Context: Since you began your college career, you've had a rival. He's brash, mouthy, but oddly intelligent and always down to torment you for a bit. You've held your own through the debates, arguments, prank wars and all else. Tonight, you've come to a local dive bar to try and get some peace. But, of course, he had to show up.

Setting: A dive bar/the hospital

Tags: [MM4A][Tsundere Rival Speaker][Bartender Speaker][Two Speakers][Rival Listener][Flirting][Dive Bar][Rivalry][Confession][Protective][Possessive][Dominant][But Kind of Goofy][CW: Drugging/Injury]

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***

[B] = The bartender

All unmarked text is the Rival

***

[Scene opens in a bar, late at night]

[SFX: Dive bar ambiance]

[You are sitting at a table, nursing your drink and going over some coursework when a familiar, smug voice cuts over the heavy metal]

“Well, well. It’s the campus loser, drinking all by themselves!”

[You glance up and see your rival standing before the table with some of his cronies lingering behind]

[Pause]

“Awww, are you really out here trying to get schoolwork done at a dive bar?”

[Pause]

[He and his cronies cackle]

“Right, right, we did set off that soda bomb in your dorm. Buuuut that’s only because you thought it’d be real funny to set that Halloween prop to drop out of the closet!”

[Pause!]

“OK, fine, yes, it was after the mosquito incident, but YOU’RE the one that spearheaded the “DDoS toilet” incident. Ha ha, very funny, making a bunch of toilets flush remotely at once… How’d you set that control on that, by the way?”

[Pause]

“No shit? Huh. I didn’t think to make a program like that to set it on a timer. That’s pretty smart.”

[His cronies mutter and your Rival corrects himself]

“Smart for an idiot, anyway. C’mon, boys, let’s have a sit. After all, the rest of the bar is all filled up.”

[SFX: The table creaking]

[They sit on either side of you and you roll your eyes but try to focus on your work. You feel a subtle hand on your hip]

[Pause!]

“What? I am not touching you. I’d rather touch fucking molten lead than have to touch any part of you, eugh.”

[Pause?]

“A favor? For you? Depends on the favor…”

[Pause]

“Watch your drink so no one puts anything in it?”

[He sneers at you]

“Yeah, whatever loser. You can get to the bathroom and back without your drink being poisoned by the Wicked Witch of You Fucking Wish.”

[SFX: A barstool squeaking on the floor and footsteps fade away]

[Time passed: Seven minutes]

[As you return, you see something of a scene at the bar counter]

[Pause???]

[The bartender turns to you, pale]

[B] “Someone put something in his drink… He conked out and we’re waiting for the ambulance to arrive.”

[Pause?!?!]

[The bartender blinks at you a few times]

[B] “Medical…bracelet…?”

[You dive to his side, ignoring people’s cries of alarm and look at the medical bracelet before digging through his bag]

[Pause???]

[Your rival’s eyes flutter for a moment as he looks up at you. All he can manage is:]

“Did I protect you… a-at least?”

[Pause]

“Good… g-good… I- ow! Geeze, really, you didn’t have to stab my leg! I… oh, you’re saving my life.”

[He emits a few noises of annoyance as his eyes flutter shut again]

“Ugh, you always… have to… one-up…me…”

[SFX: The approaching ambulance as he passes out]

[Scene transitions to a hospital]

[Time passed: Five hours later]

[SFX: Good ol’ hospital ambiance]

“Nngh…?”

[You sit up as your Rival begins to stir awake]

“Wh-...? Oh.”

[He grows quiet as he sees you and looks away]

“... I didn’t die. Tch. You can’t let me have any fun, can you?”

[Pause]

[He snorts and shakes his head]

“Yeah, yeah… What happened?”

[Long Pause]

“... They arrested him for slipping something into your drink. Right. Yes… I don’t know what else I thought would happen… I saw him do something but it never registered, not once, that my best friend would… do something so insanely awful. Then I got it into my head that I could annoy you by sipping out of your drink and it hit so fast and… and I realized what had happened as I began to pass out. I remember screaming at him both “You’re a monster, you’re a piece of shit” and “Run, get out before the police come!”. I… I don’t know why I tried to protect him even then.”

[Pause]

[He exhales shakily as you rest your hand on his]

“I’m at least glad you didn’t see the bit where I was yelling about you… I think I actually said some nice stuff, bleugh, hehe…”

[Pause?]

“Oh, c’mon, don’t make me talk about it…”

[Pause]

“Guhhhh, of course my parents won’t be here for five more hours… They have to fly in from a state over… Fine. Fine! You want to know what I yelled? I yelled: “How dare you be their nightmare when that’s my job. How dare you try and hurt them, how dare you sink so low as to threaten someone that I happen to fucking be fond of!”.”

[Pause]

“... What do you want me to say? I like our fights. I like how easily you can keep up with me in debates. I like how you challenge me to keep being better instead of being lazy like the others. I like how… cute you are. How your nose wrinkles when you’re about to tell me off. How you give that dramatic sigh just from me smiling at you… I haven’t been able to not think about you from the moment we met, what… two years ago? Three?”

[Pause]

“... do you remember the last game of the season? We won, I was pumped as all get out, and you were cheering wildly for us. For me… Seeing you beam at me like that, like you were glad to see me, I don’t… I don’t know… It made my heart pound even harder. That’s why I grabbed you up and kissed you there. And then promptly dropped you on your ass… Sorry.”

[Pause]

[He sighs, rubbing his forehead weakly]

“I’m… I’m so sorry. For all of this immature bullshit… For constantly teasing you. The pranks, the comments, the…”

[His voice cracks faster than you’re prepared for and he begins to sob]

“... The others all wanted to leave me there, I heard it. Heard them say that. I heard the bartender acting confused over my medical bracelet. If you hadn’t been there, if you didn’t know me as well as you do, I… And, you know, I wouldn’t have even minded that, but knowing that those assholes were going to hurt you??? No. The devil would have to drag me kicking and screaming before I let them!”.”

[Pause]

“Hmph. Appreciate me being protective, do you? Yeah, well… I appreciate you looking out for me tonight. However, I must insist that your next bar outing not be alone. Got it?”

[Pause]

[His face flushes and he glares at the wall]

“N-No, not like a date… OK, yes, like a date. Damnit, this is going to take a long time to deprogram the sarcastic asshole mode. Look, I love you and all I want is to hold you, in my bed, and never let anything try to hurt you again. Especially not me.”

[Pause]

“H-Huh? Why would you ask the doctor if you could curl up with me?”

[...]

“...oh right, I’m an idiot. C’mere, then, c’mon.”

[SFX: Some metal squeaks as Listener snuggles up with this spicy boy]

“Mmh. You smell like hospital fries and desperation.”

[Pause]

[He laughs as you two cuddle up]

“And I smell like bar sweat and teenage boy, got it, got it.”

[Long Pause]

“...I love you.”

[Pause]

[He exhales in relief as you tell him you love him too]

“I’m glad I’m not completely beyond loving. Don’t worry, OK? I’m not going to let anything hurt you. I promise…”

[You listen to his heartbeat and soft breathing until sleep finally claims you. Despite years of evidence to the contrary, he does not appear to have cooties]

[The End?]

Note: IDK, more of these nerds or no? Also, please see my post for more info if you're wondering why I continue to be a massive numpty and post. Thank you <3