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. âY/L/N!â Eddie called out from beside his throne, placed at the end of a long table that was on top of the stage. âAnd look at this, you even brought us a gift. The bounty of another player can never be overestimated,â 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. âWeary traveler, please, join us.â Fred raised a wary eyebrow in response, but followed you steadfastly as you trekked towards the stage.
âIâm more of a casual observer,â Fred clarified when the two of you were close enough to Eddie that you didnât have to shout. He removed his satchel strap from over his shoulder and set it down on one of the chairs around the table. âY/N and I thought that I could do an article about the game for the club.â You eyed him for implicating that it was your idea too, even though Fred had more or less insisted upon being here.Â
âThe more the merrier!â Eddie proclaimed before turning to you, âbut youâre still here to play, right? Not just observe? I really need someone to fill in.â
âYeah, yeah. I just mentioned to Fred that I would be playing and he wanted to see what it was all about.â Fred looked surprised that youâd 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 involvedâŠbut that was pretty much it.
âSplendid!â Eddie declared, sliding a paper across the table toward you. âHereâs your character sheet. Since you said you didnât have anything in mind, I went ahead and whipped one up for you,â he theatrically wiggled his fingers over the paper. âThese 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 donât know that number going in,â 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. âBut donât sweat it. If you get stuck or donât remember, Gareth will be sitting next to you and he can help. He knows the rules better than anyone else, I promise. And Iâm sure Henderson will be more than happy to help, too. You canât get that kid to not explain things he likes, I swear. He never shuts up.â
âOh, I wonder who I learned that from?â 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.
âNot me. Iâm convinced you came out of the womb just blathering on.â 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 wouldnât have to feel as though you needed to jump into every fray and battle. You could linger back and decide what to do with Garethâs help without being in any ârealâ danger. Fred remained mostly quiet beside you, taking notes. He didnât question anything, surprisingly. Instead, he just let it be and drank it in. He truly was an observer tonight.Â
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, âI donât think this will be a fair representation of a bacterial culture for each of us. I mean, weâve been handling dice, pewter figures, and Funyuns all night. Thatâs going to show up, right?â
âNot exactly. I mean, itâs not going to categorize what it is youâve been touching--â you started, trying to be polite.
âNo, I know that, duh. But Iâm saying that weâve been messing with all of this stuff, so itâs going to impact your data.âÂ
While you were less-than-amused at his tone, you still tried to be cordial, âI think itâs best to get an accurate reflection of someone in their day-to-day activities. This isnât a one-off occasion for you, right?â He made a face, but nodded along anyway, âSo itâs a good representation of what bacteria would typically be on your hands.â
âPalms up, Henderson.â 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 Dustinâs hair, berating him for being difficult.
âI wonât give you any grief,â Gareth said as he approached, palms up and at the ready.
âThank you,â you acknowledged his helpfulness, âActually, thanks for all your help tonight.â
âItâs a fun game, right?â He asked, eyes sparkling, and you thought you heard Fred snort from behind you, but ignored his input.
âYeah, I could definitely see how you could get sucked into it,â you agreed, swabbing his hand.
âYou should come back some time. Weâd love to have you,â 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.
âYeah, maybe. I guess if Eddie needs another person to fill-in, I could try it again sometime. Thanks again,â you snapped the plate shut over Garethâs sample and looked back over at Fred. You werenât sure if youâd 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 youâd 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. âI was kind of nervous about Eddie, to be honest. You know, all the stuff you hear about him at school,â he said and you nodded along. Eddie did have a reputation, even if it was largely false. âBut heâs not like that at all. I mean, I thought I was a geek!â He started to laugh.
âFred Benson!â you feigned shock but were unable to keep the smile from creeping up your face.
âOh, come on, Y/N. Youâre going to tell me that that wasnât one of the dorkiest things youâve ever been witness to?â He gestured back at the building, indicating the auditorium youâd left only minutes prior and you shrugged in response.
âI mean, I guess, sure. But who am I to judge? Maybe everyoneâs a dork for something.â
âStop the presses, thatâs going to be my headline: maybe everyoneâs a dork for something.â Fred reiterated as a joke.Â
âPsh. Youâre the pot calling the kettle black. You just admitted that you were a geek!âÂ
âYes, but I still donât think Iâm at that level. Shocking, I know.â
âWhat, you didnât want to pretend to be a wizard or a giant and defeat some big bad monster? I think that sounds right up your alley.â
âIâm not sure what thatâs supposed to mean. Is this your attempt at insulting me? If so, do better.â He grimaced, but there wasnât real upset behind it.
âNo, Iâm being serious! Youâve never wanted to be someone else or just kinda play make believe, like when we were kids? Itâs fun!â You tried to convince him, but he just gave you his straight, deadpan stare. âBetter than reality sometimes.â You shrugged and he looked at you with a puzzled expression and you couldnât quite place why.Â
âI guessâŠitâs not out of the realm of possibility to want to be someone else. Or to imagine some things to be different.â He looked off into the distance at a memory that you couldnât see and he wasnât 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.
âThanks for coming along tonight. It made it just a little less awkward,â you admitted and he smiled at you.
âSure,â he shrugged, âwhenever you want to go to suspected demonic clubs or Satanic cults, count me in!â You laughed and shook your head at his ridiculous sense of humor.
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