FIC: "The Night Out" by imera, Dudley/Piers, PG
Title: The Night Out
Author/Artist: imera
Prompt: #75, submitted by chokolattejedi:
Dudley has been hiding his attraction to boys all his life, because Vernon established early on that his son was not to be in any way freakish. Eventually, however, he can't stand to hide any longer, and he has a choice to make.
Pairing, or gen: Dudley/Piers
Rating: G
Warning(s): anxiety
Word count/medium: 1926 words
Summary/Excerpt: Living by himself changed everything. Dudley was finally able to explore himself; little did he know where that would take him. Finally he could live his life as he wanted, even if it was a secret life.
Author's or Artist's notes: I love a kinder Dudley.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated characters and settings remain the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates. We are very grateful for permission to play with them.
Dudley heard that children with parents that constantly pushed them to be the best didn’t always have a happy ending. Being one of those kids, he was one of those who expected things to be easy when they grew up; they were not. In the beginning he constantly worried about disappointing his father, but after a while, after having the chance to explore London, to explore himself, he discovered that being second best in boxing wasn’t the worst thing that could happen.
The one thing he did discover, which would be a worse blow to his father, was that he was a freak. He might not be the kind of freak that his cousin was, but in his father’s eyes he was certainly a freak; Dudley was gay. It wasn’t a discovery that really shocked him; he always knew he found his own sex more attractive, but since he was young and knew that such feelings were not acceptable he hid them deep down. Living alone in London gave him the chance to discover himself.
Moving to London gave him the freedom he needed. It took a while before he even dared to accept himself, but after that bump he wasn’t afraid of exploring his new life. It took six months, but he eventually dared to go out to one of the clubs he’d heard of. The first time he went he was really nervous, but forgot all about it once he was inside and could take it in -- the music, lights and people. As soon as he was inside, he realised there was nothing to be afraid of. Not only was it perfectly safe, but Dudley was able to meet several men who actually liked him for him.
He thought his life had become perfect; until his life was turned upside down.
Everything was as it should be; he was on his way to a club he liked when he recognised someone. Unfortunately it wasn’t until it was too late that he realised the guard at the door was none other than his former childhood friend, Piers.
As soon as he realised who it was, he jumped out of line and left. The sweat started to form on his forehead and he could feel his heart as he feared he would be recognised. He might have accepted his sexuality, but that didn’t mean he wanted his former friends to find out, especially not when there was a chance his parents would hear about it.
“Dudley?” he heard Piers say in a more mature voice than he remembered.
He wanted to continue walking, acting as if he hadn’t heard anyone call him, or that it wasn’t him, but he froze.
Piers told someone to take his spot before Dudley heard steps walking hastily towards him, stopping only when he was right behind Dudley. Knowing it was rude to pretend he still hadn’t heard Piers, Dudley slowly turned around.
For once he wished he was the same kind of freak as his cousin, that he had magic so he could simply disappear into thin air, or make Piers forget he’d seen Dudley.
“Hi,” he greeted Piers, his voice lighter than usual. Realising his palms were damp, he wiped them on his trousers as he waited for Piers to say something.
“What are you doing here?” Piers asked. Dudley then wondered if he could lie and say he was with a friend, but for some strange reason he wasn’t able to lie, or speak.
“What are you doing here?” he ended up saying instead, sounding stupid.
“I work tonight. Were you on your way into the club?”
Dudley opened his mouth to reply, but the only noise that escaped him was a snort. When Piers’ lips twisted upwards in that same grin he used to have when they were young, Dudley feared the worst. Piers knew something, that was the only reason why he grinned like that, why he was as confident and Dudley wasn’t, was because he knew. Dudley struggled to breathe as he realised he was in the same position as many of their victims had been in, knowing that something bad would happen soon.
Something bad did happen, but not to Dudley. By the entrance of the club two men were thrown out, and after they managed to stumble their way onto their feet, they continued to argue, trying to hit each other.
Dudley was too afraid to look anywhere but at Piers, who was occupied staring at the fight for a few seconds. “Shit, I’ve got to help out. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve managed to split them,” he said, running off towards the fight where even more men had joined in.
For a few seconds Dudley stood completely still, fearing what Piers would do with the information he had, if he would try to blackmail him. It took him a little time before he realised that he could actually leave while Piers was occupied with the fight.
Turning his back to the club, Dudley walked away at a brisk pace, wanting to reach the sanctuary of his apartment as soon as possible where he knew nobody would find him.
That night Dudley sat up all night, unable to go to bed, fearing the worst, fearing his cell would ring and his parents’ number would show up.
It never did ring, and sometime during the night he must have fallen asleep from the exhaustion because suddenly the room was bright and warm. Blinking a few times, Dudley somehow managed to get up from the sofa and into the bathroom, where he prepared himself for what would most likely come.
What’s taking so long? Dudley asked himself while eating breakfast, hating to wait for something he knew would come. Several scenarios passed through his mind of what his father would do once he heard of the kind of freak Dudley was. He wondered if his father would yell at him, and for how long, he then wondered if his father would disown him, and if he would simply never speak to Dudley again.
Minutes turned into hours, and before he knew it, the day was over and his father still hadn’t called. Dudley couldn't understand what was taking so long, fearing that maybe his father was still in shock.
Instead of waiting up all night again, worried about what was sure to come, Dudley went to bed where he struggled to sleep before the comfort of the bed took over and he was once again sleeping.
The next day passed just as the previous one had. Dudley woke up, ate, worried and waited. He thought the day would be just the same, but then someone knocked on his door not long before he’d decided to go to bed. It was still early, but all the worrying had taken its toll.
With a shaking hand, as well as sweating, he grabbed the door handle and opened it, expecting to see his father. “Shit,” Dudley said when he realised who the person was.
It was not his father, who Dudley was sure would kill him, instead it was Piers. “Hi Duds,” he said, smirking like he had done at the club.
Knowing there was no way around it, Dudley released the handle and walked into his apartment. He reached the center of the room when he heard the door close. “So, this is where you live.”
“Yeah,” Dudley replied, realising then just how messy his apartment was. “What are you doing here?” Knowing he had to face his former friend soon, Dudley turned around. Piers hadn’t changed that much over the six years they hadn’t seen each other. He might have lost most of his teenager look, but who wouldn’t?
“So, you left,” Piers said, sounding slightly disappointed.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because,” Dudley started, only to struggle finding the right words. His tongue felt as if it was twice as big, and it was almost as if his whole head was filled with cotton. Feeling slightly ill as well, Dudley sat down on his sofa, hoping he wouldn’t throw up.
“Are you alright, what’s wrong?” Dudley didn’t look up, fearing the sight of Piers would be the one thing that pushed him over.
“Everything.” Dudley didn’t say another word for a while, neither did Piers. The silence grew until Dudley couldn’t take it any longer. “Have you told him?” he asked.
“What?”
Dudley hated repeating himself, especially when he was already struggling, but he had to do it. “Have you told my father, about me being a…” He knew exactly what he wanted to say, but felt that calling himself a freak in front of his friend wasn’t the right thing to do.
“Why would I tell him?”
“So you haven’t talked with him?” Dudley asked, finally looking up.
“Well, I did call him, but just to ask where you lived. Why, what did you think I’d done?”
Dudley realised just how foolishly he had acted and decided to apologise, something that was easier to do after he’d moved away from home and realised that bullying didn’t help his situation.
“It’s fine. I guess it was a shock seeing me there.”
“It was.”
“So, were you there with someone?” Dudley struggled once more to breathe as Piers sat down next to him. It looked as if he could trust Piers, but he knew just how cruel Piers could be when he held a piece of information he could use against someone.
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, to see if you’re currently dating anyone or not.” Dudley wasn’t sure why Piers wanted to know, but figured it had to be because he wanted to know for sure if Dudley was gay or not.
“It’s none of your business.”
“So I’ll take that as a no?”
“Shut up, or I’ll punch you on your nose.” Piers didn’t seem to take the threat that seriously as he started giggling. “I’m serious; I’m not afraid of punching a friend.”
“Come on; is it that horrible to tell me?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“I’m sure you would like to know if someone you wanted to hit on was taken or not.” Dudley was about to reply with a nasty remark when he realised just what Piers had said. Suddenly it felt as if there was no space between them, and his whole body started burning up.
He wanted to ask Piers if he really meant it or if he was trying to mess with him, but decided silence was the better choice.
“So, are you dating anyone?”
“Why?”
“Fuck, why are you behaving like such an ass?” Dudley stared at Piers as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“No, I’m not dating anyone,” he finally replied, waiting patiently to see if Piers would laugh. He did smile, but unlike before, his smile didn’t look as if it mocked Dudley.
“Great. Then, would you like to go out on a date, maybe Friday?”
Again his body temperature increased, making it harder for Dudley to breathe, but not because he was afraid. “Uh, I guess it won’t hurt.”
“Not if you prepare properly,” Piers joked. It took Dudley a few seconds to realise just what Piers meant.
“Fuck you,” Dudley said and punched Piers’ shoulder. Piers started laughing, which Dudley would have considered rude, if it hadn't been that he knew Piers’ strange humour, which was similar to his own. He didn’t know what would happen between them, but for once Dudley thought that maybe things would end well for him.
Author/Artist: imera
Prompt: #75, submitted by chokolattejedi:
Dudley has been hiding his attraction to boys all his life, because Vernon established early on that his son was not to be in any way freakish. Eventually, however, he can't stand to hide any longer, and he has a choice to make.
Pairing, or gen: Dudley/Piers
Rating: G
Warning(s): anxiety
Word count/medium: 1926 words
Summary/Excerpt: Living by himself changed everything. Dudley was finally able to explore himself; little did he know where that would take him. Finally he could live his life as he wanted, even if it was a secret life.
Author's or Artist's notes: I love a kinder Dudley.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated characters and settings remain the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates. We are very grateful for permission to play with them.
Dudley heard that children with parents that constantly pushed them to be the best didn’t always have a happy ending. Being one of those kids, he was one of those who expected things to be easy when they grew up; they were not. In the beginning he constantly worried about disappointing his father, but after a while, after having the chance to explore London, to explore himself, he discovered that being second best in boxing wasn’t the worst thing that could happen.
The one thing he did discover, which would be a worse blow to his father, was that he was a freak. He might not be the kind of freak that his cousin was, but in his father’s eyes he was certainly a freak; Dudley was gay. It wasn’t a discovery that really shocked him; he always knew he found his own sex more attractive, but since he was young and knew that such feelings were not acceptable he hid them deep down. Living alone in London gave him the chance to discover himself.
Moving to London gave him the freedom he needed. It took a while before he even dared to accept himself, but after that bump he wasn’t afraid of exploring his new life. It took six months, but he eventually dared to go out to one of the clubs he’d heard of. The first time he went he was really nervous, but forgot all about it once he was inside and could take it in -- the music, lights and people. As soon as he was inside, he realised there was nothing to be afraid of. Not only was it perfectly safe, but Dudley was able to meet several men who actually liked him for him.
He thought his life had become perfect; until his life was turned upside down.
Everything was as it should be; he was on his way to a club he liked when he recognised someone. Unfortunately it wasn’t until it was too late that he realised the guard at the door was none other than his former childhood friend, Piers.
As soon as he realised who it was, he jumped out of line and left. The sweat started to form on his forehead and he could feel his heart as he feared he would be recognised. He might have accepted his sexuality, but that didn’t mean he wanted his former friends to find out, especially not when there was a chance his parents would hear about it.
“Dudley?” he heard Piers say in a more mature voice than he remembered.
He wanted to continue walking, acting as if he hadn’t heard anyone call him, or that it wasn’t him, but he froze.
Piers told someone to take his spot before Dudley heard steps walking hastily towards him, stopping only when he was right behind Dudley. Knowing it was rude to pretend he still hadn’t heard Piers, Dudley slowly turned around.
For once he wished he was the same kind of freak as his cousin, that he had magic so he could simply disappear into thin air, or make Piers forget he’d seen Dudley.
“Hi,” he greeted Piers, his voice lighter than usual. Realising his palms were damp, he wiped them on his trousers as he waited for Piers to say something.
“What are you doing here?” Piers asked. Dudley then wondered if he could lie and say he was with a friend, but for some strange reason he wasn’t able to lie, or speak.
“What are you doing here?” he ended up saying instead, sounding stupid.
“I work tonight. Were you on your way into the club?”
Dudley opened his mouth to reply, but the only noise that escaped him was a snort. When Piers’ lips twisted upwards in that same grin he used to have when they were young, Dudley feared the worst. Piers knew something, that was the only reason why he grinned like that, why he was as confident and Dudley wasn’t, was because he knew. Dudley struggled to breathe as he realised he was in the same position as many of their victims had been in, knowing that something bad would happen soon.
Something bad did happen, but not to Dudley. By the entrance of the club two men were thrown out, and after they managed to stumble their way onto their feet, they continued to argue, trying to hit each other.
Dudley was too afraid to look anywhere but at Piers, who was occupied staring at the fight for a few seconds. “Shit, I’ve got to help out. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve managed to split them,” he said, running off towards the fight where even more men had joined in.
For a few seconds Dudley stood completely still, fearing what Piers would do with the information he had, if he would try to blackmail him. It took him a little time before he realised that he could actually leave while Piers was occupied with the fight.
Turning his back to the club, Dudley walked away at a brisk pace, wanting to reach the sanctuary of his apartment as soon as possible where he knew nobody would find him.
That night Dudley sat up all night, unable to go to bed, fearing the worst, fearing his cell would ring and his parents’ number would show up.
It never did ring, and sometime during the night he must have fallen asleep from the exhaustion because suddenly the room was bright and warm. Blinking a few times, Dudley somehow managed to get up from the sofa and into the bathroom, where he prepared himself for what would most likely come.
What’s taking so long? Dudley asked himself while eating breakfast, hating to wait for something he knew would come. Several scenarios passed through his mind of what his father would do once he heard of the kind of freak Dudley was. He wondered if his father would yell at him, and for how long, he then wondered if his father would disown him, and if he would simply never speak to Dudley again.
Minutes turned into hours, and before he knew it, the day was over and his father still hadn’t called. Dudley couldn't understand what was taking so long, fearing that maybe his father was still in shock.
Instead of waiting up all night again, worried about what was sure to come, Dudley went to bed where he struggled to sleep before the comfort of the bed took over and he was once again sleeping.
The next day passed just as the previous one had. Dudley woke up, ate, worried and waited. He thought the day would be just the same, but then someone knocked on his door not long before he’d decided to go to bed. It was still early, but all the worrying had taken its toll.
With a shaking hand, as well as sweating, he grabbed the door handle and opened it, expecting to see his father. “Shit,” Dudley said when he realised who the person was.
It was not his father, who Dudley was sure would kill him, instead it was Piers. “Hi Duds,” he said, smirking like he had done at the club.
Knowing there was no way around it, Dudley released the handle and walked into his apartment. He reached the center of the room when he heard the door close. “So, this is where you live.”
“Yeah,” Dudley replied, realising then just how messy his apartment was. “What are you doing here?” Knowing he had to face his former friend soon, Dudley turned around. Piers hadn’t changed that much over the six years they hadn’t seen each other. He might have lost most of his teenager look, but who wouldn’t?
“So, you left,” Piers said, sounding slightly disappointed.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because,” Dudley started, only to struggle finding the right words. His tongue felt as if it was twice as big, and it was almost as if his whole head was filled with cotton. Feeling slightly ill as well, Dudley sat down on his sofa, hoping he wouldn’t throw up.
“Are you alright, what’s wrong?” Dudley didn’t look up, fearing the sight of Piers would be the one thing that pushed him over.
“Everything.” Dudley didn’t say another word for a while, neither did Piers. The silence grew until Dudley couldn’t take it any longer. “Have you told him?” he asked.
“What?”
Dudley hated repeating himself, especially when he was already struggling, but he had to do it. “Have you told my father, about me being a…” He knew exactly what he wanted to say, but felt that calling himself a freak in front of his friend wasn’t the right thing to do.
“Why would I tell him?”
“So you haven’t talked with him?” Dudley asked, finally looking up.
“Well, I did call him, but just to ask where you lived. Why, what did you think I’d done?”
Dudley realised just how foolishly he had acted and decided to apologise, something that was easier to do after he’d moved away from home and realised that bullying didn’t help his situation.
“It’s fine. I guess it was a shock seeing me there.”
“It was.”
“So, were you there with someone?” Dudley struggled once more to breathe as Piers sat down next to him. It looked as if he could trust Piers, but he knew just how cruel Piers could be when he held a piece of information he could use against someone.
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, to see if you’re currently dating anyone or not.” Dudley wasn’t sure why Piers wanted to know, but figured it had to be because he wanted to know for sure if Dudley was gay or not.
“It’s none of your business.”
“So I’ll take that as a no?”
“Shut up, or I’ll punch you on your nose.” Piers didn’t seem to take the threat that seriously as he started giggling. “I’m serious; I’m not afraid of punching a friend.”
“Come on; is it that horrible to tell me?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“I’m sure you would like to know if someone you wanted to hit on was taken or not.” Dudley was about to reply with a nasty remark when he realised just what Piers had said. Suddenly it felt as if there was no space between them, and his whole body started burning up.
He wanted to ask Piers if he really meant it or if he was trying to mess with him, but decided silence was the better choice.
“So, are you dating anyone?”
“Why?”
“Fuck, why are you behaving like such an ass?” Dudley stared at Piers as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“No, I’m not dating anyone,” he finally replied, waiting patiently to see if Piers would laugh. He did smile, but unlike before, his smile didn’t look as if it mocked Dudley.
“Great. Then, would you like to go out on a date, maybe Friday?”
Again his body temperature increased, making it harder for Dudley to breathe, but not because he was afraid. “Uh, I guess it won’t hurt.”
“Not if you prepare properly,” Piers joked. It took Dudley a few seconds to realise just what Piers meant.
“Fuck you,” Dudley said and punched Piers’ shoulder. Piers started laughing, which Dudley would have considered rude, if it hadn't been that he knew Piers’ strange humour, which was similar to his own. He didn’t know what would happen between them, but for once Dudley thought that maybe things would end well for him.