John put down his book and walked out of his room. He was still bothered by what he saw the other day and couldn't quite get rid the impeding feeling that he'll see them around every corner. John muttered to himself about something along the lines of "calm down John, you can't be on edge like this when you have something else to worry about," and indeed worry he should. After all, John had a bigger problem on his hands. John desperately wanted to talk to someone about it, but he felt like this should be kept to himself until he himself can sort his shit out.
Of course lady luck was not on his side, and he bumped into someone right off the bat. IT's funny how coincidences work like that. Like a big cosmic set up of bumping and running into people at just the right moment, or wrong moment. John fell back, knocked for the force and so did the bumpee.
"Sorry Karkat." John said friendly as usual. Karkat glared at him and then got up and dusted himself off, not everyone had the convenience of not touching the ground such as John. John floated up and smiled at Karkat.
"Just watch where you're going, look where you're walking, not at the ground." Karkat said a little roughly.
"Yeah, I'll watch out next time. Where were you going in such a rush?" John asked. Karkat's face went bright red and his eyes went wide.
"It's none of your business fuckleberry dipshit." Karkat said, storming off a little too fast to be considered unsuspicious.
"I wonder what's got him so rustled up." John said as he absentmindedly watched Karkat leave. He shrugged his shoulders and walked off. He put his hands in his pockets and started whistling, feeling a little calmer about what he saw. It wasn't bothering him as much as it was before, but he decided to just move on with it, he didn't even know those people.
John decided to go play a game of one person chess, play it solo for now. Maybe by playing he can think about it and sort out his feelings. It was true that whenever John thought about the short kiss they had shared he felt his heart rate increase. It was also true that he did in fact enjoy the kiss, and it was also true that he might not have felt that way if it was anyone else but Dave.
John turned the corner and then a few more before he made it to the library. He walked in and once again found the nostalgic scent of the books to clear his head. He kept the chess board he found at a table with a few chairs. He sat down and set up the board. He made a move on his side, and then made one on the other. It was attack after attack from himself on either side. John was improving his game after only a few weeks of playing.
John thought about Dave. Dave had told him right before he departed that he was going to end things with Terezi. But the question John kept asking was 'was it because he and Dave had kissed that he decided to do it at that exact moment?' John knew their relationship was falling apart, and he knew they were going to break up soon, but why did Dave chose that exact moment. Dave was the one who kissed him, so he must hold some romantic feelings for John, or else why would he kiss John. John soon forgot about his game and rested his head on his hand, pondering on how he felt.
John knew he wasn't a homosexual. He had never had feelings for guys at any point in his life. So what made Dave special? What made him stand out against the crowd? Was it his fake aloofness? His sometimes overbearing attempts at ironic coolness? Was it is unique way of wording things? Was it his blond hair that always seemed to be perfect even though they couldn't find any combs? Was it his stupid shades that hid his truly alluring and inimitable eyes? What was it? Or was it everything? John sighed in confusion. Any way he looked at it, he was in love with Dave Strider, it was only a matter of why.
John laid back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. It was really nice actually. When he had first came to the library he was blown away by the sight. It was the night sky. The entire night sky of every night painted to scientific accuracy upon the ceiling. John had showed Karkat and he even pointed out the marks the trolls had left on their universe. How the trolls had made their claim and left a little piece of themselves written among the stars. John shows Karkat his own constellation. It truly was Karkat's own constellation because only one other troll on his entire planet, even his entire universe had never shared his blood caste.
John had learned each of the constellations for each troll, even if he didn't know all of them in person. Cancer kind of looked like a y put on its side, with three stars coming up the long part and one at each end of the parts that branched off. John thought how even in another universe they remained in the order of their hemospectrum. Their society had been cruel to them, living as warriors and living life just to stay alive. Karkat had told them about troll society many times, John understood completely why they were the way they were.
He was about to go find a book to read when he saw someone come in through the door. He looked, expecting Karkat. Apparently, his guessing skills weren't with him either that day. It was none other than Dave Strider. He walked over and sat down on the opposite chair from John. John sat his ass back down and looked at Dave.
"Hey Dave." John said happily, trying to ignore the awkwardness he was feeling, if he acted on the awkward the awkward would become a reality.
"Sup." Dave said as cool as ever, not even feeling the tension.
"So… how did things go?" John said, he might as well get that question out of the way or risk and entire chill session being not so chill.
"Well, Terezi was pretty cool about it; she was being all culturally understanding as well and thought it must be hard on me to. So we just broke it off pretty calmly." Dave said pretty nonchalantly, but he did sound somewhat relieved.
"Well that's good… dave, about what happened yesterday- "John started but was interrupted.
"Oh yeah, sorry about that John man, I just kind of did it. If it bothered you, I am sorry." Dave said calmly.
"It's fine Dave. I guess I just wasn't expecting something like that from you."
"Yeah, I won't do it again."
"That's not what I mean. I really don't mind. Dave, after what you did yesterday I have come to a conclusion… I think, what I mean to say is, well, I think I like you Dave. And I mean like as in more that bros." John said blushing a little, and by a little, I mean a lot.
"Really? That was pretty unexpected, just throwing all kind of curveballs at me John; I don't even have the proper gear to be ready. You're not shitting me, right?"
"Dave, no, that would be a really asshole move." John said looking at him seriously.
"Well okay then. I guess I don't mind you either, even if you are pretty lame. Like on a scale of one to ten your name would be put at about ten just so they could measure it accurately."
"Dave, well at least I don't pretend to be cool when I know I'm not, like someone I know. I think your name would be suited above mine, maybe even reaching the god tier levels with your lameness." John giggled.
"Whoa, you're the one wearing a wind sock here, so I don't know what you're talking about, and my coolness is authentic and can't be reproduced so it's priceless." Dave said coolly, talking with his hands as usual. John got up and put Dave's hood over his head.
"At least you can call my hood a hood, I mean what is this, it's like a sock with a face hole on your head." Dave batted John's hands away and pulled his hood off. His hair was a mess. Dave ran his hands through it a few times to make it go flat again. The john leaned in while Dave was busy with his hair and planted one on him. What you might ask, well I'm pretty sure you are already well aware.
Their lips pressed together at the start a little messily but they positioned themselves and made it work. Dave turned to face john better and john rested his hands on Dave's shoulders. John let his hand drift upward and found it brushing through Dave's blond locks. They were softer than he thought they would be. Dave moved his hands to John's waist and they started to kiss with more gusto. John and Dave stayed like that for a little longer, alone but together.
John pulled back and sat down across from Dave once again. He smiled at him with a big toothy grin and Dave even allowed the corners of his mouth to go up a little. John reached his hand forward and out it on top of Dave's own.
"I do like you after all I guess." Said John with his giddy smile never leaving his face. He smiled with his eyes closed, a genuine, kind and friendly smile.
"Me too loser." Dave said meaning it in a completely friendly way.
"That's good, we can be losers together though."
"That doesn't sound too bad, even if I am cooler than you."
"Whatever Mr.I-wear-shades-inside."
"I have super sensitive pupils and I will go blind without the proper eye protection."
"Bullshit, you just want to look cool." John chuckled.
"Maybe you're just jealous because you don't own a sick pair like mine."
"You saw right through me, drat I'm foiled."
"So what were you doing in here anyways?"
"I was going to read a book, but before that I was playing a one man game of chess, but then I got side tracked."
"Haven't you read like every book in here?"
"No that would take like a billion years, or a decade, or two."
"Probably, I don't think two years would be enough time unless all you did was read."
"Yeah." Then John had an idea, or remembered something. How could he forget something like this. "Dave can you go get me a book from that shelf?"
"Sure." Dave got up and picked a random book off the shelf in the direction of John's finger. Dave grabbed one then went back and handed it to John. "Here."
"I want to show you something cool."
"Okay, blow me away."
"Consider yourself blown.. I mean-whatever, I'll just show you." John held out his hands and then a gust of wind went through the pages of the book. John closed his eyes and felt the book. He breathed air through its pages and swept the dust away, it felt like his senses weren't bound to his body and could be carried on the breeze. After a few seconds John closed the book and handed it to Dave.
"Whoa, you can dust with your god powers. I'm impressed, you'll make a great house keeper."
"No, that's not it. Okay, look at the first page where the actual text starts. Like where the story starts. Don't tell me what it says, I will tell you."
"Really." Dave did what he asked and flipped a few pages before he stopped and looked up at John expectedly then back down at the book.
" 'The search for the truth has always been a difficult road. Many philosophers have been thought to have created their own perspectives of the truth. Many believe in monsters, or demons, or science. But what we know what we can believe in is our selves. Humans are often misguided by lies and sweet false truths to ease the harsh reality of the truth. Even gods are used to give false hope when all hope is lost. But the truth, albeit hard to find, is out there.' That's the first paragraph done, all of it I'm sure. What a weird book you chose Dave." John smiled at Dave and he stared back surprised.
"How did you do that, have you already read this book. I'm impressed."
"I learned it a few weeks ago actually," he left out the part about forgetting about it for now. Dave and John talked about their powers for a while. John even showed him a few other tricks. But John was more comfortable with Dave. It felt right, and John was happy.
TBC…
A/N: It's nice to leave off on a happy note. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was fun to write, and cute too. Well, until next time, please keep reading.