"I can't fucking believe this.."

"He'th not going to tell."

"Shit, what am I going to tell them.."

"Dumbfuck, he'th not going to tell."

"They're going to fucking kill me..."

Thwack.

"Ugh, fuck, Captor!" Dirk huffed, spitting out a red tinted glob. The hacker gave him an irratated glare, a crease across his nose.

"Englith ithn't that thtupid, alright? He ithn't going to tell."

"You don't know th-"

"Think about it!" Sollux snapped. "Everyone in the thchool knowth and no one hath been thtupid enough to tell them yet!"

"None of them live with them!" Dirk persisted with an almost panicked undertone.

Sollux rubbed at his forehead, opening the door to their apartment building and making toward the stairs. "Theriouthly, if it'th that big of a deal, then why didn't you jutht tell him before we left?"

"Because that would only make it more likely for him to turn around and tell."

Rolling his honey colored eyes, Sollux started up the stairwell. "You have tho much faith in him. It'th abtholutely unbearable."

"Just shut up.." Dirk sighed, shaking his head. "You know I don't like people. Especially ones I don't trust."

"Well if you thtart off hating them, then how do you ever expect to bond with them tho you can trutht them?" Sollux groaned, rubbing his head as he reached the floor of his apartment and pushed the stairwell door open. He was only a little surprised when Dirk followed after him rather than continuing up the stairs to his own place.

"If you always think the worst of people, they can only prove to surprise you."

"Oh, whatever."

Sollux lead the way down the musty hall, unlocking and forcing his door in. He made a b-line toward the bathroom, leaving Dirk to close up shop. He made his own way into the apartment, pausing as he went to lean on the back of the couch.

Gamzee and Karkat were dead asleep, Gamzee on his back in a pair of polkadotted boxers with Karkat sprawled over top of him in one of the clown's old shirts; which proved to hang down far enough on Karkat for the younger boy to not bother with pajama pants.

Dirk felt a bit of his anger melt, pulling up the blanket that was cast over the back of teh couch and spreading it over the duo. Seeing his friends enjoying their lives usually made his a little less detestable.

"They aren't half ath cute when you're trying to thleep." Sollux said flatly, though he snorted at the look that passed over Dirk's face. "I'm theriouth. Anyway, you crathing here, or did you jutht dethide to follow me home tho you could creeper on my roomateth?"

He opened his mouth, about to throw out something argumenative, but he ended up sighing and shrugging. "Fuck if I know, bro. I should prolly head up to our apartment tonight." Dirk ran a hand through his messy platinum blonde hair, managing to stifle a yawn.

"Yeah, alright. Want me to walk you up?" Sollux offered, reaching over to turn off the TV and put the remote up on the coffee table before it was lost.

"You wouldn't."

"You're right."

"Fuck you."

Sollux snarked something incoherent in response, making a shooing motion. "Just go home," he said, following Dirk to the door so he could lock it behind him. "And look, if he doeth thay thomething, you were here all night. He had you mithtaken with thomeone elthe, obviouthly."

Before Dirk could even register the words, the door closed and the bolt lock slid into place. He stared at the door for a long, thoughtful moment before turning and heading up to floor eight.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Cigarette smoke drifted upward, disappating as a gust of cold wind shot down the street. Dirk watched with little intrest, leaning back against the cool cement steps behind him. It was very early tuesday morning. He knew he should have been inside with his siblings, eating breakfast and preparing for school, but he could care less.

He had his bookbag with him and he was dressed decently enough, after all.

A few moments passed before the door finally opened, two sets of feet emerging. Roxy trotted down the stairs, turning at the bottom to look back at Dirk in a mixture of concern and disapproval. Dave stood beside her, staring off to the side.

"Where were you all night, Dirk?" She asked, hands on her hips. "We were worried!"

"Chill, I was just hanging out with Captor."

Roxy was still puffed up, hands on her hips and messenger bag thumping against her lower back, but she didn't adress him again. "C'mon, Dave. We're gunna be late for school." She turned, wrapping an arm around Dave's shoulder and starting down the street.

Dirk sighed, standing up and following a few paces behind them. He smoked the cigarette right down to the butt, savoring the thick smoke before blowing it all out at once. In all honesty, he was ready to just drop out of highschool. The only thing he seemed to gain from it all was constant stress and irratation.

But his friends and family would surely kill him for it, so he managed through.

The walk was boring and chilly, encouraging Dirk to simply turn around and go home. He had a bad feeling about today. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, though, so he persisted and told himself not to fall more than ten paces behind his siblings.

As they reached the school, it became infinitely clear what had been amiss.

Decorations, red, pink and white, lined the halls- hearts, sparkles, twirlers; all of the old, stereotypical decorations. Dirk sighed as Roxy let out an excited noise of realization. "It's Valentine's Day!" She squealed, hurrying her steps to get to the small cluster of lockers the group shared.

By the time Dirk caught back up, she was squeezing the life out of Jane, laughing as the girl went bright red in the face. "Aw, Janey, your blush is soooo cute~" Roxy cooed, giving the girl's cheek an unashamed kiss.

Dirk merely rolled his eyes.

Jane, fighing through her embarrassed giggles, smiled toothily up at Dirk. "What about you, Dirk?" When he gave her a blank glance, she explained, "are you going to ask anyone to be your valentine?" Roxy's smile dimmed a bit as she clung to Jane's side, noticing quite easily the shift in Dirk's expression.

"No," he replied flatly, turning to his locker to grab a textbook for his homeroom.

"Why not?" Her light blue eyes prodded hopefully at his sunglasses. "You never even try to get a valentine! It's no wonder you're always so lonely, y'know."

"There's no one I care to ask."

"You always say that."

"Because it's always true."

Jane studied him for a long moment, then shook her head. "Not this year, Strider! I can see it- you've got a little crush, don't you~?" Roxy gasped, brightening at the opportunity to finally hook her brother up.

"Do you?"

"No.

"Aw, Diiirk! That's sooo cute!"

"I don't."

"Who is it?"

"I jus' told y'all I ain't gotta crush!" He snapped, though his frustration showed through easily in the sudden thick Texan accent taking hold of his voice.

Roxy looked entirely vindicated, humming a soft, "mmm-hmmm~" Jane merely smiled apologetically.

"If you say so, Dirk."

As he closed his locker, the girls brightened. "Jake!" Roxy giggled, straightening up a bit as he sifted through the crowd. He had the biggest stupid smile on his face, which, in turn, forced a frown onto Dirk's as he tried to suppress any and all welling feelings.

Not that there were any to suppress.

Other than maybe irratation or something.

He crossed his arms, bookbag hanging from one shoulder as he watched Jake give either girl a hug and cast a huge buck-tooth smile in his direction. "G'morning, everyone!" He greeted, straightening his glasses. Roxy's pink eyes shifted between the brit and her brother, watching the way their expressions shifted in simultaneous, opposite ways.

"So, Jakey~" Roxy said, leaning against Jane as she smiled a mischeivious smile at the green eyed boy. "What're you doing for Valentine's Day?" She inquired, tilting her head to feign happy innocence. Dirk narrowed his eyes and Jane quirked her lips questioningly.

"Well, I'm not quite sure as of yet." Jake admitted, shrugging.

"Do you have a Valentine?"

"No, I haven't had a moment to ask," he chuckled, ruffling his own messy raven hair.

Roxy gave an excited gasp, shifting her weight so she could slip her hands into Jane's and Dirk's- a move to keep her brother from leaving. He was peicing together what she was up to.

"Ooh, so you have your sights set on somebody~?" She questioned with a growing grin.

Jake blushed a bit, laughing. "Yes, actually." He looked somehow cuter with that reddish tint to his sunkissed cheeks. Dirk glared off to the side.

"Do tell!" Roxy pressed, bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet. The bubbly excitement was more than obvious in her expression.

He gave an embarrassed grin, messing with his bookbag strap. "Well," Jake began, though a figure suddenly popped out of the crowd, immediately latching onto his arm with a sweet-as-honey giggle. He gave a nod toward the girl, grin brightening.

The girl was a bit shorter than Jake with naturally tanned skin, large unnervingly bright green eyes, thick, long lashes, a timmid smile and short, curly black hair. She was clad in a black button-up beneath a green jacket with a pleated green and black plaid skirt and high-heeled boots.

"Hello, everyone~" She said, voice soft though warm. Her smile faded a bit when she took in the mixture of surprise, disappointment and mostly hidden irratation playing through the group. She looked up at Jake, brows knit. "Uhm, I apologize. I didn't mean to intrude!"

"No, it's fine," Jane said quickly, smiling in that easily faked way the Egberts could always pull off. Smiles for them were like pokerfaces for the Striders.

"So, Miss Umbra," Jake began once Jane had convinced her she wasn't intruding- though she was. "Would you do me the honor of being my Valentine this fine February fourteenth?" He inquired with a hopeful smile, which quickly turned into a huge, goofy beam with an accompanying blush as she kissed his cheek.

"Of course, Jake!" She giggled, hugging him tightly.

Roxy pursed her lips, looking up at Dirk instead of the two embracing teens. It figured. Jake was the cute exchange student and Uranian was the smart little beauty holding out for the right one. What made it worse was just how adorable the two were together.

Dirk managed to free his hand from his sister's, passing her and Jane as he made his way toward homeroom. Jane continued to smile until her back was turned, at which point she pressed a hand over her mouth. Jake was still too new to notice, but by the way Dirk was walking, he was obviously upset over this whole exchange.

This was bad.