yo skephalo pog ??
this is their meetup >:] pls enjoy this
dedicated to slmccl ilysm <33
fic title from ; this side of paradise - the coyote theory
pairing ; skephalo [skeppy/zak + badboyhalo/darryl]
prompt ; zak decides to go meet up with darryl for the first time.
cws/tws ; none !
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zak’s day has been rather uneventful.
no, scratch that, his month has been rather uneventful. despite constantly streaming and playing minecraft with friends, it seems as if his boredom is never-ending. the days drag on and on; it seems as if all he does is stick to the routine of waking up, eating, streaming, and sleeping, and to be honest, he’s tired of it.
it’s another night of no sleep, staring up restlessly at his ceiling when he decides to get up and break his routine. a notification he’d received a little less than an hour ago tells him darryl is streaming, and without a moment’s hesitation, he joins the teamspeak channel darryl has open, buttoning his onesie back up again and sliding his headphones over his ears.
“who joined? oh, skeppy, hello! shouldn’t you be asleep right now?” zak spares a quick glance at the clock, shrugs, and huffs into the mic.
“it’s not that late.” he says simply, and cringes at his own voice. it sounds scratchy and tired, and even if he is a little tired since he hasn’t slept for almost twenty-four hours, he still doesn’t want the older man to worry about him. “what’re you doing?”
darryl scoffs, but doesn’t say anything further on the subject of zak not sleeping, leaning back in his chair, keyboard clicking as he taps his fingers against the keys. “i’m playing minecraft, you’re free to join me if you want to!”
and this is how zak finds himself playing minecraft with badboyhalo at five in the fucking morning. he isn’t complaining, don’t get him wrong, but he’d rather be doing something a little more stimulating than a chill minecraft stream, and he isn’t in the mood for a troll, so there’s genuinely nothing to do, other than follow darryl around in-game like a lost little puppy. they mindlessly stroll around the jade plains, eventually coming to a small lava pool that darryl stops beside.
he’s so bored.
“hey, bad, are you doing anything right now?” he finds himself asking, against his will, the crooked joke sitting heavily in his mind, and darryl makes a confused noise, turning to zak in-game.
“well, other than playing minecraft with you, no, not really. why?” zak hums and giggles, burying his face in his hands, half covered with the sleeve of his duck onesie, effectively muffling the next words that slip from his lips.
“can i come over?” it’s meant to be a joke, that much is obvious, but the reaction darryl gives him is somewhat realistic. it’s obviously meant to be a response to his joke, but it seems so real and it tugs at zak’s heart.
“skeppy, of course you can! i mean, i only live like, two hours away, so it’d be pretty easy to,” darryl quips back, laughing softly, and that’s when zak decides he’s going to do it. he’s going to drive two hours to meet his best friend and maybe also the love of his life, and maybe even kiss him when he opens the door.
darryl’s chat surprisingly doesn’t go crazy, probably assuming it’s just a gag, and to be honest, darryl does too, so it’s not too unbelieveable. zak sits back in his chair, glancing over to the time. he figures he’ll leave at around seven in the morning, pick up breakfast on the road, maybe get some food for darryl before he arrives. that gives him at least an hour to pack, if he’s doing his maths correctly.
“well, i’m going to take my leave now,” he muses, popping his neck, darryl makes a disgusted noise, “see you later, bad!” zak leaves the teamspeak before the older man can respond, though he still hears the resounding, “byebye, skeppy!” from the stream.
to be honest, he’s kind of nervous. he trusts darryl with his life, with secrets he wouldn’t want to get out, with everything. and, sure, darryl is his best friend, but they’ve never met in real life, and he can’t help but feel the tiniest bit anxious. you’ve also got to realise that zak’s been in love with darryl for years. the first time they met was because zak trolled him, but they just clicked. people wanted to see more of the two, zak wanted to see more of darryl, and darryl agreed (albeit reluctantly, at first). they’ve interacted with each other for so long that zak doesn’t physically think he can live without the other man for a day, much less risk losing him for loving him.
and so, he’ll keep it bottled up, safe and secure inside of his mind, no matter how much his heart punches against his ribcage, mimicking the drumming sound of thunder, no matter how his cheeks heat up and he always smiles and can’t even fathom not thinking of him, no matter how much it pains him to push the feelings down, he’ll do it anyway.
as long as he can keep darryl by his side, he’ll be happy. he’d do anything for darryl, no matter how big or insignificant it may seem, so maybe this random surprise meet-up will be good for them. maybe it’ll help progress their relationship and strengthen the bond they have with each other, and if there's a moment where zak is positive that darryl might love him back, zak will be able to confess his feelings so the ache in his heart goes away and darryl finally knows how he truly feels.
maybe zak should actually start packing so he can leave soon.
he stands and stretches, back popping from the uncomfortable position he sits in for hours on end, hunched over and slouching, kind of like tommy. christ, even thinking of that kid’s posture makes zak’s back ache. undeterred from completing his recent mission, he shuffles over to his closet, opening the doors and peering in. he probably won’t stay for too long, maybe a couple weeks at the most, but he still would need to prepare in case the horrid florida weather comes back and he’s stuck with badboyhalo as a roommate (heh, imagine all the views that title would generate).
he gets dressed first, since he's not going to leave in a fucking duck onesie, pulling on a plain white t-shirt and a light pink hoodie over it, sliding his legs into a pair of light blue skinny jeans, collapsing on his bed with a soft grunt. he’s probably way too excited about going over to darryl’s, but it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet your internet best friend for the first time ever, and it’s not like he’s just going to throw it away. with a heavy exhale, he sits up and goes back to his closet to pack.
he grabs most of his hoodies and sets them down on his bed, since there’s absolutely no way in hell he’s leaving his house with hardly any of his prized hoodies, moves to find some pants and t-shirts he can casually wear, and stuff them haphazardly into his suitcase. they fill it up rather quickly, and he takes to stuffing them down and zipping up the suitcase, though it takes him a while, since it’s so overstuffed.
what else should he bring with him? he ponders over this for a brief moment, racking his head for the list of stuff he usually takes to meet someone. he’d obviously need his phone charger and a camera to record, as well as extra batteries for the camera, and he can pack that all into another bag, but there’s got to be something he’s missing, right? he’d need to record a video during that time, just to post it and not have his viewers think he died or something, but he can just use darryl’s pc if needed.
huh. maybe he does have everything he needs (except for bad by his side, but that comes later).
he pulls his suitcase off his bed and drags it out of his room, setting it beside the front door, then shuffles to his kitchen to get something small to eat before he leaves. there’s an unopened box of muffins sitting in the counter, and staring at the stupid food product makes his heart ache. it’s bad’s favourite food, he thinks, opening the box and picking one out, the sweet taste of blueberry and sugar sprinkled on top lingering in his mouth as he eats it.
how come everything in his stupid house reminds him of his utterly hopeless crush on his best friend? he can’t even sleep in his ducky onesie without wondering if darryl’s sleeping in his, too, and the fucking muffins — don’t get him started on the muffins. darryl's infecting the way he talks, how he thinks, hell, how he fucking breathes.
zak thinks he has a problem.
he quickly dips back into his room as soon as he finishes his muffin to grab his glasses off his desk and slide them onto his face, then flits around the house to find his camera, slide his phone into his pocket, grab the double-a batteries and his chargers, and gently place them into another bag. with a deep breath, he shifts the bag higher up on his shoulder and grabs his suitcase, opening the door and closing it behind himself with a resounding thud.
there's no turning back now, he thinks to himself, piling his stuff in the car (in the case of the bag with the cameras, extremely carefully) and sitting down in the driver's seat, carding a hand through his hair.
is he really about to do this? about to drive two hours to meet someone who probably doesn't even want to see him?
the answer is hell fucking yes (he swears he can hear the faint echo of a soft voice hissing, "language!") apparently; he turns the key in the ignition and leaves, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as he pulls out of his driveway. it'll be fine, he tells himself, trying to quell the sickly grey anxiety tugging at his entrails, darryl isn't going to turn him away (he thinks).
he rolls his window down a bit, the cool breeze playing through his hair, but there's something missing. once he's come to a rest at a stoplight, he quickly plugs his aux cord into his phone and puts on his road trip playlist. the familiar chords of a mac demarco song puts his mind at ease, and he smiles softly, fingers tapping along to the beat of chambers of reflection.
the drive is peaceful, in a weird way - zak's minor anxieties melt away as he gets further and further away from his home and gets closer to darryl's. mac demarco melds into joji, the song is soft and the lyrics make zak yearn for a friend, a lover, a soulmate, someone who completes him more than he completes himself.
a soulmate. that's not the first time that word has come to his head when he's thinking of darryl. extensive studying and sleepless nights have forced zak to the conclusion that maybe soulmates exist, and maybe darryl and he are soulmates.
two souls, intertwined until the end of time. the thought brings a smile to zak's face; he can't wait to meet darryl in person for the first time.
too entrapped in his own mind, he forgets he's sitting at a stoplight that recently turned from red to green. he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and accelerates, mildly embarrassed by his slip up on the road. he continues his drive nonetheless, skipping a few songs and humming along to a tally hall song, watching the world fly by in his peripheral vision as he drives.
minutes spent on the road turn into an hour, he's a little more than halfway through with the route, but he's tired of driving. it's a long process, one in which he knew was going to be long, but he can't quell the mind-numbing boredom washing over his brain. even the songs don't do much for him now, simply becoming ambient static to his ears. tally hall to glass animals to penelope scott to the minecraft soundtrack, subwoofer lullaby blares from his speakers, probably confusing everyone who can hear, but he's never cared about weird looks and never will.
to be fair, neither does darryl, and he technically inherited the trait from him; just one other thing for zak to admire about the older man. darryl is just an admirable person, he's easy to fall in love with, with his nerdy personality and his dorkish charms and his unique quirks (zak still wants to know what curses he's censoring with muffin) and his general friendliness and undying support for his friends and the people he loves; zak honestly can't believe he hadn't realised he was in love with darryl sooner.
he scoffs quietly and steps on the gas. he's got another hour to drive, anyway, he can't afford to be slowed down with distractions and sinful daydreams of pink lips pressing against his own, teeth nipping at his bottom lip, of pale fingers entwining with his own, of a bright smile and hushed whispers of "i love you," from a kiss-bruised mouth. like a kaleidoscope, temptation is truly everywhere, but he cannot give in to the snake's desires.
it's hard to get his mind off the impure thoughts once they're implanted there, distracting him from his end goal, and he almost misses a turn, quickly swerving and mumbling a soft swear underneath his breath as he eases up on the gas. the delicate chords of a ukulele gently make themselves known, playing softly from his speakers, and he smiles, tension melting out of his body.
the last length of the trip flies by fast, faster than zak would've ever thought it could, and he comes to a stop just outside of a normal looking house, except he feels like the most abnormal person in the world. i mean, how many times have you seen someone nervously standing in the street, about to walk up to the person he's been in love with for over a year's house and meet him in person for the first time?
not that often, right? exactly.
he tentatively takes a step onto darryl's lawn, sweaty palms reach for his phone, shaking fingers dial a familiar number, and he trembles as he holds the rectangular device up to his ear. a bee buzzes past, wind howls softly in his ears, the sun blinds him and the clouds soothe the momentary ache in his eyes, just how darryl's voice through his phone's speaker soothes his aching heart.
"hello?"
zak swallows, throat suddenly drying than tantalus's, trying to figure out desperately how to form a complete sentence. "are- are you still streaming?"
"yeah? why? i thought you went to sleep, you little muffin!" he can almost see darryl's pout, and he grins, nervousness snaking in and taking ahold of his insides. it's so infuriating how, in this particular instance, he's more nervous than he ever has been, but maybe it's because the people he's met in the past haven't been the main object of his desires.
"uh.. you sure you're not busy?" he asks again, a blatant reminder of their talk three hours previously, and darryl makes a noise, but answers nonetheless, though zak knows that tone of voice means he's suspicious of whatever zak has planned.
hah. if only he knew.
"no, i'm not busy? are you planning on trolling me again? skeppy, it's too early in the morning to be trolled and i didn't get much sleep at night," the older man whines, "you can't do this to me right now!"
"not trolling, it's fine," he murmurs, walking up the stairs to darryl's front door. this wooden slab is the only thing in his way, preventing him from meeting the love of his life, his soulmate, the one person that makes him happier than anything else in this mortal plain of existence, darryl.
he knocks three times. darryl shifts, he can hear it over the phone, and he can feel the narrowed eyes and confusion from outside of the home. "skeppy, who's at my door?"
zak laughs softly. "i wouldn't know. why don't you go check?"
"it better not be another pizza man, i swear to muffins," darryl grumbles, and zak can hear him apologising to chat before he leaves, shuffling towards the door. "who's actually there?"
"i dunno, you should open the door."
"i wish you would stop being so stubborn.." the older man mumbles, ripping a pent-up laugh from zak's throat, though he cuts it off as soon as he hears the lock unlatching.
viridi irises meet brunneis. the first thing he notices is darryl is slightly shorter than he is, and the second thing he notices is the wide, shocked grin that spreads across his face.
he hangs up the phone and opens his arms. "hugboyhalo?" darryl smacks him then, not enough to hurt but it's still an unexpected notion, and then darryl is finally in his arms. he hugs back harder than he's ever hugged back, tears springing to his eyes and slipping down tan cheeks. darryl's crying too, soft sobs released into his chest, and there's a growing wet spot on his hoodie that he really could care less about.
"is this real? you're.. you're actually here?" darryl breathes out, and he nods, unwilling to let go but wanting to see his best friend's face. he takes to cupping darryl's cheeks, tilting his face up so he can see, the most genuine, sunburning smile plastered on his reddened face.
"yeah, i'm here with you for however long you want me to be," he mumbles, and darryl just cries harder, burying his face back into zak's chest.
red mixes nicely with blue. they click together, never to let go of one another, like superglued puzzle pieces. his soulmate, in his arms, gripping his hoodie, crying because he's finally there with him, after two long years.
he's finally here.
"i love you, bad, so fucking much," he ignores the pinch he gets from swearing, continues, "you make me feel complete, you make me happy, i love you and i wish this were more elaborate and i can most definitely do this over again if you want me to-"
he's cut off with peach lips pressing briefly against his own. "you talk too much." darryl simply says, pale cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and zak closes his eyes, committing the sight to memory, carving a statue in his head so he never forgets. his lips feel tingly, desperate for another taste of darryl's, but they should get inside first.
and so, he steps inside, fingers intertwining with darryl's as they walk into the next phase of their adventure together.