Baby Dew

Baby Dew🩷

(If RosyClozy won’t give me baby Drew I’ll just do it myself.)

Something I’m really excited to see explored in Season 2 is the fact that despite their fall-out, Jake and Drew are going to have to see each other daily.

And I’m not talking about them passing by one another between classes. I’m talking about the fact that they share multiple classes together and sit by each other in every single one.

And that’s probably not something they can so easily change considering how seating charts work. They are going to have to sit shoulder to shoulder with each other and aren’t gonna be able to do anything about it.

Another place they’ll have to see each other is their lockers. Their right beside one another, and once again, people are usually assigned to their locker number so it’s not like they can so easily change this either.

And imagine how awkward it’d feel to be Jake, who’s just trying to get his books while his ex-best friend stares him down from a locker away.

I’m pretty sure the only way these two can ever get this switched is if they genuinely become a disruption or danger to the other. And that in itself would be a pretty interesting arc: having both of them get sent to the principle’s office for arguing either during or after class and having Jake or Drew switch either seats or lockers. (Bonus points if it’s Drew who has to swap, because not only would that move him away from Jake, but Henry and Liam as well. Which would basically just isolate him entirely. I’m sure Drew would take that well.)

There is so much potential for angst with this, and I’m so excited to see what’s done with this plot point.

In the spirit of Spooky Month, I’d like to share a little TMF AU that I’ve had for quite a while now: The Vampire Freaks! Now, I know Vampire AU’s are pretty common, but they’re one of my favorite AU tropes, so I wanted to put my own spin on what TMF would be like if certain characters were vampires. (And if everything took place in a fantasy-medieval period, too.) So, over the weeks leading up to Halloween, I’m planning on sharing a little bit more about this AU, starting with our main characters, Jake and Drew!

⭐️Lore: Jake Sterling was once a man skeptical of the existence of vampires, believing them to be nothing more than a ghost story, much like the rest of his village. However, his views changed on a fateful night, when him and his younger brother, Milo, stumbled across one. The two narrowly escaped with their lives, and to protect anyone else from going through what he had, Jake decided to join a group of self-proclaimed Vampire Hunters, more commonly known as the Vampire Freaks by most of the village. The leader, Hailey, was reluctant to allow him to join, but considering how desperate they were for new members, she allowed it. However, on his first proper vampire hunt, they’re ambushed, and Jake was separated from the rest of the group. Lost in the wilderness, beneath the heavy rain, Jake eventually came across what seemed to be an abandoned mansion, and despite his better judgment, he entered, only find out the mansion belonged to the elusive vampire Drew. (And from there the storyline pretty much follows that of Beauty in the Beast.)

💫Full Design:

✨The duality of Drew but digitalized✨

Now that I have made this, I would like to collect the Drew drawings of everyone in this community and place them on a spectrum, with one side being ‘depressed emo man’ and the other being ‘twink’ because I think it’d be really funny. (And I know my art would be FAR on the twink side because I’m unfortunately incapable of drawing not twinks.😔)

🍃Elm Tree (Part Two)🍃

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Synopsis: 5 times Dominic felt something more for Elliot, and 1 time he realized someone else felt the same.

A/N: I just realized I haven’t had to use any content warning for this fic. I didn’t even realize how often I write characters swearing until this one. But despite how fluffy and wholesome this fic has been, I still don’t believe in happy endings. So good luck, Dom. I have two sequels for you in the works.

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“…How did you trip into the rose bushes, Dom?” Elliot asked, holding Dom’s sleeve as he lead them back to the greenhouse.

And in all honesty, Dom didn’t really know either. One moment, he was yelling to Faye from across the garden, and the next, he was tripping over a watering can and stumbling straight into the roses. Luckily, none of the flowers had gotten damaged, but Dom’s face was left covered in scratches.

Bradley had been the first to notice him stranded, and was quick to free him from the thorn’s clutches. Faye, meanwhile, left to get Elliot, thus leading to the situation Dom currently found himself in.

“I think our watering cans are haunted.” Dom eventually answered. And Elliot blinked, looking back at him with wide eyes.

“Huh?”

“It came outta nowhere Ellie! Think it has it out for me.”

“…Why would the watering can have it out for you?” Elliot questioned, and Dom shrugged, crossing his arms as he followed Elliot inside the greenhouse.

“Ask the watering can.” He said, earning a small chuckle from the pink-haired boy as he made his way over to the wooden table pressed against the wall. After clearing some space, he turned his head back to face him.

“Come here.” He said softly. And Dom tried not to think about the butterflies suddenly swarming his stomach.

He sat down on the table just as Elliot instructed, and watched as the taller boy reached into a small box underneath, pulling out a familiar med-kit. Dom lost count of how many times Elliot must’ve used it on him.

He placed the kit on the table, opening it and pulling out a small pack of disinfecting wipes. Dom could already imagine the sting they’d bring, and instinctively, his grip on the table tightened.

“Hey uhm… is that really necessary this time? I mean, it’s only a few scratches-”

“It’s always necessary.” Elliot interrupted him. “They could get infected otherwise.”

“Mmm…” Dom hummed, glancing down at his feet.

“It’ll be okay. I’ll try to be quick.” Elliot assured him. He rested a hand against Dom’s arm, and Dom couldn’t help but smile at the feeling.

But the moment he felt the cold burn of the alcohol wipes, he recoiled, letting out a hiss of pain.

“Sorry!” Elliot squeaked, his voice cracking slightly on his words.

“You're good! You're good.” Dom managed, nails scraping the wood. “Just… get it over with.” Elliot nodded, and Dom closed his eyes, biting down on his lip to suppress small winces as Elliot cleaned off the rest. Dom wasn’t sure how many times he’d been through this process. It never got any easier, but at least it got a little quicker.

Eventually, Elliot pulled away, and Dom finally opened his eyes.

“Okay… I’ll just cover the bigger scratches.” Elliot whispered to himself, opening up a small box of band-aids as Dom found himself staring again. He wasn’t sure when it became so common of him to admire Elliot’s features like this, but he decided not to question it.

So instead, he focused on Elliot. On the way certain strands of his hair would curl more than others. On the way his brows furrowed slightly as he concentrated. On the way his brown eyes squinted and his lips pursed ever so slightly. On the way the sunlight danced along rosy cheeks, painting him in a gentle golden glow. It was… almost ethereal…

Ethereal… was that a word people used to describe their friends?

“There you go.” Elliot’s voice snapped Dom out of his trance, suddenly realizing that Elliot had already finished bandaging him. “You’re good to go now.” He said, giving Dom that same beautiful smile he’d grown so fond of. And Dom returned the expression, leaning forward and sliding off the table.

“Thanks, Ellie! I appreciate it!”

“My pleasure! Just… be more careful around the rose bushes, alright?” Dom chuckled, giving a small salute.

“I’ll try my best, Prez!”

*+*+*

“Alright, I think that’s everything. Thanks for staying so late, guys.” Dom let out a sigh at Elliot’s dismissal, leaning his head back to see the sky. It was a soft shade of yellow, indicating the sun would be setting soon.

To say it’d been a long day would be an understatement. Club was supposed to end almost an hour ago, but due to the changing seasons, there was a lot more work to be done. Hence, the additional hour spent in the gardens.

Not that Dom was complaining at all. He loved working in the garden. But what he didn’t love was having sore limbs and a shirt soaked with sweat afterwards.

“You okay, Dom?” Elliot asked. Dom whipped his head forward, brushing the hair from his eyes as he turned to face him.

The club president didn’t look any better than he must’ve His pale pink hair was messy, bangs damp with sweat and clinging to his forehead. There was a little dirt on his cheeks, and his glasses were a bit smudged, too. His usual brown sweater was tied around his waist, leaving him in a dirty white button-up, with the collar loosened and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

…How did he still manage to look so beautiful?

“Yeah, I’m good!” Dom responded, giving a thumbs up for good measure. “Oh, you got a little dirt on your face, by the way.” Elliot tilted his head, and Dom pointed at the spot on his own cheek. With a small nod, Elliot wiped at the spot with the back of his glove, but that only seemed to smear a little more dirt on his face in the process.

“Did I get it?” He asked, and Dom chuckled, shaking his head.

“Not even close.” He answered, before pulling off his own gardening gloves and stuffing them into his pocket. “Here, lemme get it.”

Dom closed the space between them, resting a hand against Elliot’s cheek as he carefully thumbed away the dirt that had gathered there.

And for some reason, Dom decided to glance into Elliot’s eyes. And once again, he found himself getting lost in them.

His hands lingered even after he’d gotten the dirt off, and he found himself in what felt like another trance.

That soft, warm feeling of fuzz came drifting back to him, making his whole head feel a little cloudy. It was so weird how a feeling he’d never once experienced before had become so common around Elliot…

And the feeling only seemed to grow stronger when the two were close like this. Close enough for Dom to admire every feature. To note every subtle mark and crease along his skin. To feel his breath, and to wonder what his soft, thin lips would feel like against his-

…

“Dominic?”

Dom could feel his heart skip a beat, his breath catching in his throat.

And suddenly, his whole world tilted. The warmth, the fuzziness, the butterflies, the nervousness, the excitement…

Everything had shifted into place. It all made sense now.

…He liked Elliot.

…He wanted to choke.

Quickly, Dom pushed Elliot away, his hands resting on the taller boy’s shoulders as he took in a quick breath. How long have I just been standing here?!

“Are… you okay, Dom?” Elliot asked, and Dom forced his gaze to the ground.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” He mumbled. “You’re really cute-” He shut his mouth.

“…What?”

“What?”

The blood was rushing to Dom’s face, and he wasn’t sure if he was about to have a heart attack, or pass out from heatstroke. Either way, he had to get out of there.

He finally took his hands off Elliot’s shoulders, placing them awkwardly on his hips.

“Uhm! D-did you hear that? I think Faye’s calling me.”

“No I’m not.” Dom flinched. He didn’t realize Faye was right behind him. He turned his head around slowly, his brain frantically trying to figure out something for him to say.

“…Yes you were!” He managed. “In your mind!” He pointed to his temple. “Remember? Twin telepathy?” Faye’s eyes narrowed.

“I wasn’t even-”

“You were just thinking about how it’s time for us to head home. And I agree! We don’t want to miss the next bus, do we?” Before Faye could respond, Dom grabbed her by the shoulders, practically shoving her towards the garden entrance.

“-Hey!” She shouted. Dom ignored her, and glanced back over his shoulder to Elliot, giving him a smile he prayed looked natural enough.

“Cya, Ellie! Say bye to Brad for us!” Elliot frowned, but didn’t say anything, giving the two a hesitant wave.

Dom turned back around, his smile falling almost immediately. The moment the two were out of the gardens, he let out a defeated sigh.

“What the heck was that about?!” Faye snapped, and Dom didn’t answer, simply resting his head on her shoulder in a pathetic attempt to hide from the world. “Dom?”

Dom took a slow breath.

“Can I ask you something?” He whispered.

“Yeah?”

“…Can you feed me to Bitsy when we get home?”

“…What?”

“I need you to feed me to Bitsy. Immediately.”

“Why would I even do that?” She asked.

“Because, Faye. Think of all the money you’d save on buying crickets! I’d be good for a couple months, I bet!”

“You’d only make Bitsy sick! Now what is going on with you?” She asked, and Dom sighed again, finally lifting his head from her shoulder.

And he considered telling her what had happened. He always told her everything, afterall. But he was quick to realize how little that would actually help with anything. Faye was possibly the worst person to go to for romantic advice, considering how little the topic actually interested her. In all honesty, he’d have better luck talking to Bradley about this. And Bradley couldn’t even look at a girl without freezing up.

Not only that, but Dom didn’t even know if this was a crush or not. It felt like one, but… what if it wasn’t? What if this was just… some sort of phase?”

“Dom?” She asked. And Dom suddenly realized he’d zoned out again. Crap. What do I say?

He thought for a moment longer, before finally answering.

“…I made a total idiot outta myself in front of Elliot. Felt like I was gonna die.” Faye stifled a laugh.

“Of course you did. When do you not make an idiot out of yourself?” She mumbled, and Dom gasped.

“Excuse me?!”

“You heard me.” She teased.

“Uhm! Says you!”

The two started bickering after that, comparing their test scores and bringing up all the times they’d outsmarted one another. And it was a nice distraction for a while. It kept Dom focused on something that wasn’t… him.

But the conversation ended when the two reached the bus stop, just barely having caught the bus in time. The two hopped on, and Dom reached into his school bag to fish out his wallet, handing a few dollars to the driver before taking a seat with Faye somewhere in the middle. Considering this was around the time most people were getting off work, the bus was pretty full. It was lucky they were even able to grab a seat in the first place.

The twins sat close together, and Dom placed his back-pack on his lap, using it to rest his head. Faye, meanwhile, leaned against his shoulder, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a pair of wired earbuds, taking a moment to untangle them before plugging them into her phone and handing a bud to Dom. He placed it in his ear, listening to the songs she had queued up, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Elliot would like them, too.

And that’s what brought Elliot back to his mind. Despite all the people around him, Elliot was the only one he could think about.

Dom stared down at his feet, his arms tightening around his back-pack. Memories of Elliot were stuck on replay. He couldn’t shake them from his mind no matter what he did.

And even after the moon had chased away the sun, Dom had yet to chase away Elliot. He still couldn’t get over that moment in the garden, and he wasn’t sure if he ever would.

He turned to lay on his back, letting out a sigh as he stared at his bedroom ceiling. He should’ve been asleep by now…

…This has to be a crush, right? He wondered, pulling his blankets up just enough to cover his mouth.

…Of all people… why did it have to be him? Why did it have to be…

Dom blinked, the answer hitting him almost immediately.

Elliot was everything…

He was kind and gentle. He treated everyone he met with an unconditional warmth no one else could replicate. He was caring and patient, and had a way of seeing the beauty in everything, no matter how small.

He was practically an angel. A wisp of heaven in human form…

Dom turned to lay back on his side, staring down at the little night-light plugged into the wall. Even its soft, white glow managed to remind him of Elliot’s smile.

So, the question was never: Why do I like Elliot?

It was: Why did Elliot have to like…

*+*+*

“M-Milly?!”

Dom glanced up towards the sound of Elliot’s voice, only to catch a glimpse of the pink-haired girl herself making her way over to him. Dom’s eyes widened slightly, a little surprised by her presence as well.

“H-Hey, Ellie!” She greeted. Two words in, and her face already matched the color of her hair. It was so painfully obvious she liked him, and the way Elliot’s eyes seemed to sparkle as he made his way over to her made was just as telling.

Dom never missed the way Elliot would brighten whenever he got a chance to talk about the girl. And he’d he lying if he said it didn’t bother him a little.

He bit the inside of his cheek, turning back to the flowers he’d been watering. And he couldn’t help but listen in to their conversation.

“What- what are you doing here?” Elliot asked.

“Oh, Hailey and Zander had to leave early today.” Milly responded. “I still got a little bit before my dad picks me up so, figured I stop by?”

“Oh! Yes! I’m glad you came! I-it’s always really nice to see you.” Dom stole another glance at the two, and Milly’s face had somehow gotten even brighter than her hair.

“R-really?” She stammered, her voice so soft it was barely recognizable.

“Yeah, I-”

“Hey, lovebirds!” Dom found himself talking suddenly. Words were escaping before he could even think about them. “Get a room, why don’t you?”

Both of them turned to face him, blushing madly.

“I- s-shut up, greenbean!” Milly shouted. “W-we’re not even-!” Dom laughed. Trying not to think about the sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Why so defensive? Might give us the wrong idea.”

“I’ll give you a wrong idea-” She mumbled, cracking her knuckles as Dom chuckled, praying it sounded genuine.

Before Milly could actually act on her threat, however, Elliot placed a hand on her shoulder, which alone seemed to ease a bit of her tension. She turned to face him, and was met with soft, caring smile.

“W-why don’t I show you the flowers we’ve been growing? We just planted a bunch of new ones recently!”

“Y-yeah! Okay!” She agreed, and Dom turned back around to the flowers he’d been watering, watching the way the leaves drooped a little under the water’s weight. He hadn’t even registered the puddle forming on top of the soil.

“Great! Well, uhm, come with me!” Elliot said. He sounds so happy with her…

“Dom?” Faye’s voice suddenly snapped him out of his trance, and quickly, he looked up.

“Hey, hi- uh, what’s up?” He said, and Faye pointed down at the flower bed he was watering.

“I think they’re good-” Dom glanced down at the soil, suddenly realizing how much water he’d given them.

“Ah, shoot! Heh, my bad.” He laughed, scratching the back of his head.

“Are you doing okay?” She asked. And Dom smiled, giving her a nod.

“Yeah, yeah I’m cool. Uh, I’m gonna go refill this. Looks like I used up most of it.” Before Faye could respond, Dom turned to leave, heading over to the hose to refill the watering can.

He kept his gaze fixated on his feet, telling himself over and over again to be supportive. Because Elliot was happy. And that’s all that mattered.

…Wasn’t it?

…

Maybe… in another life, Elliot would’ve been able to look at him that way.

Maybe in another life, they could been something.

Or maybe, in another life, none of this ever happened. And Elliot was nothing more than a friend with the prettiest face and the kindest soul Dom had ever seen. And Dom never once found himself wondering what Elliot’s lips would feel like against his…

Maybe, in another life… he could’ve saved himself. Saved himself from falling hopelessly for his best friend.

…But not in this life.

Just finished a sketchbook so art-dump lol.

Bonus for @pastara-cell