Chris Hartley - Blog Posts

The Until Dawn movie had the perfect opportunity to set the series up for a second game and it’s annoying they missed it considering they are obviously trying to set a sequel up. in the Until Dawn remaster, two new character endings were added; saving josh from the handigo and the new sam scene where we see the whole “cut on arm” cliffhanger. these scenes were most definitely added to hint at a sequel, (not to mention the alleged project heartbreak that is apparently Until Dawn 2) but a sequel is difficult to make when you have a story that can end in hundreds of ways. the Until Dawn movie could’ve set up a sequel perfectly by keeping all the same characters, same plot and making a canon ending to the first game in the movie, killing off characters and making a perfect opportunity for a second game to begin.

the new Until Dawn movie makes me so mad, not only because it has nothing to do with the game but it’s basically the complete opposite. the Until Dawn game was all about making decisions and having a butterfly effect - not being able to go back to change it, having to just deal with the outcome even if it’s bad. but in the movie the whole plot is you HAVE to go back and change your decisions, it just feels weird that a movie adaptation of a game so heavily based on the butterfly effect goes so against that in the plot???

“chris and ashley were the most innocent but they got targeted by most of josh’s revenge!” hey so no! the whole point of chris and ashley’s part of the “prank/revenge” was to get them together, josh mentions (twice i think) that ash and chris just need a little push to spark their relationship. he obviously does it to them because they played a small role in the prank and josh obviously blames the group as a collective for his sisters deaths, but the point of josh’s antics on them could’ve also been for the plot of his recording, to have the sparked romance in the height of an attack.

SURVIVOR’S GUILT.

until dawn

[chris hartley x fem! oc]

major trigger warnings below!

(general until dawn warnings)

The powdery snow clung to his boots, dragging him down with every desperate step as he ran for his life. Each breath burned in his lungs, turning to mist in the freezing air, but he couldn’t stop—not now.

Behind him, the forest erupted with chaos. Trees shook violently as the creature flung itself from branch to branch, its guttural snarls echoing through the night like a death knell. The sound grew closer—too close—leaves rattling, snow falling in its wake.

He stumbled, nearly falling, and dared a glance over his shoulder. Nothing. Just shadows. But he could feel it. Watching. Hunting.

Then came the screams—high-pitched, raw, and final. One by one, his friends’ voices were swallowed by the dark, their cries splintering the silence like shattered glass. Each scream ripped into him, another weight on his back, another name he couldn’t save.

Still, he ran. Into the dark. Into the unknown. Because whatever it was, it was behind him now—and it was hungry.

“Chris!”

That voice—so achingly familiar—pierced the night. Raw. Afraid.

Juliet.

Tears blurred his vision. His breath caught in his throat. Should I turn around? The question struck him like lightning, but there was never really a choice.

His feet skidded in the snow as he pivoted sharply, shouting her name with everything he had left. “Juliet?!”

The snow be damned—he ran. Faster than before. Toward her voice. Toward the only thing that mattered.

But the woods weren’t silent anymore. Not entirely. The crunch of his boots mingled with something… wetter.

The snow beneath him, once untouched and glistening under the moonlight, was now tainted.

Stained.

Dark blotches marred the white, the kind that refused to melt or disappear. The trees around him leaned in, casting warped shadows like grasping fingers, and though the color was lost in the night, the scent said it all.

A sharp, metallic tang curled into his nostrils—thick and suffocating.

Blood.

His stomach churned. Every instinct screamed at him to stop. To run the other way. But he didn’t. He couldn’t.

Chris barreled forward, following the trail. The stains grew bolder, darker. No longer scattered drops—they were streaks now. Smears. Pools.

And then—

The cabin came into view, its windows hollow and black like vacant eyes.

Something was waiting.

Another blood-curdling scream tore through the cabin’s walls—raw, jagged, and unmistakably Juliet’s.

The front door hung crookedly on its hinges, still ajar from his frantic escape earlier. He hadn’t looked back then. Hadn’t dared. Not after what he’d seen.

He hadn’t known she was still alive.

Chris froze for half a second as the memory crashed into him: the sickening thud of her body slamming into the wall, the way she crumpled like a rag doll, red pouring from her head, painting her face in streaks. She hadn’t moved. He thought—he knew—she was gone.

But she screamed. And that meant she was still fighting.

Shoving the memory aside, Chris surged forward, bursting through the doorway. The cold hit him first—but it wasn’t the air. It was something else. A wrongness.

The house was a war zone.

His eyes scanned the dark interior, following the trail of red across warped floorboards. It was everywhere.

Thick puddles congealed in corners, sticky and black in the moonlight. Smears were dragged across walls like desperate handprints. Splashes painted the stairs. And then there were the chunks—unidentifiable pieces of something organic. Meat, maybe. Bone. Torn clothing. He didn’t want to know.

The scent was overwhelming now. Rotting copper and decay, a heavy weight in the air that clung to his clothes, his throat, his soul.

He swallowed hard, the urge to vomit crawling up his chest—but he kept going.

“Juliet?” he called out, quieter this time. More a plea than a shout.

Only silence answered.

For now.

Upstairs was the first option.

Chris swallowed hard as he crept up the staircase, carefully sidestepping the steps he knew would creak. Every sound felt like a gunshot in the silence that surrounded him—deafening and unnatural, ringing in his ears with the weight of fear.

At the top stoop, he drew in a shaky breath, then turned left, slipping into the great room.

The moonlight poured in through the high windows, the only thing cutting through the darkness. His boots made soft, wet squeaks as he walked, the soles still damp from the snow.

Without his glasses, everything was a blur. He stumbled over furniture and broken things—debris left behind from the violent fight that had nearly torn the room apart. The fight that had thrown Juliet across the room like a rag doll. The one that had left her still, bloodied, and silent. He’d thought that was the end.

A low, guttural growl rolled out from somewhere deeper in the cabin—a sound so wrong it made his skin crawl. It clicked between tones, shifting unnaturally as it grew louder with each step.

Chris blinked hard, trying to see. His hands reached out for walls, familiar furniture, anything to guide him forward. He followed memory more than vision, navigating the cabin he’d stayed in so many times before.

Then—he heard it.

A whimper. So faint it could’ve been the wind. But no. He knew that sound. He’d know it anywhere.

Juliet.

With cautious, quiet steps, he slipped into a side room, the guttural clicking growing fainter behind him. The door creaked slightly as he pulled it nearly shut, the shadows swallowing them both.

“Juliet?” he whispered, falling to his knees on the plush carpet.

“Chris?”

It was her.

A rush of breath escaped him, part relief, part disbelief. He reached out for her, pulling her trembling body against him. She was soaked in blood—shaking, broken—but alive.

“Hey… it’s okay. I’m here,” he whispered, brushing a matted clump of hair away from her face. His fingers stuck to it, wet with something warm. Part of him was grateful he couldn’t see clearly—grateful the details were just a smear in the dark.

“You left me,” she sobbed into his chest, her voice hoarse and aching.

“What? No…” he shook his head, voice cracking, chin resting on her blood-matted hair.

“You did! I was left here—all alone!”

“Hey… hey, shh… we have to be quiet,” he murmured, heart pounding.

Her blood soaked through his coat like melting snow, hot and endless.

“Wh… where are you bleeding?” he asked, the words barely escaping him.

She pulled back slightly, the moonlight hitting her just enough to paint her outline.

“Everywhere,” she whispered.

She took his hand in hers, guiding it slowly up to her face.

The moment his fingers touched her skin—or what was left of it—he froze. He wanted to pull away, wanted to scream, but his body locked in place.

The flesh from the center of her cheek down to the edge of her jaw was gone. Peeled away. De-gloved. Nothing left but exposed muscle and gleaming red, like raw meat glistening in the cold light.

A scream tore from Juliet’s throat—shrill, raw, and unearthly. It echoed like a banshee wailing in the hills of Ireland, a harbinger of death.

Then—

Crash.

The door behind them exploded open, slamming with such force the knob punched clean through the cabin wall, leaving a jagged hole behind. The hinges shrieked as they twisted, the door now hanging crooked and broken.

The creature was on them in an instant. It lunged, its maw wide, teeth gnashing with rabid fury as it went straight for Chris’s throat.

“Chris?” Juliet’s voice was faint, panicked.

He barely heard her.

His hands shot up, grappling with the thing’s face—skin rough like bark, jaws snapping like a wild animal.

“Chris!” she screamed again.

The creature’s breath was hot and fetid, its teeth clicking closer, closer, closer—

“Chris! Wake up!”

He jolted upright with a gasp, drenched in sweat.

Juliet was standing over him, her scarred face soft in the pale wash of moonlight streaming through the window.

“You okay?” she asked gently, reaching out to brush the damp hair from his forehead. Her touch was cool, grounding. Real.

“Y… yeah,” he stammered, sitting up quickly. The black leather couch groaned beneath him, the material peeling away from his sticky skin.

She crouched beside him now, studying his face. “Nightmare again?”

He nodded slowly, wiping his palms on his jeans. His heart was still hammering in his chest.

Juliet’s eyes searched his—haunted, but calm. “Same one?”

Chris swallowed hard. “Yeah. The door. that… thing. You screaming…” He trailed off, eyes drifting to the stillness of the room.

Juliet looked down for a moment, then back at him. “It wasn’t real, Chris. You’re safe.”

He shook his head slowly, eyes distant. “I can’t get the memory out of my head. It’s like it’s burned into me. What if…” his voice faltered. “What if we weren’t meant to survive? What if it comes back for us?”

Juliet didn’t answer right away. Instead, she reached for his hand, her fingers cold but steady as she gave his a gentle squeeze.

“But we did,” she said quietly. “Maybe not whole. Maybe not the same people we were when we got there. But we made it out. We survived.”

“Barely,” he muttered, voice thick with exhaustion. He dragged his free hand down his face, then slipped his glasses off and rested them in his lap.

The silence lingered between them like smoke—heavy, suffocating.

Juliet leaned back, her eyes scanning the window, the pale snowfall still drifting outside like nothing had ever happened.

“We lost everything up there,” Chris said after a moment, staring blankly at the floor. “Friends. Our sanity. I don’t even know how to live normally anymore. Everything feels like… like it’s waiting to go wrong again.”

Juliet nodded slowly, her thumb brushing over the back of his hand. “I know. I feel it too.”

She hesitated, then added, “Sometimes I wake up and I swear I can still hear it. The clicking. In the walls, in my dreams. Doesn’t matter. It’s just… there.”

Chris looked over at her, eyes sharp behind the tiredness. “Then maybe we didn’t really make it out. Not all of us.”

Juliet didn’t respond. She just held his hand a little tighter.

“God,” Chris muttered, voice cracking as he pulled his hand away from Juliet’s, “if I could just go back in time… tell those idiots not to prank Hannah, none of this would’ve happened.”

The anger in his voice was raw, but underneath it, grief bled through. He buried his face in his palms, elbows resting on his knees like the weight of the memory might crush him.

Juliet watched him for a moment, her expression unreadable.

“You couldn’t have known,” she said softly. “And even if you had—you know damn well they wouldn’t have listened.”

She eased down onto the couch beside him, sitting sideways, curling her legs up so her shoulder brushed his.

“What-ifs can’t change the past, Chris. Believe me, I’ve tried.” Her voice wavered slightly, but she held it steady. “Everything that happened… happened.”

She touched her cheek, the skin pale and ridged with scars, like melted wax.

“My face is fucked. They’re all gone. Josh is locked away in some psych ward, probably talking to ghosts…”

She paused, looking up at him.

“And you—you’re still here. You’re breathing. You still wake up every morning.”

She rested her chin gently against his knee, her voice soft but firm. “You survived, Chris. I don’t care how broken you feel. You made it through.”

He didn’t respond right away. His fingers dug into his scalp, trembling slightly.

“I don’t feel like I did,” he whispered eventually. “I feel like I left part of myself up there… with them.”

Juliet let the silence hang for a moment, then said, “Maybe we all did. But what’s left… it’s still worth something. You’re still worth something.”

She looked up at him, her scarred face lit by the moonlight. “You’re not alone, okay?”

Chris looked down at her, finally lowering his hands. His eyes were red-rimmed, but she could see the faintest flicker of life still behind them.

He nodded, just once.

“Okay,” he said, voice hoarse.

Outside, the wind howled faintly through the trees, but for now, the house held its breath.

i don’t want the until dawn movie unless they bring the original actors back. i don’t care if they’re middle aged or whatever. what’s the point of making the movie if you’re not willing to bring the og cast back 😭😭😭

I survived the Until dawn movie, that’s like one of the top 5 hardest things I have done in my life yet. If you liked the movie atleast a bit i suggest you scroll now because i’m about to rip this mess to pieces.

Here is a list of questions that popped into my head while torturing my eyes and soul with this monstrosity of a film, it’s gonna be a long one so grab your popcorn I guess…

Why is everyone wearing an oddly similar outfit, why are there only five of them, why is the gas station called ”Hartley’s” if it’s run by dr. Hill and not Chris, why is there only one missing sister, how is every character from the group so damn annoying and why do they hate eachother, what was that weather circle, literally what was the house supposed to be like was it just a haunted house, where is the snow and the lodge, why is the psycho bald and who was he and how did he get there, why is Peter Stormares character called dr. Hill if he’s basically a totally different character, why are the other characters hating on Abe while he is the only sane person there (telling the truth is crazy in a world full of lies) and why the hell did that one girl stab him, WHY IS THERE A WITCH, why was the tap water bad like was it poisoned and what was it poisoned with, why does this remind me more of The Quarry than Until dawn, why is the hourglass so important in this when its just a graphic choice for the cover of the game, why was Clover only posessed by the witch for one of the nights, why did it seem like gooner content or something when that asian girl exploded, why were they able to feel the ways they died only after died for the first time, why was there a sex tape in the basement like that was so unnecessary, why did they choose that lazy ass plot of having a ”psychic” character, why were the mines and sanatorium combined, were the glitching video effects supposed to like actually scary, why did the night start over at exactly those moments like when that one girl wiped the mirror and stuff, why was there a drawing of a werewolf, why did all of the jumpscares follow the exactly same series of cinematic techniques like first theres quiet then theres a bit of relief and then theres a jumpscare, why does this whole movie remind me more of Beetlejuice beetlejuice than Until dawn, why didnt Clover just open the damn bear trap cuz by the looks of it the spikes werent even that long, why wasnt the sister a full wendigo and why did she just look like a posessed doll, what was that clown doll at the witches house, why is the plot of this movie that if you mess up the first time and die you can try again by coming back to life when in the game the point is the complete opposite because like the point of the butterfly effect is that one small thing you do can cost someones life, why was complete ”wendigos die from fire and born from cannibalism” lore removed when the wendigo is the biggest reference from the original game even according to the way the movie has been marketed, were these characters written by a gen x man who was never met an actual gen z, how was there only one actually spooky jumpscare, why was there a random sunken town, what was that worm on Clovers face supposed to be, how was my pulse the highest when I realized that we were soon about to see 5 seconds of Josh, why did the movie acknowledge the lodge BUT ONLY IN THE END, why did the group go to the town where the sister disappear lastly at the end of the road trip instead of starting there, were all these outfits and accesories ordered from Shein, why did we only see a couple of the nights fully like what was the point of watching a couple of them on that guys’ phone, was the psycho like an actual creature or just a really strong guy, what happened to the other people who had come there and why did they come there in the first place, how many plot holes were actually in this and has anyone counted yet (if not my guess is 23), why are all of the characters dark haired, why don’t the characters relationships have like anything to do anything, why isn’t the music scary, why didn’t Clover just stab dr. Hill cuz that seemed easier tbh, why was the wendigo chained in that room, not that i’m complaining but was Joshes file there just as a reference or did it actually mean something, who was driving that car that almost hit the group and last but not least HOW UNTALENTED OF A DIRECTOR DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO THAT THE ONLY SCARY ELEMENT IN THIS MOVIE IS THE JUMPSCARES???

If I ever had a semi positive thought even barely related to this crapstrosity of a movie it sure is gone now, just like my hopes for an actual Until dawn movie. From now on I will deny the existence of this movie and the fact that I actually saw it. I haven’t felt this angry since accidentally missing that one werewolf while shooting in The Quarry but i’m sure as hell enraged now. God is sorry he made us.

Thank you for coming to TED talk.

elsaxx19 out.

12 years ago today 🗓️

First post ever! Okay but seriously if you have seen the trailer or other content related to the ”Until dawn movie” and thought ”that looks interesting” and haven’t played the game PLEASE do yourself a favor and play the game instead because I feel like not enough people know that the movie has like basically nothing to do with the game (which is a masterpiece) and like when people go see the movie which i assume is gonna be like really REALLY bad and then get the impression that the game is like that and get de-influenced and stay away from the game I will actually lose it ❤️ anyways I think i’m gonna post here mostly about Until dawn (the game obvi) and also other games (check bio) so if that’s your thing consider following 😽

Until Dawn Remake: New scenes that I hope have been added

Interactions between characters who have zero interaction. Like Emily & Chris or Jessica & Ashley.

Jessica having more screen time instead of being unconscious for half of the game.

Same for Matt, who if he survives the tower falling, is literally just wondering around aimlessly in the mines for half of the game until he reunites with Jess.

Matt potentially making it back to get to the safe zone and having opinions on the whole Mike/Emily/Gun scenario.

Emily and Jessica actually interacting without arguing? Maybe a potential to rekindle friendship? (Cause they're fighting over Mike the sleaze ball, really????)

Maybe more Beth and Hannah scenes? Longer prologue perhaps to actually flesh out relationships. Maybe Matt and Ashley actually have dialogue?

Honestly, if there's just more character/group interactions, I will be satisfied.

Live slug gaming

Idk if this has been done before

NOW THAT UNTIL DAWN IS TRENDING OH MY GOD!!! My favorite game ever is getting a movie I’m gonna cry

Here’s stuff I made a while back

Happy Valentine’s Day (to those who celebrate !)

Here’s some Climbing Class !!

I just absolutely love them and wish they got the ending they deserved 😭😭

THE Mlp Until Dawn AU

Omg I spent like two days just working on these and I’m so happy with how everyone came out,, if I have the energy I’ll make Hannah, Beth, Hill, and maybe The flamethrower guy

OMG IVE NEVER LIKE FINISHED AN ANIMATION BEFORE!1!1! AAAA :D

But I was contemplating how this reveal would work, I was originally gonna make Josh a Cat for reasons that would be obvious if you check my posts 🤭 but like, it would be insanely obvious who the giant cat chasing them around is when he’s pretending to be a mysterious killer.. THEN MY FRIEND @/sir-sumair HAD THE BEST IDEA..HE SHOULD BE A CHANGELING! I’ve kinda made up my own little story about how most of the friend group doesn’t know that he’s a changeling and only like Chris knows,

Well that’s it- wish I had more to say 😭 maybe I’ll make more drawings later on

Chocolate Brownies | GN!Y/N x Josh Washington

Masterlist

After Y/N accidentally consumes some of Chris' *special* brownies, Josh is a sweetie and takes care of them through their first high. (WC: 3400)

Warnings: Weed usage, Accidently eating an edible, Alcohol, Horror movie, minor overstimulation A/N: I'm not super familiar with weed, apologies if it's not realistic.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Damn, I didn’t know Chris could bake.” Y/N spoke as they licked their fingers, finishing their second chocolate brownie. Sam half-listened as she was busy looking for a bottle opener in the lodge’s huge kitchen. “You should probably take a brownie before I eat them all.”

Sam froze as she realised what Y/N was talking about: “Are you eating the brownies Chris made?”

“Uh huh.” Y/N replied nonchalantly, reaching for another one, and stopped when Sam slapped their hand away. “Hey! What’s your problem?”

"Sweetie, those are Chris’ *special* brownies.”

Pause.

“You mean that these have-“ “Weed in them yes.” Sam interrupted them, reaching a hand out to feel her friend’s temperature. “You feel okay, sweetie?”

“Yeah… I think so... Is two brownies a lot?”

“For someone like you, probably.” Sam was right. Y/N hadn’t taken edibles before; they’d smoked it once, but that was a year ago, and they’d coughed it up immediately before stopping. “But it shouldn’t hit for another thirty minutes or so.”

"Okay,” they trailed off, “could I stay with you while you get sorted?”

“Of course.” Sam replied sweetly; she was like the big sister Y/N never had. They sat and watched as Sam finally found a bottle opener, laughing as their friend victoriously opened her bottle of beer. The two chilled in the kitchen for a while, until Y/N's head became fuzzy, but they didn’t mind; in fact, it felt nice.

Sam turned as her friend began quietly humming to themselves, “Has it hit it, you?” Her friend could only tilt their head and smile smugly, “I understand why you guys like this now.”

"Aww, sweetie, let me get you some water.” She stroked her friend's cheek before turning away to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

“I think Josh would like these...” they spoke absentmindedly, swinging their legs as they sat on the kitchen counter. Y/N found it weird how their voice sounded; it had gotten slightly deeper as much as they tried, but it remained at a slow pace. “Where’s Josh?”

“He’s where we left him, Y/N, remember?” Her voice muffled as she reached into the fridge. “Do you want me to get him for you?”

"Oh, I don’t want to bother him.” Y/N felt a blush creep onto their cheeks. They’d always had a crush on Josh ever since Sam had introduced them to each other; that was only four years ago.

The blonde simply shakes her head before leaving the kitchen for a moment before returning, Josh following behind her. “What’s up?”

Sam simply pointed at Y/N, who was busy staring into space. He approached them, standing in front of their eye line, “Y/N? You okay?”

“Joshuaaa” Y/N smiled brightly as he came into their view. “You should try Chris’ brownies; they’re really good.”

His brows furrowed for a second in thought, reaching out to their chin and lifted their face to him. He assessed them for a moment before a smirk spread across his face. “Are you high?”

“Yep,” they answered, “Although I didn’t mean to be.”

He looked between them and the brownie tray before asking, “How many did you eat?”

Instead of speaking, Y/N shyly held up two fingers as an indication, “Jesus, you’ve barely touched the stuff, and you decided to eat two weed brownies?”

“I didn’t know they had weed in them.” They shrugged, ignoring Sam as she tried to hand them the bottle of water she’d gotten for them moments before.

“You didn’t know?” A laugh escaped him, and he crossed his arms. “How do you not know they’re weed brownies? What, you thought Chris was just that good of a baker?”

Sam tired to pass Y/N the water again but was waved away as they continued to defend themselves to Josh. “I thought it was one of his grandma’s recipes, like that cake he made for my birthday.”

“I doubt his grandma was the one that taught him how to make these.” He shook his head fondly before taking the drink from Sam’s hand and shoving it towards them. “Here, drink. It’ll help with that dry mouth.”

“Not thirsty.” They stated while pushing his hand away.

“Don’t care, drink the goddam water; you’ll thank me later.” His voice was stern, and he shoved the water back towards them. For as long as Y/N and Josh knew each other, everyone knew how protective he was over his younger friend.

Y/N knew they couldn’t argue with him, so they chugged the water and then quickly hopped off the counter, causing them to stumble a little bit.

Josh’s hands shot out and wrapped around their waist to keep them steady. “Woah, take it easy. You’re gonna fall on your ass, Y/N.”

"Well, you caught me,” they replied before tapping his nose. “So I’m perfectly fine.”

He smirked and kept a hold on them still. It was almost second nature to just keep their body close to his. “Just keep your feet on the ground next time, yeah?”

“‘Kay.” They replied simply, “Where’s Chris?”

“I’m sure he’s around; want us to go look for him?” He pulled away from them, taking a step back so they could move.

"I wanna thank him for his magic brownies."

“You really wanna thank him, or are you just wanting more brownies?” He asked with a raised eyebrow and crossed his arms. Y/N just shrugged in reply, earning a fond chuckle from Josh, “C’mon then, let’s go find Chris so you can thank him for the brownies.”

He carefully guided from the kitchen, walking to the living room, where Chris was sitting awkwardly making conversation with Ashley and Jess. Once Y/N eyes focused on Chris, they suddenly shot from Josh’s side. Nearly pouncing on him as they hug him from behind.

"BONJOUR MY MAGIC BROWNIE MAN!" They yelled in his ear as they kissed him on both cheeks.

Chris was clearly shocked, his eyes widening as he jumped from the couch and turned to face them. “Y/N, Jesus, you scared me.”

Without Chris sitting down, Y/N was now sprawled over the back of the couch, looking rather uncomfortable. He opted to ignore Josh’s mumble of “pussy” and turned to face his friend, “The fuck is wrong with you.”

"I'm high," Y/N replied simply, as if it explained everything.

“High? How can you be high? You don’t even smoke—oh, OH!” Chris’ eyes became wide with realisation, and he quickly lifted Y/N’s head up to look into their eyes. “How many did you take?”

"Only two," Y/N answered truthfully, their voice still slow and a hint deeper than it usually was. "Why? Is that a lot?"

Josh chuckled again at their confusion, while Chris looked even more shocked if that was possible. "Two? You're a lightweight; you're gonna be on your ass for three hours minimum!"

"Well, I didn’t mean to!” Y/N yelled back, “I didn’t even know they had weed in them.”

"That's your own fault, moron," Chris responded bluntly, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. Then he turned to Josh, with eyebrows slightly furrowed in suspicion as he asked, "And where were you when our dear friend was getting high off their ass?”

Josh laughed quietly. "Relax, Coachie, I had nothing to do with this."

Y/N spoke up determinedly, "Hey, don’t be mean; Josh said he'd look after me.”

Chris rolled his eyes and let Y/N go, letting their head fall back down. "Of course he did. He's practically your knight in shining armour," he remarked sarcastically.

He turned back to a still-clueless Y/N. "Seriously though, how did you not realise they were weed brownies? They smell stronger than the skunk's den near my place."

By this point, Y/N was slowly sliding off the back of the couch and onto the floor. To the point their face was now in the sofa’s pillows, which muffled their voice as they responded.

"Alright, come on, let's get you somewhere more comfortable," Josh suggested as he walked over to Y/N, pulling them upright with ease as if they were a ragdoll. However, in this case, the ragdoll in question had a tendency to giggle at nearly everything and was finding the whole situation rather amusing.

“Chris is right, you’re my own personal hero.” Y/N said in between giggles, leaning their back into his, allowing him to drag them around the couch.

Josh simply hummed to himself, then he dragged them around the couch and made his way towards the stairs. "C'mon, you lightweight, let's get you to your room, yeah?"

Instead, Y/N fought against him by suddenly going limp in his arms. "Nooo, I'm not tired yet.”

“Shit!” Josh exclaimed as he struggled to hold Y/N up at the sudden added weight. “Jesus, stop doing that!”

“Can we watch a movie instead?”

Josh tried his best to hold the limp figure up. "Alright, alright, fine." He agreed, "We'll watch a movie."

As he spoke, he effortlessly scooped them up, with one arm under their legs and the other behind their back. He had never had a problem carrying them before, and it was the quickest way to ensure they didn’t fall.

He carried them to the couch and gently placed them down so they were sitting before heading to the DVD player and opening the cupboard with all the movies inside. “So what do you wanna watch?”

“Wait, I’m gonna text everyone and ask them to come." Y/N explained as they pulled out their phone and sent a quick text in the group chat, “We should decide together.”

Josh just raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing as he watched them quickly type out a message. Eventually the other’s made their way into the living room from wherever they were before.

“So Y/N,” Mike began with an amused smile as he read of his phone, “Mind telling us what ‘has gus come to live rom’ means?”

Emily stifled a giggle while Sam covered her mouth to hide a smirk. Mike was clearly the only one brave enough to ask the question.

Y/N furrowed their eyebrows in confusion. “I didn’t write that.” They said as they looked at their phone once more, “I wrote, Hey guys, come to the living room.”

“Are you fucking high or something?” Emily asked harshly, although she meant it affectionately, “You basically wrote in gibberish.”

"Yeah, I am..." Y/N answered honestly, a dopey smile on their face. "And Chris's brownies were really good."

Chris's face went bright red as everyone turned to stare at him. "You gave them weed brownies?!" Ashley gasped, slightly horrified. "How many did they eat?"

"Two," Chris admitted sheepishly, "I didn't think they'd actually eat them!"

"You ate what?" Matt asked, clearly shocked but more concerned about how Y/N would feel. He knew that a few of his friends smoked, but Y/N never did, meaning they had a low tolerance for that sort of thing. "Are they okay?"

Josh rolled his eyes and went to sit in the chair next to Y/N. "They're fine, Matt. Don't stress."

Y/N nodded fondly before grabbing Josh’s arm. “Josh’s taking care of me tonight!”

"Of course he is," Mike said with an amused smirk. "Josh always takes care of Y/N."

"I'm just looking out for my younger friend," Josh said with a shrug. "Anyway, what movie are we watching?"

"What if we watch a horror movie?" Matt suggested with a mischievous grin. "It'll be fun to see how Y/N reacts when they're high."

"No way, Matt," Josh said firmly. "We're not giving Y/N a panic attack."

At the same time as Josh’s words, Y/N also spoke up, “Great idea, Matt, we could watch The Conjuring!”

Josh frowned at Y/N. "You don't like scary movies," he reminded them. "I'm not letting you watch The Conjuring."

"I don't see why we can't watch it," Emily spoke up. "It'll be funny."

"It's not funny, Emily," Josh said, his tone bordering on annoyed. "Y/N doesn't like to be scared, and we don't want to take advantage of them when they're not in their right mind."

“Jesus Josh, no need to be so dramatic,” Jess spoke up from next to Emily with a smirk. “Y/N is a grown up; they can handle themselves.”

"That's not the point, Jess," Josh replied, his frustration evident in his voice. "They're not in their right mind, and I'm not letting you take advantage of that."

"Oh, come on, dude, lighten up,” Mike said as he patted Josh on the back. “We’re supposed to be letting go this weekend, remember?”

“Seriously Mike.” Josh muttered in reply as his eyes narrowed, ready to lay into his friend.

"Okay, okay, enough," Ashley interjected before the situation could escalate further. "How about we watch something light-hearted instead? Comedy maybe?"

Josh let out a sigh of relief, glad that the conversation had shifted to a more reasonable suggestion. "Yeah, that sounds better," he said, looking around at the group for their approval. "Y'all good with that?”

Unbeknownst to them, while they were all arguing over what movie to watch, Y/N had slipped from Josh’s grip and had approached the DVD cupboard. After finding the movie they wanted to watch, Y/N had simply placed it in the DVD player and pressed play. It wasn’t until the opening scene of a man loudly screaming in pain loudly echoed through the room did the others notice what had just happened.

"What the- Y/N! I told you we weren't watching a horror movie!" Josh exclaimed, his irritation clear.

Instead of answering, their eyes were fixated on the screen. They were completely silent for a while, until they finally spoke up when the movie versions of the Warrens appeared on screen. “Fuck. They’re so hot.”

Josh groaned in frustration, "Y/N. You’re way too high for this.”

"Come on, Josh," Sam said teasingly. "You can't blame Y/N for having a thing for Vera Farmiga."

“Shut up, Sam.”

“Oh Josh, that hurt’s my feelings.” Sam replied in mock hurt.

Meanwhile, Y/N had finally moved away from the TV and back towards the couch. Except instead of sitting back in the spot they were in, Y/N decided a better option would be to sit right in the centre of Josh’s lap.

"What are you doing?" Josh asked, slightly taken aback by Y/N's sudden intimacy. However, he didn't push them away, merely adjusting his position to accommodate them. He put his hands on their waist, holding them steady as they nestled into his lap.

“You’re comfy,” Was all Y/N said as the other’s simply smirked at each other before, taking their own seat to watch the movie; Sam now sitting in the spot Y/N used to be in.

As the movie continued, Y/N couldn’t help but feel a little shiver up their back and turned towards Chris, “Could you pass a blanket, please, Chris?”

“Sure,” he tossed them a large black fluffy throw, which Y/N happily placed on themselves and, as a result, Josh as well.

Josh was glad Y/N was comfortable, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. "You're lucky I like you," he muttered under his breath as he tightened his arms around Y/N.

“Mhmm, I like you too.” They said as they shuffled further into his chest and rested their head on Josh’s shoulder. “Maybe I like you a bit more.”

“Shut up and watch the movie.” He responded fondly as he wrapped his arm around Y/N and pulled them closer.

The group continued to watch the movie in mostly silence, except for the occasional screams at the several jump scares. At some point throughout the movie, Y/N had adjusted in Josh’s lap and was sitting sideways with their head resting against his neck.

During the climax of the film, Y/N felt a bit dizzy and nauseous, so with a groan, they hid their face in Josh's neck. Yet despite not being able to see the film, the sound effects and voices were making them feel very overstimulated.

Noticing their distress, Josh reached his hand up and began to stroke her hair softly as he whispered over the movie, "Hey, you doing okay?”

Y/N couldn’t speak suddenly; their mind felt like mush; all they could do was mumble and shake their head against his neck.

Josh's concern deepens as he feels Y/N shake their head against his neck. He turns his head a bit to get a better look at their face, but all he can see is the disoriented look in their eyes.

"Hey," he says gently, "can you look at me for a second?"

Y/N tried to lift their head up but was struggling; they felt like it weighed nearly a tonne and couldn’t move. Their breathing grew heavy with panic, and tears weld in their eyes.

Josh noticed the tears welling up in Y/N's eyes and the panic setting in. "Hey, hey, it's okay," he said in a soothing tone. "Just take some deep breaths, okay? I'm right here with you."

Swallowing harshly, Y/N found their voice long enough to whisper into his neck, “I don’t wanna be here.” Before letting out a small sob.

"Shh, it's okay," he reassured, gently stroking their hair and using his own body to try and shield Y/N from the outside world. "We can leave, okay? We can go to your room if you want."

“Please…” Their voice was small now but still loud enough for Josh to hear.

Josh quickly gathered Y/N in his arms and stood; the others looked away from the movie at his movements. Watching as he began to carry them away from the room.

“Is Y/N okay, Josh?” Sam asked with a furrowed brow as motherly concern spread across her face.

He paused and turned back to the group. “They’re not feeling too good, so I think I should just take them to bed.”

"Alright, man," Mike spoke up. "Be sure to take care of them, yeah? And let us know if you need any help."

Josh nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, I've got it," he replied, his grip on Y/N tightening slightly.

With that, Josh turned back around and made his way up the stairs and into Y/N’s room. After a little struggle, he was able to push the door open and gently lay them down on the bed. He tucked them gently before moving around the room to make sure they had everything they needed: a glass of water, some painkillers, and a bucket, just in case.

He gently stroked their cheek before quietly moving to the door. “Wait!” A voice called back to Josh, caring for him to turn around, "Stay, please.”

"You sure you want me to stay?" he asked quietly.

“At least until I fall asleep.”

Josh nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Of course," he replied softly. "I'll stay."

He sat down above the covers next to Y/N and took their hand in his. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Y/N answered, “sorry for freaking you out.”

"No need to apologise," he replied, shaking his head softly. "You were in quite a state. I'm just glad you're feeling better now."

He continued to stroke Y/N's hair, his fingers weaving through the soft strands. "You'll be okay, I promise," he said reassuringly. "Just get some rest, okay?

“Mmhmm,” Was all Y/N said in reply; their eyes were closed and their breathing was growing softer as they drifted to sleep. “Thanks for looking after me.”

"No need to thank me," he said quietly. "I'm just happy to be here. Now, go to sleep, alright?"

He stayed sat beside them for a few more moments, watching as they entered a full state of sleep. Once he was sure they were deep asleep, he carefully brushed a stray lock of hair from their face and sighed softly.

In their deep sleep, Y/N breathy felt a soft touch on their forehead. Sighing contently, they fell deeper in sleep, not realising that Josh had placed a kiss on their head.

“Sleep tight, Y/N.” He whispered into the quiet, “I’ll be here to take care of you, always.”