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Sitting in Arin and Suzy's house while idly sipping drinks was not how you had expected to spend your night, and yet there you were, clutching onto a bottle that you'd been nursing all evening and watching as the festivities took place. The Grumps had decided to throw a costume party, since Halloween was just around the corner, in order to celebrate accordingly. Well, it was more Suzy's idea, being the lover of the spooky holiday that she was, and the guys had merely agreed and helped with the preparations. You had been invited by Dan, or rather, by Arin telling Dan to invite you on an episode of Ghoul Grumps. You were certain that it was the only reason you had been asked at all, there was no way that Danny himself would have done so if he hadn’t been called out in front of their entire fanbase, so to speak.
Everyone was now either cramped together in the living room with you, music of the spooky scary variety pumping from the surround sound system in the corner, or drinking it up in the kitchen, trying to grab up any of the confections that Suzy had put together herself. You and Holly had helped a bit, but she certainly was the one running the show.
You shifted in your seat slightly. Saying that you were uncomfortable wouldn't be a completely untrue statement. It wasn't like you didn't know anyone there. After all, you were good friends with all of the Grumps, and they had invited Mark. But the rest of the party goers consisted of their friends that you had never met before, and not a single face currently in the living room was recognizable. Adjusting the leather belt around your waist - you had chosen to dress as Link, much to Dan's delight, as if the eccentric man couldn't possibly have enough old-school Legend Of Zelda in his life - you wondered if you should just sneak out of the house before anyone noticed your absence.
Before you could fully make a decision to turn tail and run, however, Suzy appeared in the doorway of the bustling room, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. You had to admit, she looked very good in her costume, dressed as Morticia from the Addams Family, with Arin, of course, as her Gomez. "Just so everyone knows, a few of us are going to be playing a little party game downstairs, so if anyone wants to join in, just follow me!" she said with a grin. You couldn't be sure, but you could have sworn she winked at you before turning to step her way out of the room again. Shrugging, you decided to follow. If anything, it was something to do.
Once you reached the bottom of the stairs, you saw a group of people sitting in a circle in the center of the lavish basement, an empty beer bottle resting on its side between them. Oh...oh, no. You were not about to kiss a complete stranger. But just as you turned to leave, you collided directly into the person standing behind you.
"Going somewhere, Link?" a voice chuckled at you, and once you realized who it belonged to, you blushed and jumped back. Danny was standing there with his hands crossed over his chest, wearing his demon outfit from the NSP video for "Cookies!". Seeing it in that video was nothing like taking in the full ensemble in person, however, and if possible, your blush deepened as you quickly glanced at his attire before it became too obvious that you were actually staring.
"U-Uh, I was just leaving," you began to explain, but Dan seemed to have other plans in mind. With a coy smirk, he reached out and gently gripped your wrist, guiding you over to the circle of friends. Your mind eased a bit when you discovered that you recognized everyone; Suzy, Arin, Ross, Holly, and Mark were the only other people who had intended on playing this game it seemed. When you reached the chatting group, they smiled at you and Dan, moving aside a bit to allow the two of you room to join them.
"Okay, guess that's everyone. Jeez, guess I should have just cut out the middle man and said this would be a Grumps only affair," Suzy laughed as she scanned over everyone playing. "So, this is gonna be a bit different. We're not playing Spin the Bottle..." At this, you let out a small sigh of relief, but it was short lived when she continued. "...We're playing Slap or Kiss."
"Ooo, sounds kinky," Mark said with a grin, showing off his false vampire teeth that truly completed his Dracula costume. Though his freshly dyed pink hair sort of off set the creepy look he had been going for, making him come across as more of a dorky scene kid and less like a blood sucking creature of the night.
"Well, you're half right, Mark," Suzy corrected. "Instead of simply kissing the person the bottle lands on, that person has to leave the room, and then the rest of us, minus the bottle spinner, have to decide if the person out of the room is slapped or kissed."
Before Suzy could continue, Arin jokingly interjected. "And it has to be a full-on slap to the face, or the kind of kiss that babies are made from."
"...Really, Arin?" Suzy gave her husband an incredulous look, trying her best not to laugh.
"Hey, you married the guy," Ross chimed in, clearly a bit buzzed already. It really didn't take much to convince the shorter male to engage in drinking. He was dressed as Tom Nook from the newest Animal Crossing game, the dark circles that had been drawn with makeup around his eyes already smudged, and his yellow vest wrinkled and riding up his waist.
Holly’s costume, which she had obviously put together along with her husband’s, was that of Sable, and you had to admire her cosplaying skills, not to mention the overall cuteness of the couple’s matching attire. “All right, enough from the peanut gallery,” she joked, giving Ross a teasing nudge to his shoulder before gesturing towards Suzy. “I think our gracious host should get first spin.”
With a smirk, Suzy grasped the bottle with her lithe fingers, spinning it as hard as she could before scooting back to watch to see who it landed on. As if by fate, the lip of the bottle slowed to a stop directly in front of Arin. “Aww, Arin! You finally get to kiss your crush!” Danny teased.
“We don’t know that yet, Dan. Arin, would you be so kind as to leave so everyone can vote?” Suzy asked him, and Arin nodded before standing and leaving the room. Once the door was shut, everyone else in the room, you included, looked at each other and unanimously voted for ‘slap.’ Once the laughter died down, Suzy called Arin back in, standing herself to meet him at the door.
You found it extremely hard not to giggle out loud as Arin sauntered into the room, clearly expecting a kiss as he leaned forward and puckered his lips. Playing along with it, Suzy leaned in until Arin’s eyes fully closed before she quickly shot her hand up and slapped him across the cheek. From where you were sitting, you could tell it wasn’t too harsh, but that didn’t stop Arin from acting as if he’d just been brutally attacked.
“OW! Geez, you don’t have to hit so hard!” he whined as he caressed his cheek, all while Suzy rolled her eyes with her hands on her hips.
“You’re the one who called for ‘full-on slaps’ smart guy,” she teased, leaning forward to gently kiss Arin’s ‘injury.’ After everyone had a good laugh at the show, with a few ‘aww’s mixed in once Suzy kissed him, the couple sat down with the rest of the group. “All right, I think [y/n] should spin next.”
Blushing madly, you forced yourself not to glance over at Danny before taking the bottle in your hand and giving it a spin. Your prayers of it not landing on anyone too ridiculous went unanswered as the bottle stopped in front of Ross. Groaning and putting your face in your hands, you didn’t see the display of Ross stumbling to his feet and nearly falling over himself as he bolted out of the room. “So! What does everyone think [y/n] should do?” Suzy asked the group.
“I vote for a slap,” Danny said almost immediately, and to no one’s surprise. Any excuse to try and embarrass the Aussie, he would take.
“I don’t think [y/n]’s mean enough to do that, though,” Mark said thoughtfully. “My vote’s for a kiss, only because Ross wouldn’t expect it.” You glared over at Mark. He would not be leaving the house in one piece tonight, you’d make sure of that.
Before anyone could say anything else, Dan interjected again. “[y/n] is not kissing Ross.” You looked up at the man dressed as a demon, and were surprised to find that he seemed entirely serious. Almost like he was…
“Ooo, is someone jealous, Daniel?” Arin asked with a smirk, and amazingly enough, it caused Dan to blush in response.
“N-No! I’m just saying that it’s not something anyone would wanna do...well, maybe Holly, but still!” He then looked down at you with a kind smile, and this time, your own face flushed red. “Right, [y/n]?”
Sitting up to your full height, you smiled and replied, “Well, not to be mean, but no. But it’s not really my choice, Dan.” At that, the taller man’s smirk faltered a bit, his hand finding its way through his wild mane.
“Good point,” he muttered. “Everybody fucking vote, then.” With that, the rest of the group made their decision, and to your overwhelming relief, only Mark and Suzy had insisted on a kiss, while Dan, Arin, and Holly all agreed to a slap. Standing from your spot, you called Ross back into the room, and he stumbled through the door, glancing over at Danny’s overzealous grin before guessing what his fate was.
“Make it quick, I left my beer with Holly,” he said with a chuckle, and you giggled before giving him a light tap to his cheek. Almost instantly, the group erupted into shouts of disapproval, demanding a second attempt and claiming that you had barely even touched him. With a thankful grin, Ross scurried back to his seat before you could take their advice. You followed suit, silencing them by stating you would just let his hangover tomorrow slap him for you, which got a laugh from everyone.
The game went on from there, with everybody taking turns either giving or receiving quick kisses or painful smacks to the face. To no one’s shock, Arin was the one taking the kisses completely too far, while Suzy and Ross dominated in slapping the others, except in one instance when Ross got Holly and nearly came to tears because he had to slap her. The group decided to take pity and change their vote, if only to prevent him from bawling like a baby all night in her arms.
“Sweet, my turn to spin,” Danny said aloud as he grabbed up the bottle, giving it a proper spin before leaning back. Slowly, the bottle came to a stop, directly on…
“Oh, damn! I already know what my vote is!” Arin shouted as, for probably the hundredth time that night, your face turned red. Standing slowly, you ignored the shaking in your legs as you stepped out of the room. Once the door closed, you tried pressing your ear towards the muffled chattering on the other side, but you couldn’t make out anything for certain. Sighing softly, you instead focused on slowing your rapid heartbeat. There was no way they’d vote for a kiss, and even if they did, would Dan even want to? It would probably just be a quick peck, most likely not even on the lips. All night, he had avoided that entirely, choosing instead to kiss others on the forehead or cheek. Yours would most likely be the same, nothing to write home about, just a little innocent moment between friends, nothing more…
As your mind raced, you heard your name being called. Taking a deep breath, you opened the door and walked back into the room. Dan was already waiting there, his hands behind his back and a smirk on his face, which paired with the demon outfit was rather foreboding. Oh, God, they had chosen slap after all, hadn’t they?
With a small nod to Dan, you closed your eyes and waited for his hand on your cheek. You knew he probably wouldn’t hit you too hard, so you tried not to focus on it when his lips finally touched against yours-
Wait.
What?
You froze as your eyes shot open, met only with Dan’s face inches from yours, his own eyes closed as he moved his mouth gently against your own. Once you got over your shock, your eyelids finally fluttered back down as well, and your arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to you. His own hands found their place around your waist, caressing your back as the kiss deepened. For a fleeting moment, you forgot that anyone else was in the room. That is, until your ears picked up the series of whoops and hollers going on behind him, along with Ross spitting out a slurred, “Get a room!”
Once he pulled away, Danny gazed down at you, his cheeks flushed and a smug smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Oh, and by the way…” In a flash, you felt a small sting as his hand abandoned its place on your hip and smacked you lightly on your cheek. As you touched the spot he had playfully hit, you looked up at him in confusion before something clicked in your head, his next statement confirming your bewildered thoughts…
“The group chose slap.”