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Dwight jolted awake. It was dark. The air was humid and he could feel his sweat sticking to his skin. His nightmare was still racing through his mind. He could see the failed trial even when he opened his eyes, staring at the ambient fire light flickering on the dark grass. Dwight could still feel the legs of the Entity curling around his body. Each gulp of air seemed to go straight through his lungs and his eyes blurred with tears. He wasn’t so much afraid of dying, but he was frightened by the look of dread, horror and disappointment in his teammates' eyes.He could hear David’s roaring yell ringing in his head as the burly man’s outstretched hand crumbled away with the last slivers of light. David’s eyes were set aflame with rage and fear. Dwight could still imagine the anxiety creasing Claudette’s brows and the teeth crushing her chapped lips. And for some reason, worst of all, was Jake’s seemingly expressionless eyes going wide before another glint of life was taken from them.His heart sank deeper than it ever had. Dwight’s heart pounded slowly but hard. Each beat felt harder than the last. He hated when he woke up like this… As if his heart would stop beating or burst at any moment. Quentin stirred nearby. His tired blue eyes looked sorry for him but he just turned over. Nea nudged his head from above him with her grubby skater shoes. “Shh.” She glared down at him. Dwight quickly clenched his vocal chords, he hadn’t noticed he was whimpering. Jake’s peaceful gaze watched Dwight sniffle through the flames of the eternal fire. Dwight is a messy crier, he thought. Part of him wanted to chuckle and another part of him wanted to help. Jake never thought of Dwight as weak, but the with way Dwight was constantly whimpering and crying… should he wear it, the boot would definitely fit. He heard Dwight inhale sharply, hold his breath, then let go a sigh. He wiped his tears and turned over, curling into fetal position. Jake’s eyes drifted for moment over the man’s body, thinking nothing in particular, before he, too, let himself drift back into sleep.-Jake was the first to wake up. He sat up, rubbing his face in his hands, looking down at the grime and oil left on his fingers. Jake wiped his hands off on his jacket and cleaned the dirt from beneath his nails. The eerie orange light of their constant sunset glinted off his nails. It only set at “night” and during trials. One by one, the others began to wake. Each off to take care of their own needs before the trial would begin that day. Sometimes there was more than one. The best they could all do was be prepared. Jake’s fingers began to dematerialize, and he felt that familiar calling. That despair, fear, and the hope to survive. The trial was beginning. Nea, Bill and Dwight were losing their physical form too, as the Entity plucked them from the ground.
-Jake’s consciousness came back as he was surrounded by tall grass and corn stalks. He could hear the distant revving of a chain saw. Dwight spawned close by, and Nea is trudging along in the distance. Bill is nowhere to be seen, but that man can handle his own just fine. Dwight begins to inch his way east. “Follow me, it’d be faster if we get started on the nearest gen together.” Jake shrugs following close behind. He can see the way Dwight’s hair curls upward once it reaches his neck, and the way sweat beads on his skin like glitter.-Dwight could hear Jake’s even breath over the clink and gentle whirr of the generator. “I’m always.. Surprised… at the way you’re able to keep calm at times like these.” Dwight said in between his own shallow breaths. He could feel his own heartbeat in his head. Often times he would confuse the terror radius with his own pounding heart. Jake said nothing, only shrugging again. The saboteur eyed the crows beginning to land about their parameter. Distracted, he caused the machine to cough, sending sparks flying. “Fuck…” Jake cursed, his hands were shaking slightly. He drew a deep breath and continued to work on the generator. But Nea’s shriek echoed from nearby, both men lifted their hands off the generator. Dwight made a vulnerable noise, something between a whimper and shudder. “I think he knows we’re close.. W-we should get moving.” Dwight lifted a dirty hand to his mouth, chewing on his nails. “Not with all these crows around, they’ll definitely give us away..” Jake sighed and muttered something under his breath. Dwight wiped his hands on his jeans and looked away, trying to focus on anything that will make their escape easier.“Well, you could definitely turn around… but I can’t say crows are very fond of me. We can try and maneuver through and around the corn stalks and hide against the shack. Then we’ll wait ‘til we can safely reach Nea and get her off that hook.” The leader offered over the nibbling of this fingernail. Jake thought it over and nodded quickly. He followed close behind Dwight’s careful creeping. They crept through the corn stalks to a small corner beside the bales of hay and a pallette. The crows followed. The leader gulped. This can’t be happening. Fuck the Entity, I can’t deal with this right now. His breathing became shallow again before Jake placed a firm hand on his shoulder.“Relax, Mr. Leader.” Jake scoffed. “Make yourself small for a second.” Dwight complied, shrinking between the hay and the chipping paint of the shack. The survivalist shielded him with his body, scarfed tickling the leader’s nose. Jake gestured the crows closer, pulling some sort of biscuit from his pocket. He could feel Dwight’s hot breath against his chest, and the trembling of the smaller man’s knees easing against his stomach. The crows hopped curiously, quietly toward Jake. He clicked his tongue, offering the crows crumbs of biscuit. They cooed, sounds Dwight had never heard from a crow before. He could hear Jake’s heartbeat, another sound he had never heard before. It was a gentle thumping, and his breaths were full but quiet. He smelled sweet, like a woodsy smell. I guess even woodland hermits use cologne… Dwight thought to himself. It was then Dwight began to understand how nervous animals could keep cool around Jake. His presence was overall.. Calming. Before long, his thoughts were interrupted by the pitter patter of satisfied crows leaving the scene. Jake stood, lifting himself off Dwight, who had no idea his ears had gone bright red. Jake remained seemingly composed as he peered down at Dwight still hugging his knees on the floor. Jake raised his brows in a way that said, “Well? Are we moving?”Dwight sputtered, flustered, quickly getting off the ground. “Right, Nea. Um, y-you can go ahead and try to finish what we started with the generator. I can feel Nea’s just a little ways North. I’ll catch up with you soon.” He said making his way over. He looked back saying, “Stay safe.. I- We! Need you.”
Before Jake could protest, Dwight was gone. The saboteur sighed, and turned to make his way back to the generator. He caught himself wondering how long it would be until he met up with his leader next….
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Trial after trial, bleeding out never gets old. It never stops hurting and it never stops attracting
killers. Dwight Fairfield is a bit of a crybaby and it’s a trait he’ll most likely never outgrow. He’s a nervous wreck and he can’t stay calm.
Dwight Fairfield was bleeding out. There was a wide gash across his side. He had hidden himself behind a tree. The mist was thick and the cold. The cold, wet grass soaked his clothes through, leaving the warm blood feeling even hotter in comparison. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he grasped the gash on his side tightly. Dwight’s lips were bitten raw. They were bloody and dry, and they could only barely contain his whining. He knew the Shape was quietly making his way through the Red Forest to finish the job. Dwight began racking his brain for options.He heard Myer’s terror radius approaching him, hitting the off beat of his own heart beat. Dwight held his breath, screwing his eyes shut as he heard the Shape’s gentle footsteps approaching his hiding spot. The pathetic sob Dwight was desperately trying to hold escaped his lips. Myers appeared from the shadows, his solemn, unsettling mask peering down at Dwight. The survivor shrieked. He backed away as best he could but Myers was advancing much faster.Right on time, David King came with the perfect diversion. “Come on then, you barmy bastard! Gave up chasin’ me to go after some poor scrawny git?” David could talk as big as he was big. “C’mere, Shapey.” He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, ready to catch a sprint.King’s childish taunts were enough for the Shape. He tilted his head curiously and slowly turned to face the Brit, before launching after the him.Myers was gone, but something else came bounding towards him. Before he could register what was happening, Jake Park slid his arms beneath his knees, scooping him up from the ground.. “Fuck.. Are you okay…? Let’s get you out of here.”Jake bolted, he ran as fast as he could for as long as he could with Dwight in his arms. He reached a clearing and back tracked quietly, making his way behind a boulder.
“I’m going to need you to keep as quiet as possible.” The saboteur said to a still whimpering Dwight. Dwight nodded quickly, as Jake gently tucked one of his gloves between his leader’s teeth. He gently pushed Dwight’s sweat matted hair off of his forehead and dried his tear soaked cheeks.“You’ll be okay… I’ll be back in a second; don’t move and don’t cause trouble.” Jake whispered before he crept away.Dwight laid back and did his best to relax. He was still breathing heavily, but the glove in his mouth was enough to help him keep quiet. It smelled lightly like Jake… It was almost sweet enough to distract him from the awful pain. The pain was still sharp even with the rush of adrenaline numbing it out. He was lost in thought. Dwight had never really seen Jake’s tender side. He was kind to animals, and never necessarily mean… Just.. kind of stoic. Jake’s sudden cold, bare hand slipping beneath his shirt made him jump out of his thoughts. He would have yelped if he hadn’t have the survivalist’s glove in his mouth.“The Entity’s rules don’t give us fire that burns… but if it knows about cauterization.. Maybe we have a chance here.” Jake was mostly mumbling to himself, but Dwight was already beyond apprehensive. His heartbeat had quickened and he felt a horrible pain in his stomach. Jake had stuck a flimsy wrench into one of the nearby fire pits. It was glowing a faint red. If the leader could talk through the glove in his mouth, he would have said, “Fuck. No.”Jake’s gentle, calloused hand pushed up his dress shirt. His gloved hand held onto the hot wrench. while his bare thumb rubbed soothing circles into his stomach.“Hold still, Dwight… It’ll be over soon.” Jake whispered kindly.Dwight’s breathing hitched. He hoped Jake wouldn’t notice the goosebumps rising on his skin. His ears were going hot, and if it were even possible, his pulse quickened further. Jake was so gentle and so sweet… Now is really not the time to catch feelings, Dwight. He swore to himself it must just be the adrenaline giving him a hard time. Without warning, the pain came. It wasn’t a burning, just a strange unbearable pain. Dwight tried to scream but there came no sound, and he was grateful. And grateful for the cloth in his mouth to bite down into. Jake carefully seared his wound closed in short bursts, so as not to overwhelm Dwight. Between each burst, the saboteur glanced down at his face. Jake caressed his stomach gingerly before continuing.When he was finished, he lightly poked at Dwight’s sealed wound, admiring his handiwork. Dwight huffed after it was over, thankfully conscious after the immense pain. The adrenaline was keeping him sane.“Thank you…” Dwight panted out, his forehead drenched in sweat. “I’m- we’re lucky to have you- on our team that is.” He chuckled nervously, trying the shake off the fact he just horribly tripped over his own words. His ears were still burning, and he could feel the rest of his face flushing, all the way down to his shoulders.“Mm…” Jake timidly pulled his scarf over his mouth and nodded in acknowledgment.
Was Jake blushing?
He grabbed hold of Dwight’s arm and pulled him up off the ground. Dwight readjusted his weight, making sure his dress shirt didn’t cling to his wound.“Alright.. we still have 3 generators to go…” Dwight’s voice was still straining slightly. The leader snuck carefully behind trees, grass and boulders, Jake trailing close behind.
-
Jake was fully confident in his own healing abilities. Infections weren’t even likely in the Entity’s realm, but every minute he spent following Dwight, was a minute he spent worrying. Every sniffle made him hold his breath. Is he crying? And every grunt or whimper made him wary.“Are you okay?”“Yes, I’m fine.”“Does it still hurt?”Jake hadn’t felt quite so bothersome in a long time, but he couldn’t stop feeling concerned. A strange, unfamiliar feeling stirred within his stomach. He felt the need to watch closely over Dwight. Maybe, it was his loyalty to the team? A need for a mutualistic relationship to survive? We need to work as a team -- I need you to survive so that I can survive. Isn’t that what the leader always said? If he looked after Dwight, Dwight would look after him. If Jake offered his skills, his teammate would offer his. And still… he couldn’t help but feel it was something more. Jake couldn’t ignore the light feeling in his chest when he had finished taking care Dwight’s wound. It was an intimacy that he wanted with the leader.Or maybe it was just something he had been deprived from for so long when he was living on his own in solitary.Within his own mind he justified that he was just lonely, and Dwight was too vulnerable and open, and once this trial was over everything would go back to the way it was.But his other teammates began to notice....Jake had his arm around Dwight’s shoulders, guiding the wounded leader as they both quietly made their way toward the exit gates.They heard slow footsteps in the grass nearby. Jake held tightly onto Dwight stopping them both. Dwight’s breathing was ragged and Jake could feel him trembling.“We should turn around..” Dwight whispered.“We’ll make too much noise.” Jake shook his head.Delicately, both men sidestepped behind the closest tree. The saboteur sunk to a crouch to look past the trunk. “If the footsteps get any closer… We’ll run.”“Different directions, righ-?” The leader’s voice was cut off by the snapping of a twig nearby.Jake pulled back behind the thick trunk. His hair was beginning to stick to his sweaty forehead. There was an unbearable tension between the potential killer and the two behind the tree.Jake turned to Dwight, who was shaking violently. “He isn’t coming any closer. I-I don’t think it’s The Shape..”A large, strong disembodied hand launched over from behind the tree, holding Dwight's mouth captive. Any noise Dwight tried to make was muffled quiet. Dwight scrambled to get the mysterious hand off.“Damn right it isn’t, Jesus.” A horribly familiar voice came. “You couple of tossers, stand there any longer and The Shape will get here for sure.”“Fuck off, David. You scared the fuck out of me.” Jake made a sound between a scoff and a sigh of relief.David released Dwight and wiped his hand off on his shirt. “I haven’t seen either of you all trial after I nearly got my arse chewed off by the Shape.”Jake stood slowly, wiping his sweaty forehead. “You okay?” He whispered, eyeing Dwight.The leader nodded, still rubbing at his mouth where David’s sweaty hand had been.“Ah, I see what it is.. You bastards are flirtin’, is that what it is?” David teased. He shook his head and clicked his tongue. Before Dwight could anxiously interject, he kept going. “In the middle of a trial? Have some respect, yeah? Take ‘im on a date first, Jakey, mate, come on… Right, Fairfield?”David finished his teasing with a nudge on Dwights shoulder. Jake rolled his eyes and shrugged it off, taking a deep sigh. He couldn’t quite shake off the heat in his cheeks. Dwight on the other hand was absolutely mortified. He was glowing red from his face to his neck.“A-anyway, considering we’ve got only one more generator left. We sh-should reunite with Bill, I think.” The leader sputtered, refusing to look up at either of the two. “Then we c-can, ah, open the gate.”“Sounds like a plan to me, bum boy.” David slapped Dwight’s back, winding the poor guy....Before long David was on the run again, playing a game of tag with Myers. Jake had his hand on the exit gate’s lever.Dwight chewed his nails nervously as the gate rose, and once it was completely open, he ushered everyone in. David soon came flying past him and the Shape not far behind.The trial was finally over, and both Jake and Dwight could only hope that David would let today stay in the red forest.
He wouldn’t.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Everyone was seated around the campfire. Jake sat a bit further away from everyone else, behind a tree. Nothing new. Dwight had gone off for a trial, including Feng, the new girl -- Kate -- and Meg. David had been no chattier than usual, but the excitement he was causing with everyone else was a cause for concern. Nea wasn’t even trying to get under his skin for once. Jake minded his own business though, leaning his head back against the rough bark of the tree and pulling grass from the soil.
He let his mind drift to thoughts of Dwight. Everything about him was kind of contradictory. He was particularly shy and afflicted with an ever persistent nervousness. Still, he was kind of outgoing with new survivors, showing them the ins and outs. Usually, he was the one to introduce himself (awkwardly) first. Dwight was a capable leader. At first, Jake didn’t really want anyone telling him what to do.
Jake left his civilian life to stop having to keep up images for parents that didn’t really care about him. He lived on his own because the last thing he wanted was to be told what to do. When you live in a cage, your aspirations always somehow involve escaping.
Things changed. He didn’t so much mind waiting for the next order and at times it was helpful to have someone to give the rest of the herd structure. Things were still changing, because somewhere along the line… He felt excited for the next time he'd hear Dwight’s voice.
Until Ace was heard groaning loudly, did Jake turn around.
“I fuckin’ told you! I’m serious!” David shouted.
“Agh!
Tomatela
, David!” Ace shoved David playfully. “You cheated, you must have known from the beginning!”
“No, come on! Don’t be a sore sport! You lost the bet; Accept it.”
“If you only told me I could have won myself a little something..” Tapp added.
Something fishy was going on and Jake didn’t like where he thought it was going. He inched a little closer. Quentin was trying his hardest not to laugh. But even with his hand over his mouth, he quietly laughed through his nose.
“Well, I, for one, saw it coming. There’s no way either of those boys were just friends.” Nea said between chuckles.
“Oh my God
, I can’t believe you just said that..” Laurie nudged Nea playfully. Even Bill let out a quiet chuckle.
“Come on, guys…” Claudette made an attempt at chastising the group, but her voice was barely heard.
Jake stood slowly, his ears burning. His fists clenched and sweating.
Fuck… This “day” is gonna be a fun one…
“What the
fuck
are you guys going on about?” Jake growled through gritted teeth. He knew exactly what was going on… but if they really thought they could get away with playing games while he was right fucking there, they were wrong.
“Awe, Jakey… Are your feelin’s hurt, mate?” David leered at Jake. His lips pulled into a smirk, stretching a scabbing cut he earned himself some trials ago. "Don't worry, we won't tell Fairfield about your crush! Secret's safe, I promise."
“Hurt feelings, huh?” Jake scoffed. “Trying to start a fight, King? I’m perfectly able to hear, you dimwit.”
David quirked a brow and crossed his arms. “Ohoh? It was just a bit of fun, mate.” His scoff was met with Jake clenching his jaw and fists. He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it into Ace’s lap. “… Or maybe you’re just that dead set on defendin’ him, huh? Let’s have it your way then. You sure you want to do this, lumberjack?”
Three hard thuds were heard behind them. The entity’s talons retreated into the sky leaving Dwight, Feng, and Kate. Dwight seemed incredibly flustered. His ears were red and he was huffing. Feng had a displeased look and Kate was in tears.
“Are you serious?” Dwight growled, getting up off the ground. He dusted himself off. His face was twisted into an uncharacteristic frown.
“Look, if you wanted the new girl to have a good time, you should have paired her with someone else.” Feng began to argue, sitting up on the ground. Dwight wasn’t having it.
“A good time?” Dwight scoffed, scrunching his face in disbelief. “Y-you think this is about having a "good time"? We failed miserably out there and all you needed to do was help the team a little.”
“You know I work alone, Fairfield. Don't rely on me to pick up after you.” Feng spat.
Claudette took Kate closer to the campfire to tend to her wounds, and comfort her. Tapp was always pretty good at comforting others. He placed a hand on her shoulder and assured her that everything was fine. Meg shook her head and made her way over to Nea, sitting down, and leaning her head against her girlfriend’s shoulder.
“It’s one thing to work alone. It’s another to make problems and then not even bother to unhook people!” Dwight was yelling now. It was rare to see him like this. It was one of the rare times he didn’t stutter. Jake’s voice was caught in his throat. Dwight’s aggressive side was… almost charming, not that Jake didn’t take him seriously. When Dwight turned to look at the scene happening earlier, Jake realized they were really in for it now.
Jake’s position was still defensive, as was David’s. And his jacket was folded haphazardly beside Ace.
Dwight's disappointed frown became a scowl. His eyes squinted as he figured out what was going on.
“Ah, easy there pal. There was no scrap ‘ere! Just a little game is all.” David raised his arms defensively. Jake scoffed and rolled his eyes.
The least you could do is own up to it, beefcake.
Jake thought to himself, crossing his arms.
“Ugh..! I’m going for a walk.” Dwight loosened his tie with his finger and stormed away.
Jake glared at David who shrugged awkwardly. The air was tense, but the rest of the group around the campfire started to shake it off. “Ah, okay who wants to see a card trick…” Ace offered.
Jake followed after Dwight, quietly, but not secretly.
-
Dwight made his way through the woods, knowing eventually it would loop back to the campfire. He could hear Jake following behind him. Although he appreciated the company, it made it more difficult to mutter out loud when someone would hear you rambling like a mad man.
“I’m, I’m sorry you had to hear that.” Dwight scratched his head. “Well, see that too.” His voice was still low and he was still irritated. He sighed and rubbed his arm.
“It’s fine.” Jake replied. “I… Wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
Jake’s steps are so quiet.
He thought to himself. Dwight rubbed his chest where the hook had gone through with the heel of his palm. His rubbing was slightly frantic, but maybe not frantic enough for anyone else to notice. He could still feel the sharp pain of the hook impaling his shoulder.
“I just want everyone to.. Work together. I don’t want to keep dying like this.” Dwight whispered. “It used to be… I wanted to die everyday. I wanted to die back then, before all of this, but at least then, to an extent, I had more control of my life. Hindsight is always 20/20 but I.. could have- should have done more.” Dwight drew a shaky breath, and stopped. He leaned against the closest tree and closed his eyes.
Now that Jake could get a look at his face, he had suddenly become hyper aware of tears in his eyes. They weren’t sad tears, but angry ones. Tears of frustration. He blinked them away, groaning at the realization. Jake raised his eyebrows subtly. His expression was sympathetic but curious.
He’s so pretty.
Dwight felt a strange lump in his throat.
What the fuck… Even now, I-
“And now…?” The saboteur asked, cutting his thought short.
“I-I still find you-”
Beautiful.
Dwight’s head spun a little. “Wait. Wh-what? Sorry. What were you asking?” Dwight almost forgot he was upset. Almost.
“I meant, right now, do you still… want to die and stay dead?” Jake continued.
“Now… I almost hate that I feel better knowing I lived another day. I hate that kind of control the Entity has over me. And that this hope isn’t even for me. It’s for the Entity in the end. I want to survive… and I want everyone else to survive too.” Dwight turned his gaze to the ground, pushing the dirt and gravel around with the tip of his shoe.
Jake nodded. He placed his hand on Dwight’s shoulder. The dull ache of the hook was engulfed by softness and warmth of Jake’s glove.
“It’s not your job to keep everyone safe and everyone alive.” Jake said quietly. He leaned downward to compensate for Dwight’s slouch. “That’s a lot of responsibility for one man, you know.”
The leader gulped audibly.
Shit, he’s too close…
His ears began burning up.
“I, uh, th-that’s really sweet of you to say.” Dwight stammered.
Hoo boy... I’m starting to sweat. Is it getting hot in here?
His gaze flitted from Jake to the ground, side to side, anywhere. His heart rate was going wild. The angry pang was replaced with a light, fluttering anticipation. Dwight’s eyes closed tightly.
“Dwight?” Jake’s voice was low but gentle.
“H-huh?” Dwight carefully opened his eyes, slowly. Jake was really close now. He could feel the saboteurs breath on his lips. Dwight held his breath not even believing how close Jake really was, and the strange feeling all over. He really… enjoyed this closeness.
Jake raised his hand to his hair. He could feel those kind fingers brushing through tufts.
“Did you notice you had pine needles in your hair all this time?” Jake asked completely nonchalant. His expression was blank as he dropped the bit of needles to the ground. Dwight stammered and sputtered trying to register what just happened. He felt his face heat up further.
Ah shit.. Was I really losing it over a little closeness?
“W-wait a minute… what was your fight with David about?” The leader pushed Jake off of him. Finally, he could catch that breath he was holding.
“Uhh..” Jake scratched the back of his neck, looking away nervously.
Dwight squinted at him. “Hm?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I’d rather not bring it up.” Jake peeled his gloves off, shoving them in his pocket. He rubbed his dry hands together, awkwardly. Dwight could hear the crack of his knuckles as he stretched his arms.
“I mean, you don’t have to tell me why you and David had that little spat… Just try not to let it happen again.” Dwight felt a little embarrassed for asking, already missing the closeness between them.
“Mm.. I won’t.” The saboteur shook his head with his hands in his pockets. “Let’s make our way back.”
Dwight nodded sheepishly.
As they made their way back they each felt a twinge in their chests. Both a bit embarrassed and both wanting to be together.
“Ah, actually…” Jake started.
“Hm?”
“Me and David.. He thinks, well, that you and I- That we’re an item or something?” Jake scoffed and shook his head. “Crazy, right?”
Dwight burst into a fit of coughing, laughing way too loud. Way too nervously. “Aha- yeah. Hoo… Crazy!” He cleared his throat.
Neither of them could quite look at each other after that.
The real question is… Do I want us to be an item?
Dwight nibbled at his nails, trailing a bit behind Jake.
Or more importantly… Does Jake wanna be with me?
--------
They arrived back at the campfire. The rest of the group was cracking jokes, or napping. Off to the side, Quentin and Laurie had nodded off against a tree. Dwight noticed Jake crack a smile. It was charming.
“Teens need their rest huh?” Jake murmured.
“Ayyye, my boys!” David stood suddenly, arms outstretched. “Welcome back.”
Jake seemed to wince at King’s enthusiasm. Dwight just smiled sheepishly, rubbing his neck. The saboteur took a seat not far from Quentin and Laurie, and closed his eyes. Dwight took his own seat by the campfire. He couldn’t help but stare at Jake, thinking about the conversation just a bit before.
Crazy, right?
He screwed his eyes shut, biting at his nails. David scooted over by Dwight.
“He told you?” David whispered.
“Hm...
You like him don’t ya?” David asked, gently.
“I uh…” Dwight’s face went bright red, his ears burning.
“Say no more, mate. I gotcha.” David put his arm around the leader. “So? You want pointers?”
“Pointers?” He looked up, surprised. He withdrew his fingers from his mouth.
“Sure. I’ve wooed a quite a few back at home.” He flashed a toothy grin.
David had a plan.