If there was one thing that Bro had taught Dave, it was that Striders always rise to a challenge. Besides, Bro had put himself way out on the line by taking off his shades - Dave couldn't remember ever seeing him without them before, not even at King's Cross - the least that Dave could do was meet him halfway. Show Bro, rather than telling him, that even if he pissed him off, even if he fractured his trust, nothing Bro ever did could truly and permanently lessen him in Dave's eyes.
Immediately after the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He could have phrased that better, probably. And when he caught the glimpse of hurt in Bro's eyes, his heart wrenched. The apology that he was originally going to stammer out died in his throat as he just stared into Bro's eyes. He (obviously) didn't remember the first time that he and Bro had connected, but he felt it now, and it completely knocked the wind out of his 14-year-old sails.
Then Bro smiled, and Dave's eyes widened before he returned it. Not nervously. No, Striders never did anything nervously. Finally, he bent down and wrapped his arms around Bro's neck, pressing his cheek against Bro's. "I'm not sorry for being a dick," he muttered. "But I'm ready to call it even." Which was his way of declaring not just a truce, but a complete ceasefire. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were. He wanted rooftop strifes and chilling on the futon watching shitty movies with the sound turned down low so they could add their own commentary. He just wanted Bro back.
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Immediately after the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He could have phrased that better, probably. And when he caught the glimpse of hurt in Bro's eyes, his heart wrenched. The apology that he was originally going to stammer out died in his throat as he just stared into Bro's eyes. He (obviously) didn't remember the first time that he and Bro had connected, but he felt it now, and it completely knocked the wind out of his 14-year-old sails.
Then Bro smiled, and Dave's eyes widened before he returned it. Not nervously. No, Striders never did anything nervously. Finally, he bent down and wrapped his arms around Bro's neck, pressing his cheek against Bro's. "I'm not sorry for being a dick," he muttered. "But I'm ready to call it even." Which was his way of declaring not just a truce, but a complete ceasefire. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were. He wanted rooftop strifes and chilling on the futon watching shitty movies with the sound turned down low so they could add their own commentary. He just wanted Bro back.