Work Text:
Dave woke up in a familiar room. The dark wood fan, slowly spinning, contrasted with a brightly colored off-white ceiling. The warm morning light poured in through the windows through a sheer orange curtain and painted the room in a warm glow. There were two identical dark wooden bookshelves on either side of the window, filled with various books and trinkets that he’d recalled being shown several times over before. The orange light shaded them in a complimenting hue, one that he’d noticed carried just as elegantly onto the bed where he lay, along with the man next to him.
Dave had spent the night at Jack’s house. The night was a frenzy, but he’d recalled by the time Dave was about to leave after cleaning up Jack had convinced him to stay as he didn’t think it’d be safe to drive home so late, especially knowing that his house sat on a road where streetlights were more often broken and dull than they were working properly. Plus, his parents would have minded all too much - they considered him part of their family after two years of being together. Dave didn’t hesitate to take the concern to heart, after all, he didn’t mind the excuse to stay overnight with his boyfriend.
He slowly sat up, moving Jack’s arm off of his torso as he silently chanted apologies to the sleeping man, shifting away and sitting next to where Jack was laying on his side facing Dave. He noted how serene he looked, how messy and fluffy his hair looked in the mornings. How he looked almost happy, even in his sleep. Dave smiled at the sight before slowly standing up and lovingly placing the blanket up and over his shoulder.
He rubbed his eyes as he reached for one of the two shirts that lay beside the bedside table, not looking for who it belonged to as he rubbed his eyes open and checked his phone to find, expectedly, several missed messages from Henry.
He’d expected as much.
Dave held the phone in one hand as he threw the shirt over himself, realizing it was Jack’s, and opening him and Henry’s message thread. He felt dread creep up inside him as he read back through their messages, scrolling to the first message he missed that night.
From: Henry
8:17 PM
Are you coming home?
Missed call from Henry
8:43 PM
Hello?
William? Are you there?
9:21 PM
William. Answer me.
9:32 PM
William.
Missed call from Henry
9:36 PM
We will need to talk when you get home. This is ridiculous.
9:41 PM
Answer me.
9:43 PM
Now.
Missed call from Henry
Missed call from Henry
Dave reluctantly hovered his thumb over the dial button, debating whether or not to call Henry back. On one side, calling him back would remove the worry that Henry had. He was very strict about not letting him go as a work partner, though he often seemed to view him more as a father these days with how protective he was (or wasn’t) over the man, even into his adulthood as made evident by being pestered every damn hour about where he was. However, he also knew that would open a whole new conversation. He’d ask where he was, who he was with, what they did, and god forbid he get questioned into him and Jack’s relationship. He didn’t want to know what Henry would think of him if he knew.
Dave slid the phone into the pocket of his battered shorts, adjusting the shirt that was slightly too small on him so it laid correctly, and leaving Jack a gentle kiss on the forehead before making his way to his bedroom door.
He shut the door softly behind him so he didn’t wake up the man still asleep, and quietly walked through the hallway, taking care to avoid floorboards he’d learned to be the ones most likely to creak after so many nights spent trying to leave the house without waking his family up. Jack always laughed at him whenever he’d take a wrong step in the dark, pausing and looking back slowly to see Jack nearly falling over at how stupid he’d looked hunched over and stiff. He almost laughed along with him.
Stepping out past the hallway sat the living room to his left, the couch facing around the TV and sunlight seeping in through thin tan curtains to paint the room a welcoming, bright hue. To his right sat the kitchen and dining room table, of which sat Jack’s mother and older brother, Peter. He’d figured he’d make some conversation, at least enough to let them know that he needed to take a phone call outside.
Dave made his appearance known as he stepped loudly against the tile of the kitchen floor, Jack’s mother being the first to turn to greet him. “Dave, goodness, I didn’t know you were here.” She seemed slightly taken aback by his appearance though not upset. She never minded when he stayed overnight.
“Sorry to scare you,” he laughed. “Jack suggested I stay since by the time we noticed what time it was, it was too dark for me to get home safely.” Dave smiled politely at her.
Peter pointed out the front window near the door towards the driveway, turning his attention up to his mom. “I saw his car in the driveway, I thought I told you.”
Jack’s mother sighed. “I mean, I remember something about a car, but I wasn’t really paying attention.”
Peter rolled his eyes and stared back down to his phone, with Jack’s mother waving a hand politely at Dave. “Well, it’s really no issue. Just make sure your folks know you’re safe, okay?” She turned back to her laptop, with a word document open he’d assumed must have been for one of her University courses. “Stay as long as you need. You’re family.”
Dave smiled, stepping slightly towards the door just behind the kitchen table to the backyard. “I was actually just about to call Henry, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“No, no, go right ahead.” She responded. “Do whatever you need to, and do tell him that we said hi.” She returned to her work, with Dave feeling a sense of dread with the comment.
He would not be telling Henry he was at Jack’s house, much less that he’d gotten friendly with his family. He couldn’t imagine how Henry would react to that information, but he’d known enough about the man to know that he wouldn’t take kindly to him seeing Jack so often.
Dave walked towards the glass backyard doors, opening them as silent as he could and making a small gap to get through before bringing the panel back to its position. The backyard wasn’t exactly quiet, but it was peaceful. Jack’s dad kept the foliage neat and vibrant, gardening being one of his many hobbies. The street near the right side of the fence erupted with the sound of Saturday morning traffic, birds singing their cheery songs. It felt familiar, even if Dave never really had a backyard when he was younger. Henry didn’t let him out of his sight until he’d recently turned 18, certainly not outside as a teen. He thought it was immature, for a 14 year-old to want to visit the park at night after the other kids left. He learned to stop asking. Once the door was fully closed, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened Henry’s contact. He quickly recited the lie he was going to tell in his head before dialing the familiar number and holding the device up to his ear.
After a few moments of dialing, he heard a loud cough from the other end of the line. Henry.
“Hello?” He spoke, flat. He sounded like he just woke up.
“Henry, hi,” Dave shifted uncomfortably as he brought an arm to clutch his bicep for comfort. “Sorry I missed your messages last night.”
Henry took a moment to respond. “Where were you?”
“Out doing stuff.” Dave sighed out.
“No, where were you?”
“Like I said, I was out late.”
“But that doesn’t answer my question. Where were you?”
“God, Henry,” Dave pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “I was with a couple of friends. I’m an adult now, you know.”
“You’re barely an adult. I still want to know where you go, and why the hell you aren’t back in the mornings.” Henry punctuated each word.
“We were out late, I just crashed on someone’s couch.”
“Doing what?”
“Movie. It ended at 12, I was exhausted and couldn’t drive safely.”
“What kind of movie ends at 12? Who were you with?”
“Henry, I’m 18. Please.”
“I need to look out for you. Not like you can do it yourself.”
“I can, you don’t have to interrogate me every time I leave the house.”
Henry was silent.
“I’ll be home at 1, okay?”
“Okay. When you get home, we need to talk about your forced independence.”
Dave felt a sense of dread creep in him as he tried to plead to Henry just before he ended the call, leaving Dave with just the ambient outdoor noises as he tried to understand what just happened.
Henry tended to cross boundaries when it came to him being out late, yet he still wasn’t prepared when the topic came up. He just wanted to get Henry off of his tail about it, though he knew this was less so a once-time slip and more ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’. He’d had more than one incident where he stayed at Jack’s overnight, especially after they had both turned 18, and he knew Henry was growing irritated. He wanted answers Dave didn’t think were safe enough to give him.
Sighing with defeat, he stepped back through the glass doors and into the main kitchen. Peter and his mom were still seated at the table, with only his mother looking up to acknowledge his return. “How did it go?”
Dave falsely smiled, closing his eyes and holding a thumbs up as he shoveled the phone back into his pocket. “All good, he knows I’m okay. And, he says hi too.”
Jack’s mom hummed with approval as she looked back down to her paper, typing furiously. Dave took the opportunity to step back towards the hallway where Jack’s room was, seeing his door still closed as he’d left it when he got up that morning. He looked back towards the kitchen, deciding to grab Jack something before he returned to eat whenever he woke up.
In the kitchen, he reached into the first shelf to the right of the refrigerator for two glasses. Closing the cabinet door, he swung open the left door of the fridge to grab a carton of orange juice and elbowed the door shut as he twisted the cap off and poured each cup 3/4ths full. On the wall adjacent to the fridge, there was a counter with a knife rack and a bowl of fruit. Dave reached over with one hand and grabbed a banana for Jack. He set the banana by the two glasses, opening the fridge door to return the orange juice to its place. With both glasses in hand and fruit in the crook of his arm, he quickly walked back towards Jack’s room.
He opened the door with two outstretched fingers and gently kicked the door open, backing up against it to shut it once more as he observed Jack still asleep.
If he was nothing else, he was a heavy sleeper.
He walked around the end of the bed to set the drinks and fruit on Jack’s bedside table. He pulled his phone out of his pocket before sitting back on the bed, the movement finally waking the man up.
Jack shifted slightly before stretching an arm out, hitting Dave’s thigh and opening his eyes in confusion before staring up at the now-smiling Dave. He smiled in turn.
“Good morning, sportsy.” Dave tilted his head ever so slightly to the side as he stared at a sleepy Jack.
He sat upright in the bed and rubbed his eyes, bringing his knees to his chest. “Good morning.”
“You slept awfully well.”
Jack laughed gently. “Hard not to be tired after last night.” He looked at Dave. “What time is it, anyway?”
Dave sighed out an elongated ‘um’ as he reached for his phone, glancing at the time before setting it down again. “11.”
“Dave, god, you let me sleep until 11?” Jack sounded shocked, playfully nudging his shoulder as he spoke.
“I mean, I brought you breakfast, if that helps my case.” Dave said before reaching over to give Jack the orange juice he’d poured him.
Jack smiled and took the glass in both hands, taking a sip before speaking. “Aw, that actually does. Thank you.” Jack looked at Dave. “But, you’re still on thin ice.”
Dave smiled before reaching over to grab the banana and his orange juice. “Don’t mention it, sportsy.”
The two sat and enjoyed their drinks for a moment before Jack snapped his head back to finish off the glass. “Does Henry know you’re here?”
Dave shifted uncomfortably at the question, not knowing how to explain the situation to Jack without making him worry. That was the last thing he wanted. “No, he thinks I was with some friends to see a movie.”
“Got it,” Jack nodded while he aired out the words. “He hasn’t calmed down at all?”
“Somehow, no. The stick up his ass is wedged too far in, I suppose.”
Jack giggled. “Well, you know you’re safe here, right?”
Dave nodded. “I know.”
“So, what’s the plan for today? Do you want to sit here and play a game, or try to go out and do something?” Jack asked politely, resting his hand on Dave’s thigh as he spoke.
“Well,” Dave spoke as he clutched the back of his neck with the hand opposite of Jack. “I called Henry this morning. I said I’d be home by 1.”
Jack groaned. “Really? But that’s still so early.”
“He seemed really upset this time. Like, last night, there were a whole bunch of messages and missed calls from him. I think he knows I wasn’t at that movie.”
“Do you think he’s catching on?”
Dave shook his head. “I don’t think so, I try not to bring you up often.”
Jack slightly frowned, hearing that he went out of his way to not mention their relationship to Henry. “So you’re certain he knows nothing?”
“I don’t see how he would,” Dave sighed. “He knows I spend a lot of time with you, that part is hard to hide, but I’ve tried my best to keep it a secret.”
“And the best way to do that is to leave with my clothes on?”
“Dude,” Dave lovingly shoved Jack. “Shut up.”
“I’m just saying, Davey. I don’t want you hurt.”
“I’m playing it safe. Okay?”
Jack sighed, moving his hand off of his thigh to hold the empty glass in both hands again. “I hope you’re right.”
Dave kissed the top of his head before grabbing their empty glasses and setting them to the side. “Let’s just enjoy the time we have together before I have to go.”
Jack nodded, tossing the blanket off of his legs and reaching over Dave to grab the remaining shirt on the floor and quickly putting it on. “Fine, I’ll go grab the controllers real quick.” He rolled over and kicked his legs over the side of the bed, standing up before walking towards the door. “Can you make sure the TV is on?”
Dave nodded as he stood up and made his way to the TV on a bench just in front of the foot of the bed. “Yep, I’ve got you, old sport.” He reached under and felt for a button, pressing it and watching the screen light up just as he heard the door close behind Jack.
He knew that the time they spent together before he had to leave was supposed to be a time to prepare. To once again go through his messages and delete all mentions of his relationship, to change Jack’s contact to something not so blatantly pet name-y, and pray Henry didn’t pry in further. It was enough time to make an alibi. But, he’d much prefer to spend the time trying to get his mind off of the hell to follow. He knew that spending time with Jack was probably in both their best interests right now. If nothing else, so Jack didn’t see just how scared he was of Henry, and how ashamed he felt of himself.
-
Dave pulled into Henry’s driveway at 1:07. He felt a sick sense of dread creep up into him as he eased into the breaks, switching the car into park and pressing down on the break as he turned off the car. He grabbed his keys from the front cupholder and his bag out of the passenger seat before slamming the door and taking slow steps up to the rotted wood porch, fumbling with the keyring as he picked out the one for the front door. He set the key in the worn metal lock and twisted as he shoved the door open with the shoulder holding his bag and stepped in. He pressed down on the ‘lock’ button on his key fob before shutting the front door and locking behind him.
The house didn’t look much different from when he left. It still held the same eerie charm to it, it looked almost like a house frozen in time. Henry wasn’t all too keen on interior decoration and hadn’t changed much of the look since the 80s when he bought the damn place, and he could tell. The walls were still a bright green, the dark cabinets and colorful accents tying it into the year. He slipped off his shoes and left them by the doormat before looking up the stairs nearly directly in front of the doorway to see the light off. Curious, he stepped further into the living room to the right of the entrance.
“Henry?” Dave called out, setting his tote bag on top of the sofa as he walked past the room and into the kitchen area. Still nothing. “Henry, are you home?” he called slightly louder as he made his way back to Henry’s office, the door being shut. He slowly stepped up and knocked, trying to press his ear against the gaps in the door to listen for anything. “Henry, please, I’m sorry I’m a little late.” He took his ear away from the door. “Are you home?”
The door to Henry’s office opened suddenly, causing Dave to stumble back. He looked up to see Henry with his reading glasses, a battered dress shirt stained with coffee and graphite draped uncomfortably over his body and pants that always looked to never suit her personality. He had several pencils sticking out of his pocket, some sharpened and some not, and a measuring tape just barely draping out of a pocket on the other side. His glare looked furious, as though he’d been waiting much longer than seven minutes for Dave. “Come in, William. We need to have a chat.” He stepped out of the doorway and flicked on the overhead light, motioning for Dave to follow him inside. Reluctantly, he did.
Henry’s office, following the trend of the rest of the house, hadn’t been changed or decorated in some time. His work station sat against the wall in the dead middle, with shelves housing several well-organized drawers of components and various metal scraps they’d collected over the years. The main desk housed a head he’d assumed the man was currently working on, the metal exoskeleton bright as though it’d just been being worked on. To the left of the bench were rolls of sheet metal, a clear splice taken out of one that he recognized now sat on his table. Dave pointed to the head, smiling. “You’ve been working?”
Henry didn’t follow his tone as he stepped behind Dave and around to his desk to sit in the chair that creaked under his weight. “Yes, I have. Now take a seat, William.” He motioned towards a chair that sat on the opposite side of his desk, Dave nodding before seating himself at the swivel chair he’d grown familiar with after long nights of watching him work on various projects if he’d been allowed.
Dave ran a hand over the now battered arm of the chair. “So, what’s this about?” He looked up at Henry, getting comfortable at his desk.
Henry’s desk lamp was barely bright enough to light Henry’s stern expression. The warm, flickering bulb coursed just enough power through circuits that must’ve been older than he was to illuminate his pursed, dry lips and folded hands over the workbench. Scratches and deep groves into the wooden surface were made apparent by the lighting, and the metal scraps lining them glistened silver and bronze. Henry took a ragged breath in before he spoke up. “Your time away from home lately.”
Dave was barely able to keep himself from rolling his eyes in front of the man. “I’m an adult now.” He responded as he bounced his leg. “I don’t need your permission to go see a movie.”
“You just saw a movie?” Henry inquired with a harsher tone. He cocked his head to the side, and though Dave couldn’t tell if he was staring at him with how the light was faced, he could only imagine the piercing glare being shot at him through the darkness. Dave averted his eyes in turn.
“Yes. We went to see a movie last night.” Dave bounced his leg and looked aimlessly off to the left, eyes meeting with shelves upon shelves of metallic scraps and rubber components.
“Whose shirt are you wearing then?”
Dave looked down at the shirt, pulling gently at the ends of it to get a better look at the design. It was a band shirt for Queen, Jack’s favorite band. He’d forgotten to switch out their shirts.
Fuck, he thought to himself.
“Mine got messed up, someone lended me theirs.” Dave came up with a quick lie on the spot to get Henry off of him. He’d become rather good at that after nearly two years of lying to Henry about his relationship with Jack.
Henry sighed, bringing his hands off of the table as he leaned his elbows down and held his head in his hands, his greying black hair on display under the lamp. “You often come back with someone else’s shirt.”
“Not often, at most twice now. I spilled something on myself, it was a late night.” Dave turned back to face Henry.
“Often enough to raise concern. You’re not seeing anyone, are you?” Henry asked.
Dave forced a laugh. “Oh, c’mon, me? Henry, no.” He flicked his hand dismissively as he leaned back in the chair, the old backrest creaking under the new weight. He was still bouncing his leg and picking at something on his arm nervously, but he kept a good hold over his tone. He forced mocking laughter as Henry sat back up, Dave’s smile slowly diminishing as he moved.
He sighed, placing both hands on the workbench and rubbing his thumb over a particularly deep groove in the surface. “You’re not seeing Jack?”
Dave nearly had to beg his reflexes to calm down as he tried to remain speaking with a steady tone, arms limp so the shaking was less visible under the sole lamp in the room, acting nearly as a spotlight on him. “I mean, he was there if that’s what you mean.”
“No, William,” Henry let out an airy breath as he spoke. “I mean as in dating. You two aren’t together, are you?”
“Why would you even think that?” Dave spat before he could register his own response.
Henry paused. “You go to his house a little more than just often, and yet you never bring him here. Why is that?”
He tried to laugh it off. “Because our house looks like shit. Have you decorated since the Cold War?”
“Answer honestly, William.” Henry began to sound irritated with him by this point, keeping his responses short and Dave could swear he saw his eye just barely twitching.
“There just isn’t much to do here.” Dave responded short, still bouncing his leg and crossing his arms as he stared at Henry. “We live at least 15 minutes away from anything interesting.”
“And that’s why you disappear to his house for days at a time?”
“I just enjoy getting out of the house.”
“The only way to do that is to vanish for half a week?”
“It was just overnight this time, Henry.”
“And I’m supposed to believe the man you spend the night with so much is a friend?”
“I don’t like him like that. It isn’t like that.”
“Honestly.”
Dave paused. “I’m being honest.”
“Are you sure?” Henry adjusted in his chair, leaning back. “Because I have a sneaking suspicion you are avoiding taking him here for different reasons.”
“Well, you tell me.” Dave spoke. “What do you think is going on, I’m hiding him from you? I’ve talked about him plenty, as well as my other friends. You’ve met them all. Jack is one of my friends.”
“There is no use in making both of us wait here.”
“Henry, what do you even want me to say?” Dave spat, sitting up in his chair and leaning forward onto his arms, hunched over. “I’m telling you the truth. He’s my friend, nothing else.”
Henry didn’t seem pleased with the answer. He huffed, not speaking for a moment as he tapped his fingers on the table rhythmically in thought. It was often something he did when he was thinking, a sound Dave grew to notice in their conversations as well as his work. Henry coughed slightly before standing up, walking around the workbench and pausing to rest a hand on Dave’s shoulder as he made his way for the door behind him. “You’re on thin ice, William. I think you’re lying to me, I know when you lie to me.” He slowly stepped towards the door, resting his hand on the loose doorknob to his office. He tapped the brass shape, turning his head ever so slightly to look at Dave, who still hadn’t spun the chair around to watch him leave, opting to stay hunched facing forward. Henry seethed as he spoke, opening the door. “And, if you’re out there acting like some sort of faggot,” Henry spat out. “I suggest you fix it before I have the chance to find out on my own.” The door shut behind him, leaving Dave in his office with the light on.
Dave was left shook at the comment. He knew that Henry was never supportive, but he always forgot the vile sting of that word being used on him. He only felt the tears start to stream down the sides of his face after footsteps retreated from the hallway that led back to his workstation. He tried to let his shoulders heave quietly so Henry could not hear him, holding his breath so the sound of his sobs were muted.
He brought a hand up to wipe tears away from just under his eye as his other hand reached for the phone in his pocket, turning it on to reveal a few missed messages from Jack.
From: sportsy 🧡
1:12 PM
i love you, i’m glad you were here :)
you mean everything to me davey
1:15 PM
are you ok? did you get home safe?
1:21 PM
i’m sorry if i got you in trouble. i hope you’re okay.
Dave smiled bittersweet at the thoughtful gesture, opening his phone to respond to the messages.
To: sportsy 🧡
1:34 PM
hi im sorry i missed u. i love u too sportsy.
henry was being a bitch about u again.
i was very brave about it. :)
He sat for a moment, staring at the messages as he continued to bounce his leg. He felt awful for making Jack worry about his safety. He had promised time and time again that it was no issue and he and his family were there if he ever needed a safe space to go, yet he still felt a sick dread will in him as he tried to figure out how he’d tell Jack what was going on. Henry wasn’t stupid, Dave of all people knew that. He thought highly of the man he’d grown to see as his father. He was the most brilliant person he had ever laid eyes upon. Though, that came with its fair share of drawbacks.
Dave was spending more time at Jack’s house. He was coming home with his clothes still on, they were getting mixed into his own laundry despite being mildly ill-fitting on his tall, lanky body. He was spending more time with him, he was talking about him more, and when it came to living under a roof where privacy was a privilege that could be stripped without a second thought, there was only so much anyone could hide. Whatever was hidden would not stay like that for long. Dave just needed to find enough time between here and him finally moving out to ensure he never learned he was gay.
His phone buzzed with another notification from Jack, pulling him out of his thoughts.
From: sportsy 🧡
1:36 PM
oh i’m sorry :(
it’ll be ok i promise. henry won’t do shit to you on my watch lol.
can i help?
Dave ran through a few different options in his head before responding to the messages.
To: sportsy 🧡
1:37 PM
i dont know what u can do rly. if i go back to ur house itll be suspicious, if i call u then henry will think im just begging for ur help.
can i just talk to u for a bit? i got kinda shaken up lol. he called me a fag again.
From: sportsy 🧡
1:37 PM
oh wtf really? i’m so sorry.
ik gets on you a lot about it but i promise you’re not a bad person or ‘less than’ for being queer. i love you because you’re you, i’m sorry he can’t accept you.
i’m always here to listen when you’re ready.
He smiled at the messages, wiping tears from his eyes again before responding.
To: sportsy 🧡
1:38 PM
its fine, i love u too.
thank u.
From: sportsy 🧡
1:38 PM
i like being here for you. it’s not a problem.
you’re my boyfriend. i want to be there for you when shit hits the fan.
Dave felt tears continue to well in his eyes through silent, choked sobs. He didn’t have the words to thank Jack, even over text. He was just glad that he finally had someone in his corner that didn’t hate him for parts of himself he couldn’t change, even after so many years of trying. He was grateful to be loved, even if it stung so sweetly on open wounds.