where are they now? (shourtney/damaige)

chapter 3: "Hey, I'm the loser who's going home with her."

"Okay wait that sounds so cool."
Damien says looking at Saige from the passenger seat of her car. They had dropped off a few groups so far and were heading back towards Shayne and Damien's apartment complex.
"Yeah man, it is a super fun time. You should totally come on sometime and play a game with us."
Damien has never been one to shirk away from his nerdy side. He will always talk his friend's ears off about his favorite anime or collecting funko pops or Pokémon cards. DnD though, was one interest of his he kept a little more close to the chest. Reading books, listening to podcasts, even dropping in on a game on twitch once and a while. He was super interested in it. But he had never found anyone to play with before.
"I've never actually played a game before I wouldn't want to interject on your campaign."
"Hey, I believe anyone can play dnd, first off. Secondly, the people I play with are really cool and fun. Equal parts serious and silly. Thirdly, dnd is just storytelling improve as a group. It's like role playing. Child actors like us are perfectly suited for it," Saige explained with a giggle at the end, "Plus getting THE Twitch star Damien Haas on our channel would be big for us."
Damien nudges Saige with his elbow, careful not to mess up her driving.
"Psh, you're ridiculous."
Saige smiles but keeps her eyes on the road. She notes her tank is a little low and pulls off the highway towards a gas station. Damien looks at her quizzically but doesn't say anything. She responds anyway.
"Low on gas."
Damien nods with the realization.
"Ah, gotcha."
Saige pulls up next to the pump and unbuckles her belt. Damien puts his arm up to her shoulder to stop her.
"Let me pump it," Damien says looking directly at a couple rowdy men a few pumps down, "it's pretty late."
Damien was right, it was almost 2 am. But Saige was stubborn.
"Don't think I can handle myself?"
Saige joked. Damien paused for a moment before very sincerely uttering,
"Please, Saige. For me."
Saige sighs and but reaches for her purse and pulls out her wallet.
"Don't you even think about trying to pay. Once you get the pump started could you run inside and grab me a snack and Dr. Pepper also?"
Damien let's out a sigh of relief.
"Wouldn't dream of it," he gives her a small salute and smile, "on it buddy."
Damien steps out of the car with Saige's card in hand. He hits the lock once before shutting the door. Saige watches him as he moves to the side with the gas cap. She looks up at the men a few pumps down. One makes eye contact with her and another seems to eye Damien. They move towards the building and each light up a cigarette. Damien seems to pay them no mind. Once he pays and puts the nozzle in the car he heads towards the convenience store. The men seem to say something to him but it's not loud enough for her to hear from inside her car. Saige turns her music down and cracks her window a hair in case they say anything on his way back. There a a soft ding as Damien leaves the store with the bag of snacks she requested. The men yell out to him again and with her window down she can hear what they say this time.
"C'mon man, no way she's with you, lemme hit that!" The first man yells out. The second laughing before taking another drag off his cigarette. Damien pauses for a moment, his face looks agitated. Saige whispers to herself,
"Keep walking dummy, c'mon Dame."
Damien turns back towards the men but before he can say anything Saige whips open her car door. This gets the attention of both men and Damien. She removes the nozzle and shuts her gas cap.
"How bout you guys shut the fuck up and hope that we don't report you for what is very clearly driving drunk?"
One man whistles before yelling out,
"Ooo she's got some fight in her. I do like them spicy."
Damien turns back to them one last time,
"Just go home, this is pathetic guys."
The men do not look happy with how he phrased that.
"Who are you calling pathetic, loser?"
By now Damien has made his way back to the car but before he shuts his door he shrugs and yells out,
"Hey, I'm the loser who's going home with her."
Damien shuts his door, hits the lock, and Saige flips the men off as they exit back onto the highway. They enjoy the silence for a moment but Saige can tell Damien seems anxious about something.
"So maybe you were correct in assuming that the rowdy men were going to be creepy to me. I'll give you that," she pauses and in a more sincere tone finishes, "I appreciate you bud."
This seems to relax Damien a bit but he still seems to be wrestling with something. Saige sighs.
"What's going on in that head of yours Dame?"
Damien keeps his eyes down and forward and takes a breath before replying.
"I don't know what all you heard but I'm sorry that you had to hear the gross things they were saying."
Saige sighs and chuckles softly to herself.
"Unfortunately I've heard worse from creepier creeps but I appreciate the sentiment bud."
Damien sighs again.
"I am also really sorry if I stepped over the line with what I said, I didn't mean it in that way they just got under my skin a bit."
Saige trys to think back to what he might be referring to. Then she remembers the last thing Damien said about him going home with her. Saige laughs at how sincere Damien's worry is. Not in a way of making fun of him but because living in LA makes her forget sometimes that people can be so genuine and caring. She smiles.
"No worries Dame. You didn't say anything that made me uncomfortable."
Damien seems to let out a deep sigh of relief. Saige continues.
"You were right anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"I am going home with you."
She giggles. Damien isn't facing her but she would bet anything his face is flushed with pink. She leans forward and turns her music back up. The song is one of her favorites and she begins to sing along. After a line or two Damien joins in and they keep singing along to her playlist until they get back to the apartment complex.