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oh-my-damn · 2 years

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Sweet Heartache - Part 3

A/N: Third installment in my Andy Barber series, Sweet Heartache.

Series Masterlist

Pairing: DA!Andy Barber x Intern!Reader

Series Summary: You’re an intern at the DA’s office, finishing up your law degree on the side. When Andy Barber, the new DA, needs help to sort out a few overdue cases, it hurls you into his world, filled with conflicted feelings, emotions too deep to process, and heartache.

Chapter Summary: Andy takes you out to lunch after Laurie interrupted your plans. Jason finally reaches out, asking you on a date. Laurie makes a suggestion that makes Andy feel even more conflicted than before.

Chapter warnings: Talk of separation/divorce, talk of cheating, sexual tension, pining, angst, emotions, conflicted feelings. Reader goes on a date with someone else. Andy gets jealous. Laurie is an asshole.

Word Count: 4700

The beautiful divider is by @firefly-graphics

You're sitting across the table from Andy in a small café just down the street from your work.

He brought you here despite you telling him several times that it was very unnecessary, but he wouldn't hear it.

When you sat down, he recommended a few different dishes, but seeing as you'd already eaten a sandwich, you weren't sure if you'd even be able to eat.

"The soup is really great," he says with a smile, "That should be fine if you're not that hungry."

You chuckle and nod, shrugging, "Okay, sure. I like soup."

Andy smiles widely in response. This is the second time you've taken his word for it, allowing him to choose for you, and it's bringing out a lot of strange feelings in him.

Laurie usually never lets him pick for her, she rarely takes his word for it or lets him decide on anything. She's always been the one with the most opinions, leaving Andy to take a step back in most matters. In general he just preferred to hold back, not wanting to create any issues over something that didn't truly matter to him.

But this feeling running through him right now is new. He's not used to that. It's like electricity coursing through his veins, the trust you have in him already intoxicating.

It also makes his cock stiffen in his pants when you let him make decisions on your behalf. He can't explain that one, and he does his best to hide it, not needing another incident like the one in his office earlier.

Even Laurie had noticed after she'd put the take-out bag down on his desk, and she actually tried to initiate something, but he quickly shot her down, using the excuse that he couldn't possibly do that in his office, someone might walk in.

She'd bought it, but she also looked intrigued, figuring he was hard because of her. He's not sure what that'll mean in the long run, but he's just going to have to deal with it.

Truth is, they haven't been intimate in a long time. Once Andy realized she was cheating, he didn't react but he withdrew himself, choosing instead to throw himself into his work. And ever since the separation, they certainly hadn't, even if their couple therapist had recommended it.

But Andy hadn't felt real lust in years. As time passed, the sex had become comfortable, but also boring, and at some point, he just started not really caring about it. Despite the fact that he'd always had a very high sex drive in the past.

But then you walked through the door.

The first time you walked into his office, placing a legal brief on his desk, he felt it instantly. He hadn't acknowledged you, letting you leave without a word after handing him the document, but his eyes had lingered on how your hips swayed as you left his office. He hadn't said anything to you back then because he was so surprised himself, at his own reaction. And he certainly didn't want you to notice.

When you started spending time in his office to help him, it became easier to tame. Not because he didn't still want you, but because he was able to distract himself from the pure desire burning through his veins whenever he looked at you.

You would make a joke, or do something silly, and it would pull his focus away. Which was probably for the best.

If you didn't have that amazing ability to make him forget about everything else than how beautiful your laugh is, he would have probably fucked everything up already.

The night at the bar was a slip up. You'd rejected his advance, and he'd instantly regretted his actions. That was the reason he took on another intern instead; he couldn't bear to look at you, knowing he'd made you uncomfortable like that.

He can't excuse the drunken night where he showed up at your doorstep. That was a mishap. A major one.

He knows why, though he could never tell you. He's never felt as disappointed as when only Katie had walked through the door at the bar, you missing by her side. He drank a lot more that night than usual, and when Katie invited Trey back to her place, he tagged along in the Uber.

He was planning to go home, he really was, but when Katie mentioned that you lived on the floor right below her, he couldn't stop himself. He followed them inside, asking Katie to borrow her bathroom, and as soon as he could, he told them he was going home, only with the intention of sneaking down to your apartment. And once he was inside your apartment, invading the space that was just so inherently you, there was nothing in this world that could have possibly made him leave.

It was stupid, he knows that. It was a fuck up. He shouldn't have done it, it was a terrible idea through and through, but it did eventually lead to the two of you talking that Saturday morning. And now he felt more comfortable around you than ever.

He'd had every intention of buying you lunch today, perhaps even taking you out somewhere fancy to impress you, so to say he was mildly disappointed to see his wife walk through the door would be an understatement.

He knew what he was doing was risky, dangerous even, because he could feel himself slipping, his resolve breaking.

He wanted to be near you all the time, he wanted to see you every time he looked up from his work. And he missed you when you weren't around.

And that is a very dangerous feeling for a married man to have for someone who isn't his wife.

"Thank you for taking me here."

Your voice brings him out of his thoughts, a small smile making its way onto his lips.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I promised you lunch; it was the least I could do."

He notices how your cheeks heat up a little at the term of endearment, making him smile more. He loves how responsive you are, your face is like an open book to him.

He notices every little expression, every flustered state and even when your breath hitches, despite you doing your best to hide it.

You smile, taking a sip of your water before your face turns more serious, "So, how was lunch?"

Andy sighs inwardly. He would rather not think about Laurie when you're near him, he would rather pretend she isn't an issue. But she is, he knows that, and he knows that you know that, too.

Whatever confusing feelings he has right now, he is still married. He fell in love with a woman, or at least so he thought, and they got married and had a child.

He feels guilty when the thought hits him, he shouldn't be thinking about anyone who isn't his wife. Even if said wife did cheat on him.

"It was good," he replies quietly, glancing away from you, "It was.. lunch."

He shrugs, eyes meeting yours again tentatively.

"Did you have fun?"

He snorts, "Fun?"

"Yeah," you smile, filling your spoon with soup after the waiter brings it over, "Fun."

Andy chuckles dryly, "I don't know if I would call it fun."

"Why not?" you ask curiously, carefully blowing on your soup before bringing it to your lips, humming at the taste when you swallow.

Andy's brows furrow, "Well, it's not usually fun. It just.. is. I don't know how to explain it, but I wouldn't exactly call our time together fun."

That makes you frown. You tilt your head as you say, "That's kinda sad."

Andy nods, shrugging as he looks down at the silver cutlery placed on the table, "I guess so."

"Did you ever have fun?"

His smile is strained when he speaks, "Yeah, back when we were younger, I suppose. But it's been years since it's been actually fun."

"So you never have fun?" You ask quietly, eyes searching his face.

He looks up at you, offering you a soft smile, "I didn't say that. I said I didn't have fun, with her."

Your eyes widen slightly, a shy smile playing at your lips before you nod, eating another spoonful of soup.

He does have fun, although he's been having a surprisingly larger amount of it ever since you started grazing him with your presence.

He loves the little jokes you like to make, or when you blurt out your thoughts randomly. It's endlessly entertaining.

"Well, I'm glad you have some fun, at least," You say with a teasing smile.

Andy chuckles, taking a sip of the water next to him, "I do, sweetheart. I definitely do."

"How's your soup?" He asks, jutting his chin in your direction, "You like it?"

You hum, eating another spoonful before you nod, "Absolutely. It's delicious. Thank you for recommending it."

"Anytime, sweetheart."

You smile softly at his words, your eyes moving back to your soup as you continue eating.

Andy watches you for a moment, letting the warm feeling inside him overtake his mind.

Sometimes, he thinks about what would have happened if he hadn't met Laurie. He wouldn't have Jacob, and he hates that thought, but even with that in mind, he still wonders.

He wonders what would have happened if he hadn't ever married, or if he'd gotten divorced ten years ago when their marriage first started falling apart.

He would be single, free to explore these foreign feelings that are now fluttering inside him.

He would be free to ask you on a date, free to get to know you without restrictions. He would be free to kiss you, once you'd told him you wanted him to.

Andy wasn't arrogant, but he knew for certain you must wonder the same. He knows you think about him, clearly realizing that you shouldn't.

The pull he feels towards you is too strong for you not to feel it.

He shakes his head, pulling himself out of his thoughts before he says, "Once we're done here, we'll go back to my office to work."

You look up at him, your brows furrowed in concern, "Andy, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Yes," he replies firmly, "If my wife has an issue, she can take it up with me. You shouldn't have to worry about any of this."

You nod slowly, offering him a small smile before finishing your soup.

The next three days flew by in a blur. Andy got a bunch of new cases dropped onto his desk and it deflated you a little.

You were doing great, almost having worked through the pile, before another stack was added to it.

This job was exhausting, and it wasn't even yours.

The constant pressure he's always under must be terrible, and you could understand why he spends so much time at work when he should probably have spent it with his family.

Jason messaged you on Tuesday and asked, very politely, if you'd be interested in joining him for lunch on Thursday.

You accepted his offer immediately, figuring you should do any and everything to distract yourself from your conflicting feelings for Andy, and the next day he sent you an address to a restaurant not too far away from the office.

You cleared it with your actual boss, Evelyn, who's in charge of the interns, and she said you were fine to take an hour for lunch that day.

She was very nice, an older lady who's clearly worked there since forever, but she reminds you a little bit of your grandmother, which means you spoke to her the same way. She seemed to appreciate that, and perhaps she also liked you a little better than the rest because you were the only intern who wasn't 18 and floundering around like a deer in headlights.

You're sitting on Andy's couch, just about to gather your things before you need to leave for your lunch date with Jason, when Andy speaks.

"Does sandwiches for lunch work for you? I have to go to the courthouse this afternoon so I don't have a lot of time."

You look up at him with a smile, "Oh, I won't be around for lunch, so feel free to order whatever you want."

His eyes snap up from his computer, immediately meeting yours, "Why won't you be here for lunch?"

"I'm going out," you reply with a shrug, getting up from the couch as you start collecting your things.

"Where are you going?"

His stern tone makes you glance at him, noticing his furrowed brows.

You smile again, in an effort to appease him, "Just some restaurant. I'm going out to lunch with a friend."

"What friend?"

The question makes you frown. Why is he asking? It's technically none of his business.

You blink a few times before you lift the files off the table and pull them against your chest, "Oh, uh, I'm going to lunch with Jason, actually."

His jaw tenses immediately.

His eyes are boring into yours intensely as he asks, "Jason? Why are you going to lunch with Jason?"

"He asked me if I wanted to go out for lunch and I said yes," you reply with a shrug.

You lift your bag onto your shoulder with your free hand, not noticing the fire burning behind his eyes.

"How did he ask you?"

"He got my number when we met at the bar," you reply casually, adjusting the shoulder strap before you look up at him, "He texted me the other day and asked me out to lunch."

Your brows furrow again when you look at Andy, noticing his jaw clenching and the tense expression on his face.

You tilt your head as you ask, "Uhm, do you mind? I know he's your friend, but I figured-"

"No," Andy interrupts, eyes moving to his computer, "It's fine."

You nod once, straightening up a little before you say, "Alright, well, I'll be back in about an hour."

"I'll be in court by then," he replies sternly, not looking at you.

"Okay," you nod, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then. Good luck in court!"

You turn, walking out of his office as you faintly hear him mumbling out a thanks.

The lunch with Jason went pretty well. He's nice, and not bad looking at all, and the conversation was pleasant. It flowed easily, no awkward silences, so overall it was a good experience.

Normally that would make you happy, you might even have considered starting to date him, but you knew there was no point.

Because despite conversation flowing easily, despite enjoying his company, despite having no awkward silences between you.. Something was missing.

And it is that same something that makes your heart race and your skin prickle whenever you are in the same room as Andy Barber.

Rationally, you knew that focusing too much on whatever you felt for your boss was a bad idea, but it had also shown you what you were supposed to feel for someone else. And it now meant you weren't willing to settle for anything less.

You kept the lunch friendly and casual, and when you parted ways, you gave him a hug. Subtly indicating that, despite finding him quite nice and sweet, your lunch shouldn't be considered an actual date.

Unfortunately, Andy didn't realize the same.

After you left his office, he spent the next ten minutes grinding his teeth, willing the unpleasant feeling swirling inside him to go away.

When he left to go to court, the feeling was still there, triggered by the fact that he knew what you were currently doing. He had no doubt in his mind that you were laughing at those stupid jokes Jason always makes, and he knew for a fact that Jason would be flirting with you openly.

He loved Jason, he was a good friend, but it was hard to remember that fact when his mind kept drifting to what exactly you two might be doing.

It even took part of his focus, his mind drifting as he sat in the courtroom, listening to the opposing councils opening statement.

Andy already knew he had a problem, he already knew what was happening was a bad idea, but now he realized that he was also completely, utterly fucked.

After court, he didn't go back to his office despite having time to do so. The only thing he wanted to do was go home. He didn't want to risk going to work only to run into you and have you tell him how great your date with Jason had been.

Andy just wanted to go home and sulk in peace, perhaps watch a movie with Jacob. He loved watching those old black and white movies, and it was a tradition between them that Andy cherished. Perhaps spending time with his son, his family, would help get his mind right.

After driving home, the afternoon sun hanging low in the sky, Andy drops down on the large couch in their living room with an audible sigh, the emotional whirlwind of today taking a toll on him. He didn't know how to feel or how to dismantle his thoughts, he didn't know how to sift through them.

And it didn't exactly help when his wife walked through the door, only reminding him that despite everything already being pretty shitty, it could always get worse.

"A date? What do you mean?"

"I mean; a date night," Laurie says with a smile, "You know, like we used to."

Andy frowns, "But.. We aren't what we used to.. So why do you want to have date night?"

"Andy," Laurie sighs, "If we don't at least try, then what's the point of this?"

He had a hard time arguing with that. What exactly was the point of being separated, but still living in the same house, if you weren't at least going to actively try to work things out?

"Okay," he nods, the frown still creating a deep wrinkle between his brows, "I guess you're right. But we haven't been doing that so far, what made you change your mind?"

Laurie shrugs nonchalantly as she unpacks the grocery bags sitting on the kitchen island, "I just figured it was time we actually did at least some of the things Kristen recommended."

Kristen. Their couples therapist. She had given them a list of things they should do, stuff they should do together, to try and work their way back to where they once were. On there had been date nights, even specified to explain that they should be without Jacob, and they should leave the house. Go to a restaurant, watch a movie, whatever you can think of that breaks your routine, she had said.

Initially, Andy had believed it was a good idea. He could understand how spending more alone time together might be good for them, but now it just made the anxious knot in his stomach bigger. Because on that list had also been intimacy. And he wasn't ready to explore that with her now, at this point he wasn't sure if he ever would be.

He didn't necessarily want to spend alone time with Laurie, and after the day he's had, he was really looking forward to watching a movie with Jacob.

When did that happen? When exactly did it change for him, when did he go from wanting to fix his marriage, work on things, to not even wanting to have dinner with her?

Andy knows exactly when it changed. But he can't allow himself to think about it.

Instead, he nods swiftly as he says, "Alright, let's have date night."

Andy is doing... fine. The steak he got is fine, the wine he's drinking is fine, and being out to dinner with Laurie is.. fine.

Everything is fine. But none of it is great. He wishes for the life of him he could create that sparkling electricity between the two of them, between him and his wife, the woman he vowed to love.

But he can't.

It's just not there.

Laurie is telling him about this history podcast she's been listening to, and Andy is listening, pretending to be interested, just like he always does.

But his mind is elsewhere.

He knows this is a good idea; trying to rekindle their relationship is smart, it's the right choice. Especially considering you just went on a date earlier today.

So he's doing his very best to try and find that tension between the two of them, the one he feels whenever you're near. He's trying so hard to find everything she says interesting, mesmerizing, just like he does whenever you speak.

But it's simply not there.

No, the interest isn't there, until the very moment Laurie's phone vibrates on the table.

Laurie immediately flips her phone over, hiding the screen from him, but Andy saw what it said. He saw the name flashing across the screen.

And suddenly he's very interested.

"So," he says with a sigh, eating a bite of his steak, "You're still seeing him."

Laurie sends him a pointed look, "Who?"

He puts down his utensils, the silverware clashing against his plate as he looks at her, "You know exactly who."

"I'm not seeing him anymore," she replies casually, eating a piece of broccoli off her plate, "I already told you that."

"Then why is he calling?"

"It wasn't him calling."

That does it.

Andy releases a heavy sigh before he leans closer to where she's sitting across the table, his voice a harsh whisper, "Laurie, if you're still seeing him, if you still want to see him, then do that. But don't fucking lie to me and tell me you want to try and fix this, only for you to go back and do the same thing you did before. If you're not going to be fateful to this marriage, to me, then say that. Let me go, release me from this fucking mess and we can both move on. You can be with him if you want, if that's who you truly want. But don't fucking sit there and lie to my face, pretending I'm the one you want to be with when I'm not."

Andy knows part of the words he just spoke could be thrown right back in his face. Because he himself don't know what he truly wants, who he truly wants. But getting Laurie to admit that their marriage is over would make everything easier, that way he wouldn't be the bad guy for wanting you. If she left him, he wouldn't feel guilty for pursuing you.

She stays silent for a moment before slowly raising a brow, "That intern I met is very cute."

Andy scoffs, leaning back in his chair, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Laurie shrugs, taking a sip of her wine before she replies, "Maybe you should just do the same. Get it out of your system. I saw the way you were looking at her, and you clearly weren't excited about me the other day. Maybe you should just follow your urges, give in to them. That way we're both cheating, we're both doing a bad thing, and we can move forward. Try to mend this with a clean slate."

Andy's brows pull into a deep frown, disbelief etched across his face.

How dare she fucking say that? And how dare she think he would ever do that, not just in general, but to you?

He shakes his head, looking at her sternly, "You're fucking insane."

"No, I'm not," she replies with a small smile. She leans closer to him across the table, placing her hand on top of his own, "Think about it, Andy. We would both be doing it to each other, we would be equal in that sense. No one would be the bad guy. And we could work on our marriage, stay together for Jacob, just like we always said we would. You know it would break him if we divorced. Do you really want to hurt him like that?"

Andy's eyes widen slowly as he listens to her speak. Of course he doesn't want to hurt Jacob, she knows that, that's the exact reason she's saying this. But staying together for Jacob, solely for Jacob, while seeing other people on the side.. What's the point of that?

"So you think it would fix our marriage if we both saw other people? Slept with other people?"

"It might," she replies, looking at him sincerely, "We're not happy together, like that, anymore. Other people could make us happy. And we could bring that happiness home, use it to our advantage."

"Why would we stay together if we don't make each other happy?"

"I already told you, Andy. For Jacob. We'd do it for Jacob."

You spent a few hours after lunch working at the office but it really wasn't as fun without Andy there to distract you from your work.

You went home at 5pm, mentally exhausted, a giddy excitement running through you at the thought of spending the night on the couch, watching movies.

By the time 10.30pm rolls around, you've happily watched two very silly rom-coms, and start to get ready for bed.

Just as you've shrugged on your oversized night shirt, however, you're startled by a knock at the door.

You check your phone for the time, a slight unease running through at the realization that it's almost 11pm. Normally you wouldn't answer, solely from feeling uncomfortable, worried that it might be someone trying to break in or wanting to hurt you on the other side, but when there's another impatient knock, you relent.

You take slow steps toward the door, hesitantly peeking through the peephole.

What the hell is this, fucking groundhog day?

You roll your eyes in amusement as you pull the door open, chuckling as you speak, "What, got too drunk again? I think you have a problem, Mr. Barber."

You grin up at him once the door is open, but your smile immediately falters when you notice the look on his face.

He looks sad, hurt, like he's in pain, and you instantly regret your words.

"Andy, are you okay?"

You tilt your head, taking a step closer to where he's standing on the other side of the threshold, the blue eyes meeting yours filled with sadness.

"Can I come in?"

You nod immediately, stepping back inside your apartment before he follows you. You close the door behind him, watching him hesitantly as he stands in your hallway, his wool coat hanging heavy on his shoulders.

Your words are a quiet whisper, worried if you speak any louder, he might break like a piece of glass, "Andy, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

He holds your gaze for a moment and the look that meets you almost makes you feel physical pain, before his eyes dart to the ground.

His voice is deep and hoarse as he speaks, wavering slightly, "No I.. I'm not okay.. Could I.. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't even ask this, but I don't know where else to go. Can I stay here? Just for a few days, just until I find a place.."

He looks back up at you, his eyes sad but hopeful, and your heart breaks at the sight.

Until he finds a place? Did he finally leave her? You don't want to think about it too much, ignoring the way your heart thuds excitedly at his words.

You take a step closer, reaching your hand out to touch his arm, "Yeah, of course. Anything you need. Of course."

"Thank you," he whispers, eyes scanning yours warily, "Really. I appreciate it."

You watch him for another moment before the urge takes over. You quickly take another step before you wrap your arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

He reciprocates, his strong arms wrapping around your waist as his head drops to your shoulder.

You rub his back soothingly as you whisper, "It'll be alright, don't worry. You can stay here for as long as you need."

His arms tighten around you, holding you so close it makes you feel breathless as he whispers a solemn, "Thank you."

282 notes · View notes

kpchrs · 9 months

Note

warren is creepy though. he thinks snuff films are funny. he says to max's face that he's disappointed she won't have sex with him within 3 weeks of knowing him. he plays max and brooke off each other by lying about the tickets for the drive in. he knows how to build pipe bombs. he almost beat nathan to death because he was angry.

I was so surprised seeing this LOL I didn't know that that reached people because I thought my hashtags never worked. Not that I expected it to or that I'm great at writing them down either tho. (Turned out seeing the few likes, it did reach people lol). But, well, obviously I didn't go to law school, Anon, you haven't given me time to do it (heh, and also because obviously that's a joke).

I read this on the day you sent the ask to me btw (which was months ago), but it took me a long time to write this because I got distracted so BADLY. So, sorry for the wait... if you are waiting xD I won’t expect anyone, even you, Anon, to read this. I genuinely don’t give a shit if no one reads this, but I still want to try to argue back. My mindset throughout this eSsAy will be as open and fair as I can.

1. "he thinks snuff films are funny."

Okay, let's pull up the script.

Warren: Haha. Make sure you watch Cannibal Holocaust. Max: No fucking way will I watch that. My mind is twisted enough... Warren: I laughed my ass off. (Episode 1: Crystallis)

Okay, first off, Cannibal Holocaust is not a snuff. That’s false. It is a cult classic horror film. It’s one because it’s (one of?) the first of its kind. Also, while it IS controversial and violent and there ARE something inside that are SO BAD WHYDIDTHEYHAVETODOIT, the film actually has an interesting and legit message. I think it’s not weird if Warren, being a fan of disturbing films or obscure films in general, will be interested in watching the so-called “cult classics”.

So regarding why he laughs, a possibility is that he laughs to pretend/show off to Max that he is tough. I mean, he literally shows off his car in that scene, to impress her. Weird flex but okay, bro.

Another possibility which is more probable is it’s because Warren has a dark sense of humour. Max knows this the day she meets him for the first time, that “he’s dark”. You can read it from her diary.

I think he has a higher tolerance than the average person after getting desensitised watching too much horror, which is why he laughs. Because he sees the comedy somewhere. And I think I have an idea where it is. Hint: It’s connected to the message of the film.

The message is the irony of how fast the characters adapt to savagery and exploit the tribe and their culture for the media, which raises the question: “So which one is the savage one? The tribe who people think should have been the ‘uncivilised’ or the characters who should have been the ‘civilised’ ones?” That twist can be funny with a dark sense of humour. Or it can be as simple as how the climax is satisfying/amusing with the characters getting what they deserve after all they have done fucking with the tribe. Hell, if you want to be meta and look into the background story of the filming, you can laugh too at the hypocrisy between the message and the film’s status as an exploitation film.

2. "he says to max's face that he's disappointed she won't have sex with him within 3 weeks of knowing him."

Hmm, that got filtered by your interpretation so let's go back to the root again aka the script to be objective.

Max: So you're sensitive... Warren: Ouch... That sounds awful the way you say it. Max: How so? Warren: Sensitive usually means "won't be having sex with you." Max: Oh, gawd! You need a sensitive woman to kick your ass. (Episode 1: Crystallis)

I want to confess. I had to think hard about what this means, maybe because I didn’t get the reference, because I’m not a native, or just because it’s a bad dialogue. I mean, of course, it sounded bad but I didn’t know EXACTLY what it meant. It took me 6 months to get it… somewhat… From my understanding, he means that “sensitive/nice guys finish last”, no? So the concern is about Nice Guys™?

I won’t wave this off, Anon, it’s still a distasteful comment to say, I admit. But I believe it’s a bad joke made by Warren, an awkward kid, who tries to hit on the girl he got a crush on. The whole scene is about him trying to be smooth, but failing miserably because (1) as I said, he’s awkward, you are not smooth enough, bro; (2) that’s the wrong thing to say, bro; (3) Max is not interested in you, bro (unless you make her be, I guess).

Warren is cringey. I have facepalmed a lot of times listening to him or reading his texts to Max, but we are all cringey in our teenage years. I don’t want to elaborate on my cringey-ness but I want to at least tell you that I did have a Warren, Anon. I rejected him hard and harshly (which I regret but I was also a teenage kid). But he was ultimately a good kid and we are still close friends. He’s matured and thriving now and I have no doubt if Warren were real, he would mature and thrive too now.

3. "he plays max and brooke off each other by lying about the tickets for the drive in."

Okay, let’s search for those.

Warren: BTW, the drive-in is actually popular so I'm buying the tix now. Warren: I'll have an extra one. In case you change your mind. [Wed; morning] (Warren’s text messages in Episode 3: The Chaos Theory if you decline the invitation.)

Warren does talk about two tickets but the drive-in charges per car, not per person (based on the poster). What’s the subtext of this dialogue? It’s saying that Warren still hopes that Max comes with him. Even deeper is Warren nudging Max to convince her subtly to go with him. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I don’t know why these inconsistencies happen, but inconsistencies are not uncommon in the game. So let’s rewrite the text message dialogues to remove the inconsistency, but keep the subtext.

Warren: BTW, the drive-in is actually popular so I'm buying the tix now. Warren: I’ll keep your spot open. In case you change your mind.

Nothing is different. The subtext is still the same. So if his narrative is to… I don’t know, to manipulate Max to go with him, I don’t see why he has to lie in the first place. Because my rewrite does the same job of the subtext. Maybe it is a development mistake.

These are the dialogues that are relevant, right after Max accepts or declines the invitation:

If Max accepts: Warren: I have to tell Brooke I'm going with you to the movies instead. I'll text you later? If Max declines: Warren: Uh, I have to see if Brooke wants to go to the drive-in, Max. Maybe I'll see you later. [Tue; morning] (Episode 2: Out of Time)

Okay, the first one sounds like Warren has invited Brooke first before Max with that “instead” and the second one sounds like Warren hasn’t invited Brooke at all. Weird, isn’t it? This is why people say Warren is playing off both girls. But there’s this dialogue:

Brooke: That's so ironic that Warren asked Max to the drive-in. Brooke: It's not like I don't own all the original "Apes" films. Brooke: Maybe I should've asked Warren to go... [Thu; afternoon] (Episode 4: Dark Room) [Max accepts Warren’s invitation route]

“Maybe I should’ve asked Warren to go”? In the narrative of if like you say, Warren playing them off, this dialogue doesn’t really add up, does it? It sounds like Warren never invites Brooke at all, or at the very least, they talk about wanting to go but never commit to doing it together. Does this make sense?

So what is this? Which one is right? Are these inconsistencies again? Maybe? Am I wrong? Tbh, my head hurts already LOL Tell me what you think. I’m so tired of this game’s inconsistencies.

Brooke is the second choice here. I don’t deny that. She always is even in the alternate universe, poor girl. Even after Warren says that he will ask Brooke instead after Max declines that morning, I think he still procrastinates on that and keeps hoping Max will change her mind until the next day. That’s why later he says: “I’ll have an extra one” (or “keep your spot open” in my rewrite) [Wed; morning].

And then, there’s the scene where Max is dared to kiss or not kiss Chloe [Wed; morning] (Episode 3: Chaos Theory). Regardless of whether Max kisses her or not, Chloe will text Warren later [Thu; morning]. In the route of Max declining Warren’s invitation, it sounds like he finally gets that Max is either not interested in romance or is interested in Chloe. So Warren gives up and he finally invites Brooke to the drive-in (Episode 4: Dark Room) [Thu; afternoon].

Just like Max is not interested in Warren and prioritising Chloe, Warren doesn’t seem to be interested in Brooke and he prioritises Max. Insensitive? Yes lol But, they are teenagers having a crush.

I hope all this makes sense.

4. "he knows how to build pipe bombs."

Because he's a nerd. A nerd who spends his time experimenting with chemistry. Pipe bombs are simple to make too. Max can even make it with his instructions. It's not weird if he knows how to build a lot of stuff. When you are passionate about something, you will want to learn more stuff, right?

Also, Anon, in high school, we begged our chemistry teacher to put potassium inside the water after we heard it would explode. She reluctantly yielded and yeah, it exploded and we screamed and laughed. She immediately regretted her decision. My point is explosion is exciting, Anon. There’s a reason why teenagers like to play with fireworks. Dangerous? Duh. It’s exciting tho, said a lot of teenagers.

God knows I got knowledge on weird stuff just because of some morbid curiosity or because one of my interests gets me interested in researching weird stuff. But my point is, it’s the same with Warren in this case. It’s not weird at all that a science nerd knows how to build a pipe bomb.

5. "he almost beat nathan to death because he was angry."

This, is my favourite point you made. Because despite all the people who decided to let Warren beat up Nathan, you use this point to imply that this isn't right, which weirdly makes me happy to see that it's acknowledged. Because it IS not right! Sorry, I'm just a Nathan trash (who wants to punch him too ironically but of course, I wouldn’t do it lol Sorry, Nate). Of course, you may say this with the intention of “there is something wrong with Warren based on this scene, some anger issues or something which is… dangerous.” Well…

You know, Anon, the thing with Warren is, the game subtly told us that he is bullied. And I was spending time trying to find evidence but I’m frankly so tired of combing the Wikia HAHAHA Turned out, someone has talked about it already.

There’s no confirmation on who bullies him (eh), but my guess is having a room across the kInG oF bLaCkWeLl's (I hate that dumb cheesy nickname lol) is not a good time for him. People can interpret it as him being angry because his crush is getting attacked by Nathan again, but I don't really see that tbh. Maybe it starts off as that, but later it explodes because of the pent-up anger he feels inside after all the bullying he has experienced. That’s the first time he beats up someone. He doesn’t even know he could do that.

Of course, this is just a different interpretation. Some people choose to interpret something from this side of the spectrum and there are people who choose to do it from the other side of the spectrum. I chose “this side of the spectrum” to give you a different interpretation to ponder upon.

People could scoff and say, “Now you are just being biased.” Well… That’s what Warren haters do too. Being biased. Because Warren has so many positive things too, you know? It’s just the same as how Chloe haters are biased and ridiculously bash her hard outside of the fandom, when she has so many positive things.

People could scoff again and say, “You are using ‘him being a teenager’ too much as an excuse.” I believe we are too hard on teenagers. Yes, even the 18-year-old kids. You don’t magically mature and know everything about yourself or the world once you are 18 years old (or 19), even if society deems them as young adults. I sure didn’t when I was 18 (or 19). I only knew what my favourite colours are in my 20s! (Answer: the shades of pink, red-purple, and true red.) Everyone has their own pace. Warren is approximately a month before 17.

Also, I believe in mental growth. If people love the idea of flawed Warren as a character and then they write a fanfiction about him maturing and growing as a person and Max is in the picture, is that a bad thing? Of course not, it’s just them believing in the potential inside a character and character dynamic and using it as a creative outlet. Characters in “Life is Strange” are created to be in the grey shades. From the almost-white (like Kate and Samuel maybe) to the almost-black (like Jefferson). Max is grey. Chloe is grey. Rachel is grey. Warren is also grey. It’s not a bad thing to love fictional grey characters or even villains.

Lastly, let this be a reminder, not only for Anon, but for people in general, that… you don’t know why someone loves something. They may have nuanced reasons that they can’t explain fully if they don’t write long-ass essays and even if they do write one, sometimes people don’t even care about reading it. But if you keep an open mind and listen, maybe you won’t agree, but at least you understand a little bit and respect the opinion. Like, for example, hell, if I hear someone seriously loves Jefferson I will be so baffled (I hate him), but I will be so interested in hearing it and I'll still be so baffled but I’ll respect that, you know? Maybe I'll laugh a lot but only because I’m entertained and happy that they explain it to me. (I’m seriously interested so hit me up if any lol)

But that’s only me and my mindset. The general rule is just please be respectful.

Maybe after this, more people will come to my inbox and point out more things to argue. While… um, okay, I did say I claim to be Warren’s personal lawyer (and I was obviously joking) but until when will you people do this? xD Okay, I can’t stop it, or I can but I don’t want to block the few anonymous asks to my inbox, but since my lawyering is not paid by Warren, whether I will write an essay like this again or not will depend on my time and mood hehehehe xD

Thank you for the ask. I enjoy writing this! For Warren sympathisers, I hope I do him justice. If not, I’m sorry, but let’s hear it.

I'm shocked if someone is actually reading this, but if so, thanks for reading.

Kris

#defending #warren graham #life is strange #grahamfield #kris got asks

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