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"Dakota…"
"Look- I know what you're gonna say, okay-" His jaw hurts with every movement, "But I still don't wanna do it."
As is turns out, biting things humans aren't supposed to leads to some fucked up teeth sometimes. Dakota- is learning this the hard way. Fire stabs into the side of his mouth and he winces at the raw meat.
"It's your teeth- not anything else. I'll be there- I'll call Vynce and Ashe and we can- well- not talk. But you're not gonna be alone."
He sits across from the other boy on the couch, partially sprawled over it and holding a ice pack to the side of his face.
"You won't even be unconscious if that's what you want?" Will has his phone open, and he's scrolling through some article. "It says here you can get laughing gas?"
He sits up, "Wait, actually?"
"Yeah- so you could like- be awake but out of it?"
Dakota thought for a second, "Can you like…film me?"
"Huh?"
"Okay- so like y'know those videos of people being really weird post-root canals or whatever?"
"Oh my god, yeah."
"Make sure I don't confess to Ashe over voice call?"
William gives a fake salute, and Dakota laughs a little, despite the gnawing sensation in the back of his jaw. It's a lot of fucked teeth. He knows they've been weird- they hurt a lot passively- but he didn't have the time to get them fixed before, because of the whole being in the woods then a cross country trip.
There's still the worry. It's a normal doctor's trip. It's for his teeth. He's not even going to be unconscious- or tied down or anything.
So why is he worried? William can laugh it off- why can't he? He's gone through worse then a stupid fucking dentists appointment. Probably.
So he's going to go to sleep and just- not worry about it. He can do that.
Turns out it's really hard to do that. He's sitting in the passenger seat with William next to him, and he can't stop fidgeting. Not- loudly- or anything- but he messes with his pants cuffs or fiddles with his rings, and he can't stop thinking. It feels like his brain is running a billion miles a hour.
It's a dentist. He literally helped take down one of the biggest villains known to man. He can handle this. He can handle this. He can handle this.
He'll feel better afterwards. It'll be worth it. He can bite down and enjoy food and- everything else.
"So…are you feeling alright?"
"Not really."
"Figured- I'll- uh- be here. I don't think it'll take long so I'll come get you and we'll go home."
They're just parked in front of the building. It's almost deceptively calm- and Dakota feels like throwing up or canceling this before he sighs deeply, gives Will's hand a squeeze, before clicking open the car door and walking in.
Dakota feels good. Like really really good. There's a loopyness in his brain- and he feels kinda like TV static. He can't feel his tongue- or his teeth or any of his mouth really. So he feels good. He laughs a little, and he thinks William looks at him funny. Maybe he looks funny. Does he look funny? The car is moving- William's talking- he has his phone in his lap and looks down at it as he drives. That- can't be safe? Dakota can't pass driver's ed but- yeah.
He's blinking a lot; and before he knows it he's sitting on the couch. He feels warm and fuzzy- and William's handing him a icepack again. His fingers are also fuzzy, so he doesn't really hold it properly but he does slowly feel that cold feeling.
"Mmmmhmm.."
"Dakota? You alright?" Will's voice comes from somewhere.
"Yeah-" And oh that sounds nasally. Like he doesn't think he actually says yeah. That's also kind of funny though?
"Okay- uh- maybe don't talk right now?"
He hums again. He's starting to get feeling again in his teeth and it hurts- but like in that good way. Where it means he's alive. Or something. Wow.
"You need to rest for like, two days, and no crunchy foods."
"Soooo like- rice? and stuff?"
"Yeah-" And Will's voice is cut off as his phone rings again, and he picks up. Ashe's voice rings through the speaker,
"Dakota?"
"Hi Ashe!"
"Woah- okay- hey- uh…how's the teeth?"
"So bad, Ashe, so bad."
"His teeth are literally fine," Will interjects, "He's getting painkillers later anyway."
Ashe laughs, "Well- glad you're alright."
"You should come visitttttt- make me feel better-"
William is laughing really hard as he holds the phone. Dakota still feels too foggy to care. He can see Ashe giggling in the call- and he laughs too.
"I'll- uh- remember that? Anyway- that's all- I just wanted to check in sooo- bye?"
"Bye Ashe-"
She waves in the camera, before the call goes dark. Dakota, at this point, is getting really, really tired. So he lets his eyes drift shut.
And when he wakes up, he feels warm. And he remembers everything. And he can feel his fingers and his teeth- and he groans before pinpointing where Will still stands in the kitchen,
"…please tell me you didn't get that on video."
William immediately gets stone faced.