#he can text and then i answer in vague short sentences and ghost. and now that i finally have firm boundaries with him and havent engaged | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nbrook29 · 3 years

Note

Ahhh, I love your writing!

67- “It’s you, it’s always been you.”

Only if you want, thks :)

Hello anon :) Thank you, you're very sweet 😚

Here it goes, I hope it doesn't suck, my writing vibes have been off 😢:

67. It's you, it's always been you.

* * *

“Man, this thing sucks. I was promised hot chicks from the dance school and I can’t see even one, what the fuck.”

Robbe turns his eyes to Moyo, shooting him a half-hearted apologetic smile, his thoughts far away from his friends bickering next to him as they cross the gate to the carnival. It’s getting late, the sky had turned dark before they even left their houses and the place greets them with an onslaught of neons from every corner, cheesy song playing in the background, and Robbe can’t help but hear a particular deep voice commenting on the music being shit in his head.

He sighs, trying to chase the thought away and not go there again, plastering a fake-cheeriness on his face as he suggests they all get a beer and find a table somewhere. It takes 15 minutes of standing in a line to finally get the drinks and in the end, they have to resort to sitting on the grass because the place is packed. It looks like every single kid from their school is here tonight along with half of the city, to be exact, and Robbe snorts to himself when he thinks back to the broers’ plans this morning, talking about finally making a move on the dance girls. Good luck trying to find them.

They’re in the middle of arguing about which attraction they should go check out first when Robbe’s phone pings with a message.

Noor: ROBBE

Noor: !!!!!!!!!!!!

Robbe: Wha???

Noor: LILY HAS BEEN FLIRTING WITH ME THE WHOLE EVENING

Noor: AND WE KISSED

Robbe: Whoa you go girl! 💪🏻💜

Robbe: Told you she's into you 😎😎😎

Noor: 🙄 whatever

Noor: I'M SO HAPPY 💖💖💖

Robbe: Haha I can see that, you only use black hearts, she must be special 😜

Noor: 🖕🏻

Noor: She isssss ❤

Robbe: I'm so happy for you ❤

Noor: 🖤🖤🖤

Noor: Is your lover boy at the carnival? 😏

Robbe: I don't have a lover boy 🙄

Robbe: And no he's not

Noor: Aww 😕

Robbe: It doesn't matter anyway

Robbe: It's better this way

Noor: For fuck's sake Robbe I'mma spank you into submission one day if you don't stop with this bullshit

Robbe: Kinky

Noor: I'm serious 🤨

Noor: Please please please promise me if you see him tonight you'll talk to him???

Robbe: Can't you just let it go??

Noor: Hell will freeze over before I'll let this go

Noor: Consider yourself warned

Robbe: Why are you so pressed about this jesus

Noor: Because I want you to be as happy as me!

Robbe: What do you want me to do exactly? I can't make him like me Noor

Robbe: It's done okay?

Robbe: I got my answer I told u

Robbe: I'm serious let it go

Noor: Baby 🥺

Robbe: I'm gonna be okay

Robbe: Go now

Robbe: I'm Lily's getting jealous over your texting 😉

Noor: Ugh okay

Noor: Ttyl

Noor: I love you 🖤

Robbe: 🖤

Under the chat with Noor there’s another message that makes him feel a pang in his heart.

Sander: Are you okay?

He scrubs his face and starts working on that fake smile again when Aaron shouts, “Ferris Wheel! Please you guys, I’ve always wanted to go on a ride!”

Moyo and Jens make some protesting sounds, claiming it’s boring as fuck if you don’t go with somebody to make out with up there. Robbe’s about to join the conversation when he sees a flicker of white hair somewhere in the crowd, and his heart starts beating faster despite him trying to stay indifferent, but when he blinks, it’s gone. He curses under his breath for being such a lovesick fool.

“Robbe? Go with me? Please?”

Robbe widens his eyes at Aaron’s pleading face, and shakes his head with an uncomfortable laughter. “No way, dude, I’m not a fan of this kind of stuff.”

“It’s not even that high! And it’s super safe, look!” Aaron waves vaguely at the Ferris Wheel, his eyes getting bigger and bigger with each “please”.

“Why do you even care so much?”

“Because I wanna try it out before I take Amber there, duuh!”

Robbe glances at the wheel with reluctance in his eyes, weighing his options before finally huffing a long-suffering “okay” at Aaron because he’s a pushover. It sucks, but he made his peace with that.

They leave Moyo and Jens chilling on the grass and go stand in the surprisingly short line to the wheel, Aaron’s practically bouncing on his feet when he’s telling Robbe about his plans to take Amber to the carnival tomorrow. Robbe indulges him and holds back any comments that he has at the tip of his tongue about the girl as they slowly move towards the front of the line, finally reaching the fence and paying for the admission.

Once they’re seated and reality hits in, Robbe can feel a weird feeling slowly encompassing his body and he realizes this is a bad idea. He hates highs. What the fuck is he doing on a Ferris Wheel?!

It seems like a similar thought is crossing Aaron’s mind because the boy is ghost white as he suddenly stands up and starts getting out of the cart.

“Fuck, man, I don’t think I can do this, it’s fucking scary, I’m sorry!”

And then he leaves, leaving Robbe gapping after him in shock. Before he can react and get out himself, the cart shakes with additional weight dropping on it, and when Robbe turns his head back to see what is going on, he’s met with an unsure smile, gracing the most beautiful face he’s ever seen.

“Do you mind if I take his spot?”

Robbe keeps staring as Sander pushes the railing down, making himself comfortable before looking at him expectantly.

“Yeah, um, sure,” he squeaks out, super aware of how close they’re sitting, his already racing heart now threatening to fall out of his chest. Sander shoots him a grateful smile and runs a hand through his hair and messes it up, almost making Robbe whimper with how good he looks.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. He needs to pull himself together.

The wheel starts moving and for a second Robbe forgets all about who’s sitting next to him, gripping the railing tightly and taking deep breaths, at the same time trying to remain cool and unaffected.

“You didn’t answer my text.”

Sander’s words break the cloud of fear that is currently fogging Robbe’s brain and he peeks at him, noticing how he bites on his bottom lip, looking almost shy. His eyes carry some vulnerability in them that doesn’t fit the image of Sander Robbe has in his head - always cool and composed, witty, flirty, edgy artist who makes girls and boys swoon after him.

He swallows and tries to figure out an excuse. “I’m sorry, I read it, but I was super busy and I completely forgot.” He cringes as soon as the words are out when he sees a glimpse of hurt passing Sander’s features. Great, now he sounds like an asshole.

“Oh, it’s okay, don’t worry,” Sander replies, pretending to be unaffected. “Do you, um, do you wanna hang out tomorrow maybe? To make up for last Thursday?” His voice sounds full of hope and Robbe hates himself for having to shoot him down again, but he needs to take care of his own heart first.

“Sander, I-, look, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

There it is. The smile slowly but surely slipping off Sander’s face and hurting Robbe in the process. But this is the right thing to do. He knows that.

They’re almost at the top when Sander speaks again. “Can you tell me why?” He asks softly.

Robbe fights with himself whether this is the right place to come clean, but he can’t let him think there’s something wrong with him.

So he takes a deep breath and squeezes out, “Because I like you more than just a friend and I can’t pretend I’m not.”

Before Sander can answer, he beats him up to it. “And I know now that you have Younes, I saw you guys, it’s okay, I understand, he’s great, I’m happy for you guys, really, I-”

The wheel comes to a sudden stop, making the cart shake ominously, and Robbe’s heart lodges itself in his throat as he realizes the horrible truth: they’re stuck. At the top. So so high up.

He’s gonna be sick.

He starts breathing quickly, verging on hyperventilating when he feels Sander’s hands on his cheeks, and he registers his soothing voice telling him to calm down and that it’s going to be okay.

“Are you scared of heights?”

Robbe nods shakily, blushing beet red at the situation, feeling embarrassed at his state. When he manages to open his eyes, he’s met with a set of green looking back at him, worried and compassionate.

“Breathe with me, okay?” Sander takes one deep exaggerated breath to encourage him to do the same, and Robbe tries his hardest to follow him. There are voices coming from the ground telling them they need to stay calm and that they’re gonna be down in no time, as the technicians are already working on solving the issue.

But Robbe doesn’t fully register them, too focused on how close Sander is sitting now, their thighs pressed together, how he can smell his aftershave and see his moles clearer than ever before.

There’s a voice in the back of his head telling him to stop enjoying this because Sander has a boyfriend and this is wrong, but then Sander rests his forehead against his, shortcutting any thoughts whatsoever.

“I don’t know what you saw, but Younes is my best friend. We’re not together, Robbe.”

“But, you were all touchy and,” he swallows. “I saw you kissing. In the movies.”

A small frown appears on Sander’s forehead. “We’re comfortable with each other, sure, but there has never been any kissing. Younes is straight. And taken, by the way.”

And, okay, weird. Could he really misjudge the situation so badly? Sure, he didn’t see them kissing per se, but they were leaning towards each other? Sort of? He thinks?

Fuuuuuck.

“Oh wow, I think, um, I misinterpreted some stuff,” he admits, embarrassed, eyes downcast as he feels Sander nodding against his forehead with a tiny smile.

“Quite a lot of stuff, actually. Like, for example, that I like you like a friend.”

“That’s a lot of like in one sentence,” Robbe blurts off like an idiot, making Sander let out that adorable snort of his that pulls a quiet chuckle out of Robbe too.

“Well, there’s a lot of liking involved when it comes to my feelings for you,” he says, eyes shining with sincerity, and he glances the tip of his nose against Robbe’s, the gesture liquifying his insides.

“There’s a lot of liking involved when it comes to my feelings for you as well,” he whispers back, too shy for his own liking, but Sander just has that effect on him. It doesn’t matter though because suddenly the boy’s lips stretch in a beaming smile that’s so radiant it almost makes the night look brighter.

They’re staring at each other with similar expressions, sharing air as their foreheads remain glued together, and then Sander closes the distance between them, capturing Robbe’s lips in a soft kiss that makes his sigh, hands letting go of the railing and traveling on their own accord to Sander’s jaw. His head is spinning for a totally different reason now, and when he feels the tip of Sander’s tongue grazing his bottom lip he opens his mouth right away, going pliant under his touch.

He can’t quite believe what’s happening, how just half an hour ago he was feeling sorry for himself, thinking Sander is officially off limits, and now he can feel the boy’s secure hold on his waist and taste the sugary sweet cotton candy on his tongue.

“Hey, you’re breathing normally now,” Sander notes happily, his lips red and glistening as he breaks the kiss.

He looks even more gorgeous now and Robbe can’t help himself as he runs his thumb across his plump bottom lip and scores a tiny kiss there too, pulling a blush out of him.

“So, does that mean you will go out with me now?” Sander flutters his eyelashes at him, a pout on his lips as he puts his hands together in a “please” sign, and he looks so cute that Robbe can’t do more but nod, giggling when Sander hisses a satisfied yes! under his breath.

“Hey, no laughing, I’ve been waiting for this moment since the first time I saw you,” Sander tsks at him, eyes narrowed in seriousness that would look legit if his smile was any smaller.

“You have?”

“Yeah. I was like, how the fuck am I supposed to convince the most beautiful boy on the planet to go on a date with me?”

Robbe bites his lip bashfully, aware of the heat spreading on his neck under Sander’s words.

“I was sure you didn’t like me like that, you know,” he reaches to entangle their fingers, patting himself on the back for winning with his nervousness.

Sander squeezes his hand. "And I thought you were into somebody else, made me so sad."

"What? Fuck no, it's you, it's always been you," he rushes to reassure him, blushing again at his eagerness, but it earns him another kiss, this one just when the cart lurches forward as the Wheel comes alive again.

It painfully reminds him of where they are, but before he can fully freak out Sander brings him closer to his chest, acting like a man on a mission and not stopping with his mindblowing kisses until their cart safely reaches the ground.

"We made it," he murmurs, placing the last lingering kiss against Robbe's lips and the boy thanks him for being his knight in a shining armor.

"Hey, Sander?"

"Yes?"

"Just promise me our date won't take place at the fair. I won't survive another ride."

#wtfock #my fics

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chibikinesis · 5 years

Text

Another ModernAU short draft ♥ ♥ ♥ 1700-ish words.

Another fairly uneventful day was finally coming to a close. The clock signaled the arrival of the final quarter of Edward's shift, and he gazed longingly out the window and into the courtyard. Days like this made for easy money, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't rather be just about anywhere else on such a beautiful day.

"Don't worry, Ed. You're in the home stretch now." Daniel chuckled, making his way into the room with two mugs of coffee. He placed one of them on the desk near Edward's elbow, and sunk back into his chair with a grunt. "What, two more hours?"

"That'll probably feel like another eight." Edward sighed tiredly, lifting the ceramic to his lips and taking a sip. "Thanks for fresh cup.”

"Hey, no problem." Daniel pulled an excess of creamer and sugar packets from his pocket, and Edward chuckled. It was far from the first time it'd happened, and he was sure it'd be far from the last either. "Y'know... whoever said cargo pants are useless was a goddamned fool."

"Solid point." Edward smirked. "I mean... what'd you manage to squeeze into all those pockets? Half the coffee bar?"

Dan laughed wickedly. "Smartass."

Edward sighed, a contented smile on his face as he looks around. His attention was seized by a figure drawing nearer to the window; a slender woman with a trendy blonde bob, his age or a little older, and wearing an outfit that he could pin as neither casual nor dressy.

She took little notice of him; her gaze had immediately honed in on Daniel, who had just taken notice of the peculiar look on his coworker's face. When he heard a gentle tapping on the glass, he turned to greet this new guest.

"Hey, you old codger." She grinned, laughter in her voice. "Still working here?"

"Heeeyyyy, nice to see you, too." Daniel laughed that ornery laugh of his, rising to his feet and striding over to the window to greet her. "How the hell ya been, kid? Been a while!"

"Doing well, actually. Finally found a nice little place to settle into nearby."

"You back in town then?"

"Yep. Have been for a few months now, actually. Finding my footing, settling in, what-have-you. Finding a decent job, and don't even get me started on the moving process." She sighed, as if to recall just what a hassle it had all been. "What about you?"

"Still here. Can't complain." He smiled warmly. "Don't do any good even if I do, so..."

"Doesn't hurt to try, at any rate, does it?"

Edward watched the exchange in silent confusion, sipping at his coffee. Daniel certainly seemed familiar with the young woman, and that wasn't a terribly common thing to see. He was becoming more and more curious as to how she knew him.

"You're more optimistic than I am." Daniel grumbles. "But, hey, I doubt you're just here to shoot the shit with this old codger, right?"

"It's been nice, Dan, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't come here to see someone else."

"I figured as much. Lemme get 'im on the horn."

Daniel turned and walked a few paces to grab his radio, and the woman leaned in just a bit to survey the security room as she waited. Her wandering eyes stumble across Edward's pensive form and she does a double-take; it took her a moment to place it, but she was certain that this was the man she'd seen in Jack's company during a fair few of her shifts. She smiled warmly at the recollection, and offered a small wave, which he awkwardly returned.

"'Ey, Jack, you copy?"

"Daniel? What is it?"

"Ya' got a visitor down here."

"A visitor?"

"Yeah. Waitin' down here by the security office."

"Now who on Earth-"

Daniel quickly switched channels on his radio, knowing that Jack was about to barrage him with a slew of questions he didn't particularly feel like answering. Plus, he had no doubt the resulting anger would make the doctor's trip downstairs even more hasty. The old guard smirked confidently. "He'll be right down."

"That's one way to do it." The woman was impressed by just how bold Daniel had gotten since she last saw him. If she was being honest, she found that she quite enjoyed it.

As if on cue, they could hear the grinding of the staff elevator descending; with a loud ding, the doors slid open, and almost immediately, they could hear Jack's angry, nasally voice spilling out.

"Daniel, what have I told you about cutting me off like that?!" he spewed. "I can't always afford to come down here on such short noti-"

He came to an abrupt stop when the woman stepped into view, a calm smile on her face. "Hey, Jack."

"Em-..." He stopped dead in his tracks. It took him a full moment to digest it all; he looked as though he'd just seen a ghost, and seeing him that way left Edward feeling a little uneasy himself. "Emogene."

"Since you don't seem like you can be bothered to respond to any of my texts or calls," she spoke, a meaningful undertone in her voice. "- I thought it might just be easier to try stopping in to talk, one-on-one."

Jack sighed, guilt etched on his features as he nodded feebly in agreement. "Let's... follow me."

Daniel and Edward watched as the two walked out the nearby set of glass doors and into the courtyard outside. Daniel's gaze strayed, and he studied Edward's worried face for a moment before shifting his attention back outside, and back again. He smiled knowingly.

"Ed."

"Hm?"

"You can un-clench your buttcheeks now." Daniel chuckled. "Emogene is Jack's sister."

Edward tried to brush it off, but they both knew better. His cheeks darkened, and he waved his hand dismissively, both of them shifting their attention back to what was going on outside.

“Look, I know you’re on the clock right now, so I don’t want to keep you too long, I just...” Emogene drew a long breath and huffed a defeated sigh; or at least as defeated as she’d let herself sound. But Jack knew. “I miss you, Jack. I know I hurt you and mom when I took off back then, but I there were just some things I needed to do by myself, for myself. And I did, and I’ve grown... so much. I’m doing so much better now, Jack, and I’m trying to be a better sister, if you’d just give me that chance.”

“I told you, we could meet up some time-”

“Oh please, Jack, you’ve been making excuses and putting me on the back burner for three months now. You know, when you’re not outright ignoring me.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “I see you having lunch all the time and you don’t even bother to say hello. “C’mon, if you can make time to have lunch with your guard in there like... three times a week, you can squeeze in some time for me-”

“Wha- how...” Her mouthfuls were loaded with accusations, none of which he found he could really refute, and her brother’s cheeks darkened in shame. The last one stung a bit more than he thought it might, though. He’d have stolen a glance back at Edward if he wasn’t concerned he’d be too obvious. “How did you...?”

“Because I’m the head event coordinator at the mall and I’m there just about every day. If you actually talked to me you might know that by now.” Her voice was scolding, but not excessively abrasive. Perhaps a sign of that personal growth she’d hinted to. “Look, I know that if you’re anything like you used to be... which, you probably are...”

Jack crinkled his nose at just how correct she was in her assumptions.

“ - that you’re probably just going straight home after work, and shutting yourself up in your study, and being a hermit for the rest of the night. Or entertaining mother’s whims.” Jack could detect a small bit of venom in her tone when she mentioned Wilhelmina, but she quickly recovered. “- I’ve got a pretty nice apartment now, and I’d love to have you over for dinner. I ... really wanna’ catch up. Hear what’s been going on with you. Maybe fill you in on what’s been up with me, if you give half a damn.”

The doctor’s stance softened, and his lips curled into a small smile. All this time and she could still read him like a book. But her idea was sounding... tolerable.

“I know a break from her did me good. Probably wouldn’t hurt you, either. I think we could finally act like... functional siblings for once if she’s not helicoptering over us and stirring the pot.”

Jack raised an eyebrow and cocked his head ever so slightly, and Emogene shrugged.

“... maybe. That might be asking too much. It’s worth a shot.” Her nose wrinkled at the thought, and she gave a playful shrug. “But if you come over and decide you still don’t really want to associate with me, I mean, I... guess that’s fine. At least you can say you gave it a shot.”

There was something a little heartbreaking in that last sentence, and it registered as a small ache in Jack’s chest. Had he really made her feel so alienated with his behavior?

“Just... give me that chance, Jack.”

He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard more sincerity in her voice in his whole life; it wasn’t delivered without her signature Emogene Cynicism, of course, but it was definitely there and more tangible than ever. She was letting her walls down enough to let him in. She was taking the initiative to repair the bonds that had been broken. And he was dodging her like a plague.

Who’s really the bad sibling in this situation, when I really think about it? He pondered for a moment. He didn’t like the conclusion he drew, but it was one he needed to accept. You need to do better.

“Actually, Emogene, that sounds... great.” He smiled weakly at her. There was a lot more he wanted to say to her. He had a lot to apologize for, for starters, but he supposed that could wait until he visited her apartment later. He supposed the lapse would give him more time to mentally prepare and rehearse it all. Besides, he was still on the clock. “What time?”

“Seven... ish?” She gestured vaguely. “But, uh... don’t tell mom about me. I’m... not ready for her to know I’m back home yet.”

Jack nodded solemnly and understandingly at her, and she beamed him a genuine smile.

“I’ll text you my address, okay?”

“I’ll actually open it this time.” her brother chuckled.

“Cute.” She snarled. “Anyway, I’ll be holding you to that. You better be there tonight.”

“I promise.”

#jackward #modern au #rachel writes #jack cabot #edward deegan #emogene cabot #daniel #this one's actually more focused on Jack and Emogene but yeah

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icedinsomnia · 5 years

Text

UnderMoon Part 1

A young human boy looked out over the peak of Mount Ebott, his cousins standing by his side.

“Nick, are you sure about this?” his elder cousin asked, her flawless body in perfect form. Nick had always thought that she could be a model someday… or an actress…

“Oy Maddie quit being such a wimp! Nick is actually doing something fun! Don’t ruin it for him!” his other cousin barked.

“Maddie…Mark… please don’t fight…” Nick was never a fighter, he was never brave or courageous… but the one thing he loved most was his music, the one place where all his worries went away. Nick put his headphones over his ears and waited for his cousins to stop fighting. On this day these three humans would be the first to fall, but they would also be the last to escape.

MANY YEARS LATER

Napstablook put his headphones on and turned on his music, letting the sound drown out the argument of his cousins. It has been years since they fell into the underground and even after all they had been through… they never changed.

“I will be a star! That scientist said she would help me achieve my dreams!” Maddie hissed, her ghostly hair as perfect as ever.

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!” Mark yelled back as he stormed out, Maddie went after him, their argument continuing. Napstablook sighed heavily, the sound of heavy metal blaring into his ghostly eardrums. As the song was at its end a knock sounded at the door.

“Ooohhhhh… a visitor… I wonder who it is…” Napstablook opened the door, but… there was no one there, just a sealed letter on his welcome mat.

“Ooohhhhh no…I must have scarred them off…” Napstablook picked up the letter and opened it carefully. The text was strange, it wasn’t like anything he has seen before…but…somehow… it seemed familiar…

“Ooohhhhh… I wonder if Maddie or Mark know anything about this…” Napstablook thought for a moment, then a vague memory emerged. It was of him sitting in the rain at home, his parents in a fight and his cousins away on vacation. But that was also the day that Nick met the first ever monster he has ever seen. He was a skeleton in a black trench coat, his umbrella now covering Nick from the rain. The monster had tried to speak to him, but he couldn’t understand his accent, but instead of yelling at Nick the monster smiled kindly and gave his umbrella to Nick, leaving as soon as he arrived.

“I wonder…” Napstablook, in over twenty years, looked determined. It didn’t take long for Napstablook to reach Snowdin, his attention skyward instead of ahead, the one way transparent ceiling of the cave casting down the start of twilight. It was going to be a full moon, which means to stay away from Papyrus and Maddie. During the phases of the moons, monster’s personalities change. It was part of the curse that locked monsters down in the underground. And during a full moon Papyrus becomes a deadly drama queen and Maddie becomes very self-conscious and blood thirsty. That’s why Napstablook was in a panic, but so was most of the underground. Napstablook didn’t have to worry about Sans until the new moon. It wasn’t the fact that Sans became aggressive during the new moon, it was that he became very emotionally open and very much harmless during that time. Napstablook had always felt bad about asking Sans questions during that time because he usually breaks down and cries. But this time it would be different, this time Nick would be brave. Napstablook knocked on the door of Sans and Papyrus’s house. He waited, and waited, and when he was about to leave, Sans opened the door.

“You do know what tonight is don’t you?” Sans asked with a harsh tone. Napstablook nodded.

“I…um… wanted to ask you a question…” Napstablook kept his eyes to the ground, Sans sighed.

“Look if it’s another of those ‘do you know why the full moon affects my cousin’ then no I don’t know.” Sans was about to close the door, but Napstablook forced it back open, startling Sans.

“It’s not about my cousin… it’s about this…” Napstablook held the letter in front of Sans’s eyes. Sans instantly became horrified and nervous.

“Inside. Quickly.” As soon as Napstablook entered Sans shut the door and barricaded it.

“Where did you get this?!” Sans threatened Napstablook, his eyes ablaze. But Napstablook held his ground, Sans was put off guard.

“It was on my welcome mat, I can’t read it so I figured you’d be the one to go to when it comes to things others don’t know…” Sans took a step back cautiously.

“What’s gotten into you today? You aren’t usually… so… well-“

“Brave… determined…” Napstablook finished Sans’s sentence.

“Uh… yeah… so, what changed?” Sans’s eye had stopped glowing, but Napstablook could tell that he was still tense.

“Look, you don’t know everything about me… or my cousins… so please don’t assume things because it’s not visibly in front of you…” Sans grinded his teeth, him and Napstablook locking eyes.

“I recognize that look…” Sans hissed. At first Napstablook had no idea what Sans was talking about, but then he remembered the day that him and his cousins fell into the ruins and emerged into the underground. It was noon at the time, two days after they had entered the ruins. The trio were so ecstatic about meeting Toriel and the other friendly monsters that they had forgotten about any hostile ones. The first hostile monster they met was…

“Sans… you… remember me?” Napstablook was shaking, but he didn’t move, or couldn’t move from his fear.

“Yeah I remember you! Don’t you think I’d remember the first human I killed?! I regretted that day my entire life! And when Asgore couldn’t recover your souls just made it worse! But what really makes me mad is the fact that you three have been living here this entire time!” Napstablook thought Sans was going to explode in rage, but… he fell silent.

“I’m sorry… I… didn’t want to do it… my father forced me… Napstablook… Nick… I am so sorry for what I did to you…” Napstablook was at a loss for words.

“Hey…it’s ok… being a ghost isn’t all that bad… it did help us blend in down here… no one questioned where we came from, which was nice… my cousins didn’t change a bit… and we still have our souls which is cool, I guess…” Sans looked at Napstablook in a curious fashion.

“You still have your souls?” Napstablook nodded.

“Y…yeah…had them this whole time… but I guess being dead made our souls whiter than normal… disguising them as monster souls…” Sans nodded, understanding the logic behind it that Napstablook didn’t understand.

“Who else knows?” Sans glanced out the window.

“No one but you…” Napstablook replied.

“Good, because we still need one more soul to open the barrier, and if anyone finds out, you and your cousins will be used to open it… wait if you’re a dead human then why didn’t you open the barrier?! You’ve been a ghost for what twenty years?! Since I was a kid that’s for sure!” Sans turned to face Napstablook, glancing out the window occasionally.

“We tried… it didn’t work… we think it’s because we’ve been dead to long that we’re losing our human traits… that’s what Maddie says…” Napstablook sat on the floor.

“Maddie?” Sans echoed back.

“Oh, my cousin, you may also know her as Mettaton? She’s helping Dr. Alphys in exchange for fame…” Napstablook fell silent.

“I knew it…” Sans mumbled. The star Mettaton has claimed fame in such a short amount of time that it was almost unnatural. But it wasn’t her talent that made her a star, it was the fact that everyone believed that the great Dr. Alphys has made a robot that functions with a human soul… technically she DID make a robot suited for a human soul, but the mild of the soul control the host, which was a little detail that Alphys and Maddie kept to themselves.

“The moon is rising…” Sans muttered. Napstablook rose and joined Sans by the window. Then they heard the shrill laugh of Papyrus’s twisted self.

“Sans… what does the letter say?” Napstablook whispered as they watched every monster in Snowdin barricade their doors and windows against Papyrus.

“…it says ‘I know your secret’…” Sans looked at Napstablook, hoping to get something of a reaction out of him. But Napstablook stayed as blank as paper, his expression unchanging.

“Is that a joke…? Or are you serious…?” Napstablook kept his eyes glued to the window.

“I’m serious… that’s why I asked if anyone else knows…” Sans motioned for Napstablook to follow him as he walked into the kitchen.

“This is the font my dad used, Wingdings, but he’s been… gone for some time now… so I’m wondering… why is he trying to make contact again, and with you of all people…?” Sans eyed Napstablook enquiringly. The ghost trembling all over.

“I don’t know… I mean… I did meet a very nice skeleton monster once before… when I was a kid… but that was before the war…” Napstablook was cut short by Sans’s outburst.

“YOU WERE ALIVE DURING THE WAR?!” Sans was both shocked and surprised.

“Uh…yeah…things were so simple then…when I could be nice to both humans and monsters… I was raised that way…I can’t help it if I’m too nice…” Napstablook took his place on the floor, eyes avoiding Sans.

“Wait, you parents WANTED you to be kind to humans AND MONSTERS?! That’s not normal, especially for a human.” Sans crossed his arms, waiting for a response.

“Well…I guess it would have to be because I’m half monster… I guess…” Napstablook waited for another of Sans’s outbursts… but none came.

“That… makes a lot of sense actually… and I’m guessing your cousins are half monsters as well?” Sans’s eyes had become kind, but Napstablook knew his trick. He would be kind to him for a bit to get information. That’s how he found out about Maddie’s curse and why Toriel still lets Napstablook into the ruins.

“I…I’m…I’m sure you can put the pieces together yourself… why would someone as smart as you need a simple answer from someone like me…” Napstablook rose and started making his way to the door.

“I have one more question for you Nick…” Sans called after him, Napstablook stopped for a moment, waiting.

“If you and your cousins are all half monsters… then why are you not affected by the moons like everyone else?” there was silence between them for a few heartbeats.

“I don’t know… but I will find out.” Napstablook floated through the door and out into the icy cold night.

#undermoon undertale aus

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forestwater87 · 6 years

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(whispers seductively) Talk to me about a high school Gwenvid AU

OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY

So I was initially saving this to talk all about how in high school David was the sunny B-student who founded Nature Club and was friends almost exclusively with girls because guys treated him kinda badly, and how Gwen was the high-schooler-pretending-she-likes-coffee straight-A-but-not-valedictorian student who was in virtually all the clubs – especially yearbook, definitely yearbook – but didn’t really have any friends, and how maybe they met because they were the only ones willing to do some shit task for the school (her because it’d look good on her applications, him out of an overwhelming desire to help out) and are forced to hang out and grow closer and fall in love and all that doofy stuff.

And I do still love all of that.

But.

BUT.

Then my discord starting talking about a version of teenage David (heavily based on this picture) where he went through a punk phase, and … my fingers slipped, guys.

(Parts of this were heavily influenced by chats with @ciphernetics. And I think calling Cute Waitress Clementine was originally the invention of @mysterysmiley, but I’m not entirely positive? I just know I didn’t come up with it and I’m happy to credit whoever did. Oh, and this characterization of Jasper is, of course, largely the creation of the marvelous @hopefullypessimistic84)

Hufflepunk

Being unconditionally polite, kind, and compassionate in a society that values and finds “deeper meaning” in aloofness and cynicism is subversive and thus punk

“Christ.” Gwen checks her watch and stands up on the balls of her feet, rolling her neck to loosen the tension in her shoulders. She’s positive Fred had told her the Crafts Club meets at 4:30 … has she gotten the location wrong?

Five minutes, she tells herself, glancing around the empty classroom as though people will spontaneously burst up from the tiled floor. She still has to get a couple pictures of lacrosse practice before the high school talent show begins — she wishes she hadn’t volunteered to cover the event, but she owes the head of the school newspaper a favor — and somewhere in there she’s supposed to fit five pages of extra-credit math homework!

She doesn’t have time to hang around.

Worst-case scenario, we just pretend there isn’t a Crafts Club. Not like anyone’s going to complain. Nobody she knows is in it, and Gwen knows almost everyone (not well, but she doesn’t have time to know people well. “Getting to know people” isn’t something she’s ever been very good at, anyway).

She’s just about to leave the stifling-silent classroom when the door flies open, smacking into the wall and bouncing off of it with a noise that makes her flinch. She sees boots, heavy and industrial and grass-stained, then immediately ducks her head and pretends to be deeply engrossed in her phone. Like someone who has a personal life or something.

“Y’know, one’a these days you’re gonna give someone a concussion doing that.”

“Oh, don’t be silly! No one stands that close to a door that swings in!” The second voice is light, laughing — vaguely familiar in a way she can’t place.

“It’s your funeral, string bean. But don’t expect Bonquisha to bail you out if you tick off someone bigger than you.”

There’s a snort, loud and (she suspects) intentionally disgusting. “So, everyone.”

“I don’t think that’s — um.” The footsteps stop suddenly, as do the voices. “Are we in the right room?”

Figuring she can’t pretend to text any longer, Gwen glances up with an expression she hopes reads “polite disinterest” and fears comes off more like “suffering from minor digestive discomfort.” She holds up the camera looped around her neck, wishing — not for the first time — that they were just allowed to use their phones instead of the crappy Kodaks provided by the school. “Uh, hi. I’m —”

RAPRAPRAP.

They all glance over at the window, one of the students, a boy with a red hoodie that hides most of his face, rushing over to open it and let a brightly-colored teenager vault inside.

“— from the … yearbook committee.” She’s more than a little thrown off by the commotion, but tries to pull herself together. “We’re going around —”

“The classrooms have doors, genius,” the guy in the hoodie says, slamming the window shut. “New thing they’re trying out these days.”

“Where’s the fun in that? The flair?”

“— taking photos of all the clubs —”

“You and your goddamn flair, Jesus.”

“— for the, you know … yearbook.” She keeps her attention focused on the only one who’s addressed her so far, the one she recognizes now from one of her science classes. Something with a D … “You guys are the Crafts Club?”

(She tries to keep the disbelief out of her voice.)

(She’s pretty sure she fails.)

“Well …” D-something glances at his friends — the hoodie boy, with green-rimmed eyes and artful stubble that must’ve taken weeks; the one with flair, who is dressed in and pierced with and dyed so many colors he’s almost hard to look at; and the only girl, someone she remembers being slightly terrified of in gym a few years ago because she throws like she’s trying to set the air on fire — and turns back to her with a shrug and a bashful grin, as if he knows how ridiculous they look together. “Yeah! That’s us.”

Sure.

Why the hell not?

“You’re Gwen, right? Gwen Santos?” He watches with patient interest as she nods, then steps forward, extending a hand (shaking up the sleeve of his jacket, which hangs from his skinny frame). “We’re in Chemistry together, but you probably don’t remember me! She usually sits in the front,” he adds to the others, like that explains everything. “I’m David.”

David, right.

David with the short red mohawk and the little rings marching up the shell of his ear and the spiked leather jackets and the tight black jeans and the giant, grass-stained, door-kicking-in boots that must weigh half as much as he does. David with the insightful questions and the eager-to-help attitude and the tendency to make things explode and no one can tell if it’s an accident or not. David, who was forced to sit in the front for three days for fiddling with the lab equipment before the teacher got tired of his ceaseless humming and banished him to the back of the room again.

Gwen takes his hand, feeling a little like she’s dreaming. There’s a greyscale rose on his hand, beautiful and intricate. “Is this real?” she asks, twisting his hand to watch the thorny stem snake around his wrist.

David tugs his hand away with an embarrassed chuckle. “No, I can’t afford that,” he says, glancing over his shoulder and jerking his chin toward the kid with the neon clothes. “Jasper’s a great artist, though!”

Jasper tilts his head at them, blue-tipped blond waves falling over his eyes, and gives her a lopsided grin. “All you need is a long study hall and a lot of boredom,” he says with a shrug. “And you can’t mind getting absolutely fucked up on Sharpie fumes.”

The girl — Bonquisha, that’s right — sets her backpack down and flicks one of Jasper’s shoes (the pink one. The other is a completely different style, Converse instead of a black knee-high heeled boot (how does he walk?) with bright orange laces). “Like anyone thinks you mind that, Ghost.”

“Ghost?” Gwen knows she really should just shut up and take the pictures, because even if her schedule wasn’t beyond full there’s no way she’s hanging out voluntarily with these guys and risk coming home reeking of smoke, but … she’s curious.

Fuck it, isn’t that a good enough reason?

“Because I’m a ninja,” he intones, leaning forward eagerly. “So sneaky I can —” he snaps, then wiggles his fingers, “— vanish into thin air.”

She frowns. “So … why don’t they call you Ninja?”

Jasper pauses, looking thoughtful, but the one in the hoodie jumps in before he can answer: “Because he’s a clumsy idiot who should’ve died, like, twenty times before we started high school. We think he has to already be dead to —”

“To pull off those sick stunts?” Jasper says this with a bright, cheesy grin; instead of finishing his sentence, the other kid drops his head in one hand and sighs deeply. “Come on, Kev; you don’t like my sweet, radical Parkour moves?”

“I don’t like you.”

“Come on, guys, be nice,” David pleads, shoving his hands in his back pockets and rocking onto his heels. “We have company.”

We have company — like they’re a family and she’s some sort of special guest. Gwen bites her lip to keep from smiling and fiddles with her lens cap.

“So I guess there’s no field trip today, huh?” Bonquisha says, glancing over at Gwen before giving David a meaningful look.

“Oh, I don’t know about that! We’ll just have to see. It’s fine, though,” he adds with a hasty look at Gwen, like he’s nervous he hurt her feelings, “we have tons of stuff we can work on here!” He fumbles in his bag, then looks up questioningly. “So should we pose, or are you just …”

She nods, snapping back to herself. “Uh … nah, just do your thing and I’ll take a couple photos. Then I’ll leave you guys alone.” As they all pull out varying-sized knitting needles and colorful yarn, she takes a couple steps back, trying to figure out where the cheap fluorescent lighting is best. “Where’s your faculty advisor?” she asks.

Kevin and Jasper both groan and roll their eyes, but David glows, straightening up. “Oh, Mr. Campbell! He’s … busy, lately, and hasn’t had a ton of time to stop by for our meetings.”

“Which is why we picked him,” Kevin mutters under his breath, ignoring the reproving frown David shoots his way.

“But he’s very supportive of our crafts, and I make sure to email him pictures of our projects!”

Mr. Campbell was technically the superintendent of the school, but he was usually off doing … who knew? Superintendent stuff, probably. Gwen is faintly impressed that they managed to nail the support of someone so important; it’s probably why they can get away with meeting after the school closes, without supervision, to … knit.

Apparently.

“What’re you doing?” she asks, half to make conversation and half out of genuine curiosity. She circles to take a few more pictures, lingering in a spot where David’s earrings flash bright under the ceiling lights and Bonquisha’s hair — the side that isn’t shaved, that is, and falls in long dark dreads interwoven with red sparkling tinsel — catches the setting sun.

The club members are each so captivating, it’s hard to remember she’s actually supposed to be photographing what they’re doing.

David holds his up for her to see: a complex tangle of braided pink, blue, and purple yarn. “We’re making beards! Well — most of us are.”

“Fuck you, I wanna make Cthulhu,” Jasper muttered, twining yellow thread around his crochet hook. Other tentacles in pastel colors fall in a general beard shape, spread across his lap.

None of the beards are actually beard-colored; she thinks of questioning it, but decides not to. After all, it’s not like any of them have natural-colored hair anyway. “What for?”

“Just for fun!” David chirps quickly.

“No reason,” Jasper adds at the same time.

“Fake IDs,” Kevin says, talking over the others.

They’re all quiet for a moment. “So … like a costume?” Gwen finally asks.

“Yes! Halloween!” “For Comic-Con.” “To buy booze.”

Bonquisha rolls her eyes and keeps knitting. “They’re decorations.”

Gwen falls silent, watching them work. The colors — remind her of something, she doesn’t know what. David’s epic beard that reminds her of Lord of the Rings; Jasper’s in pale shades of yellow, pink, and blue; Kevin’s looks like every color of the rainbow, and Bonquisha’s alternates between light blue, pink, and white.

Four beards … “Oh my god, are you’re gonna put these on those new statues?” Sleepy Peak, in a rousing act of patriotism, had installed four giant gold-looking statues in front of the Town Hall that represented the founding fathers of the town. In a completely-unrelated act of equal patriotism, the city also recently voted not to pass a bill prohibiting employer discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. “They’re gonna get taken down.”

David’s blushing pinker than the yarn twined around his fingers, but he gives her a cheeky smile. “Not before people take pictures.”

“It’s more about the statement,” Jasper says, reaching for the pink ball of yarn. “Davey’s all about making statements.”

“Your statements are gonna get moldy.”

Kevin grins up at Gwen. “I thought we should just drive Bon’s truck into the ugly fucking things, but they voted me down.”

“Not me,” Jasper says, raising one hand without looking up. “I was all for it.”

Bonquisha glares at them both. “I’m not paying for that shit!”

“Your car’s practically a monster truck, it’d be fine!”

David watches his friends argue with a small, slightly tired smile, then turns back to Gwen. She takes a seat at the desk next to him and asks, “So, why don’t you? Do more … destructive shit, I mean. Something that’ll last longer than a couple days.”

“Oh god,” Jasper moans dramatically, abandoning his conversation with Bon and Kevin. “I know you’re new, but one rule? Please, please don’t get him started. Ever. On anything.”

“Hey, it’s an excellent question!” David protests, and if he was standing she has the distinct impression his hands would be on his hips. “Most people don’t understand the difference between anarchy and —”

He’s drowned out by a chorus of groans and gives up, shaking his head and returning to his knitting.

“It’s about inspiring thought, not fear,” he murmurs. “Mindless violence doesn’t do anyone any good.” She has the impression he wants to say more and is deliberately holding his tongue.

“No kidding?” Sometime, she thinks, she’d like to hear more about his philosophy. It’s interesting.

“So we’re all finished over here,” Kevin says loudly, jolting David and Gwen from their conversation. “If you guys are finally done flirting, can we go on a field trip?”

Flushing, he ties off the end of his beard and shoves it and his knitting supplies back into his bag. “You’re so immature,” he hisses, which makes the others snicker.

(Gwen bites back her own laughter; for a kid in chains and spikes, David’s … kind of a grandma.)

“What’s the field trip?” she asks, and then immediately wishes she could kick herself, because that sounds like she’s inviting herself along, which of course she doesn’t want to do — she’s already late to photograph the lacrosse team and there’s no way she can miss the talent show tonight, not to mention that she really doesn’t need to get in trouble and these guys have trouble written all over them (a gentle, kind of ill-thought-out sort of trouble, but trouble nonetheless) — and of course they wouldn’t want her along — she’s awkward and unlikable and she makes people feel uncomfortable, she knows that, with her weird questions and her infrequent eye contact and her inability to know whether she’s talking too much or too little but it’s never the right amount or about the right things so how could she just force herself into their —

“First we gotta water our graffiti, then we’ll hit the bleachers.” When she just stares at him in baffled silence, Kevin rolls his eyes and gestures for her to follow them. “Come on, but put the camera away. This won’t look good in the yearbook.”

She pauses — was she really being invited along? Did she even want to be? — and Bonquisha wraps an arm around her shoulders. “Do you ever smile, Gwen? Or is this whole gloomy-girl thing part of your look?”

She isn’t sure if she should be insulted, but there’s a kind a snarky amiability these people all share that’s … much more comfortable than any type of friendship she’s tried to fit herself into before. “I don’t … really have a look,” she admits, letting herself be pulled down the hallway toward the school’s back doors.

Bon hums thoughtfully. “No kidding. Eh, whatever,” she squeezes Gwen’s shoulders, “neither does Kevin, and we still let him hang around.”

“I have a great look!”

“‘Hey kids, wanna buy some shit?’ isn’t a look, Kev.”

“It’s better than yours, Jasp!”

For the first time since she met the Crafts Club — for the first time in far longer, if she’s being honest — Gwen allows herself to laugh.

It feels pretty good.

“So every few days we just —” David spritzes wall with his water bottle, beaming, “— and sometimes on weekends I come by to paint over the design!”

Gwen eyes the wall skeptically; so far there’s no sign of the moss they assure her has been painted onto the school’s sullen red brick in the words “campe diem” (which she doesn’t think is real Latin). “And it’s actually gonna work?”

“Oh, sure,” Jasper says, nodding sagely. “One-hundred-percent success rate, just like all DIY projects from the internet.”

“Dave has a green thumb,” Bonquisha assures her. “I think he’ll make it work.”

Jasper leans into David, bumping shoulders and waggling his eyebrows. “Got more than a green thumb, if ya know what I’m saying.”

There’s a moment of confused silence. “So … like, an STD?” Kevin finally says. “Or like, he was bitten by a radioactive broccoli on the dick and —”

“Okay!” David snaps pointedly, not-very-gently shoving Kevin’s backpack. “Let’s go to the bleachers right now!”

“What happens at the bleachers?” Gwen asks, feeling very innocent and very stupid with every question.

David’s expression switches from exasperated to sunny in a second. “Oh, right! Well, we can’t decorate the statues until later tonight. And Kevin has … another job. So we’re killing some time.”

“Yeah, speaking of,” Kevin interrupts, turning to Gwen, “got any cash on you? Because this shit ain’t cheap.”

David rolls his eyes. “Nice tact.”

“Hey, you guys n’ gals don’t love me for my tact.”

“I’ll cover her, don’t worry about it.” He grins at her. “And Jasper’s the DD tonight —”

“And just fucking thrilled about it.”

“— so you don’t have to worry about anyone driving while impaired!”

Gwen’s heard stories about the idiots who get stoned under the bleachers. She just never thought she’d be quite so tempted to be one of those idiots. “I …” she begins, sighing. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but I promised I’d —”

David jumps in, waving his hands almost frantically. “No, of course not! Don’t worry — of course you don’t want — that’s not like the only thing we do, so if you wanted … another time, maybe … or you and I and Jasper could maybe go for a walk or —”

“No, seriously, I have to …” She trails off, spotting a familiar pink ponytail in the throng of students lazily milling around the track. “Hold on.” Sprinting up to Clementine, Gwen grabs her shoulder a little rougher than intended. (Why was she so damn bad at this?) “Hey, you going to the talent show tonight?”

Clementine beams. “Sure am! You’ll be there, right?”

“Actually …” Gwen bites her lip and takes a deep breath. “Any chance I could get you to take some pictures for the newspaper? Just like, two or three, please, something came up.” She holds up the camera and tries to smile as winningly as possible.

She tilts her head to the side, pretty green eyes narrowing doubtfully. “I’m not sure, darlin. You know I’d love to help, but I’m no photographer.”

“You kinda owe me, Clem.” Gwen hates pulling these strings, but basically everyone in every school club owes her something for something; she’s the unofficial go-to girl when anyone needs a quick replacement. (It’s not like she’s ever busy — most of the time.) “Besides, it’ll be like a fun thing for you and Fred to do, right?”

Clementine sighs, her expression softening. “Sure, Gwennie.” (Gwen tries not to flinch at the nickname.) “Y’all have a good time with whatever you’re doing, ya hear?” She can tell from Clementine’s tone of voice that she thinks Gwen’s blowing this off for a date.

And … she’s kinda surprised she doesn’t mind her thinking that. “I’ll do my best,” she says, tugging the camera from around her neck and handing it over. “Oh, and can you take some pictures of lacrosse practice while you’re at it okay thanks!”

She takes off before Clementine can answer, eyes scanning the schoolyard for her flock of showy birds.

Okay, not hers. She doesn’t have any claim to them.

But she wonders if, maybe, they’ll eventually want to make a claim to her.

“So,” Jasper says conversationally, in the tone that David knows means trouble, “didn’t occur to you that maybe one of the most notoriously straightlaced kids in the school might not be super into our devious ganja lifestyle, huh?”

“She said she’ll be back,” David mutters; she hadn’t exactly said that, but what else would “hold on” mean? What were they holding on for, anyway?

They’re quiet for a moment, letting Bon and Kevin wander over to another group of people. David thinks for a second that Jasper might for once let something go.

“You’ve been in love with her for months and you seriously never thought she doesn’t smoke? Not even once?”

“Shhhh!” He shoves Jasper’s shoulder, looking around to make sure no one heard. “Stop it!”

Jasper snickers, shaking his head. “She sits in the front of the classroom, Davey.”

Like David doesn’t know that. Like he hasn’t spent the entire school year carefully memorizing the back of her head, and wondering what kind of thoughts lived inside it. “She laughed,” he says miserably, drawing in on himself. “She asked questions.”

His expression softens, and he shifts a little closer. “I know. And I bet she’ll be back in a couple minutes.” Keeping his eyes turned toward Bonquisha and Kevin, Jasper lets his fingers brush the backs of David’s lightly, almost catching his hand but not quite.

David tries not to blush and feels his face heat up anyway. “There are people here,” he whines, hating fact that he’s whining. “We’ll …” get in trouble sounds ridiculous, but it’s the first thing that pops into his head.

Not that Sleepy Peak is all that bad for his friends, not really. They’ve just — had some issues, before. Issues that required him to be a lot less pacifist than he liked. And it scared him, and it still scares him a little. Not that he can’t take care of himself, they all can, but it’s still … unpleasant.

Jasper gives him a small, bitter smile. “Plus we wouldn’t want the pretty new girl to think we’re a couple fags, huh?”

“Come on, Jasp, it’s not like that.”

(It’s … a little like that. He hates himself for it, but there’s a tiny bit of him that’s worried Gwen might get … the wrong idea, is all. And Jasper’s dirty jokes and little touches and gentle knowing looks are all very suggestive of a wrong idea.)

“If it helps, you’ve got a really shitty poker face, so unless she’s totally oblivious she’s gonna figure out you’re crazy about her anyway.” He gives David a sly grin and lets their hands brush again. “And she saw you holding a giant Viking beard bi flag, so the secret might already be kinda out.”

David shoots him a look that’s supposed to be a lot sterner than it is, but he can’t keep his lips from wanting to twitch upwards. That’s just what happens when he looks at Jasper. “That doesn’t mean anything! Bon made a trans beard, so you can’t assume —”

Jasper interrupts him with a laugh, shaking his head. “Still, if she’s gonna be hanging around, she’s going to learn all your secrets,” he teases, wiggling his fingers ominously. “Like the fact that you’re a filthy criminal who vandalizes public property while high on the devil’s lettuce!”

“She already knows that, Jasp.”

“Oh. Right.” They stand quietly for a few minutes, watching the various sports practices wrap up and the players meander back toward the school. “It worked out all right, Davey. With Bon, I mean. It can work again.”

He shakes his head. He can’t do that again. Yeah, it worked out in the end and the three of them escaped the breakup with their friendship intact, but … “I need someone who likes you, too.”

“And who says she won’t? I’m charming and lovable and have an amazing fashion sense.” When David rolls his eyes — something he can only do without guilt at Jasper — he chuckles and bumps their shoulders together. “Hey, I bagged you.”

“Yeah. You did.” He glances up and sees Gwen hurrying back in their direction; on a sudden, foolish impulse he reaches over and links his fingers through Jasper’s, shifting closer so it’s not immediately visible to anyone people-watching.

He glances down, eyebrows raising. “You sure? You don’t have to.”

“I’m sure.”

He drops his voice as she gets closer, speaking quickly. “If you chicken out, I’ll just mercilessly hit on her.”

David isn’t sure if that’s reassurance, a threat, or just an attempt to make him smile.

Whatever it is, it works.

“Sorry about that,” she says, brushing away a strand of hair that escaped her ponytail. She smiles at them both, a little shy but genuine and achingly beautiful. “I’m all yours now, though.”

Jasper realizes quickly that David isn’t really capable of words at the moment and flashes her his sunniest grin. “Don’t sign up for anything you can’t handle,” he jokes, reaching out with his free hand and taking hers. (David suppresses a gasp with effort; it never fails to shock him how brave his boyfriend is, how confident that whatever he does will work out somehow, for no other reason than that he wants it to.)

Gwen looks surprised for a second, and when she sees them holding hands it turns slightly to confusion. But then her eyes meet David’s and he can almost see the moment she decides to just roll with it. “Hey, I’m pretty brave,” she shoots back, turning her attention back to Jasper. “You might not know this, but I’m apparently going to break the law today.”

He mock-gasps. “I’m not sure we can keep you around! You’ll tarnish our innocence.”

David falls back, letting his hand slip through Jasper’s until only their fingertips are touching. It’s not that he doesn’t want to be part of the conversation, but there’s something nice about standing here in the honeyed yellow sunset, letting their voices wash around him like the breeze. Cozy, somehow.

“Hey!” Bonquisha calls, snagging Kevin by the hood and dragging him toward them. “You guys bringing Gloomy along, or what?”

The three of them share a look, and Gwen’s lips twist into a smirk. “That’s an unfortunate nickname.”

“String Bean and Ghost would argue there are worse ones,” Jasper replies dryly, and she lets out a surprised laugh, covering her mouth and blushing. “Oh, she’s adorable,” he says in a very loud stage whisper, leaning in toward David. “Can we keep her?”

“Stop!” she says, tugging her hand from his. She’s — she’s giggling, when before in class he’s hardly even seen her smile, and she hasn’t even started smoking yet, David’s pretty sure this is just the effect Jasper has on people but seeing it firsthand makes him think he might faint.

Can we keep her?

David tightens his hand around Jasper’s and shifts in a little closer — and trusts that he knows the answer is a resounding Yes.

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iced-insomnia · 3 years

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UnderMoon Written Story