Chapter 1: REQUEST HERE FELLAS!!!
Chapter Text
so, you clicked..... scroll past to mymymym uh does n' don'ts IFFF you dont want 2 hear me talk ON and ON not rlly but i have no idea how long its gonna be
ok yeah sick, so these r actually my first published fics! how exciting!! im sure i wont look back at this in a years time, curl up into myself and DIE
you'll have 2 forgive me if im a tad slow , i tend to ramble a ton with scenes to the point where i get stuck in one part, and have to go back and trim some of the fat off
but yeah!!
(´◡`)
Fandoms!!
-Regretevator
-Forsaken
-TSP
wud put rainworld in here, but not thru the game yet- keep getting mauled by those fuckass spiders
what i'll write:
-nfsw !! c'mon freaks, gather round.
-heavy gore/ violence
-fluff, angst all of the sort
_ im gonna put a VERY heavy emphasis on this but NON-GLORFIED rape, and only in backstories. shit makes me uncomfortable asf
_ long/ short fics!!
-anythin' not listed below
what i won't write:
- straight up rape BOOOO
- pedo shit + aged up
- incest
so... assuming u got down here, hers how 2 request stuff!! from me!!!!
Characters- [ Go wild!! List any lil headcanons you wanna put here 2- the more the better! ]
Genre- { angst/fluff/hurt, the list goes on,,, ]
Plot- [ be specific!! as i've said before, the more you put in here, the more likely it is for me to churn something out that you'll enjoy ! ]
andd last but no least, if u want, just tag any extras on the bottom!!
task list for me-
gettt to work sucka
ignore the names for these im just tryna rememberwhich is which
....
shed n' chance sick fic -done!!
elliot and chance drakobloxxerellie - in progress
taph + 1x - yet 2 start
noob + guest1337 - yet 2 start
mafia gang + itrapped and chance - two probably round 2500 word fics smashed 2gther- yet 2 start
skaterligbt!!!!!! - yet t start
Chapter 2: N.1 : Shedletsky/Chance [ Sickness.. ]
Notes:
mroww ᓚᘏᗢ i didn't give up at the end what r u talkin abt.......... sybua..................... just wanted to get it out before i hit SIX days on one fic
TS DONEOHHH my god you have no idea how long ts took me locked in tho and did half the fic one day
we, yes WE, ALL love non binary bitches
please dont ask me how they were playin blackjack without a dealer i don't know vro 3
thx for readin all the way thru!!! presumably!!
can you tell i dont like writing dialogue 3
quickkk note but chances weakness in this fic is moreso due to him being distracted by bad luk,, sorta like how in undertale monsters take more damage when distracted!! + all the survivors sleep in in the like main lobby area? y know, the cabin?
probably only gonna be the case in this chap, purely for convivence
my space bar kept... breaking??? during dis, not rlly sure if its a site bug or my laptops giving up on me
probably both to be fair
when shed says matt, hes talkin bout funny pumpkin fella i cant spell his name n' i cant be borthered to search it up
PLEASEE give me lik,, any sorta criticism or say what u liked!! always looking to improve!!!!
plus im pretty sure theres at LEAST a couple of grammar/tense mistakes shoved smwhere in here, feel free 2 do my job for me and correct em in the comments┗|｀O′|┛ <- look at this lil guy..... working so hard 2 keep all dis text up!!
dont tell em bout the tws down here
mild.. gore?? i wouldn't rlly count it as its pretty vauge-ish but stay safe gnghad to upload dis on my hotspot cause my wifi hates me 3:
Chapter Text
Tattered cards, curled up around the edges and stained black with the bitter coffee everyone seemed to chug down so desperately that'd seen what must've seemed like years of use sat scattered across the plush sofa. Two little piles sat adjacent to each other, a sad little stack of wilting paper lit up by the endless night bathing the cabin.
With those piles- were two figures leant over staring down at the cards with they hadn't have a single care in the world. Fingers were crossed, eyes squinted.
Blackjack had always been a wonderful distraction from the feelings of tearing muscles and splintering bones from the rounds for both Shedletsky, all brown curls and smiles, and Chance who'd somehow won five times in a row- objectively the most stable of the lot. Noob, the person who was supposed to be the dealer for both of them had fallen asleep curled up next to the roaring fireplace hours ago, leaving both to have to continue without them.
But- all good in Chances book. More fun for him!
Soft jazz, soothing but somehow unnerving all the same emitted from some damp, mildew infested corner, floating up. Unfortunately it had done little to drown out the triumphant, far too loud cheers of Chance, pulling out just what he needed from the pack- a two to his nineteen. Assss easy as that- yeah, their luck was still going strong even through the little games- not a single instance of his brains becoming floor decorations in the past- what, week...?
...
Time.. was strange here. Heh- he couldn't even remember what they ate last night! Though, all things considered, it was probably cold, almost unbearably greasy leftover pizza. Or.. well... drumsticks! The fridge was stocked full of the little crispy bits of tenderness, he didn't even *know* how Shed managed to get his greedy hands on so many of them.
But, still. Their were certainly other things they could remember. And remember he certainly did.
Yeah, he lost, sorely. Again.
Shedletsky discarded the crumpled cards, a disappointed huff leaving his pursed, cracked lips.
Despite his many, almost impressive loses to the guy who wore their sunglasses inside- ( Really, how could he even tell he'd won? The little shack was dark enough as is, fire somehow dampened by the general misery of its residents.) he couldn't help but find a little humour in it all. Hell, if the fella kept this luck up, maybe they'd actually hit a shot!
But, he glanced aside from the failure- consequently looking at Chance instead for a brief, almost imperceptible moment.
Chances hands, smooth grey stained in black patches shook at his stomach, the game momentarily forgotten . That wasn't the only thing though- 'cause yeah, he was still grinning ear to ear like some maniac but his eyes seemed distant. Or, what he could make out of the squinty things, anyways.
..eh, he'll ignore it. Everyone in this godforsaken place got like that sometimes. Probably a side effect of dying, over and over, but hell, what did he know?
"..hah. Lucky bastard, can't hurt to let me win once in a while."
Sticking an elbow out, knocking Chance's hand away he gave him a small playful nudge to the ribs- hopefully to bring the guy back into the world of the living. Retracting back, he casually slung an hefty arm around their shoulders, gathering up the remaining cards with his left, sorting them back into a neat pile with practiced ease.
" Whadda say about another game bud? Trust me on this one, I'm winnin' this time round! "
Maybe any other time, Chance would've snapped that offer up in a heartbeat. But no, their mind was occupied with a certain other fellow with a sword.
"Y' know, maybe another time man. Being this good gets superrr tirin'."
They shot up off the couch like it had burnt him, leaving Shedletsky's arm limp at where he'd was sat, glancing down at their non-existent watch. Well, anyhow they didn't need a clock to tell that everyone else was already asleep sprawled leisurely across the few soft surfaces. The docks beckoned out, and before he knew it he found himself lingering near the rotting wooden doorway, hand already twisting the rusting handle open.
Some fresh air would probably cheer him up. Or not, but Noob laid resting on the floor reminded him just a tad too much of a old pal of his. Well, not "pal" but-
The freezing blast of air hit him like a sword to the gut, sending shudders down their spine. Definitely chilly, but hey! What's the worst that could happen? He couldn't exactly freeze to death. They gritted their teeth protecting their locs with his hand, calling back behind him to where they assumed the guy was still laid.
"Headin' to the docks, you'd better..."
Chance gestured to the slumbering survivors strewed around the space with a swoop of his hand, one leg already stuck halfway out the door, wind wildly whipping at the stiff fabric of his suit tight to him, sunglasses slipping ever so slowly down the bridge of his nose, revealing pair of bloodshot, watery eyes.
The door promptly slammed shut before Shedletsky could utter a word in reply. Through the fogged windows, a vague human blur headed towards the wooden platform jutted outwards into the lake. Water lapped at the side from a distance, threatening to soak anyone who dared to come close.
"Yeah.. guess you're right. Gotta get my beauty sleep!"
Forcibly tearing his eyes from the window, he settled
Wet mud spattered their boots mixing with with the crimson spots of blood, crickets chirping their nightly chorus that seemed to stalk him wherever he went. Dirt faded into wood, planks creaking underneath as he swung his legs back over the edge. Sure, the bottom of his trousers were soaked with the filthy water, only to be dried by frigid wind, chilling him to his very core.
Maybe it'd would've been a better idea to stay inside- but still, he'd never been good when it came to smart decisions, huh?
Maybe if they'd been a little more careful he wouldn't have ended up in this hell. Maybe if they'd hadn't been so gullible he'd still be happily strolling around without a worry in the world.
Maybe, maybe, maybe. The word swirled around his head, mocking and all other types of cruel.
But no, it was far too late for that. But, at least he got a cool scar slashed across his stomach!
..The he thought about it, the more the luster of having a permeant reminder of betrayal began to fade. Goddamnit. Another semi-good thing ruined by his own mind.
By the time he was done staring out at the moons reflection dancing across the waters surface, frost had begun to set in. It glittered golden and silver in both the light flickering from torchlights, and from the celestial object hung hopelessly high above them as they god back up onto his feet. The cold had somehow gotten far worse, hungrily biting away at his prickled skin.
Opening his mouth, stretching out his jaw to yawn as exhaustion caught up to him- he sneezed. Loudly, too, sending a nearby rabbit scampering off back into the forest. Eyeing it as it disappeared into a bush, hat sat askew on his head, they righted themselves back up. Yikes, what was that all about?
Ah well, s' not like-
Doubling over, another violent sneeze ricocheted through his body, sending him stumbling headfirst right into the tree.
Fingers grasping as the rough bark trying to regain, he wiped at his dripping nose, thick phlegm coating the back of his throat .
Eugh. Gross. Spitting up the snot onto the forest's floor , he stumbled back towards the cabin only a little disoriented, something pounding against his skull. How long had he been out there for..? Truly, it'd only felt like ten minutes but..
Ehh, whatever. It'd pass over in the mornin', and he'll be right as rain! Or- well, preferably sunshine but he guessed he could settle for a little drizzle. Hey, what were they thinkin' bout again? Oh righttt, sleep!
The door creaked open, Chance slipping through the crack. His grin, strangely enough only got wider with the sudden affliction they'd been afflicted with, while they settled on the edge of the sofa.
Shedletsky had long since fallen asleep, cheek pressed up against the cushions as he hogged most of the couch. The cards were scattered across the table- (Had the guy been playin' with himself while they'd been outside moping? Was that even possible..?) - with a leftover bone from a chickens leg, crumbs clinging onto it. Somehow, that grossed him out even more than the snot actively running down his nose. It did block out the smell of smoke that tended to linger, but he'd almost prefer that to having to constantly wipe at his nose every few minutes
Though, the mess on the table didn't concern him too much, despite his dramatics. Nope, it was how loudly the guy was snoring. Maybe it'd was just them- cause Shed always snored like a fucking beast but it seemed especially bad tonight, only amplified by the dull ache behind his eyes that only seemed to get worse by the second
He wasn't heartless though, they couldn't just reach out and shake the guy awake to shut him up.
That did only leave 'em with one other choice- to suck it up and sleep. It was- whatever, they'd slept through worse before. He hopped slowly onto the, kicking his feet up onto the table, arms thrown back behind his head. If he was lucky- of course he was -he'd get a few hours of sleep in, before-!
Well, it seemed he had actually managed to pass out sometime last night, but the dewy grass curling underneath him was far from what they'd expected to wake up to. Hell, the couch, even with all its loose springs and little "quirks" (Namely, having a habit of straight up collapsing underneath him whenever he did try to sleep- it wasn't even bad luck as this point, that thing genuinely had a straight up vendetta against him) was more desirable than breaking his back out.. well-
Prying his eyes open, the blinding lights making them water he slowly got back up onto his feet- knocking against something metal. laid beside him. Barely able to make out the shape of it, moreso just looking like a shiny blob of grey, he scooped it up into his hand, running his hand over it. His head felt sluggish- full of cotton muffling out any sort of coherent thought.
The handle felt familiar underneath his fingertips, cold and soothing to the touch- His... gun?
..weren't they only so graciously granted this rounds by... whoever forced them into these little games. Strange, but they weren't complai-
A pained scream pierced his ears, sending him stumbling back into a beige wall, grasping for some sort of leverage to keep him up. Legs feeling like jelly, he peeked around a corner squinting out.
The brutal sound of claws ripping through wet flesh, accomplice by a feral roar. Well, that certainly answered his question, just a tad bit more violently than they would've liked.
Staggering out into the open with their feet dragging in the dirt, they peered out from behind the "safety", or however safe you realistically could be after hearing someone get ripped apart- and by the pooling of blood in the distance, witnessing it too. Maybe the fact that they couldn't see more than a few metres actually worked out in his favour!
Ignoring the fresh smell of iron festering somewhere to their right, his hand tugged into his pocket, grasping for the familiar gold coin he'd kept for so many years, flipping it up into the air-
The hill stood high up and imposing over the rest of the map, out of reach of anything and everything that wanted to kill/maim/or just... be a nuisance. No wonder it was such a popular spot! Well, when everyone was alive at least.
Lil' old John - Shedletsky distinctly remembered the him as the sweet intern from lower headquarters who brought steaming coffee and a fresh pile of reports every morning.
..Well, not so sweet anymore, considering Matt's head had just been crushed to a pulp underneath Does code infested claws, flames spluttering out. Poor guy. Poor him, for being next on the chopping block- everyone else had already kicked the bucket long before. He'd been running around like a absolute madman, swinging but yet, never actually connecting with anything.
People had been dropping like flies left and right all around, far quicker than usual. Sure- it could have been because he'd hit nothing but air, but chance hadn't reared his ugly head anywhere the whole round. Maybe they'd just- ah, who was he kidding. He'd probably just been hiding behind in the corner somewhere- or died out of view.
..for some reason, that thought twisted something in his gut, and leading him to have to wrestle down the urge to check up on him, once he inevitably perished, and "respawned", or whatever that lunatic called it.
No healers left- and its not exactly like 007n7 could throw a punch hard enough to stop the fella from brutally mauling them all. Hey, everybody lost sometimes, right?
His train of thought was rudely interrupted by a column of pitch black spikes ripping the ground open, inches way from turning him into a kebab.
The wall blocked off the drop-off, not like he exactly enjoyed the feeling of almost breaking his legs into two , but it was still the only place he could've gone to try and prolong his fate for justt a little longer.
The sound of the large, deformed arm Doe slung around with him grated against the steps up the mountain, scraping at the packed dirt. The handle of the sword seemed to brand into his skin, burning hotter in his sweaty palms while he braced for impact.
"..Hey there.. bud! Nice seein' you're still.. uh.. smiling..! Y'know, all this? Not really necessary, I know you worried bout your old pal and all but-"
Gesturing to the row of spikes lining the ground below him, grin never fading, he got closer- and closer, and closer to the edge of the small cliff. He'd- he'd just have to get a quick hit of his own in, before Doe got his and pray to whatever God was listening for those spikes to sink back to where they came from.
Before Doe could even cock his head in confusion at what to him, seemed like a garbled mockery of speech, he lunged forward, sword coming down.
The sword passed through like butter, meeting no resistance whatsoever, and he could've sowrn he heard a hacking cough- though, strangely enough moreso located further dowm. Huh, that was- a whole lot easier than he'd expected, considering that'd been his first hit of the the ga... ah.
A single glance up would've been enough to make a lesser man shudder- the sudden realisation setting in on why it'd gone through whatsoever. That's right- you guessed it!
The sword had hit absolutely jackshit, the empty space where his sword clattered the ground as expected as it was disappointing. Ah well. Hey, maybe if he threw himself onto the spikes, he'd die quicker than bleeding out. Worth a shot!
Huffing and puffing, Chance had ran as fast as his unusually heavy legs drag him over the mangled husks of their lifeless friends (Hey, he was sound asleep! What, did ya want 'em to , flipping the coin clumsily in his right hand as he clutched onto the gun with the other. The tell-tale signs of where the killer had found the next poor soul- a cluster of towering spikes blocking off escape routes, instead now just leading to a rather claustrophobic end.
But hey! They were stocked fulla gunpowder- an entire games worth to be exact! He couldn't mess this up, surely!
By the time they'd manage to haul themselves over to where he could vaguely make out the shape of John's hunchback, bloody exposed spine with flesh clinging on for dear life, he was already completely out of breath, head pounding as he turned to face the ground again. The world began to darken as blood rushed back into his head. Even the coin in their hand seemed to flip slower, as he trudged up the uneven steps with all the urgency they could scrounge up. Which was- not a whole lot.
Against all odds, they did manage to get up to the top! And= the easiest shot of their life was right there- John was stood still staring at something glinting at the grou.. Oh, hey! Shed was there! Looking pretty defeated, but hey, fair enough considering.. well, they didn't even want to think about the distinctly red smudges down below.
A sudden jolt of pain ricocheted around his skull, hissing between his teeth as he stumbled forward. Looked like they wern't going to be given the chance to think. Not painlessly, at least, but the jolt of movement seemed to go unnoticed thank god.
"..alright. C'mon Chance- just pull the trigger n' look super cool! Yeah!! "
Their voice went silent, presumably to keep the other two from noticing his presence. Plus, he was pretty sure he looked like he'd just been rolling around on the ground- what they could only assume what they were doing will fully knocked out for a good couple minutes into the game. He had.. well, "appearances" to keep up, even in what was practically a glorified torture chamber!
Especially 'round-
While they'd been monologing with himself, Shedletsky was one more swipe away from turning into a gory mess. he claws had already torn his shirt, blood splattering down it to the floor. The crappy sword the scpetre had given him as a replacement was pretty clearly not built to withstand much more than some basic swinging now and again - or maybe Doe was just that heavy. Either way- seemed like it was the end of him, only Doe and Chance to witness his miserable failure
...wait, what? Chance was stood just behind Doe, looking quite frankly like he'd been tossed around. Dirt muddied his suit, he cheeks flushed a harsh red and sunglasses still slipping down his nose. They were clutching far tighter on the gun than actually necessary, nose scrunched uplike they were holding something back.
"...you.. alright there? "
Doe's head twitched, whatever humanity that remained within him sensing the presence behind. He turned, his neck twisting far further than it had any right to just for-
A BANG went off, the acrid smell of gunpowder sizzling filled the air, sharp and unpleasant while smoke twirled around Chances wrists like a snake. The smoke assaulted his nose, making them produce a rather pathetic sounding sneeze that had more in common with a squeak. Eyes burning up as he waved the cloud away, shoulders doubling up as he coughed, smoke parching his throat dry.
Shedletsky fell to the floor- it managed to catch him off guard, extra gunpowder not exactly stifling the sound. Maybe, just maybe they'd actually survi-!
Head turned up, fully expecting to see John writhing with a hole clean through his head, hopefully enough time to buy him a few more precious seconds to run off to a other side to the map.
..Instead, all be got was a searing burning in his gut as Doe's claws dug in, and a very apologetic looking Chance just behind, bullet missing by miles, hitting the glass house so far, you couldn't even hear the windows shatter. That was.. well, not to sugar coat it but probably not one of their proudest moments. Really, how hard was it to-
Shed didn't even get the opportunity to finish that thought, vision abruptly blacking out into nothing, then all of the sudden everything.
Back in the cabin, his gashing wounds now dissipated only leaving scarred skin, running a hand over it. There was no doubt that Chance would soon follow- from what little he did get to see, the fact that he looked like he might they might keel over at any moment didn't give him much hope for his survival.
Sure enough, moments later a chime indicated their demise as they reformed right onto the couch, spluttering and hacking like a chain smoker. The world around him swirled, twisting and turning. Bile rose in the back of his throat, sending them jerking back up onto their feet. The cabin was empty as far as he could see, the others already seeming to pile outside. A little bit of fresh air- seemed like they'd gotten the same idea he had last night. Not a good one, by any means seeing as he couldn't for the life of him think straight.
All the better for him, honestly all things considered. Hey, they got the entire couch to themselves for once! And, it was.. qui-
"What was that?"
Shoulders tensed, he craned his head to get a view of who'd just spoken. Ooo.. yeah. Shed. Well, it wasn't like he'd missed on purpose! It was just- a misjudgement of sorts. They could've sworn Doe was rushing at them at full charge- so he adjusted! And, just so happened to.. miss. They should've been glad that it hadn't blown up in their face, but missing was somehow even more humiliating
It did turn out just to be their head messing around, a trick of the light if you will.
"..dunno what yer talkin' bout, man. You.. uh... imagining thinnn..ngss...? "
*Their words slowly began to garble together, tongue thick and useless in his mouth as he stifled another sneeze. A sudden wave of cold sweat overcame them, drenching their forehead in the stuff. The cabin was always a little chilly, as a side-effect of the holes nobody could be bothered to patch, but this was different. Very different.
Chance's scrambled speech didn't evade Shedletsky's attention. Yeah, it was concerning enough every time they spoke sounded like a dying grandma's final breathes, or how their eyes beneath the sunglasses seemed to be glassy and unfocused, squinting at the lightbulbs warm light- the what worried him the most was how he missed back there , miles away from hitting the actual target.
Course, they missed sometimes. Everyone had bad days, but they'd practically shot in the opposite direction.
"..You...ok? Haven't talked to you since you ran off out there-"
"Yyyuupp! I'm just fine! Never been better, really!"
...
He hadn't believed him.
Well, who would've, really? The heat radiating off him was palpable, radiating from their crumpled body like a broken radiator with no ability to self regulate. Sweat poured freely down his hallowed face, overheating under the stacks of blankets he'd had stolen from corners round the house. But- if they dared to peel even one off, the cold would quickly set into his wobbly bones
They "tried" to protest- not really, but enough for it to seem convincing as they curled up onto the couch. Strangely enough, it was actually pretty cozy!
Shed had fucked off to somewhere in the cabin though he couldn't see what he was up to, they honestly couldn't keep their head up long enough without it screaming at them to drop back into the safety of the cushions, mumbling about how they needed to "Stay still and warm up" and .. something about soup?
How would one even.. go about doing that? He supposed there were tinned tomato's, though Elliot probably wouldn't take kindly to the theft.
Shoving their head into the blanket, pulling it down to pool at his lap he closed his eyes for just a second. The allure of sleep called out to him, and sure enough their eyes began to feel heavy as if weights were pulling down on them. A nap would be nice- anything to forget how the back of their throat burnt , parched of water- or any kind of mostiure. He rasped out, lungs whistling grotesquely into there Shed had slipped away to.
Hopefully- he could actually hear them, even they could hear how uncharacteristically feeble he sounded, calling out helplessly
"...heeyyy.... buddy. Pal. Fella! You- done back there?"
No answer. Chance knew Shedletsky was kicking around there somewhere- the clanking of metal pots and wooden spoons together giving him away.
..alright, that was concerning. Chance didn't exactly enjoy the thought of shovelling down the cooking of a man who'd more likely than not even touched a utensil in the last decade. And, that was being generous.
If he hooked their fingernails onto the loose strands of the couch, he could just abouts pull himself up in to a sitting position, glancing at the shadowed doorway. The flickering lightbulb danced on the metal of the handle, in considerably better condition to the one outside. It was tempting to drag his too-hot body there, to see if Shed was actually there. Though, he didn't know which was worse-being ignored or him having disappeared off with the others. Couldn't blame him- he wasn't exactly the pinnacle of cleanliness at the moment
A few shaky steps later, they found himself half turning the knob once again. And, soon enough, he discovered that he'd much rather be sweating his tits off than freezing to death. Tt was somehow even worse than the cold from last night- least then he didn't have a million other things wrong. Palming the knob, he tried to twist- somehow failing that moronically. Their fingers slipped clean off- a sudden spell of dizziness struck down onto him, a sense of queasiness blooming from somewhere within him.
The door didn't remain tightly shut - agonizingly creaking open inch by inch until Shedletsky got a full view of Chance doubled other trying their darndest not to retch up their guts onto the floor. One hand, was a bowl of something that could only be described as red, the other a hot water bottle filled up to the very brim with scalding liquid, cased safely away in plastic.
"Ooo- ah. You.. er.. yeah. Dunno why you thought it was a good idea to get up, 'specially like that."
Shedletsky tucked the hot water bottle underneath his arm, preciously balancing the bowl on just a few fingers, his now free hand curling around Chances upper arm. The suits fabric felt stiff under his fingertips as he dragged him back to where they'd came, dumping Chance down onto it.
Setting the bowl down with ironically more care he'd down for the actual human- because he'd be damned if he spent his time scrubbing tomato out the floorboards- collapsing right next to him sending pillows (and Chance) flying up into the air, and back down with a thump.
Eyeing the bowl of what he assumed must've been Shed's attempt at food. Honourable, really. Problem was, he wasn't quite sure if the meat floating around was actually dead.
"..h-heh.. its..uh... Actually, dunno if I'm hungry!"
They pushed it further along the table- achieving nothing really as it wasn't like he'd picked it up. They've eaten a far amount of disgusting shit in their lifetime, but this was pushing it a tad. Wasn't boutta get food poisoning cause-
Something in his stomach dropped, a feeling of lurking dread. The side of his face had suddenly gotten ten times hotter- nothing to do with whatever nasty bug they'd picked up, or how Shedletsky dumped the hot waterbottle straight onto his stomach.
"You think my cooking's bad? Awh.. was really hopin' you'd like it.. guess I'll have to chuck it..."
From the corner of his eye they could see a grown man staring up at them with some of the widest, glistening eyes he'd ever seen, practically begging for him to take a sip. Or more like a bite, with how thick it was. Either way, it was frankly embarrassing seeing a thirty-something guy moping around like a little kid. Plus, he was warm. Warmer than him, but that wasn't exactly a massive accomplishment.
"Well, I guess I might be... a tad.. peckish?"
Shed immediately brightened back up at those words, plucking the bowl up off the table and shoving it straight on into Chance's chest, liquid sloshing against the porcelain walls. Maybe it wasn't the best, but he'd had t' get something into that body. A arm found its way around Chances shoulders, to "steady" him as he slowly sipped at the soup. It was foul, lumps of tomato and mystery meat, bitter herbs left inside it. But- they had to keep on it, god forbid Shedletsky stare at him like that again. Leaning into the touch, maybe as a ways to keep at the pretence he was enjoying the food, or some other nefarious reason. Either way,
"..mmm.. it's.."
Don'tGagDon'tGagDon'tGagDon'tGagDon'tGagDon't-
"..expectational. Really.. outdid yourself there!"
He'd definitely outdone himself. Their expectation's for his cooking weren't high by any means, down in the gutter along with his mind. But, by some "miracle", he'd managed to be even worse than that. Could've been worse, he supposed. Least he wasn't trying to kill them on purpose, more than he could say for a couple of individuals they knew.
Finally setting the bowl back down onto the arm rest, they gave a thumbs up, face all scrunched up into a forced smile of approval
"Real sweet of'cha! Had me worried for a sec-"
Cut off for what have must've been the millionth time that day, Chance's head thumped down to the side of his torso, yawning so widely it looked as if his jaw had fully come undone from its hinge. The blanket had slipped down between some gap in the damned couch he kept finding themself sprawled out onto- the hot water bottle unable to reattain its warmth for long falling down discarded. And god, was he tired. Mostly cold, but that didn't take away with how his bones couldn't stop aching.
Wrapping an arm- or was it two? Really, it didn't matter anymore, he'd probably wake up tomorrow in the middle of the round again. But hey, if they could drag Shed down with 'em, it'll be worth it!
They both were stretched out on a couch far too small for two, limbs tangled together in some sort of complicated.. well, neither of them would admit to it being a embrace. Rather, just a tactical way of staying warm- really, neither wanted to freeze of course!
Shedletsky had his chubby arms round Chance nestled into the crook of his neck like he belonged there. Somehow, he was already snoring, dead to the waking world while Chance had their scrawny ones hooked around his waist with a leg locked with his.
It was peaceful like this. For just a while- they could forget their worries. Forget how tomorrow held little to nothing good.
But hey- life was what you made of it, right? And for now, they were happy.