Dex sighed as he ran his finger through his hair, resting his cheek on his hand and staring at his sketchbook. He was stuck. He didn't know what to sketch out, he wasn't even sure what he wanted to make.
He hasn't had the time to make any gadgets recently, he's been busy helping his dad with work or having to take care of his siblings.
Dex tapped his pencil against the blank piece of paper. He sighed as he set his pencil down and he leaned back in his chair, throwing his head back and staring up at the ceiling.
Dex was trying to think about what sort of things he could make, if there was anything that could be used any time soon, if he needed something or if-
"Dex! Keefe is here!"
Dex snapped out of his thoughts as his mother called for him.
"Oh, uh okay! I'll be down in a second!" Dex called back as he quickly got up from his seat.
He shut his sketchbook and made sure his room did not look like a mess. He quickly ruffled and ran his fingers through his hair, feeling a little worried.
Why was Keefe over? He didn't expect him...
Dex made his way out of his room and down the stairs. He seen Keefe, looking at the wall and... talking to the air?
"Uh, hey..." Dex said as he made his way down and towards Keefe.
Keefe blinked and turned around, smiling at Dex.
"Hey, uh... don't get mad." Keefe said.
"But... you really need to listen to what he needs to say to you. And this was the only way he'd be let in."
Dex furrowed his eyebrows.
"What are you-?"
Dex froze when he seen Fitz and Biana appear behind Keefe. Biana had used her ability to hide herself and Fitz.
"Hey Dex." Biana smiled nervously.
"Sorry for doing this."
Fitz fiddled with his cape and Dex scoffed.
"Keefe-" Dex began, scowling.
"Just listen to him. Please?" Keefe asked, going up to Dex and resting his hand on his shoulder.
"He's not gonna be an idiot, I swear."
"We don't know that for sure, but uh, he's gonna try not to be an idiot." Biana said, butting in.
"Hey-" Fitz began.
"You know what? Okay. Fitz, you go upstairs and wait for me in my room." Dex said, looking at Fitz.
"Uh but-" Fitz began.
"Go before I kick you out." Dex scowled.
Fitz gulped and he quickly walked past Biana, Keefe and Dex. He made his way up the stairs and Dex watched as Fitz did so, making sure he'd actually be away before he spoke to Keefe and Biana.
Once Dex was sure Fitz was gone, he looked at Keefe and Biana.
"Why?" Dex snapped.
"Why did you bring him here?"
Keefe took his hand away.
"We talked to each other and he just wants to say a few things to you." Keefe said.
"I even helped. I didn't trust Keefe giving my brother advice." Biana said, going up to Dex as well.
"Dex, he's gonna be as honest as he can be."
Biana gently took Dex's hands into hers and Dex looked at Biana.
"Trust us. Every word he says will be true." Biana smiled.
Dex took his hands away and he turned away.
"Leave." Dex said.
"You brought him here and I'd rather you two not wait around or attempt to eavesdrop in our conversation."
Keefe and Biana glanced at each other.
"... Tell Fitz we'll be waiting for him at Everglen." Keefe said, looking at Dex.
Dex didn't say anything and he made his way up the stairs.
Biana sighed softly as Keefe dug out the crystal he had to Everglen.
"He better not mess this up." Biana said.
"He probably will." Keefe said.
"Now let's wait for him to come home and scold him for being an idiot."
"Sounds like a plan."
Dex made his way up the stairs and he approached his room. He stopped when he seen the triplets nearby.
They all stared at him and Dex grumbled.
"You three, stay out of this. Fitz isn't here to play." Dex scowled.
"Why not?" Lex asked, tilting his head.
"Yeah, why not?" Rex asked, also tilting his head.
Dex glared at the triplets.
"Because Fitz and I are going to have a talk, a talk that's gonna be long, and boring and not fun at all. So scram!" Dex snapped.
Bex yelped as she was the first to run off. Lex and Rex stared at Dex for a moment, not liking how tired or angry he looked. They both ran off and Dex sighed.
Dex opened his bedroom door and entered. He looked to see Fitz by his desk, tracing his fingers against the cover of his sketchbook he left lying out.
"Snooping are we?" Dex questioned, shutting the door behind him.
Fitz jumped before he looked back at Dex.
"Sorry." Fitz mumbled.
Dex sighed and he made his way over towards Fitz.
"What do you want, Fitz?" Dex asked, looking at Fitz.
Fitz looked at Dex and he sighed softly. He gently took his cape off and draped it over the chair.
Fitz took his family crest in hand which he had taken off before taking off his cape.
Fitz rubbed his family crest as he stared at it.
"I care about my image deeply." Fitz stated, staring at his family crest.
Dex stared at Fitz and glanced at his crest in hand.
"I know that." Dex mumbled.
Fitz's face scrunched up as he stared at his crest.
"And I hate how Alvar betrayed us, and ruined our image. How his responsibilities became mine, the pressure that I was given, how I became the image of the Vacker family." Fitz continued on.
Dex felt his expression soften as he looked at Fitz. Fitz looked at Dex and he gently took Dex's hand. He placed his family crest in Dex's hand and Dex glanced at it.
"I'm doing all that I can to not ruin my image." Fitz said, looking at Dex.
"And I want myself to be the perfect person. That's why..."
Fitz stopped himself and he took a deep breath.
"That's why I told that prodigy I was straight."
Dex looked at Fitz and Fitz was rubbing his neck. Dex raised his eyebrows.
"You were embarrassed of saying you weren't straight?" Dex questioned.
"How could you feel that way when you knew that there'd be people who'd accept you?"
Fitz sighed.
"People who'd accept me? Dex, I-- I only knew Keefe would accept me!" Fitz exclaimed.
"And only one person accepting me? God, I'd be such a loser."
Dex tightened his grip on the Vacker crest in his hand.
"Fitz, you have a lot of friends." Dex scowled.
"Why did you think we wouldn't accept you? Why?"
"It's not as if you guys talk about that sort of thing so-!" Fitz began.
"Because we all don't care if someone likes the same gender?" Dex said, shrugging.
"Fitz, we're not all assholes. I mean, majority of us do like the same gender anyway! You're just dense for not noticing that!"
Fitz noticed that Dex was now glaring at him.
"Woah, you need to calm down, I'm just-" Fitz began.
"Fitz, you're an idiot." Dex scowled.
"I don't care about what you're gonna say, you just want to use me so I can save you from those idiotic girls."
Dex chucked the Vacker crest at Fitz and Fitz caught it.
Dex ran his fingers through his hair.
"Just... I don't want to be used for such a stupid reason. I mean, you're only friends with me for that reason, right?" Dex smiled at Fitz.
"So I can just save you whenever you feel like not being perfect?"
Fitz scoffed.
"Dex, if you'd just let me speak-" Fitz began.
"You spout bullshit from your mouth all the time." Dex cut Fitz off.
"I'm done with you. Get out of my house."
"Dex-" Fitz attempted to speak, taking a step forward.
"I will get Lex to freeze you so I can throw you out myself-" Dex began, looking away from Fitz.
"Just let me speak, you idiot-!" Fitz scowled.
Fitz grabbed Dex by his shoulders and Dex looked up at Fitz. Dex slapped Fitz's hands away and backed away.
"Calling me an idiot is smart." Dex grumbled.
Fitz sighed and he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Dex... please..." Fitz said softly.
"Just listen to me."
Dex stayed silent as he stared at Fitz, his arms crossed. Fitz continued to fiddle with his crest in his hand and he bit his lower lip.
"Okay, so I was embarrassed of admitting that I may not be straight." Fitz said.
"And I know it's stupid. I should be proud of being myself but Dex, my dad would be so disappointed in me and he would probably be disappointed if people found out, if I dated a boy publicly and then suddenly the Vacker reputation would be ruined again."
Dex dug his nails into his arm but he stayed silent while glaring at Fitz.
Fitz tried to ignore how Dex was judging him.
"I'm scared of ruining the Vacker reputation and becoming an outcast, like my brother." Fitz said.
"So being gay is as bad as being a person who actually back stabbed their family and caused a lot of trauma to people who trusted him?" Dex questioned.
Fitz looked at Dex.
"W-Well...I guess I wouldn't be an outcast like him but..." Fitz mumbled, shrugging.
Dex sighed.
"Fitz... I don't understand where you're going with this." Dex said.
"Seriously, I'm getting tired of this already. And I want to spend some time to myself and just relax. I don't want to get frustrated because you keep saying such nonsense."
"I am trying to be honest with you!" Fitz snapped.
"I'm not trying to sound stupid, I'm trying to be myself, to tell you how I feel!"
"Fitz, if you're just wanting to tell me how you don't want to disappoint your family and ruin your image, then stop! I know how you feel about that!" Dex exclaimed.
Fitz slammed his hand on the desk and Dex flinched. He definitely didn't expect Fitz to react that way.
"You don't know how I feel about you though! You don't know that I'm in love with you!" Fitz shouted, feeling his chest tighten.
Dex felt his entire face heat up as he stared at Fitz. Fitz kept his gaze away from Dex as he placed his family crest on the desk. Fitz kept his eyes on the ground, away from Dex as he rubbed his neck.
"I'm in love with you, Dex." Fitz repeated, his voice more quieter and softer.
"And I don't... I don't know how..."
Fitz fumbled with his words. Dex gulped as he felt at a loss of words himself.
"You..." Dex began.
"You're... I mean uh..."
Dex's mouth felt dry and his brain was fuzzy.
Fitz felt weird. He didn't like how quiet things had gotten.
Fitz let out a sigh as he made his way over towards Dex's bed and he sat down, laying down on his back. Dex looked at Fitz and he blinked at the male. Dex reluctantly made his way over and laid down beside Fitz. They both just stared at the ceiling.
"You're in love with me." Dex stated, fiddling with his hands.
Fitz felt his cheeks warm.
"I'm in love with you." Fitz repeated for the third time.
Dex felt himself smile and his heart flutter. He couldn't help but laugh.
Fitz looked at Dex, extremely confused. His heart couldn't help but beat faster as he watched how Dex laughed and smiled.
" Haha! Oh my God... "Dex sighed out, looking at Fitz.
Fitz stared at how big Dex's smile was and he stared at Dex blankly. Dex stared at Fitz and he laid on his side, facing the male. Fitz then laid on his side, facing Dex as well.
"You're an idiot." Dex stated.
"You keep saying that." Fitz said.
"Because it's true." Dex smiled, bringing a hand up towards Fitz's face.
He gently caressed Fitz's cheek and Fitz's breath hitched but he soon relaxed into Dex's touch.
"... So, you came here to tell me you love me?" Dex questioned.
"Yes." Fitz nodded, resting his hand over Dex's holding it against his cheek now.
Dex smiled as he used his thumb to rub Fitz's cheek as Fitz's fingers trembled slightly against his hand.
Dex took his hand away from Fitz's cheek and took Fitz's hand into his instead, holding it. The trembling sort of stopped as their fingers interlocked.
"But... what about your 'image'?" Dex questioned, with a grin.
Fitz groaned as he hid his face into Dex's shoulder.
"It... may take me some time to get used to... act this sort of way in public." Fitz said, mumbling into Dex's shirt.
Dex sighed softly as he used his other hand and ran his fingers through Fitz's hair. Fitz tensed up. He didn't like having his hair messed up, but Dex playing with it? It felt comforting.
"Well, first we have to establish our relationship." Dex stated.
"And then we can talk about-"
"Shh! I wanna hear what they're saying!"
Dex stopped and he sat up, letting go of Fitz. Fitz sat up, furrowing his eyebrows at Dex. Dex looked at Fitz and he pointed at the door.
'Are the triplets outside of the door?' Fitz transmitted into Dex's mind.
Dex nodded in response.
Fitz hummed quietly.
Dex got up from his bed and made his way over to his desk. He grabbed Fitz's cape and his family crest, chucking them at Fitz.
Fitz caught them and he looked at Dex in confusion. Dex grabbed his notebook and a pen, quickly writing something on a blank piece of paper.
He shown the paper to Fitz.
'Let's go to that field you took me to before.'
Dex set the sketchbook down once Fitz nodded and began to put on his cape, pinning his family crest on as well while Dex found his own cape and put it on too.
Fitz got up once they were both ready and grabbed a crystal in hand from his pocket. He placed his hand out and Dex took it. Fitz then raised the crystal and they light-leapt away.
The room was now empty.
"I can't hear anything." Bex frowned.
"Probably because you were too loud." Lex said.
"Yeah, I mean you shushed us really loud." Rex stated.
"Oh shut up! Did not! Plus you two were so loud with your bickering!" Bex scowled.
"We were not!" Lex scowled back.
"We were super quiet!" Rex exclaimed.
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Word count: 2452