#danvid cc

David: I Scooby-Dooby-Doo.

“That’s strange.”

David frowned as he turned the key in the ignition once more, wincing at the grinding sound the car made. Definitely not a good sound. Sure, his old car was, well, old, but Trusty Rusty had never made a noise like that before. Not to mention it had started just fine when the pair of them had left the house.

“Just one second!” He called to Max in the back seat, unbuckling himself before stepping out of the car to look under the hood.

After a few minutes of waiting with no word from the adult, Max climbed out of the car, with David puzzling over the engine, hand hovering over it as he tried to decide what to do.

“What’s taking so long?” The unexpected question, along with Max’s sudden appearance, made David jump back in surprise, looking over at the young boy.

“Max! You scared me, you were supposed to stay in the car.”

“I got bored waiting.” Max replied, folding his arms. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Uh, well,” David started, one hand resting on his waist while scratching the back of his head with the other, “I’m... not entirely sure. I’m not exactly the most knowledgeable person on cars.”

David admitted that last bit somewhat sheepishly.

“Color me not surprised.” Max sighed, rolling his eyes. “Why don’t you call a tow truck then?”

It would probably be for the best. David was hopeless with cars, and some of the groceries they’d bought needed to be refrigerated.

“In a minute.” David decided, trying to sound confident. “Let me see if this does anything!”

David reached in, hand disappearing amongst the machine, before yelping loudly, jumping away and sucking on his finger, evidently having either burned it or pinched it.

“Okay, maybe we should call a tow truck.” He caved.

Under the harsh glow of the single lamppost in the mostly dark and empty parking lot, neither noticed when a figure approached the two, silent and observant.

“Car troubles?” A familiar voice called out, one that chilled Max’s blood and brought a smile to David’s face.

“Daniel! You happened to show up just in time!” David told the blonde as he walked up to the pair.

“Okay, so he’s also a stalker now.” Max muttered to himself. “Great.”

“My car won’t start and it was running just fine when we left home. I don’t suppose you know anything about cars, so you?” David asked.

“Hm.” Daniel mused to himself as he rested his chin on a bent finger. “I’m afraid I’m no good with mechanics. I don’t suppose you wouldn’t mind letting me just drive you home, would you?”

“We’re calling a tow truck!” Max yelled. “Fuck off!”

“Actually, a ride home sounds terrific!” David replied. “Don’t you think so, Max?”

“Fuck you! I’m not getting in the car with him!” Max shouted, his disapproval with the situation and just how suspicious Daniel’s arrival was being visceral in his voice.

The outburst earned a small frown from David and a glare that went unnoticed by him from Daniel, who smiled again once David turned to face him.

“I’m sorry. I really appreciate the offer, but maybe we should just...” David’s voice trailed off, and his thought was completely forgotten when Daniel pressed a hand to the small of his back, leading him to the trunk of his car while gesturing with the other.

“Nonsense! A tow truck would take too long to get all the way out here, and I’m sure you have some food that needs to stay cold. I live just across from you, driving you there wouldn’t be a burden at all. It would be my pleasure to take you. I insist.”

At the punctuation of his last words, Daniel offered David a reassuring smile, completely ignoring the vehement death glare being shot at him from the young boy still waiting at the front of the vehicle.

“It is rather convenient.” David laughed, which seemed to be all the approval Daniel needed before he started the process of moving David’s purchased goods from his trunk to his own vehicle’s, which wasn’t far away.

“David, are you serious right now? You really want to get in the car of the child killing psychopath?” Max asked, not helping the pair move the groceries.

David sighed, letting the smile he’d tried keeping on his face slip while his arms fell, still keeping a good grip on the bags he was holding.

“Max, I know this isn’t ideal for you, but he offered, and that was kind of him! And we don’t really have any other option.” David admitted. At least no other option that wouldn’t result in spoiled food.

Max wanted to continue to argue, but he knew by that point it was useless. So instead, he trudged over to Daniel’s car - white, how unexpected - passing by the open trunk and to the opposite end of the car so that he wouldn’t have to sit right behind Daniel in the driver’s seat.

As he did, with Daniel placing the last of the groceries into his trunk, Max spotted something.

Tucked into the far corner of his trunk were spark plugs.

Max’s eyes widened at once as his head lifted to look at Daniel, who promptly slammed the trunk shut, glancing sideways at Max with his lips curling into a smile before promptly moving away to get into the car.

Oh this was such a bad idea.

David climbed into the passenger seat, with Max sliding into the rear seat carefully, keeping his eyes on Daniel as he started the car and pulled away into the road.

“I’ll make sure to call the tow truck company first thing in the morning.” David said aloud, trying to fill the tense silence. He didn’t do well with tense situations, if the time the camp inspectors had come by was anything to go on. “No use getting someone to make the trip out here tonight when it isn’t an emergency!”

“I could call them for you, if you’d like.” Daniel spoke up. “I don’t have much planned for tomorrow, and I know you and Max are busy settling back into your home after being gone all summer.”

“Oh! What a thoughtful offer!” David replied. “Max, isn’t that thoughtful?”

“I hate you.” Max responded with, his comment directed at Daniel.

“Okay then!” David laughed anxiously, his grin forced while he looked through the windshield.

Daniel didn’t say anything in retaliation, though Max did notice his icy eyes trained on him in the review mirror, narrowed in detest. As they passed under streetlights, the shadows moved over his face, adding an unnerving sense to the already intimidating man. Max heard him hum after a moment, and could tell by the way they glinted in the mirror that he was smiling now before he turned his gaze back to the road.

“It’s no trouble, David. I’m always happy to help.” He spoke up, using that same all too friendly tone he used back at camp.

“Why thank you.” David said, eager to keep the conversation going after the awkward silence Max’s comment had brought. “We were rather lucky you showed up when you did!”

“Yeah, it’s almost like you sabotaged the car and were just waiting for us.” Max piped up, David’s smile becoming all that more strained.

“Don’t be silly, Max.” Daniel replied coolly. “It’s a small town, we were bound to run into one another. Especially since this is the only grocery store around. It was just a happy coincidence.”

He spoke with clear confidence, and his lie went fully undetected by David.

“Just like you moving in across the street from David was a coincidence?” Max shot back, noticing Daniel’s eyes in the rear view mirror dart to look at him again.

“So!” David spoke up loudly, clapping his hands together and successfully getting the other car passenger’s attention. “Daniel! What have you been up to lately?”

“Besides child murder cult shit. And impersonating David to try and kill me.” Max added dryly, making David slump forward against his seat belt.

“Actually, Max,” Daniel replied calmly, “I left my cult.”

That brought a stunned silence to Max, which David took advantage of.

“Oh! You left your cult? That’s good, great! When did you do that?” David asked, genuinely curious.

“Well, it was a somewhat inevitable decision after I arrived at the hospital.” Daniel explained. “I couldn’t very well stay a part of it after failing in such a spectacular way. Thank you again for all the flowers you brought during your visits.”

David smiled brightly at that, rubbing at his arm before Max’s angry voice from the backseat interrupted the two.

“You visited him?! And brought him flowers?!” It wasn’t a secret that shortly after the whole Daniel fiasco, the first one anyways, David would make a weekly trip out of the camp. When questioned as to the nature of his trips, Gwen had simply responded with that the camp counselor was just visiting some sick friend.

Sure, Max had been suspicious, as he didn’t think David had any friends, but he hadn’t cared too much to tag along. He’d learned his lesson the last time he’d stowed away while David went to town.

Of course, now that Max thought about it, it wasn’t even all that surprising. Given the fact that he and the other campers had all still been under the effects of the sauna at the time of Daniel’s self inflicted poisoning, David would have been the one to call an ambulance for him. And given his all too friendly nature, of fucking course he’d go and visit him.

David had seemed to like Daniel when he first arrived. Maybe a bit more than Max had thought at first. Sure, David could be an idiot, but even he couldn’t have been that stupid to not see all the signs of what Daniel was doing while he was there. It wasn’t until he thought he was being upstaged that he had a problem with the other man.

It was almost like David hadn’t wanted to believe it because he liked Daniel, as adamant as David was against that accusation when Max brought it up afterwards when he’d been shown the newspaper straight up calling Daniel a cultist.

“Of course I visited him!” David’s chipper voice brought Max back to attention, scoffing in the back seat. “I wanted to make sure he recovered.”

“And I appreciated your concern over my wellbeing.” Daniel replied, smiling at his red haired passenger. “I came to look forward to your visits.”

It wasn’t until the car passed under the illumination of another streetlight that Daniel glimpsed the blush dusted across David’s cheeks that had been concealed by the shadows.

“I thought people couldn’t leave their cults?” Max spat out, getting the topic back on point. And according to Daniel, it was that time after his initial visit that he’d decided to come back to kill Max and do God knows what to David. Now that he thought about it, Daniel never did say what he’d planned to do David...

“Generally, they can’t.” Daniel answered tersely. His voice lost its friendly tone he’d been upholding the entire time. “In most circumstances, it isn’t allowed. Especially in mine, considering I’m one of its leaders. Defecting isn’t usually permitted. Not without... consequences.”

Daniel’s voice had gone uncharacteristically grim by the end, making Max raise an eyebrow at him. What did that mean?

The uncomfortable silence once again began to eat away at David, hands twisting around each other in his lap before he blurted out unexpectedly.

“How about some music!” He asked loudly, not waiting for a response from either of the two before turning on the stereo and letting whatever was playing as it came on fill the car.

It was an eerie tune, like slow jazz. The kind that creeped up your spine.

‘Mr. Blue Eyes,

Pour me a drink.

Fill it with poison

And put me to sleep’

Both David and Max stared wide eyed at the stereo before Daniel’s hand moved quickly, jamming the ‘off’ button harshly before his hand returned to the steering wheel, his eyes wide and smile forced.

“How about no.”

For the rest of the car ride, Max sat in silence in the back, ready at a moment’s notice to make a move to leap out of the car.

Eventually, David and Daniel got to talking again, but Max didn’t pay attention, meaning he missed whatever Daniel had said that made his adoptive father start laughing.

Everything Daniel did and said was so calculated. Max had been suspicious enough of his sudden arrival in the parking lot, and seeing the signs of his sabotage in the trunk just confirmed it, not that he needed the proof. The only reason he hadn’t let David know about what he’d seen was the simple fact that they were already in Daniel’s car. He didn’t want to risk him doing anything. He’d let David know once they got home, and were safe. Provided that was actually where the psycho was taking them.

A wave of relief washed over Max when he noticed them turn into the cul-de-sac they all lived on, David’s house coming into view, along with Daniel’s, which brought a grimace to Max’s face.

“And here we are.” Daniel announced, with Max jumping out before the car was even turned off and earning a startled yell from David to be careful.

“Thank you again so much, Daniel!” David told him, with Daniel offering a smile in return.

“You’re very welcome, David. I’d happily do this again for you.”

“I don’t suppose there’s anything I could do to repay you, is there?” David asked, with Max mentally strangling him just for saying that.

“Of course not! This was a favor for a friend.” Daniel told him, earning a warming smile from David.

Max only rolled his eyes, stepping aside so that the two adults could begin unloading the trunk again, with David being the first to walk away, leaving Max alone with Daniel.

“I know you took his spark plugs.” Now that they were by houses, with neighbors that could easily hear Max if he started yelling for help, he felt confident in letting the maniac know exactly what he’d seen before.

Daniel paused as he began lifting bags from the car, smiling coyly.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Max. I told you, I’m no good with mechanics.”

“And yet somehow you managed to build an entire sauna in just a few hours.” Max recalled with mock surprise. Daniel’s neck cracked in an uncomfortable and familiar way as he tilted it, letting his haunting blue eyes rest on Max as he smiled widely.

“Well, I had plenty of practice. But that doesn’t prove I took David’s spark plugs.”

“I can see them in your trunk!” Max shouted, pointing at the evidence, which Daniel tilted his head the other way in response to.

“How do you know those aren’t spares for my car?”

“Because according to you, you’re no good with mechanical stuff, right?” Max sneered back.

“It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.” Daniel answered, smiling at the way Max visibly bristled at his words.

“I don’t know what your game is here, but it won’t work.” Max warned him, making Daniel raise an eyebrow at him, apparently amused. “David isn’t too stupid to see the shit you’re trying to pull. Even if he seems like it!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Daniel simply said, looking up when David started walking back, his green eyes darting between the two.

“Everything is alright I hope?” He asked, stepping up beside Max, his gaze falling from Daniel to him, concern reflected in it.

“Of course, no worries, David. Little Max here and I were just chatting.” Daniel told him, once again offering a reassuring grin.

David seemed to relax somewhat, nodding at the reply before moving to get more groceries, with Max’s voice cutting in after and getting David’s attention again.

“Everything is not alright!” Max yelled. “He took the spark plugs from your car!”

“He’s obviously mistaken.” Daniel interjected before David could even respond. “I happen to have a set in my car, which he noticed, and his predisposition to disliking me has lead him to believe I stole them from yours and that this entire situation was some carefully laid out plan by me. Though to what ends this was to achieve in his mind, I have not the foggiest idea.”

David looked from Daniel to Max, who appeared a bit caught off guard at Daniel having just explained everything he was getting ready to spout, drowning in dismay.

“Max, please, I think that’s a bit far fetched. And this was a nice thing he did. Can you at least thank him?”

“Fuck him!” Max snapped, with David’s resolve more than broken.

“Alright! Well, Daniel, even though you said I didn’t need to repay you, I insist that you have dinner with us tomorrow! It’s the least I could do to thank you for what you did tonight!”

Max’s aghast cry of ‘WHAT?!’ went unnoticed by either men, with Daniel grinning and David looking anxious and tense as he smiled back.

“That sounds wonderful! I gladly accept your offer.” Daniel replied, blue eyes glinting as they shifted down to Max’s stunned expression before moving back to David.

“Perfect! We will see you tomorrow night then!” David said, watching as Daniel carried a good number of the groceries up to his house, blinking and looking at Max when he felt him kick his shin.

“What the fuck was that?!” Max hissed. “When you said you were going to keep an eye on him before, I didn’t think that meant you’d invite him over to fucking dinner!”

“I… may have panicked.” David admitted. “I don’t handle tense or awkward situations well.”

“Oh really?! That shit ain’t news to me!” Max retorted, glaring hard at David when he knelt down to his level.

“Look, I know things aren’t exactly… smooth between you and Daniel.” David began, with Max interjecting with ‘that’s an understatement’, “but he seems to be changing! He’s not in his cult anymore, that’s a start! And if he’s going to be our neighbor, we should make the effort to be nice to him! Don’t you think?”

“No!” Max responded plainly. “He tried to kill me! And he kidnapped you!”

“Yes,” David replied sheepishly, “but that was the past! And I promise, if he isn’t changed, I won’t let him hurt you. You can trust me, Max. I won’t let anything happen to you. I would do absolutely anything and everything to protect you, and you know that.”

Max sighed, rubbing at his temples. All of this was giving him a headache, but David was trying his best to reassure him. He’d make sure David saw Daniel for what he was, but for now, he’d let it go. But this wasn’t over.

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Thank you so much to @nicorii for the art provided for this scene! She’s an incredibly wonderful and talented person and I don't deserve her! 

Over protective cult councilor?? Heck ya! …..I thought it was kind of cute…..

I lil doodle of mine I made cause fuck tHE SEASON FINALE got me f u c k e d  up. So I made this lil AU concept doodle where David is camp campbell’s new president and helps rehabilitate Daniel; whom smooth talked himself out of a mental institution. David helps Daniel recover from his religious past and they begin to date. :)