Title: Devil In The Details

Author: Donnie

Fandom: The Blair Witch Game

Setting: Black Hills Forest

Pairing: Carver/Ellis Lynch

Characters: Carver, Ellis Lynch, Jess, Bullet, The Witch

Genre: Angst/Romance

Rating: K

Chapters: 1/1

Word Count: 676

Type Of Work: One-Shot

Status: Complete

Warnings: Gay, Slash, Yaoi, MLM, Selfcest, Angst, Mentions of Psychological Health, Cuddling

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: Ellis received an early phone call and Carver had to pick up the pieces.

AN: Hey guys, it's me again! Just thought I ought to say, if you want vague updates and to talk to me more, I have Twitter and Tumblr, too! Twitter is Sunnywritings, and Tumblr is Writteninsunshine! I also have a writing Discord that is currently pretty dead. xD I can PM it to people who want it on FFN, for everyone else, it's here: /FyaWw25

So, I've wanted to write something for this game for like, a year, and hadn't. I finally decided to find a good prompt and do something with these two, as I've shipped them since the first time I watched a playthrough. I understand it's selfcest but I don't really want to hear it. Anyway, onto the fic!

Devil In The Details

A bear woke from slumber, Carver jolted forward and frowned as he took in the clearly ringing phone. He wondered, somewhere deep inside, if She was still playing games with Ellis, or if he was actually getting a call this deep in the woods.

"Wake up, Ellis." Carver's gruff voice hit the air like a chainsaw in the early hours of the morning as he sat up more comfortably, rubbing his head as a wide yawn broke his lips. When the younger man didn't stir even remotely, he shoved his shoulder roughly, eyes narrowing, "I said wake up, Ellis."

Much like a cat's first priority upon waking, Ellis' slim body stretched outward, arms above his head and legs straight out. Blinking suddenly as his vibrating, ringing phone was placed in his hands, Ellis answered it without thinking.

"Hey, Jess. I… I'm okay."

Carver wasn't sure what to make of that, listening to Ellis' half of the conversation while considering searching for something to drink. What he wouldn't give to be reminded how coffee used to fuel both of them, despite how long ago it felt since he'd last had it.

"No, yeah, Bullet's good." Bullet was probably the only one of the three of them that was doing fine, laying beside Ellis and panting softly despite the chilly morning air and the dew coating the forest around them. Ellis took a pause, his gaze drifting to Carver for a moment, eyes glassy and distant before he responded again. "Yeah," He tried, his voice just shy of chipper, "I'll be coming home soon."

They both knew that was a lie, and if that really was Jess on the other side of that phone call, Carver had a hunch she didn't believe him, either. Her voice was strained when she replied, though Carver couldn't make out what she had said. Ellis' already drooping face dropped a little more and Carver almost wanted to reach out and smack the phone away, hang it up and hold him. He could feel the sadness, the hopelessness, pouring into himself just the same, just as strongly as it filled Ellis. Not long ago, he'd thought that he had shut that part of him off. Being so close to Ellis must have been affecting him, too.

When the other finally hung up, Carver tugged him close into an embrace, his eyes steely to avoid sharing the watery gaze of his uncorrupted counterpart.

"How many times are they going to let you down before you just walk away, Ellis?" Carver asked, his voice uncharacteristically quiet and strained. How many times had he asked himself that very question? He'd been too forgiving. Ellis still was.

Ellis paused in his arms, before tears dripped down his cheeks, burning new pathways down his skin. Burying his face in Carver's shoulder, he clung to the rotten coat he wore, eyes screwing shut. Carver didn't know how long he held the other close, rubbing his back and trying to make him feel better with his silence, but it felt like an eternity. Had more branches taken root to him? He couldn't tell.

The silence of the forest was unnerving after a while, and when Ellis had stopped shaking and just sat there, motionless with Bullet's tongue lapping at the hand not clinging to Carver's jacket, the elder spoke again.

"They don't care about you."

"Neither do you," Ellis replied softly, his voice broken and rough from tears. Carver could give him that, he supposed, but he didn't know that it was entirely true. He wanted something, and that plan would be dead the minute Ellis wasn't in it.

"I care." Carver told him quietly, pressing his lips to the other's temple, "But maybe not how I should."

"Mm…" Regardless, the comfort was nice even if Ellis knew it wasn't for him. It was to keep him going so whatever Carver planned for him could come to fruition. Still, they remained, folded together for what felt like endless eons, and Ellis was thankful to have another person in his grasp.

AN: Welp, I know it isn't long, but I haven't finished anything in months. Not for a lack of trying, but still, it's been almost four months since I actually finished anything, and I'm glad I could get out anything at all. I'm hoping to try and get more writing done today, that is my overall goal.

Prompt: "How many times are they going to let you down before you just walk away?"