CH4 (Day 4)
= Dirk: Be awoken
It's late morning when Dave finally returns home. I'm standing by the window of the cottage drinking some orange juice when I see Lil' Hal pull up the road. Dave steps off the cart and to my surprise he helps another boy off as well. He's half-asleep, but as he opens his eyes he smiles and says something. Dave holds the boy closer and tells him something that has the boy laughing while clutching onto him. I see Dave smile, a genuine smile, as the kid laughs in his arms.
I flash-step outside and stand beside Lil' Hal. I offer him a turnip as I turn to face Dave.
"So this is why you took longer to return." If it wasn't for my cool Strider exterior I would have laughed at the reaction that ensued. The bespectacled boy jumped back and away from Dave in a frenzy. He stood up straight and even though he tried looking at me his eyes traveled downward and stayed there planted on the ground. Dave, on the other hand, frowned which was nothing compared to the murderous aura he was giving off due to my interruption.
"John, this is Dirk. My older brother. Dirk, this is John. I found him in the woods." At the introduction the boy named John mutters to Dave in a hushed voice.
"You make it sound as if you picked up a wild animal!"
"I don't know how dangerous you are. You did survive a wolf attack after all. Maybe you were raised by them."
"Just cause I don't remember much doesn't mean I could be wild! I was wearing clothes when you found me wasn't I!?"
"Wouldn't know how to speak proper English either." I chime in.
= John: Have another weird feeling
I feel another pang of recognition flash before me. However, just like the first one its gone in a matter of seconds. Dave's older brother, Dirk, proceeds to carry the stuff from the cart into the house.
"Come here" Dave grabs my hand as he begins to pull me inside. He leads me into the cottage which is rather large. There are three rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom by what I can tell.
"There's a shed about half a mile north in which Dirk works on his inventions."
"Inventions?" I look Dave as he continues to show around his fair abode. He takes me into the room furthest down the hall and enters.
"This is where you will be sleeping tonight." he says as I stand behind him. The walls are painted in red and most of the furniture is wood.
"Okay." The bed is rather large and it also looks new. The covers are also red. Looking at all the red reminds me of Dave's eyes.
"With me." Of course this is his room. Though I don't understand why he said these words softer than the others.
"Okay." At my response Dave stops and turns to look at me.
"You don't mind?" Now its my turn to be confused.
"Haven't we been sleeping together for the past three days?" There is only silence as Dave stands there thinking of an reply.
"Normally sleeping in the same bed is extremely intimate. You're making me feel unloved by not being more nervous with this setting."
"But at the Lodge-!"
"Separate beds."
"And the woods-!"
"Are you trying to say those moments meant nothing to you. I'm hurt John."
"What? Dave stop twisting my words!"
"Are you perchance not into males?"
"Huh?"
"Or maybe its just me you're not interested in."
"Damn it Dave!"
"See? If you truly loved me you wouldn't be abusive towards me."
"Abusive? What does that even mean?!"
"Nothing. I'm just messin' with ya."
I huff out in irritation. I wish I knew what these words that Dave keeps using mean. Though I get the feeling that 'abusive' isn't really a good word.
"Man you are adorable."
"What?" I look at Dave who immediately let go of my hand and makes to rush out of the room
"Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat." He's out of sight before I can answer him. I head towards the kitchen where I presume Dave went. I run into Dirk instead.
"Umm...Hi." Dirk nods at me. I guess he isn't much of a talker. "W-where did Dave go?"
"He ran outside. Any idea why?"
"Oh. He called me adorable and just left. But I don't know what being adorable means cause I don't remember much of anything. " A smirk makes it way on Dirk's neutral face.
"Do you want to know what it means?" I brighten up at the prospect of finally understanding the words that Dave uses.
"Yes!"
"It means he likes you."
"Likes me?"
"Like a crush."
"Crush? Like the one Roxy has on you?"
"It depends."
"On what?"
"How do you feel about Dave?" How do I feel about Dave? Is this part of liking someone?
"I guess I trust him cause he saved my live and everything." Who knows what would've happened if Dave hadn't found me or if he had thought that I was too much trouble and just left me there. "He's also very nice and helpful."
"is that all?"
"I uh...feel safe with Dave. I feel like I can tell him anything and everything about me...Does that mean that I also have a crush on Dave?"
"Hmm. We can test it."
"Test...it?"
= Dave: Be cool
Cool. I am cool. I am the king of coolness. I am so cool you can throw water at me and it'll turn into ice before it even reaches me and then break into tiny pieces when I command it to cause it wouldn't dare not obey his highness the king of coolness. When it rain it becomes a winter wonderland all around me-!
= Dave: Calm down
How do you expect me to be calm when I just up and blurted out how I thought John was adorable! I mean I've been calling him Cutie this whole time, but now its different cause now I've gotten to know him and his dorkiness is just downright appealing! He's so joyful like a puppy and just so damn-!
= Dave: Have an epiphany
No.
= Dave: Have it
NO.
= Dave: ...
Okay. Okay. I admit it. I may have the smallest, teeniest crush on John.
"Dave!" I look behind me to see John running up to me. He has on a cute smile and his bright blue eyes shine with curiosity and something much more. Gog, I love him. My eyes widen and I choke on my breathe. Shit. I try to compose myself before he can notice, but I think he does. "Yeah?"
John halts in his movements, he opens his mouth, but quickly closes it again. After an excruciatingly lost minute he speaks up "I'm sorry, but can I follow you into the woods. I want to explore, but I don't want to go by myself."
= John: Berate yourself for wimping out
I didn't wimp out! I-I'm just building up to it okay!?
I hang out with Dave for the rest of the day. He shows me which fruits and berries are safe to eat as he leads me to a lake. I found out that I'm bad at fishing. No patience whatsoever Dave said. I also found out that I am really good at climbing tress though. I gave Dave a fright. haha One moment I was on the ground and the next six feet in the air. I enjoy being so high up.
"Ready to head back?" Dave questions me as we're both sort of tired and sort of dirty.
"Yeah!" I clasp my hand around Dave's like he had done earlier. I feel Dave go a little stiff for a moment, but then he squeezes it. I don't know why that made my heart speed up. When we got to the cabin Dirk was nowhere in sight.
"Shed." Dave says before pulling me into the bathroom. He turns on the water and goes to get me some clothes to sleep in. After my bath I remember 'the test' that Dirk gave me. I step out of bathroom and into Dave's room. He seems to be sharpening his sword when I see him. I gather as much courage as I can before putting the 'test' into motion.
"Dave." I wait for him to place the sword down and stand up to face me. I take a step forward and bring my hand up to grasp his cheek. He lets out a puff of air, but otherwise remains completely still. I swiftly lean in and place my lips over his own. It doesn't take him long to respond to it and he begins to apply more pressure on my lips as his arms settle themselves around me. I feel something wet go over my lower lip and I gasp when I realize that its his tongue. It enters my mouth where it starts prodding at my own tongue and going over all the parts of my mouth. I let out a groan as he pulled me closer and my own arms went around his neck. We continue on like this for a few minutes before we hear knocking at Dave's door. Dave lets out a curse as he lets go of me and opens up the door. Unsurprisingly its Dirk.
"Dave if you don't wash up now I will and who knows when I'll come out." Dave grabs his things and kisses me on the forehead before heading towards the bathroom. When we hear the door to the bathroom close Dirk turns to me. "So?"
"I don't regret it!" I say cheerfully albeit still a bit delirious over the previous events. I don't really understand the full extent of the test, but if having a crush on someone meant wanting to be by their side and more of that then there is nothing to regret about having a crush on Dave.
When Dave exited the bath I was already in bed. He stepped up to the bed before stopping to take off his 'eye protection'. As he looked at me with his fiery red eyes I became both nervous and happy. He's not hiding his eyes anymore.
"Dave about-."
"Shush Cutie. It's time for bed." Dave pulls me into his chest and I don't hesitate to snuggle into him.
= John: Find the lost warmth
The lost what- wait where did Dave go?
I sit up and find myself alone in Dave's room. I get up and see that the windows have been covered. Its already late morning by the time I wake up. I exit the room and hear voices down the hall. Dave And Dirk are in the middle of a discussion as I reach the kitchen.
"Look it will only take four days to reach the second village and another three to get to the third. That and we'll take a day in between to rest before heading out. And besides its not as if Lil' Hal has to carry that many things."
"By what you say it will take at least three weeks to go back and forth between the villages. It'll be too much for Lil' Hal to handle."
"Dirk-."
"Is something wrong?" I chime in before a fight can start.
"Nothing John." Dave refers to me by my actual name, but its clear by his stance and the tension in the air that he's looking straight at Dirk.
The day continues with the same tension that was there that morning. I continue to explore a bit more around the forest as Dave goes out to chop down some wood. Dirk spends most of the day inside his shed. I head to bed with Dave and we make-out for a bit before settling in to sleep. I wake up sometime in the night with a bit of a thirst. I sit down at the table with a cup of water in my right hand, but before I can stop myself I fall asleep again...
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And we finally catch up to the Intro chapter! :3 I can't wait to introduce the other main character to this Fanfic next time! Which hopefully is soon!