Holy. Fucking. Balls. You guys have no idea how much this chapter has kicked my ass. Legitimately rolled over me like a freight train. I've written it, rewritten it, gotten pissed off and accidentally exited without saving it and had to start all over again… So yeah, that's why I'm late with the update. And work, man. Work has been killing me lately. But anyway! You guys have been so patient with me, and I'm so sorry to keep you waiting! Wait, we broke 100 reviews? When the hell did that happen! Y'all are seriously awesome! X3 Let's move on with your love! Kira-Lime Orijima, I'd rather you read it before you review, silly! That way I can know whether or not you like the chapter! Of course I like hearing from you either way…so…yeah. Tsuki-shining09, oh no, don't wake up any babies! I'm so glad you liked it! :D luckycat222, I wanna slam some Faygo too. The italic paragraphs are song lyrics! Sorry for the wait! nekogirl813, thank you! Kerra-Chan, yaaaaay! DimintheMoonlight, I like hungover John too, hehehe. Yay, I got two thumbs up! Guest, THANK YOU SO MUCH! darkestlight96, I hope it makes you happy! Phia-chan, I will always respond to reviews! I think it's important. Hehe, I ship GamKar too, but I prefer them as moirails. lovemahBF, ahhh, you make me more than happy, love. MORE THAN HAPPY! Red-Rayne, awww, no worries! I'll be posting more stories! polyfandrous, it doesn't matter to me if you don't think your review is original! I love hearing from you guys! So just post whatever, hahaha. Thank you! Kat, you and me both, sister! It was a bitch to write! Rai Rai Blue, you've had to hear me bitch about this chapter for weeks now. I'm so sorry! DX Haha, I'm glad you like my lines! I try to be witty, you know. GodlyTsundereLeo, Daddy Egbert's shit would be flipped if he caught John baking a cake. It doesn't matter WHEN you start reviewing! All that matters to me is that you do! :3 ArtsyreaderVOI, it made perfect sense to me! Thank you so much, that was the vibe I was going for! endlessSuicide, your favorite? FAVORITE?! Ahhhh! *dies* turntech1Godhead, ahhh, thank you! Ninistuck, oh my god, thank you! It means so much! Glad that you like it! Okay, guys, let's move on with the last chapter of this story. Thanks for sticking with me so long! On with the story!
Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop
(Landon Pigg)
[I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you. Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you. I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down; I want to come too. I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you. No one understands me quite like you do, through all of the shadowy corners of me. I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much. All of the while, I never knew. I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much. All of the while, I never knew.]
You're Dave Strider, and you're pretty sure John's father is crying beside you. Okay, yeah, scratch that, you snuck a look, and he's definitely crying beside you. Shit. What exactly are you supposed to do in this situation?
You suppose seeing his only child graduate college is something worth getting emotional about. You're pretty fucking proud of John yourself, seeing as how he's had to deal with everything from random meet ups with you, your crazy work schedules, and his classes. Hell, he even managed to worm his way up to the top of his class, like the true nerd you always knew he was. Yeah, he's definitely the only person in your life you would cry over, but that's not happening right now. He hasn't even walked across the stage to get his diploma yet, for fuck's sake, but Daddy Egbert is still sniffling. At least he's trying to hide it.
You're more than ready for this entire thing to be over, and you know John is too. He's been recruited to give a speech to the graduating class, and you've heard him whining about it every day for the past month. You're pretty sure you'd be fretting over it too in his situation, but John gives himself too little credit. He's good with essays and wording things just right when he has time to plan it out. He only gets tongue tied when he's nervous, so you're a little anxious for him, wondering slightly to yourself whether or not he might have stage fright. Either way, you'll be proud of him, because he's fucking earned all of this, and so much more- he's going to be a doctor, for fuck's sake. Ever the biology nerd, John Egbert truly was, and always will be, the smartest dude you know. Dirk is a close second, because you're pretty sure he's actually a genius who builds robots for fun, but he's been knocked down a few pegs because of his ungodly fascination with puppets, so you prefer to just call him insane.
The auditorium is packed. It had been hell finding a seat, and you were more than a little glad to have John's dad to help you navigate through the crowd. You figure John's mother must have been small and dainty, because his father is far from it. You're about as tall as he is though, so at least there's that. You can't help it if you're scrawny, because the blame for that will forever be placed on Dirk for not feeding you properly while you were a growing boy, but at least John has been giving you proper nutrition for the past couple of years, and then some. The sound of a voice clearing gains your attention.
"We apologize for the wait, and thank you for your patience!" a loud male voice calls over the intercom. A short man has walked across the stage to the microphone, and you recognize him immediately as the little guy you always spotted on the brochures for John's university. He always dressed kind of ratty for the dean of a school, and had even been pictured with the mayor of the city once, dimly smiling while wearing the mayor's sash across his shoulders. Ever since you saw that particular picture of him, you've been calling him 'The Mayor', even though he's really nothing of the sort. John told you once he looked more like a wayward vagabond than anything else, but fuck that shit. He's the mayor.
"We were having some problems with the speaker, but hey, what can you do, right? So we're all here to celebrate the graduation of our students! Let's focus on that!" he says enthusiastically, and everyone around you applauds. Yeah, this little dude seems pretty fucking cool, almost like he forgets he's a public speaker or something. He's talking to the crowd as if this is a casual situation, but no one seems to mind.
"I was here four years ago to address the newest class as they made the first step to the rest of their lives," the Mayor says, "and I remember thinking of the potential every single one of them possessed. I've watched them go from freshman, wide-eyed, and scared of the future, to the adults we see today, eager to take the skills they attained and apply it to their field of choice." He looks proudly at the rows of students. "I've made sure to get to know as many of them on a personal level as I could, because when these men and women make something of themselves, I want them to be able to call them my students, my legacy, and most importantly, my friends." Everyone claps again, including you this time, because this guy is awesome as hell.
"But enough about me and my dreams of leeching off my students' success! I'll hand the mic over to someone much better at speaking than I am, because I have it on high authority that I tend to ramble about unimportant things and waste time. I'm proud to introduce the Valedictorian of our graduating class, and our next speaker, Mr. Johnathan Egbert." You aren't sure which of you are clapping louder, you or Daddy Egbert, but you're both on your feet applauding enthusiastically as John walks to the microphone, and is quickly enveloped in a hug from the mayor. John's dad whips a camera out with lighting speed, and you're laughing in spite of yourself.
John looks at the crowd, obviously trying to find his father, or you, but seems unable. You wish you could've sat closer, but it was pretty hard finding a seat as is. He gives one of his infectious smiles, the one where he flashes all of his teeth and all the lights in the room seem dim compared to him, and the crowd falls silent, waiting for him to speak.
"Uh, I'm not great at speeches either, but I'll try my best!" John greets, nervously raising a hand as if to run it through his hair, but then seems to remember he's wearing a hat, and snaps it back down. "Everyone seems to think because I'm good at studying and make good grades, that I might be able to give y'all advice on the real world we're about to go into." You smile to yourself, because he used the word "y'all". He's definitely been around you too long.
"But the truth is, I'm not any more prepared for it than any of you are," John continues. "I don't think any of us ever have plans for what we do, to be honest. I'm a pretty good example of that, actually. None of the plans I ever made went anywhere. Four years ago, I was twenty-one years old, and decided to finally enter school and make my father happy, because he was worried I wouldn't get anywhere without a college education. I only waited so long because I didn't think I was smart enough to become what I truly wanted to be, which is a doctor." He pauses, eyes scanning the crowd again until they finally settle on you and his dad, and you like to think he can see you well enough to know you're smiling.
"I'm twenty-five now, and even with all my planning, careful deliberation, and willingness to give up a social life in turn of reading the same material I've read countless times, I can pretty much tell you I still have no idea what I'm doing. I mean, yeah, I'm going to medical school, and I'm going to be a doctor, because obviously that's the whole point of this diploma, but I mean in the long run, the actual big picture, the one that really matters, I don't know where I'll end up. And I know from the looks you're all giving me that you don't really know either."
There's collective laughter from the way he's talking. John tends to talk fast when he's nervous, and his words are quickly gaining speed until he seems to realize what he's doing and takes a deep breath, eyes still on you.
"But I think that's the point of trying," he continues. "We all just get up every day, and go through the motions of our normal lives, and wait for things to fall in place. We all continue to be the person we're used to being. But if there's anything I've learned here, it's that you can't be scared to get out of that box. Even after all my years alive, I can learn new things about myself every day, and new things about my surroundings. As long as we're still learning, and still able to realize there are things we aren't meant to know, aren't meant to learn, I think we'll all be fine. Sometimes it's okay not to know. Sometimes, it's okay to wait, because that's all you can do. But other times, you have to make it happen for yourself, because no one else can do it for you. And trust me, you'll know the difference between the two." He smiles just for you, and okay, you can feel some moisture in your eyes, but it's obviously not crying. His dad is a different story though.
"So while I'm scared of the unknown, I embrace it, because we're only human, and there will always be something we can't quite figure out, even if that something happens to be ourselves. Don't worry about all of the unknown things though, because while they can be scary and intimidating, they can also be beautiful. The stars are a great example of that, but for all those of us who had to listen to Equius Zahhak rant about them, I'm sure we don't need to talk more about them." There's more laughter from the students, and John smiles widely at his little jab.
"It's fine to be scared, and it's fine to not know. It's okay not to feel like an adult all the time, because deep down, we're all just the little kids who dreamed of the future, and we need to keep doing that. The world can still be a beautiful place, if you let it. Don't be afraid to fall flat on your face, because there will always be a way to stand as tall as we're all standing now. I know that no matter how much I screw up in medical school, which I will, that my boyfriend will still be there for me, my father will still love me, and my mother will still be proud, though she is no longer with us."
Okay, John's dad is blubbering by this point. You reach over to awkwardly pat his shoulder, feeling entirely out of place.
"So let's all be proud of ourselves, because we've earned it, and because the road only gets harder from this point on. This may be the last time we all see each other, but we'll always be able to remember this moment, this final moment when we were all together, about to make the first steps to the rest of our lives, and hopefully, remember it fondly. Good luck to everyone here, and if we never meet again, I'm glad to have met every one of you I did meet. I don't believe in goodbyes, so I'm not going to give one. Instead, I'll say, see you around, because that seems less emotional, right? So see you around, guys. Let's part today with the knowledge that we will, in some way, all meet again."
There's a roar of applause, and okay, you're admitting there are tears in your eyes, but no one will ever know. Daddy Egbert is practically sobbing now, but he's smiling, and you can't help but think of what a stand-up guy he is, getting all emotionally involved in his son's life. You remember the first time you had met him, nervous as hell about the idea of John introducing you as his boyfriend, but it had all been for nothing. You were enveloped in a bone-crushing hug by the man before you could so much as shake his hand, and he had treated you like another son since then.
The ceremony is long and tedious- John's graduating class is rather large- and it takes a while to even get to the 'E' section, the announcement of 'Egbert' having you and his father on your feet again. John's dad is still recording the entire thing, no longer blubbering, but still looking emotional, and as soon as it's over, he wraps an arm around your shoulder and helps navigate towards John, jostling through the throng of people.
"I wanted to thank you, Dave, for helping to take care of John all this time," Mr. Egbert says, squeezing your shoulder. "I was worried about him living far from me, but he's managed so well, and I know that's to do with you as much as it is his stubbornness to quit."
"Oh, no way. John's been devoted to school since I met him in person the first time," you say, waving your arms in the air dismissively. "If anything, John's taken care of me."
"I know that too, of course. You both take care of each other. I wish you could have met Patricia. She would have absolutely loved you."
The mention of John's mother has you feeling emotional again, and damn it all; you will make it through the day without crying, goddammit. "T-Thank you, sir."
"None of that 'sir' stuff. Call me dad. How many times do I have to remind you of that?"
"I know, I know, Dad. It's just…I forget sometimes. I've never called anyone that before. I never knew my dad," you say, and it's true. He split before you were born, and your mother never mentioned him before she died. Dirk was as close as you ever had to a father figure, but you made sure to always treat him like a brother, knowing full well that he would appreciate it more. You're not bitter about the loss of your parents, and you know John isn't sad about his mother anymore either. It's just the way things are sometimes, and you deal with the hands you're dealt.
"Dad! Dave!" John calls, running over and tackling you both like he didn't just see you an hour or two before. He's smiling widely before he sees the camera in his father's hands. "Oh, Dad, you didn't-"
"Of course I did, son. You're my pride and joy. It had to be documented."
"Ugh, I can't believe this. Now I can expect to have that tape playing and about thirty cakes for Thanksgiving, huh?" John grins up at you, and you wrap an arm around him.
"I went easy for your birthday. I'd say I deserve to go all out the next holiday we share. Plus, you two are moving soon enough. We'll have to make every celebration that much more memorable."
You and John are moving to California so you can work on the screenplay for your first movie, Sweet Bro & Hella Jeff the Movovie, which is set to start filming as soon as you start tweaking your comics into a script. You already have the actors lined up, both Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller's numbers in your phone. They text you from time to time, which is something John is always super excited about. He's begged you to get Nic Cage's number, but you'd rather die, fully convinced John would leave you if he was ever introduced to that smug bastard. Not that you'd ever admit that, of course. While you're busy with production, John will be starting medical school, so both your schedules are packed for the next few years of your lives, but at least you'll be spending them together.
The first few months of your relationship had been hard as hell, only being able to meet up every now and then. John was stuck in Washington State until he graduated, since he had a scholarship to help pay for everything, and you had a lot to manage in Texas with your many sites ran by your friend Sollux and you, comics to draw, and a tour schedule the size of the entire United States, because your music was getting popular. It was about eight months of only meeting every now and then because you were both so busy, when you finally snapped, saying there was no reason you couldn't manage all your shit from Washington. Sollux had actually gone with you, deciding he didn't care to stay in Texas either, and looked at the whole thing as a sort of adventure while making his jabs about you turning into a hopeless romantic. John was more than surprised at you turning up at his doorstep, bags in hand, asking to stay-for good. He had cried. You had tried hard not to.
Sollux ended up crashing with Karkat and Gamzee. They had an extra bedroom in their apartment, because Karkat used it as an office beforehand. The two were actually on very good terms already because of their interaction over the website you had Sollux make for the comic book store. It was easier just to post their site to your own site, and cheaper to manage as well. The store gained mass popularity when you proclaimed it the only store in the country you would be selling SB&HJ merchandise from, and online orders from all over the world began piling in. Karkat had been thrilled, of course, and even had to upsize his store in order to accommodate for the new prosperity. A new store was soon opened in the next town, managed by people Karkat hand-picked to run it, and soon another was opened, and then another. Karkat Vantas is now the owner of a very popular chain of stores, which all sell comics still, but mostly specialize in accessories and apparel from said comics-yours included, of course. Technically, you're his boss, but you only pull that card when you want John to have time off, because Karkat gets beyond pissed when you make him call you Mr. Strider. You don't think there's anything in the world quite as fun as pissing him off.
"Are you coming with us to dinner, Dave?" John asks, squeezing your hand and bringing you back down to earth.
"Nah, I've got some stuff to cook up for later," you say, noting the disappointed look on John's face. You pull him in for a kiss, knowing his dad is taking pictures like the oddball he is, and play with the tassel on his mortarboard hat. "Don't look like that, babe. This is a family thing, y'know? I think it'll mean more to him to spend time with just you before we leave."
"I know," he says, "but you're family too now. You know Dad thinks of you as a son."
"Yeah, he reminded me today. For real, man, I have stuff to do. I've got something special planned for you later."
"Oh?" he grins mischievously while his dad is occupied with sorting through his pictures. John's voice lowers to a whisper nonetheless. "What kind of surprise?"
"The kind that'll make you very happy. Has anyone told you yet how hot you look in your graduation getup? I mean, forreal." He giggles, kissing you chastely again. "'M proud of you, Egbert."
"Don't, Dave, I'll cry," he says, shoving you playfully. "So I'll see you later, I guess… Want me to bring you food from wherever we go?"
"Nah, I'll manage. You two have fun," you say, squeezing his cheeks and grinning when he puffs up in disdain. "Love you."
"Love you too. Don't miss me too hard," he grins. John's dad claps your shoulder for at least the fifteenth time before you manage to break free and head for your car, ready to enact your latest master plan, which involves swinging by the airport- which you're already late for, shit.
Before you can even make it to your car, your phone rings.
"Sup?" you greet after sliding your thumb over the screen to accept the call.
"Sup yourself, cool-kid," the smooth voice of your PR agent, Terezi Pyrope, says in your ear. "Have you been working on the script like you promised?"
"Yeah, totally. Got most of it all figured out," you reply, making it to your car and starting it, eager to leave the parking lot before all the families merge out at once.
"Figured out as in already on paper, or figured out as in you haven't done anything except think about it?"
"I'm wounded, Pyrope. Severely wounded. Is this your way of saying you don't trust me?"
"Dave, I don't think you understand exactly how hot this project is going to be. I'm getting at least sixty calls a day about the script you haven't even made yet. What am I supposed to tell all the other agents breathing down my neck?"
"And I don't think any of you guys understand how long it will take to make this script. Literally an hour, tops. I cranked out the entire series as is in a half hour. I'm not getting what part of that you can't see."
"I can't see any of it, smartass."
"Oh, right. I forget you're blind sometimes. Not that you need eyes with that crazy shark nose of yours. Just do your thing, whatever you have to say to stall, okay? These irons are in the fire, so you can stop worrying your pretty little head, and go eat your chalk like we all know you do. I've got this. I've got this so much that this literally told me to stop getting it, and I told it to chill the fuck out, because I'm never getting tired of having it."
"Fine. But if your director's people call me again, I'm forwarding them to you. Maybe talking to that Serket bitch will give you a taste of what you put me through. And don't judge about the chalk. If you ever go blind, you'll understand."
She hangs up first as usual, and you toss your phone over to the passenger's seat as you make your way to the airport. You had only gotten an agent for movie purposes. Terezi's job is mainly to talk to all the people who want to talk to you. She had agreed to it as soon as you hired her, but that doesn't mean she never complains about it. It didn't matter to you that she was blind. As soon as you met her, you could tell by her sharp grin and prominent attitude that she was the kind of agent you need working for you, pushy, loud, and foul-mouthed.
Thankfully, you make pretty good time. Traffic isn't bad at all yet, but it will be on the way back, since the graduates will all be leaving at the same time. Maybe if you hurry, you can avoid the crowd. Rushing through the airport, you make your way to the gate, and look around for the people you came to pick up.
God, you're an idiot. Seriously, what the hell were you thinking? Somehow you had managed to convince yourself this would be a good idea at the time, and it had seemed like one, but now you're regretting the hell out of this decision, and have retreated to the balcony of your apartment while the intruders claim the indoors for themselves.
Sliding the glass door closed behind you, you move to the edge and pull a cigarette from the pack you stole from Sollux, before lighting it and hiding the pack back inside your pocket. You don't do it very often anymore, because you know John hates when you smoke, but you think situations like this call for it. All you tormentors are in the same room, and what makes it even worse is, it's all your fucking fault.
It had started a few months ago. You had a gig in New York City, and John really wanted to accompany you so he could finally meet Rose and Kanaya in person, but he'd had to stay behind to study for fast approaching finals. He tried to play it off as if he didn't care that much, but you knew better than to believe that fake smile he tried to pass off as genuine. So as soon as you got to New York, you'd told her to keep a few days free for the week of John's graduation, and then sent a message to Jade instructing the same thing. The two were ecstatic at your little idea, and quickly helped you make plans to arrange meet ups with them. And then comes the part where you must have lost your mind, and you're still not even sure what the hell happened with all of this, but you somehow ended up extending the invitation to Dirk of all people. So now your brother is in your habitat, Jake in tow, and they're mingling with all your friends, and seem to have acquired the common goal of teasing you until it drove you to actually break your promise to John and light up a cancer stick. Yeah, great going, Dave. You're a goddamn genius.
It had to be done though, and you know that. In addition to the fact that John messages Jake almost as much as he messages you, because the two of them talk about…whatever the hell it is they talk about, you also hadn't seen Dirk since you last played a show in Texas. It's not that you miss him or some shit. Nah, as a matter of fact, now that he's in your apartment, you wish you'd never invited him. It's just that it was you and him for so long without anyone else to help you, and maybe it made you a little nostalgic or something- hell, you don't know. You'd sent the message to him before you could think about it, and then had to make him promise not to let loud mouthed Jake let anything slip in his many many conversations with John. Whatever the case, they're all here, and you're all waiting for John to get back from dinner with his dad so you can surprise him.
The door slides open behind you, and you hurriedly flick the cigarette over the edge in the hopes that you hadn't been caught, but to no avail. It's Dirk who's come to pester you, and he's already giving you that damn holier than thou look, though most people wouldn't be able to tell he's giving you any sort of look, since his poker face is about as prominent as yours. He comes to lean on the railing beside you, and the two of you gaze out toward the busy streets below, which are quickly becoming enveloped in darkness from the shadows of the setting sun. It's not raining, for once, and the stars are sprinkling across the sky slowly, the air kind of sweet from the smell of recent rain and quickly approaching summer weather. Neither of you say anything for a few moments, which is more than alright with you, since most of your conversations are through silence. But of course, not being around each other for so long has called for some sort of conversation to take place. You're grateful when he's the one to initiate it.
"So, smoking again, huh?" he says.
"Fuck off," you scowl, leaning your head back to look towards the night sky. "It's the first one I've had in forever, and I wouldn't need it if there weren't a bunch of stuck up assholes in my place."
"A bunch of stuck up assholes that you invited here."
"Yeah, well, since when do I make good decisions?" you grumble, and Dirk actually cracks a grin. "So were you going to mention that little golden circle around your finger, or were you holding your breath for someone else to notice it?"
"Nothing gets by you, I see," Dirk drawls, lifting his left hand to flash you the offending little piece of jewelry. "Seem to have grown a wife over the past few months."
"Is that wife a little dork by the name of English?"
"Well, English-Strider, now."
"Suh-weet. Glad to see he didn't let you brand him completely. So now he has a name with a hyphen in it like some uptown house husband? How's life in domestic suburban post marital bliss?"
"About the same as it always was," he says. "We did the whole vows/marriage thing more for his grandma than anything else. She was all excited by the idea, and that woman's a real peach. It was pretty much a have to, not that it wasn't ever the ultimate goal."
"Never thought you'd be married, bro."
"Never thought you'd be packing the future husband and moving to California, but these things happen. That's what happens when you define yourself in irony, little man. Curveballs can catch you unaware, and then you just go with it because it's too good of a chance to pass up."
Silence falls again, and it's as comfortable as it is long. You risk a glance over at him, and notice how happy he looks, even if he's not smiling openly about it. You nudge him with your shoulder.
"Congrats, dude."
"Back at you."
Your phone is buzzing against your thigh, and you reach into your pocket to grab it, effectively dislodging the pack of cigarettes you stole. Dirk snatches them up before you can grab for them again, and you're flipping him off as he carries them back inside.
-ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 18:42-
EB: have you heard from anyone today? i messaged rose and jade earlier and they haven't said a word to me. neither has jake.
TG: im sure its nothing
TG: rose and kanaya are probably having some sort of lesbo fest
TG: jades probably frolicking through her pumpkin patch
TG: and jake is doing whatever the hell he normally does
EB: i guess. it would've been nice to talk to them about graduation though. rose said she wanted to hear about my speech last night, but maybe she forgot.
TG: no worries egbert
TG: your speech was awesome
EB: thanks, dave. i'm swooning!
TG: i bet
TG: so are you almost home
EB: yeah. dad is dropping me off.
EB: did you finish your surprise?
TG: yes
TG: you better fucking love me for this too because theyre driving me crazy
EB: they're?
TG: yes
TG: so hurry
TG: and get here like
TG: fucking yesterday
TG: or maybe the day before
EB: i'm almost there! :)
-ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 18:47-
As you're placing your phone back in your pocket, you look up to see headlights approaching fast in the distance. Fuck, yes, that's probably John and Daddy Egbert. Not to be a killjoy or anything, but you're pretty sure you never want to be left alone with all these people at the same time again. Hell, just talking to Dirk and Rose for more than a few minutes has effectively messed your brain up to the point where if you tried to rap right now, nothing but smoke and possibly your immortal soul would come out of your mouth. Okay, maybe that's extreme.
But then again, maybe not.
The car turns toward your apartment complex, and yeah, that's definitely them. You hurriedly turn and make your way back inside, and everyone looks up at you- which is creepy- and you point to the door.
"John's here," you say, "so let's go ahead and surprise the pants off him, 'cause that'll make my night easier. Like, you have no idea."
"Strider, I don't think any of us have the desire to hear about your fruity rumpus fest with Egbert," Karkat hisses from the kitchen, turned to look at you over his shoulder while Sollux looks between the two of you fondly. "For the sake of my goddamn sanity, all of our pants will be kept on in my presence, or I'll viciously attack you like an equestrian muscle-beast."
"Horses, Vantas, they're called horses," you say, waving him off to make your way to the door. "Now be quiet, if you people are even capable of it. I'm gonna collect the nerd we're here to woo."
As you make your way to the door, you dodge a smuppet, thrown by lord knows who, and hurry outside to greet your little Egbert, who looks more than frazzled as he talks to his dad through the open car window. You manage to hear bits and pieces of the conversation.
"Yes, Dad, I'll try to see you again before we move," John's saying, running a hand through his hair- a sign he's nervous about something.
"Please do, son. I'll miss you very much when you're gone. It took me a long time to get used to you not being in the same house as me anymore, much less the same state. I worry, is all."
You walk up to the car and swing an arm around John's shoulders, holding your hand out to fist bump his dad, who still looks at you as oddly now as he did the first time you did it.
"Dave," John breathes, the relief evident in his voice. "I almost forgot you were waiting on me."
"Waiting for what?" his dad asks, and you immediately understand what John is trying to get you to do.
"Uh, yeah, man. I've got a surprise for my little graduate inside. You can stick around though, Mr- uh, Dad. The more the merrier, right?" John gives you a discreet shove in the side, and you swat his hand away.
"Oh, no, I've got a meeting in a few hours. I might be late as it is, so I suppose I should be going."
"Dad…it's really late for you to be working. Don't you think you should…slow down a bit?" John says, worry in his tone. "You're not driving out of town again, right?"
"No, it's a meeting online. I think I've mastered the webcam, but who knows?" his dad laughs. "And don't worry about me, John, I've got a few good years of work left in me." John leans in the car window to hug him around the neck, and then Daddy Egbert is putting the car in reverse, waving to you both. "Call me before you move. We can meet for dinner or something."
"Sure thing," you say, hand up in a wave. "Be careful."
"Love you, Dad!"
And then the car is driving away, and John flops against you with a whine.
"Ugh, Dave, no more. No more, no more, no more."
"Care to elaborate, Egderp?"
"He spent all dinner talking about Mom, and how much he'll miss me, and…no leaving me alone with him anymore, because if you do, we'll end up moving into his house with him, because I can't tell my dad no. I just can't. Moving is gonna be hard enough without worrying about his wellbeing the whole time, and I'm gonna have to Skype with him all the time, because…bluh. Sorry, I'm rambling, I know. I'm sorry."
You grin at him, pulling him into your chest and swaying on your feet to rock him side to side. This is his favorite thing you do to calm him down, he's said before, so you make sure to hold him extra tight. He goes limp in your hold, humming contently.
"No worries, John," you say in his ear. "We'll call him every few minutes if it makes you happy. I know you guys are crazy close, and it's no bother for me to fly him out to stay with us as much as you want him to."
"Why are you so awesome?" John mumbles. "You always know what to say."
"Yeah, well, I have my own selfish reasons for agreeing to not leave you alone with your dad, because there are a shit ton of people you're not ever allowed to leave me alone with again."
"Huh?" He pulls away from you, blue eyes scrutinizing your expression. He's a pro at reading your face now, even behind your shades.
"Close your eyes, Egbert. 'S time to give you your present," you say, putting your hands under his glasses, but over his eyes, taking extra care not to let his precious frames slip off his face. He makes an excited squeal in his throat, and okay, that was probably the cutest thing he's done in a while, you think. Top ten, at least. You navigate him toward the apartment, and open the door for him right before he runs into it. You're not that mean. Everyone is standing by the door now, and Jade looks as though she's about to bust.
"C'mon, Dave," John whines. "Just tell me what it is already!"
"Fine, you whiny brat," you say, removing your hands from his face John's eyes are open for all of two seconds before Jade fiercely tackles him to the ground, and you walk around them to get out of the way. You are mean enough to let him get bombarded. It's only fair, since you had dealt with it earlier.
"Jade? Oh, fuck, Jade!" John deadpans, face slowly stretching into his breathtaking smile as his arms wrap around her and they roll on the ground.
"It's so good to meet you! I've waited forever to hug you, John! You're even cuter in person!" Jade giggles, pulling back and offering her hand to help him up. He takes it excitedly, eyes roaming around the room.
"Rose!" he says, rushing forward to gather her in an equally strong hug, though she doesn't handle it as well as Jade did. She makes a startled noise as he squeezes her tightly, and then laughs as he puts her back down on the ground. "You guys look great!"
"As do you, John. This is Kanaya," Rose says, motioning to her tall girlfriend. John hugs her too, obviously in hug mode by this point, and she laughs lightly before hugging him back.
"And you're Dirk, aren't you?" John asks, observing your older brother. "I've never seen pictures, but you look a lot like Dave."
"Strider is an impossible gene to differentiate from," Dirk says, reaching out to ruffle John's mess of hair. "We all ooze suave and ironic pheromones. Well, except for Dave."
"Fuck you, bro," you call. And now comes the part you've been dreading immensely. This is where John is going to meet his soul mate in the name of all things geeky and un-ironic.
"So you must be Jake then!"
"Indeed! It's absolutely thrilling to meet you, John!" And then the two of them wrap in an embrace so tight, you can't even tell them apart. Dirk's eyebrows are as high as yours are by the time they part, already in a conversation about something no one else will be able to follow. John pulls away from Jake long enough to pull you down for a kiss, his arms around your neck.
"No, really, you're the best," he says, kissing you a few more times, which you're all too happy to reciprocate. "The best is you."
"I told you, bro. You never believed me all that time ago, but I told you. My mess is the best."
"Gag me with a fucking curtain rod, will you two go somewhere else with that shit?" Karkat says, and John smiles up at him as if just realizing he was there.
"You're just jealous that Sollux never kisses you in public, Karkitty," you say, noting the blush that creeps across the store manager's face.
"That is a completely untrue solicitation, Strider!" he spits.
"Mr. Strider to you."
"Fuck you and the ditch you congealed from!"
"Isn't this language rather crass to use in the company of ladies?" Jake asks, shooting Karkat a meaningful look. Karkat opens his mouth to respond, but then is interrupted by Gamzee walking in from the balcony outside, pushing a wheelchair with the guy Sollux hired to help run his forums sitting soundly in it. His name is Tavros, you think. They both look around.
"Well, shit. You motherfuckers could've up and warned a brother that John was here," Gamzee says, stalking his lanky body forward to wrap John in a tight embrace. "We've been waiting for you, my man." He reeks of weed, but that's really more of his natural smell now. You can't help but notice Tavros smells just as contaminated, and by the red rims around both their eyes, you know they're both high as hell. John doesn't seem to care though, as he hugs them both, all smiles. He's only ever been high with them once- and it's a night you'll never forget.
You agreed to smoke with Gamzee and Sollux a few months ago. John had given you a disapproving look, obviously lumping marijuana in with all the various infamous narcotics he's likely heard about in class, and sat on the couch as you all gathered around the coffee table to take turns hitting a bong. By your third hit, you were already pretty baked, and John was looking at you like he was half scared, which made you burst out laughing for some reason. Finally, you and Gamzee convinced him to take a hit, because once he started medical school he wouldn't be able to anymore, and he took it as a sort of dare. So with a defiant look on his face, he inhaled sharply, which was a huge fucking mistake, and immediately went into a coughing fit for at least ten minutes. Whether it was the strength of Gamzee's stash, the fact that it was his first time smoking anything, or the lack of oxygen in his brain from coughing so long, you aren't sure which, but John emerged from the fit with a huge smile, and immediately asked if he could try again. By the end of his third hit, he was completely gone, and you remember how the four of you had a very deep conversation about space. And potato chips. Yeah, that's what you remember, at least. Or maybe potato chips never actually came up, and you were all just thinking about them.
After that night, John said he didn't want to smoke anymore, because even if it was fun for him at first, he still had a bad case of paranoia, and ended up hiding behind the couch, fully convinced a police officer was going to follow the smell of smoke and arrest all of you. Sollux had pulled up an app on his phone that made different sound effects, and played a police siren, and you'd never seen John bolt from a room so fast. You'd found him under your bed, curled in a fetal position and apologizing to Jesus. So yeah, he doesn't smoke anymore.
The party goes on for a few hours, and everyone seems to get along way more than you thought. Even Karkat acts pretty well behaved after a few drinks. You've kept constant watch over John's alcohol intake, because even two years later, he's still a complete lightweight, and drunk John is not someone you want to deal with tonight, especially with Jake in the same room, as the two of them appear to be equally cuddly. You end up on the couch, crammed with Dirk to your left and Rose to your right, and shit, how did you let this happen? Kanaya is conversing with Jade about something, and John is sitting at the kitchen table, sitting so close to Jake that their knees are touching, and their heads are together so you can't tell what they're saying. Gamzee, Sollux, Karkat and Tavros are all outside on the balcony, and dear sweet troll Jesus, you're left alone with your two worst nightmares.
"When are you and John making the big move again?" Rose asks. She's been surprisingly docile tonight, and you're grateful for that, but aren't letting your guard down just yet.
"Few weeks," you say. "We've got a lot to do around here before we can split."
"It sounds exciting," Rose says, "but it leaves me with ill-fated skepticism about Hollywood's lack of creativity if they're making your…comics into a movie." Dirk laughs outright, and you shoot her a glare.
"It's not my fault you don't appreciate my genius," you huff, eyes panning over to John again, silently begging him to come save you. "It's gonna be a huge deal."
"Yeah, people like the idea of absolute bullshit in movies," Dirk says to Rose, the two of them obviously getting off on this. "It's easier for the idiots to follow."
"Yeah, well, then your husband ought to love them."
"Most likely. But he likes every movie he's ever seen, so that's not saying much."
"You know, how about some fucking congratulations or something?" you say, sinking into the cushions. "It's not like either of you have ever made a movie!"
"I have too," Dirk says. "I make them all the time."
"Puppet porn doesn't fucking count."
"It's hardly porn. It's art. And my reviews beg to differ."
"I've actually been very interested in your puppets since the day Dave first whined to me about them," Rose says, leaning over you to talk to your bro, obviously about to dissect his twisted mind with her tentacle therapy. Better him than you though, for real.
"So glad you've taken an interest-" and he's off, explaining the finer details of smuppets, filming, computer programming, and ponies, for some obscene reason. You've never gotten over your brother's keen interest in Rainbow Dash, but Rose seems to latch onto that one quickly. Sighing, you stand up from the cushions, and make your way outside to see what the hell these guys are doing. And go figure, they're all passing a pipe back and forth between themselves. Sollux looks up at you.
"You want a hit?" he asks, grinning behind his novelty 3D glasses, and you know he's already baked. You nod, reaching for it, eyes settling on Sollux and Karkat.
"So what's the fucking deal with you two anyway?" you ask, lifting the lighter. "Are you an item, or still being purchased separately?" Karkat sputters while you light the end of the pipe, inhaling a steady stream of smoke.
"None of your goddamn business!"
"Yes, we're dating," Sollux offers, and Karkat directs a punch to his shoulder. Sollux merely shrugs, reaching out for the pipe again. "No reason to be so hostile, KK."
"You're one to talk, you bipolar fuck. Who's the one who punched a hole in my wall a week ago? Hmm? Oh, right, that was you, wearing the same stupid 3D glasses you're wearing now. Do you know how ridiculous those make you look? Just by the way."
Sollux sighs, leaning back on his hands after he passes the pipe to Gamzee. "It's not like your place wasn't full of holes because of Gamzee's crazy ass anyway. Besides, my glasses are awesome, okay."
"I didn't make all those motherfuckin' holes," Gamzee says. "Some of them were made courtesy of Karbro."
"Fuck you, Makara. That's not even true."
"I swear to the mirthful subjugglators, my righteously in denial brother."
Tavros giggles as Gamzee passes the pipe up to him, and maybe it's the lack of filter weed gives you, but you find yourself asking a question you've wanted to ask for a while.
"So why are you in a wheelchair, Tav?"
If it was anyone else, you're sure it would've been taken offensively, but Tavros is wearing a smile when he answers you, obviously not the slightest bit taken aback.
"When I was ten, I climbed a tree and fell out of it," he says. "I even tried flapping my arms so I could fly, but obviously ten is the cutoff age for pixie dust."
"Pixie dust?"
"Faith, trust, and pixie dust!" he grins, moving his arm in the air. "Like Peter Pan? I wish I could've flown like him just once. Pchooo!" his arm moves through the air again as he passes the pipe back to you. "But it's cool. My life doesn't have to end just because I don't have legs anymore."
"Well, of course not. It's not like you lost your brain or some shit," Karkat hisses, and Sollux grins at him.
"That's his way of being supportive, I think."
"So, Dave," Tavros says as you pass the pipe back to Sollux, "what are you going to do with your free time now that you're leaving all of us here?"
"I'm not leaving you here. You have a few months to get your shit together, and then you're all coming too," you say, exhaling the smoke you were holding in. "It's not like we're just regular friends here. We run a business, and it's kinda verging on the most ironic empire known to man. We gotta keep the ball rolling, in case this movie thing doesn't work out. I mean, it will, but you know. Can't have just one iron in the fire."
"I'm running the main goddamn branch of the store here," Karkat says. "I can't just leave."
"You can just as easily open one in California. Hell, we have enough of them up here. Just leave the store to someone you trust while you build the new one, no sweat."
"And why should we have to derail our entire lives just because you said so?"
"Because y'all hitched your wagon to mine a long time ago, and I'm technically everyone's boss, so that kinda gives me tons of authority. Like, I can't even begin to tell you how much you owe me, Karkitty. But if you're interested, I can turn it into a rap for you."
"Fuck you and your half-assed raps, Strider. If your movie fails, I'm going to be the first person there to bust your balls about it, because you're overdue to be knocked down a few pegs."
"Damn, dude. It's like you don't love me anymore."
"Your mother."
"Ugh, can't we drop the motherfuckin' hostility here? I'm trying to get my mellow on and you guys are making it all impossible."
You look up to see Gamzee sitting in Tavros's lap, both of them lounging in the wheelchair like it's a recliner. You grin at them, finally feeling pretty calm due to the smoke in your system, and decide to make your way back inside.
"Yeah, yeah, just remember what I said. You assholes have three months," you say over your shoulder, dodging the empty beer can Karkat throws at you. Damn, people seem to have a thing for throwing shit at you tonight. Everyone inside is still absorbed in side conversations, but it looks like Kanaya and Jade have joined Rose and Dirk on the couch, and they're probably all talking about you like the sadistic bastards they are. You make your way over to John, flopping in the empty chair on his other side, and putting your head down on the table.
"You okay, Dave?" he asks, hand moving to thread through your hair. You hum in acknowledgement, scooting your chair closer to his. You hear Jake laughing across from you.
"My, my, he is similar to Dirk! Should I also assume he likes to spend time in a 'studio' filled with energy drinks and odd little gadgets?"
"Whoa, yeah, Dave does that all the time!"
"So does Dirk!"
"Uugggghhhhhhhhhhh," you groan, banging your head on the table. John laughs above you, petting your hair again.
"Okay, okay, no more comparisons," he says. "They make him uncomfortable."
"Oh, Dirk is the same way."
And just like that, you curl in on yourself and will your body to die. You don't remember closing your eyes, but you remember opening them to see John embraced with Jake again.
"Yeah, I think everyone is staying in town a few days. You guys are sure you don't need to crash here?" John asks.
"Oh, no, Dirk made certain to book our hotel room before we even agreed to come. He's very meticulous about these things, you see," Jake grins. "We simply must spend the day together one day while we're in town! You can help show us around your charming city! Won't that be marvelous, Dirk?"
"Uh, yeah, why don't you guys wait until Dave is actually conscious to participate in the conversation? You can talk to him tomorrow, pumpkin." You inwardly cringe at the nickname Dirk gave Jake a long time ago, and hold your breath until you hear them parting ways and the door closing behind them.
"Finally!" you say, sitting up and stretching. John looks over at you incredulously, an eyebrow arched above his glasses.
"Were you faking being asleep so you wouldn't have to socialize?" he grins.
"No. The sleep was real. But you were right about the waiting to leave part. And for the record, we are not spending any day together in the fucking pumpkin patch. I'd sooner eat dirt."
"Well, you actually owe me a day of socializing again, since you smoked a cigarette and snuck outside to share some 'motherfuckin' herb in the most righteous of circles'."
"…Goddammit, Gamzee," you hiss under your breath. "Don't I get brownie points for the party I threw you?" He smiles again, walking toward you and sitting on your lap.
"Maybe. I might be willing to reward you for sitting through a party for me, since I know you hate socializing."
"What kind of reward?" you ask as he reaches for your shades, pulling them off your face.
"The kind that doesn't need sunglasses…or much else on, for that matter."
"Fucking swoon."
He smiles against your lips before pressing his to yours fully, and you waste no time opening your mouth for him. He groans inside your mouth as your hands move to his upper thighs, kneading his skin through the material of his jeans.
"Mmm, I've waited all day for this," he whispers, reaching up to pull his glasses from his face and set them next to yours on the table. "It's like we've been apart forever."
"We're not ever doing that shit again," you agree, lifting him in your arms and carrying him toward the bedroom. "When you graduate medical school, I'll just walk up there for you and grab the diploma. They won't care."
"Pretty sure they would," he giggles as you toss him on the bed, crawling over him to look him in the eyes. "You look really hot right now," he says, voice lowering to a husky tone. You smirk at him before reaching down and pulling his shirt up to his navel, him taking the hint and raising his arms for you. You're pretty sure it's now or never.
"So, hey," you say quietly, and he blinks owlishly up at you. "I got you another present."
"Dave, really? You've done enough for me today!" he protests, but you reach in your pocket and pull out his last surprise, holding it firmly in your fist so he can't see it. He's looking up at you imploringly, but you can't find the right words, so you settle for just handing it to him. He's speechless for a moment.
"You…got me a Ring Pop?"
"A blue one."
His eyes grow wide, a smile slowly stretching across his face. "A fucking blue one."
"It's pretty accepted in California," you say so he knows you're serious. "So, you know, we can get another ring after you eat that one. Or just get a real one. Whatever you want, really. Uh, if you even wanna say yes, that is. If you don't, that's cool, I guess."
He's unwrapping it hurriedly, putting it on his pinky finger, but it still won't go all the way down. He's grinning up at you, eyes shining with tears, and he nods excitedly, pulling you back down to his mouth and helping you remove the rest of your clothes, and you his.
The sex is even better than normal, both of you focused on making it last rather than losing yourself in animalistic passion. You're carefully moving inside him, eyes locked with his and hands gripping his. His head rolls to the side, mouth opening wide as he cries out softly, inner walls clamping down on you and driving you closer to the edge as he releases first.
"Dave! Da-aaahhh…" His legs tremble around your waist, and the sight of him, completely spent and quietly whimpering your name, ridiculous candy ring on his left pinky finger to uphold the promise the two of you made years ago; it has you burying your face in his neck as you finish, releasing inside of him, riding out the pleasure slowly against him. You finally collapse on top of him, kissing every part of him you can reach.
And as he rolls next to you, a smile on his face and tears still fresh in his eyes, you think back to his speech from earlier that day. He had said it was okay to be afraid of the future, because there would always be people who cared enough to stay through the screw ups. You think of everyone who came all the way here just because you asked them to, and because they loved John enough to make the trip. You think of all your friends who will follow you to California, and would have done so even if you didn't pretend to bully them into it. You think of all the unknown things you're moving towards: whether or not your movie will make it, whether or not you will make it…
John leans in to kiss you, and you think of the last time things were so uncertain, when you moved all the way across the goddamn country to be with him, and it was the best thing you've ever done in your life. You bring his hand to your mouth and kiss the stupid candy ring, and he laughs when you lick it playfully.
Yeah, the unknown is okay, you decide. Because John will be there for you whether or not you screw up.
And that's more than enough for you.
[I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you. Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you. I've seen the waters that make your eyes shine, Now I'm shining too. Because, oh, because I've fallen quite hard over you. If I didn't know you, I'd rather not know. If I couldn't have you, I'd rather be alone. I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much. All of the while, I never knew. I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much. All of the while, I never knew. All of the while, all of the while, it was you.]
Sachi: BLAM, PLAYAS! We're done with this one! I hope to see you all again in my next story, whenever I get around to writing it! You guys all made me feel very welcome in a new fandom, and I thank you. It was super fun! Review for ultra love, yo. ULTRA LOVE.