Behind The Badge (Squealing Santa 2024)
Hi @scribblesandchai! I'm your Squealing Santa this year. I love the Scream series, particularly the 1996 movie, and I decided to try my hand at writing for Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers with the tickle fight prompt. I hope you like it and I hope you have a wonderful new year!
Fandom: Scream (1996)
Summary: After the Woodsboro murders, it’s hard to return to a sense of normalcy. Dating can become a distant memory when you serve as a first responder. In some ways, Dewey succeeded in keeping his community safe. But in other ways, Dewey believes he failed, since he couldn’t protect Tatum. Dewey cannot, will not, let that happen to his new girlfriend, Gale Weathers. He’s ever vigilant even when he’s off duty. Gale wants to bond with the man behind the uniform. It almost seems impossible…until she discovers that he’s ticklish.
Word Count: 2,152.
Possible Warnings: Spoilers for the movie, and character death indirectly mentioned.
The small-town diner was alive with the clinking of coffee mugs and muffled laughter. Dewey Riley sat across from Gale Weathers, as stiff as his badge. Most people would jump at the chance to dine with the renowned reporter. But his mind was elsewhere. He sat over his lukewarm coffee with a tight jaw.
And Gale, ever the observer, took in every detail of his posture.
Dewey looked good in anything he wore. Then again, she wasn’t expecting him to wear his uniform on their date. Somewhere nearby, a waiter dropped a plate, and the crash sounded throughout the diner. Both of them flinched. But, from the way his hand dropped to his waist, Dewey looked ready to draw his weapon. The Ghostface attacks were behind them, but not the aftermath. Gale cleared her throat.
“Dewey,” she said softly, “You’re safe. It was just a plate.”
He blinked a couple of times, eyes shifting to her. Then, he quickly looked away, taking a slow breath and putting his hand back on the table. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Old habits die hard.”
Gale gave an understanding nod. “I get it,” she said, her tone softening. “I’m sorry, D. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, no. It’s alright,” Dewey shook his head. He looked out at the people eating and chatting in the diner. “I haven’t been here since I was in high school.”
Gale followed his gaze. Then, she gave him a small, hopeful smile. “Must feel like yesterday, huh?”
Dewey snorted quietly. “Something like that. Back then, this place was where we all came to unwind after a long week of school. Tatum, Randy, Stu- hell, even Billy. It was…simpler.”
A comfortable silence settled over them. Then, Gale said, “I know it’s not the same, but I’m glad this place’s still here. I’m glad you’re still here.”
For the first time tonight, Dewey smiled. “Thanks, Gale.”
Gale smiled too. She didn’t think she’d be able to get him to smile at all tonight. Wanting to savor the moment, she continued, “I bet you were all business back then too, huh? Let me guess. Hall monitor? Safety patrol?”
Dewey snickered. “Not exactly.”
Encouraged, Gale stood and rounded the table, cozying up beside him. “Oh no? Maybe you were the one causing the trouble. Starting fights, stealing lunch money. It’d make sense that you’d turn over a new leaf.”
He laughed at that. He folded his hands on the table, and his shoulders shook from laughing. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“Well, if I’ve got it all wrong, why not set the story straight? Tell me something about the real you.” Gale giggled. She leaned up against his arm and prodded at his torso with a manicured hand. “And don’t hold out on me.”
Dewey jolted from the pokes and leaned away from her. Thankfully, in the busy diner, no one seemed to notice. “H-Hey! Gale!”
Gale rose a brow. Her eyes sparkled with sudden mischief. “Oooh. I can’t say I’ve ever met a ticklish deputy.”
“I doubt you walk up to a deputy and poke them,” he scoffed without malice. “Besides, I’m not ticklish. That was just a reflex.”
“Bull,” she snorted. “I just tickled you and you flinched. If that doesn’t spell ticklish, then what does?”
“It doesn’t spell anything.” He swiveled when Gale tried to poke him again, this time catching her hand. “Gale! Quit it!”
Gale grinned. “Interesting. Well, Deputy ‘Not-Ticklish’, I hope you don’t mind if I conduct a little investigation.”
“I thought we weren’t working tonight.” As Gale leaned on him, he tried to shield his torso with his arm, but was trapped between her and the wall.
“Oh, this isn’t work,” she snickered. “This is personal research.”
Before she could tease him further, he lifted her hand to his lips. The gesture was soft, almost hesitant, his warm breath brushing her skin as he pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
For a moment, Gale froze, her retort caught somewhere between her mind and her lips. Her grin faltered—not because she didn’t like it, but because she hadn’t expected it.
Dewey lingered just long enough to look up at her, his boyish charm shining in the faintest smile. He was hoping—praying, really—that it would throw her off her game.
But Gale recovered quickly. Her grin came back, wider this time. “What was that?” she asked, feigning innocence.
“Uh…” Dewey stammered as her free hand darted toward his ribs.
“Nice try, Deputy,” Gale teased, her fingers finding their mark. Dewey jolted again and let out a shout of laughter that now caught some people’s attention. The deputy’s face flushed red and he waved an apologetic hand.
“S-Sohohrry,” he coughed out chuckles as he batted at her hands. He successfully caught them again and leaned into her to whisper. “If you don’t stop,” he began in a mock serious voice, “you’re gonna regret it.”
“What are you gonna do?” She laughed. “Arrest me?”
“No, but I’ll have no choice to defend myself,” Dewey warned, smirking.
She arched a brow, acknowledging the unspoken challenge. She rose from the table and mirrored his smirk with her own. “I’d like to see you try.”
Sure enough, the rest of their evening was filled with laughter. After they left the diner, they returned to Dewey’s home. It started out as a lighthearted argument about who’d get the last bite of dessert. The bickering took a turn when Gale seized Dewey’s sides and kneaded into them.
“GAhaha! Gahahahle!” Dewey doubled over, clutching the brownie to his chest. He half heartedly batted at her hands with his free hand. “STohohahaha! It’s mihihihihne!”
“It’s half a brownie,” she snorted. “Besides, whatever happened to ladies first?” She dug her thumbs into his tummy before he could get a good grip on her hands, and he shrieked. “Hand it over, D.”
Dewey refused. Instead, he let the container tumble to the floor and whirled around, wriggling his fingers into her stomach in turn. Gale yelped and dissolved into giggles. She abandoned her tickle attack to wrestle with his hands.
“Fahaha! AH! N-Nohoho, dohon’t you—” Gale’s squealing protests intermingled with her loud giggling as she battled with the deputy. He dropped his hands to her hips and squeezed. She cursed and laughed, and Dewey carefully led down on the floor to continue his attack.
Dewey kneeled over her, skittering his fingers across her waist before returning to her hips. “Told you I’d get you back,” he grinned. He worked his thumbs in circular motions against her hip bones. “What’s wrong? You were so confident a minute ago.”
Gale thrashed beneath him, laughter spilling uncontrollably from her lips. “D-Dehehewey! Y-You—ohmygahAH!—you CHEAT!” she shrieked, trying to twist away.
“Cheat?” Dewey echoed with a laugh of his own. You’re the one who started this whole thing. I’m just finishing it.”
Feeling a surge of confidence, Dewey moved away from her hips and jumped to her sides. The woman squealed and twisted, laughing loudly. She didn’t make it easy for him to keep her down; she kicked, bucked, and chased after his hands with her own. His hands scampered up to her armpits and she slammed her arms down.
“THEHE HEHELL YOUHU ARE!” Gale threw her head back and cackled. She kicked even more and, not wanting to take a leg to the groin, Dewey sat on top of them, careful not to put his full weight on her. He scribbled into her armpits with more purpose, fingertips scritching into the hollows.
“I think I am.” Dewey chuckled along with her and continued tickling her armpits. Now, not worried about getting kicked, he was able to tickle her with ease. He dropped one of his hands back to her side and squeezed a few times, returning to her armpit immediately after. He wore this sweet, yet mischievous smirk. He hadn’t had a fun moment like this in what felt like forever. For a moment, he didn’t have to look over his shoulder or go to sleep worrying about his loved ones. All he needed to focus on was winning the tickle war that Gale started.
And Gale wasn’t finished yet.
Despite her loud cackling, and despite being pinned down, she was still determined to win. In one more last ditch effort, she twisted her body sharply. Dewey, not expecting the sudden shift, had to catch himself with his hands so he didn’t fall on top of her.
“Whoa! Sh﹘no! Gale! NAhaha!”
Before he could recover, she latched her fingers onto his ribcage. Still winded, she gently pinched over the bones and ran her nails in between the spaces. Dewey yelled and rolled onto his back, trying to fend off her hands while laughing frantically.
“NOHOhohoho! W-Wahahahait!” Dewey arched his back and howled as she continued clawing at his ribs. She moved her hands quickly, too quick for him to get a good grip on them, and he bucked more whenever her hands ventured too close to his stomach. “GAHAHALE!”
“Oh no, you’re not backing out now,” Gale asserted, dropping her hands to squeeze over his hip bones. She giggled as he snorted and shook his head. She swirled her thumbs against the bones and he thrashed some more. “Thought you weren’t ticklish, D.”
“I’m nahahahahahahat!” Dewey lied and turned onto his side, batting at her hands. Gale snickered and suddenly jumped to his stomach.
“Liar.” Gale spidered her nails up and down his tummy, laughing at his high pitched scream. He flopped back onto his back, and she scooted up to pin his arms down with her knees.
“GAHAHAHA! Gahahahle, nohohohoho!” With his arms pinned, his laughter took on a more desperate note, and he thrashed underneath her. Gale’s teasing grin softened; his laughter, albeit loud, was rich with snorts and squeals. It was endearing to hear and, given what he had to go through during the Ghostface attacks, it was most likely a new rarity for him. She doubled down on her efforts, nails creeping underneath his shirt to tickle over bare skin. Dewey howled. “STOHOHOHOHOP!”
“You’re so ticklish, Dewey,” Gale cooed, smirking down at him. “How could you lie about that?” She pressed her thumbs into the sides of his tummy and swirled them repeatedly. Dewey threw his head back, laughing even harder.
“I’M SOHOHOHOHRRY!” Dewey wailed, trying to squirm away, but his attempts were futile. Gale kept his arms pinned down to the floor, and the laughter weakened him. “Gale, please-”
Gale slowed her attack and pretended to think. Her fingertips stroked along his belly and circled his belly button, keeping him in a consistent giggle fit. “Hmm, I don’t know,” she hummed. “Between you lying to me and keeping the brownie from me, I think I’m owed a little justice here.”
“I already s-said I’m sorry,” he stammered, pausing in between words to giggle. Gale leaned down to peck his lips, and his already reddened face turned redder.
“I hear you,” she pecked his lips again, and she felt him momentarily relax under her. “And yet, justice still needs to be served.”
Dewey’s eyes widened and before he could fully process it, Gale’s nails were skittering against his tummy again. He yelped and dissolved into another wave of frantic giggles.
“Youhuhu can tahahake the brownie!” Dewey squealed and squirmed side to side. He inadvertently snorted as she skittered her nails around and under his belly button. “TAHAHahahake it!”
Oh, I will,” Gale said with a triumphant grin, “Right after you’ve served your sentence, deputy~.”
From there, Dewey’s laughter picked up to cackles and she continued tickling his stomach. She pinched, prodded, and scribbled over his skin until his laughter sounded more like wheezes and snorts. She eased off of him after a few minutes and leaned over to pick up the brownie container.
Dewey breathed heavily, covering his red face with his hands. He was still giggling quietly and the blush stretched all the way to his ears. “You are evil, Gale.”
“No, not evil. Thorough.” She grinned and plopped back down on his legs. She opened the brownie container and broke the treat in half. “Here.”
Dewey propped himself up on his elbows and took the brownie half. They both ate their piece in comfortable silence though, for some reason, he was still smiling. Gale regarded him curiously, chuckling.
“What?” She asked, licking the small bit of chocolate off of her fingers. He jumped a bit, as if caught, and shook his head.
“Nothing. Just been a while since I laughed like that.” He admitted, his smile turning softer, even shyer. Gale smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek.
“You’re welcome,” she giggled. “Laughing looks good on you.”
Dewey finished his brownie and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her close. His shy smile turned cheekier as he met her eyes. “I think it looks better on you.”
