"hold still," another daisy goes in. the white had a good contrast with the golden, shiny hair that ben prided himself on.
sky-blue meets obsidian; then, a smile breaks on his perfect face. "how do i look?"
bug smiles back. "like fairy royalty or something. very cottagecore of you."
his smile widens. then, he pats the place in front of him. "come on, your turn."
bug sighs, but entertains their best friend. this field, near victor's secret truck hideout, turned out to be full of little flowers and cute plants. benjamin was the one who spotted the daisies - bug was way too nearsighted to notice the white spots were actually flowers.
"anything i should be mindful of?" he asked, just as his friend sat on the grass, between his spread legs.
"just don't brush out the curls, i think. they usually knot a lot and you might snap the strands."
"noted." he replied, nose scrunched up and eyes laser focused on creating a masterpiece.
"come on, benny." bug whispered, relaxed for the first time in a long while. "make me bonita."
To Elgin: "I mean, I get why you'd be scared when getting to an unknown town that wasn't supposed to be on our road, but throwing up on that guy was too much."
To Jim: "I'll help. The house is in shambles, but let's do our best to get your wife out."
To Julie: "You really look like one of my nieces. Want some gum?"
To Donna: "I'm sorry, I'm pretty sure there's a good reason for you to be holding us at gunpoint but can you please elaborate?"
To Jade: "I don't understand anything you just said, but count me in."
To Kenny: "You look real chummy with that fella over there. What's their name again? Bun? You got a funny look in your eyes whenever you stare at them, y'know."
To Randall: "Can you please stop yelling? We all can see you're mad, no reason to spread the feeling."
To Tabitha: "You know, you remind me of my oldest sister. If you ever need anything, I'll be glad to help."
To Boyd: "I'm gonna stay at the house uphill, help with the planting and stuff. My parents own a farm, and I've helped run it with my sisters since I was a kid. If you need a hand down here, just ask for me."
To Bug: "I appreciate how you told me the truth when we arrived here. It might have sounded crazy to everyone else, but you guys have been here way longer than any of us, obviously, so the smart thing to do is listen to you."
Extra quote: "I was raised with five older sisters, so when a woman tells me something, I shut up and listen."
To Randall: "How do you stay alone all the time in the bus? Aren't you scared the whispers are going to... Get to you?"
To Sara: "I'm sorry you've lost your brother. I can't imagine how that must've hurt."
To Jade: "I still don't understand how a butterfly's wings caused a tsunami, but you said that's what it is, and I trust you."
To Fatima: "Hm, I got a ton of nephews and nieces, and my sisters usually gave birth at the farm, so I can help you if needed."
To Julie: "You saw that, right? Please tell me you did."
To Kristi: "No, I don't faint when I see blood! It was the way it sprayed all over my face and neck that got to me."
To Boyd: "I know you're trying to convince yourself it's not your fault, but it's not working, is it? Come on, let's go on a walk. You need some air."
To Kenny: "You almost set fire to the caves that day, right? Well, I kinda... Went back. And threw some molotov cocktails in. I heard some shrieks, but didn't stay too long to find out what actually happened..."
To Jim: "...are you seriously leaving your kids alone here, now?"
To Henry: "Victor is a good guy! He's very blunt and sometimes looks at me like I said something stupid, but it's probably because I did."
To Tabitha: "You're both seeing- what?"
To Bug: "Wanna tell me why you were screaming at a tree branch?"
Extra quote: "Some of my friends called me a himbo. I looked it up, but it didn't apply well to me, so I hit the gym to fit the whole thing."
Warnings: S2E1 and E2 spoilers, cursing, canon compliant violence, crying, guns, slight transphobia if you squint, pronoun corrections, gunshots, Bug pulling a knife on Randall ig
Benjamin Waters prided himself on being an optimist.
But the way this looked like - the random teenager shouting and freaking out on the bus, throwing up on this bald guy, and the bus going in circles-
It didn't look very good.
"Are you okay?" He asked standing up. He was near the foul stream, but thankfully, wasn't sprayed.
The teen looked up at Ben, marveling at his face and body, at the way his gentle eyes blinked down at him.
He nodded, dark brown eyes wide, while bald guy went to the front of the bus, shrugging off his shirt.
Then, the teen straightened up - standing almost three inches taller than Ben.
"Ah, you're big, huh?" he patted the teens shoulder, grinning. "I'm Ben."
The teen sighed, shaky breaths leaving his lips as the driver parked the bus in front of a diner. People started to walk out, rain pelting down and wetting the glass on the windows.
"I'm... Elgin." He finally said, and Ben nodded his head.
Just then, a woman with brown hair came up, asking Elgin to sit down. She was a nurse, apparently, with cool looking platinum blonde bangs.
Just like Ben's middle sister. One of the middle ones, at least.
"I'm heading out." He said, looking down at Elgin and the nurse - Marielle, he caught as she said it. "Do you guys want anything?"
Marielle looked up, her light eyes meeting Ben's own. "Just water, please. For Elgin."
"'kay."
The rain wasn't too strong outside, just ceasing as he hopped down the last steps. He looked up - the sky was a bright shade of blue, just a few clouds in sight... And the diner was closed.
The driver called everyone to the side, and just then, a couple of men showed up - a tall, skinny young man, and slightly older, heavier one.
"We'll open up the diner and help all of you out, alright?" Said the younger one, his arm in a slingshot.
Ben stuck to the side, near Marielle and Elgin. He didn't know anyone else here, so it was better to hang around the ones he knew (a little bit).
Then, all hell broke loose.
Apparently, some woman was stuck under a basement that collapsed. Her husband - Jim -, the bigger guy - Tom -, bald guy - Randall -, and jean jacket, the one he didn't remember the name of, all went to help.
Ben tried to go, as well as the old lady who was dancing in the rain, but the bus driver said it'd be best to not wander off, so he stayed put.
Not a second later, a car with a deputy and three women showed up, and they were all ushered inside the diner.
Aaaaand, the house collapsed.
"What the actual fuck is going on?" Ben muttered, eyes flitting between the people, the house, the diner, the people-
Randall managed to make it out, but Jim, Tom and Jean Jacket got stuck.
"Does it hurt when I press it like this?" A pretty brunette asked Randall, slowly pressing on his back.
The other woman who came with the deputy - the one with black, curly hair, golden skin and square framed glasses - hauled off a piece of wood from the side of the house, panting and groaning as she did her best to reach at least one of the men under it.
"Bug, it's enough!" The blonde, older woman called out, and Curly hair snapped her head up, clearly panicked.
"Donna, we can't leave them here!"
"We can't do anything else!" Donna shouted, and Bug flinched. "Not now. It's getting dark."
Donna exchanged a few words with the men under the house, and the deputy asked everyone to go inside the diner.
Bug slipped down the side of the house, yelping as her ass slid down the rough wreckage, rushing as Donna shot the bus tires.
Some people ran off, and the deputy shot to the sky, ordering everyone inside the diner.
Ben startled; he was used to the sound of gunshots - he lived on a farm, for fuck's sake - but complied. It was better to play along with these people for now.
They clearly knew something that he wasn't aware of.
Marielle rushed to the back of the diner with the other nurse, the pretty brunette - Kristi, he heard the deputy say. Donna, another big guy, and the deputy stood in front of the doors.
"Now, let's start with the tree you saw."
The driver's eyes widened.
"You know about the tree?"
"Everyone knows about the tree."
Bug leaned on the wall near the deputy, mimicking Donna's words under her breath. She glanced at the freckled man - Kenny -, smiling as he looked back.
As Donna explained everything, Ben sighed, slumping down and down, until his ass plopped on the seat.
He didn't know what was going on, but what he did learn with five older sisters was: if you're somewhere you don't know, and someone tells you something - even more so if it's an older woman -, you comply.
So he kept quiet and, eventually, everyone sat down as well - trying not to look outside.
"You okay?"
He looked up, seeing Bug still leaning on the wall by the door. Dark-brown, almost black eyes stared down at him - deep, but not unkind.
Worried.
His blonde hair bobbed up and down as he nodded his head, lips pursed in thought.
"Yeah." He breathed out, perching his elbows on the table. "...I guess."
"Fuck it!"
Their heads snapped towards the door as Randall approached it, and Bug pushed off the wall as the man brushed past. Kenny met him halfway, swatting hands and asking if he was insane.
Randall started to argue then, and Donna got in the middle of it as well, while Bug stayed behind, watching the altercation like a guard dog - a single word, and attack.
And then, Randall pulled Kenny's gun, pointing it to his head.
It was like a rabid animal let loose.
Bug pushed through a couple of people, with red ears and a sound akin to a growl leaving their throat. Ben stood up, trying to reach out to her - in vain.
Randall pointed the gun to Bug's forehead, and they halted at Donna's shout.
"Stop!"
"Get your filthy hands off him." Bug's voice lowered in pitch, chest heaving and fists clenched.
"Get your dog away!" Randall barked. "She's gonna get herself killed."
Donna looked between the three, unsure of where to start, and Kenny broke the silence.
"They." He hissed, turning his head to look at Randall. The gun was still pointed at Bug, but Kenny was in a chokehold.
"What?"
"It's they. They are."
Randall blinked, an incredulous laugh leaving his lips at that. Correcting pronouns when he got a gun pointed to someone's head?
'Not a woman.' Ben thought, correcting himself. Noted.
No wrong pronouns in his household.
Kenny used the moment to his advantage, knocking the gun off Randall's hand and getting it back. Donna pointed the shotgun at him, and Bug walked to the back of the counter, pulling out a big, butchering knife.
"I got him." They said, looking up at Donna. The knife was placed firmly in their hand, the blade facing away from Randall, like some kind of dagger.
Ben stood up.
Kenny walked up to Bug, cupping their cheek - turning their face from one side to the other, inspecting their skin.
"Did he hurt you?" He asked, leaning closer, to where the gun grazed Bug's forehead. "God, I told you to not pull this kind of stunt."
Bug sniffled softly, ears red. "'m fine. He was drilling the fucking gun onto your head, how was I supposed to act?"
They looked up at him, lips slightly pursed.
"To not jump the gun?"
"Awful pun." They snickered, and Kenny pulled back. "Sorry. It will happen again."
Ben approached the duo, and blinked down at Bug. "At least you're honest."
Kenny cleared his throat, pointing at the kitchen. "I'll make some tea. Check on Kristi..."
Ben watched as Kenny walked away, and Bug's eyes flitted down to Randall, their grip on the knife tightened slightly.
"Lover boy got his eyes on someone else, does he?"
The blonde furrowed his brows, leaning closer to Bug. They stood still, eyes blank as they stared down at Randall.
"You think you know lots, don't you?"
Ben snickered at Randall's pissed face, Bug's nonchalant response bringing him back to the way some of his sisters would bicker back home.
A scream echoed outside, and a teenage girl started to scream, running towards the door.
Ben's eyes softened as Kristi held the girl close, soothing her as she broke down.
