That late Night
This is my first attempt at a one-shot (kinda a long one shot tbh😅) I came up with this idea before the pandemic and struggled to find time to finish it. This is the story that I wrote around 2018-2019 and it takes place in a Total Drama Universe right after Total Drama Action but right before Total Drama World Tour in the city of Toronto, Canada. Warning: This is a gwuncan fanfic and if you do not like the pair or the ship (friendship) please do not read if you decide to, please do not bash thank you I hope whoever reads this enjoys it.
Duncan was walking out of a small food market with two full bags. The market was located on the opposite side of town from his home. While crossing a street he spots Gwen in a distance. She was coming out of an antique shop. "Hey Gwen wait up!" He calls out to her from the crowd surrounding him.
She turns around a bit alarmed hearing her name out of nowhere. Once she spots a bright green Mohawk, Gwen waits near the shop's exit for Duncan to catch up. When he does, she offers to carry one of his bags home since all the buses stopped running at that hour. Out of curiosity, Duncan asked Gwen why she was coming out of an antique shop. She replied telling him she was on her way home from a long day of running errands when something caught her eye and she just had to buy it.
He chuckles and she gives him a tart look. "What's so funny?" she questioned him. "Its just that I have never heard you sound so girly before." he responded with a snicker. They continue their playful quibbles for a few minutes.
"What?! How was that girly?" Gwen asked him. She gave him a playful nudge. The two teens were now turning a corner onto a blocked off street full of street vendors. "How was it not?" He asked back. "It wasn't" she denies dryly.
"Was too pasty" Duncan pushes. "Tsk whatever, it was not that girly" she said with a hint of humor. Just then Duncan stops walking and turns to face Gwen. After a few seconds of silence they both erupt into laughter. As she leans on his shoulder for support Gwen ponders on a question she was hesitant to ask.
"So what are you doing on this side of town? I mean isn't there a food market close to your neighborhood?", She finally asked him. Duncan averted his eyes and ran a hand through his bright green Mohawk as he prepared to respond. "Yeah there is, but my mom's feeling under the weather so she sent me to the store to purchase food and pick up her prescription. Plus my pops is working late.", Duncan explained.
"Whoa, who knew the tough guy had a soft side?" Gwen said. She gently nudged him to show him that she was only teasing. When she doesn't hear him respond with a snarky comeback, she glances at his face. His eyes were unreadable at first but then a new expression changed into something serious. "She's my mother I'd do anything for her, besides between her and my pa; she's my favorite," Duncan said in a serious tone.
"Awe that is so sweet, really it is," Gwen said. "Whatever pasty, anyways so what was so special back there that it caught your eye?" He teased. Gwen stopped right in her tracks and crossed her arms as she watched a sly grin spread across his face. "Well if you must know Mr. Casanova it's a late birthday gift for my Nana. Since she loves antiques so much I figured it would be the perfect gift" she told him with a neutral expression.
"Awe that's sweet....Gwenny" Duncan replied. He figured she had her fun teasing him, now it was his turn. "Shut up... and don't call me Gwenny ewe that makes me cringe" she snapped back in a playful tone. The two teens continued to walk and converse until they grew tired. Twenty minutes had passed and they weren't even close to their destination. When Duncan suggested they both take a break, Gwen sighed with glee.
Her feet were sore, and she was shivering. Strong winds were beginning to pick up and thick clouds were moving over the big city. The punk noticed how the goth girl's teeth chattered, how she snuffed her cute nose, and how she is wearing a rather revealing outfit. 'What on earth was she thinking going outside dressed like that? Didn't she see the weather forecast for today?', Duncan wondered. His teal eyes looked over her backside.
Gwen wore a black faux halter leather crop top, black willow gloves, a teal leather mini skirt with fishnet stockings, and black platform boots. To ask her if she was cold would have been pretty stupid. So not being able to take the sight of her shivering anymore, Duncan placed his thick brown coat over her shoulders. Gwen took hold of the jacket and put her arms into the sleeves. She turned her body around to face Duncan and smiled.
"Thank you", she said. He simply nodded as he took a cigar out of one of his pockets. Gwen looks ahead at him in silence observing his features along with his unreadable deadpan expression. He hadn't noticed her glance until he lit up the cigar to smoke. The light from the flame exposed her pale face and peering eyes.
"No prob sweetheart, I'll manage", he replies. It was true, he could manage; he had worn three layers over this upper body all day. Well as of now he just has a thick grey sweater and a Greenday t-shirt beneath covering his upper body since he offered Gwen his coat. "I don't know if I can walk the rest of the way with the weather getting worse by the minute. Yet alone walk an additional twenty minutes ", Duncan stated.
He took a couple of drags before reaching for his iPhone. "So, what's the plan? In case you haven't noticed the buses stopped running at this hour", Gwen said back. She stood up and grabbed two of the four bags they had. "Chill, I'm calling an taxi", He told her. "Great because I'm freezing my tail out here ", she complained.
He couldn't help but snicker a bit. The goth raised a brow as she turned in his direction. "What's so funny?", Gwen asked. The question came out rather too curt and yet he couldn't resist, he snickered again. In his peripheral vision, he could see her looking at him with a puzzled face.
Soon after clearing his throat before he spoke up. He genuinely didn't mean any harm by his grin but her perplexed expression was endearing. "Wouldn't be freezing your tail if ya worn some warm clothes out. I mean did you not see the forecast for today? ", Duncan blurted out. Just then she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"F.Y.I. I was running late for a greet and meet with my favorite band among other activities today. So I didn't have time to check any news channels; heck I didn't even have time to eat breakfast", Gwen explained. "Guess that's why you look like you're dressed for a rave. Anyways our rides here", Duncan said. "Finally, any later and we'd be drenched sitting at this bus stop", Gwen replied. Once the driver of the white taxi pulled down his window, he conversed with Duncan regarding drop off and pricing.
The goth picked up her belongings and the two paper bags to carry toward the trunk. After setting the bags into the trunk, she opened the back right door to climb in and sit down. The punk then walked around the vehicle to join her. They relaxed and looked out the windows, now lightning could be seen dancing across the night sky and thunderclaps followed after. Distracted by the colorful street lights and delicious smell of street food; Gwen hadn't even noticed how she rested her head on Duncan's shoulder.
That is until he yawned, a slight blush formed across her face when he wrapped his arm around her. Before she spoke up to question him, he beat her to the punch. "So how are things going with you and Trent?" He asked her. "Not so well...we broke up remember? Besides he already has a new girlfriend, some fan of his new band.", Gwen informed him. The punk noted her posture while she fiddled with her thumbs as a small frown spread on her face.
His brief glimpse told him everything he needed to know about the subject's effect on Gwen. "So he didn't even bother to talk things out?*psst* What a loser", Duncan mused. "Well I kinda deserved it, I did vote him off ya know", She went on. The punk shook his head and shifted his body towards his window. "No you don't, so what if you did vote for him, that's no reason for him to leave you high and dry for a random bimbo, especially over a stupid TV show", He defended her.
Duncan continued to look out the window, hundreds of small droplets covered the glass. He scanned their exterior surroundings. They were no longer roaming the brightly litted streets of Toronto's downtown scene; the driver was now entering the city's residential area. "Whoa seems like you're more worked up over this than me" Gwen said. "Look, all I'm saying is that you shouldn't beat yourself up over it, if anything you deserve better", he stated.
"Hmmm..." she murmured. The goth averted her eyes from her lap and towards the punk. "Hey, don't take this as me being soft or anything, I just don't like seeing my best friend down in the dumps", he explained. The two teens shared a brief moment of mutual understanding and silence. At some point the driver turned on the vehicle's heater.
Once the warm air spread to the back seats Duncan removed his arm from around Gwen and back into his personal space. When the vehicle slowed down, the punk turned his attention to the driver. Duncan watched as the man put the vehicle in parallel park. "Alright you two we're here, I'll open the trunk for you guys" the driver informed them. Gwen glanced out the window, her onyx eyes looked over the two-story brick house right outside the taxi.
Blinking her eyes the memory came back to her. She remembered her mother passing the home whenever she dropped her off or picked her up from grade school. The house was only three block from her neighborhood. "And a pleasure it was doing business with you", the driver told Duncan. Hearing the last of their conversation, Gwen came to realize that she'd been staring at the house far too long and needed to step out.
The goth gathered her purse along with her nana's gift bag right before opening the door to exit. Droplets of rain tickled her pale nose as she walked onto the sidewalk. Gwen watched as her friend took his grocery bags and joined her on the pavement. With the taxi no longer in view, she turned her attention to Duncan. "So, I guess this is where we part ways? Thanks for the lift", Gwen told him.
He rolled his eyes and placed a hand on her left shoulder to keep her from walking off. "Are you nuts? It's far too cold out here, come inside with me. My mom won't mind if you stay over", he told her. He watched as her eyes looked back and forth between his house and the street sign near at the end of the block. "Are you sure about that?", she asked.
Duncan nodded his head yes while removing his hand from her shoulder. Gwen sighed, the harsh wind was making her shiver uncontrollably and the rain was giving her goosebumps. "Ok", she told him. He noted her in a defeated tone. Both teens walked to the front step waiting for the door to open.
Three minutes passed until Duncan's mother opened the door. After exchanging greetings, his mom let them inside. She took hold of his two grocery bags after locking the front door. "I'm gonna change into something dry before dinner", Duncan told her. The blonde woman nods her head and turns to face Gwen.
"You must be freezing, why don't you take a shower too? You can use the guest bathroom", his mother offered. The goth trembled when his mom placed a gentle hand on her forehead. Gwen insisted that she was fine, but her friends mother wasn't having any of it. "Are you sure its cool if I bathe here miss?", Gwen asked. She couldn't believe how welcoming this woman was being to someone she'd just met.
"Of course and the name's Linda by the way", Duncan's mother assured her. The goth smiled at the kind woman's hospitality. Linda took the smile as an agreement so she had Gwen follow her upstairs. They both walked down the hall full of family portraits until they reached the guest room. Gwen found herself looking around the room while Linda explained the arrangements.
She looked at the sea-green walls, the oak furniture, and the queen-sized canopy bed in the room. There was a chic painting placed above the low bed frame. "You can leave your belongings here, I will lend you some pajamas", Linda informed her. The bluenette raised a brow, she was confused. Now allowing her to use the guest bathroom was understandable, but offering pajamas was something else.
"Pajamas? Why would I need those?" Gwen questioned. The older woman simply smile and handed the young lady a burgundy body towel. "For sleeping silly, there is no way I'm letting you back out; the rain is going to get worse. So please Gwen please enjoy the shower", the blonde woman answered. She took the towel and walked over to the entrance of the bathroom.
"Are you sure its cool for me to crash here for tonight? I mean I hope I'm not intruding" the goth asked. Linda shook her head and crossed her arms. "Now what kind of a host kicks their guest out in a rain storm? As for intruding...don't worry about it you're doing nothing of the sort. I will be down stairs once you've finished", the mature woman replied. After the goth teen entered the bathroom and the sound of water could be heard, Linda crossed the bedroom door.
She walked down stairs to turn the thermostat to 21.1 Celsius and get a fire going in the fire place. 'She seems courteous and friendly' Gwen's mind wondered. "This feels nice", the bluenette hummed. Warm droplets of water rinsed the soapy suds off her smooth pale skin. Favoring the scent of the body wash, she squeezed more onto the wash sponge to lather up again. Although the water was warm she adjusted the temperature gradually for more heat.
Meanwhile downstairs Linda placed the grocery bags onto the kitchen island. Rustling through the first bag she found her prescription and cough medicine. Setting those aside, she reached into the remaining bags and pulled out seasonings, produce, bowtie noodles, and two packs of chicken breast. "Guess its chicken noodle soup for dinner and sourdough bread" she coughed. "Mom allow me, you should sit by the fire place while I make the soup", Duncan offered.
Slightly startled, his mother turned to face him. He stood at the entrance of the kitchen in his pj's and towel wrapped over hair. "Whoa you startled me, anyway I didn't know you cooked" Linda said. A light blush formed on his cheeks while he tried to deflect the conversation. However she caught on and decided to leave him to it. "Alright sweetie", she told him.
Before leaving she gently pinched one of his cheeks. "Mom...stop", he complained. Linda giggled as her son gave her a light hearted look. "Alright, and thank you", she said. Shortly after her exit, Duncan waisted no time chopping four celery sticks, four carrots, and one white onion for the base.
Once that was over with, he sliced the chicken breast into small cubes and added them to the pot. As the protein and veggies sizzled he added water and two chicken bouillon cubes along with seasonings. He waited for the soup to come to boil before adding the pasta noodles. Soon the smell of blended ingredients filled the entire kitchen. After turning the flame down to a simmer he headed into the living room.
"-And this one is of him and his brothers, during our vacation to Vancouver Island. He had the cutest gap back then", Linda told Gwen. The punk rolled his eyes s his best friend and mom laughed. "What's going on here?", Duncan asked curiously. Just then both ladies turned their attention to him.
They exchanged glances between each other then back at him. Gwen cleared her throat before responding. "Oh, just looking over this photo book full of pictures of little Duncan and his brother's playing with life savers," the goth answered. Her tone was impish. He hadn't realized how fast he moved until he held the phone book they were speaking of in his hands.
His teal eyes scanned over the photo, it was the one from three years ago. Duncan remembered that day the photo was taken like yesterday. He and his brothers had just opened up their Christmas presents given to them by their aunt. They spent the whole morning playing fighting with a set of light savers. "Awe Mom...how could you show this to her?!", Duncan groaned.
"Oh, I remember the look on all your faces when I took the photo. You boys never saw it coming... now to find the one of you in your boys scout uniform", Linda chirped. "Wait a minute, you were in boys scouts?! Wow just wow", Gwen asked. Just when she thought she knew everything about him she was met with another surprise. "Haha very funny, now can we eat dinner already? "He..
It was obvious that he was embarrassed about the photos, so Gwen dropped the subject. However, the smirk on her face still remained. After a few snarky remarks the two teens ended their playful squabble and helped Linda set the table. Once his mother finished grace everyone began indulging in the food. "Smells great, I didn't know you knew how to cook", Gwen complimented him.
"Thanks, I mostly grill with brothers for family BBQ's, but recently I've been stepping out of my comfort zone to try something new", Duncan explained. Although his tone was nonchalant his mom noticed a slight blush spread on his face for a brief moment. The goth is too busy enjoying the food to give a verbal response yet alone notice his blush. Linda smiled quietly, pleased to see her son's positive interaction with a peer. She could not remember the last time he had a friend over for Dinner; not even the two young men he'd met from that outrageous TV show stayed over for dinner.
If anything Geoff and Dj would only come over to pick Duncan up for a night at Dave and Busters or play video games. She had to admit when she received the text earlier requesting permission for a friend to come over, she didn't know what to think. However, when her son mentioned Gwen's name; her dimeter changed. Linda did not know Gwen personally but from what she saw of the girl on TV was enough to let her know she was level-headed. The mature woman took this opportunity to ask the teen for her house number so she could contact her parental guardians.
She excused herself from the table to make the call. "Your mom, she is so courteous", the goth said in between bites. "Yeah...when I gave her a text in the uber downtown asking if a friend could stay the night, she was hesitant, however once I mentioned your name she approved. Don't tell her I told you this but out of all the contestants you were her favorite. She once told me after I returned from season one of total drama that she was rooting for you the whole season", Duncan explained.
The goth being stunned sipped her ginger ale while thinking over the revelation. She had on idea that she was a likable contestant yet alone favorable. Gwen was under the impression that people viewed her as nothing more than a weird goth girl. She gave Duncan a thoughtful smile and returned her attention back to her bowl of soup.
Both teens continued to eat in placid silence until they heard knocking from the front door. "I will get that, you two continue eating", Linda said. She walked through the dining room into the living room towards the front door. Upon opening the door a masculine voice could be heard , it was Duncan's father. He had returned from working late.
"Welcome home hun, please join us", Linda offered her husband. The middle-aged man hung his coat on a coat rack near the home entrance. "Thanks, but I'm far too tired, I'll just head up to sleep ", the man declined. He had Black hair with grey streaks, teal eyes and thick eyebrows. His face had deep bags under the under the eyes and wrinkles on his forehead.
The man's footsteps could be heard as made his way up the staircase. "Alright hun, Linda said. The blonde woman stepped away from the staircase to peer her head into the dining room to see Duncan and Gwen whom were finished eating. They were now clearing the table and deciding who would wash or dry the dishes. Linda smiled silently at her son, he rarely offered to help around the house but whenever he did it brought her delight.
"Thank you, Duncan the soup was nice by the way, when you two are finished, get some rest. Goodnight ", Linda said while yawning. The punk was currently scrubbing the last bowl, while the goth was drying off some utensils. Once Duncan handed her the last dish, Gwen yawned and stretched her arms. She glanced at the clock next to the oak China cabinet; the time was now 12:15am.
"Wow its super late thank goodness I have a half shift tomorrow ", Gwen said. "Yeah, I've gotta be up before 9am, kind of promised one of my brothers I'd help work on their motorcycle tomorrow ", Duncan replied. The two teens made their way up stairs as quietly as they could; being careful not to awaken anyone. They both exchanged wary glances before entering into their rooms to rest. After closing the door Gwen flopped back on the guest bed and turned to lay on her left side.
The loud thunder made her shiver under the thick floral comforter. She watched the lightning out the windows sore through the dark sky; the longer she looked the more her mind wondered. As she laid in the warmth of the guest room, she couldn't help but think over the day that had passed. Earlier before crossing paths with Duncan, Gwen was busy running errands that she usually wouldn't be able to do on a workday. From mailing off gift cards for her mother, to attending a meet and greet for one of her favorite bands and spotting a cool antique shop; she smiled.
She thought over attending the meet and greet of Gothic Mind Explosion along with the autographs and photos she took with the band members. Gwen would have never imagined that the day would have ended the way it had, running into a castmate/former contestant wasn't on her bucket list whatsoever. Nonetheless she didn't mind, it was nice to see Duncan and catch up with him. His words regarding her break up with Trent really formed a new perspective in her mind. Ever since the humiliating aftermath experience she grew to feel crummy about the entire situation and grew to self-loathe in secret.
However, when it was pointed out that she was beating herself up over the inevitable when it came to the competition. She found herself agreeing with Duncan's words on the subject. He told her despite of relationships and friendships, being formed on total drama people would eventually be brought to a crossroad to vote the latter off. At the end of the day, everyone signed up as individuals to win the money for selfish reasons and he would understand if his friend or partner did the same. Gwen asked herself a question that she avoided for the longest.
At first, she thought it was because she deserved every bit of hate she received from both fans and contestants after calling it quits with Trent. Then she realized the answer to her question was more complex, yet as clear as day. Gwen was still down in the dumps because Trent didn't care enough to work things out by talking; he'd moved on. After apologizing to him backstage of the aftermath, they agreed to keep in touch and forgave each other.
Several months had passed since then and she heard nothing from him. No text, nor calls, nada zilch; and it ate her up inside whenever a blog or E-news would do a close-up of him and his new girlfriend hanging out. What really got to her was a recent interview in which he laughed along to a joke being made about her being a "sleazy grunge punk wannabe". After taking a quick exhale she asked herself the question. "Are you still hopeful he'd still be interested?" Gwen whispered to herself.
She thought over the subject and came to the conclusion that dwelling on the past wouldn't serve her any good in the future. She needed to move on not just because he had, but because it wasn't healthy to not move on. A smile now spread on her face; she felt a new warm sensation flow through her being. Her eyes closed shut while her breathing became steady, and she fell into a peaceful sleep. The next day Linda knocked on the guestroom before opening it.
She assumed that Gwen would be up and about but instead found her fast asleep in bed. So, to wake her up, she opened the curtains to let in some light. Pretty soon the light peeking through the window brightened up half the room. "Hmmm...good morning", Gwen yawned as she stretched her arms. Linda smiled at the young lady as she stood out of the guest bed and checked the time on her phone.
"You're welcome to stay for breakfast if you'd like. I called your mother an hour ago, she said that it was fine. That and I figured you and my son would like to say your farewells as opposed to you just up and leaving", the mature woman explained. The goth agreed to the offer and Linda left her to get changed. After the door to the guest room closed, Gwen made her way into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.
It wasn't too long until she was dressed and left the room. The scent of French toast and scrambled egg made her mouth water as she walked down the stairs. "Morning Pasty, saved ya a seat ", Duncan greeted her. He gestured to the open chair beside him, Gwen looked over the table as she walked around it to join him. The whole family was seated and talking amongst one another.
Linda and her husband were discussing work, whereas Duncan's brothers were engaged in conversation about auto mechanics. She put two and two together when recalling last night when Duncan mentioned helping them out with fixing one of the vehicles in their double door garage. Upon the table was a platter french toast, a charcuterie board of mixed berries, orange juice, scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, and hashed browns. "Can you please pass the maple syrup?", Gwen asked as she assembled her plate. Duncan handed her the condiment then returned his attention to his own food.
"Mmmmm... this taste really good", the goth said between bites. "I am glad you like it, and no need to worry about the dishes, I will take care of that", Linda replied as she sipped her mug of coffee. Gwen nodded her head as she sipped on some orange juice. It wasn’t long before Duncan's brothers took off to the garage, leaving the two teens alone with his parents. "So did you receive an email from Fresh TV like I did?" Duncan asked Gwen while finishing his portion of scrambled eggs.
"Yes...two days ago to be exact. Why? What's up?", the goth questioned. She tapped her fingers on the table while looking up at some wall decor of the breakfast nook. "Well, it's saying that their pitch for another season was approved by the broadcasting network and the finalists from both previous seasons are required by contract to participate. Executives also stated every contestant must submit updated medical records, because we'll be traveling the world", Duncan explained.
"So this new season will be like some kind of world tour? Hmm, well... I guess I could give it another try; I really do want to attend an art institute after this senior year. Especially when Chris made me forfeit the win just to double the amount for a last minute find and keeps. Man that really ticked me off", Gwen expressed. She found herself pondering the memory.
"So, we're competing again? Think we'll be on the same team again too?" Duncan asked. "Why so you two can sneak off for a smooch under the moon like last season?", one of his brothers teased. "We so didn't kiss; we only tussled for five minutes then we left the lot to play pranks on the rest of our castmates. You're totally milking that scene dude", Duncan explained. His brother snickered as he turned around to exit the house and return to the garage.
Gwen averted her eyes from Duncan as she stood up from her seat with her dishes. She was walking towards the sink to hand Linda her dishes now that she'd finished her breakfast. It wasn't long until Duncan followed suit; he noted her having small talk with his mother. He figured it was to avoid the awkward atmosphere in the nook. Looking back at that night on the lot, he remembered her eyes looking back into his as she laid in the grass.
He also remembered her surprised face shifting into a slight smile as he hovered over her. She looked pretty with her flushed face, he would never say it out loud. However, ever since that day he couldn't help but wonder what if they had kissed? He knows how close they were to doing so. Duncan sighed as he ran a hand through his Mohawk.
Why on earth was he thinking about such a thing like that at a time like this? Besides he was in a relationship of his own, sure it wasn't perfect or even healthy but he was indeed spoken for. He rubbed the back of his neck while pushing the very thought he had on his mind once he saw Gwen last night to the depths of his mind. "Hey don't pay that dingus any attention, as far as the audience knows we were bad partners to our significant others. Noone knows what happened when those cameras were off.
If they had they'd know we were only being silly teens having fun pulling pranks on the rest of the cast members", Duncan said. He placed a hand upon her shoulder. Gwen turned around to look up at him. She looked like she was a bit hesitant to speak, as if she was contemplating something. Once the memories of that night played over in her head; she blushed harder than she had a few moments ago.
"Right what would they know? Besides we're just friends", Gwen spoke in agreement. She walked around Duncan to gather her belongings. He did not want to dwell on the subject too long so he told her to catch up with him at the front door. The goth regained composure upon following him to exit the house. Both teens walked silently toward the end of the block, each of them avoiding eye contact.
They did this all while engaging in small talk about the reminder of this week and plans for the upcoming weekend. "So, I guess this is were we part ways?", Gwen asked. She turned her head to face him, she wanted to look him in the eyes before saying bye. He turned himself in her direction to do the same. A light breeze sweep pass them before they decided to break the silence.
"Next time we meet up it'll probably be on a boat or plane for filming the upcoming season. This time around you had better bring your A game none of this sulking crap, got it?", Duncan spoke up first. "Same to you casanova, see ya around kay? bye", Gwen replied. She took off from the block to continue her walk back home. The punk watched her until she turned a corner in distance; just then he returned home to help his brothers in the garage.
The End
