Full summary;

Dave can't remember much from his life before the accident. He doesn't really mind - he can remember what is IMPORTANT, and who's ever needed childhood memories anyways? But his nightmares are getting more and more frequent, strange things are happening and he's starting to suspect he might have to remember after all.
He's nearing his 16th birthday, and things are about to get fucked up.

(Fucked up does in this particular case mean that every single supernatural being on this side of the planet seems to be out for his blood. Or more. )

Pairing; DaveKat. The rating is likely to be upped to an M later on, for some rather suggestive themes. See end AN for more notes!

"Don't cry little dude. Don't ever give them the satisfaction. Stay strong."

He sniffles and wipes at his eyes. "But why won't they leave me alone, bro?"

His bro smirks at him and ruffles his hair, Dave squeaking in indignation. "They can't keep their hands off your sick Strider bod, that's all. Just wait 'til you get older, see the chicks start flowin' in-"

"Dirk, can't you at least wait until he's ten?" He laughs.

"You know me, Rox, I can't be tamed-" and the memory shifts away in a sea of summer and laughter.

The scene changes.

"Daaave! Dave, wait up!" the boy's face is blurry but his smile is brilliant and his eyes are as blue as the sky. Dave laughs and runs faster but then he trips over nothing and falls, hitting the ground with a thunk and then there are hands tearing at his hair, scratching at his throat and he can't breathe—

"Get off him!" The other boy pulls him up from the ground and brushes off his shoulders, mumbling something under his breath while doing so. For a few moments he looks serious, but when he meets Dave's eyes he's back to his normal smile. "Jeez, Dave! Those weren't even strong ones, how could you let them beat you?"

"Shut up, I totally could've taken them!" He laughs and Dave punches him in the arm.

"Ow! Okay, okay, you could've taken them, I give in!"

When Dave comes home he asks Bro to teach him how to fight.

The scene changes.

"-but it won't go away?" He's peeking through a hole in the floor to the room below. Bro is running his hands through his hair, messing it up completely. Dave frowns.

"No. I'm sorry." The other man actually sounds regretful as he steps closer and Dave can't quite bring himself to be mad at him for upsetting bro. "Dirk, I—"

"Don't, Jake. Just… don't."

There is a tense silence for a few seconds and then bro sags against the wall and Dave has to look away because he looks broken-

"What can I do? He's just a kid, Jake, he's just a kid-"

"I know, Dirk. I know. We'll keep him safe." And then bro is clinging to him and Dave silently crawls back to his room with the feeling that he intruded on something private.

The scene changes.

"Is there anything I can do to make you stay?"

They're standing on the road outside the house and for once, the heat is actually manageable. Dave is pissed off, refusing to come out from his spot behind bro.

"No. I'm sorry, Dirk. It's important."

Bro sighs and corrects his shades. "Yeah, I know, I'll just… Miss you, I guess. Gonna be tough keeping him out of trouble on my own."

Dave's attention is pulled away from the grownups by his friend pulling at his shirt. "Bye Dave!" he chirps. "I'll miss you!"

"Yeah, whatever," you say and mimics bro, fixing your shades. The faceless boy rolls his eyes and pulls you in for a hug before letting go and running back to Jake.

"We'll be back," they promise.

The scene changes.

they're gone and you're alone and you can't make it stop you can't make them leave you can't you can't you c a nt—

He wakes with a gasp and a shiver – and then immediately berates himself for being such a sissy. He's a Strider, dammit, the only one now that bro's gone( "We're sorry, Dave. They couldn't save him.) and no Strider will ever get their panties in a twist over some god damn nightmares.

But it's just so frustrating – they're not nightmares, not really, they're memories, and there are pieces missing. He can remember bro, mostly, and the accident( bro laughing with him and the sun and the heat and the pure exhilarating joy of living and then the other car the crash the pain the confusion and everything goes black), waking up in the hospital to Rose and Roxy's worried faces ( I thought you were dead, Dave, they told me you might die please don't die Dave please" and he had never seen her lose her cool like that and it was fucking freaky, yeah) and the message that he was alone.

The first few months after that are a bit hazy(everyone looking at him like he might shatter or snap any second and Roxy drinking and Rose being a whole damn lot more touchy feely than usual) but there are no gaps anymore, and everything since he changed schools to make it easier for Roxy to drive him and Rose every morning is crystal clear.

Before the accident there are… gaps. Huge chunks of time where he remembers absolutely nothing. Rose is there – hell, she's always been there, ever since he was old enough to remember anything at all – and so is Roxy, and bro, of course, but other than that… gaps. Flashes and hints, but never anything coherent.

The shadows in the corner of the room shifts. He sits up and scrabbles at the table next to the bed for his shades ("Don't ever take them off Dave, okay? They're magic!). The moment he slips them on it disappears.

He walks over to check, just in case. Nothing.

Damn nightmares.

He pulls the window shut before walking back to the bed, taking a quick look at the time.

"Oh for god's sake," he mumbles before leaving the room. Time to kick his lovely not-really-sister out of bed. Roxy'd be pissed if they were late for school.

Outside the window something is watching.

"Come on," one of them say, "What are you waiting for? You've been watching him forever, we all know you want him and no one's stopping you so why won't you just take him?"

"You know why."

"God, you're boring."

There's a scoff and a quick scuffle. "Sure I am. Come on, let's go."

They disappear into the night.

That's all there is to the prologue, everyone! This story is being crossposted to ao3 and Tumblr, under the username Atherys. Look for it there if you like that better! (god knows I do...)

Comments/Reviews/Concrit would be much appreciated; anyone who's ever tried writing fics knows how discouraging it is to feel like you're passing by unnoticed :'D

Chapter 1 will be up by tomorrow, latest. If you're actually that impatient, ao3's already got it ;)