Chapter Text
Incubation: the time between exposure to a pathogen and the first appearance of symptoms
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Life was good.
Dirk and his friends were sitting in the carriage strapped on Bigguns back as the rest of the monsters tiredly trekked back home beside them.
Between the traumatizing, King Wretch killing endeavors of last night, and the absolute blast they had at Funland earlier today. Everyone was exhausted. Especially June, staying up all night waiting for the radio broadcast. She conked out the second they started moving.
Man, sleep sounded so good right now. He’s pretty sure the only reason Quint and Jack are still awake is because of the copious amounts of sugar keeping them buzzed.
As for Dirk? Well…
He just couldn’t get his mind to shut up.
About the radio…about the broadcast…
About those other people.
Honestly, he’d never really felt one way or the other about finding other survivors. Of course he understood why it was so important to Quint and June. They had a real chance to find their families. That hope made his friends so happy. That’s all Dirk cared about.
But he also understood why Jack was so terrified of it. The boy said it himself—he had no family. This life was a dream come true for him because it gave him his family, and it all could’ve been taken away. That thought made his friend so scared. That’s also all Dirk cared about.
But Dirk wasn’t scared or hopeful. He had everything he needed right here, and he knew that he was more than capable of getting his way.
If he didn’t want his friends, his family, to be taken away, then they weren’t going to be. Plain and simple.
Besides, it’s not like he had anyone in his life who could take them away.
His mom passed a few years before the apocalypse, and his dad…well, who knows where that clown is. And who cares either? Dirk never waited around for that loser before, and he certainly wasn’t gonna start now.
For a long time It was just him and his older sister.
Man…he misses his sister.
He wouldn’t say they had a close relationship. No, that title went to his mom. but he knew she loved him, and he loved her too.
They were all they had.
Then, when she went to study abroad, she had no choice but to leave Dirk with their uncle, who wasn’t a bad man by any means. He just…didn’t care about Dirk the same way his sister did.
He hasn’t thought about her this much since the apocalypse started. How is she doing? Is she thinking about Dirk too? Is she looking for him?
…is she even still alive?
Dirk shook his head. ‘Course she is! There’s no way someone as smart as his sister would just let themselves get killed.
The other questions, however, he had a hard time answering.
It would be nice to see his sister again, but like he said, he’s neither scared nor hopeful. He has everything he needs right here.
His team was sore, exhausted, and scarred for life.
But they were together. And they were going to stay together.
They were a family.
Always have been, always will be.
So, Yeah. Life was good.
Keyword: was.
Because now, Dirk has a whole new monster to deal with.
His monster crush on Jack Sullivan.
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It started the night they defeated Thrull. The embers finally settled, the sun was rising, and Dirk was watching.
Nothing in particular, at first. He was just…taking everything in. It was something he did whenever he completed a task or project, like gardening or sewing. He likes to take a step back and appreciate the finer details he lost sight of in his work. And bask in the feeling of a job well done.
He saw their new monster neighbors setting up picnic tables near the fountain for a celebratory feast. Well, more like a celebratory pizza party, but that didn’t sound nearly as cool.
Dirk hated to give Thrull any credit, but if he had to thank that jerk for anything, it’d be introducing his team to these monsters. They couldn't have taken down Thrull without them. And to fix the teens tree house and welcome them with open arms?
Man, they were so cool.
He saw his friends also basking in the glory of their epic victory. They were sitting at one of the tables, talking and laughing excitedly with each other. Dirk’s chest swelled with pride.
He never thought he’d feel anything like that for these goobers.
His eyes drifted to June when he heard her iconic cackle. He never gave her a second thought back in school, and honestly, knowing now how weirdly, freakishly alike they were, he regrets it a little. The similarities annoyed him at first. Now, though, it was one of his favorite things about his friend. It’s been so long since he felt like he could really relate to someone. He felt like he could tell her anything. She was like a twin sister to him.
A touch of guilt began to mix with his pride when his gaze landed on Quint. He meant what he told the boy while they were cleaning up earlier. He is proud of him, but not just for today. He’s proud of him for a lot of things. His crazy genius ideas, his levelheadedness, his bravery.
But most of all, he’s proud that he never let Dirk get to him back in school. Proud that he never changed, despite living in a world that gave him such a hard time for just being himself. That takes guts. Real strength. Strength that Dirk greatly admires.
Then there was Jack, sitting in between them and seemingly leading their conversation, if his animated hands and loud, frankly infectious excitement was anything to go by. Infectious. That word suited Jack. In a good way.
Before Dirk would’ve meant it in a bad way.
He used to see Jack as an annoying pest, worming his way into places he didn’t belong, latching onto people for attention. Not because he was an orphan, no. Dirk didn’t know that about the boy until the apocalypse.
No, Jack was a good kind of infectious. Like eye-watering laughter you can’t control or an involuntary yawn that guides you to sleep. Something you didn’t know you needed, but once you have it, it’s all you can think about.
Somehow, he always knew how to make Dirk feel better. Somehow, he knew just how to persuade Dirk. Whether it be convincing him to play a game, read a nerdy comic, or even convincing him to live with him and Quint at the treehouse, Dirk just…couldn’t say no to Jack.
It probably has something to do with the smaller teens ‘Pretty-boy Privilege’.
In Dirks experience, every school had one. A boy that everybody liked (or at least tolerated) and always got his way because he was conventionally attractive.
It used to piss Dirk off, honestly. He knew dudes way worse than him, but they never got their comeuppance! All ‘cause their face was nice to look at.
Dirk never understood it. That is, until he transferred to Parker Middle School.
Jacks ‘Pretty-boy Privilege’ infuriated him.
Why? Because it worked on Dirk.
Jack Sullivan was such a weirdo, yet nobody else picked on him. He was cringey and awkward and liked dumb things, yet people looked past it. And Dirk could see why.
He hated it.
Dirk cringed at the memory. Geez, he was such a moron in school.
Out of all the guys that pissed Dirk off with their good looks, Jack deserved that anger the least. He was a good dude. He was kind, protective, thoughtful, fun, creative, heroic…He was a lot.
But above it all, he was Dirks family.
Dirk knows Jack now. He knows that Jack was so much more than a cute face.
So why does he still have this inability to turn the boy down? why did it still seem to affect Dirk?
The muscular teen was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed commotion at his friends table. Jack, in what he could only guess was some kind of dramatic reenactment of last nights battle, jumped out of his seat and marched his way to the top of the table. There, he pumped his fist in the air in the most passionate, triumphant pose. Quint and June whooped and clapped on either side of him like he had just delivered a fiery declaration.
Which, maybe he had, but despite not being very far from his friends, Dirk didn’t hear any words. He was distracted.
From where Jack was standing and where Dirk was watching him, Jacks head completely covered the sun, the morning rays framing his face perfectly. His bright smile, his slightly pink cheeks. He was glowing.
Like Jack had become the sun…
Time slowed…
Dirk ever so slightly squinted his eyes, and instinctively craned his head forward a hair in an attempt to figure out what the hell was going on. Why did Jack look so…new all of a sudden?
The world began to shift…
Jack opened his dark blue eyes and noticed Dirk staring. He turned fully to him and happily waved him over. His beaming expression not fading even a little.
If anything, it almost looked like it got brighter.
And then…
Thump-Thump
It clicked.
“Dirk!”
“Oh no.”