John likes hanging out with his new friends. Their odd schedules work well with his own and location with respect to his job was great. On more than one occasion he just went directly over to their place to crash on their couch with Vriska curling up on his chest. Karkat called it the strangest thing, garnering hisses from the 'evil she-devil of a cat' but Dave just thought it was cute. John really likes how they cook and offers to help out with groceries. He even learns a couple recipes under Dave's tutelage. And drops a couple of pounds now that he's not just eating takeout and pizza all the time.
Dave shows him some of his photography work and it's really impressive how Dave can catch emotions. His candid shots are great and look like Dave was always in the right place at the right time. Dave admits that there are hundreds of other photos that weren't but if one just keeps clicking that shutter, one will eventually find that one great moment. John admires his dedication. Some of the posed scenes are fantastic too. Dave admits to some photoshop touch up to make certain pieces but to John, it honestly only enhances the effect.
Karkat and John bond over movies. They both enjoy many of the same cinematic masterpieces, must to Dave's dismay. John does tend toward good hearty adventure pieces but what good adventure doesn't have a romantic subplot. Karkat likes romantic comedies and John can really get behind the humor in them. Dave simply enjoys the movies; he doesn't quite enjoy the hours of discussion afterwards as John and Karkat dissect every nuance and possibility. He'll put up with them of course, usually letting it settle in the back of his mind as buzzing while he pets Vriska or works on some projects. He likes to tease them that they should have been liberal arts majors instead of a computer science major and a business/economics double major respectively. They respond with popcorn to his hair.
They even crash John's work sometimes, coming down to Richard's in the middle of his shift for one thing or another. It always makes his night a little better. They even help him with creative Can Town additions. They run into the Can Town orchestrator himself and have great fun talking with Mister Mayor about future projects
One time they actually walked with him to work and met the crazy second shift clerk, red and teal dyed hair and creepy manic grin and all. They instantly took a liking to her which has John feeling pangs of something. Couldn't be jealousy could it? She kept sending him knowing looks until she had to leave for home. Karkat offered to walk her home, holding his arm out like a gentleman and everything. Terezi just cackled and accepted. The next day she interrogated John about which of them he was sleeping with. When he vehemently denies the accusations, she changes her line of questioning to whom does he want to sleep with? He turns bright red and refuses to answer.
Later that week he finds himself at Dave and Karkat's place again. He wishes Karkat off with promises to continue their conversation about Titanic at a later date where he will prove Karkat is totally wrong about Cal's true intentions. Karkat returns the sentiment with a snarl and a middle finger.
"You know, it's really surprising he hasn't been fired from a job like customer service with a temper like that," John comments as he flops back down on the couch against Dave's arm.
"Well he's not always angry. Sometimes he's bawling his eyes out like the two of you just did over that movie."
"Your eyes aren't exactly the Sahara desert, Dave."
"I think it's because he's always had such a temper and therefore all of the anger management classes from middle school on, he knows how to bottle it up for hours at a time. He just lets it flow freely the rest of the time so he can go to his crap job and not scream anyone's head off. I think there is me and one other person left in the pool on how long that takes. I hope he gets an actual job in his field before then."
"An actual job like yours?" John jabs.
"Hey, at least I pay my bills. I would die in a cubicle farm. I don't take structure well. I'm not sure how I thought I would get anywhere in college either after high school. On the other hand, if I hadn't gone to at least some classes, I wouldn't have met Vantas."
"And that would be a crying shame."
"Especially because that means I wouldn't have met you." Dave stretches his arms up and then lets them relax down, one of them draping over John's shoulders. John can't help but smile at the corniness. He turns to snuggle in a bit and finds Dave looking at him, watching him. "Maybe I shouldn't feed Vriska more often if good things like this happen."
"I think Vriska would disapprove of that."
"Probably. But at least she has good taste in accepting you." His other hand comes up and cups John's cheek. John lets him tilt his head up and a little to the side to meet his lips. Kissing Dave is almost a lazy affair. It's amazing how little movement can feel like so much. John leans a bit harder into him, wanting to be a little closer. Dave smiles into the kiss and moves to accommodate John until they are chest to chest. John's sure that Dave can hear how his heart is beating wildly.
John slides his fingers along and down Dave's side. He can feel Dave's breath catch as his fingertips find skin. He slides along until his hand is entirely pressed against Dave's heat. He's so warm and soft and gentle. The kiss is so nice as Dave uses his tongue to lightly explore John's mouth, even running the tip along the backside of his buck teeth. Dave's other hand comes around to John's back, pulling at his shirt until he touches skin as well. John really enjoys how Dave drags his nails along his spine and muscles as he gently works his way down. John's hand moves his hand up along Dave's chest.
It's John's turn for his breath to catch in his throat as this time Dave doesn't stop at his waistband but lets his fingers slip underneath. John makes a soft noise directly into the kiss which Dave drinks down and grips the hidden flesh to get more.
"Ah! Dave!"
"I like how you say that."
"Dave," John repeats again as Dave gropes him. John supposes that he's kind of groping him back the way his hand is flexing along Dave's chest. He needs to step it up a notch if he wants Dave to make similar noises. He slides his hands down Dave's abs, noticing just how muscular he feels under his shirt. He feels the soft ticking of Dave's happy trail against his palm. Dave doesn't stop him as John reaches his pants, instead he just smirks in either encouragement or as a dare.
He'll take that dare. He's not scared. He's not terrified. He's not in denial, not at all. But as he twists his arm to angle it so that his fingers can slide underneath Dave's jeans, he finds the task a little daunting. Especially with the button in the way, but does John want to undo the button? And encouraging squeeze of his ass helps him make the decision. The pants fall away, leaving only one layer between John's hand and Dave's... well, his cock. It's so warm against John's hand. Pretty hard and springy too as it tents the soft fabric of Dave's boxers. It's not like massive or anything but as far as the dicks that John knows, it's a pretty decent one.
"Oh yeah, that's it," Dave sighs out. John follows him forward as Dave head tips back, mouth going to his throat and pulling more sounds out of Dave. He just starts talking about how good John feels interspersed with curses. It's random and meaningless, but the way his voice vibrates under John's lips is addictive. John paces the slow rock of his palm over Dave's hardness with the rolling squeezes on his ass.
Everything is slow and smooth and connected. So different from the almost frantic desperate kisses and touches he had with Karkat.
Karkat.
Why did Karkat say that Dave and him aren't together? Something about not being able to. That Dave can't.
"Earth to John, my order of kisses are getting cold while your buffering. I know that's a funny joke online to make about pausing in the middle of things like old dial up internet from the days where kids weren't spoiled with high definition and wireless amazingness but it's kinda lame actually in real life and you are all kinds of not lame, right Jo-"
"Why can't you like Karkat back?"
"What?" Dave pulls back as much as he can with the couch cushions behind him. He blinks at John like he just had a severe case of whiplash. "You're thinking about Karkat while touching my dick?"
"Oh, sorry." John pulls his hand away and sits back on the couch, moving out of the range of Dave's hands. Dave makes a soft sad sound at the loss like that wasn't the intent of the question at all.
"Okay, let's do this thing." Dave sighs. "What did you ask again?"
"Karkat stopped us, me, the kissing thing the other night and said that you couldn't like him back."
"Technically true..."
"But you still have..."
"Yeah it's complicated."
"So..." John lets the silence fall while Dave looks on a little bit impatiently. But John's not sure where he was going with this.
"So why are you asking, John?"
"So then... is it okay to...?" John waves his hands around and hopes that Dave picks up what he's talking about.
"Is it okay to make a move on my roommate? Hells yes. Like I'm doing a mental dance party over your confession that kissing things where happening between the two of you. Like wow yes. Finally."
"What?" That wasn't at all the direction John had been going in. Not at all what he hoped Dave would pick up on.
"That's what your asking about right? Trust me, you aren't stepping on my toes going after him. You have my full hearted blessing to go right on after that short cute angry man if that's what you wanna do. As long as you don't hurt him. He is kinda my best friend and with that comes all of the best friend obligations like hiding bodies and taking shots and picking up scorned pieces of hearts. You know, the usual. But at the same time, if you what to know all the tips and secrets to get that little feisty love machine going, you have come to the right place," he smirks.
"No. I mean. Yes. I mean. Fuck."
"Of course I follow completely."
"No you don't. I wasn't asking that. I was asking about the two of you. He stopped the kissing thing and said it wasn't fair to me. I wouldn't mind doing everything you're implying but he doesn't want to because of..."
"Me," Dave answers for John.
"Yeah."
"Damn."
"Yeah," John agrees again. "So, why keep it complicated?"
Dave sighs. He thinks about an answer, starts, stops, sighs again. "Okay so, bare with me on this. I love Karkat like I love chocolate." John raises his eyebrows at him, but doesn't stop Dave. "Chocolate is my favorite flavor. If I have to randomly pick a flavor for dessert or ice cream or candy or just something I want to eat, I'll probably pick chocolate. But I'm not always going to pick chocolate. I don't want chocolate all the time, with every meal. But Karkat wants strawberry cheesecake all the time."
"Strawberry cheesecake?" John thinks he knows where Dave is going with this, but he doesn't want the metaphor to get too far away from him.
"I'm limiting myself to a pallet of red and white, don't critique my art choices, novice."
"Sure whatever." He rolls his hands for Dave to continue.
"Anyways. He wants strawberry cheesecake but since he's found strawberry cheesecake he really hasn't gone out and tried other flavors. Like blue-"
"Blue raspberry?" John cuts in, thinking of what Terezi always calls him.
"I was gonna go with something a little more organic like blueberries but if you want to be referred to by that artificial abomination..."
"You are so hipster it's painful."
"It's a burden I'm willing to shoulder." He shrugs before starting again, "Anyways. I think he'd really like blue... raspberry treats if he tried some."
"So you want me to date Karkat." He makes it a statement not a question.
"Yes."
"Then why do you keep kissing me?"
"Because I want to," he answers simply like it's most rational answer possible.
"Hm..." There are a lot of thoughts running through his head. Too many. He can't really sort out what he wants to say or how he wants to respond to this. This sort of thing could easily lead to hurt feeling or feet in mouths and John doesn't want to lose his two new best friends but he kinda wants something more than a best friend thing somewhere. "I have to go. I'll be back later."
"Hey Terezi," he calls out as he catches the bucket of cheetos set precariously on top of the door, steps over the line of mouse traps (that's going to be a pain to clean up), and disengages the trip wire on the icee machines. She's perched on the counter, pouting as she didn't hear any of her traps go off. "I need your advice."
That pout slowly shifts to a grin that makes John regret this, but there is no turning back now.