Chapter Text
==> Be Dave Strider
Your name is Dave Strider and this is the first Christmas you get to celebrate with all of your friends. Including the guardians and excluding bro. We don't talk about bro.
Right now you are siting at the Christmas table next to john and rose and everything has been going well. Just food and happy people and warmth coming from the stove and laughter all in a tiny cozy room.
Mom kicked the door open and entered the room with some bottles in both her hands.
"Who wants home made tuica!" She basically yelled in excitement.
"Mr. Egbert? Please dare!" She says while she poured some in a shot with out waiting for an answer.
"Well thank you Ms. Lalonde!"
"No problem! Mr. Harley? Want some?" She says with a big smile.
"Ha ha! Well of course!"
"Made by me by the way! Tell me how it tastes!" She's just happy to share her beverage with the others how sweet. She just takes a sit and starts talking about the political state of the country at the moment with the adults sometimes Rose and Dirk aging their own opinions.
This might seem weird but your family was never afraid to talk about politics well of course not in public and never with anyone else but we all trust each other that what we discussed remains just between us. And now that the dictator got executed earlier today everything just feels different but at the same time not. Was that really it?
"Hey Dave can you give get us some pickles?" asked Roxy with her mouth full of food.
"Sure" you get up from your seat to leave and John immediately follows you.
"I coming too!"
"Yeah, who expected other wise? Who is going to be there to save from the monsters? Who else can be there to guide me through the darkness that the basement holds, you're like a light guiding me through the void that is my life. Egbert I don't think there could possibly be anybody I would like to get pickels from the basement with more then you. You are the one I want to go get pickles all my life."
There is a short pause. He doesn't say anything he just rolls his eyes.
"Tsk, yes Strider, there is nothing I want to do more in life than that, especially with you."
"Can you too just get that god damn pickle jar?" Asked, again, Roxy.
"Let's go Egbert."
So they do.
To get to the basement you have to go outside to the back of the house where the kitchen supposedly is and right at the entrance to the right there is a door that leads to the destination.
John takes his jacket before going outside which you don't understand but you can't judge either.
"Dude your balls are gonna freeze out there, put something on."
"Nah we won't be staying long we're just getting something that's it. We're back in a minute. No reason to take longer."
" Yes, and the next day I'm going to be next to your bed feeding you soup."
"So, you would do that for me?"
"I mean do I even have a choice?"
You silently laugh.
"Aw come on let's just go"
He smacked your back and you don't waste more time.
The cold winter air hits you both out of the sudden but you keep moving, John closing the door behind you.
Outside is snowing and the only source of light out there is the moon, and you are nobody to complain yet again.
Your friend John now walks right besides you and you just can't help but stare at his face that you can slowly start seeing it better with your eyes adjusting to the dark.
His cheeks and nose are all red out because of the cold and his hair got "ruined" by the wind making it messy but it just makes him cuter. And his face in the moonlight- Jesus WAKE UP STRIDER. YOU ARE NOT A BOYKISSER.WAIT WJAT IF HE SAW YOU STARING. Calm. Stay calm. And you aren't even wearing your god damn sunglasses fuuuuck.
God how can you look at John and say that he's cute that is not what a man that is attracted to woman would think. What is wrong with you. Genuinely. You push that tough away because you already feel sick.
" Dave, is this where the basement is suppose to be? I'm sorry but I can't see shit and I don't know how we're supposed-"
You immediately take two candles and light them up with matches.
You already know this place like the palm of your hand but it's better like that.
"Yes it is. Stay behind me"
"Hey I tough I was supposed to be your light!" He jokes
"Sorry Egbert, gods plan. You're more like a windy guy you know what I mean?"
"I was joking but no I don't know what you mean"
"Like, you're free like the wind." What are you even talking about. "Forget it."
You open the door to the basement and slowly walk down the stairs.
"No I think that's cool! Like actually cool, you're onto something!"
"Oh but I thought Strider is sooooo uncool. And he talks too much nonsense. Aaaaand-"
"Come on, you know I am always listening to you no matter what. We talked about that."
"Yes we did and yes I know-"
A wind blows your candles.
"Egbert do you perchance have a house on a slope?"
"I'm sorryyyyy! I forgot to close the door "
"I see. Just be careful where you step bro. I am warning you, these stairs are tricky."
"Ohh really?"
Trust me bro, I know-"
John then proceeds to miss a step which is enough for him to fall directly on your back that causing you to fall down those stairs face first. Goddammit why does it keep happening.
"shiiiiit."
" Dave are you ok?"
Yeah you would be is he would just get up because right now you're being toped by that dork and he is heavier then you thought. He's basically just laying on top of while your face is pressed by the cold cement. You're kind of glad that no one can see your face now.
"get off."
"Oh yeah, sorry!"
...
What is Egbert waiting for? Why is he not moving? Why are you not moving? You could just push him off, right?
==> John, get off Dave
You waste no second and get off Dave immediately!
You can't see shit with out any source of light so you wait for Dave to get up so you can leach into him and follow him since he appears to know where he's going.
You take a grip on his forearm and he just walks. No comments. Just silence-
"Hey, you wanna get drunk?"
"What."
Genuinely what could have strike in striders head in order to say that. No ofc course you don't want to get drunk!
"No? Let's just get the pickles and leave?"
"...."
Oh fuck his ass.
"..."
None of you move. You at least think so.
"Ok, that's fine-"
"Oh damn you Srider. Tell me what you have."
" Ok so we have vodka... Some more tuica some red wine..."
"How do you even know if you can't see"
" I just know dude. I just cool like that."
"...Ok. I don't understand why can't we just do what we were asked to?"
"Hey if you don't want to drink that is fine dude."
Who are kidding? Of course you want to drink when did you ever turn the opportunity down? What could possibly happen? You get sleepy when drunk so worst case, which it's not even that bad, you will fall asleep at the dinner table. You don't know about Dave though.
"No, I want to!"
" Why are you suddenly enthusiastic about this?" He laughs.
"No reason I just think this is kind of ridiculous, but sure I'll drink here with you. Fuck those pickles!"
"Cool so... what do we want?"
"What about vodka?"
"Nice..."
You just stare at nothing because there is nothing to see and say nothing because there in nothing to say. At the moment.
"What if we mix stuff up?" Dave brakes the silence.
"What do you mean?"
Do you really want to know what he means?
"Like mixing compote with vodka. How does it sound?"
"Uhhhh... do people here do that?"
"mixing alcohol with compote? Nope, from what I know and least."
"Mh ok... have you at least tried it before?"
"Nope."
You can hear him walking away. You don't follow him this time.
You don't really understand why suddenly he wants to get drunk. Did he plan this? Was that his part of a plan? What plan? He didn't even know you were going with him to get fucking pickles. Oh man poor Roxy waiting for her delivery... little did she know... She would probably come here to get them pickles so why not-
Somone touches your shoulder firmly and you flinch. God dammit Dave why do you always have to be so unpredictable? You basically hear nothing from him. Not even his steps and even though you were busy having an inner monologue you still paid attention to your surroundings. At least as much as you could at this point.
"Ok, wanna go outside?"
"Why?"
"I know a nice place."
"Dave i know where you wanna go. No. You go there if you wanna admire the view while smoking or something like that."
"Yeah well I see nothing wrong with getting drunk on a cliff"
"Well maybe it's time to clean those glasses?"
"Not even wearing then right now."
"Maybe thats the problem. You need the awesome ironic glasses that I gave you so you can think straight.
"Yeah."
He grabs you shoulder and you both sit down in some corner where was mostly covered by boxes.
"Nobody can see us here." Dave reassures. But you don't think that's reassuring it more kind of concerning.
"That something."
"Cherry or peach"
"Cherry"
He opens the lid to the jar and gives it to you.
"There. Tell me when to stop."
"How am I supposed to know?!" You're a bit frustrated at him.
"Idk nan just tell me when to stop."
He opens the bottle but before he can pure a droplet in your computer you grab his wrist.
"Stop."
And he does. He looks at you whit that dumb face like always does. Like that is the only face expesion he can make. Sometimes it annoys you.
He get away from your grip and from what you can see he seems to just take the whole bottle in his mouth. Ok that sounds wrong.
"What are you doing?!"
"You should have told me from the start. I don't want to push you into drinking so thank you for stopping me."
"I don't think you should drink it straight up. That's a lot."
==> Dave, regret your decision
You took a sip out of that vodka that John just refused. Well a sip is kindly said. But that doesn't matter. Why did John play along so far? Why did YOU? What were or are you trying to achieve right know? It was just a thought you said out loud and played along with us so far. Heck even now.
You try not to have a reaction after that shot but it's really hard and you can feel Egbert's eyes on you.
"What are you doing?!"
Fucking Egbert why didn't you stop me? Why didn't you tell me that I was being stupid. STUPIKKKDDD. Should have just get them pickles! But it's not his responsibility to take care of you or to tell you when you're acting like an idiot.
"You should have told me from the start. I don't want to push you into drinking so thank you for stopping me."
He ignores what you said instead he gives you a concerning look. And you look like you disappointed him in a way but after all you are not even an alcoholic. That doesn't run in the Srider genes.
"I don't think you should drink it straight up. That's a lot."
This time you ignore his comment and take an other shot.
Fuck this. You really cant go back might as well just enjoy it.