His Synthetic Pulse

Chapter Nine

We stopped right outside the door to the surface for another break and I nearly screamed; the surface was right there.

"We have to wait a bit, restore any energy we have left. Plus there are some things in the Dorm I'd like to retrieve before we leave." Dirk explained, motioning for his brother to sit down. He did so, reluctantly, Dave sliding cross-legged to the linoleum, arms crossed. I followed suit and Vriska found herself sitting almost on her lap. I knew her spirits were crushed, but she was hiding it well between a blue-lipped deadpan and hard, icy cerulean eyes.

"I'll be right back, just into the door opposite of this one. John, be our strong protector?" He asked in his favorite, mocking, sarcastic tone. I nodded before Dirk left, promising him to be the best leader I could for the short time he'd be gone and ignoring the visible cringe from Vriska as Dirk uttered the word strong. He left hesitantly, but disappeared into the Dorm nonetheless.

Dave mumbled something under his breath and I strained to hear it. "Sorry, what did you say, Dave?" I asked, worried as to what he might answer with.

"Fuck off."

I blinked startled. "W-what?" I suppressed an apology. I didn't do anything, I didn't need to apologize. "Hey, I only asked! You don't have to be so mean about it!"

"Stay out of my business. It's not like you really care anyway." Though the outline of his eyes were barely visible beneath the plastic of his shades and his emotions were well hidden, I could almost detect a hit of sadness hiding underneath all the boiling layers of rage Dave felt for me.

"Wow, way to be a prick!" Vriska piped up, her voice raspy and uneven from screaming. "He didn't even do anything, Strider Jr. Stop being such an asshole to him."

"What do you know?"

"A lot more about you than you think."

Vriska could read minds! I had forgotten in our haste. I wondered what she was reading in Dave's mind. Maybe he was remembering dead-me? I bent down to meet Vriska's eyes and she nodded knowingly.

"Was he really that close? Wow John, you've got yourself a secret admirer."

The cold, angry blush is what I saw first as Dave registered Vriska's sly drawl. Then he perked up and his emotions flooded into my senses all at once. ANGER. SADNESS. FEAR. EMBARRASSMENT. I struggled to read them all together, the emotions clashing together so greatly. There was one more emotion. It was faint, but it was there, and I could just barely make it out.

LOVE.

Oh.

Oh.

No, no, no, that can't be right! It can't be love! Maybe not for me, maybe for Dirk, or Vriska is kind of pretty, but I don't really swing that way and it wouldn't make sense because Dave is holding so much anger for her right now and oh God, 413 just shut up for a minute. Were you rambling out loud? No.

Dave's face is averted, desperately trying to cool the blush that had rose so vehemently. There was only quiet, creeping around the three of us like a blanket of unspoken emotion. I gripped the legs of my pants, mind drifting away once again.

Is that really how he felt for me? It only made sense, I could normally tell the difference between platonic and romantic love. Whenever I listened to Dirk mumble about his brother, the platonic affection had been so strong.

But this, this was different. I had never witnessed a love like this. It was faint, yes, a small, wilting flicker of a warm candle in a sea of angry, shivering waves. It shone through brightly, the warm feeling overwhelming my sensors.