[DirkxReader] Four Years, Four Roses

It's Valentine's day, and, like always, you are miserable. You're currently seated in the back of homeroom surrounded by lovey dovey couples and girls crushing on New-Kid from afar as they gushed quietly about how amazing it would be if he were to ask one of them out.

Too bad he was both oblivious and rather uninterested, his attention instead captured by some orange thing that he was fiddling with under his own desk.

You didn't know his name - granted you had heard it, you just never bothered to remember it - and therefor, despite the fact that he had transferred to your school almost a whole year ago, he was still New-Kid in your mind.

He was pretty popular with the girls, despite the fact that he was president of the anime club and Vice President on the robotics club. New-kid, however, didn't even seem interested in any of the girls in school, and instead opted for hanging out with Jake English, and his two other friends, Jane Crocker and Roxy Lalond whom he liked in a totally platonic manor.

You sighed as you let your head drop to your desk with a thud, this totally sucked.

By the time lunch rolled around you were ready to stick your head in a door and ask somebody to slam it for you - but you couldn't do that, then Bart the custodian would have to clean it up, and you liked Bart, he let you camp out in his closet sometimes when you didn't feel like going to class.

So instead, you opted for sitting yourself down under a pleasantly shady tree in the courtyard whist you doodled randomly in your notebook. You had been sitting there for about 5 minutes when something was thrust towards your face. You ignored it, pretending that you hadn't even noticed, assuming that it was one of the usual jerks again.

After a few seconds the owner of said privacy intrusive object cleared their throat awkwardly. You sighed, setting down your pencil as you looked up only to blink in confusion.

...well shit...this is really fucking awkward...

Approximately 2.5 inches in front of your face was a big, orange, rose which was in the grasp of a hand which most certainly belonged to a boy - NOT Vriska who usually tormented you.

Your eyes trailed up the owner's hand, arm, and shoulders, finally falling upon the ever so dreamy face of that New-Kid, What's-his-face from homeroom.

He looked kind of odd though, like he was trying to keep a bored, uninterested expression on his face, while in reality, with each second that you stared at him his facade seemed to unravel that much more, leaving him anxiously glancing off to the side, eyes occasionally flickering back to you in futile attempts to gauge your reaction.

With calm, inquisitive eyes you slowly reached up, gently plucking the rose from his grasp before drawing your hand back and holding the flower over your lap - best not get too worked up, you're still waiting for some kid to pop out of a bush and tell you that you've just been punked.

New-kid awkwardly scratches his neck before glancing around him at the shocked faces of the other students inhabiting the courtyard and then back to you.

You could see it on his face, you weren't being pranked, that much was certain, but you could also see something else - he and you were thinking the same thing; Will people please stop staring?! it's making all of this way more awkward than it already is…

He glanced from you to the crowd once more and then back to you before again before reaching down in a flash and grabbing your wrist, tugging you off the ground and into motion.

You scrambled to keep hold of your notebook and the rose, your pencil long forgotten as it rolled off your notebook and was left on the ground as he quickly dragged you off behind the school and onto the abandoned back courtyard which for some reason nobody really used.

"W-What the hell..." You breathed as he relinquished his grip on your wrist, damn this kid was fast.

"Sorry, everybody was staring and it was getting really weird." New-Kid apologized as he caught his breath.

"Yeah...thanks- for getting me out of there, I mean." You said, adjusting your backpack on your shoulder as you gripped your notebook under your arm, the rose held securely in your hand.

"So that's a yes then." New-kid asked.

"Yes to what?" You asked, puzzled.

"You know, to go out with me." He said, gesturing to the rose.

Oh yeah... That's typically why guys give girls roses, right? Ouch, how are you gonna say this?

"Uh...what's your name again?" You asked, a feeling of guilt already ripping through your chest. His face fell a little and you jumped to explain, "-like, I know who you are and everything, we have a lot of classes together and everything and I don't think we've ever talked! But I have a really bad memory and I'm really bad with names and I'm a bit of an airhead so I kind of just don't really bother to learn any of my classmates names and- yeah..."

You better just stop talking now, poor guy, it's not his fault you're so socially awkward.

"Oh."

"Yeah..." You sighed, why are you so horrible at this? Alright, no matter, let's try this again, "Oh, and your name is what by the way, promise I'll make note to remember it."

"It's Dirk, Dirk Strider."

You sighed, "Well then, Dirk Strider, you seem really sweet and all, but I don't really know you all that well," his shoulders slumped slightly, "yet." You added, he perked up a bit.

"Don't misunderstand me, I'm not necessarily saying yes, but I'm not saying no either... What I'm saying is- let's just get to be friends first, and, maybe, in a couple weeks you can ask me again, and my answer might be different." Damn you sounded cool, like one of those girls that actually knows how to handle a confession properly.

"Sugoi." He replied, you nodded, not entirely understanding what it was that he just said.

"Well then, with that said; you, can hold onto this," you said, handing the rose back to him, "and maybe in a little while it'll find its way back to me."

New Ki- you mean, DIRK, took the rose and looked at it for a second before nodding, he looked satisfied, well, not really... But he wasn't hurt or anything.

"With that said, what do you say we break out of here and hit the town, I don't know about you, but I've had about enough sugary sweet PDA for one day." You said, nodding your head towards the direction of the front courtyard.

"Sure."

---Exactly 3 Years Later---

You hadn't really thought of the Valentine's Day of freshman year all that much since then, after the first year you had honestly forgotten all about the fact that Dirk was ever interested in you in a romantic manor, and as ridiculous as it sounds, you assumed that he had gotten over his spur of the moment attraction and forgotten about it too.

You sighed as you shuffled down to your locker, entering the combo before yanking it open, trading your books out and slamming it grumpily, you hated being a senior, all the freshman looked up to you, your grades had to be perfect or no college would want you, you needed to take marketing and business classes, and you had to get a job - bleck.

You walked lazily into homeroom and dropped your backpack down beside your desk before seating yourself. Gah, you were already bored. You rested your chin in the heel of your hand as you watched the door, your eyes flickering back and forth between it and the clock, dammit where was that anime loving fool?

A few minutes later the bell rang, you allowed your head to drop onto your desk with a thud, now who was supposed to entertain you through an hour of money management class and keep you from killing yourself when wrinkly Ms. Sanders started gushing about her new boyfriend who was 23 years younger than her - that's right, nobody; orange-top was so gonna get it later.

…screw later, it’s the day of PDA, and you're in a bitch mood.

You pulled out your phone as Ms. Sanders started yapping about her boy toy, shooting Dirk a text.

You: Dude, where the hell are you

Dirk: Somewhere

You: Where?

Dirk: Nowhere

You: *sigh* fine, what are you doing?

Dirk: Kinda busy right now

You: Anything important?

Dirk: Life changing

You wish that for once in his life he would text you more than a sentence. He would text paragraphs to all your other friends, but with you, nada - short, simple, and to the point. It was infuriating.

You: Care to elaborate?

Dirk: Nah, not really

You: Come on man, I'm dying of boredom here, ms sanders is going on and on about her cradle robbing exploits, throw me a bone here

Dirk: You'll see

You: See what?

Dirk: Things

You: oh rly?

Dirk: Yes

You: I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall

Dirk: Maybe you are

You: Would you like me to introduce your face to one?

Dirk: No

You: Then shut up and quit sassing me

Dirk: You really hate valentine's day don’t you?

You: Yes

You: Too much damn PDA, makes me goddamn uncomfortable

Dirk: Why?

Dirk: You've never told me

You: Why do you think?!

Dirk: You’re a celibate like that Kankri kid?

You: No, you dolt, because I'm that girl

Dirk: What girl?

You: …you know, that girl…

You: the one whose forced to watch all her girlfriends all happy and in love and shit

You: While she just sits there awkwardly like a total 3rd wheel

Dirk: Seriously?

Dirk: That's why?

You: Yah, it's weird

You: seeing everybody so in love and infatuated with somebody

You: When you're just sitting there all alone

You: It's depressing

Dirk: …

You: What?

Dirk: …

You: Seriously, what?

Dirk: Are you kidding me-

Dirk: I can't even-

Dirk: Gah!

Dirk: …

You: you okay broski?

Dirk: …

You: You dead?

Dirk: …

You: wtf is with all the triple dots?

Dirk: …

You: dude, you know I suck at charades

Dirk: …Just

You: just what?

Dirk: I'll see you at lunch

You: Hey!

You: I wanna know!

You: don’t just leave me hangin here!

You: …

You: Fine, see you at lunch I guess

You sighed and slipped your phone back in your pocket, what the hell was his problem? You laid your head down on your desk and stared at the clock, if there is a god, let this hell end soon…

You nearly jumped for joy when lunch rolled around, friggin finally! As you were heading to your friend's usual hang out in the front courtyard you got a text from Dirk;

Dirk: You up for cutting next period?

You: Sure, why?

Dirk: I'm bored

You: oh rly?

Dirk: yeah

You: *sigh* fine, I'll meet you at the usual place

Dirk: No

You: What?

Dirk: Meet me at my place?

You: What? Why?

Dirk: Cuz I'm sick and bored

Dirk: entertain me

You: okay, this morning you say you're busy with a life changing mystery thing, then you say you'll see me at lunch, then you say you're at home sick and bored.

You: whats really going on?

Dirk: I'm at home sick

Dirk: I was doing something important

Dirk: I finished and now I'm bored

Dirk: and you need to entertain me now

Dirk: and technically as long as you get here before the bell rings it's still lunch and I'll still be seeing you

You: crap, that's a lot of words, you really are sick

You: *sigh* I'll be there soon

Dirk: Cool

You sighed and stuffed your phone in your pocket again, something was up - Dirk was acting really odd and you didn't like it.

You rushed over to Dirk's house and let yourself inside with the spare key, and after nearly tripping on all his crap on the way up the stairs, you made it to his bedroom. Knocking on the door, "Yo, orange-top, It's me, you dead in there?" you called

You heard a lot of shuffling around before his voice called back, "No, not dead yet, you can come in." You took that as your cue and pushed the door open, only to stop before even stepping in. Dirk was just standing there, right in front of the door, like a god damn creeper.

"Why hello there…" you said with a raised eyebrow, "may I help you?"

"Yep."

"Uh huh… so, what can I do for you?" You ask, the joking expression not leaving your face as your eyebrow remained raised.

"You can go out with me." He said casually.

You snorted, "What, no flower?"

"I'm not kidding." he said seriously.

That got your attention.

"And by the way, I do have a flower, I've got 4 of them actually." he pulled a bouquet from behind his back, it contained four roses, all orange, but one thing perplexed you, three of the four were wilted, one was perfectly healthy.

Without needing to ask, Dirk explained, tapping his finger against the first wilted flower, "One for freshman year when I was horribly rejected, friend-zoned, and forgotten."

Oh…right…that had totally been a thing that happened hadn't it… wow… you had completely forgotten about that…

Dirk tapped the second rose, "One for sophomore year when I chickened out because right before I was going to give this to you, you just had to on a rant about how love didn't exist, dating was stupid, and how you would never waste your time with it because all men were assholes." oh right, that was during your I'm going to hate people and swear like a trucker phase.

Dirk moved onto the third rose, "One for Junior year when Roxy and Jane made you over all pretty which ended in guys hitting on you for the entire day - I never did manage to get within five feet of you that day." he said before pointing to the fourth, a perfectly healthy, bright orange rose, "and finally, One for senior year, when I lied to you a total of five times in order to get you alone in my house so I could give you some casually perfect confession that you would actually remember, and when I asked you out and you said yes and then we made out for like, an hour." he said with a flirtatious smirk as he leaned against the doorframe, holding the bouquet out to you.

You smirked and looked up at him, tapping your pointer finger on your chin as you pretended to think, "Funny, I don't quite recall that last part happening."

He smirked as he leaned down towards you, "Oh but it will, I am never wrong, you see." he said, tapping his temple.

"Now you're just getting cocky, orange-top." You said slyly.

"Oh, am I?" He questioned, feigning surprise.

"Very." you said, snatching the first wilted rose, Dirk frowned curiously, "Now, if my horrid memory serves me right, this was supposed to find it's was back to me, correct?"

Dirk nodded, "Well, the deadline was a couple of weeks, 'm sorry to say that I'm a few years overdue." he said, a smirk making its way back on his face.

"Yes, this is very overdue." you said, smacking his chest lightly with it before snatching the second rose, "And this one, if I recall, wasn't given to me because I was too busy brooding over the fact that you never did get back to me on that whole freshman year confession thing."

You then grabbed the third rose, "And this one wasn't given to me because Roxy and Jane insisted on making you jealous even though I assured them that there was absolutely no reason for you to be jealous in the first place."

You then took the last rose, "And this was given to me as an apology for chickening out so many times, and, because you had finally worked up the nerve to not be a wiener."

"So that's a yes then?" he asked.

"A yes to what?" you asked in mock obliviousness, mimicking how innocent you were about romance during freshman year.

"You know, to go out with me." he said, catching on as he leaned down towards you.

"Uh… What's your name again?" You asked, looking up at him.

"Dirk, Dirk Strider." He chuckled.

"Well then, Dirk Strider, you seem really sweet and all, and I do know you pretty well, so sure, I'd be happy to." You said slyly with a playful grin.

"Happy to what?" he asked with a smirk.

"Happy to date you, you orange haired dolt." You said, reaching up with your free hand and grabbing his collar, tugging his head down as you met his lips. Dirk's other hand curled around the small of your back as he pulled you closer, deepening the kiss before pulling away and resting his forehead against yours so that your noses were touching and your lips were still only centimeters apart, "Ah, the prophecy has come true." he said with a sly grin.

You smirked, "You cocky, mathematically lacking idiot, it hasn't even been an hour yet."

"I can make it an hour if that’s what you really want." he chuckled, leading you into his room.

"Sure, as long as Jane and Roxy don’t pop out of your closet and shoot off confetti canons in my face." you replied.

"Well shit, I better go tell them to get the hell out of my closet before they piss off my girlfriend then."

"Sure, you go do that." you laughed.

"No, seriously, they're stashed in my closet right now and Jake's down in the basement watching the Indiana Jones Marathon." He said seriously, you deadpanned as you looked towards his closet in horror, he laughed, "Kidding."

You swatted his chest with a huff, jeez your boyfriend was a weirdo… you liked the sound of that: Dirk=Your Boyfriend - it had a nice ring to it.

You looked up at him, "I take it you're not sick, bored, or in need of entertainment then."

He grinned, pulling you into his chest, "Far from it my lovely lady friend."

Maybe you could grow accustomed to this ridiculous day of PDA, after all, you certainly wouldn't be third wheeling anymore.