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"Oh come on Strider, the water's really not that bad!"
Still he shakes his head and you know fully well he's rolling those fantastic eyes of his from behind those consarned shades. "It's not my fault you've got the body heat of a polar bear," he calls back. "I'm a skinny little shit, if you haven't noticed; I'll freeze."
Oh now he's just being ridiculous. You swim over to the bank, resting your chin in your hands and give him your trademark puppy eyes. There's no bleeding way he can resist such undeniable charm, right?
He stares you down for a moment.
"...Fine."
You're already giving a fist bump of victory as he gives the deal breaker, "But I'm keeping my shirt on."
You roll your own eyes in return, huffing irritably. Really, sometimes he can be so absurd when it comes to his body. You're his best friend for fuck's sake! "Oh alright, but don't you get to thinking I won't wrestle you out of it!"
He gives an almost apprehensive chuckle as he slips in after removing all but his boxers and said tee, gasping at the immediate decrease of temperature. You just barely see him redden at the noise, and you can't help but laugh at him for it. He's really rather endearing, although he fails to realize it. You grab his wrist and tug him along into the deeper water, the soft smile at his lips encouraging you further. It's nice to see him cheerful for once, unlike his usual demeanor at school and home. You know he gets bothered by a few obnoxious pricks in his classes, and his older brother isn't around much, but he has you! A swell of pride always swells in your chest when he smiles at you, knowing how much it takes to get just that small gesture out of his stoic façade, having dealt with it for the past three, going on four years now. He's your best friend in the entire world, save Roxy and Jane, and you know you'd do absolutely anything for him. He's always been there for you, after all! It takes you a few moments to realize he's still shivering beside you, his teeth clattering almost noiselessly and with a pang of pity you wrap him in your arms, making a playful jab about the wet fabric making the cold seem even colder. To your surprise, he pauses, looking as if he's mulling it over and ducks his head, mumbling a small word of agreement and slips from your grip. You see him take a deep breath and swim back to the bank where he hesitates at the hem of his shirt before peeling it away. He's quickly by your side again, and all you can focus on is the shy grimace he's giving you. Almost as if he's uncomfortable.
That makes you worry.
He's never like this with you.
You quirk your head to the side in question and ask if he's alright, his reply a quick "Yeah, perfect, man." Of course he's perfect. Always fucking perfect.
Wow, did that sound bitter.
"Now Strider don't start that with me!" you chide, a bit harsher than you intended. "I'm your best bleeding friend and I don't appreciate such foolish behavior. If there's something wrong you can tell me for goodness sake!"
Oh Christopher cringlefucker he looks like a wounded puppy at your words. What have you done? He looks away, practically ashamed and chews at the inside of his cheek. You know he only does that when internally debating with himself; something has to be wrong.
"...Dirk?"
"...Yeah?"
"Is there something wrong? There is, isn't there?" Fuck, you're such an idiot! You've probably made things worse, as freaking always! You should be taken far off the "Best Bros" list for all the times you've fudged up something terrible. It probably has something to do with his brother, right? you rationalize. You can handle this!
While you're mentally chastising yourself for your faux pas, he's silent until he breathes "I've got to show you something," and him starting to swim away jerks you from your thoughts, quickly following in his wake. You hold your breath as he shakily pulls himself back up onto shore and turns to face you, eyes anywhere but at you. You're puzzled before you actually look at him, not a noise dripping from you as your eyes slowly drag across his marred torso. It pains you to see the purplish bruises blossoming across his rather pale flesh, small scars littering what should be flawless skin. You'd always known he'd been troubled, but Dirk? Cutting? You don't want to believe it, would do anything not to have to, and it's not until he worriedly interjects that you realize hot tears are dripping down your cheeks, from anger or guilt or both but you really don't give a flying fuck because your best friend in the entire fucking world is harming himself and possibly getting RELENTLESSLY BULLIED BY THOSE FUCKING PIECES OF TRASH HE MENTIONED BEFORE. How the fuck did you not notice this!?!? God damn are you the shittiest example of a best friend in the world!! You're half beating yourself up for this and the rest is in a crazed bloodthirsty rage wanting nothing more for those worthless little insignificant pricks in your side to get just exactly what they deserve for daring to mess with the most important person in your life. You're nearly past unreasonable as Dirk's suddenly snatching up your wrist, you having not really realized you were out of the water and stalking off in the general direction from which you'd both arrived. He's crying and pleading with you not to hate him for being so fucking stupid because he really is and he can't stand himself and it's no one else's fault but his own but he needs you because you're the only one that really understands him and he loves you a hell of a lot more than you realize and there's no way you're listening to any more of this utter bullshit because before you know it you're crushing your lips against his desperately and it doesn't really matter that you can taste salt from god know who's tears because you're just trying to convey as much emotion you can to this poor wounded lad you call your best friend. You're not even really surprised when he starts to cling to you, and you're vaguely aware that tears are still streaming down his face but he's kissing back like he's been holding this back for years and all you really want is to keep him like this until he understands just how perfect and wonderful he is and always has and will be.
You want to press your lips to every single uncountable mark and scar on him until that happens.
...
He didn't used to be smaller than you; it'd really only happened in the past two years, when the two of you started your freshman year of high school. He'd seemed...off that year, darker, sadder, like something was eating away at him both physically and mentally/emotionally. You'd managed to get him to admit about the bullies, and you'd quickly set them straight. Or so you'd thought, it seems. His descent seemed unstoppable, and although he pushed everyone way including his brother, he never did that to you. Really, he'd only pulled you closer as the year went on, but you'd been too oblivious to really see what was happening to him. Now, laying in the grass with his startlingly thin frame wrapped in your arms, it all seems painfully obvious. Why hadn't you seen it before? The answer really was simple; Dirk hadn't wanted you to.
You'd done exactly as you'd wanted to help him forget, the gentle kisses you showered him in full of nothing more than adoration and pained understanding. He'd watched your every move, eyes brimming again with tears you couldn't tell were from happiness or more pent up pain or both, but it didn't matter because now you have him and you understand and you're going to do all in your power to keep this from happening ever again. You have to.
You can't see him waste away like this.
...
Months pass, and Dirk's finally starting to fill out again to his former glory. He smiles more, you're happy to note, and it's all because of you. Your hand tightens around his as you give it a reassuring squeeze, pride swelling in your heart once more. He's doing so much better.
You never really realized just how much you loved him before all of this.
In a way, it was a blessing.
...
His scars are almost gone now, but that doesn't mean you continue to pepper him in gentle, and sometimes embarrassingly heated, kisses any less. You're more than excited to say an actual relationship's developed now, and there's no doubt in your heart that he feels the same. His eyes shine brighter with each passing day, he's opened up more to those surrounding him. He and Dave have managed to speak civilly, and although you know that rift runs deeper than two years, you've the feeling it's at least on its way to mending. Pretty soon junior year passes. It was surprisingly easy.
...
You won't admit it, but you're in tears as they call his name and he crosses the platform, a coy smirk you know is plastered across his lips. He made it. You both did. He's not even surprised anymore when you throw your arms around him from behind and hold him tight, grinning brightly after the ceremony. He spins you around, freaking spins you around, a feat that would have been inconceivable just a year ago. The amount of pride you feel in him is overwhelming and you let out quite an emasculating squeak as he plants his lips onto yours right in front of everyone. He was always the one terrified of coming out, of letting those that'd terrorized him knowing that at least half of their horrible accusations had been right. But you're laughing and kissing him in return when he bends you backward with what you just know is a blatant middle finger to all those staring. You're both breathless and beaming at each other in the best way possible because Roxy's squealing and rushing over to you in a matter of seconds and crushing the breath out of both of you and you both let out an "oof!" of surprise as Jane follows suit from behind. You all drape your arms around each other's shoulders as Jane's father demands his obligatory photos and it's late at night when it's just the two of you again, curled up on the blonde's house with your head on his chest. Everything is perfect, absolutely everything. His fingers are soft in your hair and he's so warm against you and it's almost funny thinking of how scrawny and frigid he used to be, just a ghost of the him you now have wrapped around you. You gently whisper those three words that you know fill him almost to bursting with affection and he breathes the same, tilting your head up to his and you're pressed together once more.
It doesn't take long at all for you both to have stripped of all barriers, entwined around each other and he nearly claws at your back while you move together, each other's names whispered and panted between the two of you.
You love him more than anything, and you know he's always needed you.
You just hadn't known how much you needed him.