
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/476178.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Homestuck
  Relationship:
      John_Egbert/Dave_Strider
  Character:
      John_Egbert, Dad_(Homestuck), Dave_Strider, Bro_|_Dirk_Strider
  Additional Tags:
      Bullying, Homophobia, Internalized_Homophobia, Alternate_Universe_-
      School
  Stats:
      Published: 2012-08-02 Updated: 2012-08-15 Chapters: 4/? Words: 8679
****** Coming to Terms ******
by wreckitwrex
Summary
     Being shoved into your locker is a new experience for you, as is
     being tripped, having your books knocked out of your hand, and having
     your bag taken and used as a ball for a hilarious game of monkey in
     the middle, with you being the monkey of course. You have always
     thought that clichéd bullying like this was a thing that only
     happened in television shows and that it didn’t actually happen in
     real life to that kind of exaggerated degree. Turns out you’re wrong
     about that.
***** Snubbed *****
The first time you heard a southern accent, you laughed because you thought it
was funny; it sounded so different from what you were used to.

It isn’t funny anymore, not when you’re the one that sounds different from
everyone else. As soon as you open your mouth everyone knows that you aren’t
from around here, as if your thick-framed glasses and ridiculous rat teeth
aren’t a huge enough sign that says you’re ripe for the picking.

Being shoved into your locker is a new experience for you, as is being tripped,
having your books knocked out of your hand, and having your bag taken and used
as a ball for a hilarious game of monkey in the middle, with you being the
monkey of course. You have always thought that clichéd bullying like this was a
thing that only happened in television shows and that it didn’t actually happen
in real life to that kind of exaggerated degree. Turns out you’re wrong about
that.

You guess it isn’t so bad though as you slide into your seat for your first
class of your first day attending public school. It is unpleasant, yes, but it
is also livable, and given that you practically begged and pestered your dad to
let you go here instead of enrolling you into another private school from the
instant you learned that he was being transferred to the office in Houston, you
have no right to complain.

You open your notebook and start to busy yourself with writing the date and
your name on the first page in big neat letters out of a lack of anything
better to do. John Egbert. Staring at your handiwork, you make a face because
god, even your name is lame.

Shaking your head, your eyes flicker upward as you hear a familiar voice,
immediately recognizing the way the words flow from his mouth smooth as ever.
Sure enough, you spot that blonde head of hair and the big round shades that
you gave him for his birthday and you feel the corners of your lips pulling
into a huge grin.

“Dave!” You shout out his name to call his attention, unable to stop yourself
since you’ve been so psyched to actually see him in person.

Dave tilts his head ever so slightly in your direction, his face completely
devoid of any emotion, as per usual when he’s putting up his cool kid front,
and you start smiling even more. It’s enough to make your face hurt to the
point that it gets uncomfortable, but that’s just how happy you are so you
really can’t help it! You wait, expecting him to come over but your smile
falters when Dave walks right past you without giving you a second glance.

Oh. Your face gets all hot because wow, how embarrassing it is to be totally
blown off like that in front of everyone else. You bow your head down and curl
in on yourself a little. You’re sure that there must’ve been some reason why.
You’ll just have to try again later.

You try again, multiple times.

He ignores you each and every time.

By the time school lets out you’re completely put off. You don’t even try to
see if you can catch Dave for a minute by the lockers, instead just heading
straight outside and waiting by the curb for your dad to pick you up.

The sun beats down on you pretty quickly, no thanks to your dark hair that was
just perfect for absorbing all the heat that the sun could throw at you. It
would take a while to get used to it, especially since the weather up in
Washington was cool and often rainy. If it was a bright and sunny day it was a
blessing, but now it’s more like a curse. It feels like ages until you see your
dad’s silver car stop in front of you and you waste no time in opening the
door. You throw your bag onto an empty seat carelessly before hopping in, a
wave of relief washing over you as you’re blasted with the cool air
conditioning.

“How was your day, son?” Dad wastes no time in asking, waiting until you have
buckled yourself in before starting to drive. After all, safety’s always first
with him.

You take a moment to answer as you press your face up against the cold glass of
the window and look outside with disinterest. “Okay.”

It’s not enough to satisfy your dad, you can tell right away by the way his
eyebrow raises and how he turns his head toward you when he catches a red light
as if he’s expecting you to elaborate. Of course he is, it’s strange of you to
give a one worded response like that. Back at home you’d spend the whole car
ride just telling him every single thing that happened throughout the day.

“I mean, it was different. Talk about culture shock, wow.” You add with a
nervous laugh. Immediately Dad relaxes and puts on a warm smile for you.

“Ah, well of course. It’s going to take a bit to get used to living here but
with time you’ll get used to it. Just because it’s different doesn’t mean that
it’s bad, I’m sure you’ll adapt to your new surroundings in no time.”

He goes on talking about the move and adjusting to the change and you know it’s
rude but you just kind of tune him out as your mind goes back to earlier. You
try to pretend that it doesn’t bother you as much as it does, but deep down you
know that you are really upset by the way Dave treated you, so you end up
spending the rest of the car ride trying to come up with some kind of reason as
to why he would do something like that to make yourself feel better about it.
Nothing that you could think of is good enough.

It doesn’t take long for your dad to pull up in the garage. A part of you is
reluctant to get out of the car and get assaulted with the heat again, but it’
a short walk to the house and you it will be just as cool in there so you man
up, unbuckle yourself, and head inside.

Your father follows you in, saying something about having a surprise for you,
and as soon as the smell of freshly baked sweets attacks your nose you wish
you’d stayed in the car for a bit longer.

“Gee, you didn’t have to go through all that trouble, Dad! Really my first day
of school here isn’t that big of a deal. But you know as great as that cake
smells I’m actually really tired so I’m just going to crash in my room for now.
Maybe I’ll have some later!” The words are strained but you never have the guts
to tell him that you really don’t care for his sweets, or any sweets at all for
that matter.

Before your Dad has a chance to respond you’re already in your room, thankful
that the smell hadn’t permeated through the cracks of the door; that would’ve
been unfortunate. Flopping on your bed you pull out your laptop, which has been
so generously given to you by your father who, despite how annoying he can be
sometimes, is the best dad you could’ve ever ask for. Attempting to take your
mind off of things, you check out some forums.

In the short amount of time it takes for your computer to start up you manage
to space out a little, only brought back to earth when the ping of pesterchum
alerts you that you’ve got a new message.

-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 3:47 --

TG: sup

You frown and before you can stop it you feel your chest tighten as anger
bubbles up inside of you.

EB: oh! so i guess now that we’re both deep within our rooms far from prying
judging eyes of our peers and your reputation isn’t at stake you decide to talk
to me!
EB: you know for some reason i thought you weren’t a big enough of a douche to
pull something like that but i guess i was wrong.
TG: woah what are you talking about
TG: you know you seem pretty steamed up about something youve only been in
texas for how long now and the heats already getting to you
EB: oh haha very funny!
EB: i’m practically pissing my pants now from how hilarious that is!
EG: you know exactly what i’m talking about dave but i’ll spell it out for you
anyway since i feel like you’re just going to keep on trying to beat around the
bush.
EB: and i’m very upset with you! i mean at first i guess i was kind of shocked
that you would do something like that but now i’m like wow way to be a dick to
ignore me like that all day.
EB: if you thought you were too cool to be seen with me at school you should’ve
just told me so that i could’ve went to a private school like my dad wanted me
to.
EB: but for some reason up until today you seemed like you were actually pretty
psyched for me to be going to the same school as you and i was too!
EB: so what gives?
TG: wow youve really got your panties in a bunch over this huh egderp?
TG: didnt know you were craving my attention so badly
TG: but get your facts straight before you blow up at me and put me in the
doghouse
TG: its like you come home and you find your livingroom is totaled and in the
middle of the huge mess of fallen furniture and shit you find me waggling my
tail so you automatically assume that i was being naughty and wrecking your
shit
TG: so you start yelling at me and lock me up outside when really an earthquake
happened that caused all the furniture to fall and i was innocent the entire
time
TG: way to be an asshole john
TG: locking up your sweet lil pup outside for nothing
TG: cuz i wasnt ignoring you
EB: wow do you smell what i’m smelling?
EB: this conversation just reeks of your bullshit and i’m not having it!
TG: dude weve been friends for like how long now
TG: if you were too dorky for my standards believe me you would know
EG: then what’s the deal?
TG: do you trust me
EB: what?
TG: its a simple yes or no question
TG: you dont have to write me an essay or anything about the meaning of trust
or some shit like that
TG: just yes or no
TG: do you trust me
EB: um...well, yeah i guess.
TG: then believe me when i say it isnt what you think
EB: why won’t you just tell me what it is then?
TG: shits complicated
TG: listen i gotta go bro just got home and he promised me he was gonna take me
to mickey ds cause ive been craving some mcnuggies
TG: ill chat with you later
EB: wait!

-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 4:11 --

-- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 4:11 --

EB: ugh!
EB: damnit dave!

-- ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 4:12 --

You roll your eyes before closing the window. Surprisingly you’re not that
upset with him anymore. Of course the question of what exactly is going on is
ever so present on your mind but you do trust him. You know that much so if
there’s a good reason then you’ll find out soon enough. You think it’s a bit
strange how all your anger just totally dissipated like that, but it’s a good
thing. You really don’t like being mad at your best friend, which is probably
why you jumped at the chance to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The rest of the day is pretty uneventful and you wind up going to bed with a
pretty good feeling that the next day is going to be a whole lot better.
***** Chapter 2 *****
Chapter Summary
     He is really… it's like he's a whole nother person than the one
     you've been talking to all this time. It’s weird because you’ve seen
     him plenty of times before through video chats and the like but
     actually having him right in front of you is something completely
     unlike what you've expected.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
The rest of the week is pretty much uneventful, and you have to give your Dad
credit because after a few days you already find yourself used to how things
are going to be from now on just like he said you would. With each day that
passes by the kids get a little meaner, push you a little harder. Again you
hardly mind, even when you end up with a bloody nose and broken glasses. It’s
no big deal. You just hope that they won’t keep on trying harder to get a rise
out of you, if that’s what their goal is.

You almost feel like you should thank them even, because the nurse is really
nice and waaaaay too attractive to be working at a public school. You’re not
complaining though, nope not at all. She gives you her name when you come in,
in a soft sweet voice that matches her pretty face, but you’re a bit too busy
checking her out and trying to keep your eyes on her face and not on her
breasts to remember it. It’s a challenge though because wow, they must’ve been
at least c’s.

You have to remember it’s important to be a gentleman and to respect women,
that’s a lesson your father has taught you since you were young. You’re a
growing boy though, so it’s kind of really hard to keep your hormones in check
when she’s so close to you as she patches you up. Thankfully it’s not long
before she sends you out on your way.

A bit dazed from either the loss of blood from your nose or the stunning, too-
good-to-be-true nurse, you make your way over to your locker. The school day’s
almost over so there’s no point in returning to class just to have to leave in
a few minutes. You put away the books you won’t need during the weekend with a
small smile on your face. Thank God It’s Friday.

You pause as you hear the bell for the end of class ring loud and clear through
the empty hallways. It’s a little hard to admit but you’re a bit nervous. Dave
has invited you to hang out with him after school. You guess it’s because he
feels bad about what went on a couple of days ago, but you just can’t be sure
with him. There are a lot of things you don’t know about him for someone you
claim to be best friends with; you realize as much the more you observe him
during school hours.

He is really… it's like he's a whole nother person than the one you've been
talking to all this time. It’s weird because you’ve seen him plenty of times
before through video chats and the like but actually having him right in front
of you is something completely unlike what you've expected.

For one, you quickly notice that it isn’t just you that he doesn’t talk to. He
hardly talks to anyone, and when he does open his mouth he does a lot of
mumbling. You find it so strange to hear him talk like that, since his voice
lacks all the confidence it has when you guys are in your rooms talking one-on-
one on when you’re on video chat. It’s also hard to ignore that Dave isn’t the
hotshot in school that you thought he’d be, but you figure that it’s possible
be extremely popular on the internet without being actually cool in the real
world.

You decide to head outside before everyone starts to pour out of the
classrooms, since you and Dave agreed to meet up a few blocks away from the
school anyway. You initially suggested meeting up at either one of your
lockers, but for some reason he wasn’t too keen on the idea. That’s fine,
though; you really don’t care even if you think his aversion to being around
you at school is still odd.

When you get there you immediately seek out some kind of shade. If there’s
anything in Texas that you’ll probably never get used to, it’s definitely the
heat. You press yourself against the side of the building to fit into the small
area of shade it provides before wiping the sweat from your face with your
shirt.

Thankfully, Dave doesn’t keep you waiting too long, and after a few minutes you
spot him strolling over to you with his hands shoved in his pockets. “Ready to
roll, Egbert?”

“I’ve only been ready my entire life. What took you so long?” You joke, feeling
a little satisfied with yourself when you’re rewarded with a faint smile.

“Yeah? I’d personally go so far as ta say we’ve been ready since before we were
born, our souls connected by the indestructible string of fate. Forever tied to
each other, our destinies entertwined.” He responds with a straight face. If
you didn’t know him you probably would’ve thought that he was serious, but
since you know that he isn’t you’re able to roll your eyes, a stupid grin on
your face as you shake your head.

“Are we going to go or are we going to stand around here talking about dumb
destiny shit until the sun burns us to a crisp?”

“Hey, if that happens at least we’ll be able to enjoy a nice eternity with each
other in the afterlife. You can pull a ton’a shitty pranks on the living while
I’ll just chill back and use my ghostly powers to send phallic messages from
the beyond; kids’ll pick up a Ouija board expecting some kind of deep shit but
all they’ll get are dicks.”

A little giggle escapes your mouth before you can stop it. It’s a little
embarrassing, so to get him back you playfully punch him in the arm while
looking away, your cheeks burning a little uncomfortably. “Dave, you always
take things a little too far!” You try to sound serious, but the smile still on
your face easily gives you away.

He just shrugs a little. “A’ight, let’s go.” He casually starts walking off and
you reluctantly move out of the shade to go and follow him.

“Where are we going anyway?” You guys have talked about hanging out, but that’s
how far the plans went. Since Dave had made the plans with you, you just
figured that he had something in mind.

“Shh, just follow me.” He replies with a smug smile that really suits him. You
decide not to press anymore and comply, a little thankful for the comfortable
silence that falls between you because it’s too hot to be carrying out a
conversation anyway.

He leads you inside an apartment building and when you’re taking the elevator
and he pushes the button for the top floor, it doesn’t take you long to realize
that he’s taken you back to his place. You start to shift a little in place out
of excitement; you’ve seen the inside of his room plenty of times but you
really want to see how the rest of the apartment looks.

“Bro’s probably sleeping so try not to make too much noise when we get inside.
He gets cranky and moody as fuck when he’s woken up.” Dave’s voice kind of
snaps you out of your thoughts and you give him a nod of acknowledgement as the
elevator pulls to a stop and the doors open.

Glancing around curiously, you follow him out of the elevator and wait
anxiously as he opens the door, not entirely sure what to expect. You see Dave
walk in ahead of you and you take a moment before you follow him inside the
apartment, making sure to close the door behind you quietly before crinkling
your nose as you’re hit with the heavy smell of alcohol.

It isn’t like you exactly knew what it smells like, but you just assume that’s
what it is since there are beer cans littering the floor alongside the plush
toys with the huge asses. And sure enough there is a large man snoring loudly
on the couch; Bro. You take a moment to look him over since you’re curious as
to what the man your best friend practically worships is like, but honestly he
isn’t that cool in person either. You kind of knew that he was lame even before
this, if the shitty anime sunglasses that he inspired Dave to wear weren’t a
big enough clue, the puppet porn thing was.

“Yo Egbert, are you done ogling my Bro yet?” Dave asks, his head sticking out
from his room as he stares at you through the not-so-shitty totally awesome and
authentic shades you gave him for his birthday just last year. “I know he’s the
hottest thing since sliced bread but we’ve got some serious chillin’ to do.”

“Shut up! I wasn’t ogling him, geez! I can’t be a little curious about who you
live with?” You hiss back at him before hurrying over toward his room, tripping
a little a few times over the junk lying around but all in all making it over
there in one piece.

When you get there, Dave opens the door a bit wider and does some kind of
overdramatic sweeping gesture for you to come in. “Welcome to my room, Egbert,
be careful not to cream yourself on the way in. People stand in lines and go
through extreme lengths to be invited to my room so you better feel special.”

You roll your eyes once again as you step inside the room. “Like who? Last time
I checked you weren’t Mr. Popular, not even close from what I’ve seen.” You
decide to tease him a little but after seeing the way he tenses up and turns
away from you, you immediately regret it.

“Stfu.” He grumbles, closing the door before going to plop himself down on the
bed. “You’re a dick, you know that?”

“Oh please,” You start as you take a seat down on his bed next to him, not
doing much looking around since you’ve seen his room plenty of times before and
it’s nothing new. “Don’t take offense so easily. Like what does a statement
like that mean from me? I mean sure, you’re not on the top of the school’s
social ladder but at least you’re not ending up with bloody noses. I feel like
the next thing they’re going to do is throw me in the dumpster or something.”

“You’ve been here for like a week and you think you know everything when it
comes to how this school works. You don’t know shit all so best shut your
trap,” He snaps back at you, his lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m warning
you, Egbert. Don’t go around talking crap you don’t know about.” You can tell
from his voice that he’s pretty upset and you understand that taking a jab at
him like that wasn’t the best idea, but you can’t fathom why it’s getting him
this worked up. You’re about to say something when he starts talking again.
“Kids down here are tougher than you think. This sure as hell ain’t your prissy
boy private school all the way up in Seattle.”

“Well duh, I think I realized that as soon as I walked through the doors the
first time.” You retort, frowning a little. “Sorry. Sorry. Didn’t think you’d
get so upset, geez, Dave. When did you turn all soft and sensitive?”

“I have the heart of a maiden, John, you have to handle that shit with care
else you’ll end up shattering it into a million pieces.” He puts his hand over
his heart and clenches it, pretending to be wounded before sniffling a little
and leaning his head on your shoulder. “Didn’t your Daddy ever teach you how to
be a gentleman? Nah, instead you’re growing up to be an insensitive butthead
that takes pleasure in destroying the hearts of blushing pure young virgins
that are just waiting to be married off to only the most kind and gentle of men
but instead only have their hearts crushed and in ruin after you’re done with
them.”

It makes you feel better that he’s starting to joke with you again, a telltale
sign that things between you are still good. “Maybe I’d treat you nicer if you
were actually a blushing maiden. Get off of me dude.” You push him a little but
that just causes him to cling onto you.

“Ouch. Who says I can’t be a maiden just because I have a dick?” He pretends to
be offended, going so far as to do some fake sobbing. “I’m just as pretty as
any other girl out there. In fact, I know tons of girls out there that would
kill to look even half as beautiful as I do.”

“Alright, fine! You are! Now get off of me!” You give him a few more pushes but
he refuses to budge so eventually you reluctantly give up on prying him off of
you. The closeness makes you uncomfortable and you try your best not to notice
weird things, like how soft his hair is and the pleasantly fruity scent that
wafts from it. “Daaaave, come on. The joke’s over.” You try again, squirming a
little. “This is getting a little too gay for me.”

He’s off of you in an instant, making a clicking sound of disapproval with his
tongue. “You always gotta ruin everything don’t’cha Egbert?” He raises his
brows at you. “S’not like any actions or anything can be considered gay anyway
unless you were like, I don’t know, balls deep in some other guy’s ass and even
then. You know what they say, s’not gay unless the balls are touching.”

Again, you roll your eyes and shrug. Dave always gets a little too defensive
when you make a comment like that but you honestly don’t think much of it since
he is always finding the tiniest things to get all worked up about.

After that conversation is dropped, the two of you spend the next couple of
hours just hanging out as planned. You listen while Dave drops you some sick
beats, and although it really isn’t your kind of music, it sound really nice
anyway. Then you have your ass handed over to you on a silver platter during a
few video game sessions and you make yourself a mental note to practice at home
so that he doesn’t wipe the floor with you next time.

Eventually your dad comes by to pick you up and Dave walks you out of the
apartment. It’s strange since you felt like that’s the kind of thing to do if
you were on a date or something but you guess that maybe he just wants to spend
a few extra minutes with you since you guys were having such a blast, so you
shrug it off.

Your Dad asks you about what happened to your nose and your glasses, ever
observant as always, and you make up some story about how you tripped over your
own feet and fell down the stairs, landing face first. He believes it because
why would his son ever lie to him and when has he done it before? Not to
mention you’re sure clumsy enough for the story to be plausible.

When you get home you eat dinner and head up to your room, logging onto your
computer and chatting with Dave some more into the wee hours of the morning
since you don’t have school the next day. You eventually fall asleep on him
though, despite how hard you try to stay awake, with a tiny smile on your face
because for the first time since you moved you feel like things are as they
should be.
Chapter End Notes
     Updates are going to be a little slower after this since I only have
     two more chapters left already written and I want to stretch them
     out. Thank you guys for reading so far u v u
***** Chapter 3 *****
Chapter Summary
     You’re seeing a lot more of Dave; it seems like every day after
     school you’re either at his apartment or he’s at your house. He even
     comes and sits down next to you during lunch sometimes and suddenly
     his locker is now right beside yours (or maybe it always has been and
     he’s never come to it until now) and it makes you really happy to
     know that he’s getting more comfortable around you.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
It’s smooth sailing for the next few weeks. As smooth as it can get anyway;
there’s still that whole thing about being picked on and harassed every single
school day, but for some reason it still doesn’t get you down. Annoyed and
angry sometimes, sure, but your self-esteem has stayed the same from what you
can tell. You feel like your dad has caught on to what’s going on since you
come home all the time with ridiculous excuses for your injuries and he isn’t
stupid, he’s far from it, but he doesn’t question you. He gives you the whole
‘you can come to me with anything’ thing that parents always say when they know
something’s going on with their kid, but honestly you don’t think that anyone
past elementary school actually goes to their parents with their problems
especially when it comes to bullying.

You’re seeing a lot more of Dave; it seems like every day after school you’re
either at his apartment or he’s at your house. He even comes and sits down next
to you during lunch sometimes and suddenly his locker is now right beside yours
(or maybe it always has been and he’s never come to it until now) and it makes
you really happy to know that he’s getting more comfortable around you. It
means you can relax and stop worrying about your friendship already like a
small part of you has since that day he ignored you. You figure that if he
shared his little rambles and witty remarks with everyone else he’d actually be
the cool kid he’s always trying to make himself out to be.

“This is gonna be your fucking week, Egbert, ‘cause I just heard that Ms.
Miller’s out with the flu and she always has the substitute play the same
movie. National Treasure. Try not to pop a big one during class while Cage’s
face is plastered all over the screen,” Dave mumbles to you while you’re both
getting stuff from your lockers for the next class.

You can’t help but roll your eyes. “Please, just because I appreciate how
awesome he is as an actor doesn’t mean I have the hots for him. I don’t swing
that way, and if I did it wouldn’t be for Nic Cage,” You retort. It’s hard to
tell with those shades covering the half of his face but you’re sure that he’s
looking at you like he doesn’t believe a word you say because that’s always how
he reacts when you say something like that. He doesn’t comment on it though,
instead he just closes his locker and heads off for class ahead of you.

There’s still a few minutes left until class actually starts so you take your
time organizing your books in your locker and making sure that it doesn’t get
messy. There’s a certain sense of pride and accomplishment from being neat that
you probably picked up from your father. You think about this as you feel a tap
on your shoulder and you turn your head around to see a kid that you never
really talked to, but you easily recognize him. He’s one of the lucky few that
shares the pleasure of getting the crap beaten out of him every day. His name
is Thomas (at least you think it is), and he’s this really tall clumsy kid that
seems to be stuttering or stumbling over his words all the time.

“Um, excuse me but I was just wondering… Are you friends with that Dave kid?”

“Well, yeah, we’ve been friends for a long time actually.” It’s really weird
that he’s just coming out of nowhere to ask you about being friends with Dave
like it matters to him, but you have nothing better to do than to indulge him
while you’re getting ready.

“Oh. I know that it’s really not my place but, you shouldn’t hang around him
that much. He’s got a reputation, that one. I know you get picked on too and,
if you think you have it bad now, oh boy. I don’t want that to happen, so,
yeah.” He seems to be genuinely worried, his big brown eyes bulging as he
glances around the hallway nervously.

The words were enough to get your interest piqued because you can’t say that
you haven’t been wondering what Dave’s deal is; you still haven’t forgotten the
way he freaked at you the first time you were at his apartment. And here this
kid is, literally handing out this golden opportunity to find out on a silver
platter. You’re glad you didn’t choose to brush him off. “What kind of
reputation?”

“Oh yeah, I guess you really didn’t know since you’re really new here. Rumor
has it that he’s, a, uh, he’s a fag and that he came here from another school,
because he got caught in the stairway with another guy. It’s just a rumor, but
everyone’s heard it.” Thomas shyly looks directly into your eyes as he spoke
softly, his brows furrowed and looking uncomfortable with the subject but he
continues speaking anyway, “And ‘round here, anyone that gets all buddy-buddy
with a fag, might as well be one himself. ‘Cause you know, you are who your
friends are.”

“What?” You shoot him a look, not sure what to make of his words and he
immediately raises his hands up.

“If I offended you with that, I’m sorry. It’s not what I think, personally, but
that’s how practically everyone does in this school. I can guarantee it.” He
gazes down and shifts one foot to the other. “I just wanted to warn you, geeks
like us get it bad for sure, but gays have it worse. I’ll see you later, in
class, I guess.”

Without giving you time to respond, Thomas walks quickly away. You let him go
because you have to close your locker before you can head to class and you have
a lot to think about anyway. Of course you know better than to believe rumors
that go around, especially when they’re concerning your best friend. Dave isn’t
gay, he really couldn’t be and you think you’ve talked to him long enough that
if he was into dicks or whatever that you above anyone else would know. Scratch
that, you’d be the first to know. He isn’t like that and that’s that, but if
it’s what everyone at school thinks then maybe that’s why Dave was so reluctant
at first to be seen with you.

It’s really sweet when you think about it, that he would do that to protect
you. You find yourself smiling as you walk down the hallway toward the
classroom with a warm fuzzy feeling in your chest.

As it turns out, Dave is right about Ms. Millers and you spend the next class
enjoying one of your favorite movies. During it you have a note flicked at your
head and you open it to see Dave’s chicken scratch telling you that he can’t
hang out after school today and that he’s got some important shit to do that he
forgot to tell you about. You can’t say you’re not a little disappointed.
You’ll just catch him tomorrow then; it’d be weird if you get hung up over one
day of not hanging out when you spend so much time with him as it is.

When school finishes you expect to at least exchange a few words with him at
the lockers before you guys part ways, but he quickly disappears and you catch
a glimpse of him sneaking out the back exit. Without thinking you go to follow
him because that got you really curious, like what is he going to do that he
doesn’t want anyone to know about?

He walks really fast and it’s hard to believe how much he can move in this
sweltering heat, especially with the long sleeves and hot pants that he’s
always wearing. It’s tough for you to even imagine that even someone like him
that was born and raised in temperatures this high can pull something like that
off without falling over and collapsing or something.

You lose track of how long you’ve been walking and a few times along the way
you wonder if you should just give up and let Dave be, as you’re sure he won’t
be too happy if he finds out you’ve been stalking him like some kind of creep.
Your feet do that thing, however. That thing where even though you kinda want
to stop and turn around they just keep on doing the walking for you like they
have a mind of their own and you’re helpless to stop it. Finally Dave turns
into an alleyway and when you peek around the corner of the building you can
tell that you’ve reached your destination. But what’s he doing there? The only
times you can think of anyone purposefully going to shady places like that was
to do or sell drugs.

There’s another boy there and he turns when he sees Dave. This kid is one
you’ve never seen before. He’s pretty short, no not pretty short, really really
short to the point where you wonder if he’s some kind of midget. There are also
bags under his bloodshot eyes so you’re starting to think that your guess about
drugs involvement is right.

“Oh fucking finally!! Jesus fucking dicks Strider and here I thought you were
going to stand me up, do you have any idea how long I’ve been standing around
here waiting for your sorry ass to show up?!” The kid hisses, his voice raspy.
Yep, he’s definitely a druggie.

Dave says something in response but since he’s far away and his voice isn’t as
ridiculously loud as the drug addict’s you have a hard time making out exactly
what he’s saying. “… take some … breaths … Kane, before you … brain aneurysm …
always …. worked up about the tiniest … freak-out … can just never please … ?”

“Oh my god, each time you part those puffy girly lips of yours I’m reminded of
how much I want to rip your fucking throat out and shove it up yours ass so
that I don’t have to have my ears constantly infested with the crap that you
never fail to spew out!”

“Think I know something … if you wanna shut me up … correspond … what we came …
do in the first place.”

It takes you by surprise when Kane the drug addict suddenly grabs Dave and
yanks him down by his shirt and you’re about to jump in there and give your
friend a hand in case he’s going to get beat up or something but nothing can
prepare you for what they do next. You watch stunned as their lips smash
together. Oh…. Oh.

For a moment you think, or you rather hope, that Dave’s gonna push the short
guy away and scream something like ‘what the fuck, dude’ but your stomach does
all sorts of flip flops as he kisses him back with a hunger in him that you’ve
never seen before. The sound of their labored breathing fills your ears and all
you can do is grip onto the side of the building, unable to tear yourself from
the sight.

There’s some heavy tongue action as Dave starts to grind down onto Kane and you
hear him make noises that you’ve never heard outside of porno. The sound of the
shorter boy’s zipper being pulled down is painfully loud to you and as soon as
you see Dave fall onto his knees you’re broken out of your stupor and you turn
away, knowing what comes next and not thinking that you’d be able to handle it.

What Thomas said earlier rang truer than anything you’ve ever known at this
moment; Dave Strider, your best friend, is gay and has a penchant for other
dude’s dicks. There’s no way you can deny it now and it makes you so sick you
feel like you’re going to vomit at any given moment as you wobble away from the
scene. You can taste the bile at the back of your throat. A few adults that you
pass by stop to ask if you’re okay and you feebly nod your head despite how it
couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Somehow you manage to get home in one piece, and when your dad asks you how
your day is you ignore him and opt to stumble up the stairs to the sanctity of
your room where nothing can touch you or bother you if you don’t want it to.
That’s not even true though, because as you lay down on your bed the truth you
discovered gnaws at you.
A good chunk of the shock has subsided and by now you just have all these
thoughts swimming through your head. The most prominent one being why didn’t he
tell you? Isn’t something as huge as being gay something that you tell your
best friend? You don’t know if it bothers you more that all this time he never
told you or the fact itself. It’s still hard to imagine that Dave is one of
those kind of people, you really didn’t expect it. You spent so much time alone
with him too and just the thought brings the nausea back, causing you to
shudder visibly from how repulsive and gross it all is to you.

Maybe it’s time for you to avoid him. Just until you can get your head
straight.
Chapter End Notes
     Woo! i feel proud for getting another chapter out.. some of the
     characters introduced in this chapter are probably going to ring a
     few bells. I put some thought into whether or not I was going to fit
     humanized trolls into this but I needed some kids to help move things
     along and they fit in nicely. They're going to be relatively minor
     characters though so don't expect to see much more of them.. anyway
     thank you for reading!!
***** Chapter 4 *****
Chapter Summary
     “Daaave….” His name escapes your lips, your voice shaky and high
     pitched and so foreign to your own ears it feels like someone else is
     speaking for you.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
The room is dim like one of those cheesy scenes in a romance when you just know
the actors are about to get it on. It never occurred to you until this moment
why, but somehow having only enough light to make out your partner is strangely
erotic. Your fingers are going through those silky soft strands of blonde hair
and Dave, Dave… He has your cock throbbing in his hand in time to your
heartbeat, his lips pressed teasingly to the tip and you want it so bad that
you can’t help but let a breathy whine escape your lips.
At this he smirks like a total asshole but in swift movements he has your
foreskin pulled back and the swollen head of your dick in his mouth and oh god
you never knew it would feel like that. It’s so hot and wet and Dave’s doing
things with his tongue that you can’t describe even if you try but it feels so
good that you wish you could.
“Daaave….” His name escapes your lips, your voice shaky and high pitched and so
foreign to your own ears it feels like someone else is speaking for you.
You’re rewarded for the sound as Dave takes more and more of you into his mouth
and you do all you can not to thrust into it despite how hard it is. Despite
how much you need it and how much your body craves more. Your gaze is on his
face and you see his cheeks are flared up and he’s breathing hard through his
nose. His expression doesn’t give it away but his eagerness to please you tells
you that he has to be enjoying it. Why else would you blow someone if you
didn’t like it?
Once he starts sucking you lose all your self-control, tilting your head back
with your eyes squeezed shut as your hips snap forward. The waves of pleasure
coursing through you are so overwhelming you’re surprised that you haven’t shot
your load yet but you know that it’s coming; you can feel the heat and the
pressure building up rapidly.
You try to fight it off (because it’s going to end too fast, and you didn’t
want it to end period like if you could just go for an eternity with him
sucking on your cock you would) and Dave seems to sense that because he starts
working even harder. His sucks come harder and faster and he makes all these
humming noises against your cock that sends vibrations through it like whoa.
Despite how amazing it feels you try to move away, a desperate tone in your
voice as you try to warn him how close you are but you’re unable to get all the
words out as your dick becomes rigid under his attention. You’re going to cum
and that’s it; you can’t hold it any longer-
The blaring of your alarm causes you to wake up with a start, your skin covered
in a thin layer of sweat as your heart beats unpleasantly hard against your
ribcage.

You don’t even have to look down to know that you’ve shot your load into your
boxers, as a boy starting to go through the wonders of puberty you’ve had your
fair share of wet dreams by now. But none of them have ever involved another
guy before, let alone your best friend.
It’s okay, it doesn’t mean anything. You’re sure that it all has to do with
what you saw the day before and nothing to do with a sudden interest in guys
sucking your dick. That has to be it because there’s no way witnessing that
would unlock some hidden gayness in you because you’re still certain that boobs
and girl parts are god’s finest creations. No matter how many times you try to
keep calm about it though, you can’t stop yourself from freaking the fuck out
on the inside and your stomach’s already tied itself into a bajillion knots.
What a great way to start your morning.
You eventually pull yourself out of bed, the cum in your boxers is drying and
the feeling of it is really gross and nasty, even more so than usual, so before
you do anything else getting that grime cleaned up is a must. You go into the
bathroom and peel off your boxers to toss them into the hamper; you aren’t
concerned with hiding the evidence since you’ve already had that talk with your
dad eons ago. As you scrub yourself you feel dread building up inside of you,
you really don’t want to go to school now. Dave’s face is the last thing you
want to see, there’s enough of it flashing through your mind as it is. You
don’t want to talk to him either; you won’t know what to say.
The smell of breakfast being made draws you down to the kitchen after you’re
done washing up and you poke your head in because you haven’t even made any
steps toward getting ready and you feel weird and a bit guilty for thinking
about asking your dad to stay home. You aren’t sick and you don’t even have a
good excuse. Like what are you supposed to tell him? That you don’t want to go
to school because you saw Dave about to go down on another guy and you don’t
want to face him now?
“Good morning, son. Sleep well?”
You let out a soft sigh when you’re noticed before you can chicken out and just
go back upstairs to get ready. “Not really,” you admit sheepishly as you step
into the room, not point in hiding now, “I’m actually not feeling well today,
Dad. Is it alright if I just stay home?”
He turns toward you to appraise you and you expect him to put his hand over
your forehead to check for fever but instead he just nods. “Of course you can.”
He says it just like that. No questions asked. To say that you’re bewildered is
an understatement but you know better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Your father ushers you over to the table and serves you two eggs sunny side up
with a heaping pile of home fries, a plate with a pile of toast already set
down on the middle of the table. It’s one of your favorites, coincidentally,
one that your dad only makes sparingly since it takes a lot of work and time to
make.
While dad fries his own eggs he calls into office to take the day off from work
despite your protests from the background that you’re thirteen already and that
you can take care of yourself until he gets home. You feel guiltier than
anything that he’s going so far as to take a day off to be with you when he
really doesn’t have to.
You chat idly with him while you’re both eating breakfast, he makes sure to
keep the conversation lighthearted which is so relieving to you since it takes
your mind off of things and you can relax, something you haven’t been able to
do on your own. You’ll never admit it but it’s times like this that remind you
of how great your dad is and how you probably should appreciate him more than
you do. He always supports you when you need it.
When breakfast’s done the two of you just curl up on the couch and watch movies
all day. It’s been a long time since you’ve spent so much time with your dad,
recently you most you see him is at meals and when he’s picking you up and
dropping you off. You didn’t realize that you missed being around him until now
and how much he can comfort you even when you’re not saying anything. His
presence alone says everything.
You fall asleep on and off during the films and feel restful after you’ve woken
up for the last time, your father’s big warm hand on your shoulder shaking you
gently. His voice is soft and tender as he coaxes you out of sleep and the
whole thing is overfamiliar to you. You feel like a child again when he talks
to you like that, and you don’t mind because you need to be babied right now.
He asks you if you want to go out to eat for dinner and you groggily nod before
you trudge up the stairs to your room to get ready.
The doorbell rings while you’re finishing getting yourself dressed but you
don’t concern yourself with it, focusing on looking nice since your dad only
takes you to fancy places when you eat out.
When you come down the stairs you have to stop mid-way as you see Dad talking
to none other than the guy that caused you to stay home in the first place.
“Thank you for coming over David, it’s really considerate of you to go through
the trouble of bringing John his assignments over here. I know it would’ve been
easier to just send them to him online.”
“I figured that if he didn’t come to school it was cause of something serious.
I came to check in on him. Wanted to make sure for myself that he didn’t kick
the bucket."

You hear your dad chuckle as you slowly walked down the last of the steps and
hang back; you didn’t want to be seen. It’s not long before you’re just staring
at your dad’s back with a concentrated look on your face as you try to use mind
powers that you know you don’t have to get him to send Dave away. You know
you’re being dumb and childish but honestly you’d rather focus on that then the
thought that your father was going to invite him inside any moment now.
“He’s just fine and I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you. We were actually about
to go out for dinner, so you came at a good time..” Oh god. You hang onto the
hope that somehow your dad will just know what you’re feeling and not do what
you think he’s about to do. “How about you join us?” Aand it’s too late.
Everything you thought about how cool and lucky you are to have a father like
him you take back right away. He’s the lamest and worst parent you could ever
ask for.
Chapter End Notes
     Another cliffhanger, gomen. I didn't plan it that way but after I
     finished writing this up I thought it would just be better to include
     the dinner in the next chapter..
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
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