Dear Diary | Proxies

xiii. unmasked men

Dear Diary,
Guess who's behind the masks.

I didn't think I had heard him right after the sentence fell through the speakers. I took a sharp inhale, and Hoody turned a bit questioningly in my hold. "I don't know," I replied. Sure, I was curious as to what they looked like under it, but I didn't want to ruin anything that we had right now – friendship or more.

"J-just trus-sss-st me, June. I-I'll be there i-in a f-fff-few minutes." And then he hung up, and I dropped the phone beside me, staring at the man in front of me. It'd be so easy to just grip the fabric the slightest bit tighter and pull it over his head, but it felt like breaking his trust, so I just stared at him, thinking.

Masky's voice broke the silence. "What did he need."

I moved my hands slowly, pushing them down Hoody's neck and reaching the hem of the mask. I thumbed right there for a few moments before beginning to tug. Almost instantly, his hands covered mine, stopping me. I let out a surprised noise but didn't move. "Can you take off your mask," I questioned, my voice not as firm as I wanted it to be. "Please."

His hold let up just slightly, and I could hear Masky shuffling in his place. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye to see him leaning forward. "Not sure that's the best idea."

"Why not," I asked. This time, Hoody didn't stop me as I pulled the mask up a bit. He was tense in my hold, obviously worried. Masky was quiet, and I paused my movements, turning to meet the gaze of his mask again. "What could possibly be so bad?"

He huffed. "You'd be surprised."

I bit my lip and put my attention back to Hoody. His hold on my hands had moved to just cradling my wrists. "Tell me to stop," I said to him, but he made no noise, so I continued my movements and slowly pulled the mask up and up, getting a bit more curious when I recognized a few of the features. I could stop the gasp that left me as I finally pulled it all of the way off.

On his knees in front of me was Brian. His normally disheveled golden-brown hair stuck a bit to his head from being confined, and his deep brown eyes showed nothing but worry as I stared down at him.

"Brian?" My voice was low and disbelieving as I pressed my hand to his cheek.

He made a low noise in the back of his throat and shook his head, his nose curling up at the suggestion. I turned as Masky began to speak, his thumb catching the bottom of his mask and pulling it up. Tim. "Not Brian." He gave a cocky smile. "And I'm not Tim."

"What do you mean," I breathed out. "I- I know my boys. It's you- I-"

He chuckled lowly and shook his head. "That feels insulting to be called his name, doll, you should be a bit nicer." Why was he acting so much different from how he normally was? "I'm Masky, and he's Hoody. Just because we're in the same body as those dumbasses don't mean we're the same people."

I frowned, scratching lightly at the base of Bri-Hoody's hair. "Like, uh, what's it called, DID?"

Masky cracked a grin and pushed forward. "You're a smart little pet," he cooed. Then, he carded a hand through my hair before tightening his grip and yanking my head back, making me stare at him standing above me. "Taking it better than expected, too. Then again, you did let two strange men into your house, so maybe you're not the smartest." I whimpered as he leaned forward, tightening his grip to be painful. "Dumb little puppy," he chuckled, and then his lips were on mine, and I was reciprocating instantly, mouth moving feverishly against his, one of my hands rising to grip the back of his neck. He laughed against my mouth and pulled back a bit "Desperate little bitch too. At least those fuck-heads know how to pick a good one, though."