Due to being ahead of schedule, I decided to post a chapter today (next chapter will be posted Saturday). Also included a deleted scene that I began to write before deleting it out the story as a special (late) Halloween treat.
~CWA
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Danny Fenton
GoGo's words still stick with me, even if it's been a few weeks since she said them. But it's hard to believe that Tadashi will get it anytime soon, especially since he's been nothing but difficult now. Every bit of progress we made is just undone. It just went back to the way it was before, which I know is making everyone in the lab frustrated- I'm still not going to ask Fred about the betting ring he's obviously made with some of the other people at the lab about Tadashi and I.
Every single day the past few weeks is just petty pranks. Vicious words. Sly comments. Going out of each other's way to make the other frustrated. Hell, I even go to the cafeteria just to take the last of his favorite sandwich to bother him or play obnoxious music. Plant little bugs in his lab so it plays songs like suck a dick and the penis song on an endless loop.
And it's not just me. Tadashi is playing a big part in our little feud too. Ignoring me. Making side-comments that just lead to us fighting. The more and more we're in so much as the same room, the more patience I begin to lose.
I let out another frustrating grunt as I hit the punching bag. The anger and frustration of it all has been building up over the week to the point if I don't get it out somehow, I'll explode. Meditating can only do so much. My anger flows through my body to my fist and each punch causes the punching bag to shake a bit unnaturally from the sheer force of each hit.
It's three o'clock in the morning, but it is a 24 hour gym so it's not like it's illegal. But it is pretty empty. A.D. is here, though, sort of. We may or may not have had a bit of a one-night stand in the gym's showers earlier this week, but A.D. acts as if it never really happened since they have continued to just talk to me nicely and politely without bringing it up. I think they knew that I was just using them to help with my frustration, but if it bothered them, they haven't shown it. Right now, however, A.D. is just passed out at the counter, using a slightly too small hoodie (which suspiciously looks like one of GoGo's) as a pillow with a small trail of drool trailing along their jawline as they slumber peacefully. Considering they have yet to wake up, they're easily the heaviest sleeper I've known.
"No flapjacks for you Dracula," A.D. mumbles slightly as they shift.
Well. Heaviest sleeper as well as a sleep-talker anyway. Whatever they're dreaming about, I'm not sure and I don't think I want to know because so far I've heard things like that tickles, Yoda we must save the world, Oprah I'd be honored, yes it is easy to live my dream Ellen and my ever-favorite, you're not my real dad, Mr. Springer, and I'm not gonna star in your show.
I've used my little 'trick' already to temporary disable the cameras in case I let go a bit too far. The odds of that happening are rather high, all because of Tadashi. I grind my teeth slightly as I continue furiously hitting the already slightly beaten down punching bag.
Sometimes it seems like it's hard to care for someone who makes things hard sometimes, but you never really stop caring about them.
With one last furious punch, pouring a bit more of my energy into it, the punching bag comes off the hook and falls to the ground. I stand there a bit out of breath considering I've been hitting it for at least the past two hours. My fists are a bit raw and I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my half-dead veins. I take short, deep breaths trying to get myself under control. I can feel the cold sweat soaking through my shirt, but my body is still cold to the touch due to my ghostly core.
I… I feel better though. Physical exercise like this is just misplaced aggression, but it works. At least, it works for my anger. My mind still drifts back to Tadashi and I hate to admit just how much it pains me that we're back to fighting. Even pains me more to admit just how much I miss him, talking to him, making him laugh. Hell, at this point, I don't even know how much progress has been made with Baymax.
The bell signaling someone else entering the gym grabs my attention as I turn my head. The cold sweat is dripping down my face and I wipe some of it off my brow with a tired look in my eyes. I absently grab the small nearby towel and dab my neck and face as I look at the newcomer. But as soon as it really hits me who it is, my face drops.
Tadashi.
He seems a bit hesitant, looking around with cautious eyes, lingering on the 'owner' asleep at the counter before his attention goes to the punching bag on the floor before he finally looks at me. I'm sure I'm not exactly the most pleasant looking right now. Sweaty. Out of breath. Not to mention the possible lingering anger that's likely still showing on my face. God, I'm a wreck.
Somehow, I manage to give him a wry, cautious smile.
"So I guess ignoring me at the lab wasn't enough?"
Tadashi visibly winces as he swallows down the lump in his throat. He takes a small step forward, struggling with what to say before he finally lets out a sigh.
"I… I came here to apologize."
I raise a small skeptic eyebrow,
"At three in the morning?"
To my surprise, he doesn't huff. He doesn't give me attitude. He doesn't even get mad at the dismissive tone in my voice. Instead, he gives me a sheepish grin with a small blush forming on his face as he scratches at the back of his neck.
"I… I was afraid if I waited till morning I'd chicken out," he admits sheepishly, "I went to your dorm first, but you weren't there. Wasabi wasn't there either so I figured he was with Jade so I called GoGo. She told me you might be here and even gave me her member pass to get in at this hour…. So yeah… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've been a dick. I'm sorry for what I said and the way I've been acting."
He coughs a bit uncomfortably, shifting the weight of his feet slightly. He still has a nervous expression on his still flushed face, eying me cautiously to see if he's going to be forgiven. My face softens slightly as I see the nerd necklace I got him for Christmas peaking up from under his shirt slightly. But I don't answer in time, causing him to continue.
"-I mean, I love my family so much and I don't want anything to happen to Hiro or to Aunt Cass and I just- I saw you with Hiro and I… I don't want him learning this stuff because, whether ghosts are real or not, it can be so dangerous and I don't want that life for him and then… You also kinda went behind my back. And that hurt. So I got angry and defensive and-"
"-And now you've come to your senses," I chime in amusement at his little rant, causing him to flush even more.
"-Actually GoGo kinda knocked some sense into me," he corrects, "...Quite literally, I may add, and she has a mean right hook."
He rubs his arm a bit thoughtfully, wincing at just the memory of it. I can believe it. GoGo doesn't come to the gym for nothing, she's actually pretty fit. I guess she has to be to able to go as fast as she does on a bike. Plus a part of me believes she just wants to be able to beat the hell out of someone if she has to. Tadashi is still pretty flushed from his little rant as he shuffles on his feet, causing me to smile a bit as I take a step forward.
I clasp his shoulder gently,
"I'm sorry too, 'Dashi, I haven't exactly been cooperative either…. So tell ya what, we head to that nifty 24 diner I saw nearby and get some waffles. My treat."
Even if the waffles may give me some serious food poisoning later, it'd totally be worth it if it means putting back together what friendship and sort-of-romance Tadashi and I have. Tadashi relaxes instantly, the worry and stress draining from his face as he looks up at me with thankfulness.
"You know what? That sounds pretty good. But only if we can get some tea to go with it."
I let out a small laugh at his words, tossing my head back with it as I pat him on the shoulder.
"What? No coffee," I tease, nudging him lightly as I grab my gym bag.
"It's three in the morning, I don't think either of us can exactly handle coffee right now," Tadashi says dryly.
We both begin to head toward the door, laughing a bit to ourselves with our arms draped across each other in a sort of side-hug as we walk in a way that only drunks or couples do. Apologies, it seems, can really go a long way when you mean it. Because being like this now, I would have never thought that just days ago we were muttering curses at each other in a petty fight. It's like none of that ever happened. I guess that's how it is sometimes when you care about someone.
As we pass the counter where A.D. is still sleeping, I stop briefly and let go of Tadashi to knock on the counter loudly. The sudden loud noise startles A.D. as they let out a yelp and tumble a bit to the floor. Considering the transmale (who has made it clear after my third time here that they like they/them pronouns or he/him pronouns) wears two inch spiked heels even here at the gym, I imagine that the tumble could have hurt.
They recover quickly as they shoot up, their eyes frantic with a messy look about them. What hair they do have, since most of it shaved short, is all over the place, their glasses are crooked, and their shirt is disheveled. Not to mention the bags forming under their eyes.
"I'm up, I'm up!"
A.D. fixes their glasses and wipes the drool away with their hand with a mildly disgusted expression. Tadashi quirks an eyebrow at me slightly, wondering why I woke the obviously sleep-deprived person up, but I just give him my best eh expression. Somehow or another, my hand has snaked its way back around his shoulders as we stand in front of the counter, but he doesn't seem to notice or mind it.
"A.D., I'm heading out. Try not to stay here all night."
They huff a bit as they work on fixing their shirt and hair.
"I don't stay here all night," A.D. tries to deny, with a small whine.
"Yes you do. But I digress. 'Dashi and I are going to go get waffles, wanna join us?"
Would it be a bit awkward? Possibly. Especially since A.D. was more or less kind of a rebound, but what can I say? A.D. is a good person, a bit crazy sometimes and very open about their thoughts, opinions and flirtatious comments, but they are a nice person. I feel kinda bad just leaving them here all night, especially since I've noticed that they don't really seem to go anywhere. It seems every time I've come in, no matter what time it was, they were around doing something in the gym or sleeping.
A.D. eyes my hand around Tadashi cautiously with a bit of hesitant before they just shrug.
"Normally, I wouldn't say no to waffles, especially since random food trips are kind of my thing, but I'd hate to interrupt whatever this is between you two cuties, so I'm gonna say no."
Tadashi flushes at A.D.'s words, stuttering a bit but doesn't move to get away from my grasp. A.D. just watches with a bit of amusement, but I'm not fazed.
"You have to get out of the gym sometime, don't think I've noticed that you only spend your time here," I point out a bit accusingly.
A.D. pouts at my words,
"If you're worried that much, I'll go call GoGo up and we can do something later. The girl's an absolute blast to hang with and it's always funny seeing her call out other people's bullshit in public…. Granted, that's something we have common. But you two have fun."
A.D. waves us both off and after a second of hesitation, I just shrug with a small ah well and head out. But we don't make it out the door before A.D. calls out to us,
"And remember to use a condom!"
Damn it.
DELETED SCENE
Because of the lack of other people in the windowless gym and A.D. is fast asleep without a care in the world, my shirt is already discarded into my bag to make for easier movements and so I don't soak it when I start to sweat. My night's been filled with nothing but nightmares and flashbacks of the horror of the Battle of Amity so I figure this at least a semi-productive way of getting out my frustration.
I've used my little 'trick' already to temporary disable the cameras in case I let go a bit too far. The odds of that happening are rather high, all because of Tadashi. I grind my teeth slightly as I continue furiously hitting the already slightly beaten down punching bag.
Sometimes it seems like it's hard to care for someone who makes things hard sometimes, but you never really stop caring about them.
With one last furious punch, pouring a bit more of my energy into it, the punching bag comes off the hook and falls to the ground. I stand there a bit out of breath considering I've been hitting it for at least the past two hours. My fists are a bit raw and I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my half-dead veins. I take short, deep breaths trying to get myself under control.
"….Oh my god…. Danny…?"
The voice causes me to tense as I stand up straight. My shoulders square with my feet and my jaw clenches as I see Tadashi enter the gym. My hands twitch at my sides slightly, unsure as to how he even found out I'm here.
"Wasabi called me when he woke up to find you gone without even leaving a note," Tadashi continues, his voice is a bit soft, "...GoGo was the one who told me you might be here and thanks to her card, I was able to get in but I didn't expect…. God, Danny…What happened..."
His voice trails off as his eyes get a bit wide and misty. His attention is directly on my torso, taking in every scrape, every scar, every single little detail with a sharp breath. I know it's not a pretty sight. It's probably pretty grotesque from the scarring tissue running the skin around the deeper, more pronounced scars. His hands clench at his sides and I see the lump forming in his throat as he tries to hold back emotions.
"...Still think ghosts don't exist, Dashi," I end up muttering a bit sourly, my face scrunching up into a scowl, "...I told you they were dangerous."
