The two young men naturally left the party straight after Owen's confrontation with Harmony. Their business there was complete and they had no reason to risk bumping into Charity, who they were not yet ready to deal with. The drive to Adam's home was in silence. As they pulled up on the street outside the terrace house, Adam finally saw the tracks of tears that dampened Owen's face. The man said nothing, just helped his lover into the house. Owen was mourning, mourning the loss of the girl he had once cared for and called sister and in this life, friend. It was a shame that the sharp tongued girl with an affectionate side had morphed into such a despicable creature bent on possessing Adam by any means necessary. Even if that meant faking pregnancy. Even if that meant wiping out half a galaxy. Even if that meant befriending the rival to cause trouble.

Adam helped Owen undress as well undressing himself, but when they went to bed that night in each other's embrace, it was purely comfort without lust.

*****

Even though Harmony was no longer in a position to threaten them, it did not mean Charity was not the same. Owen received several demands for him to attend functions regarding the wedding and new demands for him to gain work experience at Jackson and Miller. Owen ignored them all, deleted the messages and blocked her number. Her reach was being limited. The woman had cut off Harmony and Adam had ousted her out of his Faction claiming that she had messed with his private life outside of the game, due to a small in game argument. In a gamer's mind, extending personal issues from inside the game to real life was faux pas! Not done! Who would blame their Faction leader? And those who thought Charity should be given a chance to defend herself realised that the girl hadn't logged in for almost two months.

Besides, they were way more interested in the other news that had broken out; the leaders of the two biggest Factions on their server were dating?! It was probably not surprising that this information had been leaked out and Owen and Adam could easily point fingers to the culprit. Her revenge was small and petty, but did no real damage, just set the gossips aflame.

Owen had been bombarded with messages asking;

"When did this happen?"

"What's going to happen to the Faction?"

"Will you resign and join Last Surviving Fortress?"

"You are gay??" (There was always one...)

A small handful of homophobes resigned from Thirteen Levels of Purgatory and another small number from Adam's Faction. That didn't bother the pair in the slightest. There would always be those who hated, better that they leave of their own accord than make trouble later. And besides, those people were now experiencing troubles of their own. None of the top Factions would allow them entry, some due to their disloyalty, some due to their phobia! The Valkyries had recently opened their hearts to Freddy, who had snuck into their Faction with his female character and they absolutely adored him. So they were more vicious than most and went hunting these outcasts for a few days.

Adam had the most difficulty dealing with his deputy Faction leader, Jordan. "Dammit man!" He was lamenting! "Why did you not tell me sooner! I would never have bitched about him and his Faction so much in my last Podcast! I was slating my sister-in-law openly and you didn't say a word! No wonder you looked as if you would hit me when I saw you after that!"

Adam chuckled and simply replied; "If you want to make it up to me, treat me to a movie, alright?"

"Sure thing!" Jordan agreed. It had been a while since he got to hang out with his best friend. "Will you be bringing... Knife?"

"His name is Owen," Adam advised, throwing his arm over Jordan's shoulder. "And of course I will."

*****

However, what was supposed to be a simply 'bro' night out turned instead into a double date.

"Alexandria?"

"Owen?"

"What are you doing here?" This last sentence was spoken simultaneously and also in unison did they turn to glance at their respective partners.

Adam threw up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Don't look at me," he said. "I don't know anything!"

"Well, I thought since Adam was bringing his boyfriend..." Jordan looked a little sheepish. Had he messed this all up? It so happened that when Jordan had had to hitch a ride after the convention due to his car being 'borrowed,' he and Alexandria had become fast friends due to shared animosity. Meaning, they were both angry over their friends abandonment of them and were venting viciously. They had exchanged numbers, but as Alexandria was holding a torch for... someone else, their relationship hadn't progressed until just recently.

"I came to terms that you were not interested in me after the engagement party," Alexandria confessed to Owen later. "I thought that perhaps because we were childhood friends that you couldn't see me as a woman. Who knew that it was because you had no interest in women! How could I have not realised!?"

"Sorry," Owen blushed. "I hadn't even realised you were interested in me that way, I didn't think to tell you that it couldn't happen between us."

"Don't be," Alexandria sighed. "Let's count it as both of us being oblivious! Anyway, Jordan and I began texting a lot and so as I figured I didn't have a chance with you, I would give him a chance."

"Are you happy?" Owen asked. Alexandria nodded, shyly.

"And you?"

"Very!"

"Good," Alexandria felt a little sadness now she had most certainly been rejected by him, but also a sense of relief. Now she could truly move on. And then a thought occurred to her. "Wait... did you ditch me at the convention to hook up with Adam?!"

Owen danced out of reach with a grin on his face, before he could get slapped.

*****

Did you hear the news?! Wait of course you did! You must have! Why did you not tell me?! Alexandria's text came when Owen and Adam were duelling in the Arena in the game. They had naturally attracted a crowd, they were amongst the game's top players, who wouldn't be curious? They had fought eight times and so far they were tied. They decided to make their next battle their last.

"I'll go grab a couple of drinks before we start," Adam said when he noticed that Owen was distracted by his phone. The young man had practically moved in with Adam, had not left now for months. Aunt Emma had suggested that it was time for them to get a place of their own, after all, Adam's bedroom was the smaller of the two in her house. Adam had felt reluctant, not wanting to leave the Aunt who had practically raised him alone. But she dismissed all of his concerns with a wave. How was she supposed to bring potential boyfriends home with the two hovering protectively? Still, they were procrastinating at the moment.

Calm down. What news? Owen text the girl back.

Your brother's wedding has been called off! And it was for this weekend!!

Owen smiled and shared the news with Adam, when he returned with two cans of coke. "I suppose that had something to do with you?"

"A little," Owen replied. "Yin and Yang managed to synthesis an antidote to the drug." Once the drug was in the body, it was quite difficult to remove, in fact in its world of origin the antidote was also a poison and had to be administered in tiny doses over a very long period of time. The neutralising agent was only effective outside of the body. Owen pulled out a small plastic tub that looked like it contained vitamins. "I managed to get my brother's to take one when I saw them on separate occasions. Also had my helper spy take one and give one to her mother and our father." The antidote worked fast, Owen did not wish to be around his stepmother when she came out of her stupor. He gave one to Francis as a precaution, who knew if the drug in her system would effect her as she grew up.

"Still, how did you manage to get Karl to cancel the wedding?" Adam asked. "Was it a mission?" They had discovered that Karl was the male protagonist and that Charity (despite being possessed by the System) was the female protagonist.

"I had nothing to do with it," Owen laughed. "I suppose Karl decided on his own." After all, he had been drugged, but he wasn't stupid. There were even times that Karl seemed to be aware under the hazy effects.

Adam sighed and sat down beside his lover, no longer interested in the game. "I know that it's called a Civil Partnership here, rather than marriage, but would you be my husband again, formally in this life?"

"Of course," Owen grinned, he welcomed an extra chain to bind him to this man. "Ah, but you must let me choose where to go on our honeymoon."

"Whatever you say!" Adam kissed him lovingly.  The room became filled with ambiguous sounds, followed by several long moans.

In the meantime there were several messages appearing on screen from in the game.

"Eh? When's the next battle going to start?"

"Oi, Leaders are you there?"

"What's going on?"

"You can't leave us hanging like this!!"

Author's note;  yes, exactly one day after claiming to lack ideas, I have one!  But it's not what you think!  I was thinking of creating a table of contents at the beginning.  Reason being, partly, that it feels right to name the arcs, something I haven't done.  So this is just for fun!  I would like everyone's ideas for the names of the arcs!  And like always, I am open to suggestions for other arcs... I am fluid about all but one... even the planned number of arcs can change by one or two... well possibly!  I won't lie, we are probably over halfway there already!  I will use what I can, but thank everyone in advance!