THE MOMENT
"Hey, can we talk?" Pete walked into the living room where Anthony was about to start playing a game. Anthony had just gotten home, and he had a routine, so Pete was able to pick the perfect opening before he got too into the game.
"Yeah, man, what's up?" Anthony nodded and set the controller down on the coffee table between the leather couch and big screen TV.
"Alright...," Pete had made the decision to bring it up, but he was still gathering his courage. "... this first part might sound a little sketchy, but let me finish please..," he said. Then, he continued when Pete nodded. "I've been watching you sleep," he said. They hadn't been roommates for very long, and never met before that. Pete couldn't quite read all of Anthony's expressions, and the face he made at the question left him unsure. Anthony looked almost amused, or maybe even relieved.
"...and...?" He asked. That was an interesting response, and it worked to help Pete relax. Anthony didn't get angry or defensive; he was waiting for Pete to get his question out.
"You come home, through the front door..," Pete gestured at the nearby door for effect. It was a small apartment. The TV was a big screen, but it looked even larger in the confined space. They only had two bedrooms and one bathroom. He hadn't really paid attention, but he was starting to notice that Anthony didn't seem to use the restroom all that much. His hygiene was impeccable, but the more he thought about it, the more he wondered when the man showered. Anthony was the one who got up and left early, and Pete was usually working from home. But, he was an early riser and usually wished Anthony a good day at work as he headed out.
"... chill out with me or your games for a few hours, then you go to your room and go to sleep," he finished the brief rundown of the habits he'd observed, and Anthony waited patiently.
"A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to ask you something and knocked on your door. After no answer, I knocked harder to wake you up. Eventually, I got worried and took a peek inside...," he said. Anthony still seemed relaxed and even interested in the story. This was not at all how Pete expected it to go. He thought maybe there'd be some shouting, or claims of invading his personal space. But, all he gave Pete was the room to finish his question. Pete was still trying to lay out the context.
"The next day, you were fine like nothing, so I didn't say anything. But that night I knocked on your door again; then went in when you didn't answer. Every night since then...," he said. The thought drifted off as he finally landed on his question.
"We're on the 12th floor... the windows don't open. Where do you go? And... HOW?"
"The AlterNet," Anthony grinned. "It's a game in another universe. Now that you've asked about it, I'll be happy to show you."
"What?" Pete blinked twice as his mind came to a complete stop. He'd discovered his roommate was hiding something early on, and he'd built a dozen different stories about what could be happening. He assumed the young man was a cryptid, or maybe some sort of Fae creature. He expected a dramatic reveal after exhaustive back-and-forth and raised tempers. Instead, he casually admitted the whole thing and even invited Pete. "If it's that simple, why did you hide it? We game all the time!" he gestured at the TV.
"Eh, rules are rules," Anthony shrugged. "This universe doesn't know about the multiverse yet, so I can't exactly go around advertising it. But if someone spots some odd behavior and asks about it, that's totally okay. Assuming I trust you," he grinned.
That was what had shut Pete's mind down the first time. And, upon hearing it again, he was able to latch on to the idea better.
"Wait... you're an alien from a different universe?" he asked.
"No," Anthony laughed and shook his head. "I'm human, like you, just from a different universe."
"And.. you're saying I can go to your universe?"
"No," Anthony shook his head again, this time without the laughter. "My universe doesn't exist anymore, but there are an infinite number of universes out there, and the AlterNet is a game that uses Earth-sized servers. C'mon!" he stood up and pulled out a transparent glass card from his pocket. "You've gotta check this out."
"Wait...," Pete put his hands up stop everything. "I'm still trying to catch up here. You're human, from an alternate universe?" he asked. Anthony gave a solid nod.
"You are not a magical cryptid or Fae or anything like that?" Anthony agreed quietly again.
"But, infinite alternate universes exist, and apparently you can get to them from your bedroom?"
"From anywhere, with this," he held up the transparent card. "It's called a node."
"But, you are 100% normal human...?" he asked to be sure.
"Yeah," Anthony nodded.
"Oh...," Pete's mind finally settled, with mild disappointment. "... well, I wasn't prepared for that, but alternate universes sound promising. Let's see the AlterNet!"