Sharing an apartment with Dave Strider wasn't as fun as John thought it would be when he had first moved in. John liked everything in order, and Dave's random crap everywhere wasn't helping. Besides that, Dave would arrive home in the middle of the night with no explanation. John knew he shouldn't care, he couldn't control his roommate after all, and it's not like he had any authority over him. Dave was an adult now, and he could make his own decisions, whether they were dumb ones or not.
One day, John finally decided to ask him about where he'd been. It was 2 in the morning and he smelled like alcohol and cigarette smoke. "Hey, Dave, I know it's none of my business, but you've been out a lot lately and you're acting really… I don't know, suspicious?" Dave shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I've been doing DJ gigs at the club." John raised his eyebrows, skeptical.
"Then how come all your equipment is still here?" Something flashed through Dave's eyes, but his shades covered it.
"The club has its own equipment that I use." John figured that was a fair enough response.
"How come you've never invited me to come listen to you?" Dave shrugged again. "Then next time you DJ, I'll go with you." Dave's eyes widened in panic; if John found out what was really going on, he'd never live it down. But then again, maybe he'd be accepting. I mean, if they were living together, they should be able to trust each other.
"Uh… I mean, sure, you can go." John could tell he was hesitant but he accepted that as the close of the conversation.
Dave was really nervous about how the night would go, and how John would treat him after that night. John looked excited; he hadn't really gone to a club since his 21st birthday 3 years ago. When they got to the club, John looked confused. "Hey, Dave, this is a gay club, isn't it?" Dave nodded and John hesitantly entered the doors. He was hit by an overwhelming scent of alcohol and sex. Towards the back there was a small stage with some tables and chairs in front of it. Dave was welcomed by the staff and was told to go head to the back. John was told to stay and wait for the 'performance'. From the looks of it, there was already a DJ here. Was Dave just going to relieve him and start himself? Ten minutes passed and Dave finally came out in a suit with a bowtie, his hair was done nicely and it looked like he was wearing some makeup. John looked really confused. Was he a comedian or something? Then a couple more men walked out on stage, dressing similarly. Some music John would describe as 'erotic' started playing and he sat down at a table with a drink to figure out what Dave was doing.
The blonde started loosening his bowtie and unbuttoning his shirt. He didn't stop at the first two buttons though, he kept going until his chest was exposed, then his abdomen, and he threw his suit jacket into the crowd. He pulled at each sleeve, pulling the white button-up off entirely. John couldn't believe his eyes, this had to be a trick of some sort. The men in the audience started cheering as Dave started unzipping his pants, leaving just boxers and thigh-high garters. One guy placed a bill in his pants and he winked at him. John was blushing into infinity. This couldn't be happening. His roommate was actually a stripper at a gay club. The most shocking part of it was that John was immensely turned on by it. John had never experimented with his sexuality; he'd always known that he liked women. Dave was starting to change that. Eventually the show was over and Dave went off stage to get dressed and came back out to see John's red face.
"So… you wanted to know what I do on the weekends. Now you know." John was speechless, and he was trying not to blurt out that he enjoyed his performance. "We can go home now if you want." John blinked and nodded. While they were in the car, Dave turned to look at John. "You don't think any less of me now that you know, do you?"
John took a few deep breaths before speaking. "No, I mean… you're good at what you do." Dave smiled a little.
"Thanks." He turned his attention back to the road and they drove back to their apartment.
"So… how long has this been going on?" John asked.
"I uh, got the job last year. I don't make much but it's a little extra income, which helps pay for food."
John made a face. "So you're saying we pay for groceries with money that went down your pants?"
Dave laughed, "Not necessarily the same bills, but in a way, yes." John stifled a laugh and decided to drop the subject before it got any more uncomfortable.
When they got home, Dave went into the bathroom to wash up and get ready for bed. He left the door open and John couldn't help but notice how good he looked in just his underwear. 'Eww, no, stop right there.' He told himself, trying to get the image out of his head. 'This is your roommate.' It was like Dave could read his mind, because he turned his head and winked at him, shades off.
"Like what you see, Egbert?" John felt his cheeks growing hot and all he could manage was an 'Uh…' When he took the time to think about it, Dave wasn't really that bad. He helped fix things around the house and he was always a good listener. His rhymes were so bad that they were almost good, and he had a pretty charming personality. Maybe having feelings for him wasn't that bad. They'd been friends for over a decade and even though he was a slob, he was a pretty decent roommate. John went to get his pajamas on and that night all he could think about was Dave at the strip club.
Dave was nervous, his heart was pounding and his thoughts were racing. He needed to get this conversation over with though, so there wouldn't be any more confusion. "Hey, John… we need to talk."
John looked up from his book and set it down. "Alright, what about?" he put on a smile but he was a little nervous himself.
"Ever since the club, I kind of got this vibe from you, but I'm not sure if it's just in my head, so I'm just going to come right out and say it… John, do you see me as anything more than a friend? And don't just say, yeah, you're my best friend, because you know that's not what I'm talking about."
John blinked and had to think about it for a while. "Well… I mean… if we had a chance to get to know each other on a different level, maybe we could be something more."
Dave wasn't sure how to respond to that, "So… you want to like, go on a date?"
He nodded, surprisingly cooler about it than he would have expected. "Just maybe not to a gay bar," he joked.
"How about 8 o'clock Friday at the Italian restaurant down the street?" John cracked a smile.
"Sounds great,"
The restaurant was nice, there was soft music playing over the speaker. Dave looked rather sharp in his dress shoes, slacks, and button up. John was sporting a blue shirt (Rose said it matched his eyes) and khakis. Dave hadn't gone on a date since he and Jane dated a couple years back and John hadn't dated anyone since Roxy. Their relationship hadn't really worked out unfortunately.
Dave ordered a personal pie and John ordered chicken parmesan. They sat at the table, trying to figure out a way to break the ice. "So, uh, how's work going?" Dave finally asked.
"Really well, the kids have a lot to say." John worked at a daycare Monday-Friday. "How's your job going?" Dave gave him a look as if to ask, 'which one?' "You know, your day job." Dave nodded.
"It's alright, I mean I get a lot of interesting customers at the store." Now he had to think of something else to say. Man, this wasn't easy.
"Summer is coming up, did you want to visit anywhere?"
"I think it would be pretty cool if we went to visit Bro in Texas, don't you think?"
"Yeah, he'd love to see you again. I don't think he's seen you since you turned 18 and came to visit for the weekend." John's eyes widened.
"You mean it's really been that long? Wow, 6 years passed by quickly. When he was younger, a year seemed like forever, and now his perception of time had changed.
"Yep… You know, I haven't seen Bro in a while either, it would be pretty cool to visit."
They talked about some of their adventures as kids and laughed for a while. John never realized how much he loved hearing Dave talk with that stupid Texan drawl. "Dave, I bet you don't even know my favorite color."
"Isn't it blue?" John shook his head. Dave looked surprised. "Oh, then uh… I have no idea."
"It's green."
"I was kind of hoping you would say red, because of my eyes." He winked and John covered his face.
"You're an idiot, Dave…" behind his hands he could feel his cheeks growing hot again. Dave smirked slightly, and took a daring action by stretching his leg out to rub John's leg with his foot. John's face only grew brighter, but he kind of liked it. Getting any physical touch from him made his heart race and he felt like it was his first time being with someone. Their food arrived and they ate and drank champagne. John felt the alcohol getting to his head after the third glass. "Dave… we should probably head home before it's unsafe to drive." Dave nodded, paid the bill, John leaving the tip. "Thanks for dinner, I really enjoyed this. I think we should do it again."
Dave smiled, "Yeah? I'd like that." He got up and left the restaurant and they went home. They went inside and sat on the couch, planning on watching a movie, but then John had a better idea.
"You know, I haven't kissed a guy before…" John gave him a look, seeing how he would respond.
Dave piped up, "Would you like me to change that?" they were sitting only a couple inches away from each other at this point. John nodded and Dave leaned in, his lips meeting John's. He didn't feel a spark, or any of that cliché crap, but it did feel nice. They kissed for a long while before Dave started nibbling on John's lower lip. John's lips parted in surprise and Dave took the opportunity to explore with his tongue. John was getting really into it and wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him closer while Dave held him around the waist. The champagne from earlier made John's head feel fuzzy and making out was getting him a little horny. He didn't want to go all the way with him only after the first date, but a little bit of teasing couldn't hurt. Dave's hand moved from his waist to his thigh, and he started rubbing it gently, nearing his inner thigh. John groaned, wrapping his legs around Dave's torso, sitting on his lap. This physical intimacy was something new to him and he really liked it. Eventually they broke the kiss and Dave left small kisses down his neck and to his collarbone, checking every few moments to make sure he was still comfortable with everything. John was okay until Dave's hand was on the bulge in his pants.
"Mm… I think that's as far as I'll go tonight." Dave nodded respectfully, taking his hand off him. "But we can cuddle."
Dave laughed, "Cuddling is good, as long as you don't mind my boner." John looked embarrassed but he shrugged it off.
"Heh, it's fine man." They spooned on the couch for a while before starting to doze off. That's when they decided to go back to their beds.
They'd been going on dates for the past 2 months and John wanted to make it official that they were together.
"So, Dave… when we see Bro today, do you think you could introduce me as your boyfriend?" Dave looked at him for a while, then smiled brightly.
"Y-yeah, I could definitely do that." He kissed him on the cheek.
"We should probably tell Rose and Jade, they'd be upset if they found out through someone else." Dave nodded, and went on to pester them. Jade was a little surprised, but she seemed happy about it, whereas Rose saw it coming all along.
They drove to the airport and got on the flight from Seattle to Dallas. Bro was waiting for them by the luggage. Bro went up to Dave, uncharacteristically hugged him, and ruffled his hair. "Hey little man, how have you been?" Dave looked embarrassed.
"Good, good. And hey, I've been an adult for 6 years now, I'm not a little kid anymore, alright?" Bro pretended like he didn't even hear him say it.
"Wow, John, you look all grown up. You're not a gangly teenager anymore." John laughed, shaking his head.
"Yeah, it's been a while." They got their luggage and headed to Bro's pick-up. Bro drove them back to his apartment. He had actually cleaned up a little, there was only a couple puppets hanging around and there wasn't any trash on the floor.
"Holy shit, Bro, I can see the floor!" Dave joked. Bro rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled.
"I figured it'd be the nice thing to do, especially since you're only going to be here a couple days." Dave nodded. Bro looked at John, then remembered something. "Hey wait a second, I have something for you." He left the room and came back with a stuffed bunny. "You left this here like 6 years ago." It was the same one Dave had got John for his 13th birthday.
"Oh my god, thank you!" John looked ecstatic. "I missed this little guy."
"No problem, I'm sure it missed you too." He looked at Dave for a moment, "Hey, did you two want to go out for dinner so we could catch up? I haven't seen you two dorks for ages."
John and Dave agreed to it and they went out to a burger joint that had all sorts of hard-to-find sodas and they all got Faygo.
"So, are you two seeing anyone?" Dave and John shared a meaningful look, and Dave answered.
"Actually, yes, we're seeing each other." Bro looked taken aback.
"Oh. Well I suppose you guys won't mind sharing Dave's bed then, eh?" John's face went red.
"It's not like that, we're not you know, sleeping together." John spoke, his voice lowered slightly. Bro shot Dave a glance, raising his eyebrow.
"No, really, we just started seeing each other, it's nothing serious." Dave explained, sipping at his Faygo.
"Fair enough." He spoke simply before sinking his teeth into a burger. They finished dinner and each chipped in for the bill before heading back.
When they got home, they watched The Hobbit movies until midnight. "Hey, Bro, I think we're going to head to bed. We'll see you in the morning. They went into Dave's room and everything looked like it did before he left, but this time there was a bottle of lube and a box of condoms on his dresser. Dave tilted his head to the dresser, and glanced at John. "I uh, packed these just in case you were interested…" he blushed lightly, but John gave him a reassuring smile.
"I wouldn't mind." Dave cracked a smile.
"Cool, I'll be gentle with you." Dave fished through his luggage and found a sock, putting it on the door. "You know, so we're not disturbed." Now it was John's turn to blush.
"Yes, but now Bro knows that we're having sex in his apartment." Dave shrugged.
"It's not like I haven't done it before. He was pretty cool about it." John was suddenly reminded of how inexperienced he was with intimacy. Dave seemed to sense this, and smiled, kissing him. "Don't worry, I'll lead you through it, and if you want to stop, don't be afraid to let me know."
"Maybe if you did a private performance for me, I could get more in the mood." John winked, laughing a little. Dave laughed with him.
"I can do that, free of charge for such a handsome young man." He started doing the usual routine, but he made it more interactive by having John unbuckle his belt for him and pull his pants down. Then Dave set to work on getting John naked. John had a nice tan complexion, light stubble on his chin, and just the right amount of chest hair. Dave's fingers traced down his happy trail leading to his boxers. They went into kiss and it lasted for a while, Dave exploring his body with his wandering hands. He had broad shoulders compared to Dave's smaller frame. John's fingers traced circles into his back and he felt Dave's hands grabbing his ass through his boxers. They broke the kiss and Dave's lips met his neck and collarbone, leaving small kisses everywhere, nibbling gently. John returned some of the kisses, enjoying this new experience. Dave's lips moved up to John's ear and he whispered, his breath hot and moist against his sensitive ears. "Your body is a blank canvas that I want to leave my mark on." John was expecting a really corny pick-up line but that took him by surprise.
"I uh… wow."
"And your butt's cute." Dave added.
John started giggling and buried his face in his shoulder. "You're ridiculous, Strider." Dave's hand moved from his butt to his inner thigh, and he started rubbing gently until John was breathless. "H-hey, no fair, dammit,"
"You don't like it?" he asked, looking into his blue eyes. "Because I can stop,"
"No, I love it, I guess I'm just sensitive there."
"Hon, everyone's sensitive there." He laughed, nibbling his ear.
"O-oh, yeah, I knew that." Dave's hand moved down to palm him through his boxers, making sure he was still okay. John gave him a nod and he continued before sliding his boxers off.
"You're really hot, John, hell, I'd even say you're gifted." John's face went red and he muttered a quiet thank you before helping Dave get his boxers off. He'd seen other guys naked before in the gym locker rooms before, but never like this.
"You're not too bad yourself." He kissed down his jaw, hands busy stroking his member. Dave shivered with pleasure, quietly asking for a hand job before they did anything else. John agreed and helped him out, and Dave moaned against his neck.
"You're better at this than you let on, babe." He let out a breathy whisper. John felt a sense of pride.
"Thanks." He let go and Dave went to put on a condom and apply the lube. He came back to the bed and got lube on his fingers to prepare him.
"I'm sorry about this, but it's going to hurt." John nodded in understanding and gave a nod letting him know to continue. He was gentle like he promised, and he took time stretching him out before finally pushing in. Dave's cock went in slowly, and John clenched around him, giving him a nice tight feeling. It felt weird and he let out a bit of laughter.
"Dave, this is so weird." He giggled, sitting on his lap. Dave laughed with him.
"Yeah, I suppose it is, but it'll feel really good when I find the right spots." He began sliding in and out, going slow at first but steadily picking up speed. With his hands, he stroked and pumped John's cock until pre-cum dripped from the tip.
"Mmn, Strider, are you a magical girl? Because you have me under your spell." Dave burst out laughing while they were fucking.
"I could tell you play piano because you know how to use your fingers to make beautiful music." This time John just rolled his eyes.
"You're such a loser, oh my god."
"Yes, but I'm your loser." He kissed down his neck, moving in and out still. John started groaning at all the pleasurable feelings throughout his body. Dave thrust into his prostate and John covered his mouth to muffle his cry. Damn, that did feel good. John didn't think anything of anal sex until that moment. Dave continued to hit against his prostate and pumped his shaft. A minute later of this and John was having an orgasm, his face completely relaxed as his whole body was racked in pleasure. Dave came inside him a couple minutes later, and he pulled out, taking off the condom and tying it, tossing it in the trash. John smiled and curled up with him, pulling the covers over their naked bodies, and eventually falling asleep.
Bro was making breakfast while John and Dave went to take showers. They'd gotten really sweaty and sticky from last night's festivities. A few minutes later they were both dressed and had come to the kitchen table.
Bro cleared his throat, "I thought you two said you weren't sleeping together." John's face went bright red.
"Right, because we weren't sleeping together at the time." Bro gave him a look, and finally gave up on arguing.
"Whatever, you're an adult now, little bro." Bro seemed okay now. "You two couldn't have waited until you got back?"
"Nope, it was absolutely necessary." Dave looked up with a straight face. Bro rolled his eyes behind his stupid anime shades and he handed them breakfast.
"Don't get used to this hospitality by the way, this is a one-time thing because I haven't seen either of you in ages."
John spoke up now, "We appreciate it." He ate quietly the rest of breakfast. The rest of the stay with Bro was rather uneventful and they went home to their own apartment in Washington.
Dave and John had been dating for almost 2 years now, and had known each other for many years before that. Dave had been acting weird today, he looked nervous about something, but whenever John asked what was wrong, he wouldn't answer him. Eventually he just let him be. "Still up for going out tonight?" John asked.
"Of course, babe." He kissed John's cheek. They got dressed, both looking very nice. Dave was still on edge, but he dismissed it. They went out to eat and talked for a while about their day at work. John had gotten a promotion and a pay-raise. Dave celebrated the occasion with champagne, just like they had on their first date. After dinner, they walked down to the neighborhood park and sat down for a while, enjoying the summer evening. "Hey, John, can I ask you a question…?"
"Yeah, what is it?" Dave stood, then got on one knee. John knew what was coming next. 'Oh my god, the big question.'
"You make me so incredibly happy, and I can't imagine life without you. John Egbert, will you marry me?" John's heart was pounding out of his chest and he felt like he couldn't breathe.
"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I love you so much Dave." Dave slipped the ring on John's finger, smiling broadly. He pulled him in for a kiss, holding him close.
"I never thought my soul mate would be my best friend, but here I am, marrying him." John nuzzled his cheek.
"Now don't you dare get all gooey on me, okay?" Dave was too ecstatic to care.
"Okay, okay. But now we need to get home, because I don't know how much longer I can go without holding you in my arms."
"Sounds like a plan." They kissed once more before heading home and making love on the couch.