Inspired by The Toast’s series

If Reid Duke were your boyfriend, you would tousle his long hair when he stretched in the mornings, and he would sheepishly say, “It’s getting too long. I really need to make time to get a haircut,” and you would smile indulgently at him even though you love how boyish he looks with it longer.

If Reid Duke were your boyfriend, you’d sometimes pretend not to know how to do simple things like loading the dishwasher, even though you obviously do know, and he would know that you know how to do it but he’d explain it to you gently and patiently with no hint of condescension, and you’d both know that hearing him explain it was the only reason you’d asked, but you’d never admit it and he wouldn’t want you to feel bad about it.

If Reid Duke were your boyfriend, the two of you would compete viciously at everything: who is better at board games, who picks up the check at dinner, who makes better sandwiches. The competitive spirit would only bring you closer together, though; after all, every victory for either of you is a victory for the relationship.

If Reid Duke were your boyfriend, when he went to Pro Tour Journey into Nyx, he would have been wearing underwear you had written “You’re always top 8 in my heart” on when he went on stage to claim his first Pro Tour top 8.

If Reid Duke were your boyfriend, you could tell your parents you were dating a writer, your journalist friends that you were dating a prolific content creator, and your nerd friends from high school that you were dating a professional gamer, and they would all be true, and no one would question your taste in partners any longer. Reid Duke would be happy to introduce himself as each of these things to the appropriate groups, not just for your sake, and not because he’s ashamed of any of it, but because he’s equally proud of all his accomplishments and is comfortable accepting kudos for any of them.