Chapter 5 - Stephen and Wes

Freya forced herself to smile brightly at the room despite it suddenly feeling like all the air had been sucked out of it. If they couldn't figure out how to fix this... the storyline managers were all going to have heart attacks. "Alright, gentlemen, these are your dates for the day. And of course our extra Daddy, Stephen, can join any of your dates for as much time as he'd like."

"And tomorrow, sadly, we will be saying goodbye to one of our Daddies. So... make today count."

She stayed still until the cameras cut, waiting as production shifted the setup and delivering the instructions again, until the scene was called. Then she made tracks to where her girlfriend was waiting, watching things with wide eyes.

"My name is Stephen, I'm forty-six, and I'm a Professor of Sociology at an Ivy League University. I'm here because... well... I'm looking for love because I've realized recently that I've spent far too long focusing on my career, and I really want to prioritize a partner and a relationship."

"I've always felt really fulfilled by being able to support and mentor younger colleagues, and I like the idea of finding out what that looks like in a relationship."

"I'm here on the show because..." Stephen chuckles, shaking his head ruefully. "Possibly against my better judgment, I let my coworkers and my therapist convince me that reality TV was a good place to start."

"So... Stephen and I... kind of have a history. Not a romantic one, god, we didn't...." Wes sighs, glancing away from the camera for a minute. "I... wanted it to be. I really wanted it to be. It's been about a year, and it was just a stupid crush, but... it was still a shock to see him here. I never expected he'd ever even consider doing this kind of thing."

He lets out a long sigh, then pastes on a wide smile for the camera. "I guess I just need to focus on why I came here and not on my past, right? Alain... Alain's really sweet. It's hard not to like him. Maybe... maybe there can be something between us."

"Yes, I know Wes. I haven't seen him for about a year, since I was his thesis advisor. I... can't say whether or not I'm surprised to see him here, I haven't ever considered his love life. For ethical reasons, you understand."

The camera cuts. Stephen nods slowly, with measured calm. "I don't think it's a good idea for me to engage with Wes in this situation. It wouldn't be appropriate. And I don't want to interfere with anything he might have going on. He's a sweet boy, he... he really deserves to have someone really special in his life."

Alain pulls his knees up to his chest on the confessional couch, leaning on them and grinning. "Oh, now that I've met the other DILFs and the Himbos, things are getting really exciting. I know Stephen very well, we've worked together in the past in academia. Did I mention I focus on Sexology?" Alain waggles his eyebrows. "That's why I really believe in this whole process, there's significant data to back it up."

"Here, let me put on my sexy professor glasses and explain everything, darling. So, studies support that it takes between forty to sixty hours, cumulatively, of spending time with someone for you to begin to feel like actual friends instead of acquaintances. After eighty to a hundred hours, you become close friends. Now, that's a lot of coffee dates in real life. But here... Five days? Being together here in DILF Island is basically speed-running intimacy. And that's not even factoring in all the wonderful activities you have planned for us, and the power of...." Alain takes off the glasses and bites the end of one, grinning around it. "...Sexual attraction."

"Do I know Wes? I haven't met him before I saw him holding my underwear. But..." Alain winks at the camera. "I certainly know of Wes."

Carson sags on the couch. "I... honestly don't know what's going on, this completely blindsided me. I thought we were good, I thought - I thought we were more than good, but - did I do something wrong? I thought I'd been following his cues, but... I don't know, maybe I moved too fast. Or..." He's silent for a long moment, staring down below the camera. "I don't even know if he's okay...."

Off screen, a female voice asks, "Are you okay? How are you feeling about this?"

Carson gives a choked laugh, covering his face with one hand and rubbing the bridge of his nose like someone trying to massage away a headache. He sniffs sharply, then looks into the camera. "No. Of course I'm not okay. I... I'm just questioning every moment since I arrived now. I thought...." Carson's mouth twists, and the camera cuts.

"Truthfully, this is probably a me problem. It's not the first time I've been blindsided like this." Carson looks into the camera again as he speaks, distinctly miserable. "So maybe it's my own damn fault, maybe I'm just... naive for thinking... hoping... that I could form a real connection with someone. For trusting. I survived before because I could focus on my kids, and I really thought I was ready...."

A soft, helpless laugh. "Of course I want answers, but you don't always get what you want. I... I think the most important thing is... to know that he's alright. And then... say my goodbyes to people, I guess."

The woman off screen sounds immediately concerned. "You're giving up?"

"I don't want to. But... I have to be realistic about this. I know myself. It's hard for me to feel a connection with someone I meet at the best of times, and now..." Carson shakes his head helplessly. "I can't stay here at the expense of some other guy who might actually find love."

"Darren, what the hell are you doing?" As soon as they were in the confessional room, Quinn yanked Darren's mic cord out of the battery pack "Are you fucking crazy?"

It was hard not to be angry at Quinn, and Darren fought to push that away. This was his fault. He'd fucked this up from the start. "Don't you want to get my answers on camera?"

"No! I mean - fuck, I have to get something after what you just pulled, but I'm asking this as your friend!" Quinn's pretty green eyes searched his. "Darren - what the actual fuck?"

"This is what I'm supposed to be doing," Darren shot back in anger despite himself. "I'm just here to fill a slot, aren't I? Show up, flirt with some hot older guys and get kicked off. Well, I'm doing my best to get myself eliminated. Isn't this what you wanted?"

Quinn shook his head, exhaling, frustrated. "I just needed you on the show, I never asked you to - Darren, I know you! If you were out to just flirt and get eliminated you wouldn't have - " he waved a hand vaguely towards the rest of the house.

Darren felt tears burn at the corners of his eyes. He shouldn't have agreed to this damn show. He shouldn't have gotten attached, he sure as hell shouldn't have - "Well, it's done. Kick me off so Carson can find someone else."

Darren stared back at him. "What do you mean, you're out of Himbos? There's supposed to be two more - "

"Yes," Quinn cut him off, "and those fuckers started hooking up offsite and decided to break contract and run off on a cruise this morning. I'm out of Himbos. I have negative Himbos. This field, where I grow my Himbos? It is BARREN. I can't send you home!"

The reality of what Quinn was saying hit him like a ton of bricks, and Darren covered his mouth as he choked back a sob.

"I can't," he choked, shaking his head. "I can't stay here and keep hurting him, I can't - " He gave in as Quinn tugged him closer, burying his face in his neck and dissolving into tears.

Darren's eyes are noticeably red as he looks at the camera, his words careful and calm. They sound forced. "I... know I didn't handle this well. But I shouldn't have let things go on between us like they did, and that's on me. Carson and I... he needs more than I can give him. He needs better than what I can give him. I just... he's such a good guy that... it's too easy to forget that when I'm with him."

Off screen, a male voice sounds gentle and sympathetic. "Darren, you should tell him that. You need to talk to him."

Darren gives a sharp shake of his head, rubbing a hand across his eyes. "I can't. He's too nice. He'll try to... I can't let him sacrifice what he deserves to try and be with me when I'm not good for him."

"But what if that's what he wants?"

Darren shook his head. "...I'm sorry, I can't talk about this anymore."

Herding his crisis team into the room that he was technically sharing with Asha, Quinn threw the lock on the door behind them. "Did anyone have any idea this was going down?"

"There might be some questions about his psych eval," Freya pointed out, and Quinn grit his teeth.

"Or complete lack thereof. Look, clearly I fucked up. But he's never been like this with me! He's literally my most stable and dependable friend."

"You think I wanted this kind of drama? I always assumed he was just single because he's a huge whore like half the gay men I know and most of this cast!"

Nayah rubbed his shoulder soothingly. "Let's think through next steps. Story's already started asking if they need to figure out something for Blythe and Ryland. They aren't particularly enthusiastic about it, though. Turns out that the story of love blossoming between a stuck up rich guy and an actual Himbo who's been dreaming of a sugar daddy isn't particularly compelling."

Asha sighed. "They're right. We have to at least try and fix Carson and Darren."

"I could have a sit down with them," Freya offered with a little worried frown. "Do you think they'd do it for me?"

"Carson seems receptive," Asha replied. "More hurt and worried than angry right now. But he's ready to leave, Quinn. I don't think we can convince him to start again with another contestant. How did your talk with Darren in the confessional go?"

A helpless laugh escaped Quinn's throat. "Not great. And I just told him that I can't rig an elimination because we don't have any other himbos to replace him with."

"He was my ringer! No, Trevor was my ringer and Darren was my last ditch emergency favor. And we've lost two more fucking Himbos since then!" Quinn plopped down on the edge of his bed and buried his face in his hands. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuck me. Just. Fuck me."

Asha, his angel of a sister, perched more delicately next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "It's okay. We're going to figure this out. Tomorrow's a Daddy elimination, so we have at least forty-eight hours to find a new Himbo. Can we reach out to an agency? Fly someone down?"

"Maybe one or two of the boys from last season would come back? That would be sensational." Nayah squeezed his shoulder. "Should I get the ball rolling on that?"

"Sure. Thank you." Quinn let out another long breath as she left, then looked up at Asha. "...I think we need to give the studio a heads up that we might need to delay filming. I'm sure they'll lose their shit at it putting us over budget, but... what else do we do? Especially if we can't convince Carson and Darren to stick around...."

"Talk to Darren," Asha said gently. "Take him off mic and bring him in here if you have to, we'll cover for you. I know you can talk him down."

"...I'll try," Quinn said finally. Of course he would for Darren's sake, but what else was he supposed to do? And that was only half the problem. If they couldn't talk Carson down... bad enough losing a contestant, but all Quinn could think about was having to call his hot younger brother and tell him the terrible news just when things had been going so well between them....

"I'm Nathaniel. I'm twenty-seven, and I'm working on a doctorate in psychology. Does a university degree disqualify me from being a himbo? Or... does asking that make me more of a himbo?"

"Carson is my older brother, obviously." A soft laugh. "He... doesn't know I'm here yet, and I hope he won't kill me? He's always been really protective of me and our sister. Carson kept the family together after our Dad died, he really took care of us. He's so incredible. And he never takes enough time for himself. I... really hope he finds someone special. He really deserves that."

"Perhaps it's a bit saccharin, but... I've always dreamed that someday, I'd meet a tall, dark handsome stranger who would just sweep me off my feet...." Nathaniel glances away for a moment, wistful, and for a second he seems... sad? "Maybe it's a silly dream. But maybe being here at DILF Island will help me really make a connection with someone."

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6
Darren	Carson	Carson	Carson	Carson	Alain	?
Carson	Darren	Darren	Darren	Darren	Trevor	?
Wes	Alain	Alain	Alain	Alain	Tydall	?
Alain	Wes	Wes	Wes	Wes	Darren	?
Trevor	Tydall	Stephen	Stephen	Stephen	Carson	?
Tydall	Trevor	Zhehan	Zhehan	Zhehan	Wes	?
Zhehan	Stephen	Tydall	Tydall	Tydall	Xiang	?
Stephen	Zhehan	Trevor	Trevor	Trevor	(spare)	?
Blythe	Luiz	Ryland	Ryland	Ryland	Ryland	?
Ryland		Blythe	Blythe	Blythe	Blythe	?
Xiang					Zhehan	?
Nathaniel						(new)
Luiz	Blythe	(spare)	————————————(eliminated)