Archive of Our Own

Owen let out a powerful burp after he devoured the last chocolate bar from his stash of snacks. With a sigh and a pat to his stomach, the Party Guy unceremoniously flopped back onto his bed and laid there with content. Despite the various wrappers and packaging littered around him on the bed after his snacking, he relaxed comfortably and thought about everything that led up to that point.

It had been eight weeks since he first arrived at Camp Wawanakwa and officially participated in Total Drama Island.

Since then, Owen's made many friends, ate a lot of good food and overcame the most grueling challenges he has ever faced in his life. But it looked like it all paid off. After playing hard, and eating hard, he made it to the finals and was close to winning the grand prize of one hundred thousand dollars. He honestly never saw it coming. Out of twenty two campers, he was in the finals? Owen couldn't believe it. After seeing how determined, stronger, smarter or prettier the others were compared to himself, he thought they would have a better chance to win. But no, him, the guy who stuffed his face, burped and farted every minute of the day, managed to come out on top and above them all.

Well, almost all of them.

After Heather's elimination following the last challenge, he and Gwen became the last two campers left on the island. If Owen had to lose to anyone, he was glad it was Gwen of all people. The goth was easily the strongest competitor of them all and deserved to win more so than him. She was tough, smart, brave and cool yet also moody and scary at times. Not to mention she was a complete hottie! But Owen would never say that to her face. Nope, not at all.

Overall, Gwen was a type of girl Owen had never met before, though that's not saying much since he hasn't really met many if his time on the island isn't included. But even when he considered his relationship with Izzy and some of the other female campers, he had to admit that his relationship with Gwen was completely different. She never mocked him for being overweight or even made fun of him. Instead, she was just sarcastic at times and was merely grossed out by some of his antics. Despite the weird and unappealing qualities about him though, she still accepted him for who he was and they had many positive interactions with each other to the point where they became good friends.

Well, Owen thought so anyway.

Incidentally, with the two being the only campers left on the island, Owen hadn't seen her around as much. Sure they would see each other during dining hours or lingering around their respective cabins, but that was it. They would make small talk, but Gwen seemed to prefer her alone time. It was no surprise. He knew she was the loner type and she naturally wanted to enjoy the newfound peace she had. With the other campers gone and Chris not bothering them with the final challenge yet, it was the perfect time for her to go about her business in peace for a change and Owen was more than happy enough to respect that.

Regardless, with everything taken into account, Owen wouldn't mind if he lost to Gwen in the end. Not one bit.

At least I did something in the end.

The Party Guy's thoughts were interrupted when his stomach violently growled, forcing him to clutch it with both of his hands.

Looks like the nukes are about to drop!

Owen shot up from bed and got to his feet, the garbage around him flying off the blanket and landing on the floor due to the sudden motion. The front door of the mostly vacant cabin flew open and Owen's great form ran out into the night towards the communal bathroom.

Gwen sighed after she closed up her diary for the night.

She had spent an entire hour writing furiously in the black book about the many thoughts and feelings running rampant through her mind. From the various challenges she had to endure to the people she had to tolerate, the goth wasted no time in letting everything out on paper. As several of the bat-themed pages were filled and her pencil became more dull with each stroke, her restless mind grew more and more quiet until she was eventually satisfied with her work.

Placing the book to the side, Gwen stretched out her arms and legs from her seated position on the bed to get some feeling back into her body after sitting still for so long. The goth then got off the bottom bunk and onto her feet where she crouched down to reach her black suitcase underneath. She unzipped it, placed her diary underneath a pile of her clothes and zipped it shut once again. After Heather and Chef violated her privacy before, she wasn't keen on letting it happen again even if everyone was largely gone. Settling down on her bed once more, she then held onto that last part of her thought.

She was in the finals.

After eight weeks of torture, she was on her way to possibly winning Total Drama Island.

The goth never thought she would get this far and instead predicted that she would be one of the many people eliminated as the show went on. Apparently, she didn't give herself enough credit. Throughout her time on the island, she persevered through some of the most grueling, emotional and sometimes the most embarrassing challenges possible. Not to mention she had to deal with the people too. Said people were some of the most of backstabbing, manipulative, two-timing, fame-hungry, dimwitted, certifiably insane, really weird, psychotic, redneck, overbearing, goody-goody, know-it-all, party-obsessed, jerks!

Oh, she would have to remember all of that when asked to express such thoughts since she had no problem making them public. Honestly, she could just read her diary out loud for everyone to hear and the words she wrote would be more than enough in expressing her hatred of everything on the island.

Well, her hatred of almost everything.

Even Gwen had to admit that her time on the island wasn't completely terrible. She felt like she grew as a person, powering through the most extreme situations and overcoming any obstacles that stood in her way to the point where she outlasted nearly everyone else. Not to mention the good times, especially with the people who were actually cool and sane for a change. DJ, Bridgette, Leshawna and Geoff were easily on that list. Then there was Trent. Did she need to say anymore? And of course, she couldn't forget about the other finalist on the island – Owen.

Initially, Gwen didn't think much of Owen. Her first impression of him when they first made it to Camp Wawanakwa was that of another loud and obnoxious party guy. But she couldn't have been more wrong about him. What she mistook for loud and obnoxious was just happiness and pure optimism. While he did enjoy a good party, he was no party guy like Geoff or the other guys. He was more of an overly friendly, yet sometimes socially awkward, fun-loving goofball who saw good in everyone – including the likes of Heather.

Sure he had unpleasant traits such as his burping, farting and his obsession with food, but that wasn't enough to outweigh the good about him. Much to her surprise, the goth could say that Owen grew on her over time and she felt most of the other campers could say the same. There was just this charm about him that she couldn't quite point out.

If there was one thing Gwen did know though, it was how glad she was that Owen was a finalist right alongside her as well as both a worthy competitor and friend.

If she had to lose to anyone, it had to have been him.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Gwen glanced towards the window and saw how dark it was. She didn't have any means of telling the time, but spending eight weeks on the island gave her enough insight to know that it was late enough for bed.

What else was she supposed to do?

Everyone was gone, Chris hadn't told them anything about the final challenge yet and she was already done with her diary. There was literally nothing else for her to do. She wished Trent was there right now so they could just talk into the night without a care in the world. The random idea of seeing what Owen was up to also crossed her mind, but she shook her head. He was likely fast asleep by now. She should catch up with him tomorrow. It was the least she could do after being so reclusive for a while.

But for now, she had to get ready for bed.

With that, Gwen got out of her bunk, got her bag of toiletries and went to leave the cabin for the communal bathroom. She swung the front door open and was surprised to see who was on the other side.

Owen stepped out of the communal bathroom and whistled a jolly tune as he began walking back to his cabin.

He stopped though when he noticed the light was on in the girls' cabin.

While running for the bathroom, Owen hadn't noticed that before. Gwen was still up? He was surprised to say the least and thought she would already be asleep. He was suddenly curious and wondered what she was doing. He briefly thought about going over there and seeing what was up. Was she doing something private? Or rather, was she doing nothing at all and was as bored as he was? Or maybe she did actually fall asleep but accidentally left the light on? Whatever the case was, he just felt like he had to go check it out. And who knows? Maybe she wanted some company and was bored just like him.

He was about to take a step when he realized something.

Did I wash my hands?

The thought puzzled Owen. Since when was he ever conscious about that? While Owen did keep himself clean, he wasn't the best at it nor did he ever put much thought into it either. So what was the difference now? Then more thoughts popped up in his head:

Did I put deodorant on?

Does my breath smell?

Does my hair look good?

Owen's eyes widened.

His hair?! What was happening to him?!

He didn't know what was going on, but he felt like he had to attend to those things before going over to see Gwen. But why? Since when did he ever give much thought into these things? He glanced at her cabin and then looked down at himself. Aside from the natural wear and tear of being on the island for a while, his standard outfit looked presentable enough. So why did he feel so wrong about it?

He glanced at Gwen's cabin and down at himself multiple times before he finally made a decision. He ran towards his cabin, got whatever he needed and shot back towards the bathroom to freshen himself up. Several minutes later, Owen walked up the porch to Gwen's cabin and stopped at the door.

He looked over himself once more.

Hands washed?

He rubbed his hands and smelled. He also washed his face as a bonus.

Check.

Deodorant on?

He raised both of his arms and turned his head to each of his arm pits to smell.

Check.

Breath smells good?

He raised a hand to his mouth, puffed out air and smelled the peppermint that he had in his back up snack stash. Yes, he had a back up snack stash for his first snack stash.

Check.

Hair?

He messed with his unruly blond hair in front of the bathroom mirror until he thought it looked good enough to pass.

Check.

Owen sighed in relief and knew he was good to go.

As he raised a fist to knock on the door, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. What was he so worried about? He was just gonna talk to Gwen. Why did he feel like he needed to get freshened up? Honestly, it's almost as if Owen was preparing himself for a da-

Without warning, the door swung open before he could even knock.

"Owen?" Gwen asked, surprised to see the guy she just had thoughts about at her door.

The guy in question froze up and his mouth was agape in shock. There stood Gwen at the door in her usual attire with her eyes widened in surprise. The only thing heard for a few seconds were the crickets chirping in the night. Quickly, he regained his bearings to greet her. This was no time to mess up.

"Uh, hi Gwen," Owen said with a nervous chuckle as he lowered his raised fist to his side.

She saw the motion and knew he came over for a reason.

"Uh, hey. Did you need something?"

Did he need something? He honestly didn't know. Aside from the unexplained impulse of wanting to see her, he didn't have real reason for coming. He was nervous to say as such though and thought Gwen would brush him off or tell him to leave her alone. But with the embarrassment of being caught at the door and the goth waiting for a response, he had no choice but to come clean.

"Well, I uh, wanted to see you," Owen sheepishly said as scratched the back of his neck.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Y-Yeah! I saw that your light was still on and thought I'd come and say hi."

It then clicked in Owen's head what he just said.

"Not that I was spying over here or anything! I'd never do that! I'm not a creeper! I-I was just coming out the bathroom and-"

"I get it Owen," Gwen said with a playful roll of her eyes and a smile.

She dropped her bag inside the cabin and stepped out onto the porch to close the door behind her. She then got into a comfortable position leaning against the door with her arms crossed.

"So what are you still doing up anyway? I thought you'd be asleep right now having a wet dream about sundaes and banana splits."

Owen chuckled.

"Nah, I already had that dream the other night. I was just hanging out in my cabin and thinking about everything."

"What do you mean?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Oh you know, just about how far we've come and where we're at now. I mean, isn't it awesome?! We're in the finals!" Owen cried as he pumped a fist in the air.

She couldn't help but give a small smile.

"Yeah, it is. I honestly never thought I'd make it this far."

"Same here! But it's kinda boring with everyone else gone," he said.

Gwen was about to retort and explain how everyone being gone was the best thing, but paused. Sure she loved her solitude and the peace that came with everyone being gone, but she couldn't help but share his sentiment. Her other friends were no longer there to keep her company, she couldn't torture Heather with cruel pranks anymore and Trent was no longer there to make her blush with his sweet words. Just a moment ago, she was just dying of boredom after she finished what she wanted to do. It really was boring now.

"It is kind of boring. So much that I was about to head to bed," Gwen said as she looked off into the dark woods.

Suddenly, Owen's face fell a little at her words.

"Oh, well I had a feeling you'd be bored too and was gonna stick around but if you're gonna go to bed then that's okay."

She turned her head back in his direction and looked at him strangely.

"Wait, you wanted to hang out with me?"

"Well yeah," Owen said with a shrug, "I was thinking we could keep each other company and pass the time."

Gwen couldn't help but feel touched by how thoughtful he was. Even if Owen was one of the people she was cool with, they weren't best friends or had a close relationship. There was just still a lot she didn't know about him. She knew it was the same for Owen as well when it came to her. Yet here he was, offering to spend time with her after figuring she was bored like him and coming up to her doorstep at this time of night to do so. He even said he wanted to see her.

Gwen knew she wasn't the easiest person to get along with at first and she always kept her distance from others, but with how happy he looked when he spoke with her and how bummed out he now seemed, the goth could tell he was being genuine with his intentions. Scratch that, Owen was always genuine and consistently wore his heart on his sleeve. It was one of the reasons why the two often shared positive interactions with each other. Not to mention that when they first met, he didn't even judge her at all and instead was immediately friendly with her and hoped she would be on his team. But still, to think he would willingly seek her out despite her qualities warmed her heart. They might have not known each other too well, but maybe that could change tonight.

Gwen was snapped out of her thoughts when he spoke up again.

"But it's cool if you're going to bed. I'll just head back then," Owen said as he gestured behind him with his thumb.

Before he completely turned around and said goodnight, she stopped him.

"Wait!" Gwen said.

He stopped and turned to look at her, his eyes not even hiding the hope within them.

"I was going to bed only because I had nothing to do, not because I'm tired. So if you wanna hang out, then I'm down for it."

"Really?! That's awesome!" Owen said. "We're gonna have a blast!"

Gwen couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm and asked, "So what are we gonna do?"

Owen froze in the middle of his celebration and considered her question. He looked around and rubbed his arm in quiet contemplation. What did he want to do? Leave it to him to be impulsive and not plan ahead. Meanwhile, Gwen frowned at her friend's lack of a response and apparently knew what the problem was.

"You have no idea, do you?"

"I didn't think ahead," Owen said with a sheepish grin.

Gwen gave him a glare yet it wasn't her signature ice-cold one that kept people at a distance. Instead, it was rather lighthearted and had no real intensity. It surprised Owen as he truly thought he had already annoyed her with his incompetence yet she seemed… indifferent? It was as if Owen had simply told her a corny joke as opposed to being ill prepared for a last minute hang out. Sighing, the goth spoke.

"Okay, so let's think of something," Gwen said. "There's gotta be something for us to do."

Owen looked up in thought and brainstormed a couple of ideas himself.

Before they could offer and discuss any suggestions, Owen heard something. The sound was familiar and unmistakably that of a stomach violently growling to let their person know that they were hungry. Yet surprisingly, it didn't come from him. Stopping his thoughts, he looked down to see Gwen clutching her stomach with both hands, her pale cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. She glanced up at him and blushed even more when she saw him staring.

Owen smirked.

"I think I know what we can do."

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Owen?" Gwen asked as she witnessed the boy raiding Chef's freezer.

After Gwen's stomach growled, Owen insisted that they head to the main lodge to get some food. Of course, that implied sneaking into Chef's kitchen and helping themselves to whatever they could find. At least that's what she thought until Owen came out with a pack of ground beef and set it on the table in the middle of the room. He then went rummaging around the shelves and cabinets, pulling out a jar of tomato sauce as well as a box of spaghetti. Wait, ingredients?

"Relax, Gwen!" Owen said as he set the ingredients down on the table. "I've sneaked in here a couple of times before and Chef never caught me."

He then went back to looking around and pulled out various bottles and packets of seasoning.

That was true. Gwen remembered how she, Duncan and Heather ate from Owen's secret stash on that one challenge several days ago when they thought Chris left them to die on some deserted island. She wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't the only stash Owen had during his stay here considering his vast appetite. If it concerned food, he had no problem sneaking into Chef's kitchen, and she bet anywhere else, to get a chocolate bar at the very least.

"If you say so," Gwen replied with a shrug as she sat down at the table.

Okay that made sense, but what about what he was doing now? Was he really going to eat raw ingredients? As she continued watching him move stuff around, she decided to pry about it.

"So, got weird cravings?"

He glanced at her from one of the cabinets near the sink.

"Sometimes, but not right now. Why do you ask?"

"Because what's all this?" Gwen gestured at the ingredients at the table.

Owen chuckled as if she had asked the most silliest thing in the world.

"What does it look like? I'm gonna whip something up."

The goth blinked.

"You can cook?"

"Yep!"

"Since when?" Gwen asked incredulously.

"I've known for a while now. My mom taught me when I was younger and I've been cooking for myself ever since."

That might explain some things…

"Then why haven't you cooked while you were here?" Gwen pushed.

Owen shrugged.

"Never had the chance."

She thought about it for a moment. The whole time they have been there, Chef always provided food three times a day and as such that eliminated the need for any of them to cook. While most of them hated the food, Owen loved it and as such it made sense that he would eat something already prepared for him instead of spending the time to make something himself. Owen raiding Chef's kitchen for junk food and the like added on to that as well. While there was that cooking challenge, Owen being reduced to Heather's servant and being attacked by bees didn't give him much of a chance to help the team or cook either. Now he had an actual chance to do so and she had a front row seat to it.

"Well, I just hope you're a better cook than Chef," Gwen quipped.

Owen laughed.

"Trust me, my cooking is awesome! Nothing like the stuff Chef serves."

"Really? And what's this awesome dish you're gonna prepare?"

"A classic that's impossible to mess up – spaghetti and meatballs. Simple yet still delicious," Owen said with a dreamy expression.

That actually sounds pretty good.

"Sounds good, Owen. I'll just leave you to it then," she said.

The goth then got up from her seat and went to one of the shelves to grab a bag of chips. Once the plastic bag crumpled in her hands however, Owen spoke up.

"Uh Gwen, what are you doing?" he asked.

She looked at him strangely over her shoulder.

"Getting a bag of chips cause I'm hungry?"

"But you'll spoil your dinner! At least that's something my mom tells me," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Wait, what?

She let go of the bag of chips and turned to face him fully.

"Wait, you're cooking for us?"

"No, I'm just cooking for you," Owen said casually.

Gwen was stunned. She thought he was just cooking for himself, leaving her to get something to eat herself. But he was cooking for her? And only her? Meaning that he wasn't going to eat the meal he was preparing? There were times where Owen had genuinely surprised her and the others with his actions yet this might have been the greatest one yet.

"Why?" she asked.

Owen cocked his head in confusion.

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing this?"

He stared at her as if she had two heads.

"Because you're hungry?" he said as if it were obvious.

Gwen only stared back for a moment as she processed his words. The gravity of the situation began to settle in. She was hungry. And what was Owen's response? To sneak into Chef's kitchen in the middle of the night so he could cook for her. Right.

Once it all registered, she didn't know how to react. On one hand, the kind gesture made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. This was honestly one of the nicest things anyone has done for her on the island. To think that anyone would do this for her was surreal and Owen seemed to be full of surprises tonight.

On the other hand, she felt a little uncomfortable. Gwen never felt completely right with relying on others and prided herself on her independence. She also felt this wasn't necessary because what did she do to deserve this? Regardless, Owen's gesture was sickeningly sweet and the fact that she was questioning him and not appreciating his kindness made her feel guilty.

The goth was suddenly embarrassed by it all. She crossed her arms and looked away from his questioning gaze, her feet shifting ever so slightly as if tempted to turn away completely. What could she do about this? Well showing gratitude was a good start, but a small part of her felt uncomfortable with the excessive kindness. Maybe she could do something herself? She snapped out of it when Owen spoke up again.

"Gwen? Are you okay?" he asked, clueless.

"Y-Yeah, it's just… wow," Gwen said. "Thank you, Owen."

Owen smiled and waved his hand.

"It's nothing. Now just sit tight and I'll get this started."

Suddenly she had an idea.

"I'll help you."

She got up from her chair and walked over to Owen's side, who stopped rummaging around to look at her. He opened his mouth and was about to tell her not to worry about it but she spoke first.

"Just let me help you okay? You've been really nice this whole time and the least I can do is lend a hand in return."

Owen thought about it for a moment and then nodded, seemingly understanding her dilemma.

"All right, let's do this!" he said.

He raised his hand and Gwen happily gave him a high five. The two then got to work.

"Hey, check this out!" Owen said.

Owen worked on the spaghetti at the stove while Gwen was busy making the meatballs. After a few minutes of working and idle chit chat, he noticed a radio on the counter and had an idea.

"What's up?" she asked.

"It's a radio!" Owen said in awe. "Chef must play music when he cooks."

Before Gwen could say anything, he already turned it on and started going through the radio stations.

"Wait, what if someone hears us?" she asked in alarm.

"Relax, I won't put it that loud," he said while he continued his search for a good station. "Besides, I'm used to cooking with music playing in the background."

Owen continued turning the knob and listened for the right kind of music to play.

Jazz? No.

Country? Definitely not.

Classical? Never in a million years.

Finally, he stopped when he heard a familiar song. Owen gasped and left the radio alone. He returned to the stove to work on the spaghetti while Gwen was mildly surprised upon hearing the song he chose. Her favorite genre of music was punk rock and emo yet even she recognized the song.

I love you

And I need you

Nelly I love you, I do

Need you

No matter what I do

All I think about is you

Even when I'm with my boo

Boy, you know I'm crazy over you

No matter what I do

All I think about is you

Even when I'm with my boo

You know I'm crazy over you

Gwen looked at Owen, who sang along with the lyrics.

"You know this song?" she asked with a raised brow.

"It's one of my favorites!" he said over the music. "It's just so romantic."

"You know this song is about cheating right?"

Owen shrugged.

"Sure, but that's not what hits me. It's the fact that the couple in the song love each other so much. They're willing to do whatever it takes to be together, even if it has to be through cheating."

Gwen looked at her friend in surprise yet again that night. She didn't take him for the romantic type. He must have been a lot deeper than she thought. Those thoughts were cut off though when Owen said his next words.

"Hey, we should sing together!"

Normally, she would give a harsh "No!" at such an idea yet with him, she had a little more patience. She tried declining gently.

"Owen, I don't think-"

"Aw, come on! It'll be fun! Besides, I bet you have a great singing voice."

Gwen rolled her eyes and mentally sighed. There was no way she could bring herself to say no to him after everything.

"Fine, but I swear to god if Chris hears this and makes it a challenge-"

"Then this is gonna be good practice!" Owen chirped.

He told her to wait for a moment and, when the chorus kicked in, they sang together.

No matter what I do

All I think about is you

Even when I'm with my boo

Boy, you know I'm crazy over you

No matter what I do

All I think about is you

Even when I'm with my boo

You know I'm crazy over you

Owen laughed and turned to Gwen.

"See? Isn't this fun?" he asked as he turned to her with a smile.

"Whatever," she said in an attempt at indifference.

Even with her not looking directly at him, the beautiful smile on her face was unmistakable. Owen saw this and suddenly hoped he could see her smile like that more often. Maybe he could make it happen a couple of more times if he played his cards right tonight. The song kept playing and the finalists began singing their hearts out as they got more into it. Luckily, the song was censored so they didn't have to worry about saying some of the more inappropriate things.

Owen nodded his head along with the beat and danced a little as he cooked, his body somewhat jiggling with his movements. Meanwhile, Gwen swayed her hips to the music as her short black and teal hair swung freely over her shoulders.

She... was actually having fun with this.

When the song reached a certain part, Owen had an idea and glanced at his friend.

"Sing it for me, Gwen!"

The goth didn't miss a beat and sang her part.

And I love you

And I need you

Nelly I love you

I do

And it's more than you'll ever know

Boy, it's for sure

You can always count on my love

Forever more, yeah, yeah

Owen whooped as Gwen finished her part and she couldn't help but laugh. He waited for the right part of the song before he grabbed a nearby ladle and brought it to his mouth as if it were a microphone. He turned to Gwen and sang.

East coast, I know you shakin' right

Down south, I know you bouncin' right

West coast, I know you walkin' right, 'cause

Gwen caught on and she turned his way to sing into the ladle as well. The two sang together with vigor as they looked into each other's eyes the entire time.

You don't know what you mean to me

No matter what I do

All I think about is you

Even when I'm with my boo

Boy, you know I'm crazy over you

No matter what I do

All I think about is you

Even when I'm with my boo

You know I'm crazy over you

The finalists continued singing and laughing as they made the food, the concept of time being lost on them.

"Wow Owen, this is pretty good!" Gwen said after taking a bite of her spaghetti.

After they finished making the food, the finalists served the food on a large plate and cleaned up after themselves in the kitchen. They then made their way out into the dining area of the main lodge. Owen carefully held the dish in his hands and Gwen guided him to the closest table with juice boxes in her hands. Not even a moment after sitting down in their seats, he encouraged her to try the food and she was blown away when she obliged. Owen looked relieved and smiled.

"I told you my cooking is awesome!" Owen said with pride.

"Don't get a big head now. Practically anything tastes better than the stuff served here," Gwen teased with a smirk.

Owen pouted in response and she chuckled. He took his juice box and popped the straw in to take a long sip while she happily ate her meal. The lodge was awfully quiet that night with just the two of them there, but it was also quite cozy. Gwen had only turned on one of the overhead lights and it gave the room the right amount of lighting for them to see, but it was also dim enough to not draw much attention from outside. The crickets chirping into the night was the only other noise heard besides the occasional clink of silverware as Gwen ate and the sound of Owen sucking the life out of one of his juice boxes. Overall, the moment felt familiar and comfortable.

"So Owen," Gwen said after swallowing another bite, "I didn't think you were the romantic type, but after our little duet it looks like I was wrong."

Owen chuckled.

"Nah, I'm just a normal romantic I guess. I don't really put that much thought into anything over the top or do anything sweet like other guys would. I just don't have it in me."

Gwen rose an eyebrow at that. Initially, she just said that to tease him and start conversation, but now she was intrigued. Did he not realize what he had done for her so far? She could definitely say that Owen wanting to hang out with her after thinking about her was romantic. Sneaking into Chef's kitchen and disregarding the risks just so he could cook for her because she was hungry was also romantic. Singing together was also romantic. All of those things were objectively romantic.

At least she thought so anyway.

Just hearing Owen say otherwise didn't feel right at all. With all the things he had done and the circumstances of their respective love lives ignored, Gwen could honestly say they were on a da-

"You scored with Izzy," Gwen blurted out, opting to say that instead of the other thoughts running through her mind.

"Yeah and I really like Izzy," Owen said. "But I think our relationship ended the moment I shoved her into the 'psycho' on that one challenge."

The goth was going to console him, but stopped and cringed. Yeah that was bad. Probably shouldn't have mentioned that. She took another bite of her food in an effort to let the awkward moment pass.

Owen saw this however and sighed.

"Yeah, I messed up bad. A girl likes me for the first time and I screw it up."

Gwen gave her friend a concerned look. After she swallowed her food, she thought about her next words.

"Well Izzy… is a special case. You probably shouldn't be in a relationship with her anyway."

"Why not?" he asked curiously.

"Because do you honestly want to be with someone... chaotic like Izzy? Besides, all you guys did was make out in the bushes. That doesn't really mean anything," the goth explained as she took another bite of food.

Gwen was a little nervous to talk to Owen about Izzy this way since she had a feeling he would probably get defensive, but she knew it had to be done. She usually didn't like to sugarcoat things and as such spoke to him the way she knew best – straightforward and brutally honest. Luckily, Owen didn't seem to be upset and instead he sighed sadly.

"I guess you're right, but what choice do I have? Just look at me," Owen said as he gestured to his obese body. "At this point, I'll just take what I can get."

Suddenly, Gwen's eyes flashed and she didn't hesitate with her next words.

"But that's a problem, Owen. You can't get into a relationship with someone just because you think you can't find anyone better. Remember what you said about the song? About how the couple loved each other so much that they would do anything to be together? That's how it should be. And until you find someone like that, you should respect yourself and keep striving for something better, for what you feel like you deserve instead of settling for anything less."

Gwen took in a deep breath after she was done. She noticed how tightly she gripped her fork and how strongly she felt about her words. She didn't think she would get riled up from this discussion, but that didn't matter. The goth just hoped that Owen considered her words and did better for himself. A guy like him deserved to be in a real relationship with someone who truly loved him for who he was. He deserved to seek out his own happiness instead of settling with what he had and forcing himself to be content. Owen was just someone who deserved good in general and to see him hopeless and defeated made Gwen's heart break.

Owen sat in silence for a few moments, carefully thinking about what she told him. When he sought Gwen out that night, he just wanted to hang out with a friend. He didn't think he would confide in Gwen with his personal problems yet here they were. But it felt good to let his dark thoughts out and he was especially glad that it was her who was there for him at the moment. Despite this, Owen then looked at her with uncertainty still present across his features.

"But how am I supposed to do that with the way I am? You hear what everyone says. I'm fat, I eat a lot when I'm emotional, I fart and burp too much, I can get overly excited-"

"But there's nothing wrong with the way you are," Gwen said. "Sure, you have qualities that you feel like you might wanna improve or change and that's fine. But when you start to hate everything about yourself, including the things about you that can't be changed and is a part of who you are, then that's not right!"

Owen sighed. He knew she was right. Her words were the same words he had been telling himself for a long time yet couldn't truly believe. So why did hearing the exact same words from someone else actually make him believe it then? Why did he especially believe those words when it came from her? Owen knew he was going to need more than simple pep talk in order to solve his own issues yet he couldn't help but wonder about Gwen's attempt at making him feel better. He knew she was nice despite her cold and sarcastic exterior, but since when did she ever go out of her way to offer advice and emotional support to someone, especially to someone like him? Where was this coming from?

He glanced at Gwen. Her eyebrows were angrily arched down and the sight of her fiery eyes almost wanted to make him turn away. Her teal-painted lips were curled into a frown while her pale hands were balled up into fists on the table. The fork was still held upright in her crushing grip, her meal cold and long forgotten. There just had to be something else at work here.

It seems Gwen also became aware of her outburst as she sighed and looked down at her plate. She slowly twirled her fork into the spaghetti and watched the noodles wrap around the utensil like a cocoon. It seemed to be somewhat therapeutic since her posture relaxed in a few moments while her expression eased into a deep contemplation. Meanwhile Owen opened up another juice box and sheepishly took a long sip from it's tiny straw while looking around the room.

Silence reigned over the main lodge for the next few minutes as the two thought about what happened just a moment ago. Owen glanced at her now slumped form and began to worry. After what Gwen did for him, he knew he had to say something and at least try to console her too. But other than that, he felt a deeper desire to get rid of her troubles in any way he could just so she wouldn't look as down as she did now. Something was wrong and he needed to get to the bottom of it. Plus, he really would like to try and see that smile of hers again. After some hesitation, Owen finally mustered up the courage to break the silence.

"Gwen? Are you okay?" Owen asked softly.

The goth sighed.

"I'm all right," she said, her head still down as she kept playing with her food.

"Did I make you upset?" he sheepishly asked.

Gwen's head shot up as she quickly responded, "No! You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then what's wrong?"

She sighed again and looked down at her plate, once more twirling her fork around.

"Let's just say you're not the only one who's socially shunned."

Owen blinked and confusion settled over his face.

"What do you mean?"

The goth lifted her head to face him again.

"I mean this," Gwen said as she gestured to her face with her free hand. "This isn't just a fashion phase you know."

"Did… Did something happen?" Owen asked cautiously, wondering if he was probing too much. Despite having this moment with her, he knew Gwen was reserved and would likely have her walls still standing strong. He was surprised however, when she gave him an answer.

"Just some issues back home with school and stuff. That's all," she said with a shrug, her eyes still downcast. There was a lot more to it than that of course, but she wasn't going to elaborate. Even with their moment, she wasn't going to tell her life story to Owen at this point. It wasn't relevant and she just wasn't comfortable with talking about it anyway. That didn't stop the memories from briefly flashing in her head, however. She just shook her head. This wasn't the time to think about any of that.

"The point is to just focus on yourself," Gwen finished. She brought the fork up and stared at the spaghetti wrapped around it. At this point she didn't even feel like eating anymore but she forced the food in her mouth anyway. Hopefully Owen's great cooking could help with her sudden mood drop. It was only until she swallowed did Owen speak and surprise her again that night.

"Is that why you came here?"

"What do you mean?" she asked with a raised brow.

"I mean are you here to focus on yourself? To do something with your life? Because... I think that's why I'm here too," Owen said, taking a deep breath before continuing again. "All my life, I've been put down by everyone else into thinking that I couldn't do anything with myself and that I'd achieve nothing because of my unhealthy habits and lifestyle. But after going through those challenges and making it this far, I've realized just how strong I can be. At first I wanted to prove everyone wrong, but then I didn't care as much anymore because I surprised myself with my own personal growth. That's something no one can take away from me."

Gwen was absolutely stunned. She had no idea just how deep Owen was nor did she ever think that he had come to the island for personal reasons other than having a great time, causing her previous knowledge of him to be washed away after hearing his true motives. The other revelation however, came from herself. Why did she come to the island?

Of course, Chris tricked all of them into thinking it would be a top resort and so that partially influenced her choice to be a contestant on his stupid show. She initially thought it would be some generic reality show taking place at a paradise where there's constant drama between it's contestants, a competition she would undoubtedly win due to her no-nonsense and cold personality. But when the goth first stepped foot onto that rickety dock and saw the camp as well all of the insufferable people she had to deal with, Gwen knew Total Drama Island wasn't going to be anything she signed up for. But whether the show was on a resort or an island, did it really matter? She still signed up for it regardless.

She then reflected on Owen's words and couldn't help but have a sense of realization. She remembered her life back home and how bleak it was. From her obsessive mother and nonexistent father to all of those assholes who messed with her back at school, Gwen was more than happy to leave. Even though she despised mostly everything on the island, she had to admit that the show was an opportunity to get away from home. It was also a desperate attempt to prove that she could achieve anything, like winning a hundred thousand dollars on a show.

But of course, she got more than what she bargained for with eight weeks full of difficult challenges that she ultimately persevered through thanks to her newfound willpower. Gwen confirmed that she did grow on the island, both as a strong competitor and a resilient person who could do whatever she put her mind to. That growth was invaluable and something that she would cherish for the rest of her life.

"I guess you're right," Gwen admitted, "Maybe there is something else to take away from all of this other than a lot of money."

Owen chuckled at that, his mood lifting almost immediately.

"Yeah I'm just glad I came, even if I don't win."

"You didn't have to tell me that stuff you know. You could have just kept it to yourself and not have the risk of Chris recording all of this," Gwen said. Truthfully, she thought it was really brave of Owen to pour his heart out like that and let her in, but hoped that he didn't do this often with other people who could take advantage of him. That especially goes for here of all places where Chris could in fact be watching them from a hidden camera somewhere. Just the thought of people taking advantage of him like that made her blood boil. Owen just shrugged however.

"Nah, I don't think so cause Chef would have kicked us out a while ago. Besides, I don't have a problem with it cause I trust you."

"You do?" the goth asked in surprise.

"Yeah! Out of all the friends I've made on the island, I think you're the best one!" Owen chirped.

"You're just saying that cause I'm the only one you've got left right now," Gwen said dryly.

"It's true! You're so awesome!" Owen said.

"I don't think I am…"

"But you are! Remember all those times you stood up to Heather and got back at her again and again? Or that time you faced your fear, even past the time limit? Or the time where you won Chef's training course? Or the time you kicked the real psycho in the face? Or the time you still climbed the cliff even though your panties were showing-"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Gwen said as she leaned across the table to clamp her hand over Owen's mouth to shut him up. She wasn't annoyed however, and had a big smile on her face from hearing the Party Guy's constant praise as well as a brilliant blush across her cheeks. She let go of his mouth and sat back down.

"I get it, I'm amazing apparently. Can we move on now?" she asked, clearly embarrassed.

Owen was happy to see her beautiful smile again and couldn't help but smile back. He ignored her plea as he continued even further.

"But I think the most awesome part is that when you first met me, you didn't look down at me and just treated me like everyone else. You never made fun of me because of how I am and eventually saw me as a real friend. I guess what I'm trying to say is – I'm really glad I met you, Gwen."

The goth's smile grew wider at that.

"I'm really glad I met you too, Owen. You're a pretty awesome friend yourself," Gwen said warmly. "Besides, what can I say? Us social outcasts have to stick together."

Owen laughed at that. He was initially nervous to talk about his issues, but was glad that he did. He wasn't lying when he said those things about Gwen. She really had been a good friend on the island, especially if what she did tonight was anything to go by. She was right, he didn't have to tell her about his personal issues at all. Yet at the same time, she didn't have to listen to what he had to say and she didn't have to console him and she didn't have to offer him enlightening advice. But she did anyway and that made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was because she cared in the first place that Owen felt compelled to trust her, and he was glad to be right about that. Gwen was truly different than anyone else he had met on the island and he was happy to have her with him in the end, even if they were competitors.

Suddenly, Owen's stomach fiercely growled. The Party Guy sheepishly looked away and mentally cursed himself for possibly ruining the moment. However, Gwen just playfully rolled her eyes in response.

"Here, finish this up for me," she said as she slid the half-eaten plate over to Owen.

"But-"

"It's cool, I'm full. Just take it," Gwen assured.

"O-Oh, thanks!" Owen gratefully said as he began eating the food, surprised that he didn't feel the need to outright inhale it all like he usually does.

The two sat in the main lodge for quite some time after that, enjoying long conversations and each other's company overall.

It was fairly late into the night when Gwen and Owen walked out of the main lodge. After finishing the food and calling it a night, they cleaned up after themselves and put everything back where they needed to be. The two walked in peaceful silence, enjoying the cool night air and the sound of crickets chirping all around them from the wilderness nearby. The full moon was shining brilliantly in the starry night sky, making the walk back to their cabins pleasantly visible. The two eventually made it back to Gwen's cabin and they stood right before the door.

"Thanks for tonight, Owen. I had a really good time," Gwen said warmly.

Owen blushed and sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"Aw, it's nothing," Owen said. "Thanks for talking with me about stuff."

"Anytime."

Owen then yawned and scratched his hip.

"Well, I guess I'll catch you tomorrow. I think I'm about to head into a food coma."

Owen then began walking away, intending to land face first on his bed once he got back to his cabin.

"Hey, Owen?"

He had just gotten off the porch steps when he stopped and turned around to look at Gwen. He noticed that she was no longer in front of the door but instead was at the head of the steps above him. What really caught Owen's attention though was her expression. The goth appeared to be nervous as she bit her lip and looked off to the side for a moment. After steeling herself, she walked down the steps and stopped on the last landing. She was roughly the same height as Owen then, making it easier to look him in the eyes as she said her next words.

"Whatever happens in the end, I'll still cherish this night for a long time. I really meant it when I said I had a good time. I feel like I needed something like this to get a sense of clarity in my life right now. And you helped me understand just how much I've grown and how strong I really am. Winner or not, money or not, it doesn't matter. I know what really matters now. So…"

Owen was too absorbed in the moment and couldn't react when Gwen suddenly closed the distance between them. She wrapped her arms around his body and laid her head on his shoulder, holding him as tight as she could.

"...thank you."

Immediately, Owen returned the hug and held her just as tight.

"And thank you. You helped me a lot too," he simply replied.

The finalists held each other for a good minute, but to them it felt like hours. Gwen was glad her words came out as smoothly as they did. She was never good at being too chummy and was worried that she wouldn't effectively get her point across. But being in Owen's embrace made everything worth it.

Despite her love of personal space, even she had to admit that a good hug did wonders in comforting your soul. It really felt as if all her worries had simply vanished while under the protection of a good partner's arms. This was especially true when she noticed the fresh smell of deodorant coming off of his body. She honestly expected him to smell unpleasant because it is Owen after all yet she didn't care and wanted to show her gratitude to him anyway. Him smelling good was just that nice of a bonus in this situation.

Eventually, they both ended the embrace and stepped back to sober up from the affectionate gesture.

"Goodnight Owen," Gwen said after a moment.

She blessed him with the last of her beautiful smiles for the night and went inside her cabin with the shut of the front door.

"Goodnight," Owen replied softly.

With a wide smile on his own face, he then went back to his own cabin to knock out for the night.

Once Gwen had got back in, she turned off the lights, slipped into her pajamas and laid down in bed. The goth curled up underneath the blanket to warm herself up from the chilly night and shifted until she was comfortable. She knew it was going to be a minute or so until she finally fell asleep. As she was drifting off into blissful unconsciousness, her mind couldn't help but recall familiar sets of words that served as a lullaby for just a precious moment:

No matter what I do

All I think about is you…