Work Text:
Dave Strider lounged in his corner of the shared apartment, located just outside the downtown district of the city and a short walk from the university. It was the ideal spot, and he and his roommates had quickly made themselves at home, personalizing their spaces. Dave, for his part, had plastic decals of record disks adorning the walls, a not too shabby record collection taking up the entirety of a narrow but tall bookshelf, and a soft and warm red comforter draped over the back of the orange armchair he was currently occupying.
Dave breathed a sigh and looked out the white curtained window at the busy street below, wondering if he might spot John on the hunt for a nearby liquor store for something to christen the new apartment, Rose in tow to ensure he picked something of quality. He was alone for the time being, and rather enjoying it to be honest. But it was a little quiet.
He scanned the room, looking for something to do: a collection of classic movies was spread on the floor, but he wasn't allowed to touch those; there was a sci-fi novel bookmarked by another, smaller book about gardening, but he was never one for reading; a stack of CDs were on the side table next to a purple player oh yes this looks promising.
Dave stood and moved over to the table, picking up all the CDs at once and fanning them out like a deck of cards. He scanned the titles, pulling certain ones out and laying them back on the table until he only had one left in his hand. He popped open the case and carefully inserted the disk into the player, hit play, and stepped back to let the sound wash over him.
...
Jade Harley marched up the stairs, arms weighed down by innumerable grocery bags. She smiled at all the people she passed heading down until she arrived at her floor. She quickly skipped as best she could to her door, dropped the bags on the floor and began to rummage in the pocket of her skirt for her key. As she stuck it in the keyhole, she suddenly realized she could hear classical music playing.
Rose must be home!
Grinning from ear to ear, Jade hurriedly unlocked the door and shuffled herself and her grocery bags inside, depositing them once again as soon as she was past the landing. She popped her head around the corner to greet Rose when an unexpected sight stopped her dead in her tracks.
That wasn't Rose, playing the music. That was Dave.
Jade stared with her mouth wide open at the sight of Dave lounging across the orange armchair, waving his hand around in the air like a pretend conductor and one foot bouncing in time. It wasn't until she burst out laughing that Dave noticed her, sitting up to a dead halt so suddenly his shades slid down to the end of his nose. His red eyes, framed only by white feather lashes now, were wide as they regarded Jade, who stared back with a surprised expression of her own. The song continued to play in the background.
"Dave?" Jade giggled again. "Why are you dancing to Rose's classical music?"
Dave shoved his shades back up in place. "I don't know what you're talking about."
“Liar.” Jade grinned absentmindedly as she listened to the music. "It's very beautiful," she commented, enjoying the strings and the piano.
Dave nodded slowly in agreement. "Mozart's piano concerto number seventeen is one of my favourites."
Jade raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah," Dave spoke slowly, as if he himself was surprised he was admitting this. "I really like classical stuff, the way the sound crescendos reminds me of... It makes me think of pulling taffy." He made pulling apart gestures with his hands, separating them further in time with the swells in the music. "The layers of sound too are just awesome. Always tried to mimic them a little in my ill beats, ironic as they were," Jade interrupted him with a laugh, "but nothing stands up to the greats, y'know?"
Jade nodded emphatically, thinking of Einstein and wondering if he was her Mozart. "I just always thought you modelled your music after, like, all those weird bands you like that no one’s heard of but you!"
Dave barked a laugh. "Maybe lyric-wise, but I've always dreamed of creating music that could touch and move people like this stuff does. Completely unironically, of course." He was quiet for a moment, apparently lost in the music.
Jade tuned back in as well, and began to sway. Then she spread her arms wide and spun in a circle, travelling partway around the coffee table and nearly toppled onto Dave, who was smiling softly. Jade grinned. "Dance with me!" she shouted, grabbing Dave by the hand and hauling him up, spinning him around.
"I don't dance," he complained as they held hands and galloped around with the coffee table in the middle. Jade just laughed, and Dave gave in by pulling her in and twirling her under his arm. He placed his left hand on her waist, and she put her right hand on his shoulder, and together they two-stepped around the apartment.
“Whoops,” Dave said with a grin as he dipped Jade down. She gasped, and her grip on his shoulder tightened as she released her head and let her long hair drag along the ground. They stood back up and continued sashaying around the coffee table.
Jade laughed, “You’re good at dancing for someone who doesn’t dance!”
Dave scrunched his nose. “I never said I couldn’t, just that I don’t.”
“Well you should do it more!”
Dave just laughed.
In a final burst of energy, Dave held Jade’s waist with both hands and picked her up off the ground to spin them both around. Jade gasped in delight, and flopped back onto the green couch once her feet touched the floor again; Dave returned to his post in the armchair.
As they caught their breath, the song approached its end, and a voice floated delicately into the room from the still open door.
"Jade? Why are the groceries on the floor out here?" Rose moved fully into the apartment, John trailing behind and holding up a bottle of liquor for Dave to see, as if to say We got the goods! "Dave? And why are the two of you listening to my music?" She smiled slyly. "Miss me while I was gone?"
Dave and Jade just shared a smile.