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Every season brought it's differences, different challenges, different cast, but last season brought the worst.
It started with the final two,.it was all down to beth and Duncan, they awoke expecting to find their normal gruel for breakfast instead before them laid a magnificent feast.
Chris pulled chef to the side and joked up for the cameras how it was a perfect final meal for the contestants, but chef broke the heart breaking news, it wasn't just a final meal for the contestants, it would be his final meal cooking for the show, he had taken a new job on a cruise ship. With those words Chris's heart shattered, but he was still on camera he couldn't do anything to jeopardize his image by being vulnerable. So instead he did what any self respecting host would do, he declared to chef that he no longer needed his help, and that he could run the show by himself.
So the pair split up, chef went on, continuing the final challenge for Duncan, Chris staying with Beth whilst she completed the first task.
Beth was attempting to finish her task when Chris started to tear up,he claimed it on the onions he was cutting up, but even the cameras could tell he was lying.
When beth questioned him, he attempted to avoid the question and even tried to come up with a reasonable sounding answer. But finally he broke and shared the truth with Beth, Chef was leaving the show, immediately after the finale was done.
Beth attempted to comfort Chris but she really needed to get on with the challenge. Sp that was that, Chris had to snap back into the game and send beth on her way.
As very arrived at the first task, chef asked her the first question. But the struggle of attempting to chis that his job wasn't that hard and that anyone could host, caught up to him. Chasing Duncan around the sets asking him questions, it was exhausting and instead fell asleep. It wasn't until Chris interrupted Beth's story and woke chef up, that he realized maybe Chris's job might be harder than he realized. But Chris let it fly by instead suggesting chef sticks with Duncan and he stays with Beth. So the pair split up yet again. Chris tried to stay focused on the task, but his mind kept wandering back to chef. How could he leave the show, the pair had spent so long working together, maybe whilst not the most bonding of activities torturing the teenagers of total drama is what connected them, how could they not keep doing that together.
Chris confessed to beth that he would miss working with chef.
The challenge continued until beth finally caught up with Duncan, and Chris took back over hosting. The final challenge, surviving the disaster set. Chris using the launcher to shoot any and everything at the competitors, but nothing was really slowing them down, that was until the golf cart showed up. But that confused Chris, he wasn't expecting anyone else to arrive to set. But there he was, chef, and he had brought a massive safe from the bank vault set to throw at beth and Duncan. Hope sprang back into Chris. Chef demanded that he deserved a raise and a vacation, but Chris could work with that, anything to ensure that chef stays in his life.
As Duncan and Beth set off on their final stretch of the competition, Chris kept his promise and set off to the airport to take chef on a vacation. I mean he never said that the vacation had to be by himself, and how could Chris miss the opportunity to take him to explore.
But unfortunately with everything in their lives involving drama at the airport all the tv screens displayed the most recent total drama aftermath show, where they were supposed to be announcing the winner, but instead they were playing embarrassing b roll footage of Chris from throughout the season. As much as Chris wanted to take chef on that vacation he couldn't allow his reputation to be tarnished like that, so instead the pair raced back to the studio. It took a whole kerfuffle to do, but a winner was finally decided.
Once the finale was sorted, Chris was finally able to take chef on the vacation. It had taken chef stating he was going to leave for Chris to realize the feelings he had for the other man, but would he ever be able to confess that to him, after all chef was confident he did what he wanted, but Chris beneath all his showmanship and vanity was infact filled with layers of self doubt. The whole vacation Chris spent trying to find the words but never could. The pair spent so much time together finally having the chance to relax and bond. But their whole friendship until this point had always been very close, between time spent at set, or at dinners hosted by production, or hell even in the hot tub. How would Chris be able to differentiate if chef felt the same way about him, or if it was just the same as their friendship had always been.
In the end he couldn't do it and the pair received word about the gemmy awards so that was the end of their vacation.
Chris thought about it, and the thing that brought him and chef together in the first place was total drama, so what if they created a new series, allowing them to work together again. But since season 2 had ended the cast had all been up to their own things who knows if they would even still be interested. So Chris set up a plan, he created a whole new show 'total drawa dirtbags', because he figured if he made up a fake show it would determine if the cast truly cared or not.
It would be expected that chef would also be at the ceremony, so when Chris asked him to attend the ceremony with him, chef didn't even question it, and instead started planning his outfit, he had an assortment of ballgowns to wear, but should he go with the more recognized of his looks and stick with the apron.
But Chris had bigger things on his mind, he had to creat a whole new season without alerting anyone involved along with a second fake show as cover, but he knew it would drive him insane if he tried to do it all alone, so he confided in chef about almost everything on his mind. of course there was still one secret he could not share.
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The new season was a go, the cast had agreed, production had agreed and chef was more than happy to come back (with his raise of course). A tour around the world, completing challenges in a different country each week, and at chefs suggestion the newest season would be a musical. It was finally Chris's chance to confess his feelings, after all what could be more romantic the a trip around the world with music surrounding them. But it couldn't just be any challenge that Chris could say something, it had to be special. And he had worked it out perfectly the 9th episode of the season, the cast would be in Paris, the next week they would be in Chris's hometown so regardless of the outcome he'd either have support from his family, or would be able to introduce his family to his chef.
But of course everything goes wrong the trip starts with the plane crashing, Chris being strung out over his meticulous planning over his confession instead starts and argument with chef about who's fault it was the the plane crashed. Chris then briefly explains about Paris, slipping many important details.
Whilst the contestants are off completing their challenges, Chris decides it's now time to share his feelings, he has them all written out on cue cards, but in all the mess the cards were all mixed up.
And instead of the wholesome romantic speech he had planned out it was terrible. So once he had finished squeaking out his speech, he said over at chef, who responded with his own blank stare.
Every negative thought ran through chris's head at a breakneck pace, what if he had misread their relationship, what if chef wasn't interested, what if he had messed up so badly it wasn't understandable.
Chef interrupted his train of thought "Chris , it's normally cute when you ramble on, but this time it's just confusing"
Chris just stared at him, did he just say cute?
Chef continued "look I wasn't going to say anything, cause I don't do feelings, but with it being Paris and all I thought something for our anniversary might be nice"
"Our anniversary?" Chris asked.
"Well yeah it's been two years now, we didn't really do much last year, but I figured this year might be nice being a romantic place and all"
Chris faltered and thought over every interaction the pair had share for the past two years, had they come off as romantic, we he and chef together without him realizing it?.
"I understand if things are a bit tense, with me almost leaving at the end of last season we didn't talk about it, I know that affected things and then immediately going into a new season its not like we could be as close as we normally are, us both having our tv personalities and all"
Every sane thought left Chris's head and all he could think about was running into chefs arms. And so he did just that, chef didn't even hesitate to return Chris adoration and planted a kiss on the host's lips.
It was like all the stars had aligned and every firework in the world had been set off. How had Chris waited this long for this to happen.
When the couple finally separated Chris built up the courage to ask "hang on a minute, anniversary, romantic, have you thought we've been dating this whole time?"
"Well I mean yeah, haven't you?"
"Didn't you find it strange we never talked about it, or displayed affection to each other"
" I just assumed you were taking it slow, this is what I get for not talking about my feelings ever"
Overwhelmed with love for the man, Chris brought chef back into another kiss after all they had 2 years to make up for. Just as they stated to deepen the kiss, Chris's alarm went off signalling the end of the challenge and the contestants would be to find them any minute.
As the contestants came into earshot, complaining about the task they had just completed, Chris snapped back into host mode, whilst drama occured and the elimination ceremony passed. The team was on the way to Chris's hometown. Whilst for everyone it was a normal night, but to those with a trained eye (or a sneaky camera) within the cockpit that night one might've noticed the chairs had been moved closer together, and that chef had one arm around the shoulders of the host. Or that Chris had curled up and fallen asleep on chef's shoulder. Either way whilst the city of love wasn't successful for most of the cast, for Chris McLean and chef hatchet it was the start of their love story.