Fic: Right Down the Line (It's Been You and Me) Part One
Title: Right Down the Line (It's Been You and Me)
Fandom: American Idol Season 7
Pairing: David Cook/David Archuleta
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 14,316 words
Summary: As much as he would like to pretend that this is not happening, there he is, the one person that David never wants to see again. (broken up high school sweethearts AU)
Author's Notes: This was inspired by, of all things, the movie Ramona and Beezus, because apparently I can't watch ANY movie without becoming inspired, even when it's a G-rated kids movie that I'm watching with my little sister. Also, I am using this to fulfill "Other: Kid Fic" on my au_bingo card (full card here), even though it is possibly kind of a stretch. A million thanks to sara84 for the fantastic beta!
David hums to himself as he walks down the street from the bus stop, headed for the home he grew up in. He lives across town now, of course, but since Claudia's pregnant again, he knows he's going to be pretty much living there until the baby comes.
It's a gorgeous day, and he can't help but smile a little as he walks, enjoying the fresh air. Claudia keeps telling him he should get a car, but he likes using public transportation. It's cheaper and he gets some exercise and he doesn't have to worry about, like, parking and gas. He can put up with some inconvenience for that.
As he nears the house, he waves at the old lady who lives across the street (and has, since he was little) and then, as he arrives at the gate, he sees something he hasn't seen in years.
It's an old beat up truck and... no, it can't be the same one, surely not. But David would recognize the truck parked in the neighbor's driveway anywhere, and no, no, this can't be happening, but there's someone standing behind the truck, and it looks a lot like--
David runs for the door before he can be seen.
He's never been so grateful when he finds the door unlocked and he opens it hurriedly, sliding inside and shutting the door firmly, before leaning heavily against it, his mind still blank with shock.
He might have just stayed there for an hour, but barely a moment later, an excited voice yells, "Uncle David!" and he has to straighten up and put his arms out in time to catch his 7-year-old niece as she flies at him.
"Hey, Selenita," he says and presses a kiss to her dark curls.
"Look, I got two new calluses!" She holds out her hands for David to examine, but he's a little preoccupied and only glances at them briefly.
"Hmm?" David says absently, carrying Selena into the living room so he can look out the window.
"I was watching you from the window," Selena tells him, tugging lightly on David's hair until he refocuses his attention on her. "You were walking all normal and then suddenly you started to run! How come?"
"I..." David starts, and then stops. "I thought I saw someone I haven't seen in a long time," he finishes finally. He puts her down and then moves to peek past the curtain. Selena slides between him and the window and looks too.
And as much as he would like to pretend that this is not happening, there he is, the one person that David never wants to see again.
"Oh, that's Marshall's uncle!" Selena exclaims, and David looks at her sharply, closing the curtain.
"You know him?"
"I met him yesterday, when he got here. He told me his name was David, but I told him he couldn't be David, because we already have an Uncle David," she says proudly.
"What--" David swallows. "What did he say?"
"Um, he said I could call him Cook like you do, and to say hi to you, and to tell you that he would love to catch up."
David scowls and pulls the curtain back again. "Of course he wants to catch up. Of course. Well, if he thinks he can just come back here as if nothing happened and--"
Just then, a car horn sounds, making David jump, and he looks to see--to see Cook, leaning against his truck and looking straight at them and waving with that stupid smug half-smile on his face. David glares and shuts the curtain with a snap, frowning at it even after it's closed.
"Uncle David?" Selena says tentatively, sliding her hand into his. "What's wrong?"
David goes to sit down and pulls her into his lap. "You know how you get calluses on your hands when you spend a lot of time at the jungle gym?" Selena nods and he continues. "When you get a callus on your hand, it's a place where you got hurt, and then your skin got tough to protect it from getting hurt again. Well, I have a callus too, only you can't see it. I have a callus on my heart to protect it from getting hurt again."
*
Cook kissed David for the first time on their second date.
It was kind of anticlimactic, actually. They were in the snack line at the movie theater, of all places. David wasn't prepared at all, but then suddenly, Cook stepped into his space, and his hands came up to frame David's face. David didn't even realize what was happening until Cook was an inch away, and then he got with the program and shut his eyes just as Cook's lips brushed against his.
The kiss was brief and gentle, but it made David sway a little on his feet, because--because it was Cook, and he had just kissed him!
David opened his eyes a second later, and the only thing he could think to say was, "Aren't you supposed to wait until the date is over to do that?"
Cook's hands were still cupping his face carefully, and when he laughed slightly, David could feel them move a little. "Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "I couldn't wait that long. You're too irresistible."
And David just knew that Cook could feel his skin heating up under his palms.
And then, of course, they were suddenly next in line, and the woman at the counter was glaring, as were the people behind them, and they had to hurry to buy their popcorn and sodas before the movie started.
Cook didn't make a move the whole movie, despite the fact that David was acutely aware of his every movement next to him during the entire thing. But he made up for it later, when he was kissing David goodbye on his front porch, still slow and gentle, before vaulting over the railing (just because he thought it was cooler than taking the stairs) and jogging back to his house next door. David stayed outside and watched until Cook looked back from his own porch and blew David a kiss. Then, finally, David went inside and up to his room, and collapsed on his bed, hiding his smile in his pillow.
*
David goes back to Claudia's the next day after work, and of course, the first thing he sees (now that he's looking) is Cook's stupid beat-up truck in the driveway. Of course. Fortunately, today, there is a 7-year-old distraction outside in the front yard who squeals and comes running when she sees him.
After the requisite hugging and examination of calluses, they continue making their way up the street.
"I have a car wash!" Selena informs him. "My sign says 'Selena's Car Wash, Only $5'. Mama helped me make it."
"Wow," David says seriously. "How's business?"
"Not a single person wants their car washed today," Selena says gloomily.
"Aww, that's too bad. If I had a car, I would let you wash it for sure."
Selena brightens. "Really?"
"Definitely."
As they get closer, David sees that not only is Cook's truck still there, but Cook himself is there, leaning against the side of it again. David almost stops short and turns around when he sees him, but he knows Cook's seen him by now, and he doesn't want to give him the satisfaction.
"Okay," he says quietly to Selena. "Here's what we're going to do." Selena looks up at him, all big eyes and solemn face, and he continues, "We're going to be confident. We're going to be smooth. We're going to walk, no, strut straight up the walk and into the house, and let him see everything he missed out on. And above all, we are not going to let ourselves be reeled back in like fish, okay?"
"Fish are gross," Selena agrees, and David smiles despite himself.
"Exactly."
"But what if he tries to talk to us?" Selena asks.
"Then we ignore him," David says decisively.
"Okay," Selena nods, and hand in hand, they strut up the street, heads held high.
Everything's fine until they get to the gate, but David is so busy looking anywhere but in Cook's direction that he fails to notice the tennis ball lying on the sidewalk and, because the world hates him or something, he winds up flat on his back with the wind knocked out of him, covered in mulch.
David wants to die.
He closes his eyes, praying that things will have magically changed since high school and that it will now be possible to disappear into the ground, and when he opens them, Cook is standing there in front of him, fighting a smile (and losing) and holding a hand out to help him up.
David sighs and allows Cook to pull him up off the ground. Cook's eyes are still as magnetic as ever, and he doesn't let go of David's hand right away, holding it in his as he says, "Hey, Archie. I see you haven't changed much."
David wrenches his hand away and tries to come up with a suitably scathing response, but before he can, Selena pipes up. "We're ignoring you."
David flushes and silently curses his fate.
"Really?" Cook says, turning to Selena. "Why would you want to do that?"
"So we don't get reeled in like fish, because they are gross," Selena says promptly.
David really wants to die.
"I see," Cook says with a grin and an eyebrow-raise aimed at David. "Well I'll do my best not to do that." He pauses. "So it's been a while, Archie."
"Has it?" David says lightly. "I hadn't noticed. Time flies!" He speaks quickly, anxious to get out of there. "Well, Selena and I have to get going now, so you're very nice--I mean, it! It was very nice. To, um. See you again."
David figures that there's no point sticking around here anymore. The situation is irredeemable. He lets himself into the gate, ushering Selena through with him.
"Hey, Archie, wait! We should catch up!" Cook calls after him.
David takes a deep breath and turns around, smiling sweetly. "We just did."
He turns to make his escape, but before he takes two steps, Cook says, "You know... My truck could use a wash."
Selena spins around immediately, running to the car wash sign that's still propped up against a tree. "I have a car wash!"
Oh no.
"Wow, awesome!" Cook says, grinning at David when he reluctantly turns around. David scowls at him, but Cook doesn't even blink. "How much for a car wash?"
Selena surveys him for a moment and then slides in front of where the price is listed on the sign. "Twenty bucks!"
"Twenty bucks?" Cook asks incredulously. "No way, that's a steal! I can't let you wash my truck for any less than... fifty."
Selena's eyes go wide. "Fifty dollars?"
"Mhmm," Cook says, and David doesn't at all like where this is going. "On one condition. Your Uncle David has to sit with me in the truck while you're washing it so we can catch up."
David knows before Selena even turns around with her pleading eyes and pouty lips that he's lost this round, and he glares at Cook before turning to his niece. "How fast can you wash a car?"
"Real fast," Selena promises as he follows Cook to his truck, shaking his head.
"You look great, Arch," Cook says immediately once the doors are shut and they're alone.
David had kind of been toying with the idea of just sitting there and ignoring him, but that's just awkward and also, rude. There's no reason he can't be civil, he decides, so he smiles faintly and says, "Thanks." He glances sideways at Cook. "You, um. You look good too."
Cook grins at him and dang it, his heart skips in his chest.
"It's trippy being back here," Cook says after a moment, gesturing at their houses. "Brings back all sorts of memories."
"Being in your car brings back all sorts of memories," David says without thinking.
Cook's smile turns a little dirty. "Yeah? Like what?"
He leans in towards David, smirking a little, and David shrinks back a bit, but before Cook gets very close, a loud noise makes them both jump. They turn, and Selena's perched on the hood, glaring at Cook as she sprays a jet of water at the windshield right in front of his face again, a clear warning. David's never loved her more.
Cook backs off, and after a moment, says quietly, "I know what you mean, though. It's like time stood still in here. I wouldn't mind going back." He pauses, glancing at David. "Maybe I could figure out where I messed up."
"It was a long time ago," David says just as quietly, but Cook shakes his head.
"I've missed you, Archie. A lot."
David stares straight ahead unseeing, not trusting himself to answer. He doesn't know what he would say anyway.
Cook continues after a moment when he realizes that David's not going to respond. "I'm going back to LA in a few weeks; then I'll be out of your way. The guys and I--we got a contract with a label. I--this could be it, finally."
David looks up at him, distracted. "Oh my gosh, that's awesome!"
Cook nods enthusiastically. "I can't believe it, it's insane. I can't wait." He pauses. "Do you remember when I used to play you my first ever songs? You were my first supporter. Besides my mom."
David nods shyly, smiling despite himself. "I always loved when you played your guitar."
"How about that song I wrote for you on our anniversary? It made you cry."
David remembers as if it were yesterday, and just thinking about it makes him want to cry again, so he hurriedly changes the subject. "That was pretty sneaky, bribing my niece just to talk to me. Since when are you rich enough to blow fifty dollars on a car wash?"
"Oh, that was a bargain," Cook says, that charming grin that David remembers so well firmly stationed at his lips. He lowers his voice confidentially. "Between the two of us, I was willing to go much higher."
David smiles playfully at him. "I guess times have changed. This from the guy who got me a ring from a gumball machine for my sixteenth birthday."
"Oh, god," Cook says, laughing a little as he hides his face in his hands. "I did, didn't I?"
"And," David continues, chuckling too, "I had to lend you the quarter. That should have been my first clue. Cheap!"
"Hey! You loved that ring. You wore it for ages."
"All the time," David remembers. He swallows. "Face it, Cook. I always wanted that ring to be real and you always knew it was plastic. That was our relationship in a nutshell."
Before Cook can answer, David says quietly, "I think Selena's done. I'll see you around, Cook."
He slips out of the truck and walks quickly to the house, refusing to look back.
*
After they broke up, everything felt empty. The first night, David lay on his bed for hours, crying and crying and crying, ignoring everyone in his family when they knocked on his door.
Everything reminded him of Cook. How could he move on when the school hallways were the same, their houses were the same, David was the same? It was an ache that didn't go away with time. It was tears that came to his eyes at the stupidest things (like, when a football game came on TV and David remembered that time Cook had tried to explain the rules). And above all, it was an emptiness that felt like it had taken over all of David, until there was nothing else left.
Cook had been part of his life for so long that David didn't know how to deal with his absence. All throughout his life, Cook had been the one constant, the one who was always there, whether it was chasing David on the playground or helping him with his homework or kissing him breathless behind the bushes in the back. How could David cut Cook out of his life when he was everything?
And the stupid thing was, the only person David wanted to talk to about any of this, any of the pain or regret or anger, was Cook himself. Cook was the one who'd known him backwards and forwards, inside and out. But now Cook didn't need him anymore, didn't want him anymore. He'd moved on to bigger things, to new places and people that David could never compete with, not in a million years. And David was left behind in the dust, wishing he could go back and change something, anything, to bring Cook back into his life.
He threw himself into school, filling up all of his free time with studying. At least he couldn't think when he was busy memorizing the US presidents and their terms (just in case it ever came up) or doing calculus problem after calculus problem after calculus problem. But at night, he couldn't silence his thoughts, and it was then that he tortured himself by reliving every moment, the hugs and the fights, the first date and the breakup. It was then that the tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, that he lay in bed for hours, unable to sleep, feeling more lonely than he'd ever felt before.
He missed Cook's smile. He missed Cook's arm around him. He missed Cook's stupid smug grin that he hated. He missed the sound of Cook's heartbeat when he rested his head against his chest. He missed the way Cook smelled. He missed Cook's kisses. He missed Cook's voice. He missed everything.
*
"Selena, sweetie. Please come down from there," David begs, looking up at his niece, who's perched on a branch of the oak tree in their backyard with tears streaming down her face.
"No. No no no. Everyone hates me."
"Of course they don't. Everyone knows it was an accident."
"Mama hates me. She yelled at me."
"Oh, Selenita. She's just stressed out, that's all. She didn't mean it."
"She did," Selena sobs. "I could tell."
"Why don't you come down and I'll make you some hot chocolate, okay? What if you fall and get hurt?"
"No one wants me in that house. I'm just going to live here in the tree."
A new voice comes from just behind David then. "I wouldn't recommend that." David turns to see Cook looking up at Selena. "It's not very comfortable up there if I remember correctly."
"What are you doing here?" Selena scowls at Cook, who isn't phased.
"A little bird told me a pretty lady was crying. What's the matter, honey?"
The question seems to remind Selena that she's upset, and a fresh wave of tears begins to fall immediately. "Mama doesn't love me anymore," she wails. "She loves the new baby in her tummy more than me."
David gapes. "Selena! Why would you think that? Your mama loves both of you the same, and she always will."
"No, she only loves the new baby. She only likes to yell at me, even though I broke the vase on accident."
"How about we talk about this down here?" Cook suggests. Selena shakes her head furiously. "No? Well, I guess I'll just have to come up there instead."
"Cook!" David interjects, but Cook ignores him in favor of climbing the old rope ladder which still makes David nervous. It's a remnant of one of Cook's flashes of inspiration from their youth: a treehouse. Unfortunately, they only got as far as a rope ladder before David's fear of heights became an issue, so the idea was scrapped.
"Please don't fall," David says weakly as Cook settles on the branch next to Selena. He tries not to think about the possibility of Cook's weight breaking the branch, sending them both crashing to the ground. He can't hear what Cook's saying to her anymore either, and he watches anxiously as Cook speaks quietly with her, stroking her dark, dark hair. Finally, Selena launches herself at him, and Cook just barely manages to stay balanced as he pulls her into his lap and lets her bury her face in his neck. David's heart clenches a little.
"Are you ready to come down yet?" Cook asks after a moment, speaking louder again so David can hear.
Selena shakes her head without removing it from his neck.
"Aww, but I bet your uncle wants to give you a hug. Don't you want a hug from him? I know I do. He gives great hugs, doesn't he?"
After a moment, Selena nods a little, and Cook says, "So how about we go down now? You don't want him to worry, do you? I can tell he's worried."
"Okay," Selena says in a small voice, and Cook scoops her up and carefully climbs down with Selena still clinging to him. David doesn't relax until they're both firmly on the ground. As soon as he's within reach, Selena reaches out for him, and he gladly scoops her up into his arms, cradling her small body close.
"I'm sorry," Selena mumbles into his shoulder, and David squeezes her tight.
"I know, sweetie. It's okay. But you know your mama loves you, right? We all do."
"Yeah, Cook told me."
David glances at Cook, who's watching them with a small smile on his face. "Good, I'm glad. He's right. Do you want to go back inside now?"
Selena shakes her head, burrowing deeper into his arms. "Can we just stay outside for a little while?"
"Of course we can."
They go to sit down on the bench swing, all three of them, with Selena curled in David's lap. She's asleep in minutes, exhausted by her tears and secure in David's arms.
"Thank you," David says to Cook. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."
Cook smiles. "You would have figured something out."
"What did you say to her?"
"I just told her about when Andrew was born, and about having a little sibling and stuff."
"Well you were great with her." He smiles at Cook. "Maybe kids bring out your sensitive side."
"Maybe. Or maybe, you do."
*
The night of Cook's senior prom was one of the most memorable of their entire relationship for David. It was bittersweet in a lot of ways, because things were definitely going to be changing after Cook graduated and went off to college. This marked the beginning of a new phase for them, a phase which David couldn't help but worry about, no matter what Cook said to reassure him. He was sixteen, Cook was eighteen; they had their whole lives ahead of them. Who knew what was going to happen in the future, never mind that David couldn't imagine a future without Cook in it.
David was a little nervous beforehand, because he was only a sophomore, but he knew lots of seniors through Cook, so it wasn't that big a deal. David had decided that, since it was Cook's prom, they would do the whole thing--limo and dinner with Cook's friends beforehand, afterparty of Cook's choice afterwards (although, he hastened to add, he would not be having sex with Cook afterwards, never mind what other people were doing. Cook just laughed).
Cook didn't argue for the most part, although he did insist that they go out for dinner, just the two of them, and David didn't protest. On prom day, Cook came to David's doorstep, dressed in his tux, and David came to greet him in his own tux. Lupe and David's sisters fussed over the pair of them until David thought his face would explode with his blush and took enough pictures to fill a photo album. And then, finally, they climbed into Cook's old truck and headed to a fancy Italian restaurant.
The valet gave them a skeptical look when Cook handed him his keys, but Cook ignored him, taking David's hand. Dinner was very romantic and Cook was extra gentlemanly, even pulling David's chair out for him. After they ate (and later, David couldn't even remember what he'd eaten, but he could remember the way Cook smiled at him across the table perfectly), they headed to one of Cook's friends' houses to join the group. There they took even more pictures, much to David's dismay, in all sorts of poses. There was even a candid one that someone had taken of Cook kissing David lightly.
And then, finally, they left. In the limo, everyone was passing around champagne and, though David didn't take any, he didn't say a word when Cook did.
Prom was being held at the banquet hall of a hotel, and they spent a while just looking around and greeting people and helping themselves to food, but eventually, Cook dragged David onto the dance floor despite his half-hearted protests. The fast dances were okay, David decided, but he liked the slow dances best of all, when Cook pulled him close and held him tight and it felt like there was only the two of them in the world. When Cook leaned in to kiss him, David hesitated (he didn't much like PDA) but gave in because it was Cook's night, and anyway, everyone around them was making out too, so David didn't think they would notice.
The rest of the evening passed in a haze, and before David knew it, they were getting back into the limo, on their way back to Cook's friend's house, where the afterparty was going to be.
The party was... well. It was loud and crowded, and it wasn't really David's type of get-together. He would have been severely uncomfortable, but Cook never left his side, holding onto his hand the whole time as he talked and laughed and drank and danced. David hadn't really been around him when he'd been drinking--Cook knew David didn't exactly approve--but he wasn't completely smashed, just a little drunk, which apparently translated to happy and cuddly and affectionate and enthusiastic, none of which David had a problem with.
After a couple hours, Cook pulled David into a corner and kissed him, and suddenly David found himself being pulled upstairs and pressed against the wall in the hallway. The hall was deserted, but David knew that it wouldn't be that way for long. Still, he couldn't find the self-control to protest when Cook pressed up against him and kissed him sweetly. His protests continued to fail to express themselves as their kissing quickly moved from sweet and soft to deep and hard, and finally, it was Cook who pulled back, eyes dark and smoldering, and whispered, "Come on."
He pulled David along the hall, probably looking for an empty bedroom, but David was doubtful about his chances of finding one because he'd noticed a trend of couples disappearing upstairs all night and, well. He wasn't stupid.
To his surprise, though, Cook pulled him directly to a small empty bedroom which looked like its normal resident was an 8-year-old boy--not very romantic. It didn't matter though. When Cook locked the door behind him and turned to David and said, low, "It's ours for the night," David shuddered hard, at the implication, at Cook's voice, at his intent gaze, at everything.
And then Cook flipped off the switch so that the moonlight was the only thing dimly lighting up the room, and before David knew it, Cook was kissing him again and backing him towards the twin bed with its Nascar comforter. Cook shrugged out of his jacket and pushed David's back over his shoulders as well. His boyfriend had long since lost his tie, but David's was the next thing to go, followed by both of their shoes. Then the backs of David's knees hit the edge of the bed, and he fell backwards.
Cook's solid weight on top of him was familiar, though the taste of alcohol on his tongue was a change that David could have done without. Not altogether unprecedented either was the brush of Cook's palm against the skin under his untucked shirt, but tonight it felt new, felt revelatory even. Cook was kissing him like he was trying to tell him a secret, like they had their whole lives ahead of them, like tonight was the first night of forever.
They were quickly approaching that point that they were starting to come to more and more often, where their kisses became messy and desperate, and their hands started wandering a little too much, and their thoughts became muddled with arousal. The point where David always regretfully pulled back and slowed them down. But tonight, as Cook's knee worked its way between David's legs and brushed against the undeniable bulge in his slacks, eliciting a breathy groan, David remembered the long talk he'd had with his parents before being allowed to do this, to spend the night with Cook at a place where there was almost certainly going to be alcohol, and where there would be no adult supervision. He remembered the pleading and persuasion and the promises he'd made to them, and when Cook shifted a little to press his thigh against his trapped erection again, this time deliberately, making David moan helplessly under him, David wondered if he'd lied to them. He wondered if, tonight, for the first time, he and Cook would end up using one of those condoms that Cook's mother had forced them to take when she'd given them "the talk".
The idea was simultaneously terrifying and exciting, and as he tentatively rolled his hips up, unable to stop himself, David wondered if he was ready, wondered if tonight was the night, wondered if sex was as awesome as it was made out to be. The bulk of him hated himself for how much he wanted to know the answer to that question, how much he wanted to just give in and go all the way without looking back.
As he was on the precipice, wavering, wondering which path to take, Cook abruptly broke the kiss, grabbing David into a tight hug. David could feel Cook's bulge against his hip, and his own was throbbing as well. But as Cook stroked his hair and kissed him softly, holding him close and deliberately slowing down the tempo, he felt a wave of relief go through him and realized that he wasn't ready, and more importantly, that Cook had known that all along.
David bit his lip, pressing his face to Cook's neck.
"I love you," he whispered.
Cook responded in kind, pulling him in tighter, and soon enough, they fell asleep together.
*
David isn't entirely sure how he ended up sitting with Cook on the swing again the next night, but despite his reservations, it's nice. The years that have passed notwithstanding, Cook's presence feels familiar, and David can't help but remember that, before he was David's boyfriend, Cook was his best friend. That's not to say that there isn't an undercurrent of more there, because there is, but it's not enough to make David uncomfortable at all. He supposes that, with their history, it's inevitable.
Cook fills him in on what he's been up to. He tells David about his band and how close they are, and about songwriting and recording, and about how it feels to have finished an album that an actual record label thinks is good. David can't help but notice the look in Cook's eyes when he talks about that, about music, and it's proud and amazed and excited, and David feels the same emotions stirring in him as well, just listening to him. There's a maturity about Cook that wasn't there before, a sense of responsibility that he was always lacking in high school. The kindness in his eyes is still the same though, as is the mischief in the quirk of his lips when he catches David staring.
Cook's always been good at telling stories, so it's not surprising to David that he spends the majority of their conversation alternating between giggling and wide-eyed at the things Cook tells him. In return, he tells Cook about getting a degree in teaching and working for a couple years at a local preschool. He rambles about working with little kids and how much he likes it, and he tells a few funny stories of his own, although his mostly involve four-year-olds who say hilarious things. They get sidetracked then, talking about Selena and Cook's nephew Marshall, who, like David and Cook, have grown up together and are fast friends.
That leads them into reminiscing, which makes the atmosphere a little more serious, although both of them are careful to only bring up happy memories. They laugh for a while, remembering all the trouble Cook got David into when they were kids, before they start talking a little about high school, skating around the topic of their breakup.
Then, abruptly, Cook scoots closer and rests his fingers on David's thigh, just for a moment. "I was really immature back then. But I'm older now, and slightly less stupid. And I want to make it up to you, if you'll let me. Can I take you out to dinner?"
David pauses, caught off guard by his sincerity and torn. "Like a date?" he asks cautiously after a moment, just to be sure.
Cook doesn't hesitate. "Yes."
David thinks it over slowly, and if he needs confirmation that Cook's grown up, it's there in the way he waits patiently, not pressuring David for an answer the way he would have in high school. And the thing is, David never could say no to Cook. There's something about him that makes David forget rules and insecurities and caution, something that makes him want to dive headfirst into things.
Moreover, Cook's company is as comfortable and entertaining as it ever was, and he sets David at ease in a way that shouldn't be possible, given that they haven't so much as spoken in years. David can't deny that he still feels drawn to Cook, and that he wants to go on a date with Cook. But at the same time, he can't help but remember the way things ended last time and how long it took him to get over it. He remembers the problems they had, which, looking back, David later realized would have ended things sooner or later anyway. He remembers the pain, and he doesn't know if he wants to take the risk of feeling it again.
"What's going to be different this time?" he asks finally, not looking at Cook.
Cook's touch is gentle on his face as he coaxes David into meeting his gaze. "I'm not eighteen anymore. You're not sixteen. I'm not a freshman in college who has no idea what's going on in the world. I know what's important now, and I know what I want. And I know what I have to do to hold onto those things. We're both older now, and we're different people than we used to be. Everything is different."
"Okay," David says.
"If you want more time to think about it, I totally--" Cook starts, but David shakes his head.
"No," he interrupts. "Okay, I'll go on a date with you."
Cook's smile is breathtaking.
They keep talking for a while, Cook resting his hand on David's arm, and eventually, David realizes just how late it is. When he points out the time, Cook looks surprised too, and David remembers other occasions of talking for hours. The thought makes him smile. Luckily, since it's summer vacation, David spends the night at Claudia's more often than not. Cook walks him to the front door and David feels like a teenager all over again, being dropped off after his first date. In fact, this is almost exactly like their first date, with that awkward moment where they just look at each other and neither of them really knows what to say to the other. Unlike the last time, though, it only lasts a second, because suddenly, Cook's expression changes, and then his hands are at the back of David's neck and the small of David's back, and then Cook is kissing him hard, like nothing ever happened and they are teenagers again.
David is completely shocked and he just stands there for a moment as he processes what's happening. For a moment, he thinks about pushing Cook away, but that's really not even an option, and instead, he melts into Cook, wrapping his arms around his neck as he kisses him back. There's nothing gentle or tentative about this kiss; it's raw with pent-up emotion and nostalgia. It lasts less than a minute, but when David pulls back, he's dizzy with it, and he blinks repeatedly to clear his head. He's still holding onto Cook for balance, and after a moment, he says, "You're supposed to wait until we actually go on the date to do that," and it feels like deja vu.
"Fuck waiting," Cook responds, and kisses him again, briefly. "I've been waiting for years to do that again."
David disentangles himself from Cook and steps back, cheeks flushed, unable to suppress his smile. "Goodnight, Cook."
"Night, Arch."
Claudia, who's had insomnia for the past couple weeks, eyes him knowingly from in front of the television as he walks in, and he just shakes his head at her before heading off to his room.
*
It always happened like this. David came over to Cook's house after school to work on homework, and for a while, mostly due to David's insistence, they actually did homework. But then, well. They got sidetracked.
David didn't even know how they'd gotten into this position. Cook was lying on his bed, flat on his back, and David was on top of him, straddling his waist. One of Cook's hands was fisted in the fabric of the back of David's shirt; the other was in his hair. And while David couldn't exactly recall how they'd gotten here--he was kind of... occupied at the moment--he knew he liked it. He liked the way Cook's eyes got dark when he took the initiative, something he'd only done once or twice before, and he liked that Cook couldn't really move because David was pinning him down, and he liked the control he had when he was kissing Cook from this angle.
David was bracing his weight on one arm, but he lifted the other hand to Cook's face, noting Cook's kiss-swollen lips and wondering if his looked the same. Cook smiled when David trailed his fingers lightly along his cheekbone, turning his head quickly to kiss the inside of David's wrist. David grinned back and leaned in to kiss him again.
Neither of them heard the knock on the door; they were too caught up in each other. And when Cook's mom pushed the door open, they didn't hear that either. It wasn't until she cleared her throat loudly and said, "Boys," that David suddenly became aware of her presence, much to his horror.
"Oh my gosh," he said, and shoved himself away from Cook so hard that he lost his balance and tumbled off the bed and onto the floor.
"Am I going to have to institute an open door policy?" Cook's mom asked, failing to hide her amusement.
"It's not like we were having sex," Cook pointed out. He paused and then, with a reproachful glance at the floor where David was still sitting, absolutely mortified and wishing he could disappear, "Archie won't even let me get his shirt off."
Cook's mom laughed. "Good for you, Archie. Dinner will be ready in half an hour. And the door stays open."
She left, and David slumped against the wall, glaring at Cook who was just lying there and laughing. "Oh god," Cook managed. "The look on your face."
"I am never kissing you again," David informed him.
(It only took fifteen minutes for Cook to crumble his resolve.)
*
Part Two
Fandom: American Idol Season 7
Pairing: David Cook/David Archuleta
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 14,316 words
Summary: As much as he would like to pretend that this is not happening, there he is, the one person that David never wants to see again. (broken up high school sweethearts AU)
Author's Notes: This was inspired by, of all things, the movie Ramona and Beezus, because apparently I can't watch ANY movie without becoming inspired, even when it's a G-rated kids movie that I'm watching with my little sister. Also, I am using this to fulfill "Other: Kid Fic" on my au_bingo card (full card here), even though it is possibly kind of a stretch. A million thanks to sara84 for the fantastic beta!
David hums to himself as he walks down the street from the bus stop, headed for the home he grew up in. He lives across town now, of course, but since Claudia's pregnant again, he knows he's going to be pretty much living there until the baby comes.
It's a gorgeous day, and he can't help but smile a little as he walks, enjoying the fresh air. Claudia keeps telling him he should get a car, but he likes using public transportation. It's cheaper and he gets some exercise and he doesn't have to worry about, like, parking and gas. He can put up with some inconvenience for that.
As he nears the house, he waves at the old lady who lives across the street (and has, since he was little) and then, as he arrives at the gate, he sees something he hasn't seen in years.
It's an old beat up truck and... no, it can't be the same one, surely not. But David would recognize the truck parked in the neighbor's driveway anywhere, and no, no, this can't be happening, but there's someone standing behind the truck, and it looks a lot like--
David runs for the door before he can be seen.
He's never been so grateful when he finds the door unlocked and he opens it hurriedly, sliding inside and shutting the door firmly, before leaning heavily against it, his mind still blank with shock.
He might have just stayed there for an hour, but barely a moment later, an excited voice yells, "Uncle David!" and he has to straighten up and put his arms out in time to catch his 7-year-old niece as she flies at him.
"Hey, Selenita," he says and presses a kiss to her dark curls.
"Look, I got two new calluses!" She holds out her hands for David to examine, but he's a little preoccupied and only glances at them briefly.
"Hmm?" David says absently, carrying Selena into the living room so he can look out the window.
"I was watching you from the window," Selena tells him, tugging lightly on David's hair until he refocuses his attention on her. "You were walking all normal and then suddenly you started to run! How come?"
"I..." David starts, and then stops. "I thought I saw someone I haven't seen in a long time," he finishes finally. He puts her down and then moves to peek past the curtain. Selena slides between him and the window and looks too.
And as much as he would like to pretend that this is not happening, there he is, the one person that David never wants to see again.
"Oh, that's Marshall's uncle!" Selena exclaims, and David looks at her sharply, closing the curtain.
"You know him?"
"I met him yesterday, when he got here. He told me his name was David, but I told him he couldn't be David, because we already have an Uncle David," she says proudly.
"What--" David swallows. "What did he say?"
"Um, he said I could call him Cook like you do, and to say hi to you, and to tell you that he would love to catch up."
David scowls and pulls the curtain back again. "Of course he wants to catch up. Of course. Well, if he thinks he can just come back here as if nothing happened and--"
Just then, a car horn sounds, making David jump, and he looks to see--to see Cook, leaning against his truck and looking straight at them and waving with that stupid smug half-smile on his face. David glares and shuts the curtain with a snap, frowning at it even after it's closed.
"Uncle David?" Selena says tentatively, sliding her hand into his. "What's wrong?"
David goes to sit down and pulls her into his lap. "You know how you get calluses on your hands when you spend a lot of time at the jungle gym?" Selena nods and he continues. "When you get a callus on your hand, it's a place where you got hurt, and then your skin got tough to protect it from getting hurt again. Well, I have a callus too, only you can't see it. I have a callus on my heart to protect it from getting hurt again."
*
Cook kissed David for the first time on their second date.
It was kind of anticlimactic, actually. They were in the snack line at the movie theater, of all places. David wasn't prepared at all, but then suddenly, Cook stepped into his space, and his hands came up to frame David's face. David didn't even realize what was happening until Cook was an inch away, and then he got with the program and shut his eyes just as Cook's lips brushed against his.
The kiss was brief and gentle, but it made David sway a little on his feet, because--because it was Cook, and he had just kissed him!
David opened his eyes a second later, and the only thing he could think to say was, "Aren't you supposed to wait until the date is over to do that?"
Cook's hands were still cupping his face carefully, and when he laughed slightly, David could feel them move a little. "Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "I couldn't wait that long. You're too irresistible."
And David just knew that Cook could feel his skin heating up under his palms.
And then, of course, they were suddenly next in line, and the woman at the counter was glaring, as were the people behind them, and they had to hurry to buy their popcorn and sodas before the movie started.
Cook didn't make a move the whole movie, despite the fact that David was acutely aware of his every movement next to him during the entire thing. But he made up for it later, when he was kissing David goodbye on his front porch, still slow and gentle, before vaulting over the railing (just because he thought it was cooler than taking the stairs) and jogging back to his house next door. David stayed outside and watched until Cook looked back from his own porch and blew David a kiss. Then, finally, David went inside and up to his room, and collapsed on his bed, hiding his smile in his pillow.
*
David goes back to Claudia's the next day after work, and of course, the first thing he sees (now that he's looking) is Cook's stupid beat-up truck in the driveway. Of course. Fortunately, today, there is a 7-year-old distraction outside in the front yard who squeals and comes running when she sees him.
After the requisite hugging and examination of calluses, they continue making their way up the street.
"I have a car wash!" Selena informs him. "My sign says 'Selena's Car Wash, Only $5'. Mama helped me make it."
"Wow," David says seriously. "How's business?"
"Not a single person wants their car washed today," Selena says gloomily.
"Aww, that's too bad. If I had a car, I would let you wash it for sure."
Selena brightens. "Really?"
"Definitely."
As they get closer, David sees that not only is Cook's truck still there, but Cook himself is there, leaning against the side of it again. David almost stops short and turns around when he sees him, but he knows Cook's seen him by now, and he doesn't want to give him the satisfaction.
"Okay," he says quietly to Selena. "Here's what we're going to do." Selena looks up at him, all big eyes and solemn face, and he continues, "We're going to be confident. We're going to be smooth. We're going to walk, no, strut straight up the walk and into the house, and let him see everything he missed out on. And above all, we are not going to let ourselves be reeled back in like fish, okay?"
"Fish are gross," Selena agrees, and David smiles despite himself.
"Exactly."
"But what if he tries to talk to us?" Selena asks.
"Then we ignore him," David says decisively.
"Okay," Selena nods, and hand in hand, they strut up the street, heads held high.
Everything's fine until they get to the gate, but David is so busy looking anywhere but in Cook's direction that he fails to notice the tennis ball lying on the sidewalk and, because the world hates him or something, he winds up flat on his back with the wind knocked out of him, covered in mulch.
David wants to die.
He closes his eyes, praying that things will have magically changed since high school and that it will now be possible to disappear into the ground, and when he opens them, Cook is standing there in front of him, fighting a smile (and losing) and holding a hand out to help him up.
David sighs and allows Cook to pull him up off the ground. Cook's eyes are still as magnetic as ever, and he doesn't let go of David's hand right away, holding it in his as he says, "Hey, Archie. I see you haven't changed much."
David wrenches his hand away and tries to come up with a suitably scathing response, but before he can, Selena pipes up. "We're ignoring you."
David flushes and silently curses his fate.
"Really?" Cook says, turning to Selena. "Why would you want to do that?"
"So we don't get reeled in like fish, because they are gross," Selena says promptly.
David really wants to die.
"I see," Cook says with a grin and an eyebrow-raise aimed at David. "Well I'll do my best not to do that." He pauses. "So it's been a while, Archie."
"Has it?" David says lightly. "I hadn't noticed. Time flies!" He speaks quickly, anxious to get out of there. "Well, Selena and I have to get going now, so you're very nice--I mean, it! It was very nice. To, um. See you again."
David figures that there's no point sticking around here anymore. The situation is irredeemable. He lets himself into the gate, ushering Selena through with him.
"Hey, Archie, wait! We should catch up!" Cook calls after him.
David takes a deep breath and turns around, smiling sweetly. "We just did."
He turns to make his escape, but before he takes two steps, Cook says, "You know... My truck could use a wash."
Selena spins around immediately, running to the car wash sign that's still propped up against a tree. "I have a car wash!"
Oh no.
"Wow, awesome!" Cook says, grinning at David when he reluctantly turns around. David scowls at him, but Cook doesn't even blink. "How much for a car wash?"
Selena surveys him for a moment and then slides in front of where the price is listed on the sign. "Twenty bucks!"
"Twenty bucks?" Cook asks incredulously. "No way, that's a steal! I can't let you wash my truck for any less than... fifty."
Selena's eyes go wide. "Fifty dollars?"
"Mhmm," Cook says, and David doesn't at all like where this is going. "On one condition. Your Uncle David has to sit with me in the truck while you're washing it so we can catch up."
David knows before Selena even turns around with her pleading eyes and pouty lips that he's lost this round, and he glares at Cook before turning to his niece. "How fast can you wash a car?"
"Real fast," Selena promises as he follows Cook to his truck, shaking his head.
"You look great, Arch," Cook says immediately once the doors are shut and they're alone.
David had kind of been toying with the idea of just sitting there and ignoring him, but that's just awkward and also, rude. There's no reason he can't be civil, he decides, so he smiles faintly and says, "Thanks." He glances sideways at Cook. "You, um. You look good too."
Cook grins at him and dang it, his heart skips in his chest.
"It's trippy being back here," Cook says after a moment, gesturing at their houses. "Brings back all sorts of memories."
"Being in your car brings back all sorts of memories," David says without thinking.
Cook's smile turns a little dirty. "Yeah? Like what?"
He leans in towards David, smirking a little, and David shrinks back a bit, but before Cook gets very close, a loud noise makes them both jump. They turn, and Selena's perched on the hood, glaring at Cook as she sprays a jet of water at the windshield right in front of his face again, a clear warning. David's never loved her more.
Cook backs off, and after a moment, says quietly, "I know what you mean, though. It's like time stood still in here. I wouldn't mind going back." He pauses, glancing at David. "Maybe I could figure out where I messed up."
"It was a long time ago," David says just as quietly, but Cook shakes his head.
"I've missed you, Archie. A lot."
David stares straight ahead unseeing, not trusting himself to answer. He doesn't know what he would say anyway.
Cook continues after a moment when he realizes that David's not going to respond. "I'm going back to LA in a few weeks; then I'll be out of your way. The guys and I--we got a contract with a label. I--this could be it, finally."
David looks up at him, distracted. "Oh my gosh, that's awesome!"
Cook nods enthusiastically. "I can't believe it, it's insane. I can't wait." He pauses. "Do you remember when I used to play you my first ever songs? You were my first supporter. Besides my mom."
David nods shyly, smiling despite himself. "I always loved when you played your guitar."
"How about that song I wrote for you on our anniversary? It made you cry."
David remembers as if it were yesterday, and just thinking about it makes him want to cry again, so he hurriedly changes the subject. "That was pretty sneaky, bribing my niece just to talk to me. Since when are you rich enough to blow fifty dollars on a car wash?"
"Oh, that was a bargain," Cook says, that charming grin that David remembers so well firmly stationed at his lips. He lowers his voice confidentially. "Between the two of us, I was willing to go much higher."
David smiles playfully at him. "I guess times have changed. This from the guy who got me a ring from a gumball machine for my sixteenth birthday."
"Oh, god," Cook says, laughing a little as he hides his face in his hands. "I did, didn't I?"
"And," David continues, chuckling too, "I had to lend you the quarter. That should have been my first clue. Cheap!"
"Hey! You loved that ring. You wore it for ages."
"All the time," David remembers. He swallows. "Face it, Cook. I always wanted that ring to be real and you always knew it was plastic. That was our relationship in a nutshell."
Before Cook can answer, David says quietly, "I think Selena's done. I'll see you around, Cook."
He slips out of the truck and walks quickly to the house, refusing to look back.
*
After they broke up, everything felt empty. The first night, David lay on his bed for hours, crying and crying and crying, ignoring everyone in his family when they knocked on his door.
Everything reminded him of Cook. How could he move on when the school hallways were the same, their houses were the same, David was the same? It was an ache that didn't go away with time. It was tears that came to his eyes at the stupidest things (like, when a football game came on TV and David remembered that time Cook had tried to explain the rules). And above all, it was an emptiness that felt like it had taken over all of David, until there was nothing else left.
Cook had been part of his life for so long that David didn't know how to deal with his absence. All throughout his life, Cook had been the one constant, the one who was always there, whether it was chasing David on the playground or helping him with his homework or kissing him breathless behind the bushes in the back. How could David cut Cook out of his life when he was everything?
And the stupid thing was, the only person David wanted to talk to about any of this, any of the pain or regret or anger, was Cook himself. Cook was the one who'd known him backwards and forwards, inside and out. But now Cook didn't need him anymore, didn't want him anymore. He'd moved on to bigger things, to new places and people that David could never compete with, not in a million years. And David was left behind in the dust, wishing he could go back and change something, anything, to bring Cook back into his life.
He threw himself into school, filling up all of his free time with studying. At least he couldn't think when he was busy memorizing the US presidents and their terms (just in case it ever came up) or doing calculus problem after calculus problem after calculus problem. But at night, he couldn't silence his thoughts, and it was then that he tortured himself by reliving every moment, the hugs and the fights, the first date and the breakup. It was then that the tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, that he lay in bed for hours, unable to sleep, feeling more lonely than he'd ever felt before.
He missed Cook's smile. He missed Cook's arm around him. He missed Cook's stupid smug grin that he hated. He missed the sound of Cook's heartbeat when he rested his head against his chest. He missed the way Cook smelled. He missed Cook's kisses. He missed Cook's voice. He missed everything.
*
"Selena, sweetie. Please come down from there," David begs, looking up at his niece, who's perched on a branch of the oak tree in their backyard with tears streaming down her face.
"No. No no no. Everyone hates me."
"Of course they don't. Everyone knows it was an accident."
"Mama hates me. She yelled at me."
"Oh, Selenita. She's just stressed out, that's all. She didn't mean it."
"She did," Selena sobs. "I could tell."
"Why don't you come down and I'll make you some hot chocolate, okay? What if you fall and get hurt?"
"No one wants me in that house. I'm just going to live here in the tree."
A new voice comes from just behind David then. "I wouldn't recommend that." David turns to see Cook looking up at Selena. "It's not very comfortable up there if I remember correctly."
"What are you doing here?" Selena scowls at Cook, who isn't phased.
"A little bird told me a pretty lady was crying. What's the matter, honey?"
The question seems to remind Selena that she's upset, and a fresh wave of tears begins to fall immediately. "Mama doesn't love me anymore," she wails. "She loves the new baby in her tummy more than me."
David gapes. "Selena! Why would you think that? Your mama loves both of you the same, and she always will."
"No, she only loves the new baby. She only likes to yell at me, even though I broke the vase on accident."
"How about we talk about this down here?" Cook suggests. Selena shakes her head furiously. "No? Well, I guess I'll just have to come up there instead."
"Cook!" David interjects, but Cook ignores him in favor of climbing the old rope ladder which still makes David nervous. It's a remnant of one of Cook's flashes of inspiration from their youth: a treehouse. Unfortunately, they only got as far as a rope ladder before David's fear of heights became an issue, so the idea was scrapped.
"Please don't fall," David says weakly as Cook settles on the branch next to Selena. He tries not to think about the possibility of Cook's weight breaking the branch, sending them both crashing to the ground. He can't hear what Cook's saying to her anymore either, and he watches anxiously as Cook speaks quietly with her, stroking her dark, dark hair. Finally, Selena launches herself at him, and Cook just barely manages to stay balanced as he pulls her into his lap and lets her bury her face in his neck. David's heart clenches a little.
"Are you ready to come down yet?" Cook asks after a moment, speaking louder again so David can hear.
Selena shakes her head without removing it from his neck.
"Aww, but I bet your uncle wants to give you a hug. Don't you want a hug from him? I know I do. He gives great hugs, doesn't he?"
After a moment, Selena nods a little, and Cook says, "So how about we go down now? You don't want him to worry, do you? I can tell he's worried."
"Okay," Selena says in a small voice, and Cook scoops her up and carefully climbs down with Selena still clinging to him. David doesn't relax until they're both firmly on the ground. As soon as he's within reach, Selena reaches out for him, and he gladly scoops her up into his arms, cradling her small body close.
"I'm sorry," Selena mumbles into his shoulder, and David squeezes her tight.
"I know, sweetie. It's okay. But you know your mama loves you, right? We all do."
"Yeah, Cook told me."
David glances at Cook, who's watching them with a small smile on his face. "Good, I'm glad. He's right. Do you want to go back inside now?"
Selena shakes her head, burrowing deeper into his arms. "Can we just stay outside for a little while?"
"Of course we can."
They go to sit down on the bench swing, all three of them, with Selena curled in David's lap. She's asleep in minutes, exhausted by her tears and secure in David's arms.
"Thank you," David says to Cook. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."
Cook smiles. "You would have figured something out."
"What did you say to her?"
"I just told her about when Andrew was born, and about having a little sibling and stuff."
"Well you were great with her." He smiles at Cook. "Maybe kids bring out your sensitive side."
"Maybe. Or maybe, you do."
*
The night of Cook's senior prom was one of the most memorable of their entire relationship for David. It was bittersweet in a lot of ways, because things were definitely going to be changing after Cook graduated and went off to college. This marked the beginning of a new phase for them, a phase which David couldn't help but worry about, no matter what Cook said to reassure him. He was sixteen, Cook was eighteen; they had their whole lives ahead of them. Who knew what was going to happen in the future, never mind that David couldn't imagine a future without Cook in it.
David was a little nervous beforehand, because he was only a sophomore, but he knew lots of seniors through Cook, so it wasn't that big a deal. David had decided that, since it was Cook's prom, they would do the whole thing--limo and dinner with Cook's friends beforehand, afterparty of Cook's choice afterwards (although, he hastened to add, he would not be having sex with Cook afterwards, never mind what other people were doing. Cook just laughed).
Cook didn't argue for the most part, although he did insist that they go out for dinner, just the two of them, and David didn't protest. On prom day, Cook came to David's doorstep, dressed in his tux, and David came to greet him in his own tux. Lupe and David's sisters fussed over the pair of them until David thought his face would explode with his blush and took enough pictures to fill a photo album. And then, finally, they climbed into Cook's old truck and headed to a fancy Italian restaurant.
The valet gave them a skeptical look when Cook handed him his keys, but Cook ignored him, taking David's hand. Dinner was very romantic and Cook was extra gentlemanly, even pulling David's chair out for him. After they ate (and later, David couldn't even remember what he'd eaten, but he could remember the way Cook smiled at him across the table perfectly), they headed to one of Cook's friends' houses to join the group. There they took even more pictures, much to David's dismay, in all sorts of poses. There was even a candid one that someone had taken of Cook kissing David lightly.
And then, finally, they left. In the limo, everyone was passing around champagne and, though David didn't take any, he didn't say a word when Cook did.
Prom was being held at the banquet hall of a hotel, and they spent a while just looking around and greeting people and helping themselves to food, but eventually, Cook dragged David onto the dance floor despite his half-hearted protests. The fast dances were okay, David decided, but he liked the slow dances best of all, when Cook pulled him close and held him tight and it felt like there was only the two of them in the world. When Cook leaned in to kiss him, David hesitated (he didn't much like PDA) but gave in because it was Cook's night, and anyway, everyone around them was making out too, so David didn't think they would notice.
The rest of the evening passed in a haze, and before David knew it, they were getting back into the limo, on their way back to Cook's friend's house, where the afterparty was going to be.
The party was... well. It was loud and crowded, and it wasn't really David's type of get-together. He would have been severely uncomfortable, but Cook never left his side, holding onto his hand the whole time as he talked and laughed and drank and danced. David hadn't really been around him when he'd been drinking--Cook knew David didn't exactly approve--but he wasn't completely smashed, just a little drunk, which apparently translated to happy and cuddly and affectionate and enthusiastic, none of which David had a problem with.
After a couple hours, Cook pulled David into a corner and kissed him, and suddenly David found himself being pulled upstairs and pressed against the wall in the hallway. The hall was deserted, but David knew that it wouldn't be that way for long. Still, he couldn't find the self-control to protest when Cook pressed up against him and kissed him sweetly. His protests continued to fail to express themselves as their kissing quickly moved from sweet and soft to deep and hard, and finally, it was Cook who pulled back, eyes dark and smoldering, and whispered, "Come on."
He pulled David along the hall, probably looking for an empty bedroom, but David was doubtful about his chances of finding one because he'd noticed a trend of couples disappearing upstairs all night and, well. He wasn't stupid.
To his surprise, though, Cook pulled him directly to a small empty bedroom which looked like its normal resident was an 8-year-old boy--not very romantic. It didn't matter though. When Cook locked the door behind him and turned to David and said, low, "It's ours for the night," David shuddered hard, at the implication, at Cook's voice, at his intent gaze, at everything.
And then Cook flipped off the switch so that the moonlight was the only thing dimly lighting up the room, and before David knew it, Cook was kissing him again and backing him towards the twin bed with its Nascar comforter. Cook shrugged out of his jacket and pushed David's back over his shoulders as well. His boyfriend had long since lost his tie, but David's was the next thing to go, followed by both of their shoes. Then the backs of David's knees hit the edge of the bed, and he fell backwards.
Cook's solid weight on top of him was familiar, though the taste of alcohol on his tongue was a change that David could have done without. Not altogether unprecedented either was the brush of Cook's palm against the skin under his untucked shirt, but tonight it felt new, felt revelatory even. Cook was kissing him like he was trying to tell him a secret, like they had their whole lives ahead of them, like tonight was the first night of forever.
They were quickly approaching that point that they were starting to come to more and more often, where their kisses became messy and desperate, and their hands started wandering a little too much, and their thoughts became muddled with arousal. The point where David always regretfully pulled back and slowed them down. But tonight, as Cook's knee worked its way between David's legs and brushed against the undeniable bulge in his slacks, eliciting a breathy groan, David remembered the long talk he'd had with his parents before being allowed to do this, to spend the night with Cook at a place where there was almost certainly going to be alcohol, and where there would be no adult supervision. He remembered the pleading and persuasion and the promises he'd made to them, and when Cook shifted a little to press his thigh against his trapped erection again, this time deliberately, making David moan helplessly under him, David wondered if he'd lied to them. He wondered if, tonight, for the first time, he and Cook would end up using one of those condoms that Cook's mother had forced them to take when she'd given them "the talk".
The idea was simultaneously terrifying and exciting, and as he tentatively rolled his hips up, unable to stop himself, David wondered if he was ready, wondered if tonight was the night, wondered if sex was as awesome as it was made out to be. The bulk of him hated himself for how much he wanted to know the answer to that question, how much he wanted to just give in and go all the way without looking back.
As he was on the precipice, wavering, wondering which path to take, Cook abruptly broke the kiss, grabbing David into a tight hug. David could feel Cook's bulge against his hip, and his own was throbbing as well. But as Cook stroked his hair and kissed him softly, holding him close and deliberately slowing down the tempo, he felt a wave of relief go through him and realized that he wasn't ready, and more importantly, that Cook had known that all along.
David bit his lip, pressing his face to Cook's neck.
"I love you," he whispered.
Cook responded in kind, pulling him in tighter, and soon enough, they fell asleep together.
*
David isn't entirely sure how he ended up sitting with Cook on the swing again the next night, but despite his reservations, it's nice. The years that have passed notwithstanding, Cook's presence feels familiar, and David can't help but remember that, before he was David's boyfriend, Cook was his best friend. That's not to say that there isn't an undercurrent of more there, because there is, but it's not enough to make David uncomfortable at all. He supposes that, with their history, it's inevitable.
Cook fills him in on what he's been up to. He tells David about his band and how close they are, and about songwriting and recording, and about how it feels to have finished an album that an actual record label thinks is good. David can't help but notice the look in Cook's eyes when he talks about that, about music, and it's proud and amazed and excited, and David feels the same emotions stirring in him as well, just listening to him. There's a maturity about Cook that wasn't there before, a sense of responsibility that he was always lacking in high school. The kindness in his eyes is still the same though, as is the mischief in the quirk of his lips when he catches David staring.
Cook's always been good at telling stories, so it's not surprising to David that he spends the majority of their conversation alternating between giggling and wide-eyed at the things Cook tells him. In return, he tells Cook about getting a degree in teaching and working for a couple years at a local preschool. He rambles about working with little kids and how much he likes it, and he tells a few funny stories of his own, although his mostly involve four-year-olds who say hilarious things. They get sidetracked then, talking about Selena and Cook's nephew Marshall, who, like David and Cook, have grown up together and are fast friends.
That leads them into reminiscing, which makes the atmosphere a little more serious, although both of them are careful to only bring up happy memories. They laugh for a while, remembering all the trouble Cook got David into when they were kids, before they start talking a little about high school, skating around the topic of their breakup.
Then, abruptly, Cook scoots closer and rests his fingers on David's thigh, just for a moment. "I was really immature back then. But I'm older now, and slightly less stupid. And I want to make it up to you, if you'll let me. Can I take you out to dinner?"
David pauses, caught off guard by his sincerity and torn. "Like a date?" he asks cautiously after a moment, just to be sure.
Cook doesn't hesitate. "Yes."
David thinks it over slowly, and if he needs confirmation that Cook's grown up, it's there in the way he waits patiently, not pressuring David for an answer the way he would have in high school. And the thing is, David never could say no to Cook. There's something about him that makes David forget rules and insecurities and caution, something that makes him want to dive headfirst into things.
Moreover, Cook's company is as comfortable and entertaining as it ever was, and he sets David at ease in a way that shouldn't be possible, given that they haven't so much as spoken in years. David can't deny that he still feels drawn to Cook, and that he wants to go on a date with Cook. But at the same time, he can't help but remember the way things ended last time and how long it took him to get over it. He remembers the problems they had, which, looking back, David later realized would have ended things sooner or later anyway. He remembers the pain, and he doesn't know if he wants to take the risk of feeling it again.
"What's going to be different this time?" he asks finally, not looking at Cook.
Cook's touch is gentle on his face as he coaxes David into meeting his gaze. "I'm not eighteen anymore. You're not sixteen. I'm not a freshman in college who has no idea what's going on in the world. I know what's important now, and I know what I want. And I know what I have to do to hold onto those things. We're both older now, and we're different people than we used to be. Everything is different."
"Okay," David says.
"If you want more time to think about it, I totally--" Cook starts, but David shakes his head.
"No," he interrupts. "Okay, I'll go on a date with you."
Cook's smile is breathtaking.
They keep talking for a while, Cook resting his hand on David's arm, and eventually, David realizes just how late it is. When he points out the time, Cook looks surprised too, and David remembers other occasions of talking for hours. The thought makes him smile. Luckily, since it's summer vacation, David spends the night at Claudia's more often than not. Cook walks him to the front door and David feels like a teenager all over again, being dropped off after his first date. In fact, this is almost exactly like their first date, with that awkward moment where they just look at each other and neither of them really knows what to say to the other. Unlike the last time, though, it only lasts a second, because suddenly, Cook's expression changes, and then his hands are at the back of David's neck and the small of David's back, and then Cook is kissing him hard, like nothing ever happened and they are teenagers again.
David is completely shocked and he just stands there for a moment as he processes what's happening. For a moment, he thinks about pushing Cook away, but that's really not even an option, and instead, he melts into Cook, wrapping his arms around his neck as he kisses him back. There's nothing gentle or tentative about this kiss; it's raw with pent-up emotion and nostalgia. It lasts less than a minute, but when David pulls back, he's dizzy with it, and he blinks repeatedly to clear his head. He's still holding onto Cook for balance, and after a moment, he says, "You're supposed to wait until we actually go on the date to do that," and it feels like deja vu.
"Fuck waiting," Cook responds, and kisses him again, briefly. "I've been waiting for years to do that again."
David disentangles himself from Cook and steps back, cheeks flushed, unable to suppress his smile. "Goodnight, Cook."
"Night, Arch."
Claudia, who's had insomnia for the past couple weeks, eyes him knowingly from in front of the television as he walks in, and he just shakes his head at her before heading off to his room.
*
It always happened like this. David came over to Cook's house after school to work on homework, and for a while, mostly due to David's insistence, they actually did homework. But then, well. They got sidetracked.
David didn't even know how they'd gotten into this position. Cook was lying on his bed, flat on his back, and David was on top of him, straddling his waist. One of Cook's hands was fisted in the fabric of the back of David's shirt; the other was in his hair. And while David couldn't exactly recall how they'd gotten here--he was kind of... occupied at the moment--he knew he liked it. He liked the way Cook's eyes got dark when he took the initiative, something he'd only done once or twice before, and he liked that Cook couldn't really move because David was pinning him down, and he liked the control he had when he was kissing Cook from this angle.
David was bracing his weight on one arm, but he lifted the other hand to Cook's face, noting Cook's kiss-swollen lips and wondering if his looked the same. Cook smiled when David trailed his fingers lightly along his cheekbone, turning his head quickly to kiss the inside of David's wrist. David grinned back and leaned in to kiss him again.
Neither of them heard the knock on the door; they were too caught up in each other. And when Cook's mom pushed the door open, they didn't hear that either. It wasn't until she cleared her throat loudly and said, "Boys," that David suddenly became aware of her presence, much to his horror.
"Oh my gosh," he said, and shoved himself away from Cook so hard that he lost his balance and tumbled off the bed and onto the floor.
"Am I going to have to institute an open door policy?" Cook's mom asked, failing to hide her amusement.
"It's not like we were having sex," Cook pointed out. He paused and then, with a reproachful glance at the floor where David was still sitting, absolutely mortified and wishing he could disappear, "Archie won't even let me get his shirt off."
Cook's mom laughed. "Good for you, Archie. Dinner will be ready in half an hour. And the door stays open."
She left, and David slumped against the wall, glaring at Cook who was just lying there and laughing. "Oh god," Cook managed. "The look on your face."
"I am never kissing you again," David informed him.
(It only took fifteen minutes for Cook to crumble his resolve.)
*
Part Two