Page 32 of Gaming with the Gargoyle in Hallow's Cove

“You love me?” Confirmation, not questioning.

“I do. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Considering how long I’ve been in love with you… and—” he coughs and looks away. “How many times I have masturbated thinking about you… I’m kinda not shocked that I bonded you so quickly.”

“I love you, too.” The words aresoeasy, so true. “You don’t wanna roll for it?”

Gabe pulls me into his arms and gently kisses my lips. “No need. You won my heart a long time ago.”

Epilogue

Iamofficiallyasbig as a house. When I thought to myself, hell yeah I wanna have Gabe’s baby, apparently I failed to consider how fucking bigGabeis. Also, fun, fact, did you know that Gargoyle gestation is twelve entire months? No? Neither did I. It’s so long because apparently it takes about a million years to grow babies this big. I’m eleven months, so any human baby would have been long evicted by now, and this little guy is estimated to weigh twelve pounds already.

“There.” I place the last box on the shelf in our new game den and look around, pleased. The renovations on the house are officially all done—it’s all been restored to it’s proper Victorian glory, not a greige tone in sight. Tonight, our friends are coming over for our first game in the game den. The whole basement looks like a medieval tavern, with dark wood paneling, loads of bookshelves, a huge table and mood lighting that Gabe can control from his seat. I know that the basement won’t actually be a big reveal, everyone has helped us get it together, after all, but hopefully folks will still act surprised.

We’re still not used to playing anywhere but the game shop, so Gabe had to run last minute to get a few things. I check my watch, and yeah, he really needs to hurry home, we’ve only got fifteen minutes until people start showing up. Fifteen minutes means I should probably get the chili cheese dip in the crock pot. I waddle over to the stairs, because I waddle now, and frown when I notice something on the ground.

A box.

Thankfully, it’s a few steps up, because I stopped fully bending over a few weeks ago. If something falls on the ground now? It’s gone into a black hole only to be retrieved by someone else. Unless it’s really important of course.

The box is a generic looking shoebox that has been wrapped in blue paper. There’s wear on the paper that tells me it’s at least a few years old, and a little note tacked to the top… addressed to me.

I open it up and gasp.

Gwen-

I’m not sure you believe me when I tell you how long ago I fell for you. I planned on asking you out this way the first time, but I think it works just as well for this, now. In the room, there’s a switch under the table at my seat. Go switch it on.

-Gabe

I blink back tears. Is this real? It’s odd timing though… unless our friends aren’tactuallycoming at all. I turn around and when I feel under the table, there is a switch there. I flick it and the projector in the ceiling puts a grid on the table. In one corner, there’s a spot that says “place mini here,” so I grab little Rena and plonk her down on the table. As soon as I do, Gabe’s voice plays over the speakers that we’ve mounted for surround sound.

“Hello there, little thief. I’m afraid I have some bad news. Your party has been captured, and you find yourself in a field. Next to you is a sign, declaring that there are buried mines and it’s very dangerous. Something in your pocket buzzes against your leg. When you take it out, it’s a small piece of parchment that shows the area immediately around you.”

As he says this, the grid projection changes. Several of the squares immediately around Rena stay blank, but farther out some around her say “1” and a few say “2.” At the top, near where Gabe will sit, is a little flag that shows “10.”

“On this map, there are seven mines buried in the ground. If you can locate them, and disarm them, you will earn a prize. Once you have located all seven, you will be able to cross the field and free your captive party.”

The projection changes again, showing my friends’ minis in a cage at the end. I squint at it for a second, because it seems familiar… mines… numbers… blank spaces… it’sminesweeper!When we got the computer for the shop, Gabe taught me how to play, and I’ve gotten pretty good.

My heart is racing, because this is apparently something to show his love for me, and it’s super fun that I have to “earn” my prizes. The first mine is pretty easy to locate, since it’s sticking out into the “clear” area with “1’s” on each side.

“When you are ready to disarm a trap,” Gabe says over the speakers. “Place a red counter on the space.”

I pickup a red counter from one of our little bins sunken into the table and confidently place it down on the space. When I do so, the lights dim in the room, and Gabe’s voice plays again.

“Very good, little thief. You’ve located my first mine. To earn your prize, you’ll need to disarm my traps. You’ll have three chances to roll high enough, after which, the mine will explode and there will be… consequences.”

I pick up my d20 and shake it in my hand before rolling it in my inset rolling tray. A sixteen, surely that’s high enough?

I hear a click behind me, and when I turn, I realize that one of the books has popped out so that it’s sticking out more than the other books. It turns out not to be a book at all, but a box. Inside, there are a few pieces of old, crumpled paper. I open the first and flatten it on the table. This one looks like it’s been balled up repeatedly with how crinkly it is.

Gwen,

I’ve been meaning to tell you something I—

That’s it. The next is similar but it continues.

As you probably remember, Gargoyles take a bit longer to mature than humans and I’m pretty sure it’s happened. I look at pictures of you on my wall, and my heart beats fast, now. It doesn’t do that when I see anyone else, so maybe I just miss you?