Blinded Me With Science: Chapter Four (Fred Benson x Reader)
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Word Count: 1.5k
Synopsis: You and Fred join the Hellfire Club for a game in exchange for their participation in your articles for The Weekly Streak.
A/N: Sorry for the long gap. I have a direction, but it's slow-going getting there. Also, I'm changing the name of this series to Blinded Me With Science. I feel like with reader being so science-based, it's a better fit.
CW: Dunkin on the D&D; Dustin being kind of a brat; disparaging remarks towards geeks/dorks/nerds
The auditorium had a distinct smell with its hints of paint, dust, and years of accumulated sweat; but it was vibrating with the energy of its inhabitants, both present and long-gone. āY/L/N!ā Eddie called out from beside his throne, placed at the end of a long table that was on top of the stage. āAnd look at this, you even brought us a gift. The bounty of another player can never be overestimated,ā he nodded and gestured towards Fred, who immediately became red in the face, feeling the flush of embarrassment at all of the attention being directed towards him. āWeary traveler, please, join us.ā Fred raised a wary eyebrow in response, but followed you steadfastly as you trekked towards the stage.
āIām more of a casual observer,ā Fred clarified when the two of you were close enough to Eddie that you didnāt have to shout. He removed his satchel strap from over his shoulder and set it down on one of the chairs around the table. āY/N and I thought that I could do an article about the game for the club.ā You eyed him for implicating that it was your idea too, even though Fred had more or less insisted upon being here.Ā
āThe more the merrier!ā Eddie proclaimed before turning to you, ābut youāre still here to play, right? Not just observe? I really need someone to fill in.ā
āYeah, yeah. I just mentioned to Fred that I would be playing and he wanted to see what it was all about.ā Fred looked surprised that youād turned it back on him, but began unloading his notebook and pencils anyway. Neither of you knew what to expect. Dungeons and Dragons was not well-known and often talked about in hushed tones, steeped in controversy. You knew it was a fantasy game and that you had to act as a character and there was dice involvedā¦but that was pretty much it.
āSplendid!ā Eddie declared, sliding a paper across the table toward you. āHereās your character sheet. Since you said you didnāt have anything in mind, I went ahead and whipped one up for you,ā he theatrically wiggled his fingers over the paper. āThese numbers indicate your strength in different stats. Your number has to be high enough to choose to do certain actions, or to defeat enemies. But you donāt know that number going in,ā he began to explain the concept and rules to you and you just nodded along hazily, not sure if you were actually retaining any of this information. āBut donāt sweat it. If you get stuck or donāt remember, Gareth will be sitting next to you and he can help. He knows the rules better than anyone else, I promise. And Iām sure Henderson will be more than happy to help, too. You canāt get that kid to not explain things he likes, I swear. He never shuts up.ā
āOh, I wonder who I learned that from?ā A voice mocked Eddie from beside you and you looked up to see a young boy with unruly curls and a smug smile marked with dimples on either cheek.
āNot me. Iām convinced you came out of the womb just blathering on.ā Eddie rolled his eyes before introducing you. Soon, more members of Hellfire joined and introductory rounds were given again and again until the party was complete. Eddie had cast you in a healer role so you wouldnāt have to feel as though you needed to jump into every fray and battle. You could linger back and decide what to do with Garethās help without being in any ārealā danger. Fred remained mostly quiet beside you, taking notes. He didnāt question anything, surprisingly. Instead, he just let it be and drank it in. He truly was an observer tonight.Ā
At the end of a particularly harrowing battle that you all scraped by on, Eddie drew the session to a close and indicated that it was time he and Hellfire held up their end of the bargain. As you arranged the swabs and plates, you heard Dustin complain, āI donāt think this will be a fair representation of a bacterial culture for each of us. I mean, weāve been handling dice, pewter figures, and Funyuns all night. Thatās going to show up, right?ā
āNot exactly. I mean, itās not going to categorize what it is youāve been touching--ā you started, trying to be polite.
āNo, I know that, duh. But Iām saying that weāve been messing with all of this stuff, so itās going to impact your data.āĀ
While you were less-than-amused at his tone, you still tried to be cordial, āI think itās best to get an accurate reflection of someone in their day-to-day activities. This isnāt a one-off occasion for you, right?ā He made a face, but nodded along anyway, āSo itās a good representation of what bacteria would typically be on your hands.ā
āPalms up, Henderson.ā Eddie commanded from behind you. Dustin met this with a grumble under his breath, but complied anyway, allowing you to run the swab across his palm. You spun its tip over the agar plate before sealing it as Eddie ruffled Dustinās hair, berating him for being difficult.
āI wonāt give you any grief,ā Gareth said as he approached, palms up and at the ready.
āThank you,ā you acknowledged his helpfulness, āActually, thanks for all your help tonight.ā
āItās a fun game, right?ā He asked, eyes sparkling, and you thought you heard Fred snort from behind you, but ignored his input.
āYeah, I could definitely see how you could get sucked into it,ā you agreed, swabbing his hand.
āYou should come back some time. Weād love to have you,ā he kindly urged and now you knew you could hear Fred behind you, muttering something. You quickly glanced over your shoulder at him and he looked away, quickly walking to interview someone about their D&D experiences instead.
āYeah, maybe. I guess if Eddie needs another person to fill-in, I could try it again sometime. Thanks again,ā you snapped the plate shut over Garethās sample and looked back over at Fred. You werenāt sure if youād imagined his haste or not. Now he was nonchalantly talking to one of the other boys and had his notepad up like every other interview youād seen him do, and it was as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
You opened the school door out into the brisk night air as Fred walked beside you. āI was kind of nervous about Eddie, to be honest. You know, all the stuff you hear about him at school,ā he said and you nodded along. Eddie did have a reputation, even if it was largely false. āBut heās not like that at all. I mean, I thought I was a geek!ā He started to laugh.
āFred Benson!ā you feigned shock but were unable to keep the smile from creeping up your face.
āOh, come on, Y/N. Youāre going to tell me that that wasnāt one of the dorkiest things youāve ever been witness to?ā He gestured back at the building, indicating the auditorium youād left only minutes prior and you shrugged in response.
āI mean, I guess, sure. But who am I to judge? Maybe everyoneās a dork for something.ā
āStop the presses, thatās going to be my headline: maybe everyoneās a dork for something.ā Fred reiterated as a joke.Ā
āPsh. Youāre the pot calling the kettle black. You just admitted that you were a geek!āĀ
āYes, but I still donāt think Iām at that level. Shocking, I know.ā
āWhat, you didnāt want to pretend to be a wizard or a giant and defeat some big bad monster? I think that sounds right up your alley.ā
āIām not sure what thatās supposed to mean. Is this your attempt at insulting me? If so, do better.ā He grimaced, but there wasnāt real upset behind it.
āNo, Iām being serious! Youāve never wanted to be someone else or just kinda play make believe, like when we were kids? Itās fun!ā You tried to convince him, but he just gave you his straight, deadpan stare. āBetter than reality sometimes.ā You shrugged and he looked at you with a puzzled expression and you couldnāt quite place why.Ā
āI guessā¦itās not out of the realm of possibility to want to be someone else. Or to imagine some things to be different.ā He looked off into the distance at a memory that you couldnāt see and he wasnāt willing to talk about, not now anyway. The sudden change in tone in the conversation made you uncomfortable and you shifted your weight from one foot to the other.
āThanks for coming along tonight. It made it just a little less awkward,ā you admitted and he smiled at you.
āSure,ā he shrugged, āwhenever you want to go to suspected demonic clubs or Satanic cults, count me in!ā You laughed and shook your head at his ridiculous sense of humor.
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