Guys Like Us: Chapter 18

Dave pulled back and looked John in the eyes. John slowly reached up and pulled Dave's shades off. Dave tensed and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Dave" John cooed. "C'mon, let me see"

Dave sighed, resolving that John would have to find out sooner or later if this thing was going to go anywhere, and John chose sooner.

But what if Dave wanted later?

"John, I-I don't know if this is a good idea…"

Woah! What was that?! A Stutter and trailing off in the same sentence coming from a Strider!!! This is groundbreaking people. I'm sure somewhere there's some major tectonic plate disturbance and the ground is breaking and crumbling as you read.

"I mean" Dave continued "If you can't handle what's behind my shades, and turn me away, I-I don't know if I could handle it. Not after we had our… first kiss" He mumbled the last part, aware of how uncool it sounded, but his coolness levels have been dropping pretty much since John dropped into his heart unironically unplatonically.

Somehow, his cool levels have managed to drop so much that he's even COOLER now.

Who knew?

Oh, that's right. No one.

What? You want me to get back to steering the ship?

Well ok then!

"Dave" John said his name firm and clear, lifting Dave's chin so if (when) he opened his eyes, he could look straight into John's baby blues. "You've been my best friend for over a decade, and even more than a friend as of recently; and you're still going to hide those eyes from me?"

Dave almost nodded, but he kept his head neutral, letting John's soft hand support it. He was so scared of John being scared. He didn't want to risk losing John right after he'd gotten him. It would be too much, and Dave's heart would scratch just like the record on his childhood shirt.

"I don't know what you're so worried about Dave. I bet your eyes are just as attractive as your face! Maybe even more so! Maybe your eyes will make your face more attractive, making your eyes more attractive in turn! Maybe you'll become so attractive that I'll swoon and faint and you can carry me, princess style, off into the sunset that just happens to be a smuppet ass, ironically of course" John was rambling at this point, not really registering what he was saying. His hands moving so much he almost hit Dave in the face.

"John" Dave muttered, voice low, but a chuckle in it. "Calm down will you?"

John took a deep breath and nodded his head, then promptly added on "I'm calm" because Dave's eyes were still closed.

Then they weren't.

One was open.

And as John gasped

Dave cringed.

"No Dave it was a good gasp, I promise! You're eyes are so pretty, well, your eye because you need to open both of them do it now!!" Is what John said, though it came out like one word, all strung together and rushed.

But none the less, Dave opened both of his eyes. Both of those crimson red beauties that he's been hiding from the world. He was a little wide eyed actually because he didn't expect John to respond positively.

He couldn't help himself.
He hungrily pulled John into another, more passionate kiss. Dave was determined to speak volumes in this kiss, and blast them through John's mouth like his speakers blast sick beats.

John didn't complain.

In fact, be obliged, returning the passion with his hands, gripping Dave's neck and shoulder. They kept the kiss going until those dreadful organs called lungs demanded air with an urgency that left both of the men a little light headed. As if the kiss wasn't breathtaking enough.

As they were catching their breath, John shifted so he was in Dave's lap, nuzzling against his chest. Dave could cry from all the cuteness, and he almost *almost* let a single tear fall, because he figured his coolness levels would drop dramatically anyways, bringing them back up to exponential proportions! (ironically, of course)

He stopped the tear because John spoke.

"What does king me mean?" He asked, wondering what it was about that simple phrase that light a fire in Dave and sparked his lips forward.

"Well, John" Dave putting on his best school teacher voice. "It's a common phrase used in the game of—

"To you! Dave. What does it mean *to you*?"

"Oh!" He held out the word. "You gotta be more specific next time"

John looked up into Dave's eyes, watching how the glint from the illusioned sun hit them just so, that they almost looked fluid, languid, like a spark across the filling of a red gusher. "So you gonna tell me or what?"

"It happened in a dream a while ago. I don't remember much. Just that I confessed my feelings to you…" John bit back the 'You've felt like this for that long and haven't said anything!' that threatened to burst out of his throat.

"And you felt the same" Dave continued. "But I used 'King me' as a way of confessing. I made some comment about how you made me feel like a king, or you could be my king, or something."

"Ah, ok. I don't remember that one."

"I'm not surprised. You must've woken up shortly after, because you disappeared after that"

"That explains it" John nods and Dave can feel the motion on his chest, John's hair tickling the bottom of his chin.

They stayed quiet for a while, enjoying each other's warmth, an unspoken confirmation of a relationship between them.

John almost nodded off again, and would've if Dirk hadn't appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

"We got a court date" Dirk said as if he was talking about sports, or the weather; not commenting on the fact the two men were snuggled together. Dirk, being a Hero of Heart, saw this coming from miles away.

The news would've made John jump ten feet off the ground if he wasn't so comfortably in Dave's arms, so he settled for saying "Really!?!?" and widening his eyes.

Dirk chuckled. "Yea. It means you've got a chance of getting out bros. Jake and I are pretty much booked here, but you guys still got some leeway."

"Cool" Dave said, shades back on so fast that John didn't notice and Dirk never knew they'd come off.

"But that's all. I'll leave you two alone. Plus I gotta find Jake. He's hiding around here somewhere…" Dirk trails off, as that last part was directed more to himself than anyone else.

John snuggled in closer to Dave, loving how familiar he felt, especially with all the strange happenings lately. Dave poked John's nose and John squinted in surprise.

"Looks like we got our first date planned, huh?"

"What are you talking about Dave?" John was thoroughly confused. They hadn't discussed anything of the sort.

Dave just shrugged and ignored John's question, continuing with what he was saying. "Too bad about the scenery though. And the lack of privacy. The jury's eyes are everywhere."

That's when it clicked in John's head. Court 'Date'. John attributed the bad pun to some irony thing that he'd never understand.

"Does that really count as a date though? It doesn't seem like it'll be fun"

"Well, if it's not fun, we can scrap it, then go on a real first date. I'll bring you flowers and jewelry to match your eyes and everything." Dave chuckled.

John playfully elbowed him in the ribs, not wanting to be the proverbial "girlfriend" in this situation.

"Frisky are we?" Dave chuckled again, not caring that his poker face was so far gone it's probably past the green sun. He has no fucks to give.

John squeaked and squirmed as Dave poked his sides. While Dave had learned to reign in his reactions to being tickled, John was always ticklish.

John managed to turn around, a little red in the face. He gripped his side, shielding them as he sat back on his haunches between Dave's splayed legs.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" John said with no anger whatsoever.

"But I'm your asshole now! C'mere" Dave leaned forward, taking his shades off to give John the perfectly ironic sloppy kiss to follow that ironically sappy line. John leaned backwards, to avoid Dave's lips, but he leaned a little too far back and fell on his back with his knees towards the sky. Dave crawled over John and grasped his hands, holding them against the ground with his own. He placed his beautiful plush rump in the bend between John's stomach and thighs and leaned down so his bangs brushed John's forehead.

Dave loved the slight flush he saw in John's face as he managed to hold his back. Dave leaned farther forward, so their foreheads were touching and John closed the gap between their lips.

This was when Dave turned on the charm, using the makeout skills he learned from his Bro. He gently prodded his tongue into John's inviting mouth as their lips ebbed and flowed together. Dave could tell John was a little shy by the way he inhaled when he felt Dave's tongue against his. He got over it quickly though, and got adventurous even, attempting to suck Dave's upper lip and get it gently between his teeth.

John was good.

But Dave was better.

He had John's bottom lip to his disposal, sucking and grazing his teeth against it. After forever, but still not long enough, their oxygen levels began to drop and they reluctantly pulled apart with a little suck sound.

Dave looked at John's face and loved how his cheeks were sporting the most perfect strawberry blush.

"What?" John asked with a smile when he noticed Dave looking at him.

"Nothing." Dave said matter of factly. He knew John knew it was something, he just liked to pique John's curiosity.

"It didn't seem like nothing. You checking me out Dave?" John raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, attempting to make his voice sound deep and sexy, but failing in the most adorable of ways. John has this amazing ability to be a cute fully grown man and make it work! He was just John! And that's what Dave loved.  

Dave smirks at John and wiggles his eyebrows, speaking volumes without saying anything. John had known Dave long enough to tell that there was some serious "I want you in bed" behind that playful face gesture. Dave lives to imply things. If he has to spell it out, he won't.

John shook his head, still smiling, and crawled toward his new… new what exactly?

"So, this is a thing right?" John asked just for clarification.

"Yep!" Dave said in his best teenage girl voice.

"I'll never understand your irony Dave"

"And I'll never understand your taste in movies John"

John swung to punch Dave lightly, but Dave caught his wrist and pulled him into another breathtaking kiss that enticed small sounds from each of the two. This was so familiar, so right, yet so new! They can explore each other in ways they'd only dreamed of, and yes, they had both dreamt about it. So it wasn't unusual when their pants became a bit uncomfortable.

Dave pulled back and John looked surprised, until he saw the look Dave was giving him. "John?" was what he vocalized. 'Will you have sex with me?' was what he said. What he meant. What he wanted.

John didn't know how to respond. Sure he wasn't a virgin, but he'd never been with a guy before. He was curious, to say the least, and let's just say if John were a cat, he'd be dead.

"Hey chaps!" was heard from a distance and slightly broke the mood. It was Jake, running up to them, Dirk not far behind.

John and Dave looked over to Jake, but didn't say anything. Neither of them trusted their voices very much.

Then Jake ran past them, and it wasn't long before they heard the thud of Dirk tackling Jake. The young couple waited until the older couple's faint rustles and footsteps couldn't be heard.

"So?" Dave said

"I-I don't know. I've never… never been with a guy."

"And?" Dave urged John on, knowing he didn't say all he was thinking.

"And I wanna think this through, ok? It's a lot to take in actually…"

Dave's response was a thumbs up and a slight nod of the head. He could wait. He would wait. Because it's what John wanted.

"So if my timing is right, we have about 2 more hours before we can sneak into the crowd of sweaty guys returning to their cells from morning workouts"

"Well, your timing is always right, so I agree with you!" John sat up and Dave sat back, not letting go of John's hands.

Passing the time was no problem, what with the opportunity to express emotions that were previously under lock and key.

--Two Hours Later—

Dave's time senses tingled as propped himself on his elbows. Dave was on his back, next to John. Dave's right hand entangles in John's left as they looked up at the sky, pointing to random clouds that resembled other things.

"What?" John asked, wondering why Dave sat up all of a sudden.

"It's time to go" Dave said with a sigh.

John nodded. He felt he could handle it a little better now, since he had Dave.

Correction.

He'd always had Dave. Now he just has Dave even more so.

Dave rolled back and pushed himself from his hands to his feet like a ninja. They he bent down and helped John up. They brushed the grass of each other and ran to the portal, in order to work up a sweat and blend it with all the other guys coming from workouts.

Dave and John worked out too, just more with their lips than anything else.

"What about Dirk and Jake?" John asked as they approached the spot where a slight ripple in the scenery indicated a portal.

"I wouldn't worry about them. They know how these portals work and how to time it. If they come back late, it'll be on purpose."

"K" John said and the two of them entered the hallway, just in time to catch up to the sweaty guy parade and Karkat and Sollux.

"WHERE HAVE YOU TWO FUCKASSES BEEN?" Karkat asked, noticing John's absence this morning.

"Does it matter?" Dave retorted. "We're here now"

"John, are you feeling better?" Sollux asked.

"Yes. A lot better actually! Thanks for asking." John smiled at Dave and Dave upturned the side of his lip back at John, his glasses and poker face back into place. "Too bad we have more manual labor to do."

"Actually, we don't. The warden want2 two make an announcement. We're heading two the yard now."

"Oh" Dave and John said together.

"YOU WOULD KNOW THAT IF YOU WEREN'T SO BUSY SLEEPWALKING TO NOWHERE" Karkat teased.

"You missed me that much Karkat? That's so sweet!" John teased back as Karkat rolled his eyes. The group continued waking until they were in a huge expanse of grass surrounded by electrical fences. A makeshift stage sat close to one of the fences. The warden, Tavarina and some chick no one else recognized were on the stage. Around them was a podium, and two poster stands with a rolled up poster in each, ready to be dropped.