The luxury log cabin on Total Drama Island was unusually quiet for once

No screaming contestants No explosions No humiliating challenges involving raccoons, mud pits, or questionable food

Just the soft glow of a laptop and the occasional sound of pages turning

Chris lounged comfortably across the couch like he owned the world—which, in his mind, he basically did. One leg was stretched out over the armrest while the other rested on the floor. His laptop balanced lazily on his knee as he scrolled through audition tapes from future contestants. Every few seconds he’d snort or scoff

“Ugh. Another wannabe influencer,” he muttered, clicking past a video “Do these people even know what suffering on television is supposed to look like?”

Beside him sat Chef Hatchet, far larger and far more relaxed, leaning back into the cushions with a thick paperback in his hands. The book’s cover was bright and dramatic—two lovers locked in an embrace under a sunset

A romance novel

Chef turned another page slowly, completely absorbed

Anyone else might’ve thought the scene was strange. The tough, military-style cook who used to terrify contestants was sitting there quietly reading about dramatic love confessions and emotional heartbreak. But honestly, it fit him more than people realized

After all, Chef had spent years secretly pining for the loudest, most obnoxious man on television

Chris McLean

Their relationship had started out like everything else on Total Drama—chaotic, sarcastic, and a little dangerous

For years they had worked side by side. Chris as the smug, theatrical host who thrived off contestants’ misery, and Chef as his intimidating co-host who ran challenges, cooked horrifying meals, and occasionally kept Chris from pushing things too far

Occasionally

Their friendship had always been strange. They bickered like an old married couple long before they actually became one

Chris loved ordering Chef around like he was just another competitor in the game

“Chef! Go release the mutant gophers!” “Chef! Taste test this radioactive stew!” “Chef! Try not to break the interns this time!”

And Chef… well, he complained, but he always did it anyway

Because beneath the shouting, the sarcasm, and the explosions, Chris was still the one person Chef had stuck beside for years

And somewhere along the way, those feelings had stopped being just loyalty. They became something deeper

Chef had tried—many times—to confess

Every time he opened his mouth, though, Chris would say something ridiculous or start another challenge, and Chef would lose his nerve. The man could stare down angry contestants and exploding kitchens without blinking, but asking Chris McLean on a date?

That was terrifying

Eventually he just blurted it out during a challenge in the middle of filming one season. Contestants were screaming, someone was dangling from a cliff, and Chef suddenly just went—

“Chris, you wanna go out sometime?” Chris had stared at him for a long second. Then he grinned “Sure. As long as it doesn’t interfere with the ratings.”

That had been a year ago

And somehow… it worked

Neither of them had changed

Chef was still the same tough, disciplined cook who secretly enjoyed quieter things like books and old war stories

Chris was still dramatic, egotistical, and absolutely delighted by other people’s suffering

But now there was something else between them

Comfort

Back in the present, Chris clicked another audition video and groaned

“Oh wow. Listen to this one.”

He tilted the laptop toward Chef

A teenager on the screen dramatically shouted, “I’M READY TO DOMINATE TOTAL DRAMA!”

Chris snorted

“Please. I give them three minutes before they cry.”

Chef didn’t even look up from his book

“Two minutes,” he corrected calmly