Another day, another Until Dawn rewrite by yours truly <3
I've got Rami Malek on the brain again so I decided to revise this old 2016 fic I wrote about Josh being accompanied by Reader in the shed (after his prank reveal). Changed a few things around and added stuff from the prologue, but all in all the plot's the same (except they're together)
Anyways enjoy!
......
"Hey, [y/n]. Got a special delivery for you."
Hearing the quiet giggles of the Washington sisters, you looked up from your phone and smiled upon seeing your boyfriend being held up by the two of them.
He looked plastered as hell and half-asleep, but his eyes were slightly open. The moment they landed on you, lopsided grin spread across his lips.
"[Y/n]...baby...?"
"Yes. It's me, Josh." With a chuckle, you put down your phone and assisted the girls in helping him lay on the sofa. You decided to let him rest on top of you, seeing as he already had his arms wrapped around your torso. "Jeez, so clingy, huh? How much did you drink?"
"Mhm...I forgot.." His words were slurred.
"Of course you did." Putting your arms around him, you lightly scratched at his scalp with your fingertips, hearing his hums of content as he looked to his sisters.
While Hannah left, Beth smiled back and took a picture of him being all cuddly with you, reminding herself to send to you later. After that, she finally left you both alone.
"They take good care of you."
"Yeah..they're..the best." Josh mumbled tiredly into your chest, hugging you tighter. "But 'm glad you're here...thank you for being by my side. I love you sooooooooooo much."
"Of course, Joshie. I love you, too." You chuckled, holding him close until he dozed off again, before you ended up falling asleep yourself, enveloped by the warmth of the cabin fire and the one you loved most.
He probably won't remember much of this in the morning, but that was fine.
For once, everything felt right in the world.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"[Y/n], honey? Baby? Sweetheart?"
Blinking, you returned to the cold and cruel present, looking to the man tied to the post.
"Yes, Josh?" You sighed tiredly, wiping the blood from the corner of your lip.
"I'm pretty cold. How 'bout we loosen these restraints a little and-?"
"I'm sorry, but...I don't think that's a good idea right now."
"What? I....I can't believe it. You would let those jerks do this to me?!! Your boyfriend? After all I've done for you?!!" Angrily, Josh tugged at his restraints, gnashing his teeth at you like some animal. "I feel hurt. Who does this to someone they love?!"
"First of all, I didn't tie you up. And second...you're not the only one who's gotten hurt tonight."
"If anyone deserves to feel hurt, it should be me! After what they did to my sisters..they had it coming."
As much as you wanted to snap at him for acting this way, you knew that he wasn't well, and getting angry right back wasn't going to make anything better.
Instead, you opted to look outside the shed, observing the snowfall while trying to ignore the sounds of him whining and struggling with the ropes.
Such sights used to calm your nerves, but now...it was nothing more than a grim reminder of how long and unforgiving this night has been, and how there's still a few hours until sunlight and rescue arrived.
How did you get here?
Well, it was supposed to be a reunion between friends.
You and Josh were still together after the horrible tragedy that befell his sisters exactly one year prior, and you were with him through the long days he spent trying to isolate himself, and the difficult nights he spent wishing he didn't wake up at all.
You stayed with him no matter what.
No matter how many times he tried pushing you away...you always stayed. And while he didn't express it as much as he wanted to, he appreciated it.
That's the only reason why he didn't subject you to the "prank" he had laid out for the rest of the group.
You knew his passion for film projects, having helped him with some small YouTube ones yourself. You knew that this year, he wanted to do something to "really bring the gang back together", and you let him be when he insisted on working alone.
God, why didn't you press him on what exactly this prank entailed?
Why didn't you pick up the signs that he was off his meds?
What he enacted was horrific beyond measure--a prank that you didn't even think he was capable of carrying out.
One that seemed so real that you were almost convinced that you lost him to a murderer.
When Chris came to you sobbing in remorse over how the "Psycho" tricked him into killing your boyfriend, you didn't know what to feel. You wanted to see the body to confirm it, but given his and Ashley's reactions..it wasn't worth scarring your eyes or mind over.
It left you unbelievably sad and numb, although you were left confused when through his blubbering, he admitted that the saw blade was rigged to kill Josh despite choosing to save him.
That was the first sign that you knew something was off.
You didn't know anybody that held a massive grudge against him to the point of rigging a trap to murder him only.
But only after Josh revealed everything to Chris, Ashley, Sam, Mike, and you....that's when it all made sense.
And you felt betrayed.
You couldn't believe he'd orchestrate this whole scheme behind your back.
How could you have been so naive and trusting?
You felt like you should have known what he was up to. The others gave you suspicious looks and even Mike wondered for a moment if you were an accomplice...but you weren't.
That was the truth.
You had no idea.
Now all you felt was lingering guilt and festering anger that this was Josh's twisted idea of "revenge" against the people who didn't even kill his sisters. Against people like Chris who didn't even know what happened until he woke up.
And in a way, you felt like it was against you for not waking him up in time to stop the prank that led to Hannah and Beth running out of the cabin.
No matter how many times he claimed you had nothing to do with it, you felt like he was punishing you, too.
So now, you, Chris, and Mike have taken him away from the others, to a shed where he couldn't hurt anybody. Apparently Jess was dead, and despite his insistence that he didn't kill her....Mike didn't believe a word he said, having seen her body firsthand in some mining elevator.
Then when he started making lewd comments about Chris and Ashley, both of the men were growing agitated, debating on whether to make him shut up by force or not.
Finally, you intervened before they could decide, offering to watch over him until sunrise. You're the only one who had a small chance to talk some sense into him and make him realize his mistakes.
Mike was reluctant to leave you alone with him, thinking he'll guilt trip you into letting him go, but you convinced him and Chris you'll be fine.
There were some...scary things you've seen out in the woods earlier, and the last thing you wanna do is leave Josh alone with them nearby.
Even after all the shitty things he did, even after faking his own death...you still loved him.
You didn't believe he murdered Jess.
That's not what Josh would do.
"Your sisters wouldn't have wanted this." You quietly said, looking back at the wide-eyed man. "I wish things were different that night. I wish they didn't get humiliated. God, I wish Hannah had talked to me instead. But this...all of this was wrong, Josh. What happened doesn't justify-"
"But it worked, didn't it? Listen, I...I-I didn't want anyone dead." He stammered. "I just wanted to see that same terror on their faces. And I got them good! I got you all!!"
"...did you have to give Ash a black eye, though?"
"Look, she stabbed me with scissors! And it still hurts like a motherfucker."
You just gave him an expression that read "well I would have too if a killer was chasing me", and he seemed to understand...given how his shoulders slumped with defeat.
"Baby, 'm sorry..this...was not how our night's supposed to go. But you know what? I'm glad I was the only one laughing! Because NOW THEY KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE!!" Tears of anger pricked his eyes as his voice unexpectedly rose.
You whole body tensed, but you stayed calm, knowing he's only lashing out. "Josh, I know they hurt you. And hurting them back might feel good..but you hurt me too by faking your own death and not telling me how far you intended to take this prank."
"..you would've stopped me if I told you." He mumbled.
"Well maybe I should've been more persistent." You huffed. "If I was, we wouldn't be here. We wouldn't have to talk about why Jess died and why you seem to be the prime suspect-"
"I swear to god, it wasn't me! I don't even know where she is!" Josh snapped, before he curled up, like a child in timeout. "Mike..he wouldn't explain the wheres and whens. He just kept hitting me, pushing me..telling me to shut up...but I didn't do it...I swear. Please, please believe me, [y/n]. I'm sorry that you got roped into this. I-It's..the..the last thing I wanted.." His voice softened. "I'm sorry I've been bad..."
Slowly, you could see bits and pieces of the Josh you once knew coming back. His mind wasn't all there, of course, but you've known him forever.
You should be thinking with your brain and not your heart.
But....
You still love him, and believe in second chances.
"Joshua."
He perked up, anticipating the worst as you pulled up a chair to sit in front of him. For you to say his name like that couldn't have been good.
Maybe you were gonna side with all the rest of them and spit on him.
Maybe you were gonna say that you're leaving him alone here, as Dr. Hill had warned would happen.
Maybe you were finally going to tell him what an unforgivable monster he wa-
"I believe you're innocent. You're not one to take a life. No matter what they say." You suddenly spoke, putting a hand to his soot-coated cheek
Almost immediately, his twitching stopped, and he stared straight at you.
It's like you put him in a trance.
"I'm not gonna leave you."
"..e-even though I've been..all messed up?" He asked cautiously. "I-I mean..I haven't been a good boyfriend lately..."
"That hasn't stopped me from being there for you before." You chuckled. "We're gonna work through this. Even if it's just you and I."
"............"
"I believe you when you say you didn't kill her. Do you believe me?"
It took him a few moments to study your expression, seeing the genuine care and warmth in your eyes. Despite all the horrors you've seen tonight, there was still a spark of hope in them.
That was the light he needed.
"...I-I do..I really do." He sniffled, resting his head on your shoulder, grateful that you didn't push him away despite being covered in dirt and fake blood. "'m sorry...I-I don't deserve you."
"Oh, honey..." You put your arms around him, sighing softly as you felt him tremble against you, tears slowly dampening your jacket. At this point, you knew you got him back, and you were so relieved. "We'll figure something out. Just stay with me."
"You don't think I'm a monster..?" He asked through his sobs. "I mean, everyone treated me like one...you've seen them.."
"....I know. Neither of us can change how they feel. But listen, the only monster here is-"
All of the sudden, a shrill inhumane screech echoed from somewhere outside, deep in the woods, interrupting the tender moment between you two.
Josh sat up with a start, his tearful eyes wide and terrified as he looked to you. "Wh-What was that?"
"That's the real monster I was gonna mention. They call it the Wendigo. Hang on." Crouching down, you managed to find a small pocketknife on his toolbelt, using it to cut the ropes binding him. "It's fast. But it's blind as fuck. We need to get out of here."
Nodding, he got up as quickly as he could, having no time to rub his aching wrists as you grabbed his hand.
The shrieks became louder, forcing you two to hide further inside the shed, sticking close to the back wall where the shadows were darkest. "Shit. Don't move a muscle, okay?"
His breath hitched as the wendigo dropped down in front of the entrance, creeping inside the small building to look for prey. But he took your advice and tried staying still.
You could practically hear you own heartbeat as you held your breath, thumping louder and louder as the creature wandered around. Josh watched it scrape its claws along the wall, creating a sound most unpleasant in an attempt to make him flinch.
It then made direct eye contact with you both.
While you managed to keep perfectly still, you could hear Josh's quiet whimpers, indicating he had a much harder time considering how jittery he was earlier.
All you could do was hope and pray it would leave.
Otherwise...both of you were dead.
Just when you thought your boyfriend was going to lose it completely, the distant snapping of a branch caused the wendigo to turn at blinding speed and sprint out of the shed, returning to the surrounding woods.
"Okay...thank christ.." Letting his hand go, you took a breather, only to see that he was still standing rigid. His eyes showed nothing but pure terror, as he began mumbling something like "was it real" under his breath.
"Josh? Baby?" You shook his shoulders a bit, and he blinked several times, coming back to reality. Relief immediately crossed his face as he realized you were still here. "It's okay. It's gone."
"Tha....That thing w-was real?"
"Yes. I know how to outsmart it. But we can't stay here. We'll be safer at the lodge with the others. We just gotta keep our heads down until then."
"But..what about the-?"
"Don't worry about them. Let's worry about getting out of here, alright?"
Wordlessly, Josh nodded, practically clinging to your arm as you both headed outside and down the snowy trail. He kept mumbling incoherent things, reassuring himself that he was safe with you.
Obviously, he seemed pretty shellshocked, considering the monster he just encountered was real and not a product of his imagination.
He didn't know whether that was better or worse.
Either way, you allowed him to hold onto you, knowing he needed someone--anyone--to lean on right now. And fortunately you were exactly the person he needed.
The only one who could help him come back to his senses.
You swore to never abandon him, and you intend to keep that promise even after all that happened tonight.
Until Dawn - Not A Party Goer - Beth Washington x Fem!Reader
A/n: When a 2009 playlist plays Beat Again by JLS and you just wanna dance with a fictional character
“Beth, calm down, Y/n’s probably on her way.”
Beth barely heard Sam over the music, looking over at her and Hannah from where they stood next to her.
“I’m surprised you got Y/n to show up, I thought parties weren’t her scene.” Hannah admitted, leaving Beth to shrug, checking her phone for any messages from you.
“Hey! Little sis! Waiting for your crush?” Josh shouted over the music, slightly buzzed as he sloshed a red cup of some alcoholic liquid over with him.
“Shut up!” Beth retorted, removing the cup from his hand to dump it in the sink.
“Hey-”
“Have you seen her?” Beth asked, leaving Josh to chuckle.
“She’ll turn up, fashionably late and knock you off your feet, lover-gurrrrl.” Josh grinned before disappearing into the party to find Chris.
“Dammit!” Beth whined, turning around when Sam gestured for them to dance, dragging Hannah along to distract her from pining after Mike.
///
“God, these directions suck!” You growled, wiping at the falling rain that had landed on your phone.
Google maps had failed you.
You could hear the party but not find it, being glad you’d chosen to wear a waterproof coat over your outfit.
By the time you found it, you were half an hour late and your coat was drenched.
You could hear Dynamite by Taio Cruz playing as you dodged the college students making out on the lawn.
You spotted Mike and Emily in the hot tub but they were so focused on each other that they didn’t see you.
You walked into the house that Josh, Beth and Hannah Washington were staying in whilst they attended college.
An incident last year at Blackwell Mountain had the three begging their father, Bob Washington to sell the mountain, instead picking a much less supernaturally possessed retreat next time.
Thus the parties were now being held in the Washington children’s college house.
You were cold as you ditched your coat to dry off, slipping through the drunk teens as you spotted Chris and Ashley as Josh tried to set them up.
Poker Face by Lady Gaga was blasting as you slipped through the crowd, heading to a mirror to check your appearance hadn’t been completely ruined by the rain.
It was only when you heard a song you’d been wanting to hear since Beth asked you to come to the party that you decided to hit the dancefloor.
///
“Beth, stop sulking, Y/n’s probably here somewhere! Hey, Jess! Have you seen Y/n?” Hannah asked, gaining the dancing Jess’ attention.
“Y/n coming to a party? That’s a new one! I wish I’d knew, I would have offered her a makeover with Em!” Jess replied before going to dance with Matt since he’d been looking awkward, drinking a fizzy drink.
Beth frowned as the DJ changed songs, wondering who had put it on the playlist when Sam tapped her shoulder.
“What?”
Beth’s frown softened as she spotted you dancing to Beat Again by JLS.
“Damn! S/n can dance!”
Beth glared at whoever said that, her glare melting as she realised you were walking over to her.
“You know, if you ask someone to a party, you should at least dance with them once!”
Sam could see from where she stood with Hannah that you weren’t sure whether Beth had heard what you said, the little crinkle of a frown on your face explaining it before Beth smiled, taking your hands and pulling you onto the dancefloor.
Glad You Came by The Wanted was half-way through blasting when the two of you got to your spot on the dancefloor, laughing as the two of you danced together.
It wasn’t until Chasing The Sun by the same boy band began that Beth took your arms so you’d wrap them around her neck. Your fingers tangled in the hair on the back of her neck as her hands went to your hips.
“Damn, your little sister has moves, Josh!”
“Finally!” Josh grinned, cheering but you and Beth were in your own worlds as the two of you swayed.
Neither of you could look the other in the eye at the same time, avoiding each other’s gaze in the stolen glances. Neither of you saw the secret smiles with the forehead touches occurring.
It was only when the beat dropped that Beth had had enough, leaning into capture your lips but to her shock, you pulled her closer by the back of her neck so your lips would meet hers.
The cheers in the background had the two of you eventually breaking apart with grins on your faces.
Sorry for not posting in a while, I’m just really struggling thinking up stuff to write, but I really enjoy writing for this blog! So if anyone has any requests they’d like to see, please do send them in!
