Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

TW!!!:
Mentions of kidnapping, reference to suicide, suicide attempt

“Are you sure about this? Maybe it doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Thanks for your concern but…i’m pretty sure it does.”

It had been 3 years. 3 years since your job at Valdivian then immediately lost it. 3 years since you got the “dateviator” glasses from tinfoilhat. 3 years since you became friends (and lovers) with items in your house. 3 years since you had realized everyone and let them explore the world. When the objects were in your house, you had done your best to get on friendly terms (at least) with all of them and even though some of them were still a little rocky, everyone in the house respected you and to some degree, loved you.

You had wanted to realize them. You had felt love for every single object in your house because they had taken care of you throughout your life (even Doug). So when all your hard work paid off, you didn’t mind that they left your house. You had wanted them to explore the world they never could before and you felt glad that you had given them the opportunity to do so. Even the objects that had loved you, like LOVED loved you, you didn’t mind that they left to do their own thing. Hell, Hector was out there making an amazing name for himself and his mask business.

You wouldn’t change a thing. Except for the fact that well… It was lonely. Oh and also scary. With the knowledge that there was indeed no one in your house protecting you, it made you a little paranoid. Sure, before you gained the glasses, sleeping without a true sense of protection never bothered you. However, you had been with them for 8 grueling months. It changed you.

You had become a little… paranoid…after realizing all your objects. Because of this, you gained a gun license and purchased one from a nearby store. Sure, it was a huge fucking leap in your life but hey, so was romancing your breaker box and you still did that.

After having your gun for about a month, the strangest thing happened. Valdivian, or more specifically, Tom Most, had reached out to you. They had taken away your dateviators after you had stepped outside and realized everyone so you were confused as to why he would text you now. He had said that Valdivian had another pair of dateviator glasses and since you had been their “unofficial” test subject for the first one, the company wanted to see how you handled this new “upgraded” one. It shocked you at first. They were giving you another pair of glasses?

You quickly accepted and once you received them, you went to try them out on the only new object in your house. Your gun.

Before you began talking to him you realized something new about the glasses, they didn’t have a limit to how much you could use them. That was the most intriguing to you because this meant you didn’t have to limit yourself were you to talk to more objects in your house. When you aimed the beams (that for some reason the glasses still included because of course. Why would they change that part of the product) at your gun, you were surprised to see a younger figure in front of you. Some objects in your house were young, sure, but none were this young. He looked like a teenager. He had black hair that was tied back in a short little ponytail. His outfit was quite simple. A whole buncha black. A part of the sleeves on his jacket seemed textured like the handle part of a gun. His nails were painted black as well but it was his eyes that shook you. They were golden, like the color of the bullets inside.

You were nervous. You hadn’t done this in a while. What if you weren’t equipped to handle his personality like you had with some of the objects when you first started talking to them.
Although, it seemed you had nothing to worry about.

“Hey there human, you okay?” He asked. His voice was calm, inviting even.
“Yeah sorry. Just uh…haven't talked to someone in a hot minute.”
He laughed and as he did, you felt some of your worries melt away. You would be just fine.

As the months went on, you gained more of a relationship with him. You found out that his name was Gunter and that he was basically a sweetie. He was someone who’s love language was protecting the people he cares about. You found yourself, for the first time, instead of feeling a friendship or romance love with him, you felt something different. A paternal love. I mean, he was young and he seemed to care about you and that just kicked off your radar. Sure he wasn’t a child, but he was younger than you and that meant something.

But, your story isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. After a couple months of hanging out with Gunter, the both of you discovered something that would change your lives forever.
When you had gained the original pair of dateviator glasses, you had thought nothing of it. You didn’t think anyone apart from Valdivian, tinfoilhat, and Sam would even care or notice that you had these. It’s not like you were besties with your neighbors. So imagine your surprise when you find your home broken into by masked strangers with one of them who looked oddly familiar to your neighbor. It was horrifying, you weren’t even home at the time and had to be told everything by Gunter, who was terrified for YOU. He was scared you’d come home in the middle of everything and not be able to protect yourself.

While the thought was sweet, you both decided you needed to figure out what the hell was going on, so that’s what you did. Gunter had told you that your neighbor and some other people had broken into your house looking for the glasses. It was confusing. Why the hell would anyone let alone your NEIGHBOR want your dateviator glasses. You had decided to sneak around with Gunter to figure out just what they wanted. You thought it would be hard sneaking around but it really wasn’t. These guys weren’t professionals in the slightest. It also was easy to sneak around all day because no one visited you. Sure the dateables would visit you and you would visit them but a lot of the visits happened in the first year or so of you realizing them. They would come see you or text you but no one had done so in a couple months. Looking online you found that a lot of them were living their own adventures in life and while you desperately wanted to reach out to someone, anyone, you didn’t want to bother them. You didn’t want to take them away from the life they just gained. So you didn’t. It was just you and Gunter.

Before you knew it, you both had unraveled the plans of this mysterious group and it was chilling. Your neighbor had been the one to set this whole thing up. YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HIS NAME. Apparently, he noticed people leaving your house, he noticed the drone that gave you your glasses, he noticed EVERYTHING. It was terrifying to discover this. Fantina or Hector watching you didn’t creep you out that much because they had been with you this whole time but….your neighbor? Really?
Even more so, you discovered that they had found out you had gotten the new dateviator glasses and they wanted it. They wanted you.

They thought you were powerful and could do something for them. You heard plans that they were going to kidnap you and use the dateables love for you to lure them into a trap. Once you found this out, you knew you couldn’t let that happen. You had talked with Gunter about your plan, one that he really didn’t approve of.

“Please…there has to be another way to go about this. I-i…I can’t lose you.” Gunter whispered to you. He was sitting next to you as you both sat on the stairs. He had tears streaming down his face while you had a smile on yours.
“Gunter…we both know this is the best way.”
“BUT IT’S NOT. You could realize me and we could both go to find everyone together or we could like…call them and have them come here or something or we could-”
“Gunter! It’s okay. It’s okay.” You comforted. Your hand found his back as you rubbed circles on it.
“This can’t b-be the best way…” He cried. You smiled sadly.
“Gunter if we both go find them then there’s a chance the group could follow us and we can’t have them finding them. If you go by yourself, then it’s easier, it’s better. They don’t know you exist. They won’t be able to track my stuff because you’ll have my stuff.”
Gunter cries continued the more you talked. You yourself hadn’t let a tear slip through. Maybe everything just hasn't hit you yet. Or maybe it had. Maybe you had accepted this from the moment you put on your glasses.

“Alright Gunter. You remember the plan right?” He sniffles.
“Y-you realize me and…a-and then I go find Skylar.”
“Yep. You know my phone password and you have the dateviators. You should be good to go.” You smile at him.

“I…I love you. You know that right? That I love you. And that I'm sorry.”
You weren’t expecting that.
“I…I love you too kid. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. Now stand there while I realize you and as soon as I do, book it out the door. You don’t know if they’re watching, we gotta be fast okay?”

Gunter doesn’t say anything in return. You don’t think he can. You gather up all the willpower you can and allow yourself to realize Gunter. Once he’s in front of you, you can’t even take the time to fully see what he looks like as a human. He sprints to the door and casts a crushed, depressed look at you before escaping into the night.

As the door shuts, you feel tears that you didn’t know you had escaped your eyes. Ahh. There’s the waterworks. Maybe you were just holding it in for him. The gun that was originally Gunter laid still in your hand. One bullet was inside and you knew what you had to do. You couldn’t allow this group to use you against your friends, your lovers. You hope they would understand, forgive themselves for what was about to happen. It’s for the best isn’t it?

You hope they don’t blame Gunter, he’s a good kid. You hope they don’t blame themselves.
There’s noises all around you but you can’t find yourself to focus on them, only the gun in front of you.

Oh well. What were you to do?

BANG.

Chapter Text

TW!!!!!!!:
Suicide mention, Kidnapping, Drugging, Self hatred

Tears couldn’t stop streaming down Gunter's face even though it had been a long time since he left the house. Every time he wiped his eyes, the tears kept coming back. Like his eyes were a leaky faucet and there wasn’t a repair in the world that could stop the dripping. He had been walking for god knows how long but he can’t stop. Not yet. He won’t stop after he finds Skylar. He won’t stop after he finds all the datebles and gets them to safety. Hell, he won’t stop even if he dies.

Not until he avenges you. You were the first person to ever truly care for him. I mean…you were the ONLY person who ever actually talked to him but it was the thought that counts. He grew to love you, see you as a parent. As his guardian. When he found out that…cult was after you, he was terrified. How was he supposed to protect you this way? He tried so hard. He tried to convince you of another way but you refused. You refused to let the people you care about be used in that way. He admired your selflessness and he also hated it. He hated it because that was the thing that killed you. He would’ve been fine with the both of you being a bigger risk. He’s sure the other objects you talked about would be fine as well, as long as you were alive. But you weren’t.

He wished you had cared to be selfish just once.

He looked down at your phone for what felt like the 100th time just to make sure he was on the right path. Finding out where this Skylar Specs lived proved to be a challenge at least, according to you. You had said that she moved around so much, it was hard to find out where she actually lived but when you did, the both of you celebrated. That had seemed like so long ago. Now though, he couldn’t help but feel bitterness as he inched closer to her house. The walk was around a couple hours or so but Gunter couldn’t even feel the exhaustion. The exhaustion was nothing compared to what you just went through.

He didn’t even know what to say to her when he arrived. He’s only ever really heard about her through you. You had said she was a little silly but well meaning. That she cared about others and tried her best to do what she thought was right but didn’t mind whatever you decided. Maybe if this were a different scenario, he could find himself looking forward to meeting her but as the time slowly got shorter and shorter the closer he got to her house, he couldn’t help but feel dread. Dread about having to break the news. Not just about your death but the whole cult situation as well. How would she respond? Would she blame him? He thought it would be deserved if she did. He was a GUN. He was supposed to provide protection and what? He just let you do this to yourself? He just let you die? He failed his job?

He couldn’t do this alone.

As he found himself in Skylars driveway, he couldn’t help but feel numb. His tears were wasted on the walk here and he knew that you would try and put on a brave face if you were here. So that’s what he did. He dried his tears (although he’s pretty sure his red and puffy eyes would give him away regardless) and marched forward. You had trusted him to protect these people and if he couldn’t protect you, he’d at least do this.

As he stepped in front of Skylar's door he noticed that the lights were all off. He looked at your phone and noted the time. 4:25am. He had hoped that Skylar would wake up when he knocked or else he’d have to be really fucking awkward and wait on her porch like a creep.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

A couple minutes passed before he saw a light switch on inside. His hands began sweating and suddenly all the words left his brain the moment he heard footsteps. Oh shit. What was he gonna tell her? He had a whole script planned out.

‘Think think think Gunter! Okay. Hi my name is Gunter and I was a gun under the ownership of-no that sounds too mechanical. Okay what about, Hi are you Mrs. Skylar? My names Gunter and I was sent here by-no no NO! God how am I gonna OHHOLYSHITSHE’SHERE-’

As Gunter was caught up in his own thoughts, he didn’t realize the footsteps getting closer and closer. He looked up, startled, as the door carefully opened. In her tired glory was Skylar Specs. At least…he assumed this was Skylar. Unless there was some other person with the same address and bright pink and blonde hair

“Hey there. Do you need some help with something?” She asked. Her voice was tired, a little raspy. He most definitely had just woken her up.
“Uh…” he mumbled. Well, here goes nothing. For you.

“I’m Gunter. And…i’m here to help.”

—---------------------------

After speaking, Skylar eventually let Gunter inside albeit a bit hesitantly. He didn’t reveal everything yet, just that he knows her and that she’s in danger. Now, it was time for the hard part. Breaking to her the news about everything. The cult, you, and what they were gonna have to do next.

Skylar led him to her living room which was fairly fancy. Couches and chairs with intricate patterns on them. Bright and cutely colored carpets. Not to mention the fact that the house was spacious in itself. Gunter didn’t really know what Skylar did after she became human since you didn’t know either but whatever it was, she was getting a lot of money from it. He was briefly distracted from his grief as he looked around Skylar's house. He meant it when he said this place was fancy.

Cutting his thoughts off, Skylar fake coughed lightly to bring his attention back to reality. As she did, he felt his grief returning to him. His legs were beginning to wobble, the long walk (and definitely not the sadness in his heart) was catching up to him and he sat on the chair to the side of Skylar. She was seated on the edge of the couch with a confused and scrutinizing stare. It was like she was trying to analyze him.

“So,” she began, “you said you know me? How? And on that topic, what do you mean I'm in danger?” She asked, listing off her questions in a very confused manner. Gunter swallowed and closed his eyes briefly to prepare for what was about to come out of his mouth.
“L-like I said, my names Gunter and uh…I used to be an object. Like you. I was a gun and I was under the ownership of…”
“Of y/n?” Skylar finished. She sounded hopeful and excited. It was as if just saying your name, it gave her light in her eyes.

“Oh my gosh where are they? I haven’t texted them in forever! How are they more importantly? Last time I visited, they seemed good! They were thinking of a karaoke night at some point with me and Phoenicia!” Skylar rambled excitedly. Her questions just broke Gunter even more and the mask he was trying so hard to maintain was slowly slipping. Of course you would plan a karaoke trip.
“Yeah. About that..” He said quietly. He looked down at the carpet and he could see his vision getting blurry. His voice was almost on the verge of breaking and he had to swallow down his fear, regret, and shame just to be able to look Skylar in the eyes. As she stared at him, her smile began to slowly fade as she took in his saddened face.
“Wh-what’s wrong?...They’re okay right?” Skylar asked. Her face was no longer shining and her eyes were no longer bright. They held clouds. Clouds of fear and anxiety that Gunter knew all too well.

Gunter didn’t say anything for a bit. To be honest, he didn’t really know what to say.
“Gunter what-..what happened? Are they alright or not?”
“Well uh…let me explain.” He started. “This has to do with you being in danger. Quite frankly, it’s not only you. It’s EVERYONE. All the other dateables, the other objects in their house, they’re in danger too.”
“But…why? What’s going on?” Skylar said as she waved her hands around. Her eyes were wider now, scared. She had unconsciously scooted closer to Gunter as she made wild hand motions.

“You haven’t told me why i’m in danger and what that has to do with-”
“I’m getting there okay!” He yelled out, shocked for a moment by his own outbursts. He lowered his head again as he felt more guilt eat away at him.
“S-sorry for yelling miss. It ain’t like me. But just let me explain for a moment.” Gunter said quietly, letting out a quick breath, hoping that he could get this over with quick enough. To his luck, Skylar stayed silent and just looked at him with worried eyes. He didn’t know which was worse, the yelling or the silence. Maybe it’s both.

“Okay. Me and y/n have been together for a while now…NOT LIKE THAT but like, living together, y’know? Uhm…it was cool, we were hanging out and stuff but one day they went out for a midnight snack run or something i-i don’t really remember. When they were out, their house was broken into. Some weird people in cultish black robes had broken in and I was freaking out! I didn’t know if they were gonna come home in the middle of everything and I couldn’t protect them but uh…while they were there, I heard some stuff. The group of people were looking for the glasses.”
“The dateviators?” Skylar questioned. Her face still held some worry but it had shifted slightly into confusion now at the mention of the glasses.
“Yeah…the dateviators. I-i didn’t know what they wanted with them either and when-..when y/n came home, I told them about it. We figured we’d try to sneak around and figure out what they want. It was quite easy, they-they weren’t professional by any means and uh…no one really visited us. We didn’t have to watch out for anything.”

At the mention of no one visiting you, Skylars face seemed to drop. Her hand shakily clutched her other and she held it near her heart. Oh how she felt bad. She felt so bad. There were times where she would be late responding to your message because she was busy doing her own thing. She was just so excited to be human! To experience love and help others and get to feel things! She began to realize that she was slipping away from you and that hurt. She hoped that when she saw you again, she’d get to apologize and maybe even plan a hangout soon. That would be nice, she thought.

“What we ended up finding out was…horrible to say the least. Apparently, their neighbor was watching them and saw the things the glasses could do. He thought that y/n had some kind of power or something. The group was planning on trying to kidnap them and use you guys against them.” Skylar gasped. Her hands shot up to her mouth as her eyes blew open. Her breaths were coming out shaky and she looked near tears.
“O-oh my god! Is that what happened to them?” She cried out. Gunter couldn’t stand to see her face because it felt like looking into the past. When he first found out the news, he spent the entire night hugging you just to gain some sense of peace that you would be safe.

He looked down at the ground once more to distract himself from Skylars tears and softly shook his head.
“N-no they…they weren’t taken. But after we found out that they wanted to use them against you guys…they came up with a plan.” Gunter felt his own tears streaming down his face as the carpet he bore holes into became more and more blurry.
“I-i tried to talk them out of it! I tried to convince them there was another way but they were dead set on it! I…I couldn’t do anything and I couldn’t protect them and it’s all my fault!” He cried out. He brought his knees to his chest and hugged his arms around himself. The pain he felt early had returned in full force and everything began to sink in. You were dead. Truly, actually, not coming back, dead. And it hurt. It hurt that he couldn’t see you again and that he would have to do this by himself.

“Th-they made the plan that after they realized me, they would kill themselves and make sure I get out to warn you guys!”
He heard Skylars body move before he saw her. She had shifted to the front of the couch, both hands over her mouth as her wide eyes streamed tears down them. She hadn’t said anything yet and Gunter didn’t know if that was a blessing or a curse. All he could her was her shaky breaths and sniffles. They sat in an awkward silence for a while. Gunter didn’t know what to do and just as he was about to say something, Skylar began to cry. Loudly.

“O-oh my god! This is all my fault!” She sobbed. Her hands now clutched her head as she herself curled up.
“I-...I was the glasses and from what you're saying, I caused them to get targeted? Be attacked? This is all because of me! I should’ve been by their side more I mean c’mon! They did everything and realized me and what did I do for them? NOTHING!”

Gunter sat still, his own eyes widening the more Skylar cried out. He was sadness sure and maybe even anger but he thought it would be directed towards him not herself. He didn’t blame her or any of the other objects you had realized. He blamed that fucking CULT for this.
“Skylar-”
“How do you not hate me!?” She cut him off as she whipped her head to face him. Gunter was caught off guard and the hand that was outstretched to comfort her froze in mid air.
“I did this to them! How are you not yelling at me? How are you not blaming me?”

Gunter didn’t answer for a minute. He didn’t have an answer to give her. Truth be told, he didn’t know why he didn’t blame her.
When he didn’t answer, Skylar turned her head downwards once again and continued crying. He snapped out of his thoughts and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Skylar, I-i don’t blame you because…well-uh… y/n..didn’t blame you. They told me, when we talked about y’all, that they really did love you guys. They loved everyone and uh…they would do anything. This-...this is that everything. I don’t blame you because I…I blame myself too. I was supposed to protect them y’know? Look what good that did.”
As Gunter talked, Skylar hesitantly looked up. Her eyes were red and her tears kept on coming but she looked a little lighter.

“And I know that this is hard. I know you probably don’t believe me but-OH MY GOD!” Gunter yelled out the last part. He retracted his hands from Skylars shoulder and dug around in his pockets frantically. Skylar’s crying was briefly cut off as she stared at a fumbling Gunter in confusion. When Gunter finally pulled out what he was looking for, he sat by Skylar and held the items out. The pair of dateviators and your phone.

“I-is that-”
“Yeah. Forgot to mention that for some reason, Valdivian gave them another pair of glasses. That’s another reason why that group wanted them so bad.”

Gunter thrusted the glasses into Skylars hands.
“Best these glasses be with who they belong to right?” He gave a light smile, hoping to make the situation a little better. Then he grabbed your phone and carefully unlocked it, opening it up to a secret app you had installed. It was a video making app but in it, you told Gunter that you’d record your final messages to everyone here. If they didn’t believe him, he could play these and hopefully show he wasn’t lying.

“They recorded these for you guys. Said it was their final words…but anyways! They recorded one for you. Figured you’d wanna hear it.” As Gunter finished looking through the app, he found Skylars message.

“Oh! Here.” He passed the phone to Skylar and watched as she stared intently at the video.

“Hi Skylar!” Your voice rang out. Skylar almost let out another sob at your voice. She hadn’t contacted you in so long and now she regretted all of it. She had gotten so busy and she hated herself that she wasn’t there when you needed her.
“If you’re getting this message it’s because I'm well…uh…dead. Sorry to be blunt but Gunter should have explained it all! Now I just want to preface that it isn’t Gunter’s fault at all okay? And neither is it yours.” Skylar sat up straighter as you said that last part.

“Look. The situation, i’ll admit, is…less than ideal. But it’s not your fault! I did this out of my own accord. Because I love you. I love all of you and I can’t just have you be in danger like that. So, stop moping or whatever and get out there and stop those guys! I know you can.”

Just as the recording ended, Gunter felt arms wrap around him. It was such a shock that he didn’t even think to hug back, at least for a little bit. After Skylar stayed in the hug, Gunter finally wrapped his arms around her and let his own tears loose.

“They were so sappy weren’t they?” He joked, hoping that it would lighten the mood, just a tad. He felt Skylar chuckle against him. She let him go and wiped her own tears away. “Yeah. Yeah they were.”
When all was said and done, she grabbed the dateviators that were stored off to the side of the couch and placed them on her head.
“You said that you were here to warn everyone. You know how much of us there are, right?” She asked. Her eyes still red and her face still holding grief in them but Gunter could sense that it was turning into something else. Like it was fueling a fire.
“Yeah. There’s like a hundred of y’all.”
“Do you know where everyone is?” Skylar questioned.
Gunter felt himself lightly blush a little from embarrassment. “Well uh-...kinda..? Y/n gave me the addresses she knew and was hoping for some of the others that someone else would help out.” Gunter said shyly as he rubbed the back of his neck. He pocketed your phone and looked up at Skylar once more to find that the look in her eyes, he knew what it was now. It was strong and fueled by grief, hatred, anger, sadness, and most importantly, love.

“Well then, who are we visiting first?” Gunter stared at her in shock for just a moment before smiling.
“I think I know who.”

—---------------------------

TIME:???
LOCATION:???

“C’mon and grab ‘em already! What are y’all, a buncha sissys?!”
“Holy shit are they dead!?”
“No you twat they just shot their hand and a hand wound ain’t gonna kill no one.”
“How do you know?!”
“Were you not paying attention to anything that’s happened in the last couple of minutes?! They ain’t dead, we just drugged em!”
“Not drugged. Chloroformed.”
“Shut up Richard ain’t no one ask you. Also why ain’t you helping carry ‘em!”
“Broken wrist, remember?”
“Oh yeah! Can’t believe they got the jump on you man! Bro boss was so upset when he found them sneaking around and that you got your ass whooped by them too!”
“I know Kenny. Thanks for the reminder.”

You felt your eyes slowly start to open. Was this hell? Heaven? Purgatory?

“Oh shit, I think they’re waking up guys!”
“That’s impossible Ken. Those drugs are supposed to last for hours. It’s only been like what, two? You're imagining things.”

You catch a fuzzy glimpse of the night sky. This definitely doesn’t look like your house.

“Wait hold on a sec Tristan. Kenny might be right.”
“Whad’ya mean he’s right? They knocked out ain’t they?”
You feel a slight nudge in your side. It’s almost like you're being held up by someone. Or maybe…multiple someones?
As you blink your eyes open some more, you look down to find three men, two carrying you, and one off to the side holding a small book of some kind.
They stare at you in confusion for a moment before that confusion shifts to panic.

Where the hell are you?

Chapter Text

TW!!!!!!!:
Self hatred, Depression, Mentions of suicide, Kidnapping (It’s not really detailed.)

Somehow, someway, Skylar had a car. Gunter was surprised by this fact since you had said that when you realized everyone, they didn’t have IDs or any form of identification. How Skylar managed to get a car was anyone’s guess.

“Here, you can have the front seat. I know the club Dorian works at and I know what time his shift ends. We can wait for him and then tell him everything.” Skylar said as she fumbled with her car keys before opening the door. Gunter ungracefully shuffled himself inside the car. It was small and a ridiculous shade of pink but in the little time he’s gotten to know Skylar, it felt like her.

When the car started, there was an awkward air that filled the atmosphere. Sure Skylar agreed to help him but apart from knowing and caring for you, there hadn’t been any common ground for them to talk about. Gunter hardly knew what anyone would be like let alone whether or not they would work with him. He hadn’t planned for small talk conversations but it wasn’t like he was itching to talk about you some more. Don’t get him wrong, talking about you is great, it's just…after everything Skylar’s been through in the past hour, he didn’t think talking about you would help in any way right now.

The two of them sat in silence for a couple minutes before Gunter thought of a topic to bring up.

“So…this Dorian guy, he gets off work soon?” Gunter asked hesitantly. If he was going to talk about something, why not talk about the people who he’s supposed to protect especially considering the fact that he has NO CLUE who they are and what they’re like. You may have given him a brief rundown of everyone you could remember at the top of your head but it sure wouldn’t equate to meeting them in person. ESPECIALLY, if he has to tell them what happened to you. You mentioned Skylar being a bit high-strung yet sweet lady and while Gunter was getting those vibes, it just wasn’t the same as the way you talked about them.

Gunter's question seemed to startle Skylar for a moment, like she had been zoned out (which she probably had) and was suddenly snapped back to reality. She gave Gunter a brief look over, like she was trying to remember there was another person in the car before she sighed and gave a small smile.

“Yeah. That crazy boy decided on being a bouncer during the night shift. Always wanting to be a protector that one.” Skylar replied fondly. As she spoke of him, it was like she was running through memories in her head, reminiscing on old times.
“I can relate to that.” Gunter mumbled quietly. This Dorian fellow seemed like someone he could get along with. Both of them were beings who valued protection above all else. And considering the fact that both of them were under the ownership of you, they were both your protectors. Gunter felt his lips quirk up into a pleased grin as he thought of the connection that he and Dorian could have.

He saw Skylar glimpse at him again in the corner of his eyes with a look he couldn’t quite place before she turned her attention forward again.
“So,” she began, “tell me about yourself Gunter! What do you like to do or what are some of your fav things? Helps me get to know you better! Especially if we’re gonna be in this together.”

Gunter felt himself pause at her question. It was…a real head scratcher for him. A lot of the things he loved, he loved doing it WITH YOU. He didn’t know if bringing you up right now was the best idea and he didn’t want to test the waters. His hands began fidgeting as he tried to think of something to say.

“Well i-i uh…I like musicals..?” Gunter said, his sentence coming out more as a question than a statement. He saw Skylars eyes briefly light up with a sense of intrigue before she began asking him more questions.
“OOO! I love musicals. What’s your favorite or do you have a favorite song from any? Or-or how did you get into musicals?” Skylar rambled. He suspected that her rambling was her way of distracting herself almost. She didn’t have to think about the future or the past, just the present. Gunter stopped his fidgeting and let himself relax a smidgen. Maybe that would do him some good as well. Forget about it, all of it, even if just for a moment. He felt some of his shyness and awkwardness from earlier slip away, at least for now.

“It’s a weird story. I got into musicals when I was still in the store. The shopkeeper would always play musical songs, for whatever reason, and they were catchy. What can I say?” Gunter said, allowing himself to smile even more as he remembered the songs that he used to love.
“Oh my gosh no way!” Skylar said excitedly. If her hands weren’t focusing on driving, Gunter could imagine her waving her hands around animatedly.
“So do you have a fav musical or fav song? I know a few musicals myself! Like Rats or-or Ricky Creepy Picture Show! Although that last one wasn’t really a fav of mine since it was a little creepy but…”

Gunter felt his face shift into one of both concern, confusion, and amusement.
“Rats…rats the musical. Like the one with the humanoid rats…? The one where the “white rats” choose someone to be reborn? Why would you ever go watch that?” Gunter asked, confused. Who the fuck would go see rats?
He saw Skylar's face darken a bit, probably due to embarrassment.
“W-well…look okay! Telly said that a new movie had come out based on that musical so we watched the musical together to see if it was going to be good or not!” Skylar ended her sentence with a pout and Gunter let out a chuckle. He didn’t know who this Telly was but it felt nice to laugh after…well, everything.

Skylar Specs pouting because of the reveal that she watched a horrid musical was not on Gunters bucket list. He let out another laugh at just the absurdity of the situation and before he knew it, he was giggling uncontrollably. He didn’t know why but all of a sudden he just couldn’t stop laughing. He felt Skylar look at him before she too started laughing. Before you know it, the car was filled with uncontrollable fits of giggles and it didn’t seem to be stopping soon.
This was just what they both needed. Some peace. Some calm before the storm because the storm was coming and it was coming fast.

When both of their laughs simmered down into small chuckles, Gunter found that they were parked right beside a pretty decorated club. There weren't any people waiting in line and Gunter didn’t see anyone stationed at the door. Wasn’t this Dorian the bouncer?
“Hey uhm…Dorian doesn’t seem to be here.”
“Oh! Yeah sorry I forgot to mention that the club closes at 4 but Dorian likes staying after just to help clean up and make sure everythings secure. He’s always working overtime.” Skylar replied as she peeped out the car window. She kept squinting like she was trying to look inside for someone.

Gunter drew his attention to a movement out of the corner of his eye. He saw a husky man with neat brown hair step outside of a side door to the corner of the building. As he did so, Gunter hurriedly grabbed Skylars arm and began pointing.
“T-that’s him right? The one with the brown hair and the security guard attire?” Skylar glanced over to where Gunter was pointing and her eyes widened. She quickly opened her car door and called out as she began running forward.

“DORIAN! DORIAN HEY! OVER HERE!”

Gunter stayed rooted in his spot. As much as he wanted to go out and introduce himself, he didn’t know how to. It felt like things would go much smoother if he just let Skylar do the talking.
Gunter saw Dorian whip his head around, trying to find the source of the voice and when his eyes landed on Skylar, he could’ve sworn he saw them soften a bit. Gunter couldn’t hear really well but considering Skylars door was open, he heard enough of the conversation the two were having.

“Hey there Skylar. What’s it you're doing here, clubs closed just so you know.”
“I’m not here for clubbing, silly. There’s something we gotta talk about. Mind telling me where you live?”
“Hey what’s all this? You really think I'm gonna invite you over, at 6 in the morning?”

Gunter heard their conversation get clearer and clearer as they approached the car and he felt himself get more nervous at the thought of really meeting Dorian. The man was hulky, he can see why he worked as a bodyguard. If Gunter ever ran into him in a different situation, there was a high chance he would shit himself. Actually, he JUST MIGHT SHIT HIMSELF NOW.

Skylar now found her seat back in the car and Gunter could see Dorian's eyes trail over towards him. Gunter felt himself begin to get sweaty just from this guy's stare alone. It was like he was piercing through his very soul trying to figure out his intentions. Okay…maybe he wouldn’t become friendly with Dorian because oh my god that man is scary (according to Gunter).

“So…did Eddie and Volt clock in today?” Skylar asked, completely oblivious to Gunter's panic. Dorian gave a grunt as he kept his eyes on Gunter.
“Hmm. They were, you know the two of ‘em. Real estate just wasn’t for them. Anyways, who’s the little one you got here?”
Gunter felt heat rush to his cheeks. Little? Sure he may be young but he wasn’t a kid! Despite the fact that he was still scared shitless by this guy, he felt the need to defend himself.
“Hey. I’m not little.” Gunter saw Dorian lips quirk up into a playful grin.
“You an adult?”
“N-not yet at least.” Dorian's playful grin stretched out into a full blown smirk at that last sentence.

“Problem solved. You're a little one.” Gunter, despite not wanting to, felt himself wanting to smile. Maybe this guy wasn’t as scary as he seemed. You mentioned that Dorian was always a serious guy but he had a soft side and Gunter was surprised to see it shine so clearly. Maybe it was just because Skylar was here but Gunter felt it all the same.
Skylar smiled at the two of them before turning her attention back to Dorian.
“That’s Gunter. He’s actually a part of the reason why we need to talk so Dorian~” Skylar began sweetly. “Can we pretty please have your address?” Gunter could see that Skylar was doing her best “puppy eyes” impression and unsurprisingly, it wasn’t working.
“You can’t just say it right here?” At that question, the grief Skylar held before slowly made its way onto her face. She looked away for a beat before glancing back at Dorian.
“It’s…it’s a lot to explain, okay? Just, it’s better if we do it at your place.”

Dorian noted Skylars saddened look and felt himself tense up. Whatever the news was obviously wasn’t good.
“Alright then. Just…just follow me on the road.” Dorian said as he began making his way over to his own car. As soon as he left, Gunter could see Skylars expression begin to sadden once more. All the angst coming back full throttle again at the thought of having to explain the situation all over again. Gunter really didn’t want to have to explain what happened to you again, one time was enough. However, if it was too much for Skylar, he’d take over. He was their protector now, you said so yourself…

Okay maybe not “said so” but you implied it and he took it very seriously.
“Skylar hey…if you're not up for explaining this whole-..situation..I can do it.” Gunter said politely. If Skylar couldn’t do it, he would. He didn’t want her to have to suffer some more just because he couldn’t talk.
She looked over at him and smiled, a sad one. It was nothing like her previous, bright and cheerful smiles. It was one of regret and ache.
She shook her head and stared ahead once again to track Dorian.

“Thanks sweetie but…he has to hear it from me.”

After Dorian pulled out of his spot and began driving home, Skylar and Gunter followed. Dorian was confused. Skylar showing up was unexpected but not unwelcome. However, her saying she has something she needs to talk about with him and having a kid he’s never seen before in her car, that’s when things didn’t add up. The entire ride to his house was just his thoughts, endlessly spinning. Conjuring up idea after idea for what exactly could have happened to have Skylar looking so worried.

He hoped it didn’t have anything to do with you.

As Dorian pulled into his driveway, he pulled out his house keys and began unlocking the front door.
“Welcome in.” He said as he gestured for Skylar and the kid to enter his house.
Dorian's house was also a pretty big one. The interior was very spacious and you could tell it was well taken care of. Gunter once again briefly forgot everything that’s just happened as he took the time to admire this guy's house. Why was everyone just amazingly rich as soon as they became human?
Skylar made her way to Dorian's kitchen and sat down at one of the stools on the island that was there. Gunter sat down next to Skylar as Dorian made his way to the fridge.
“You folks want anything? All i’ve really got is water and some orange juice-” Dorian was cut off as the sounds of Skylar's soft sniffling filled the room. Dorian turned around immediately, placing the drink option back in the fridge before making his way over to Skylar. When Gunter heard her cries, he placed a hand on her back as his own face began to shift into something rather sad.

As Dorian made his way over to Skylar he also gave a light touch to her shoulder as a means of trying to ground her.
“Woah there madame. Skylar, what’s going on?” Dorian asked gently. If it were any other time, Gunter might have marveled at how gentle Dorian sounded but at the moment he couldn’t be bothered. He simply watched as Skylar broke down right in front of him, again.
“Skylar…” he began, “I can say it if you want.” Skylar, despite bawling her eyes out, shook her head once again.

“N-...no…h-he has to…he has to hear it from me.” She whispered, sobbing and hiccuping throughout her sentence. Her hands were clutching her face, trying desperately to stop her tears from leaking. She told herself she was going to be strong. She told herself that this was for you and she’d put on a brave face and do her best to help just like she always had. But…this time was different. She never lost someone before. Even if there were people with negative relationships, no one was ever DEAD. The closest Skylar could think about someone losing someone was Chappy but she didn’t particularly care for him. You though…she cared for you. Gunter's gentle back rubs and Dorian's steady hands brought her a little back to reality. Beside her, she heard Dorian ask politely, “Tell me what love?”

Skylar turned to face Dorian slowly, her eyes puffy and red and her face screwed up in something that was just so depressing. Dorian felt concern and a little buzz of anger flowing through him. Did someone hurt her?
Skylar did her best to wipe her face as she began to speak.
“S-something happened wi-...with the human.” Dorian's eyes widened as his hand unintentionally gripped a little tighter on Skylars coat. When he didn’t say anything, Skylar continued. “W-when they first got the dateviators, I didn’t think anything of it! B…but people were watching them, bad people. They wanted to use them against us but…but they found out! They found out and they didn’t want us to be in danger so th-they…” Skylar trailed off as she found that she couldn’t finish her sentence. Her hands went back to her face as they flew to her mouth to try and stifle the more upcoming sobs she was giving.

Dorian didn’t say anything. For a long while. Every time Gunter looked over to try and figure out what he was feeling, he couldn’t get a read on the man. Just then, Dorian stood up quickly which brought both Gunter and Skylars attention onto him. His eyes were dark, not in a physical sense but they were deadly. Those eyes were the definition of if looks could kill. And he was staring right at Gunter.

“Did that one tell you that?” He questioned. His voice low and angry. It was deadly. Gunter felt himself begin to tense up again. He removed his hand from Skylars shoulder and he felt his body begin to lightly tremble. Oh shit. He looks about ready to kill him.

“Huh-”
“Did. That. One. Tell. You. That?” He gritted out. His hands were at his sides now, clenched together tightly like he was ready to fight someone. Gunter felt his fear rise more and more the longer Dorian looked at him.
“Well…yeah why-”
“He’s lying. He’s not telling the truth and I intend to find out why.” Dorian said as he strolled his way over to Gunter. Gunter almost fell off his chair as he tried to scramble away from an angry looking Dorian. He felt Skylar next to him move quickly, but not quick enough. Dorian grabbed Gunter by his shirt and pulled him forward.
“Tell me what it is you want out of us and maybe I'll consider letting you go.” Skylar grabbed Dorian's arms, trying to get him off Gunter but his grip was strong. Gunter himself was thrashing and pulling, trying to get out of this man's grip but it was just too powerful. He could hear Skylar yelling slightly in the background but his mind was too fuzzy to really hear anything other than, “DORIAN LET HIM GO! He didn’t do anything!”

At that moment, a thought occurred to him. He frantically felt around his pockets before he landed on your phone. When he brought it out, he felt Dorian's grip tighten. “Why do you have their phone?” He spat out. Gunter didn’t answer and instead just hurriedly typed in your password and found your recording app. When he found Dorian's name he thrusted the phone forward. Dorian paused for a moment before he let go of Gunter. Skylar went beside Gunter and hugged him tightly as they both watched Dorian's reaction to his message. His hands gently took your phone from Gunter and he held it up as he listened to you.

“Hi Dory!” You started. You were having hello to him, just like you used to. Dorian felt his resolve begin to slowly chip as he took in your sight. You were sitting there, in all your glory. You were dressed up in normal clothes, nothing fancy but to Dorian? You were the most stunning person ever.
“So if you see this then that means I'm kinda uh…dead. BUT, it has nothing to do with Gunter. If I know you, and I know you, you’re probably angry, a little scared, and a lot of hurt.” His grip on your phone tightened. That was an understatement.
“But I promise you, there was no other way. I’m sure Gunter explained it or…or someone else did, I'm not sure. But to you, you big oaf, it’s not your fault-” Dorian shut off your phone as he handed it roughly back to Gunter.
“Alright.”

Skylar felt her jaw drop as she stared at Dorian. She was taken aback and honestly, quite hurt. He just cut your recording off, didn’t even bother to finish it and he says what? Alright?
“What do you mean alright?! Is that all you're gonna say?!” She yelled. She was doing that a lot in the past couple of minutes. Dorian didn’t reply to her question but instead just turned his attention to Gunter. He cast his glance down before sighing and looking straight at him.
“Sorry for grabbing you lot like that.”
Skylar felt her anger rise just as Dorian said that. Why was he being so unsympathetic?!

“SORRY?! That’s it?! You’ve got nothing to say? Why are you acting so unemotional?!” She questioned. She moved closer to him and Gunter suddenly felt very out of place. He couldn’t see Dorian's expression but he didn’t seem angry, just numb. And honestly? That might’ve been worse.
“You didn’t even finish their recording! What is with you!? Did you even care for them at all-”
“Of course I did.” Dorian snapped. Skylar stepped back as Dorian stared into her. The hurt in her face began to wither away as she calmed down. She, calmly this time, made her way towards Dorian and wrapped her arms around him. He stood there. Stock still, unmoving.
“This is all my fault.” She whispered. Her tears hadn’t returned but they threatened to. “If they hadn’t gotten those glasses, hadn’t gotten me, they would have been fine.”

They stood there for a bit. In that semi-hug. Just as Gunter was about to chime in, he saw Dorian raise his arms and wrap them around Skylar. Just as he made contact with her, it was like she broke. Her tears finally streamed down again (Gunter didn’t even know they stopped) as she hugged him tighter. Dorian held her closer as he just whispered. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”
Despite her tears and how she ached to continue being hugged, she pushed out of Dorian's hold and stared at him incredulously. “H-how…how is this your fault?” Dorian just stood there with a downcast expression. His hands had fallen back to his sides as he seemed to stare off.

“I was supposed to protect them and I failed. I promised them…I promised. I told them that if they needed me, I was always a call away. That I’d wait for them. So if anyones to blame for this, it’s me. I failed them.”
Oh.
Oh.

Gunter felt like he had just been punched in the gut by himself. He’s had these exact same thoughts for god knows how long. Every time he thought about you and your safety, he always thought he wasn’t good enough. He always felt like he could and should have been doing more. Your reassurances were always nice, but it never really shook his thoughts. Looking at Dorian was like looking in a mirror. Actually, looking at both of them was like looking in a mirror. Everyone in this room was hurting and they all put the blame in the same spot. Themselves.

Gunter slipped off his chair and made his way over to Skylar and Dorian. When he got there, he placed a hand on both of their arms. They both looked down at him and he could see the self loathing in their eyes. It hurt.
“L-listen…y/n…they..shit.” He took a deep breath before he continued. “They loved you. Loved all of you. They told me about you and I've been wanting to meet you guys for god knows how long. They told me, when they thought of…their plan…they tried to reassure me. To get rid of my self hatred. It didn’t work.” When he spoke, he noted that Skylar looked away from him, more tears running down her face.
“So…I can’t say I know what the both of you are going through. You knew them both differently than I did but…you’re not alone. We all understand the loss…and we all understand what it’s like to hate ourselves because of it.” Gunter concluded. He kept his gaze down, too afraid that he said the wrong thing to look up.

It wasn’t until he felt a hand be placed upon his head that he looked up. Dorian had placed a gentle hand on his head and gave it a little rub.
“You’re a good kid y’know that?” He said kindly. Gunter felt himself blush at the compliment and smile. Dorian wiped his face swiftly, Gunter didn’t even realize when he began crying. Then he ushered Skylar and Gunter to his stairs. When they both made noises of confusion, Dorian explained. “Look lads. I’ve got to go to bed but we can talk about where we’re going next after we’ve all slept because I doubt you lots have.”
Gunter felt himself gasp as did Skylar. “You’re…you’re coming with us?” She asked, like she couldn’t believe what he was saying. Dorian gave her a blank expression.
“Who else is gonna keep your sorry asses in check.” He said a little playfully. “Here. The both of you can take the room upstairs. I’ll sleep down here. It’ll give me peace of mind.”

Gunter and Skylar looked at each other briefly before nodding at Dorian. They both wished him their goodnights (or technically…their gooddays?) with promises to talk later. Dorian shuffled himself onto his couch, not the most comfortable, but it was something. He stared up at his ceiling before sighing and closing his eyes.
‘I hope wherever you are love, you’re resting well.’

—---------------------------

TIME:???
LOCATION:???

You felt the sensation of a rocky and unkept floor. It was cold and dark. Whoever had taken you had barely given you anything. They gave you a singular blanket that you could either use as a pillow or well…a blanket. You tried to figure out what was going on but in the dark, it was almost impossible.

Wherever you were, you certainly were not resting well.

Chapter Text

TW!!!!:
Kidnapping, Suicide mention, Shouting with alcohol (Not like abuse but idk if this is like…triggering for people),

The first thing Dorian woke up to was the smell of tea. Two things ran through his mind. When did he fall asleep? And also when did he have tea?
As he blearily opened his eyes, he felt his head pounding. He left out a soft groan before scrubbing his hands over his face and sitting up. Wouldn’t be the first time he felt like shit but this time, he really didn’t want to get up. His thoughts drifted back to you, they tended to do that a lot. Especially after what he was just told… Dorian brushed his hands through his hair in an anxious manner as he let out a tired sigh. Fuck. He didn’t want to spend too long thinking about you, he could do that on his own time. For now, he had company and he’d do his damndest to make sure that they’ll at least be safe.

As he lifted himself off the couch, he followed the smell of tea coming from his kitchen. He thought that it might be the kid in there making a cup. He seemed like the type to enjoy drinking that kinda thing. Speaking of the kid, Dorian made a mental note to properly apologize to him later. He really hadn’t meant to blow up on him like that he was just…he was just angry. Angry and scared. And hurt. Dorian let out another grunt as he tried to push away his thoughts of you. He just couldn’t get over the fact that he had failed you, had let you down. When you realized him, he left because he thought it would be better. He thought that you were in danger with him BEING there.
He had thought that if he stayed with you, he’d hurt you more than he’d help you. So he left. He left and promised that if you were ever to call for him, he’d come back. He’d come back in a heartbeat.

He regrets waiting for you. He regrets ever leaving you. He made the wrong call and now he’s suffering the consequences.

“Hey Dorian!” A voice shouts out, interrupting him from his thoughts. Snapping out of his daze, he pinpoints the voice to Skylar, who is standing with a cup of what he presumes is the tea he was smelling earlier. For a brief moment his thoughts are cut short as he makes a questioning face at Skylar.
“What?” She asks.
“Didn’t take you for a tea type of person.” He says gruffly. She gives a small smile and winks. “I’m full of surprises you know?” Dorian playfully rolls his eyes at her and walks towards her to make himself a cup of tea.

As soon as he’s by her side, she passes him a cup, already filled with steaming hot tea, just waiting to be drinken. He gives his thanks as he presses the cup to his lips and drinks. As soon as the tea hits his mouth, he lets out a pleasant noise. He might’ve been a bit more embarrassed if he was more coherent but he wasn’t. Leave the guy alone okay he just woke up. He turns his attention towards Skylar as he continues to sip his drink.
“Well where’d you find this then? Could’ve sworn I ran out of-” he pauses as he takes another sip. “Chamomile.”
Skylar looks at him fondly before taking a sip of her own drink.
“Told ya. I’m full of surprises.”
He gives her an eye roll before finishing his drink. Once he’s finished he heads over to the sink, intending to wash his cup.

“Where’s the little one?” He asks, eyes not once leaving his cup as he cleans it. “He still sleepin’?” When Skylar doesn’t answer him, he glances over to look at her. She eyes him in a way that would be described as playful before nodding her head over to the direction of his kitchen island. When he takes a peep over, he sees that the kid was indeed sitting there. The only reason he hadn’t clocked his presence was because…well he wasn’t really up. Gunter was laying face down on the kitchen island, body draped everywhere, seemingly trying to catch up on some more sleep. Dorian let out an amused chuckle as he spotted the kid. He deserved some rest.

Once Dorian finished washing his cup, he excused himself upstairs for a shower. With all that went on earlier, he hadn’t had time to properly clean up. He asked Skylar if she needed to wash up and she said she was fine so the shower was his. As soon as he got in his bathroom and locked the door, he let himself deflate. God he didn’t even know what time it was right now. He stripped himself and as soon as he turned on his shower, he let himself reflect. All night. He thought about you all night and it still wasn’t enough. He could think of you his entire life and it still wouldn’t measure up.

As the water poured down on himself, he couldn’t help but just lean his head against the wall and try not to cry. For fucks sake why was he the one crying? You were the one he let down, he didn’t deserve to mourn you. He couldn’t stop blaming himself the more he thought about you. Why didn’t he just stay with you? It was the one question he continued to ask himself ever since Skylar and Gunter said that you kille-...
You died. He couldn’t help but mull over the things he could have done, SHOULD have done. Why did he think you would be okay? More importantly, why didn’t you tell him?
He told you that were you to contact him, he’d return. No questions asked. You tell him what you want, he’d do it. If you had told him about what was going on he would protect you, help you, defend you, whatever you wanted from him. Screw putting everyone in danger, he’d rather you be here so they both of you can work through it. Together.

He had never wanted to punch something so bad. He always prided himself on being mostly composed. Even if things (or people) were trying to push through him, fight him, he was always sturdy. He never let his anger or fear get the best of him but now both emotions were kicked into overdrive. He supposes that you always were the person who made him discover new things about himself. Thinking of his violence, his thoughts drifted back to earlier, how he almost took it out on the kid. On Gunter. He REALLY needed to give that boy a proper apology. He was too young to be dealing with this, ANY of this.

Dorian shut his thoughts down once again. He could not fail this time. He had let down one too many people and he would not make the same mistake twice. They couldn’t see him breakdown. If there ever was a time to be reliable, it would be now. So he bottled up his grief, his rage, and shoved it way back inside. He had a job to do.
Dorian finished cleaning himself off and once he was done changing, he made his way downstairs. Once downstairs, he saw Skylar sitting on his couch and trying to find something on the television. He tried to spot the kid near her but when his gaze settled on the kitchen, he couldn’t help but let out a fond sigh. The kid was still laying face down on the kitchen island, seemingly not having moved at all.

When Skylar saw Dorian again, she gave another smile, a pleased one. Dorian felt himself give a small smile back in return. He made his way over and decided to sit next to her on his sofa. He saw that she had been trying to watch Lover Island or something. He had heard Tony talk about it, he wasn’t really paying attention. It seemed like the type of thing Skylar would be into.
As he sat down next to Skylar, he let the silence linger for a bit. It wasn’t comfortable, but it wasn’t awkward either. It was…something in between. It was peaceful but there was just a tinge in the air that made it just slightly hard to breathe. After the silence began to get a little too uncomfortable, Dorian spoke up.

“So…where are we headin’ to next?” Skylar looked over to him, briefly taken off guard before sighing lightly.
“I-i’m not quite sure…Gunter was the one who suggested we go to you next after telling me but…I don't know if he has a next person in mind. He said he was just-just making it up as he goes…? Gosh I can’t imagine that poor boy going through that.” As Skylar spoke, she drew her gaze to the kid sleeping on Dorian's kitchen island and Dorian let his gaze travel there as well. Even while being asleep, Dorian could tell that the kid was EXHAUSTED. He couldn’t imagine this poor child having to go through something like that all alone.

Dorian let out a quiet hum as he drew his attention forward in thought. If they didn’t know who to alert next, he thinks he has the next best idea.
“Skylar love, if you truly don’t know who to go to next, i’ve got an idea.” Skylar’s eyes seemed to light up with her usual bubbliness.
“OH REALLY? Do tell~” She grinned. Dorian felt himself smiling with her, like her energy was infectious. Normally he would prefer to keep these emotions of his reserved, what type of bouncer would he be if he just let himself get swayed by people, but maybe you were teaching him things. After all, he failed you because he refused to really TRULY open himself up to you. Maybe if he showed them more of himself, he wouldn’t be a failure.

“I’ve been meaning to catch up with Eddie and Volt recently. If you lot don’t mind, that is.” He suggested. Skylar kept her bright stare up as she grinned again. “No no no that’s perfect! We can stop by whenever!” She replied lightly. That seemed to put her in a better mood. Dorian decided that they would go whenever the kid woke up and got ready, they could get food on the way there and…oh. They would have to tell the two of them. As Dorian stared at Skylar he realized that he couldn’t let her break the news again lest she break herself. He definitely couldn’t let Gunter do it. He gave a little grunt as he said, “Skylar, i’ll tell the two of them. You two can take it easy, alright?”

Skylar looked at him shocked once again before lightly shaking her head. “No no…I was the start of all this. I should be the one they hear it from.” Dorian gave her a sympathetic look and was about to respond before he was interrupted by shuffling noises making their way towards him. The both of them drew their attention to the noise and found Gunter leaning his head on the back of the sofa in between them.

“Hngh…” He mumbled out tiredly. Dorian felt himself wanting to smile even more. Seeing someone as sweet as Gunter made him think of you and when he first met you. How you were so open and inviting. He couldn’t help himself before giving a ruffle to Gunter’s hair. Gunter seemed to lean into the touch slightly which warmed Dorians heart, just don’t tell anyone else that.
“I heard you say-” Gunter pauses mid sentence to yawn before he continues. “Say that you know who you want to go to next? I’m down…for whatever. We can go whenever. Can we just get food while on the way? I got money…” Despite speaking full sentences, Gunter kept trailing off like the lull of sleep was pulling him back in (which it probably was).

Dorian and Skylar gave a light snort at the sleepy boy before Skylar spoke. “Well I think we’re all set to go. We’ll wait for you bud, okay?” Gunter gave a small head nod before he lazily picked himself up and went to go grab his stuff. In reality it was literally just your phone that he had left on the kitchen counter. Once everyone agreed they were ready to head out, Dorian said they could take his car since it was bigger and he’d drive them there. Skylar could take the front seat and Gunter could lay down in the back if he wanted to rest some more, which he did.

When they hit the road, they heard the quiet, peaceful slumbering of Gunter and that was what filled the car for a while. It was nice, it felt homey almost. It was easy for Skylar and Dorian to zone out while they sat with their thoughts. Neither cared about the radio or Gunters snoring, they couldn’t focus on much besides the thoughts that ran through their mind. After driving for god knows how long, Dorian broke the silence.
“Skylar, I'll tell them.” As soon as Dorian spoke, Skylar refocused her attention on him and made a displeased face as his words caught up with her brain.
“N-no. It’s okay Dorian. Like I said, I was the start of all this so they deserve to hear the news from me.” She stuttered out, trying to prove her point. It was futile though. Skylar knew that when Dorian was hard set on something, very little could break his determination. He gave a small head shake before speaking.

“You’ve been through enough. The both of you have. Let me handle this.”

The drive continued despite Skylar wanting to argue. Oh well. When the time came to it, she’d pick herself up and say it before Dorian could. He didn’t deserve to hurt himself more by sharing the news. She believed that since she was the origin of all this, she deserved to deliver the heartbreaking news. Wow. The kid really was right. They all did blame themselves severely, in one way or another. Speaking of the kid, Skylar glanced in the backseat at the young boy sleeping. She couldn’t imagine someone as young as him having to witness first hand what happened to you. He deserved a break the most.

After driving for a while, Skylar found that they were stationed in the spot Dorian parked at earlier that morning. Speaking of the time, it seemed to be 1 in the afternoon. She realized that the three of them had slept for quite a while and another thing to note was that the club Dorian worked at didn’t seem to be open. If they were going to talk to Eddie and Volt, Skylar was confused as to why they would be at the club when it’s closed. They weren’t the owners of the club so them being here was a surprise. Dorian seemed to notice her confused look because he gave an amused snort before answering her unspoken question.

“The two of them are good friends with the owners so they’re allowed free entry whenever.” Skylar made a “ooohhh” sound as she began to get out of the car. The two of them debated whether or not to wake the kid but they eventually did, if only so he could eat. As soon as all of them were out of the car, Dorian led them in through the side door he used to exit earlier in the morning. Once inside the building Gunter let out a tired moan once again. Skylar and Dorian smiled lightly before Dorian informed the kid that he could eat once they were inside.

The further inside they went, the more awake Gunter became. His sleepy state was beginning to wear off as they ventured further into the club. He wasn’t ever planning on going to one but now that he was inside, even though it wasn’t open, he found it was pretty cool in there. The lights weren’t obscene and the area seemed spacious enough. Sooner or later, they made their way to the bar and Gunter saw 2 individuals seemingly lounging about. One man with gorgeous white hair, flowing down his back and shoulders whilst the other man had short black hair that looked, honestly, really soft. Gunter was silent as he took in the two of them. You had mentioned an Eddie and Volt before and mentioned that they were attractive but it honestly didn’t compare. Now Gunter wasn’t someone who was into romance much, he’d much prefer being friends instead of getting into a relationship but oh boy…oh boy oh boy oh boy. Why was it that these 2 were so…fine??

Gunter decided not to dwell on these thoughts anymore as the two individuals whipped their heads at their arrival. Gunter saw the white haired one tuck his hands into his pockets before striding over.

“Dorian my friend! To what do we owe this pleasure?” He asked, in a very theatrical like tone. His gaze shifted over to Skylar before his smile got even wider. He took his arms out of his pockets and raised them, offering a hug as a greeting. Skylar beamed back and accepted easily.
“Skylar dear! Now isn’t this a lovely surprise.” Skylar nuzzled herself even more into the hug. “Good to see you again too.”
In the hug, the white haired one's eyes glanced over at Gunter. Gunter himself began panicking once again like how he did when he met Dorian for the first time. Why were these men so intimidating? Volt stepped back from the hug and made his way over to Gunter. He began tensing up, bracing for maybe a harsh greeting or a snarky look but what he didn’t expect was a polite hand reaching in front of him.

“And who might you be young one?” The man asked in a friendly tone. Gunters entire body changed as he realized, like Dorian, this man was not at all scary like how he seemed but instead a secret sweetheart. Yeah he can see why you liked these guys. He extended his own arm and returned the handshake as he spoke. “Name’s Gunter. And I’m gonna take a wild stab and guess that your name is…Volt..?”

Volt seemed taken aback for a moment before smiling smugly and sticking his hands in his pockets once more. “Now how might you know that?” Gunter stuck out his tongue, feeling a bit mischievous as he said, “That’s a secret.”
Volt let out a small laugh as he led the group over to where the other man was stationed. This must be Eddie, thought Gunter. He seemed a little standoffish and more reserved if he were to guess off his body language. That was fine, Gunter could work with that.

Eddie waved at the three of them as they came closer. Volt offered the three of them seats which they took graciously. As they sat down, Eddie offered a simple Hey as a greeting. As everyone sat down again, it was no surprise that Volt struck up conversation once more.
“So, what is it exactly that brings you here? Dorian I can understand, but you Skylar, why I haven’t seen you in ages. What have you been doing?”
Skylar tucked a strand behind her ear as she continued maintaining a positive attitude. “Oh you know~” She began, “Helping others out, just mingling around.” Volt let out an amused snort as he responded with, “Of course.” He then turned his attention once more to Gunter and even though Gunter had begun getting more comfortable with everyone, the spotlight on him, especially from intimidating people, was scary.

“And I can’t forget about this one. Gunter you said? What is someone as young as you doing here?” Volt asked, leaning an elbow on the bartop and resting his head atop it. Just as Gunter was about to respond, he was cut off by a noise. A rather embarrassing one, in his opinion.
The sound of his stomach rumbling cut off anything he wanted to say and he felt the need to bury his head in his hands and just simply never look anyone in the eye. He got part of his wish as he immediately tucked his head upon hearing the embarrassing sound but he also heard what he thought was Skylar laughing and maybe Volt as well.

“Well then, looks like someone's hungry. I do believe we can find something to eat. Isn’t that right Eddie?” Volt asked, drawing his gaze over to Eddie. Eddie himself had a dark gaze in his eyes as he let out a low, “Volt.” Volt, to his credit, either didn’t seem to notice or didn’t seem to care. Eddie sighed loudly as he began speaking. “You know just because we’re allowed to be in here during closing days doesn’t mean we can just raid this place for food.” Volt looked at him and gave him a playful grin as he said, “Oh yeah? When has that ever stopped us?” Gunter could see Eddie fighting back a smile at that. Eddie closed his eyes, gave another sigh, and turned around briskly, calling out over his shoulder, “Fine. If the owners get mad at us, you're doing the talking!” Volt continued smiling, this time though, his grin turned into something sweet, something loving. “I always do darling.”

As Eddie walked away, Gunter couldn’t help but voice the curious thoughts eating at his mind.
“So…you both are married right?” He asked, referring obviously to Volt and Eddie. Volt’s body simply stopped moving as he turned his head slowly to look at Gunter. For a moment, Gunter was worried he’d be mad before he heard Skylar let out a cackle like laugh. He looked at Dorian as well and saw that Dorian was trying (and failing) to hide the ever growing smile on his face. When he looked back at Volt, he saw the man had a look of adoration on his face. He let out a small laugh and a head shake before speaking. “No. At least not yet.”
The group then fell into simple small talk. Nothing serious, they definitely hadn’t talked about why they were here in the first place, they just made conversation.

When Eddie came back, he had brought a plate of noodles. No real toppings, just ramen. Dorian eyed the food carefully before looking up at Eddie. “Thought you only knew how to make drinks.” Eddie, his face still mostly blank, just answered simply. “Well someone has to know how to cook.” Volt let out an offended noise at the prospect that he didn’t know how to cook and that was where the conversation continued. As everyone spoke, Gunter wasn’t really listening. Too busy focusing on the delicious meal in front of him and also too busy thinking of the horror that would plague their faces when they finally revealed why they were there. He couldn’t help but think that their nice and welcoming attitude would drop in the blink of an eye once they were told the news.
Dorian noticed that the kid was more tense than he was earlier and he felt his heart hurt at the sight. This poor child was too young to have to go through this. Now, Dorian wasn’t really one for physical contact, preferring acts more so than touch but he figured the kid could use some comfort right now. He gently placed his hand (the one that wasn’t using a utensil to eat) on Gunter's back and gave a light pat and rub. Gunter’s wide eyes looked into his eyes for a moment before they softened and he let out a quiet, “Thank you.”

Dorian wouldn’t say he did all that much, wouldn’t even really say he did anything at all, but if the kid was okay, then so was he. Maybe he was starting to do right by you.

Just then, another voice rang out through the building, “Hey hey hey! Who was gonna tell me there was a party going on in here?!” Dorian’s head whipped around so quickly to figure out who just spoke before it landed on someone. A man with black hair and a construction-like outfit appeared before them. Dorian let his posture slouch just a bit as he recognized the guy. He noticed the Gunter was looking at this new guy in confusion and slight fear. Oh well, Tony would introduce himself sooner or later.

“Tony!” Skylar called out, getting off her seat and going over to give a hug to Tony. Tony’s smile brightened as he opened his arms and hugged Skylar back. “Hey doll. It’s been a minute.” Okay, Gunter thought. This guy's name is Tony. He recalls you mentioning him but he doesn’t exactly remember who he was. As Skylar let go of the hug, Tony slung an arm around her as he made his way over to the bar top. “And to think I was getting good treatment from these two. What the hell man, you didn’t make me something?” Tony said, talking to Eddie and gesturing to the bowls of ramen that were sitting around.
Eddie rolled his eyes. “I’m not your servant.” He said simply. Tony made a choked off noise as he flailed his arms around once more. “Not my- YOU MADE EVERYONE ELSE ONE?!?”
Eddie said nothing, turning his back to him and grabbing something off the shelves. When he turned back around, he had a bottle of alcohol in one hand and a glass cup in the other. “Anyone want a drink? Besides Tony.” Tony yelled out a, “HEY!” to Eddie's quip which Eddie ignored.

Tony ended up getting a drink even though he was still miffed about earlier. As he sipped his drink, he noticed someone who wasn’t drinking anything. There was this young boy, emo looking, and who was staring off into space. Tony raised an eyebrow at him and pointed. “Who’s kid is this?” Everyone in the room turned to look at Gunter as he was snapped out of his daze. His face was shocked, not expecting to be called out like that. Dorian took one look at his frozen expression before speaking. “His names Gunter.” Tony turned his one eyebrow raised expression to Dorian as he asked yet another question. “Okay. He your kid?”

Dorian made an exasperated look and made sure Tony knew just how stupid that question was. Before he could say anything though, he was interrupted by Gunter. “Uh n-no. Sorry uhm…actually I was an object before. Like all of you. I belonged to y/n…”
Everyone’s faces besides Skylar and Dorian’s seemed to morph into that of shock.
“Oh.” Tony said simply. As everyone's jaw was still on the floor, Volt, again, broke it with a wide beaming smile. “Ahh. How is our live wire? I do believe we haven’t seen them in ages. I’d love to go out drinking again.” Tony was next, his face turning to that of excitement as he took in Volt’s words. “Holy shit yeah. Maybe we could all go out clubbing here or something. I haven’t talked to them in months!”

As Volt and Tony talked about the possibilities of all of you going clubbing, Eddie noticed the atmosphere in the room shift. As he took in Skylar and Dorian’s faces, he saw that they had fallen. Skylar’s eyes looked like they were close to tears, her lips pursed as if trying to not let out a sob. Dorian’s face was normally stone cold but even this was different. His face looked the same as it normally would but Eddie could see the sadness in his eyes, like he did something wrong, like he had failed. Eddie scrunched up his face as he took in their expressions.
“What?” He asked. Volt and Tony, having heard Eddie’s question, turned their attention to Skylar and Dorian, now noticing that the two of them looked distressed. Skylar, to her credit, wiped her eyes as soon as she heard Eddie’s question. She opened her mouth to respond, but Dorian beat her to it.

“Something happened with y/n. Something bad. You guys might be in danger so I suggest you find somewhere to camp out for a while or join us.” Tony shook his head in disbelief as Dorian’s words sunk in.
“W-what? Whad’ya mean something happened? Whad’ya mean we’re in danger?” He asked. Dorian turned his eyes to stare straight into Tony’s.
“I mean, there are people who want to hurt us. So either you can come with us to stay safe or you can let us take you somewhere safe. Your choice.”

This time, Volt interrupted, seemingly not caring about what Dorian just said. “But our live wire…they’re okay right?” Dorian didn’t say anything, just looked away from the three of them. Eddie, having been silent up until now, spoke. His voice low and dangerous, it reminded Gunter of how Dorian had spoken just earlier that morning. “Dorian. They’re okay. Right?” Dorian let out a sigh and brought a hand to rake through his hair. Eddie let out a low noise, something akin to a growl. His hands, which were clenching the alcohol bottle, were gripped so tight that if he were to squeeze anymore, the thing might break.
Volt, noticing Eddie’s rise in anger tried to butt in. “W-well…at least they’re alive.” When no one, not even Skylar, said anything, that was when the three boys started to panic. Truly, deeply, panic.

“They-...they’re alive…right?” Tony asked, his normal egotistical demeanor having dissipated. His arms had gone from holding his drink, to being crossed in front of his chest. He didn’t have a look of anger or hatred, just fear. Apparently Dorian’s silence was all that was needed for Eddie.
“You’re lying.” He snarled. His hands still clutched the bottle tightly as his eyes bore daggers into Dorian. Skylar, now deciding to step in, tried to mediate the rising tension in the room. “Eddie he’s-”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP.” He yelled. He had raised both his hands and slammed them down on the counter top. If Gunter wasn’t busy flinching, he would’ve marveled at the fact that the bottle didn’t break. Skylar gave a flinch as well but all Dorian gave was a wince. Gunter didn’t like seeing these people yell at each other. He had to do something about this. He had brought your phone out and tried to talk to Eddie as he went to go find the video you made for these guys.
“L-look man…they-they’re not lying. I know it hurts and I know it’s hard to-”
“No one’s fucking talking to you. YOU’RE NOT APART OF THIS.” Eddie snapped. His anger turned towards Gunter as he yelled. Gunter gave another flinch as Eddie had now stepped closer to him. Skylar, ever the mediator, stood up, prepared to stop Eddie if he did anything.

“EDDIE! He’s just a kid! He didn’t do anything!” She said, slamming her arms down in a similar fashion to how Eddie did moments ago. Eddie snapped his gaze over to her and continued staring her down as he made his way around the bar top. “I don’t know why you came here but I know for a FACT that your fucking with me. Why you think this is funny, I don’t know. Just leave. Get the fuck outta here.” He said as he stormed his way out the door. Skylar’s face was left stunned and then she turned around to face Volt, seemingly remembering that he was still here. Volt had already stood up and began to make his way to where Eddie had stormed out. Skylar tried to reach her hand out to stop him. “Wait Volt-”

Volt turned around quickly, scaring Skylar and making her flinch her arm back. “I don’t know why you’re doing this but don’t follow us. Don’t come after us until you’ve fixed whatever's wrong in your head.” He said lowly as he turned his attention back around, calling out for Eddie.
Skylar stood in her spot, stunned. As she heard a chair scoot, she realized that one final person hadn’t left yet. Tony. She hurriedly rushed back towards the bar top, trying to stop Tony from leaving. “WAIT! Tony-” She began. Tony cut her off as he raked a hand through his own hair. “Look I…I got a lot to think about alright. Just-...just call me later or something alright?” He said as he also began to make his way toward the door. Dorian gave him a look, not really moving to stop him.

“We’re not lying.” He said. Tony gave him a sympathetic look. “Yeah sure…look maybe i’ll call you later okay? I’ve i’m in trouble i’ll ring ya. Just…just close up when you're done here alright? I don’t want anyone nagging my ass for leaving.” As he gave his final words, he exited the building, just leaving Skylar, Dorian and Gunter in silence. Skylar retook her seat at the bar as the three of them sat in silence.
After a couple of minutes, Gunter spoke.
“Well…that could have certainly gone better.”
Skylar let out a laugh that wasn’t at all humorous.
“Yeah. It certainly could have.”
Dorian said nothing as he reached over the top and grabbed the bottle of alcohol that was still out. He poured more into his cup silently and then took a swig.
Welp. Time for someone else.

—---------------------------

TIME:???
LOCATION:???

“You’re not going to make a noise okay? We’re gonna go to their place and you are going to do what we say or else.”
You gave the person an unimpressed look.
“Or else what?” They clearly weren’t expecting that response if the choked noise they gave was anything to go by.
“Uh…uh or else…OR ELSE WE’LL KILL YOU!” They screamed, trying to sound menacing. You held back your snort as they spoke. God these people were not professional AT ALL.
“Didn’t you say you needed me for your “secret plan” or something?”
“They’ve got you there man.”
“SHUT UP KENNY. Look, you're gonna do what we say or we’re gonna hurt your little friends alright?”
You stared at the person. These people were all talk, no bite. Besides, there was already a plan cooking up in your head. You knew just what to do.

“Fine. Whose place are we going to again?”