Chapter Text
“WEELLCOME BACK TO EXOTIC ESCAPADE, FRIENDS!”
“Last time we met, poor Nathan crumbled under the immense pressure of being his team’s leader and erupted like a raging volcano, leading to his elimination from our game. Bye bye hothead!” Dante giggled.
“Along with that, it appears Pamela and Blitz have started an alliance with Ean and Budley! It really makes ya think…is this a new thing, or has it been goin’ on for a while?”
“Speaking of Blitz, has he found love on Moon Island? A potential summer fling with Hawaii’s hottest, Kaison Kekoa? I’m jealous!”
“Owh, I’m just on the edge of my seat, Dante!” Stella paused, grinned widely, then continued, “The answer to these questions, and potentially many more on today’s episode of…EXOOOOTIC ESCAPAAADE!!!”
It was all some uninteresting routine by now, getting woken up by Stella and Dante’s (oddly) enthusiastic personalities at the ripe time of 7 am. Who the hell is watching TV at that time anyway? I know I wouldn’t be. Guess some people just need their TVs.
Blitz woke up that morning feeling sick to his stomach with anxiety. It had been a week since he and Kaison started…” dating”? He was still on the fence about his relationship with the (way) taller man but all he knew was the fact that they both felt the same way about each other. That was something.
And now the fact that Stella was announcing it to the whole wide world when he didn’t even know where they stood was…not good. As far as he knew, Daisy, the whiny girl from when they first arrived, had a MASSIVE crush on Kaison. How would she react when she finds o-
The bubbly voices of the hosts awakened Daisy and Dahlia, the news of Blitz’s romance certainly waking Daisy up.
“oh, that little…OH. THAT. LITTLE…GGRRRRAAAHHH!!!”
“Daisy, calm down! There’s plenty of other fish in the sea!”
“I. don’t have the timeOR THE PATIENCE. To go…fishing!” she faked a smile, a façade to hide the insane amounts of rage pooling within.
“I’m being for real! Please don’t do anything stupid just to try and score a date…it’ll probably gonna fail, like it did with-”
“JUST. SHUT. UP!!! I DESERVE TO BE WITH THAT GORGEOUS MAN. I DO!!! NOT SOME WANNABE PORCUPINE!!!” She was pissed, so desperate for a chance with Kaison that she was willing to do ANYTHING to get Blitz off the island.
anything…
—
Now that most everyone was up and running, there were approximately 20 minutes before filming began. So, Blitz thought, what else was there to do besides enjoy the beautiful Caribbean sunrise over the beautiful beach of Moon Island with his…friend? With benefits?
The two found a nice place on the sand to relax, under a palm tree overlooking the romantic view. It was the first time Bauer had ever admired such a beautiful beachside scene.
“...I really hope today isn’t a swimming challenge,”
The punk had tried to strike up a conversation with the other man, to break the seeming tension between them.
“Why not, man? Swimmin’s the best! It’s like, you feel so, like…so free…’specially when you’re aaaalll the way out…there!” Kaison pointed to the ocean, to the water seemingly touching the sun. The surfer’s eagerness made Blitz smile.
“It’s just…my hair. Took a while to style and I don’t wanna ruin it…”
“Aww, c’mon, don’t worry about that! Just don’t even think about it, focus on, like…how much I love you…orrr the fact I never stop thinkin’ about you…yeah! Think about the positives, dude!”
The comment dusted his face with a subtle blush. However, he couldn’t care less about his hair. God, he didn’t know how much longer he could keep this up for…
“pssst- hey.”
A voice came from the bushes, a very familiar, soft voice.
“pam…ela?”
“yup. hey, you might wanna watch out today, Blitz. Daisy had a BF this morning over whatever you and Kaison have going on…she wants you gone,”
Kaison looked at the guy next to him.
“...what’s a BF?”
“a bitchfit! she’s pissed!”
“‘ts not good…is she alright, brah?”
“as far as i know yeah. she’s fine…for now…just be aware. we don’t wanna lose an alliance member, y’know…” Pamela yawned, then wandered back through the bushes.
“...i’m so screwed-”
Just then, a loud air horn sound played throughout the premises, through the large speakers spanning the whole island. It caused Blitz to flinch and Kaison to cover his ears.
“...’m still not used to that yet,”
“Hm? What’s that?”
“...mmnothing…I’m okay!”
“Alright…think it’s time t-”
“ALRIGHTY PEOPLE! TO THE MAIN BEACH AREA, IT’S CHALLENGE TIIMEEE!!!”
Nothing like the loud blaring of a speaker at 7:30 in the morning, huh?
“...’re you sure you’re alright?”
The surfer took his hands off of his ears and faced the punk. “Psh, I’m fiine! ‘m used to noise n’ stuf-”
“OH, YOU’VE GOT FIVE MINUTES BY THE WAY! SORRY!”
Clearly, Kaison was not used to “noise n’ stuff.” He looked relatively panicked as he put his hands back to the sides of his head.
“...okay so…maybe n-”
“I’m. Fine. I’m okay. Stop worryin’ about me so much.”
That sudden tone shift from the all-around chill party dude wasn’t something Blitz expected. It really threw him for a loop.
“...sorry. Let’s just get going. Don’t wanna be late, yeah?” Kekoa softly smiled in apology, offering his hand to his partner. He accepted it, although still confused by the random outburst he had…
—
“Welcome, welcome!! So glad you could all make it! You’re in the final thirteen, who’s excited?!”
Nobody clapped or cheered at all.
“...that’s the spirit! Now, I’m sure you all remember these wavers you filled out on the plane ride to the show,” Dante held up a small stack of papers, containing contestant’s weaknesses, food allergies, general information, and…of course…consent to be filmed.
“So, this last little line down here at the bottom, we asked yew for y’er discomforts! Stuff ya just can’t stand! Stuff that absolutely makes y’er blood BOIL!” Stella smiled wickedly.
“Life isn’t always gonna be a walk in the park! So, in this challenge, you and your teams will be embracing the uncomfortability! The team that ends with the most points WINS! Any questions?”
Nobody raised any hands. It was pretty straightforward anyway.
“Without further ado,” Beauregard stuck her hand into a small, black bowl and pulled out a small slip of paper.
“...EAN!” She was handed a waver from Dante, “Let’s see…y’er discomfort iisss…idiots!”
A few of the show’s interns pushed over a small stage, the backdrop being some sort of a fast food restaurant. Ean groaned.
“I knew it.” He stepped up onto the stage, behind one of the actors (an intern), and waited for his task.
“Mister Realoda, to earn a point for y’er team, y’gotta do one easy thing! Get to the front of the line without flippin’ out or sayin’ anything! Simple enough!”
“God I don’t-”
“AAAND ACTION!!!”
The customer at the front of the line stood at the register and stared at the menu above. They didn’t know what they wanted.
“Uhmm…uhh…what do you ah, recommend?”
“...sir.”
“No, I got it! Umm…lemme get uh- NO do I really want that?”
“...sir-”
Ean was at his breaking point. He seriously wanted to flip but he wanted to at least get a point advantage against the other team. Especially since they had more people. So, he kept his composure until he finally got to the front, even earning a half-decent carton of fries.
His team clapped and cheered as the nerd walked back to the benches where they sat. Kaison may or may not have taken a fry or two…
“AND NOW…let’s get…” This time, Dante stuck his hand in and selected a name, that being Daisy.
“UGH, NOOOO-UH! I’m not doing it.”
“Oh c’mon, it’s just one outfit! And it’s not even that bad!”
“Can it, Dahlia. I’m not doing it!”
“Miss Hyeong please at least attempt to wear it. We’ll give you all the privacy you need,” More interns pushed over another prop, this time a dressing room.
“All you have to do is try on the outfit, show it off, then you’re done! You get a point for your team!”
“...fine.”
Daisy got up and wandered over to the dressing room, not excited for what was inside.
“Aaand…go!”
She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, it was clear as day. She ran over to that dressing room and slammed the door, rushing to change and tie the game. And the outfit she dreaded so much…was a baggy shirt, some baggy cargos, and sneakers.
“It doesn’t look that bad on you!” Her friend tried to cheer her up from the sidelines. She was not havin’ it.
“I HATE IT!! I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT!!!!”
“Alright just…go change. Daisy wins a point!”
“AWH, THANK GOD!” she rushed back into that little box so fast it wasn’t even funny. Sitting back down in a nice (un)comfortable pair of skinny jeans and slides was an awesome feeling.
The two hosts dwindled the list down until they got to Kaison. The teams were tied.
His discomfort?
“Anything that feels weird, eye-dee-kay.”
“...you hate weird materials? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“ Well…ah…umm…”
Kaison tried to find the right words, to rightfully explain himself, but to no avail. It was true, he couldn’t stand them.
“AAALRIGHT!! Mister Kekoa, y’er up!”
Stella watched curiously as the surfer hesitantly approached the fold-out table, covered in the softest faux fur she could find at Michael’s. She had no clue as to why something as soft as fur was unappealing to him, but she didn’t question it.
“All ya gotta do is rub both hands around in that soft, luscious fur f’er 30 seconds! If ya stop, y’er out!”
It appeared blatantly obvious to everyone that Kaison was anxious out of his mind. Though, no one knew why…
…everyone aside from Ean, but there was a simple explanation for that.
“And trust me, there’s no bugs or nothin’ in that thing. Alright, sugar?"
The brunette still ignored Stella and gulped in comedic fear, to make the situation seem lighthearted to everyone else. In reality, he was nervous.
“AAAAND…GO!”
The second he placed his hand down on the table, he paused in shock. He screwed his eyes shut and shakily sighed. Like he was experiencing a brain freeze or something. Nevertheless, he slowly traced his hands around in small circles, still seemingly antsy. Uncomfortably, he stopped after the timer was up, and slowly lifted his hands.
His team remained confused but still clapped for their teammate.
When the surfer got back down to the sidelines, he immediately held onto and slightly fidgeted with Blitz’s hands anxiously. They were rough but had a unique smoothness to them as well. They felt nice.
“...dude are you okay?”
"I have hyperesthesia."
The punk was put back by his blunt response. “Well that was straightforward, um… hypo-whatsit-ia?”
“Hyperesthesia. It’s like…ah...feelin' things certain things, are weird and they don't...feel good? Things like fur or..like…goo or that really annoying crinkly silver foil-” He winced just thinking about getting overwhelmed.
“So your touch is heightened? things are like, not...not it? Weird? Uncomfortable?”
“Uh huh. That fake stuff up there, the fluff stuff, that...it like, sticks to your hands when they're sweaty. It sucks...” he winced.
“I ah...I'm sorry man. Dunno how else to put it...What you did up there was brave, 'specially with that kinda condition. 'M prouda you,"
Blitz brought a hand up to his lips and gave it a small kiss, a small sensuous gesture. Kaison's heart fluttered at the feeling, a certain sensation he couldn't help but smile from.
So, at the end of the day, from screaming babies to rice pudding, their team won. That left the opposite team, including Daisy, up for elimination. Getting her off would solve SOOO many problems...
—
That night, while the opposite team was voting someone off, the two lovebirds walked down the shoreline to…discuss things.
“So, earlier,” Blitz questioned, “you kind of suddenly…shifted tones? You said I should stop worrying about you so much when you covered your ears, y’know, when the announce-”
“Look. There's no other simpler way to put this so I'm gonna be straight up. I'm autistic," His voice got all serious again, like it did earlier. "I…didn’ wanna tell you since I thought you'd laugh at me. And eventually baby me. Or enable me like I’m a child. Kin'a like my mom, she still treats me and talks to me like I’m eight. I'm a grown man. This isn’ motherly love it…feels...” Kaison paused then groaned, not knowing how else to describe it. His face became less tense.
“...you’re, like, the only real relationship I’ve had with…anyone. I don’t really have any friends. One or two that've really stuck around like that intern dude but- I just invite myself to parties and stuff, and no one notices. Pushing myself into these weird n’ awkward…situations but still having nobody is-”
“Well, you…you have me. We all have our things, Kai. I got the shortest attention span yet the longest at the same time…I’m really really iffy if that makes sense. ADHD is a reaal bitch,” The two stopped, and Blitz looked at his surroundings.
“...and, I gots these.” He tossed his tank top off, revealing a semi-toned torso with two scars beneath his chest. The surfer was confused.
“‘re those scars?”
Bauer nodded.
“Wow, what kind of beast did 'y fight to get those?”
Blitz laughed, “Oh, god you’re funny…they’re from surgery. I…I’m ah, trans,”
“Like, you were a girl?”
“...at one point, yeah.”
“D-do you…did’ja get the...y'know-”
“Now, now,” He smiled and giggled some more, “We’re still savin’ up for that. If I win, I’m getting brand new equipment for my band and…using the rest towards more surgery. If I’m up to it...”
Although he didn’t know much about surgical procedures, Kaison was fascinated. He assumed it was painless aside from recovery since they put you to sleep.
“Can…can I um…I wanna feel ‘em. ‘re you, like…alright with that..?”
“‘F course. Jus’ try not to be too rough, y’know? they're ah...sensitive,”
He gently ran a hand down Blitz’s chest, the feeling was different? It was…nice. The scars weren't as rough as he expected, as they had seemed. He admired what was presented to him and took in every second.
“You’re…not in bad shape. Not at all…”
“I’ve gained a little bit of weight while bein’ here but…it’s a good kind? Not the kind where I feel bloated and…eugh….”
“Yeah, that’s good! ‘ts really good,” He paused for a while as another thought crossed his mind.
“...hey, Blitz?”
“Hm?”
“...you’ll always be a dude in my eyes. You’re an all-natural, handsome, well-built, awesome guy. I’ll always love you, no matter what. And I…wouldn’t want you any other way.”
“D’aww, don’t get all sappy on me now, c’mere,” He pulled Kaison lower, just close enough to kiss. Although what he said did mean a lot, the opportunity for the perfect kiss, not too long or intense, was sitting right there.
As they pulled away, Bauer smiled. They stood there for a second before the shorter one ran down the shore. “I’ll beat’cha back to the room!” He shouted. The surfer laughed, grabbing the tank top lying in the sand, then ran to catch up with him.
i don’t have a creative sentence to leave you with so i’ll just say…happy pride month to them :3