The Morning After

[reformingfury]

Neil had already long left the compound, though it was still quite early in the morning for either of them, considering last night's activities. Dave was somewhat glad for it, though. He told himself last night that he'd deal with any regrets in the morning and to just relax while he could with Neil.

Regret still hadn't come to heart, and he's glad for it. The feeling that did settle in him, though, was... stunned? Obscured? "Confused" didn't quite cut it as he made his way somewhat zombie-like back to a couch in the rec room. It felt best to forego his usual run in favor of trying to process... everything.

"What was tha–?"

He gets cut off by the jukebox, playing something all too appropriate and embarrassing. Really, it was mercifully quiet just now. Is that necessary?

"Holy shit. No. Just..."

Rushing over, Dave tries to figure out how to turn down the volume before it wakes everyone else that isn't up yet. Unfortunately, that's not how the jukebox works, does it?

[OOC: Timed to the Saturday before the Old West plot started. I almost wasn't going to post this, but I needed to.]

Comments

[neither_a_nor_b]

"Him? What...?"

Bay paused and scrunched up her face. "Oh my God. They were right. I have no gaydar."

Bay rubbed the back of her neck, laughing a little. "Party hookup?"

[reformingfury]

Dave manages to crack up at her admission on her gaydar. "It's fine? I mean, most people didn't realize until I either told them or they saw me in a gay bar back home." Or kissed them in the middle of the locker room. "The only person that figured it out is a lesbian and caught me checking out a teammate in the hallway."

The smile slides off his face again as he flushes. "Um, kind of? But... there was a lot of flirting and teasing from him before hand. And I definitely always thought he was hot."

[neither_a_nor_b]

"I once walked into a gaybar and helped denounce my presumed-biological father. Spoiler, he wasn't my dad," Bay said, her voice in a deadpan.

"And hey, that's not a bad thing, right? I mean...you seem happy. The Jukebox seems particularly gleeful?"

[reformingfury]

He blinks, a little stunned. "Wait, and you... didn't realize it was a gay bar? Or that...? Wow. You really don't have gaydar."

He jabs his thumb in the direction of the rec room, to the juke box. "That thing has almost a shittier sense of humor than the whole of the island. But... I dunno. It's definitely not that I'm unhappy. I got/i>... well, you know. I'm happy. It's just weird, I guess."

[neither_a_nor_b]

Bay huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "In my defense, I was a little focused on finding who I thought was my dad."

But she nodded, looking at the stupid jukebox again. "Sounds like a good start, at least."

[reformingfury]

"Then you have some really impressive tunnel vision," he smirks.

Dave tilts his head and considers if it is a good start. "I guess. It could have gone horribly wrong. Still kinda weird, though. I'm just– I'mtrying to process it, I guess? It's all kinda fuddled in like... residual after glow, or something like that."

Scratching the back of his head, he blurts out, "I mean, have you–? Shit, no. I guess that's pretty personal. Forget I said anything."

[neither_a_nor_b]

Bay laughed. "It's a gift."

It wasn't like it was the first time she'd heard the question, nor the first time she'd answered it. Depending on where the question was coming from, Bay had a tendency to lie.

"No. I haven't."

[reformingfury]

"Some gift."

He frowns when she does answer his dumb question. "So I guess you don't have any insights on why I feel so weird?"

[neither_a_nor_b]

"You know, some people fly or shoot webs. Me? I have tunnel vision."

She shrugged, trying to puzzle it out too. "I think whenever something new happens, good or bad, you feel a little weird sometimes."

[reformingfury]

Dave thinks on that a moment, arching his brows. "That... actually makes sense. In a way, at least. I guess it's kinda like–" He thinks of something, where he's felt that off-ness. "–like the first day of senior year. Like it's something you just do, and have been doing, but it's like... this thing that happens that's supposed to mean shit in a way?"

[neither_a_nor_b]

"Or waking up the day after you realize you were switched at birth and your whole life is the result of a cosmic flip-flop when you were four hours old?" Bay suggested.

"I think...meaning is about what you say it is."

[reformingfury]

He completely misses her second point, 'cause– "Wait, what?"

[neither_a_nor_b]

"Yeah," Bay said. It was sort of a relief to be sarcastic and laugh about it.

"When Daphne and I were born, the hospital had a little oopsie and I became Bay Madeline Kennish."

[reformingfury]

"Well, that's... Wow." Dave blinks and processes that. "And here I am, confused about losing the V-card.

But... honestly, I think 'Bay' suits you more?"

[neither_a_nor_b]

"I'd so rather worry about that than my whole...situation, trust me," Bay said. Before he could bluster, she poured them both some more coffee.

"Besides, it gives me an awesome hand in misery poker."

[reformingfury]

"I'm sorry, Bay." He looks solemnly into his fresh cup and just toys with the handle of the mug Suddenly, he feels like a shit head for obsessing on his issues. Granted, coming out in Lima with the wrong people could be catastrophic, but being switched at birth...

[neither_a_nor_b]

"Nah, don't worry about it."

Bay made herself sip her coffee and look at him, calm and cheerful. "I'm in a good mood and I'd so rather hear about what I should be putting on your 'Congrats on the Sex' cake."

[reformingfury]

"Still, if you want someone to talk about it with..."

At the mention of cake, though, his head tilts back up and his eyebrows arch in judgement. "Really? ...I'll accept cake after I stop being weird about it. I'll even make some stupid request on it. You can like... deck it out with those artsy skills of yours."

[neither_a_nor_b]

"It'll have puppies and balloons," Bay promised. "Very adorable. Very precious."

Or maybe bear cubs. That was a gay culture thing. Right?

[reformingfury]

There, he can now laugh. "Right under icing that says, 'Congrats on making him come, stud!'"

Dave smirks into his mug, remembering that, in spite of his off feelings, it was a very good night. "And I'm so making you one in the future. I'm not as good as you are, but I can attempt a unicorn."

[neither_a_nor_b]

Bay laughed and shook her head. "I think if it's that kind of cake, the last thing that should be on it should be a unicorn."

[reformingfury]

"But it'll be the last time you can be so close to one!" he snickers.

[neither_a_nor_b]

Laughing still, Bay reached out and gave him a light shove.

"Watch out before it's a Congrats on the Sex Cup of Coffee in your lap."

[reformingfury]

"Alright, alright!" He finishes his mug before she can make good on that and gets up to clean it out.

"I think I'm gonna head back down. Get more real sleep in." He gestures at her costume. "You'll probably wanna do the same, Tink."