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your name is dave strider and you're really starting to wish you hadn't gone to this dance.
you're currently standing by the bleachers as kids you know mingle and dance and drink punch that you can practically taste the artificial coloring in. a bit farther away you watch as terezi (one of your closest friends and a girl you kind of have a crush on) and john (one of your closest friends and a guy you definitely have a crush on) flirt with each other by the snack table.
so, yeah. this dance could definitely be going better.
your sister left about half an hour ago with her date, your pretty sure jake and dirk are making out somewhere, roxy didn't even come to the fucking dance which makes absolutely no sense you would've thought that dances would be her thing but no they're not. and now you're sitting here with no one to talk to. watching two of the people you like flirt.
you really don't wanna be here.
you stare for a minute longer before breaking your eyes away and walking out towards the door. this dance was a stupid idea anyway. you didn't even have a date to go with. you just thought you'd make it up as you went- and where did that leave you? walking out of the gymnasium with a half full cup of shitty fruit punch.
stupid. this was stupid.
you walk briskly through the few halls it takes you to get to the entrance and push open the door, letting the cool crisp air hit you. you can still see and hear the party inside, but now you don't have to watch everything that's going on.
as you turn to go sit on the steps or maybe even start walking home you notice someone hunched over and leaning on one of the railings.
you'd recognize that mop of dark hair anywhere.
"short, dark, and miserable today I see?" you ask him, sitting down on the steps besides him.
karkat glances up at you, glaring for a second before sighing. "Yeah, apt description."
"not even gonna insult me? wow. what's got you all knotted up?"
he doesn't answer for a second, and you start to think he isn't going to, but then he sighs and looks up into the dark and stretching night.
"sollux and eridan are in there with their tongues shoved down each other's throats" he spit out the words like a venom, you can hear the bitterness in his tone.
"weren't they arguing earlier?"
he gives you a deadpan sort of look "exactly"
"oh. gross" you swish the shitty punch in your cup. God, you wish someone spiked this. "never got the whole hate sex thing. 'hey check out the sexual tension between my fist and your face' y'know"
he laughs and you score that as a win.
"you're a loser." as he turns to look at you the same on his face almost seems affectionate. his gaze feels softer.
"yeah, but I'm a loser you're stuck with" you grin. his face falls slightly, not in shock or horror but instead realization.
"yeah. yeah I am stuck with you, huh?"
"yep" you lean back, and your faces are maybe a foot apart.
he clears his throat and looks ahead, silence falling over the both of you again. it's uncomfortable, the tension of this weird push and pull you two have locked yourselves in. you want to say something, make him feel better about his shitty night. all the words die on your tongue.
behind you, lights flash and the music blasts.
after a second he turns back to you, letting his arms rest on his legs.
"hey dave?" he asks you quietly, staring through the tinted lenses into your soul. it doesn't feel aggressive though- there isn't his usual fiery passion in the way he's looking at you. it's soft. like he's looking at a particularly pretty glass rose, one that he's afraid to break.
"yeah?"
"can I- see your eyes?"
you pause. hesitant. scared? terrified. what if he thinks your eyes are weird? but what if when you say no he changes his mind about whatever the fuck this is? do you… do you want him to see your eyes?
you realize in that moment that you do. you're not sure you've wanted anything more.
"yeah. yeah go ahead."
his touch is ginger as he reaches up and removes your aviators, taking them off with a delicacy that you wish you weren't focusing on. you want to be anywhere but here. you can't stop staring at him. you're waiting for the other shoe to drop. you don't think it ever will.
you're terrified.
you adore him.
he's staring at you like you're the only thing in the world.
you really want to kiss him.
"your eyes…" he's mumbles, staring at them. you don't think you've ever felt more vulnerable. "they're pretty"
suddenly in one epoch moment you realize he's leaning and you're leaning in and suddenly your hand has found the side of his face and the bright lights are lighting his side and he's so very beautiful.
"yeah?"
"yeah."
you need to stop him. you need to do something before you fuck up and do something you can't cover up with quick wit and irony. before he realizes he was wrong and he hates you.
you can feel his breath on your lips now, and he's all you can focus on. the music from the party is so loud and you can't even hear it. through your half lidded eyes you stare at him as he draws ever closer, hair falling on toned skin and framing his perfect face.
you don't want this moment to end.
he's going to realize he doesn't like you.
you are so so very in love.
finally finally he closes the gap between you two and everything feels right. his lips are soft, unlike your which are chapped as hell. and his skin is warm. so very warm. how hadn't you noticed before?
he's even prettier without your glasses.
the kiss lasts and eternity.
it's over to quickly.
his eyes are shut.
yours are wide open.
you don't think you've ever felt like this before.
you're flying.
you're falling.
you're deeply in love.
after a second he pulls away, eyes wide.
"dave?"
"yeah?"
"did we just-"
"yeah."
he stares at you. you stare at him.
"oh."
“I’ve never-”
“me either”
he stares at you. you open your mouth to say something, then realize you have nothing to say. you don't think you have the words to tell him how you feel. hell, you don't have the words to tell yourself how you feel.
"I uh. . like you. If that wasn't clear."
"yeah me too"
"right." he glances at your lips "do you wanna um-"
"yeah."
"cool."
he leans back in, arms wrapping around your neck. your hands slide down and rest on his waste. this is perfect. he's perfect. you're in love. he likes you. it feels like a dream.
you really hope you don't wake up any time soon.