[thepac]

"Here you go," Adam says as he walks into his bedroom handing Josh a bottle of Powerade.

"Cheers mate," Josh replies popping the cap open and taking a quick sip.

Adam puts his own drink down and looks over at his TV to see that Josh has already booted up FIFA 16 and is going through the play match screen.

"So what league are we going for?" Josh asks as Adam picks up his controller.

"Dunno maybe Spain?" Adam wonders aloud.

"You know your addiction to wanting to be Barcelona is gonna cost you one day," Josh teases.

"Maybe but I have a good feeling about getting a great pick from Spain today," Adam says with a grin as he hits the random team button.

"Not bad," The blonde remarks looking at his random pick, Deportivo La Coruna.

"Do you know anyone who plays for Deportivo?" Josh asks curiously.

"No," Adam replies shaking his head, "But they are Spanish so can't be that bad."

Josh simply shrugs his shoulders and sighs, he can't be bothered telling Adam that Deportivo are a team that regularly struggle near the bottom of La Liga.

"Go on then pick your team," Adam says ignoring Josh's shrug feeling confident that he can beat Josh with any team on FIFA.

"Fuck yes," Josh says unable to hide his grin as Atletico Madrid pop up on screen.

"Ok I will admit that's a really good team," Adam says with a hint of nerves.

Atletico won the Spanish league a season ago and were narrowly beaten in the Champions League final so it is a fantastic pick for Josh.

"Well I'm more than happy with my pick," Josh says still grinning, "Sure you don't want to change yours."

Adam shakes his head, "No I don't believe that you have practiced any so I'm still gonna win not matter what boss team you pick."

"Ok then," Josh says enjoying the show of conference from his best friend, "Lets play."

Adam gets through the gameplay menu fast picking both a random stadium and random weather conditions. There is something about Josh's calm confidence that is still bothering Adam, he really does have no clue why his tall best friend has had such a change in personality. The game loads up and it's at the Camp Nou Barcelona's home ground where the game will be played and the weather settings has given them a foggy evening game. Adam kicks off with his team in blue and white stripes against the team in red and white stripes and almost instantly Josh's player races in and tackles the ball off him.

Quickly Adam can tell that Josh wasn't lying, he has been practicing and he's gotten good as Madrid's slick one touch passes spray the ball around the field leaving Adam's players chasing shadows. Even when Adam gets the ball back he almost instantly loses it and has to go back to chasing the clearly faster and better Atletico players. After the first 15 minutes Josh has already had three shots at goal all coming from Madrid's star striker Fernando Torres. Two flash just wide and the third forces a fine save out of Deportivo's keeper. Adam is being overwhelmed and finds himself trying to slow the play down to give him time to adjust to Josh's new skill level.

"Fuck you really have been training haven't you?" Adam says sounding impressed before gasping as Torres hits a curling shot from outside the area that whistles just over the bar.

"Told you," Josh says with a smirk, "Don't forget I owe you a nasty forfeit once I win."

A confident assured sounding Josh is starting to freak Adam out. He has always known that Josh was better than he thought he was and just lacked the self belief to bring that across. Now that he is leaving Adam worried and the threat of a nasty forfeit isn't helping the young blonde relax either. After 25 minutes Adam finally gets his team playing some football winning a corner then narrowly missing the goal the resulting header. Adam's biggest problem however is that not only aren't Deportivo as good as Atletico and their lone striker system isn't helping Adam get any momentum in the game.

Every time he plays the ball up to his striker he has to hold the ball up wait for support and that allows the faster Madrid players to surround him and win the ball back. Adam is starting to get more and more frustrated with his virtual team as passes are misplaced and none of them can seemingly tackle any Madrid player. Finally after losing the ball once again and allowing Torres to hit another shot which is thankfully right at his keeper Adam can't take it any more.

"Balls to this," Adam grumbles hitting pause, "I'm changing tactics."

Josh watches on in amusement as an annoyed Adam switches from Deportivo's defensive 4-5-1 and makes it an attacking 4-3-3. Adam instantly feels more confident playing with the same system he uses in Ultimate Team and with 37 minutes gone Deportivo playing much better and the game has become more even. Suddenly Adam wins the ball off Josh in the Atletico half and Luis Alberto is the Deportivo player who picks the ball up on the right hand side quickly cutting infield and getting into the penalty area. Adam shoots and the ball bounces up in the air looping over the top of the goalkeeper but unluckily for Adam the ball also loops over the crossbar landing harmlessly on the roof of the net.

"Oh unlucky," Josh says taking the chance to exhale, "I though you had me beat then."

Adam merely nods too focused to trade verbal blows with his best friend, Josh's training and Adam's lack of FIFA play recently means that they are about as similarly skilled at FIFA as they have ever been. Half time is fast approaching but there is still time left to get the opening goal of this strip FIFA match. Koke slides in for a tackle and wins the ball off the Deportivo right back, Adam wants to shout and claim foul but the Madrid captain is already racing down the wing. The cross comes in before Adam can do anything as Torres breaks to the near post and gets his head on the ball.

"Dammit so close," Josh groans as the Torres header bounces a foot wide of the post.

"This whole game has been close," Adam replies taking the goal kick just as the whistle goes for half time.

Both men use the small break in gameplay to take a drink, the nervous energy that comes with a strip FIFA game is starting to build up inside them.

"I reckon this will go to extra time and then a shoot out," Adam says suddenly breaking the silence.

"No way," Josh instantly responds, "There are goals in this game and I will be the one scoring them."

Adam can't help but laugh, A trash talking Josh is not the same Josh that has played the last few games of strip FIFA. The blonde still doesn't know if Josh is doing it to unnerve him or if he actually believes he can win. The game restarts and follows the same pattern as the first half, Josh's better players keep the ball while Adam tries to keep his defensive shape and look to win the ball then set up a counter attack.

The problem with Adam's strategy is that no matter how hard he tries to press the ball he just can't win it back off the more skillful Atletico players. Griezmann manages to get the ball on the edge of the area right in front of the Deportivo defence but his shot is weak and easily saved by Adam's keeper.

"You know what I'm starting to think you are right," Josh says as the match clock ticks down, "This match is going all the way to pens."

Adam nods but in the back of his mind he doesn't know if he can hold out for that long. 70 minutes of the match have gone and all Adam feels like he's been doing in the second half is defending in fact he can't even remember the last time he can possession of the ball in Josh's half of the pitch. Atletico slowly move the ball around once again eventually passing out to the left wing where Vietto uses his pace to beat two defenders then instead of crossing it he simply passes the ball into the area. Koke runs onto the pass taking one touch to set himself up before rifling a shot past the Deportivo keeper for the first goal.

"GET IN," Josh roars punching the air in delight.

Adam is disappointed but if he is honest with himself he knows the goal had been coming. There had been so much possession and pressure from Atletico that Adam knew he couldn't keep them out forever. A deep sigh comes from the blonde as he leans down grabbing the soles of his dark blue socks before peeling them off his feet.

"Hey that's cheating," Josh exclaims as Adam removes his socks only to be wearing another pair underneath them.

"What? I was wearing them cause it's getting cold outside," Adam says trying to defend himself, "I didn't know we would be playing strip FIFA today."

"It's still cheating," Josh replies, "You can't wear double socks to a strip FIFA game."

"I wasn't wearing double socks to cheat at strip FIFA," Adam answers back, "I was wearing double socks cause my feet get cold not because I'm trying to cheat."

Josh wants to argue more but the game has already restarted and Deportivo have the ball, "Fine keep your stupid socks on then cheater."

Adam laughs at how annoyed Josh sounds but for once Adam is telling the truth, he completely forgot he was wearing two pairs of socks until he started taking them off. It was almost worth it however just to see how worked up Josh got over it, Adam also wonders if that was a key blow in the mental battle. Josh's newly well trained skills at FIFA will suffer if he plays angry and to Adam's delight that is just what happens as Filipe Luis is booked for Atletico after a mistimed tackle.

Sensing the advantage has swung back to him Adam makes all three of his substitutions and looks to pile on the pressure to a frustrated and annoyed Josh. Now Adam is seeing more of the ball and forcing Josh to defend deep then when Adam tries to play a through ball behind Josh's centre back to his onrushing striker Josh panics and boots the ball out for a corner. Trying not to smirk or rub it in Adam lines up the corner and lifts it perfectly into the middle of the Atletico penalty area.

Rieva, Deportivo's centre back jumps up and meets the corner with a powerful header that forces the Atletico keeper to throw his body across goal to save it. He pushes the ball away with his gloves but much to Josh's horror the ball hits his defender in the back and rolls perfectly across a now unguarded goal where Cani for Deportivo has a simple tap it.

"YES GOAL," Adam shouts with delight but Josh is shaking his head.

Adam looks at the TV and groans as he sees the goal has been waved off for offside.

"No way I can't be offside," Adam moans, "It hit one of your players last."

Josh doesn't say anything instead choosing to wait for the replay which shows Cani just stepping past the last defender when Rieva heads the ball.

"Shit," Adam says punching his bed in frustration.

"Yeah that was unlucky," Josh sympathies, "I thought he was onside too."

There are now only 10 minutes left and Adam keeps pushing forward looking to get an equalizer as Josh hangs back looking to catch Deportivo on the break. Adam tries a long range thirty yard blaster but it flies harmlessly over the bar for a goal kick and now with the ball back Josh launches the goal kick up to the halfway line. Vietto picks the ball up and races away down the wing then before the Deportivo right back to can get to him the Madrid winger launches a deep cross into the area.

Torres jumps up for the header and knocks it backwards falling almost perfectly into the path of a onrushing Griezmann. Adam knows what is going happen before it does as one of the best strikers in Europe powerfully smashes the ball into the bottom left hand corner to give Atletico a 2 nil lead.

"Yes," Josh celebrates before turning quickly to Adam, "Those extra socks can't help you now."

Rolling his eyes Adam reaches down and peels off his small black socks leaving him barefoot. Adam is now running out of time to get back in the game as he tries to get the ball upfield but Josh's defence stands firm. In desperation Adam tries a long ball forward but Madrid easily cut it out and go straight on the counter attack. Koke races down the left with the ball as Adam desperately tries to get defenders back. to cover as Josh whips in a near post cross and it's Vietto who meets the ball with a diving header.

The Deportivo keeper stands firm pushing the header up and over the bar conceding the corner saving Adam another item of clothing. The game clock ticks down to the 89th minute as Josh swings in the corner but it is comfortably caught by the keeper. Thinking quickly Adam rolls the ball out of the keeper's hands and tries to break upfield. Neves is the furthest Porto player forward and he runs hard into the Atletico half collecting the ball just in front of an Atletico player.

Two defenders try and close him down but Adam knocks the ball in front of him and races through on goal. Adam outpaced the last defender and ignoring Josh's moan of despair tucks the ball underneath the keeper. He was almost ready to throw his controller down and give up on the whole match but now Adam finds himself only a goal down with the score now at 2 vs 1.

"Wish I'd thought to wear extra socks today," Josh complains pulling off his white athletic socks.

Both teenagers are now barefoot as the match goes into 3 minutes of added time. Josh kicks off and tries to play passing football in order to run the clock down while Adam's players race around trying to win a tackle. Adam finally makes a successful sliding tackle to win the ball but before he can launch an attack the final whistle goes.

"Shit," Adam says as the virtual Atletico players celebrate what turned out to be a hard fought victory.

"Yep practice makes perfect," Josh responds with a big grin on his face.

It's been a while since Josh actually won a strip FIFA match and he just takes a second to savior his victory. Adam is staring at the floor clearly deep in thought but Josh doesn't care.

"C'mon mate it's forfeit time," The tall winger proclaims still grinning.

"Is it really a nasty dare?" Adam asks as he slowly lifts his head.

Josh nods, "Oh yeah you will hate it but it will make me forget about those naked pictures and we can be even again."

Adam still feels slightly guilty for doing a forfeit that was something against his best friend's limits and a part of him almost feels Josh is justified in giving him a horrible forfeit.

"How about double or quits?" Adam offers suddenly.

"No fucking way," Josh replies, "I remember what happened last time."

"Fine erm how about best of three?" Adam offers again.

The blonde might have lost fair and square but the threat of a nasty forfeit has him clutching at straws. He might feel guilty about the naked pictures but he doesn't feel guilty enough to let Josh dare him something that even Josh thinks is nasty.

"Adam why when I won the match would I give you two more chances?" Josh asks curiously.

Pausing for a second Adam thinks hard wondering what he can offer to get Josh to agree to a rematch. Pressing the end match option Josh looks across and sees that his best friend is still thinking.

"Tell you what," Josh says breaking the silence, "If I win best of three then I get to do my forfeit three times."

Now Adam really is confused, what kind of forfeit can be done repeatedly?

"I dunno Josh I don't really wanna do any nasty dare once let alone three times," Adam says slowly.

"Well tough I won so either do the forfeit cause you lost or try and win two other matches and get out of doing it," Josh replies firmly.

Adam feels trapped, either option he takes doesn't sound good. He either takes one nasty dare or plays two more matches against a well trained FIFA 16 player and unless he can win both he will take 3 of the nasty unknown dare.

"Ok I'm in best of three games it is," Adam suddenly says deciding to take the risk that Josh can't beat him twice in one day.

"Brave choice," Josh replies grinning at the blonde.