D-Gang Oneshots [THQ-THRQ]

Stargazing [THQ]

Pairings: N/A

Relationships: Dick & Dashlie, Dread Squad (Dick & Dashlie & Don)

TWs: Minor swearing; themes of depression (light and only shown in the beginning); very small angst in the beginning as well, but not too much

Other: This is set in THQ, in Hardlanding. Small Donchard moment near the end (as any interaction between Don and Richard goes) but it's not the main focus.

Dashlie and Richard have a small existential chat while stargazing. Someone ends up spying on them...

It was quiet, but Dick didn't think there was anything wrong with that.

He was far from the D Gang mansion, posted up on a roof of one of the many abandoned buildings in the village, just on the outskirts of town. He could hear the faint mooing of the cows somewhere off on the dock behind him, but he paid it no mind. It was just him, the stars, and the silence. He wondered if this moment would last.

It didn't, but that didn't bother him, even as Dashlie clambered up onto the roof to sidle up beside him. They sat in the quiet together, just looking up at the stars through the darkness. Eventually, Dashlie spoke up: "It's really nice, isn't it?"

Dick only grunted in agreement. He was too tired to tell her to go away.

Dashlie slid down so she was laying next to him. Her hair brushed his face uncomfortably and he shuffled away, scoffing. Dashlie only snickered. She then sighed heavily. "It's weird," she said, and Dick glanced at her briefly. "I never thought this would be where my life would go."

"If it's any condolence, me neither," he said.

"I feel like– like I'm just drifting off." Dashlie moved her hands up, swiping across the stars. "Like I'm in space and I have no direction anymore, and the spacecraft I was tethered to left me to die." Her voice shook at the end and she dropped her hands back on her chest with a sigh. "I don't know."

Dick knew. He felt that dread every day. "I'm sorry," he said. Dashlie turned to give him a quizzical look.

"For what?"

He just shook his head. "I don't know. For everything. You probably had your whole life ahead of you. Then some mangy pug got you when you were vulnerable and now you're stuck here."

Dashlie whimpered and shifted away. Dick bumped his elbow against hers.

"So I'm sorry. You probably wanted to do a lot more before you got in this position." He stared at the stars, forcing his voice to stay level and not crack with emotion. "And now you never will."

Something bumped in the house below them, and the two got up, alarmed. Dick looked over at Dashlie, who stared at him with wide eyes before turning over and drawing out her sword. Dick mirrored her movements as they snuck across the roof like twin spiders, and the jumped down to level their intruder with their swords, both silently praying it was only a villager and not Duni or DDawn.

But it was neither. In the doorway of the abandoned and dilapidated house stood none other than Don, who had knocked his foot against the door and made the noise. The jester locked eyes with the two and slowly raised his hands in mock surrender, eyes widening in exaggerated fear. "Oh, no, please don't kill me," he said in that irritating, mocking tone. Dashlie and Dick exchanged glances before Dashlie sighed and put her sword away. Dick kept his sword point trained to Don's throat.

"Don, what are you doing here?" Dashlie asked, audibly annoyed.

Don turned his gaze to Dick and glanced at the sword with disdain. "You can drop the sword, Dick. I'm not gonna hurt you," Don drawled. Dick only squinted at him and scoffed.