A/N: Hey, what's up, y'all? Long time no see. Funny story: I just started rewatching Dexter's Lab not too long ago and I remembered my first fanfic I wrote and published on here was for that show, so I went back and reread that along with some others and decided, you know what? Maybe I'll post one last story four years later just for laughs (also, I am still complete trash for the Dexdark pairing). Obviously, my writing style has changed a lot since I was fourteen. Now I'm graduating high school in six weeks. Woah! I'm also going to prom, which is what inspired this story, just because I love it so much. Enjoy: Please R & R!
Disclaimer: I do not own Dexter's Laboratory. Obviously.
(Third-Person P.O.V.)
2:15. IB Chemistry would end shortly, giving Dexter enough time to walk from Huber High to the local university. There, he could carry out arguably his biggest plan of all time, which began in January when everyone started talking about prom. At first he'd dismissed it as yet another insignificant social event that paled in comparison to the grandeur of graduation or the first day of college, but the more he thought about it, the more he remembered how left out he felt the year before.
Sure, he had all night to play video games and peacefully work on his inventions without Dee Dee destroying his lab, but when she came home after and animatedly recalled the events, he couldn't help but wish he had at least gone for the sake of scientific observation. It would, after all, be interesting to see what non-geniuses did for fun. Plus, it was only three weeks before graduation, which certainly called for a celebration. That is why this year, he decided to end senior year with a bang (provided that "bang" wasn't one of his unstable nuclear reactors).
Anyway! When Dee Dee dragged him to her dance recital earlier this year and he watched the stage, his eyes immediately fell on the girl to the front left. Lee Lee. He knew her as one of Dee Dee's childhood friends. She was beautiful and would look excellent in the pictures. Plus, she still came over from time to time and seemed nice enough. That settled it – when the time was right, he'd ask Lee Lee to prom.
Today was that day, and he'd been thinking nonstop about it since he got up. He could hardly even enjoy the bittersweet fact this was one of his last classes of the year since exams were over, so he'd no longer have to attend within the next week except to present his senior project. He sat tapping his favorite green fountain pen against his lips and bouncing his leg until eventually, he heard a throat clear beside him.
"You good?"
And just like that, he was looking up into the dark eyes of his lab partner. He gulped and nodded.
Mandark pursed his lips and squinted at him from behind his horn-rimmed glasses. "You're lying," he decided, giving Dexter a gentle shove and initiating a small laugh from him. "What's got you so nervous?"
"Nothing," Dexter said a little too quickly.
Mandark huffed. "Well, whatever it is, it's making me nervous. Stop it."
His former-enemy-now-frenemy's odd way of expressing concern made Dexter laugh. "You, the Monarch of Darkness, nervous? I'd better alert the media of this inconsistency."
"Okay, first of all, don't make fun of my future villain name. Second, turn around, shithead, the teacher's walking this way."
Dexter didn't think Mr. Bernard the type to give out detentions just weeks before school ended, but he certainly wouldn't hesitate to give him an earful on the merits of paying attention in front of the whole class.
"Thanks."
Mandark grinned. "Anytime."
o - o - o - o - o
There was this thing everyone liked to call a "promposal" which to most was a big deal but to Dexter was just another burden. What was wrong with just walking up and asking, he wanted to know; was it really worth all the trouble going to such lengths? But he knew Lee Lee probably expected something grand and exciting - she was Dee Dee's friend, after all - so he reluctantly constructed his plan in his lab over the next few months.
Now, here he was, driving his newest invention up to Lee Lee on campus after seeing her friends leave. If this worked, it would be the pull off of the century. If it didn't, well, he'd just change his name and live under a rock forever. No big deal.
Dexter drove up to where she was standing near the giant oak tree and cleared his throat. She raised an eyebrow upon seeing him. "Dexter?"
"Hey, Lee Lee, I was wondering – will you...go to..."
He aimed his lasers at the sky and shot a beam of light through a gold cube that lifted in front of the tank-like gun into the air to form the word 'PROM' along with various designs of flowers and even a unicorn as he watched her previously unimpressed face mold to that of amazement.
"With me?" he finished.
"Yes," she cried, hugging him. "Yes, oh my God! That was so, like, cool!"
At this point, he was surrounded by others who had witnessed the event and applauded him.
"Aw, man, that's sick!"
"How did you do that?"
Dexter swelled with pride. "The theory is quite simple. You send out a short pulse of light at high energy through a vacuous focal point. Once you hit it, all the light energy is compressed, creating a stream of photons which will collide into particles of matter. Simultaneously, you accelerate electrons at approximately the speed of light to create positrons, one of the anti-building blocks of matter, which invokes Einstein's equation..."
He stopped when he noticed everyone staring at him blankly and the crickets chirping nearby. "Eh heh heh. On second thought, let's just go with the fact that it was cool!"
"I'll say!"
"Yeah, now I gotta work on my promposal!"
"What, are you kidding? Nothing's gonna beat that."
He stood tall and noted with satisfaction that Lee Lee was still hugging him. Yep – prom was going to be great.
o - o - o - o - o
"Did you do it? Did you ask someone out to prom yet?" Dee Dee asked that afternoon once she returned from dance rehearsals and broke into his lab.
"Yep, she said yes," Dexter replied in high spirits, even as she proceeded to destroy one of his inventions.
"Eeee! Congrats, congrats, congrats!" Dee Dee lifted him up in her arms and swung him around until he grew dizzy. He coughed back his lunch while she pranced around him, flapping her arms. "Who was it, who was it?"
"It was Lee Lee."
"Oooh." She winced. "I wouldn't have done that, if I were you~!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"Lee Lee just broke up with her boyfriend, but they have this on-and-off relationship, so he'll definitely find out. It might even cause some proma."
"What the heck is that?" he demanded. He was starting to get irritated. Really.
"It's a combination of 'prom' and 'drama'. Everybody knows that!" She stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes.
"There's not going to be any proma," he said through his teeth before exploding, "and that word is not even in the English dictionary, woman!"
"Whatever you say~!" she sang, dancing out of the lab and leaving him there to seethe.
o - o - o - o - o
The next day, the hallway was a slew of whispers and pointed stares at him. At first he thought it might be because of his great success yesterday, but then he listened closer:
"Hey, did you hear about Mandark?"
"Yeah, apparently he had this elaborate promposal planned."
"So did he do it?"
"No, he walked up to their house and knocked on the door, but no one was there."
"Damn."
"I hear the person he wanted to ask was already out asking someone else."
"Oh, yeah, I heard about that too! Her name's Lee Lee, she goes to Huber U."
"A college girl? Woah, lucky him."
"Yeah, not to mention one of the best dancers in Huber."
"Man, he really scored on that one."
Dexter gaped. Shit. He never would've suspected. Mandark...?
He turned to him and sure enough, he was standing by his locker and waving, albeit without his usual enthusiasm. If anything, he seemed to withdraw into himself. Dexter turned back around, hand over his chest so it wouldn't explode. He wanted to ask me?
o - o - o - o - o
By lunchtime, the news had spread all over the school like wildfire. Dexter, meanwhile, was still mulling over the fact that the same guy who had been fawning over his sister not too long ago wanted to prompose to him. This, of course, led to one question after another. What was Mandark's promposal going to be? What would he have said? He always thought they were mere frenemies, but...
That's when a new rumor started.
"Dude, guess what Mandark did now?"
"I've already heard this story, man."
"No, not that! This is a different one. You know how he wasn't in gym today?"
"Yeah, so?"
"He used an excuse note to go to the local university and asked Mee Mee."
"Woah. That's just catty!"
Dexter had no idea what 'catty' meant, but he did know it was wrong of Mandark to prompose to someone without even telling his closest pal. Mega wrong! Why, he oughta march up to Mandark, roll up the sleeves of his sweatshirt, and –
"Poor guy practically had to beg her to go with him."
"Well, can you blame her? He is a geek. Dexter is too, but at least he's proven himself to be superior."
At that, Dexter's forces lowered immediately. Who was he kidding? It was his own fault for being so blind.
o - o - o - o - o
"Oooh, sounds like there's already some proma!"
"I told you, there's not going to be any proma!"
"Whatever you say~!"
Why don't sisters come with mute buttons? The world may never know.
o - o - o - o - o
Prom night, at last. Dexter stood in front of his bedroom mirror, adjusting his bow tie. He couldn't believe the dapper young man staring back was the same kid who got teased on the school playground for being short and chubby. He hardly recognized those hollowed-out cheeks and broad shoulders. Not to mention the baby fat that eventually molded into muscle. Oh, yes - puberty had been most kind.
He was still a bit on the short side, though, he lamented, as he stood on the tips of his toes to reach his hair spray. 5'7 wasn't bad - actually, compared to the average male height in America, it was quite reasonable - but if you lived with a 6'1 tower of a sister and walked to school every day with a guy who could try out for the NBA, well, there went any last shred of self-confidence.
"Dexter, Dexter!" Dee Dee cried, bursting through the door as he was spraying his hair.
"Can't a guy have a little privacy?" Dexter groaned.
"Just wanted to warn you, I think I overheard Lee Lee talking about plans for a limo with Mee Mee–"
"Out." He sprayed some of it in her direction. She coughed and glared momentarily before smiling again and rushing downstairs. Dexter followed her and just barely resisted the urge to card a hand through his newly-tamed curls. Oy vey.
At the sound of the doorbell, he shot his sister a triumphant grin. "See, Dee Dee? She showed up. No proma!"
"That's not what I meant-" she began, but her brother didn't hear her. He was too busy opening the door.
"Hi, Dexter!"
"Lee Lee! Come on in, you look great." He held the door open for her as she walked in while sneaking smug looks at his sister, who only rolled her eyes. She did cheer up a little when Lee Lee waved and said "Hi" to her, though.
"Is that dashing couple really my son and his prom date? Why, I can hardly believe it!" Dexter's dad chuckled, rubbing his eyes.
"Oh, don't you two look darling~!" Dexter's mom agreed, snapping photos at every angle.
"Mom, not until I put on the corsage," Dexter whined, which he immediately tried to cover up in the presence of his date. She only giggled, which was a relief. Also a relief was the fact she was wearing an emerald green dress, which matched perfectly with the white corsage he tied on her wrist as well as his own white boutonnière.
"It's beautiful, Dexter," she breathed, before placing a hand on his chest to pose for the camera. He, in turn, wrapped an arm around her waist. This would be a great memory for years to come, he was sure of it.
"Do you have a ride?" he asked after, when Dexter's mom had exhausted all her footage and moped away. "I can drive you, if you'd like."
"Actually, Mee Mee and I were thinking of riding in the limo with a few of our friends from dance class. you don't mind, do you?" She said, biting her lip.
"Naw, that's what prom is all about!" he said, waving a hand in dismissal. "You do you, girlfriend!"
"Hm! You're funny, Dexter," she giggled, before giving him a short kiss on the cheek. "I'll meet you there!"
"Okay! Bye~!" he called giddily after her, waving. He turned to his sister. "Friends, Dee Dee. As in, not her estranged so-called boyfriend!"
"Whatever you say~!" she warned for the final time, dancing toward the living room to watch TV.
"Have the best time, Dexy!" his mom cooed, pinching his cheeks.
"And dance plenty," his dad chimed in, breaking out a bunch of moldy moves. God, Dexter could just die of embarrassment.
"Goodbye!" he said as he walked out the door, glad nobody was there to witness any of that. He sent a text to Lee Lee that he was on his way, got into his blue car, and left.
o - o - o - o - o
Once he arrived at the high school, he realized his previous text message had gone unread. No matter. He'd just send another one saying he was there. After a couple seconds of waiting, his phone buzzed. He read it:
b their in 5 minutes
It wasn't grammatically to his taste, but he got the idea anyway.
Unfortunately, that five minutes ended up being an antagonizing five-times-ten minutes, especially since she'd stopped replying. Dexter's fingers weighed down the bags under his eyes. What could have happened? The map on his phone didn't have a red alert, so there wasn't a crash or traffic, so what could it be?
He was about to search the parking lot himself when he heard a large vehicle pull up. His spirits soared as he got out and plunged all at once – for there was Lee Lee, arms around another guy and kissing him, white corsage missing. She laughed and walked away with him and her friends, not even noticing her date standing a few cars away from her. Guess there was gonna be some proma after all. Dammit!
o - o - o - o - o
Of all the possible outcomes of the evening, Dexter never could've predicted this one: sitting alone on the front steps of the high school as the lights and music blared behind him, wondering how the hell he could get so unlucky. Sure, he might've embarrassed himself by not knowing how to dance or maybe spilling punch on his tux, but now he couldn't even do that. Looking at it now, maybe he should have somewhat seen this coming because of how socially awkward he was and therefore easier to take advantage of, but he really thought he had a chance at fitting in with everyone else for once. In between his dissuaded spirits and the fact he was sure none of his friends were going to be there, he was actually starting to think about going home.
"Hey," Mandark greeted, walking up to him.
Dexter raised an eyebrow. "What happened to your date?"
"She ran off too," he sighed, waving a hand in dismissal.
"Oh."
They sat beside each other in mutual silence before Dexter tugged at his collar. "By the way, I know this is hardly the time to ask, but – what was your promposal going to be?"
Mandark's eyes lit up. "I stole the blueprint for your Laser Cannon 3000, so I was gonna walk up to your house and act like I ripped off another one of your inventions before using it to write 'PROM?' in the sky. You know, just to keep up our annual tradition."
"...That is both sweet and highly annoying."
"Like me!" Mandark batted his eyelashes. Dexter laughed, pushing him, and the other did the same. Soon after, it died down again.
"I'm sorry," he found himself saying.
Mandark did a double take. "For what?"
Dexter took one long look at the guy he'd known since third grade, the rival who tried to defeat him at every science fair competition and destroy his lab until junior high when they ended up in all the same classes and clubs, the study buddy he'd play late-night RPGs with before they grew close in sophomore year, the scrawny geek-turned-handsome scientist who irritated the crap out of him sometimes but still made him laugh, and replied, "I should've just gotten the courage and asked you."
He could've sworn he saw a light blush dusting Mandark's cheeks just then before he pointed at his watch.
"It's not too late, you know," he said, a twinkle in his eye. Dexter smiled.
"Mandark," he began, hand trembling as he reached out and held the other's, "will you go to prom with me?" It was a simple gesture, yet both of them were looking away, fire engine red. Finally, Mandark placed his other hand on top of his.
"Of course," he said. "Now come on, let's hurry up before registration ends and we're screwed."
"Right!" Dexter jumped up, having completely forgotten it ended at 7 PM. It was 6:58 now. Mandark all but dragged him to the door, which he normally might protest, but this was for a good cause. Plus, his hand was warm.
With their white and blue boutonnières on, respectively, one would have thought they had different dates, but there was no mistaking their hooked arms as they walked into the gym, ready to kick prom's ass. They shared a glance and nodded before moving toward the dance floor. The experiment, according to Dexter, had begun.
First order of business: what did 'normal' kids like to listen to? He strained to hear the lyrics above the chatter of other students, so he focused on the much louder beats, instead. They were certainly catchy and suitable for dancing, but he didn't know if they would be remembered years from now. He needed another opinion on this matter. He turned to the adversary on his arm.
"What do you think of this playlist?"
Mandark nodded his head along with some techno tune in thought. "Not bad. Doesn't have enough Beatles or Tchaikovsky to my liking, though."
"Precisely what I've concluded. Top 40, you think?"
"Easily." Mandark held up an index finger. "Judging by the similar-sounding beats and level of crowd excitement, it's undoubtedly mainstream."
"Excellent observation."
"Well, thank you," the taller one grinned. Dexter grinned back, unable to help himself or the funny feeling growing in his chest. Soon, the both of them lost interest in the music and went to the food table.
Second order of business: which refreshments were typically safe to eat? The two of them went to separate sides, closely examining the food. Dexter didn't think it would be that easy for a student to hide substances inside broccoli or cheese cubes. Nor could he smell anything suspicious. He supposed that meant nobody drugged the food - not that he knew of, anyway.
"Hey, Dexter. How about this fruit punch?" Mandark called. That caught his interest. He walked up to it and assessed the pink liquid for a long moment.
"Spiked," he decided.
"No - you think?" Mandark scratched his head.
Dexter nodded. "I recall Dee Dee telling a similar event last year where many students got inebriated from a fruit punch bowl. The spiker obviously thought he or she was being clever by using a clear liquid," and here he paused to take in Mandark's chuckle before continuing, "but as alcohol has a lower density in relation to water, it sinks to the bottom, creating a heterogeneous mixture. The bubbles floating on top are also much too large to come from a carbonated drink."
"Thank you, that just saved me from loads of humiliation."
"Yeah, we'd better tell a teacher," Dexter added, patting Mandark's back and leading them both to one of the staff. There, they told her of their findings and for the rest of the night, she was walking all around the dance floor, trying to find out who the culprit was. Also, the punch bowl may or may not have been surrounded by yellow caution lines. Whoops!
The two of them ignored the dirty looks sent their way by the goons who had obviously been looking forward to drinking from the punch bowl and making trouble and helped themselves to some refreshments as they talked.
"So, how did your date end up leaving you?" Dexter asked, curious.
Mandark shrugged. "She said since I was a geek, I probably couldn't dance. Which is why it's too bad she left, because..." He stepped back from the table and pulled off a series of flamenco moves, from quickly tapping his feet to clapping his hands to spinning several times in a row, before stopping when he faced Dexter and dusting himself off. "Now I can't prove her wrong."
Dexter tried to calm his quickly-beating heart as he said, "At least she gave you a reason. My date just stopped talking to me."
"Well, looks like she's suddenly interested," Mandark growled, pointing out Lee Lee and her date who, sure enough, had seen Dexter and were now walking up to him.
"Dexter? H-Hi, I didn't think I'd see you here-" Lee Lee began nervously.
"Babe, come one, it's not worth it," her boyfriend interrupted, trying to drag her back to the dance floor.
"Hey, Lee Lee! So funny to bump into you! Great music, huh? Well, my date and I had better get going, now. Have a good night!" And just like that, Dexter was dragging Mandark by his arm as they got as far away from any more proma - and yes, Dexter could finally admit it existed - as possible. Once they were lost in the dance floor, he turned to his current date to find him looking at him with an unidentifiable expression. "What?"
"You're so diplomatic," he said, chuckling. "If I were you, I would've had her and her boyfriend writhing on the ground in seconds flat."
"Yes, well, that's why you're not me, Mandark," Dexter said, rolling his eyes a little.
"No, I'm serious," the other continued. "I have every intention of obtaining bloodthirsty revenge. Anyone who would hurt you like that doesn't even deserve to breathe the same air as you, let alone be alive."
"...That is both sweet and highly creepy," Dexter laughed. Then, growing shy, suddenly – "What is it you see in me?"
"What do you mean?" Mandark replied, equally shy.
"Um..." Dexter fiddled with his bow tie. "It's just that only last year, you were telling me all about how much of a goddess my sister was, and now suddenly you have a thing for me. I...where did that come from?"
Mandark stood there looking at him for a long moment before raising an index finger. "Well, to put it simply, Dexter, she wasn't there."
Dexter raised an eyebrow. "When?"
"All the time," he said matter-of-factly. "Sure, she lived in the same house as you, but I could hardly even make a move on her since she was always at dance lessons. But you were always, you know, available. I could crash into your lab and start a fight whenever I pleased, we went to the same chess and anime club back in junior high, not to mention you were always up for a video game after studying our butts off for a history test or something. Dee Dee wasn't usually there for all of that but you always were, and I got to know you more because of it, so I came to the logical conclusion that I actually have a crush on you."
"That would explain the obsessive stalking," Dexter laughed.
"It's not obsessive, it's science! Haven't you ever heard of data collecting?" Mandark protested.
"You know, I was thinking the same thing back in the parking lot," Dexter confessed, scratching the back of his head. "We've come a long way from those awkward anti-social geeks, haven't we?"
"Genius, we're still awkward anti-social geeks," Mandark scoffed. "I get what you mean, though. And yeah, we have." The two of them smiled silently at each other for a moment before becoming aware of their surroundings again. "...Hey, you know, we look kinda stupid not dancing on a dance floor."
"So we do," Dexter agreed.
"So, um...do you want to?"
"Are you offering?"
"No. I was simply asking you a question," Mandark deadpanned.
"Well, there's no need to be rude."
"Oh, just dance with me, you freaking idiot," the taller one sighed in agony, though Dexter could tell he was really enjoying their little spar.
He shrugged in mock defeat. "Alright, I guess. I'm not very good, though."
"That's why I can teach you. Here," Mandark said, grabbing one of Dexter's hands and placing it on his shoulder before holding the other in his. "Now I'll place my hand on your waist and off we go."
Dexter gaped. "Is it really that simple?"
He snorted. "You know, Dorkster, you're smart at a lot of things, but details aren't one of 'em." Dexter would've retorted back, but Mandark prodded his nose, catching him happily off-guard. He followed along with the other's steady footsteps. "Yep, that's it. Then we just step in place while turning our bodies a bit each time. See? Now you're getting it!"
"You made it seem easy," Dexter laughed, resting his head against his shoulder. Wait, was that okay? It felt right to him, though he didn't want to freak Mandark out with any sudden movements, or anything. But then he felt the other placing a gentle hand on his neck, almost as if to keep him there, before moving it to his waist again and tugging him closer.
By the end of the first slow song, their bodies molded together and both eyes were closed. Several more slow songs followed that, which they danced through. Even when the music got louder and faster at again, even when the teacher finally caught the person who spiked the punch bowl and began loudly chewing them out, they remained just the way they were, swaying quietly to their own beat.
"Man, I would love to see the looks on our younger selves right now," Mandark whispered in his ear. "I mean, who would've thought I'd be dancing at prom with my arch-enemy?"
"Who would've thought my arch-enemy would be such a good dancer?" Dexter replied, snuggling into him.
Mandark pulled back a little and Dexter followed suit, looking into his eyes. They seemed to soften as his hand removed itself from his waist and rested beneath his jaw line, thumb gingerly tracing his lips. "Who would've thought my arch-enemy would look so kissable?"
"Why don't you, then?" Dexter whispered back, daring. Truthfully, he'd grown just as fascinated with Mandark's lips. He wanted to know what they felt like against his instead of moving all the time, like they normally were. Right as he was smirking at the thought, Mandark leaned forward and kissed him at the corner of his mouth before tilting his head so he could fit their lips together. The kiss was neither demanding nor passionate, or even particularly shy. It was sweet, like Mandark - beneath all his assholery, that is. Dexter chuckled through his nose and kissed back, never having realized until now how wonderful it felt to be in (what used to be) his biggest enemy's embrace. Let the younger Dexter toss and turn in his sleep – the older Dexter was loving every second of this. Especially the part where they started running their fingers through each other's hair and he looked out the corner of his eye on time to see the shocked faces of Lee Lee, Mee Mee, and their dates. That felt good.
o - o - o - o - o
"You sure your parents won't mind me driving you home?"
"What, are you kidding? Thanks to you, that lousy VW will finally get towed."
"If you say so."
The two of them were walking through the parking lot at close to midnight, arms around each other and each holding their respective photos from the photo booth. Dexter looked at his now and smiled. They were mostly silly and their boutonnières didn't even match, but at least it would be far more memorable than the plain, formal pictures of him and Lee Lee still in his mom's camera. "I can't believe we're going to the same college after graduation," he chuckled.
"Yeah, now we can have more memories together," Mandark added. Dexter looked at him suddenly, stopping in front of him and holding both his elbows. The nearby parking light seemed to accentuate his narrow features, making him seem taller than he already was.
"I wish I could've known you my whole life."
Mandark burst into laughter, immediately causing him to frown. "Do you mind? I'm trying to be romantic, here, and it's a bit hard with you ridiculing me!"
"No, I'm not, I swear!" Mandark gasped in-between laughter before finally breathing. "It's just funny because...I was thinking the exact same thing."
Dexter's stomach flipped and even though he knew it was just adrenaline, he couldn't help but feel it was specially reserved for the genius in front of him. They both leaned in at the same time for another kiss, Dexter wrapping his arms around Mandark's neck and Mandark holding his waist and tipping him backward a bit to make himself shorter. They pulled away, still holding each other within their grasp. Dexter smiled up at him.
"Mandark," he said, tracing a hand down his face, "Of all the people to go to senior prom with, I'm glad it was you."
The taller one thought about it for a moment, then nodded in approval. "I'm glad it was me too."
"Mandark!" he scolded.
"Dexter!" Mandark copied his tone of voice.
They laughed and shoved each other all the way to the car like the big, dumb, and in love dork brains they were.