Rose and Dave have a talk, Dirk thinks about what a terrible person he can be, Jade fusses over John, and then...

If Dave hadn't wanted to be found, Rose wouldn't have found him. He's sure that if he tells himself that enough, it's just likely to become true. But the fact of the matter was that he was ready and more than willing to face his moirail. Ready to talk things out, to bare his soul, and be led down the right path by sagely oracle advice. You know, except for the time and effort it would have taken to go look for Rose himself.

There was a strong chance that Rose knew all this and had bided her time until just the right moment. Things could get weird and unnecessarily complicated when time's precision and light's clairvoyance got together. There were few, rare times when it almost seemed like he could anticipate Rose's moves to the very second.

So Dave wasn't the least bit surprised when Rose found him in mummy room, tucked against a tiny alcove made by the corner of the room and one of the display cases. Her dark squiddles bag was still slung over her shoulder, a thread of yarn dangling over the top along with her knitting needles. At least she got to get some of the work in today.

"Took you long enough," he greeted flippantly. "Don't tell me I actually managed to lose you for a second there." Their relationship was clearly one of respect and adoration. Dave had to give himself kudos for not even staring at her gray skin. It was going to take some getting used to, since Rose often went through great lengths to apply the pale peach veneer over it.

The phantom of a smile pulled up at the corner of Rose's dark lips and she sat herself down next to the younger Strider without formality, legs tucked primly to the side. If she was at all upset about his uncivil greeting, she hid it remarkably well. "I'm afraid you're just a bit too predictable for that. I simply thought it best to let you calm down all that righteous fury on your own. You're much easier to reason with when you're calm enough to actually listen to reason. And it's always nice when I can get in more than three words in for you to draw your own long-winded conclusion from."

Ouch.

Okay, so she was upset with him. And Dave deserved that; probably a lot more just from the way he let his pity party go from from casual gathering to weekend long bash. No signs of stopping now. We're doing this. From 7pm to triple questions marks, we're going till the break of dawn with this self-agonizing shindig.

The thing about that, though, was that even while he understood he was just wallowing in his own pity, making him all the more pitiful, he wasn't quite ready to stop feeling sorry for himself yet, either. This wasn't just about him, though (Sure, Jan). And he certainly wasn't his own moirail. What a fucking disaster that would be.

So with a sigh, he let his weight tilt to the side until his head landed on one of Rose's slender shoulder (quite the fall considering their height difference). He tilted up just so to rub his forehead against her cheek in the lightest nuzzles of affection. "I'm an asshole." It was the closest he'd get to saying 'sorry'.

Long, slim fingers stroked through his hair, smoothing pale strands away from his forehead, and Dave couldn't help himself, he rumbled with the smallest of purrs. "It's alright, I'm used to it," Rose said with a titter. Dave murred irritably, but he probably deserved that, too. "Dave, would you please stop that? I can practically hear your self-depreciation."

Well shit.

"Just doing what all the cool kids are doing. Haven't you heard? It's the newest hot craze. Kick Dave Strider in the metaphorical balls. Or his literal balls. Just kick him right in the baby juice sack, and don't forget to spit in his face. Bonus points if you make him cry." Dave's voice was set to a low mutter. He lifted off Rose's shoulder to lean back against the wall again, his head thumping as he dropped back none too gently.

Rose swallowed down a heavy sigh. Dark gods from the vast void, grant her patience. This was going to be a doozy.

Reaching over, she grasped her pale mate's hand in her own, gray fingers interlacing with sun warmed peach to give the lightest of squeezes. "First of all, never say 'baby juice sack' in my presence ever again. I would appreciate that immensely. Secondly, don't you think you're being just a touch overdramatic? Even for you? No one is trying to kick you in the balls, metaphorically or literally. Not even Dirk." Rose scoffed as Dave snorted softly. "Okay, maybe Dirk is a little, but you and your brother have always had a weird and unhealthy black dalliance thing going on."

"Oh my god, Rose!" Dave's voice cracked, his words nearly lost in an angry, inhuman screech. Even after all these months, he still couldn't fully control or stop the troll noises. "NO!" He said a bit more forcefully than he meant to. He hated the screechy, trilling, almost bug-like noises he made, how much they gave away his emotions when he had worked his whole life to get them under control. He yanked his hand away from hers, getting up to his feet, away from her comfort. Though not away from her presence. He was angry, but he needed her. Instead he chose to pace restlessly in her vicinity.

"What bothers you is that you think he either might be doing all of this to get a rise out of you, but also that he might not be." Rose spoke over him. She was quick to compensate the loss of her support beam, leaning back against the wall instead, arms crossed under her chest, pushing up her perky breasts. Not that Dave would ever, ever notice them (at least not admit to it).

Amethyst eyes stared unerringly into red past their dark, reflective shield. "And if the latter were the case, in his pursual of John's pitch attentions, you are both losing that element of your relationship with your brother while simultaneously adding a whole new angle to it in the form of a rivalry for John's consideration."

"Rose, I'm begging you…" Dave whined, dragging his hand down his face. His other hand was busy drumming his fingers restlessly against his arm, as if the 'tip-tip-tip' of skin patting skin could possibly drown out her voice in his head. Maybe it was just Rose's imagination, but his pallor had taken on a sickly looking hue as well. He shook his head just the smallest bits in denial. He honestly looked like he might be a little sick

Rose wasn't going to let that deter her, though. Not this time. She shifted forward, resting her weight on one hand "If you both managed to meet your objectives in wooing John, your relationship with Dirk would twist in all new and different ways. You'd never be fully rid of this tangled rivalry with your brother. In fact, if the two of you don't work out your issues sooner rather than later, it would only exacerbate things to a toxic level, ruining not only your relationship with each other, but also with John."

"You don't know that!" Dave quickly objected, cancelling out the objection with a sharp slice of his arm through the air. Doubt was quick to come in, though. "Do you know that?" God damn Seer and her clairvoyance.

Rose fought the urge to roll her eyes. "There is only so much of John's time to go around. I don't doubt for a single second that you and Dirk would turn time spent with him into a competition. I don't need to See to know that. I just have to know the two of you."

Dave glowered, mostly because he could actually see her point. He resumed his pacing, stopped, glared at his moirail for a beat or two to see if Rose was really done, or if she was pausing for dramatic effect. Rose tilted her head slightly, eyebrow quirked quizzically. She trilled softly, comfortingly, and Dave exhaled sharply, thought of what to say. He started his pacing again, stopped, then turned toward her decisively. His lips parted, then stalled on his words. He frowned, then started pacing again.

Rose was actually starting to get the tiniest bits worried at this point. "Dave, I-"

"Okay first off," Dave cut her off, and really, she should have seen that coming, "none of that had even crossed my mind!" Lie. "And you're so off base if you think I'd ever use my time with John as some sort of sick, pitch competition against Dirk." It wasn't meant to be a lie, but it didn't entirely ring true, either. The way Rose's black lips pulled to the side skeptically to enhance the delicate raised arch of her brow seemed to indicate she wasn't buying it, either.. "Fuck. And isn't it even too much to assume that either Dirk or I would ever get far enough with John to ever feasibly get to that point? Much less both of us. John does get a say in who he likes and wants to be with that isn't at all connected to how I feel about him."

"Oh? Does he?" Rose hums.

Dave's scoffs. He doesn't believe for a second that innocent remark was anything more than a feigned sham meant to bait him. "Yeah, actually. He does." He rises to her bait anyway, god damn him. "Don't even start with me, Lalonde. I know where you're going with this."

"I'm simply curious. It seems to me that as all this drama plays out, John actually only has two viable partners in your mind. You, or Dirk." Rose ticks off two fingers on her hand, leaving the other three standing.

"That's not…" Dave tries to counter, but he didn't really know how to. "I mean… Jake…"

"When in all actuality, there are at least five viable sexual partners for John to fill his concupiscent quadrants with on this island alone." That included her, and Rose didn't miss Dave's flinch as that thought finally occurred to him. "That is not including Jade, who only seems interested in the conciliatory romantic angle of the pale aspect."

"Wait, Jade is pale for John?" That was an honest shocker to Dave.

"Oh, Dave…" Rose sighs softly, looking up at him like one would when exasperated with a child who was refusing to pay attention to their lessons. "That aside, it doesn't even begin to touch down on the fact that John isn't limited to one sexual partner, and that he has a near unlimited source of potential romantic and sexual partners outside of this island."

"I know that!" Dave yelled. "Don't you think I know that?! That doesn't make it any easier to accept that I have to compete with all the romantic options John didn't have even a month ago. All I had to worry about was the rest of the world, not my own friends, not my brother, not my fucking moirail! And I knew how to handle that. I was okay with that because the world seemed as interested in John as you guys did until he… until…"

"Until he presented as submissive." Rose finished for him.

"Yeah…" Dave sighs, visibly deflating, his energy having finally and simply abandoned him.

Movements weary and sluggish, he finds himself with his back against the wall again, sliding down until he's sitting by Rose's side, opposite of where he started off. "It's not fair, you know."

"What isn't?" Rose asks. She knows, of course she knows, but she wants Dave to say the words out loud. To admit them even to himself.

"That John is suddenly this hot ticket item with everyone I consider family. All because of a genetic quirk he was born with that didn't even present itself until now. He was always just John, and I was always just Dave, his best friend who was secretly in love with him."

"Secret?" Rose mused, smiling.

"Shut up, it was secret to him! And for the longest time, I couldn't even understand why. He was this ridiculous, gullible, kind-hearted asshole who made terrible jokes and pulled off terrible pranks. He's shit at video games, at coding, even when he brags about it, horrible at picking decent movies.

"He was a little chubby with these huge, thick, window pane glasses, and his overbite. He screamed awkward nerd and outcast. He was just… he was perfect. And he was all mine because nobody else could see how perfect he was… is. No one else could see him like I did; could see how amazing he was. I just felt… special to be the one person to really see him. It was like a secret that I could keep all to myself. But now… now everyone and their space defying dog wants a piece of John. Of my John. They probably still can't see what I see, but that doesn't matter anymore, because it's all instinct driven now. Everyone knew how I felt, but it doesn't mean jack shit to anyone anymore. All because of a delayed genetic predisposition."

It wasn't fair. If it wasn't for just this one aspect of John, Dave sincerely doubts that anyone on this island would be giving John a second look. He'd still be all Dave's, and Dave wouldn't feel quite so desperate to prove it. He could still be John's best friend and things wouldn't be so awkward.

"You're right, that isn't fair."

Dave's head shot up so fast, he almost gave himself whiplash. "What?"

"It isn't fair," Rose repeated with a soft, sad smile. "You've held this torch unopposed for so long, it must have really felt like you were running this race alone. But even without any of this, you had to have known that it wouldn't have been that way forever. John is a nice, sweet, funny guy. He would have met someone eventually. Especially if your grand master plan was to run laps around the course until he noticed you."

Dave stiffened, lips parted and brows furrowed, affronted, wanting to defend his ten year plan to woo John Egbert, but he couldn't think of a thing to say. There probably was nothing he could say to defend himself.

"It's also not fair," Rose continues, "that John has had about a week to acclimate to the idea that not only is he not fully human, but he is not fully male as he has always known the term to be, neither of which things he grew up knowing about like the rest of us did. It isn't fair that John's entire world has been turned on its head, attacked and chased down by unknown parties, his house burned to the ground, his father missing in action, and suddenly finding himself burdened with a new power, perhaps the most physically violent power out of any of us, that he has no control over. "

Dave feels like he's been sucker punched right in the solar plexus. And Rose isn't done. Not by a long shot.

"It's a lot to put on anyone's plate without having even taken into account suddenly being flung into estrus. But that's not all of it for John, no. Piled onto all of that, John finds himself the center of romantic intention of more than half the people on this island. People he's considered life-long friends, perhaps even extended family. He doesn't understand his own physical attractions, much less anyone else's. And you're right. Before now John probably never got a lot of attention from anyone. So the sudden shift must be jarring, I'd even dare say it'd be a cause for anxiety.

"Because to John, everyone, and that even includes you, is only looking at him now simply because he's submissive. He has no cause to believe that any of us were ever physically attracted to him before. So what must he think now? Especially when, at least as far as your very aggressively forward brother is concerned, it seems to be true."

"God… I really am just the worst kind of asshole, aren't I?" Dave asks, voice low… broken. He'd known that this would be a difficult time for John, he wasn't stupid. But… he'd fail to realize the true depth of what his best friend was going through. And then add to that the need to stake his claim on John thanks to Dirk's bullshittery, well… He was an asshole.

"Not the worst," Rose consoles, curling an arm around Dave, tugging him to lay his head on her shoulder once more. "In fact, as far as assholes go, you're probably one of the best meaning ones."

"Pff, thanks," Dave scoffs, the corners of his lips quirking up. "That means so much coming from you."

"I strive my best to always be honest with you, my pale beloved." Rose smirks, pressing dark lips to Dave's crown.

"Eugh. Okay, I'm done." Dave sits up again, nose wrinkling in distaste. His hand smoothes through his hair, as if trying to dislodge his moirail's tender kiss. "You know how that creeps me out when you do that."

"I do," Rose says in a soft exhale of breath. "But that just makes it all the more enjoyable."

"You're the actual worst." Dave grouches.

"I love you, too," Rose simpers in return.

"Ugh! You and your declaration of emotions!" Dave wrinkles his nose.

He sighs, head tilting back to thump against the wall. "So I guess trying to aggressively woo John isn't the best idea right now?"

Rose leans over to rest her head on Dave's shoulder now. "I wouldn't recommend it while he's still trying to adjust to this crazy new world he finds himself in."

"Fair enough. But what about Dirk?"

Rose hums. "I really have no say in what your brother decides to do. But I can see that the way he is going now, not only will he lose out with John, but with Jake as well. And I think he realizes that."

"I'm so glad it's my moirail that has the cheating clairvoyant powers." Dave smirks, nudging Rose gently with his shoulder.

"Yes," Rose drawls with a roll of her eyes. "Sussing out my moirail's love life is clearly the ultimate achievement for my precognitive abilities. There is no better use."

"See, you say that, but I know how you love to inconspicuously meddle. You don't fool me for a second, Lalonde." Dave nudges again.

Rose smiles secretively, tilting her head to press a kiss to Dave's cheek. She has nothing to say in response to that.

After just a moment's hesitation, Dave returns the favor with a gentle kiss on the top of Rose's head.

The silence is companionable, soothing even. But Dave, being Dave, just couldn't let it last for very long.

"So I should probably leave Egbert alone until he's out of this… ovulating thing, right? And then after that I can just go back to being the friend like person he needs right now. No more trying to get too close, no more thoughts of smooching in every alcove we come across."

"Is that something you often think about? Dragging John into secluded little corners for kissing? That's adorable, Dave." Rose titters.

"Shut your face," Dave grouses. "It's just… it was so much easier when it was all just online. Don't get me wrong, that was bad, too. But it's easier to resist the urge to kiss the nerd when he's not actually there to kiss. Y'know?"

"Actually, I think I do." Rose sighs. "Not with John, of course, " she assures when Dave balks back to stare at her. "But believe it or not, there are other people worth wooing in this world."

Dave had no idea that Rose was even into anyone. She's never once mentioned a romantic interest in all of his time knowing her. Rose was secretive with her own affairs, but to never even mention it once to her moirail… Dave was surprised, and maybe just a little bit hurt. "Who…? I mean… You've never mentioned…"

"I know," Rose says quietly. "The truth is… I have no idea."

Five hours.

That's how long it took Dirk to swallow his pride and hunt down his matesprit. Five hours spent productively, to be sure. But probably still maybe at least four hours too many.

He'd do his best to apologize and hope that once again, Jake could find it in his beautiful heart to forgive him.

Admittedly, he hated it when he got like this. So wrapped up in the bigger picture that the details mattered little to nothing. The how stopped mattering as long as he could get what he wanted. It's a horrible habit he's had for years; a habit that had hurt his family and friends on more than one occasion. And it wasn't until it had almost cost him Jake that he realized he had to stop.

What did it say about him as a person that it wasn't his own brother he wanted to better himself for? That he didn't mind hurting his own flesh and blood as long as he could get what he wanted?

One problem at a time, Dirk.

It doesn't take long to find Jake. Third time's the charm. Not in the shooting range, not in their massive theater/TV room, so next guess had been his bedroom.

He'd sort of been hoping he could catch Jake when he was alone, but he really should have known better. He just wasn't that lucky.

Not that he was surprised to find to find Roxy with Jake, the two of them curled together on Jake's large bed. Just softly touching, murmuring quietly to one another. He couldn't make out the words, but he got the distinct feeling that he was the topic of conversation. If not now, then definitely in the not too distant past.

It made something in him ache. In jealousy, in longing. He got the same way around Dave and Rose. He envied them all to have that someone who was their other half. That someone special to talk to, to comfort you, to tell you what you needed to hear, not just want you wanted to hear. To keep you from becoming the worst version of yourself over and over again without learning a single lesson. Someone who understood him, how he thought. Someone he would listen to over his own never-quieting thoughts.

Someone he never got a chance to do the sort of things moirails do together, because she was taken from him before they got the chance. He never even got to ask her to be his other half.

And he'd hurt her, too. He'd hurt Jane so badly...

Whatever Jake had said about him in confidence to his moirail, Dirk probably deserved worse. His matesprit didn't know how to put someone down to save his own life. He was too consciously kind for that. He didn't deserve Jake's forgiveness, but he'd apologize and ask for it anyway. Because he was too selfish not to.

Loathe as he was to set foot into their little personal feelings bubble, impede on their private moment, Dirk audibly cleared his throat, anyway. Because he's an asshole like that.

Jake's breath sucked in audibly as his head snaps up, those forest green eyes widening as they landed on him.

"Dirk…" Jake breathed out softly as he sat up in his bed. He looked torn between the need to go to his mate and hold him close, the need to ignore his very presence, and probably the need to punch him right across the jaw.

"Hey D-Stri!" Roxy greeted cheerfully, sitting back on the bed, for all the world like she hadn't probably been calling Dirk every dirty name in the book earlier to comfort her moirail. Roxy was great like that. She could call you every single thing you deserved to be called, and she'd still love you as her dear friend throughout it.

Dirk didn't deserve her, either. Especially not after what he put her through.

Not now, Dirk.

"Hey…" He greeted quietly, lighting shifting from one foot to the other He felt awkward there, just hovering by the doorway, but he didn't care go any closer until he felt everything was okay.

"I… uh…"

Well things were just starting off smoothly.

It felt so good to be back inside. While things had just been starting to get warmer in Washington, Hell Murder Island was already at a much hotter temperature than John is sure it's ever, ever, ever gotten back home.

He didn't care that his super power was control over the wind (and also sort of the weather?), and that theoretically, with some practice, he could probably control the temperature of the winds. Right now, John Egbert didn't want to be hot and sweaty and generally gross.

Even hours later his core body temperature felt too high for his own liking.

Of course, that could very well be that fact that he was in heat.

Oh god, was he in heat? Is this what heat felt like?!

No wait… Jade said it wasn't heat, not exactly, but still somehow similar enough to it. She assured him that it was nothing like any of the fanfics she'd read. He'd still have control over his mental faculties, that he wouldn't have an uncontrollable urge to mindlessly fuck anything and everything that moved, but his instincts would be closer to the surface than normal.

John had left that conversation not only still not understanding what the hell he was going through, but wondering what the hell kind of things Jade was into reading!

He probably really didn't want to know. He was too tired to really give a shit right now, anyway

The entire day was just so draining. From the moment he set foot in the kitchen that morning, to his emotionally draining talk with Jade about sexual attraction of all things. And now he was apparently in a relationship!

A romantic, platonic relationship that was fully of cuddling. He was a hundred percent on board with that sort of relationship. Everything else? Well… He tried not to really think about it.

So after they went back inside, John had excused himself to his room. Jade had wanted to argue, John could see it in the frown on her face, but she had let him go without a fight. As long as he promised to get himself some lunch later.

He didn't know how long ago that was. As soon as he'd closed the door to his room behind him, he'd immediately gotten on his computer. He chose to leave PesterChum off and had instead sent his dad another email, checked the news, and then powered down to take a nap.

When he awoke, he quickly noted that the light from the window had a reddish glow to it, so it was probably around sunset.

And John had decided then and there it was too much effort to bother getting out of bed.

Instead, he decided to just let himself think. About everything that's happened in the past few days. About everything he now knew about himself and his life going here on out. The color of his blood, his power over the wind, his horns, his best friends being just as inhuman as he was. How they had known all along and had never thought to tell him. He hadn't been trusted to know who and what they really were until he became one of them And that hurt. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but it had hurt a lot.

He took it all in and tried to let it settle into his mind. Better said than done, but at least he didn't feel like freaking out anymore.

Not that much, anyway.

John took a deep breath and willed his body to just sink deeper into the bed until the mattress could swallow him whole. He even considered using wind power to aid in his quest, but pushing himself down with air pressure would probably hurt.

He felt childish. Rose, and Jade, and Dave… They were all like him! And they weren't throwing record breaking temper tantrums. They weren't destroying the landscape with their emotions! Why couldn't he just be like them, wrap his head around the idea that he wasn't human anymore, that he never was, and just get over it?

WIth a growl, John rolled onto his stomach and buried his face against his pillow. Fuck his life. He was a blue-blooded monster freak who could have babies. Fuck his biology! Everything was too warm, his insides won't stop squirming, and he's unable to stop thinking about kissing his very male best friend. Everything sucked!

"John?" There was a knock on the door. "John, are you awake in there?"

It was Jade, no doubt there to check up on him.

"G'way," he muttered, low, rumbling growls muffled by his pillow.

"John, c'mon. Let me in. Whatever you're thinking, I'm pretty sure things aren't that bad." There was a pause wherein John refused to answer or acknowledge the tall girl. "Okay fine. Ten second warning, John. I'm coming in. If you're naked, at least get under the covers!"

Naked! He could be naked right now! Everything wouldn't feel so damn hot without his clothes in the way. Ugh! Stupid! He was so stupid! Too late now.

At the count of ten, Jade popped into the room, her hair now clear of jungle debris, and brushed out smooth. John couldn't help but think that alone must have taken over an hour. "Oh Good! You're not naked!" Jade chirped cheerfully, then bounced onto the bed besides John, sending the smaller boy a good three inches up into the air, then landing with a resounding thud.

With a giggle, Jade leaned down to touch foreheads together, her hair a curtain all around them. "How are you feeling?"

"Do I have to answer that?" John grouses, making Jade laugh harder.

"That great, huh?"

"Oh yeah, it's been a regular one man party in here."

"Well, I sincerely doubt that, because the sheets aren't blue," Jade teases with a waggle of her brow.

"Jade, ew!" John recoils, nose scrunching in distaste. "Please don't talk about my stuff like that."

Jade scoffed. "I helped you wash your sheets this morning, I think that entitles me to a bit of stuff teasing."

"I think it entitles you to shut up." John shoved at her playfully, trying to hide a smile that would ruin his surly portrayal. It amazing how easily Jade could make him to smile. Maybe there really was something to this whole moirail thing.

Jade giggled, shoving John back. Only to gasp in alarm when she pushed too hard and nearly sent the smaller boy off the bed. She's quick to catch him by the forearm, hauling him back to safety. "Oh my god, John! I am so sorry!"

John wheezes a laugh, flopping back flat onto the mattress. "It's okay. That was actually kind of a rush. And coming from a guy who can control the wind, that's probably saying something."

"It definitely says something about you" Jade teases. All John did was stick his tongue out in return. "Okay, but in all seriousness, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. A lot of deep and heavy stuff went down today, and I haven't heard a peep from you since we came back inside. I just had to make sure you weren't foaming at the mouth with panic or something."

"You're about an hour too early for that, if you wanna come back and see the show," John joked in self depreciation. He tucks his head under Jade's chin, trying to curl himself against her.

Jade stroked his hair, kissing the top of his head. "I'd rather have the show cancelled if it's all the same to you."

"Go for it. It's a tiring show."

"Good… And when was the last time you ate?" Jade's tone was suddenly scolding.

"I… uh…" John stammered.

"Yeah. That's what I thought." Jade rolled her eyes. "C'mon. Let's get you fed. Off the bed with you. Off!" She shooed him away from her and off the bed, bouncing to her feet as well.

"Hey, hey!" John huffed as he got to his feet just trying to avoid Jade's flapping hands. "I don't need you to hold my hand while I eat! I'll be just fine on my own."

Jade balked, a hurt crossing her features. And suddenly John felt like a massive ass. "I just… Sorry, it's just… I'm tired of feeling like I can't do things for myself. Everyone has been holding my hand since… well since my birthday. I just need some more time to myself to take everything in. To prove to myself that I'm still capable of doing things for myself. You know?"

Jade nods, breathing in deep in an inconspicuous sniffle. "Yeah, I totally get it." She smiled. "I guess it's just a little hard on me because… well… Our relationship is still so new. You know?"

"I know. Thanks for checking up on me." He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but he leaned up to kiss Jade's cheek, offering her a smile that he's so glad she returned.

"Are you sure? I mean… at a time like this, you probably shouldn't be alone." Jade bites her bottom lip worriedly.

"Weren't you the one telling me that this not!Heat thing isn't a huge deal and that I'm still myself and in control of my mental faculties?" John argued.

"Well, yeah… But-" She's cut off.

"But what? Will the others not have their mental faculties around me? Because you don't seem to be very feral and lustful around me, and neither did anyone this morning." John crossed his arms over his chest, popping one hip out to the side in the epitome of sass.

Jade scoffs. "No. No one will become feral beasts in rut, no matter how nice you smell right now."

"So what's the problem?"

Jade sighed. Technically, there shouldn't be a problem. But things haven't been simple for John since his birthday, and maybe she had gotten a bit paranoid on his behalf. "You sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"Yeah. I'll be okay, Jade. I'm a big, tough girl. I can tie my own sandals and everything." John grins.

Jade snickers. "You know, you don't help your cause when you quote damsels in distress, however sassy and self reliant they are." She flicks her hands in a shooing motion. "Go on, go. Take your phone and pester me if you need anything, I'll be there in a heartbeat."

John smiles, closing the distance between them to wrap his arms around his moirail and tilt his head up to kiss her jaw. Damn her for being so tall! "We should watch a movie later."

Jade returns the affection with a kiss to his forehead. "Sounds good, but I'm picking the movie, no arguments!"

Rolling his eyes, John says, "Fine, deal."

He grabbed his phone, stuffing it into his back pocket. With a final wave to Jade, he let himself out of his room, hearing the crackle in the air behind him that told him Jade was gone now, too.

Really, the English/Harley (Engley? Harlish?) home was a maze, even if it was just one building. John got lost twice before he found the stairs and the correct hallway. He could smell the lingering, if fading, scent of someone's cooking and his stomach roared in answer. Maybe he was hungrier than he originally thought. He sped up, almost jogging. His stomach rumbled again and John patted it comfortingly, murmuring soft assurances to it that it would soon be fed, as if that would get it to quiet down. It's entirely because of this and in no way his fault when John rounded a corner and ran right into someone's chest.

"Oof!" He expected to be on the floor on his ass, but a strong hold circled around his waist and kept him upright. Instinctively he clutched his hands into the shirt presented to him. No boobs, though; that was a good thing. Otherwise his instinctive reaction would have been really awkward. He looked up and, "Oh, hi Dave."

"Hey."

John really wished he could read Dave better past those stupid shades he had gotten for him when they were thirteen! He cleared his throat and Dave seemed to jolt, quickly taking his hands off of John's waist.

"Right, sorry."

Only now he felt cold for some reason. Wasn't his problem feeling too warm just seconds ago? The corner of John's lips twitched in a frown

Dave shifted his feet. "Well, um. You feeling any better? I guess you were kinda overwhelmed earlier. You know… this morning. Not that it was a huge deal. It totally wasn't a huge deal." He was babbling. He needed to stop babbling

John chuckled nervously, glad that he wasn't the only one feeling a bit like a fish out of water. "Yeah. Me and, um, me and Jade had a big talk about… stuff."

"Stuff," Dave repeated skeptically John shifted on his feet a bit, a nervous gesture. Dave said the word like it meant a lot more than it did! But then he shrugged it off, like it wasn't a big deal at all. "I hear you. Rose and I talked about stuff too."

"Yeah? What kind of stuff?" Oh, Dave's eyebrows just made an appearance over his shades. Abort, abort! Well done putting your foot in it, Egbert.

"Just… stuff," Dave replied. Eloquent, but John figured he shouldn't push. Maybe it was stuff like he and Jade had talked about.

"Right, well, I was just on my way to get a bite to eat. Jade's making a big deal about keeping my energy up and…" and… wow, Dave was wearing a nice cologne. Was Dave this close just a second ago? He must have been, John's hands were still on his shirt. He could feel Dave's breath, warm across his cheek, smelling sweet. Like apples...

"John?"

Dave's concerned voice brought him back out of his reverie. John shook his head, looking momentarily dazed. "Huh?"

"You okay?" Dave's tone screamed concern and something in John's chest fluttered at the sound of it.

Oh god.

"Yeah… no, yeah! I'm fine! Totally fine! I guess I'm still just kind of out of it. I just feel constantly tired lately."

Oddly, that doesn't seem to do anything to ease the concern clear as day on Dave's face. In fact, it only seemed to deepen the frown lines. "Shit… You haven't really had a chance to recover from the Change, have you? Of course you haven't. So much shit has been going on, and things keep happening that drain your energy." John's actually grateful for Dave's discretion right then, keeping the fact that he kept freaking out and throwing world shaking temper tantrums as just a vague comment. "There were multiple times where you could have died, and here we all are telling you to push that shit aside and just train, train, train, depleting more of your energy. I bet you're still even feeling sore after your Change, never really had a chance to rest from that, either, huh? Holy fuck, how are you even still standing?

"Dave…"

"Do you need me to carry you? I can carry you. I'll carry the sh-"

"Dave!" John grabbed the blonde's shoulder and shook. "Dave, I'm okay. Really." He wasn't completely okay. Dave was right. His body felt sore, he was constantly tired, and he was pretty sure that only a small bit of that had to do with the whole… cycle thing.

At least Dave had stopped mumble babbling. "You sure?"

Smiling faintly, John shrugged. "Not really. But I don't feel like I'm in any danger from this level of tired. I'll just go to bed early."

He wasn't sure if Dave bought that… it didn't look like he bought that. Was it possible he looked even more concerned? Or maybe it was confused.

And that's when John realized that he still had his hands on Dave's shoulders.

Oh... fuck!

And it felt like the most natural thing in the world, his hands resting on Dave's shoulders. Not to mention Dave radiated a soothing sort of heat, and while that should have bothered him, it just felt comforting. All John wanted to do was burrow into it, like a blanket fresh out of the dryer.

"I… uh…" This was getting weird. And his hands still weren't moving. They should have moved by now, right? He definitely intended for them to move.

And the odd thing was that Dave wasn't moving himself. Wasn't saying anything or ripping him a new one for being so weird. Dave was just staring at him, body frozen.

"Okay… I'll just…" He meant to let his hands just draw away and drop. Somewhere along the line, the message from his head to his hands turned into a slow slide of his hands from Dave's shoulders to his chest in a caress, finally just slipping off when he couldn't go any further down. Oh my god! When did his nervous system become a game of broken telephone?

Dave sucked in a low, shuddering breath, remaining absolutely still, like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Dave..?" Now it was John's turn to be concerned.

Jolted back to life by the sound of his name, Dave muttered a bit too quickly. "I'm okay. I'm fine!" His voice was low, a little husky. And he still wasn't moving save for the twitching of his fingers at his sides, like they wanted to ball into fists, or maybe grab onto something. He took a deep breath through his nose, nostrils flaring, and Dave barely managed to contain a soft groan.

John almost asked if Dave was sure if he was okay, feeling little prickles of short hairs raise on his neck. Something wasn't right. The words were on the tip of his tongue when that warm scent of Dave invaded his senses again, whisking the words away. He swallowed hard, hearing the click in his throat.

In front of him, Dave did the same, licking his lips.

Lips that John knew molded against his own almost perfectly, warm, and just a little bit chapped, moist as they moved together.

Warm… bodies fitting together like they were designed that way. Heated hands seared lines over his sweat damp skin, gripping him tightly, pulling him up, spreading him apart. Heat was pulsing in his core, even as his body longed for more heat from those hands, rough and calloused, both gentle and firm, knowing where and how he needed his. Fisting into his hair, cupping the back of his neck, drawing him up higher from under his bottom.

It wasn't until he felt the wall hit his back that John even realized that he had moved at all. That his arms were wound tight and desperate around Dave's shoulders, that Dave had him lifted up (or maybe he just climbed up himself), and that his legs were around Dave's waist. His tongue was warring against the blonde's, demanding and needy, that Dave's hand was pushing the bottom of his shirt up, and all he could do in response was keen in assent. His own hands busied pulling up Dave's shirt from the back, eager to feel the heat of his skin under his palms.

After what felt like ages, though was probably only a few minutes, Dave broke the kiss, breath harsh, hot. His voice was hoarse, low and guttural. "Wait… I… should we…"

"Please," John begged, voice wrecked, high, and pleading. Just like it had been in his dream. "Dave, please." His voice was barely a whisper then, hitching up into a reedy moan as his hips cant forward, his aroused length rubbing against Dave's hip.

Dave moans, shuddering bodily, and then his lips are on John's again, devouring, taking everything John was willing to give him.

And if it all felt even half this good, John was willing to give him everything. He couldn't remember why he had ever hesitated in the first place.

I'm a horrible tease, I know! Sorry, not sorry!

HOLY SHIT! It's been ten thousand years! I'm so sorry! A lot has been going on, same stuff, same excuses, but things are finally starting to get a bit better, and my muse is starting to trickle back. This chapter has been in the making for over a year now. I feel like my writing style has changed in that time, but hopefully I at least made a decent effort in making the flow of the chapter work out well.

See you guys next year for the next chapter!

That's completely a joke! I'm really hoping to pick up my muse and run with it again! And I want to take this time to thank for everyone who is still following this story. To the people who didn't give up on me, and the people who encouraged me to take care of myself first. You all are so great, you keep me going.

Please leave a comment, they are like crack to me!