8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Time Traveller

[hamburellakind.livejournal.com]

Who: John, Dave, Terezi, Bro, Vriska, aaaand anybody else they think to tell!
Where: Various places around the mansion (probably people's rooms to start)
When: Backdated to Saturday afternoon
Rating: Q for Quest
Summary: John and Dave are doing it all over the mansion so they figure they should tell the important people in their lives before they burn the image into their retinas by accident.
The Story:

John and Dave are a great match! Probably! In all honesty, John probably doesn't know what he's getting into, guy stuff or not. Because along with dating Dave comes an obstacle course of siblings and friends and wow, John might just die. Of embarrassment.

Comments

[vision-8fold.livejournal.com]

Vriska had been all geared up for another retort at John, to demand how she could possibly have left somewhere she didn't remember being and how the fuck was she being blamed for something she didn't do again, when someone else entered the room.

Someone she very much did not want to see right now, if only for the fact that she wouldn't hold back like she did for John.

"What the fuck? Who the hell invited you into this?"

And even as she said it, she knew the answer and her expression grew darker still. Her hand tightened around the dice she didn't really remember grabbing, her knuckles paling and nails piercing the flesh of her hand.

"So that's it. Not enough to reject me, you do it with a fucking audience that I don't even know about?"

[hamburellakind.livejournal.com]

John sniffed, too exhausted by the emotions of the day to glare at Dave but the feeling was certainly there. "I didn't know he was out there either."

He rubbed his face, suddenly more worried about Dave than about his relationship with Vriska. This had been complicated enough when it was just the two of them. Now he was looking at possible violence, and he didn't like it.

"Dave's right. We should just...later, okay? We'll both calm down and...just, later." John reached out to tug gently at Dave's sleeve, trying to get him to leave first. Just in case.

[urnewkingbitch]

That was all Dave needed to pick John up and flashstep the fuck out of there. Vriska was hurt, obviously, and jealous and angry at Dave. He was also pretty sure that neither of them should have stayed there even a second more.

However, he had a feeling that his stepping in would have some dire repercussions.

Keywords relevant

[stealsluck]

And he'd be right to think that. Because a hurt and angry Vriska is bad enough; a hurt and angry Vriska denied her chance to lash out is just all the more driven for revenge.

For now, however, all she can do is unleash her dice with a howl of rage, not really caring what damage it does to the room because it's not like she's not going to be tearing shit apart and not sobbing because fuck that, she doesn't cry anyway.

[hamburellakind]

"Wha-- oh." John wasn't exactly surprised that Dave could lift him, but he did his best to hang on for dear life anyway. Never knew when his strength would give out, after all.

Eventually they were back in John's room and, having been let down onto solid ground again, John went over to his bed and sat quietly.

"That went just about as badly as it possibly could have."

[urnewkingbitch]

Dave leaned against the wall, not quite sure if he was wanted after the thing he just pulled. He also turned off his comm after shooting Terezi a quick text to talk about it later if she wanted to.

"From the sound of it, she thought you knew about her feelin's." He was being cautious, wondering if John was particularly angry at him or not.

[hamburellakind]

John smoothed his hand over his sheet, looking for something, anything to do since he sure didn't know of anything productive to do right then. Dave's words took a minute to sink in, but once they did he nodded weakly.

"Yeah. I...guessed, maybe. And I maybe liked her back but..." John closed his eyes. "Spending time with her in person? I don't know. I just realized I didn't like her as much as..." He waved his hand.

"She's scary when she's mad. But I think I'd still feel like shit even if she wasn't that angry." John groaned and laid down, curling into a ball.

[urnewkingbitch]

He hesitated before crossing the room to sit down next to John on the bed, and gently pulled the other boy into his lap, if he'd let him.

"I know I made the entire situation even worse, but I'm not gonna apologize for it. I wasn't gonna take the chance that she might've liked you enough to not lash out."

The last thing Dave wanted to see or hear about was John getting stabbed or dying again.

[hamburellakind]

John was totally okay with the gesture. It made it easier to rest his head on Dave's shoulder.

"Trolls are confusing. If she likes me a lot shouldn't she not want me to be hurt?" John paused, then sighed. "But I guess I'm no better. I really care about her and I didn't handle her feelings very well."

[urnewkingbitch]

Dave simply held him close, hoping that was enough to comfort him.

"Well, she's hurt and angry, so all bets are off on that score." He wasn't too sure of what to say that could help patch things up, not to mention whether he should try to help. On one hand, Vriska was a dangerous person, and on the other John saw something in her that made him want to be close to her. What to do?

"I think the best thing you can do is give her some time, and I guess not mention the pale quadrant for a while. She probably feels like you led her on."

[hamburellakind]

"Ugh. I wasn't trying to." John sighed. "I wish she would've said something. I wish I would've."

The guilt and frustration came back in full force after the brief reprieve and his eyes filled up again. "God, I'm the worst at this stuff."

[urnewkingbitch]

"I know you weren't. She probably doesn't realize it right now."

The Strider's grip tightened a bit. "Emotions are hard fuckers to understand and tread around. You just lack experience with it right now."

Dave sighed softly before adding, "Do you want me to take your glasses off for a bit? I know you can't see shit without 'em, but cleanin' them will be a bitch."

[hamburellakind]

John leaned back and nodded. It wasn't like he'd be able to see even with them.

"Did I ever make you feel led on?" There was no reason for him to assume he'd screwed over a bunch of people with this stuff, but he was aware Dave at least had liked him for a long time.

[urnewkingbitch]

He gently took them off, folded them, and sat them safely aside on the bed. After a split second of hesitation, he went with his instinct and did the same for his sunglasses.

"It was more of a case of not gettin' my hopes up and tryin' to keep it as platonic as possible. And a metric fuck ton of denial that Lalonde was only too happy to pick apart."

[hamburellakind]

John rubbed at his nose. "I feel like I broke a promise or something. Or...stabbed her in the back..."

His head drooped and he sighed. "I'm selfish. I hurt her and now she might take it out on you..." He chewed his lip. "But I still wanna be with you."

[urnewkingbitch]

Dave was honestly happy to hear that John still wanted to be with him. He couldn't say he really cared if that was bad or not.

"I wouldn't call it selfish. I'll be okay. It's not like I really rely on my luck anyway. 'Sides, she'd also have to deal with Bro and Terezi." He shifted his arms a little to hold one of John's hands. "If you want, I promise to run away and avoid her until things settle down."

[hamburellakind]

John squeezed Dave's hand. "I think you're smart enough to decide for yourself." He smiled weakly. "I'll just be happy as long as nobody hates me after all this."

[urnewkingbitch]

"I doubt anybody will hate you when all is said and done." Dave paused for a moment. "Although, if she hurts you, I can't guarantee much."

[hamburellakind]

"Guarantee what?" He didn't want those two to fight at all if he could avoid it.

[urnewkingbitch]

"I can't guarantee that she and I'll be continuin' the game of cat-and-mouse if she decides to backhand you in some way. It crosses my patience line by fuckin' miles."

[hamburellakind]

John leaned his forehead against Dave's. "Just promise me you won't get yourself killed, okay?"

[urnewkingbitch]

He had a feeling that making a crack about his doomed selves would be in extremely poor taste at the moment.

"I can try to keep that promise." Dave couldn't completely promise that considering Vriska was a cheating bitch. "If it does happen, don't you dare get on that fuckin' merry-go-round of guilt 'cause it was most likely my stupid ass' fault for bein' caught careless. Got it?"

[hamburellakind]

"I'll try." Admittedly, it'd be kind of hard to not feel at fault for this. He'd done a really bad job of handling this. He was the one who made this a conflict in the first place.

But he knew Dave would see that in his face so he just...leaned his head on Dave's shoulder. Which reminded him. "Thank you for taking your glasses off."

[urnewkingbitch]

"Seemed only fair. 'Sides, I did promise to take 'em off when we're in private."

[hamburellakind]

John squeezed him. He didn't think he could say it, and maybe Dave wouldn't exactly accept it if he did, but basically he wanted that to mean that's why I like you.