Dave poked Dirk's shoulder. It was nearly three in the morning, and he couldn't sleep. What was on his mind was ripping at his heart.
"B-Bro…" He whispered his name, trying to get his attention.
Dirk was in a deep sleep. Technically, Dirk is not exactly 'Bro' from the present, but from the past. They are scientifically the same, but not everyone has realized that. Dirk stirred a bit in his sleep as Dave poked him harder.
"Dirk!" Dave hissed, as he punched Dirk's arm, making him jump.
"Holy shit!" He muttered with a slur, messing up the pronunciation of almost every letter.
He saved himself from falling off the bed, and looked over at Dave who was turned in the opposite direction.
"Lil dude? Don't look so gloom. Tell me what's up."
His fatherly senses were kicking in. Dave didn't respond at first, then sighed and spoke up.
"I know something I don't think I was ever supposed to."
He began chewing on his cape in anxiety.
"Don't chew on the cape, you're gonna destroy your teeth. But hey, what is it that you figured out? Sounds like something bad. Come on, tell the old Strider. I have experience." Dirk said, trying to sound reassuring, but Dave didn't fall for it.
"The… Thing. The thing I wasn't supposed to mention."
"What was it that you weren't allowed to mention? That's bullshit, you can tell me anything!"
Dave turned around quickly and retorted, "You were the one not to mention it in the first place! I-In the present, you always told me never to talk about our whole 'happy family' you called it! B-B-But I figured out th-that I DON'T HAVE A FAMILY!"
Dave was filled with tears, sobbing and gasping for air loudly. Dirk's eyes widened, and he reached his arm towards him, trying to comfort him.
"Dude, you'll always be my lil' man! Always, I promise you!"
He tried to give him a reassuring and confident smile, but it was as forced and unmeaningful as every smile he gave off.
"You don't understand, bro. I don't have a mom, I don't have a dad-"
"Dude, you definitely have a dad. That's me in the future! Come on, don't act like this is all a game…"
"BUT IT IS!" Dave shouted, as some of the particles of every object in the room flickered, almost as if time itself were glitching.
"I fell from a meteorite, bro! A meteorite! What if I'm not even human?! I could be one of the trolls, if you think about it! I could be-"
"Dave Strider, stop feeding your mind this bull."
He sighed,
"I know the whole story, but I never knew that you would find out so soon in your life. Knowing that I'm your guardian… Everything is suddenly flowing through my mind, like this was some sort of conspiracy. I know I'm your older bro in the past, but… But I'm still your bro, and that, lil' dude, won't ever change. Not even when I die."
Dave was sobbing loudly by this point, and he hugged his pillow tightly, sobbing into it, trying to keep quiet and not disturb John and Jade in the other room. The room was silent, aside from Dave's fading sobs.
"Get some sleep, man. And stop going through the past, it's poisoning your mind."
Dave gave a nonpromising nod and headed back to sleep.
"I just needed someone to talk to." Dave said, as his breathing grew quiet and he fell asleep, as the room finally returned to its normal state after being shaken through time.
"Goodnight, lil' man." Dirk said, as he turned the opposite way and dozed off to sleep.