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[parodeity]

DAVE STRIDER

consider this your warning about stairs. itll just keep happening bro. im telling you man

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[windeity]

[For a moment he just looks a little curious.] ...I could get behind you without a shirt. [But that's all he says.] I want to kiss you. That part is definitely not the issue. Kissing is okay.

If you want to tell people or not is up to you. I'm not really worried about that so much even though it would take some getting used to. But what about you? Do you care if it comes up when I talk to people?

[parodeity]

No. [ he doesn’t care, he means. ] If you want? I don’t know I make calls on what I tell people as I talk to them. I’d probably tell Rose and maybe update the guy I kept talking about a hypothetical straight guy with. And then just whatever?

[ and while he’s changed his shirt in the dorm before he usually does so fast enough scars aren’t visible, and he could skip the remark, but: ]

I’m not super comfortable with the idea of taking my shirt off. Yet? [ ever?? uncertainty. he hadn’t cared back before his body hit regain puberty. ] But thanks for the vote of confidence.

[windeity]

I don't think a lot of people really need to know. If it comes up, fine, if it doesn't, also fine. I think everyone knows you're my best friend anyway as it is. There is only one person I should probably update. [Wait.] Am I the hypothetical straight guy?

[Whatever. Instead:] That's fine, too. Like I said, we can take things slow. Even though we've been doing...a lot of really questionable shit that probably should have tipped me off way sooner, this is still something different.

[parodeity]

Who else would the hypothetical straight guy be? I mean, not that you are hypothetically straight, but I phrased the entire situation with hypotheticals and he didn’t call me on it so that was, like, legit of him. You’re the only person I’ve been interested in since March. [ he doesn’t ask who john’s one person is since. he doesn’t mind it being a thing although maybe things will feel more real if someone he doesn’t tell knows because John told them. who knows. ] Are we stopping the questionable shit now?

[ like specifically the sleeping together portion he’s been avoiding anyway. is it somehow more awkward to do that with someone you’re dating. ]

[windeity]

...I mean. I am still hypothetically mostly straight? I am not interested in other guys. It's just you. [Or at least that's all he'll admit and entertain the notion of since that's what he wants to focus on.] But I get your point. You're the first person I've felt might be okay to try to be with since Vic and I broke up.

[...hm.] Do you want to stop it? [So he's not answering yet, no.]

[parodeity]

[ john hitting the “however I’m still straight just you don’t count” note doesn’t Help so dave just drops that entire line of conversation for the time being and slash or forever because it’s not a problem if he doesn’t acknowledge it ]

I want you to tell me if I read the music right or not. [ Several of those songs were about sleeping together. ]

[windeity]

[Time will probably help, and he doesn't quite register that it's kind of a dick move to be saying things like that. At the same time he's only focusing on his feelings for Dave and getting those in order.]

...that doesn't answer the question. I want these things to be a mutual decision, Dave, not just me answering things and you going with it. [The answer's yes, of course, he'd picked specific songs and he wants to continue sleeping next to him but if Dave's not okay with that now that they're dating then that's something they need to address.

...are they even dating? He's still not even sure. He thinks they are, probably, but they're working on it.]

[parodeity]

[ maybe someday months from now John will go “oh fuck” about it but for now dave can just avoid the topic like burning!! ]

If you want it to be mutual I think maybe you need to trust me to try. [ that is: ] Or are we gonna do this every time one of us has a question? It’s like a game of hot potato except the bomb hits both participants every time. So, like. I mean, I guess we can keep doing that? No trust all paranoia, it’ll keep everyone on their toes.

[windeity]

[It's better than "did I make you a homosexual when I changed the timelines" so there's some credit. Irregardless, he's suddenly at least aware that somehow something went wrong again and he takes his time to assess.]

If sleeping with me is going to make you feel paranoid then maybe it's not a great idea? [God. Okay.] Or. I don't know, I'm lost. What do you mean? This is one of those "not talking about the same thing" things, isn't it? I do trust you, but I also know you.

[parodeity]

I mean the thing where you won’t answer my question unless I give you an opinion first. You don’t trust me in that capacity. It’s not any more a mutual decision if you make me pick before giving me any idea what you want, babe. It’s just a decision you can control more? Hypocritical to complain, sure, but our decisions usually aren’t super mutual compromises because of that habit we definitely share. Even with the where are we staying over the holidays thing, when I cracked and told you mine you agreed without confirming for a while there that was what you wanted, too. So it’s usually just like, a change every so often of which of us is in the unfair position of having to ante up everything they want without any indication of where the other person is at, or confirmation of that indication?

[ ok that was a lot of words but ]

You asked me a question, I think, but you’re not really giving me any information beyond the fact you might’ve. And a question in return, which I haven’t answered either. Like, do we want to keep that up or what do you mean by “mutual decisions”? Is it me tellin’ you shit sans the reverse, dude?

[windeity]

[That sure was a lot of words, but it's enough for John to actually listen.]

You're right. [It's breathed out with a low sigh, a hand running through his hair nervously.] Hypocritical or not, you're right. We're not doing great at the mutual compromising thing when we just keep shooting questions back and forth without answering them ourselves. And I do not want it to be a case where you tell me everything without me responding either, that wasn't what I meant it to be.

[He pauses again.] Can we try that again?

[parodeity]

Sure. [ it was more or less what he was shooting for, so. ] So like. Did I read the music right? You want to sleep with me still? Platonically. Well, maybe not platonically but like - whatever you know what I mean. I hope that is what you meant by try that again.

[windeity]

Yes. And yes. [It's close enough at least.] If you'll still let me, I still want to sleep with you. Platonically-but-date-platonically.

[parodeity]

Okay. [ at least he already knew relationships required talking to people and complications. but since he brought it up he has to kind of uphold his end of the trade here. uh. ok. ] No, I don’t want to stop that particular thing. I haven’t magically found a different cure to my fucked up sleep schedule in the past four days. Cool as that would be. But even if it weren’t a thing with an obvious benefit, I like being close to you. And it’s fine if we both agreed not to do anything more than that. Which we did. So?

[ nnngh. ]

What if we make a deal? You try to tell me when you’re uncomfortable and I’ll try to do the same. [ since they both fucking suck at it.

he’s kind of desperate not to fuck it up so that means trying to suck less. ]

[windeity]

[He considers that for all of five seconds before he nods quickly. He still won't admit it, but he's kind of anxious about this whole...everything. Excited! But anxious and still trying to figure out how to juggle it all.]

Yeah. Yeah I think that might be a pretty okay way of working on it. [He ducks his head a little.] I like being close to you, too. It was weird again. [Not sleeping together, he means. But he's staring at his hands in his lap now instead.] You're still my best friend and I trust you with my entire life but I think this is just going to be new for both of us. But it's okay? I cannot think of anyone else I'd rather be with.

[parodeity]

And...not playing hot potato with questions? [ wryly. ] For things to work on.

[windeity]

I think that is also doable. Check each other and call each other out if it happens again?

[parodeity]

Calling you out on bullshit is surprisingly fun and I suppose it is only fair if you get to do it too. [ ok but ] So if we’re dating are you going to update your social media profiles to “in a relationship”?

[ why are his priorities weird and all over the goddamn place but that’s clearly? important? oh. this reminds him he can change john’s ringtone so he drags his phone out to do that. ]

[windeity]

[He nudges Dave's shoulder because wow, thanks. But at the same time there's a grin because of course those are his priorities.]

I am pretty sure the only one that actually can be changed is my Facebook and I hardly use the dumb thing. I guess I could change my profile picture on the Retrospec network instead to make up for it? [He's not that serious, but whatever.]

[parodeity]

That is because Facebook is obsolete. [ dave has a Facebook? ] But also “no” is an acceptable answer, y’know. I will avoid switching any of mine. Also your profile pic is fine?

[ so the level of secrecy is social media no, in person yes but don’t make a huge deal. it’s a framework, at least, and a game plan always makes dave feel a little less anxious. anxious isn’t exactly uncomfortable so he doesn’t feel obligated to mention where he’s at. ]

We should technically be looking up. Meteors.

[windeity]

I don't know. I like this view a lot. [He's. Staring directly at Dave's face. Lord.] Also I didn't say no, but I don't have as many accounts as you do that actually ask for that kind of thing. I don't think Instagram does or anything like that.

[parodeity]

[ ...he just reaches out and grips john’s jaw and tilts his face to the sky instead. ] You didn’t say yes, either. Also Instagram official is just couple pics. Never done it, you know I don’t post a lot of pictures of me on there. That was trhirteen year old Dave’s thing.

[windeity]

[Hehehe. He's still giving him a teasing grin while he finally looks up at the sky then.] Let me clarify then. I don't mind if you change it on your accounts, and if I have accounts that I can change that I will.

[Hm.] Does that mean I get the perks of requesting more pictures of you?

[parodeity]

No. [ a pause, before he clarifies: ] You already had that perk you just never used it.

[ also he lets go of john’s face and looks up. ]

And maybe I will change them, then. [ so he almost definitely will. ok then. ]

[windeity]

How can I use a perk I didn’t know I had? That sounds a little unfair. [Not that he minds too terribly much and not that he won’t takw advantage of it later but details. He keeps his eyes on the sky for meteors.] Like I said, you can change them if you want. I don’t mind. We can take all of this one step at a time.