wine, and Till drank it with a funny expression, letting out a loud cough.
“You know what? I bet this story won’t have a happy ending. It would be really weird to see them together,” he said awkwardly. “They’ll end up fighting or something.”
“Probably,” Ivan whispered, clearing his throat and tilting his head. “God, this wine is really good.”
“The idiot got drunk,” Till teased, nudging him.
Ivan shook his head and cleared his throat, ready to continue reading.
(Until one day, a message from Ivan popped up on his screen.
“Till, I need to meet with you urgently. Can you meet me tomorrow?”
Till reread the message with a frown, hurriedly typing back anxiously, asking what had happened, but Ivan didn’t answer the question.
“It’s a bit complicated. This time we’ll meet at a different restaurant; I’ll send you the location.”
Till agreed and received the location.
The next day, he got dressed quickly and drove to the meeting place, arriving at a somewhat secluded restaurant.
There were almost no customers, and it was lit by reddish lights that gave it a strange atmosphere.
Ivan didn’t seem to have arrived yet, so Till settled into a seat and looked over the menu.
So many strange thoughts swirled through his mind, while an elegant, soft song played in the background of the restaurant.
Suddenly, he felt someone approaching from behind him, and when he turned around, he froze the moment he saw Ivan’s partner standing behind him, staring at him with a sinister expression.
“You…” he growled. “Hello, Till.”
Till swallowed hard, watching as the man sat down across from him.
“Where’s Ivan?” he stammered uneasily.
The man shook his head.
“I texted you. I secretly took his phone and sent you those messages,” he explained with a serious expression. “You and I need to talk.”)
The streamers screamed loudly, staring at each other with wide eyes.
“The fight is coming!”
“That’s it! Come on, NPC! Defend your name!” Till exclaimed, slamming the table. “Fight, fight, fight!”
(Till clenched his fists, feeling his surprise give way to annoyance and irritation.
Ivan wasn’t there, so now he could show his true feelings toward that guy; he really disliked him.
“Let’s get straight to the point,” the guy said, rubbing his forehead. “I think we need to talk about your strange relationship with MY boyfriend. Don’t you think you’re overstepping your bounds?”
Till smiled sarcastically.
“Who? Me? It’s Ivan who’s always looking for me. We’re inseparable. It’s not my fault you’re a fucking insecure jerk.”)
“Exactly! Fight over me! Fight over me!” Ivan exclaimed, fanning his face with a smug expression. “Ivan makes the bitches line up.”
He let out an evil chuckle, while Till stared at him with horrified eyes.
“Ivan, you’re drunk.”
“What? Why do you say that?” Ivan said, laughing.
“Oh my god! He just swore! Chat! Did you hear that?” Till exclaimed, holding his microphone. “Ivan just swore!”
Jin390: Spending so much time with Till paid off
Mark2910: THIS IS NOT MY IVAAN
Linda022: I hate you, Ivan
“Sorry, chat, I got too excited,” Ivan said, laughing. “It’s the first time I’ve seen two people fighting over my love, especially when one of those people is Till.”
“Who would want to fight over your love, you idiot?” Till growled, pouring some wine into his glass. “The only thing I’d fight for is the controllers for your console.”
“Well, I’ll keep reading,” Ivan said, clearing his throat. “If I say any more bad words, you’ll have every right to punish me—Till will be the executioner.”
Till looked at him with eager eyes and got up from the armchair, disappearing from the camera for a few moments.
When he returned, he was holding a giant toy sword with flashing lights and the Zelda logo on the blade.
“Finally, I get to try out this baby!” he roared with a maniacal grin, pointing the sword at Ivan’s crotch. “Ivan’s punishment will be INFERTILITY!”
Ivan let out a scream as he watched Till attack him.
(-Till, Ivan is MY boyfriend- the guy exclaimed in a firm voice.
-And he’s my best friend!- Till exclaimed furiously- Yeah, I’ve been there for him his whole life! I was his first friend! And I’ve seen so many sides of him that you’ll never know! We were each other’s comfort! We were family! We share a bond you’ll never be able to reach, even if you’re there for years! No matter how far you push him away from me, he’ll always come back to my side!”
When he finished speaking, he realized he was breathing heavily.
The man looked at him in silence, then sighed and rubbed his face.
“My God, that’s incredible,” he murmured, lifting his face firmly. “Listen to me carefully, Till. If you and he share such a special bond, you should have more confidence in yourself. You say all these hurtful words and look at me as if I were inferior, but you’re afraid of me, aren’t you?”
Till frowned.
“Me? Afraid of you?”
"That's right, you may share a special past with Ivan that I don't have, but even so, I was the first one to teach Ivan how to love without having to chase after me,“ the man said in a loud voice. ”I saw sides of him that you don’t know either. You never saw Ivan being loving with you, you never saw how he cried when I showed him my love, you never saw him in your bed or making love to you. He chose me, and I chose him!"
Till felt each word hit him harder and harder; he wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind.
“You’re selfish, Till. You claim to know him better than anyone, but you never knew his true feelings after all those years of friendship. You never dared to admit it!” the man exclaimed. “And now Ivan has another chance to love, and all you do is try to sabotage him and feel jealous of his happiness! When Ivan had to endure that for 20 years!”
Till fell silent, processing it all.
“Was Ivan in love with me?”
The man nodded.)
“Ivan! He said it!” Till exclaimed, dropping his gleaming sword that emitted sounds of war. “The big revelation!”
Ivan didn’t answer; he was sprawled out on the furniture, completely defeated by the battle.
“Pass me a glass of wine.”
“Sure.”
They both drank and coughed violently, swaying from side to side.
“I can feel the alcohol in my blood!” Till screamed, clenching his fists. “I’m immortal!”
“Something tells me we’ll end up throwing up on the couch,” Ivan said weakly. “Someone save us.”
(-But Ivan has already moved on from you; he wants to be happy and move forward, the man said.- But he doesn’t know how to set boundaries with you. This isn’t a competition! It’s not your decision to make! It’s Ivan’s decision!-
-You can’t take him away from me!- Till exclaimed in a trembling voice.
“Ivan isn’t your property!” the man exclaimed. “You can’t keep manipulating him like this; you can’t keep clinging to him. He doesn’t love you anymore!”
“That’s a lie!” Till exclaimed, her eyes brimming with tears. “I love him… I just want to keep him by my side.”
“If you really love him, you have to let him go,” the man said, standing up. “He chose to walk his own path with me. Now stop hurting us both and move on too.”
Till wanted to say something, but he couldn’t do anything—he could only sit there staring at the table.
The man left, leaving Till a mess at the table, reevaluating his actions).
“I’m a fan of this NPC,” Till declared, raising his arms. “He defeated the Till in this story with just the eloquence of his words—it’s amazing! I want him to teach me!”
“Now you see that not everything is solved with violence,” Ivan said cheerfully, staggering. “I want to be like him, too! Or I want to be like the Ivan in this fanfic!” “Everyone’s fighting over his love! I love it! I want to know his tricks!”
“Maybe not being a jerk with stale jokes,” Till whispered, laughing softly as he let out a few little hiccups.
(A few days later, Ivan came to visit him to deliver the final blow.
Till was depressed, but he still held onto a faint hope that Ivan would choose him.
He just had to confess his feelings, and Ivan would probably love him again.
They met at Till’s house and poured themselves some coffee. Ivan looked tired, as if he’d been through a difficult experience the night before.
“My boyfriend threatened to break up with me if I kept hanging out with you,” Ivan whispered in a weary voice. “That’s why I came to tell you in person—it’s time to stop.”
Till clenched the cup in his hand.
“Till, did you know that I used to love you?” Ivan said, his face darkening. “I pursued you for years, hoping that you would love me someday.”
He let out a sigh.
“But it never happened, and I ended up giving up,” he whispered sadly. “I thought my whole life would be limited to that—to being a pathetic guy who would chase after you forever.”
He lifted his head, looking at Till.
“But I realized I can choose new paths and move forward,” he swallowed. “I love my boyfriend, and I want to build a new future without chasing after you anymore. I still value you and consider you an important person to me, but I can’t keep choosing you anymore—not anymore.”
Till clenched his fists, feeling tears fall down his cheeks.
“Do you know that I love you too?” Till said in a trembling voice. “This situation made me realize it. I love you! I know it’s too late! But I…”
He stopped, while Ivan watched him with wide eyes.
“I know I was blind, I know I was slow to recognize my feelings, but now I know—I love you, Ivan, and I’m ready to build a life with you, so don’t leave me, please,” Till pleaded, his hands trembling. “Please…”
Ivan’s hands began to shake.)
The streamers read the paragraphs with intense concentration, frowning and pressing their lips together, waiting for the next move.
Till clutched his sword, and Ivan read aloud, clearing his throat from time to time.
Kaito203: Someone take a screenshot of their faces to make a meme
Lucy320: Looks like they’re shitting themselves
(Ivan chuckled softly and let out a sigh.
“You have no idea how much I would have wanted to hear that before,” he whispered. “But I don’t feel the same way anymore.”
Till felt his heart shatter and his eyes fill with tears.
“Please, love me. Please, don’t go with him. CHOOSE ME.”
Ivan stood up from his seat, looking at him.
“I’m not choosing anyone; I just want to move on, Till,” he whispered, holding the man’s hand. “Keep moving forward and forget me; it’s best for both of us.”
Ivan walked away, leaving Till trembling and tearful at the table.
“Goodbye, Till.”
Till swallowed hard, not knowing what to say.
“Goodbye… Ivan…”
There was silence, and Ivan finally left, walking out the door and leaving the whole house completely empty.
That was when Till felt true loneliness.)
“No!” Till cried out, letting out a whimper. “I mean, I know Till was wrong, but it still hurts!”
“Can I pour you a glass?” Ivan asked, holding the wine.
Till nodded softly and drank the glass quickly, letting out a sigh.
“Besides, why is the Ivan in this fanfic acting so mature?” he stammered, his cheeks completely red. “This definitely isn’t the Ivan I know.”
“Hey, I am very mature,” Ivan said, pouting.
“Sure! So mature that you make up fictional scenarios to satisfy your own tragic personal novel! Not to mention that you’re a compulsive liar!” Till exclaimed, letting out a sob. “And you don’t sleep either! “You don’t sleep at all!”
“What does that have to do with my maturity?”
“That I always have to force you to sleep every night! Without me, you’d probably stay up all night making up tragic scenarios and feeling sorry for yourself! And why the hell do you sleep with your eyes open?”
“Could you stop putting me on display?” whined Ivan, taking a sip of wine until he let out a hiccup. “You’re not exactly that mature yourself.”
“But I’m more mature than you!”
“I know!” Ivan stammered, swaying against the dresser as he fidgeted with his fingers. “You’re so mature that you know how to express your emotions and take care of yourself. You’re so cool, Till—”
“I know, you’re cool too,” Till said in a sleepy voice, lying down on the dresser. “Thanks for washing my underwear this morning.”
Porshce20: WHAT THE HELL
Kin2030: They’re drunk, chat
Mary2920: SHUT THEM UP BEFORE THEY EMBARRASS THEMSELVES EVEN MORE
Jean240: Just finish the damn fanfic already!
Linnkinn2: If they keep this up, they’ll end up in a drunken coma
Ivan blinked and rubbed his face, dragging himself in front of the screen with tired eyes.
“Don’t worry, I’m still clear-headed enough to recognize the situation I’m in,” he said with a wry smile. “We’re almost done with the fanfic, so we’ll read it all at once and give our opinions, then we’ll take a 5-minute break to recover. Right, Till?”
When he turned around, he found Till snoring on the couch with his mouth open, his head tilted back, and his body stretched out on the couch.
“Till!” Ivan exclaimed in panic, shaking him. “You can’t die yet! We have to finish this fanfic!”
Till let out a loud snore and sat up suddenly, as if he’d come back to life.
“What? Miami?” he stammered, blinking awkwardly.
“The fanfic! Till!”
Till nodded, rubbing his eyes.
“You’re right! The fanfic! We have to make sure that Till from the fanfic overcomes the situation and regains his self-esteem!” Till stammered, leaning forward toward the screen with a loud yawn. “Let’s read it right away.”
Ivan nodded and cleared his throat, while Till pricked his cheek lightly to stay awake.
(After that, they stopped talking.
The first few weeks were horrible; Till convinced himself that Ivan’s boyfriend was the villain, that Ivan had abandoned him.
But his other friends didn’t let him sink into despair alone; Hyuna, a close friend, was the first to confront him.
“You’re confusing loving someone with believing they belong to you.”
The phrase hurt him so much that he almost stopped talking to her too, but she persisted.
It was Hyuna who convinced him to go to therapy.
At first, Till hated the sessions; he felt like the psychologist was trying to take him apart piece by piece.
However, little by little, he began to understand things he had never questioned before.
He wasn’t just in love with Ivan; he was also emotionally dependent on him.
He had built his entire self-esteem around being “the most important person” to someone, and when that changed, he reacted with fear)
“Ivan, write this sentence in my notebook,” Till whispered, giving Ivan a hearty pat on the back. “I love it.”
Ivan stepped back with a pained expression and nodded, handing him his notebook.
(Till felt such intense fear that he preferred to destroy the relationship rather than accept feeling replaced.
He learned that his feelings weren’t wrong; what was wrong was using those feelings to manipulate and hurt.
That’s how the months went by
Till began to rebuild his life outside of that obsession; he took up hobbies again, met new people, and stopped living in anticipation of specific messages.
Ivan was a scar that would always be there; he could never forget him, but he could move forward without depending on him.
One afternoon, he ran into Ivan by chance at a bookstore.
It was awkward at first; they looked at each other for a few seconds, then exchanged a few words and smiled.
“You look better,” Ivan said cheerfully.
Till smiled a little.
“I’m trying to be.”
Before leaving, he took a deep breath and decided to speak up.
“Hey… I’m sorry, really, for everything that happened. I’m sorry I hurt you in so many ways.”
Ivan looked at him for a few seconds and nodded slowly.
“I’m sorry, too.”
They didn’t go back to being best friends.
And maybe that was for the best.
As Ivan walked away between the shelves, Till felt that old pain surface for a moment… but it wasn’t despair anymore.
It was simply sadness.
And that was okay, because he finally understood that loving someone could also mean letting them go.
THE END)
Loud applause rang out across the set.
The streamers clapped in unison, staring intently at the camera with eyes shining with intoxication.
“Hey, I might be drunk, but I’m going to say this story is really well done,” Till said, nodding. “I thought they ended up together because of their personal dependence or something like that. But look at this! They both went their separate ways with dignity!” “I love it!”
“I admit I wanted them to end up together,” Ivan whispered, pouting. “I don’t get how this Ivan could have left Till for someone else. It’s awful to me! It feels like a betrayal!”
“I got a little sad too,” Till whined, clutching the wine bottle. “They loved each other at the wrong times. If they’d known how to love each other at the same time, everything would have turned out fine.”
Till sniffed and poured two glasses of wine.
“We have to toast to them and their failed love,” he whispered, raising his glass and looking at Ivan. “To the tragic gays!”
Keix230: NOOO THAT’LL TAKE AWAY THE 10 YEARS OF LIFE HE HAS LEFT
Joanne20: You still have a lot of life left, Till!
Ladybug093: DON’T DO IT, TILL
“To the tragic gays!” said Ivan, raising his glass with a solemn expression. “May the magic of fanfics and homosexuality illuminate a path that leads them to a happy ending! Without it being an omegaverse!”
“Or have a threesome with t/n!” exclaimed Till. “Cheers!”
Both downed the shot in one gulp, and as soon as they did, they stared at the screen with confused expressions, their bodies swaying from side to side.
Marty392: I can see their minds short-circuiting
Linmanuel13: Their last remaining brain cells just melted
“Shit, Ivan, this was a terrible idea,” Till growled, rubbing his face. “I think I need a whole day off.”
Suddenly he gagged and ran out of the room, his clumsy footsteps echoing as a door slammed open.
Ivan stepped forward to drown out the noise with a drunken laugh.
“I think we might have gone too far,” he whispered, his cheeks red, laughing softly. “I thought drinking wine while we read would make it more fun, but now Till looks a little sick…”
“I’m going to kill you, you idiot!” Till’s scream echoed from the other side of the house, followed by a loud retch and the sound of the door.
Ivan swallowed hard, covering his mouth.
“And I’m starting to feel like I’m going to gag too,” he whispered in a faint voice. “I think we’ll have to end the stream here. But don’t worry! We’ll be back in a couple of days to read one last fanfic!”
“I’m never doing this again, you idiot!” Till’s shout rang out again.
Ivan blinked and smiled cheerfully again, looking at the camera.
“Maybe I’ll change my mind in the next few days. But for now, we’re ending the stream!” “A huge thank you to everyone who joined us these past few hours!” Ivan exclaimed cheerfully, spreading his arms wide. “And I want to send my congratulations to all the fanfic writers whose stories we read! You guys are geniuses! Keep writing stories about us and letting your creativity run wild! And if any of you aren’t subscribed yet, you can do it right now!”
He pointed to the bottom of the screen with a smile.
“So Till and I are signing off. Remember to eat and sleep, AND DON’T GET TOO DRUNK—it’s bad for your brain cells,” Ivan said, waving his hands in farewell. “We love you all so much. Bye!”
Suddenly, the sharp sound of a toy sword being drawn rang out.
Till appeared from behind the couch, holding the sword with both hands.
“Here comes my revenge!” he screamed, lunging to attack him. “You idiot!”
Ivan screamed as Till attacked him with a roar.
The broadcast cut off abruptly, leaving a final image of the two of them playing around on the couch, Till attacking him with his sword and Ivan defending himself with some pillows amid laughter.
Broadcast ended.