Chapter Text
It was so humid that I had either fallen asleep in the sauna again or my sorry ass had been knocked out and dragged out to the middle of a rainforest. That was my gut feeling anyway. I heard birds, but that could’ve very easily been some of that stupid ambient music Charles set up to promote ‘self-care’. Absolute bullshit if you ask me.
“Ah, William?”
“Shut it, Dickface, I’m trying to sleep.”
“Trying to…hmm…yes, sure.”
I felt a tug on my wrist, but still refused to open my eyes. “Turn that shit off; I have a headache.”
“I don’t hear any music.”
I rubbed my face, rolling over to my side. “Pretty sure I’m not hallucinating a fucking waterfall.”
By that point, he was silent. But still there, annoyingly close. I could feel him mere inches from my back like that was a normal thing to do. To lay with me on the floor of a sauna. Or a forest. Still hadn’t bothered to check.
“Mind giving me some space, Knubbler?”
“I…I can’t really do that.”
That got me to finally open my eyes. I looked down at my wrist, which was connected to a chain. And below me was a ground covering of plants.
I stared down at the dirt as if it would jog my memory. “Must’ve drank a ton last night.”
“I believe we were drugged.”
I sat up with a labored push off the ground, holding my shackled arm in front of me despite the resistance from Knubbler. His movement was much more clumsy; he slammed into my arm like I had dragged him there at high speeds.
I grumbled and angrily shoved him away, but that didn’t do much good. My arm was just jerked to the side as he tumbled away.
I glanced over at him with furrowed brows. His body tilted, saved by the chain, and his stupid bob swayed messily to the side as he placed his free hand down to steady himself.
“Drugged, huh? Ugh, fucking typical…”
“Does this happen to you a lot, dear?”
“Eh, you know. Not usually shackled to prissy dicks, though.”
He ignored my comment, continuing as cheery as ever. “Well, I certainly won’t be the one chopping off my hand. I’ve seen others do that before, and it does not look fun.”
“You got a knife?”
His surprise and curiosity seemed genuine, enough to make me let out a dry laugh. It took an extra moment for him to decipher my expression. “Ah. Sarcasm. So, I’ll take it that neither one of us is willing to do the deed. Then, I guess we better get moving.”
I didn’t want to agree with him, but what other choice did I have? I stood up, rolling my shoulders and rubbing over my face. “Do the deed, huh?”
“It’s an expression.”
“I would, in no exaggeration, do the deed with everyone on earth before you, Knubbler.”
The little LEDs on his eyes blinked and whirred around like they were loading before they returned to normal. “Ah. Is that what that means?”
I simply grunted in response as I led us in a random direction.
“Shouldn’t we follow the water?”
“I’m not trying to go to the damn ocean.”
He hummed softly in response as he tried to keep at my pace while stepping over thick roots. “We might need to hunt. If mutilation is off the table, I’d assume cannibalism is as well.”
I did a slow turn to him, taking in his unnaturally calm grin. “You’re fucking weird, Knubbler, you know that?”
He went to clasp his hands together, but one only made it halfway as I stood my ground. He noticed this, the LEDs flicking down for a moment before he decided to hold his hands in front of his shoulder. “I suggest we fish. I don’t see us having the best chances tackling a bear.”
I glanced behind him at the stream we’d woken up next to. I plodded over to it, staring down into the rushing water. “Don’t see any.”
“Not there, silly! Further down…there must be, oh what’s it called? A delta, I think…somewhere around here.”
He walked ahead, now tugging me along. “You better not take me somewhere stupid.”
“No more stupid than wandering deeper into the forest!”
“Excuse me?”
“Just saying, dear.”
“Fucker,” I grumbled under my breath, getting a chuckle in return. “Hey, ya trying to piss me off, Knubbler?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then I suggest you shut your mouth.”
His body rocked ever so slightly as he walked, lighter than ever. He hummed in response, as if to acknowledge me without words. His free arm swayed like it was a branch in the breeze while his fingers tapped against his leg like they were searching for something to latch onto.
As the minutes dragged on, I drifted into boredom. Without conversation to distract me, I started to notice the little details: the strong smell of his froufrou perfume mixed with some pretentious wine that I doubted was any better than the boxed shit, the taste of my stale, morning breath, and the sight of his cinched waist fit snugly into a dark red button-up.
I chewed on my lip as my gaze drifted off into the scenery. Anything was better than focusing on his backside or the metal digging into my wrist. “So, what do you remember last?”
“Before we got drugged? Um, let me think…I believe I was in my office.”
“Someone must’ve snuck in.”
“Or it was an inside job.”
“Inside…” It took a moment of confusion before frustration rose in my voice. “Ain’t one of the guys; that’d be fucked.”
“I believe that we shouldn’t rule out any possibility at this point.”
“Yeah?” I asked, indignant. “Maybe you did it.”
He froze, turning on a heel to face me. The pupils of his LEDs shone red, but he still had his signature smile. “You think I did this?”
“Why not?” I stepped closer to him, getting right in his face. “Any possibility, right?”
“Any sane one. William, listen to yourself.”
“Why the two of us? And why these stupid handcuffs?” I grumbled, raising my hand and shaking it a little, making the chain rattle.
“You think I want to be out here?” He emoted with his arms, throwing them out dramatically. “You know what? It sounds like the kind of adventure you’d love.”
“Oh, does it, Knubbler?”
“Any possibility.” His words bit through his smaller, more smug smile. He talked with such fervor that his spit flew onto my cheek. Right?”
I wiped it off, rubbing my gross hand down his nice, clean shirt.
He grabbed the neckline of my tank and snarled at me. I felt like a bulldog getting barked at by a chihuahua. And I wanted to fight back, wanted to put the prissy ass Dick in his place.
But then I noticed the little details. The way the corners of his mouth faltered and his LEDs turned yellow. I didn’t know much, but I’d seen road signs. Caution.
With a heavy sigh, I untensed my shoulders. “Knubbler, look. I don’t like being out here either. It fucking sucks. I’m sweaty, and hungry, and my wrist hurts…just don’t accuse the guys, alright? Really pissed me off.”
“Ah, yes, alright.” He looked down at his fist, still clutched to my shirt, and then back up to me. “I’m very uh…very overheated as well.”
We stood in awkward silence as he slowly unclenched his hand, letting it linger long enough to make me blush.
I cleared my throat, and he retracted his arm. “So, where’s this delta?”