Chapter Text
It wasn’t that you missed it, somehow—the way Dave was staring at you as you walked down the aisle, arm in arm with Kanaya. You noticed, yes—you noticed. You didn’t miss the pink flush creeping up his neck, the little beads of sweat on his brow. Standing up there in front of everyone, across from him, as the happy couple exchanged their vows...you had plenty of time to notice those things. You saw it all, and yeah, you wondered about it. But today wasn’t about you, or Dave. Today was about one of your best friends getting human married.
So you ignored it, although it stayed in your mind.
The way he couldn’t take his eyes off you.
Maybe he thought you couldn’t tell, what with those stupid ugly shades he always wore. Or maybe he just didn’t care if you noticed? Or, maybe, he simply couldn’t control himself. You didn’t really give yourself any time to think about it, because it scared you, in a way.
What it might have meant.
You didn’t avoid him, precisely, at the reception. You just...made an effort to mingle with the rest of the guests, circling the big ballroom slowly, joining and leaving conversation after conversation. Amid the laughter and the dancing and the free-flowing champagne, your focus kept returning, again and again, to Dave.
He moved around the room, too, always with a drink in his hand. He danced with Roxy, danced with Jade, laughed with the brides and with John and Jake. He never tried to approach you, but you felt his gaze on you, every once in a while—it was almost a physical sensation, being looked at like that.
It was as if you were circling one another, slowly and cautiously, keeping the entire length of the ballroom between you all night.
But of course, the party ended, as all things do.
You saw Rose and Kanaya off on their honeymoon, waving to them as their car pulled away. You hugged Terezi and said goodbye to Vriska, and before you knew it there was only Dave left, standing there with you in the empty room.
You were swaying on your feet, just slightly. You...might have had too much to drink.
“Shall we?” he asked you, offering his arm. He was smiling, just a tiny little bit, and you know what? It was charming. You were fucking charmed, god damn it.
The hotel room was only a short walk away, but you weren’t...entirely confident in your ability to make it there by yourself.
You only hesitated for a moment before you took his arm.