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Language:
English
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Published:
2020-09-18
Completed:
2020-10-21
Words:
20,288
Chapters:
9/9
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A Leap Of Faith

Summary:

Dirk strider's life is like an old car. close to falling apart, but still working.

Dirk strider had a simple life, he had three jobs that didn't pay enough and a cool younger brother to take care of. or at least, that's untill he met Jake English, his new nosy neighbor from across the hall.
a man who insist on making Dirk's life a tiny bit harder than it has to be, by forcing him to follow his dream.

Notes:

give it a chance, thank you uwu

Chapter 1: and so, it begins

Chapter Text

Dirk didn’t really remember much about his parents. He didn’t remember their voices, or small things like his mom’s perfume, or if his dad liked football. But he did remember feeling happy. Those moments at the dinner table sharing a new thing he learned, or watching a movie Friday night in the living room. The domestic happy moments of a family life.

Dirk was ten when they died and his big brother AD had to take care of them. Dirk doesn’t understand how his older brother did it, he managed to keep it all together. It could have been easy taking care of three younger brothers.

Dirk had another big brother, Bro, his real name was Brodrick, but he was always called bro. And then there was Dave, the biggest joy in Dirk’s young life. Dave was just a baby when it happened. Maybe that was good, he wouldn’t miss their parents as much as AD, bro and he did. How can you miss a person you didn’t know?.

AD made a good home for them. And things almost felt normal again after a while. Two years after their parents passed away, AD signed up for the military.

Five years after they passed away, so did AD.

Life became something else for Dirk. Their house stopped being a home - Bro started yelling and drinking more than before AD’s death. The house became more of a filthy mess. Dirk tried to give Dave the same good moments he himself had experienced when he grew up. But Bro almost ruined it everytime, yelling at them to get out or to be quiet.

As they got older, Dirk started taking Dave over to Roxy’s house when Bro started drinking, wanting to shelter Dave from as much damage as he could.

When Dirk was seventeen, he graduated High School. He packed his and Dave's things, and moved out. Dirk knew it was stupid trying to bring Dave with him, but he refused to leave Dave with Bro.

Dirk found a small, cheap apartment. It wasn't in the greatest of neighborhoods, but it was safe enough. He tried to go to college. He got a job at a diner, but it didn’t pay enough, so he got another one as a phone salesman. it worked for a while. But eventually Dirk had to realize he couldn’t juggle it all in the air at the same time. He dropped out of college and got another job at a small grocery store.

Dirk was okay with the way his life was. It worked, it was like an old car. Slowly decaying with rust, but it was still running. Nothing some duct tape couldn’t fix.

It was a rather cold day, even though it was the start of April, it was still rather cold. It was pouring down over the streets of New York, rain water running down the busy roads and sidewalks into the sewers.

A car drove down the road and pulled up to park in front of an old apartment building. Dirk stepped out of the car, a smaller boy jumped out from the other side of the car holding a backpack. Dirk moved around the car to get his own bag wanting to get inside the building as fast as possible without getting soaked by the rain.

As he pulled out the shoulder bag, he looked over near the doors into the building. A moving truck was parked in front of it. A few boxes stood on the sidewalk getting soaked. Dirk locked his car, Dave and he started to walk to the doors.

A raven haired man, with glasses, held a box in his arms. It seemed rather heavy, judging from the exhaustion on his face .

“Excuse me champ, could you please hold the door for me?” The man called as Dirk opened it. Dave ran on in as Dirk held it open. “Yeah sure,” Dirk said and opened it further before the guy came to the door.

The guy smiled as he walked in “Why thank you, my good fellow.” Dirk walked behind him “Oh you’re welcome, don’t mention it.” he said. They walked together up the stairs. Dave was most likely already up by the door.

“So, you lived here long?” The stranger asked. Dirk spared a look at him “Huh? oh, yeah almost three years now.” Dirk held onto the railing as they climbed the stairs.

''It's a lovely building. I'm moving from the other side of town. Work related.” The english man chuckled.

Dirk just nodded, as he got up to his own floor, he saw the door across from his own apartment stood open. Dave was talking to a kid in the door. “Oh! you must be my new neighbor.” The man smiled as Dirk pulled out his key.

Dirk nodded “Oh, yeah I suppose.” Dave looked over at Dirk with a big smile “Dirk, can I play with John?” He asked. Dirk guessed the other kid was John. He unlocked the door to their apartment “I don’t know, they seem pretty busy.” He said, not wanting to bother their new neighbor, but the man just chuckled “Oh it’s alright. honestly, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I could need some help carrying the last boxes up?” Dirk put his bag down “I think I have some time.” He said.

The man smiled wide and said “Splendid!” He put down the box in his arms “My name is Jake. Jake english.” He held his hand out for Dirk to shake. Dirk took it and gave it a shake “Dirk Strider.”

Dirk had planned to just help with a few boxes, but he ended up falling in a long conversation with Jake. He discovered quite a lot about him that evening. Jake was a police officer, he’d moved here for a job opening. John was his nephew, whose parents were working overseas. Dave and John apparently went to the same school.

Over the next few weeks after Jake moved in, they would often meet, sometimes they would both be coming home around the same time, walking together up the stairs. Sometimes they’d bump into each other on their way to get the mail. They ran into each other a few times at the boys’ school. They would talk about almost anything in those few minutes they had, and they’d almost always end their conversations laughing.

……….

The school bell rang. Dirk waited outside the classroom as it started to swarm out with kids. Dave smiled as he spotted him and walked up to Dirk. The kids were all loud as they went to find their parents or leave the school.

“Did you have a good day?” Dirk asked, looking down at his brother. Dave nodded, holding onto the straps of his backpack “Yeah. But we had math, so that was super boring.”

Dirk and Dave were about to walk down the hall when a woman stopped them. “Mr. Strider. Excuse me.” The woman spoke in a thick, broken japanese accent. Her hair was pulled up in a tight bun.

Dirk turned to her “Hello Damara. What can I do for you?” Dirk asked. Damara gave a bit of a shady smile. “Last week I sent the kids home with a note, about the school trip to Atlantic City, and I couldn’t help but notice you haven’t paid for Dave to come.” She tilted her head slightly to the side “And the deadline for payment is today.”

Dirk shot her a look of confusion. “School trip?” He looked down at Dave, who apparently found his shoelaces more entertaining than the conversation.

“I must’ve misplaced the note.” He said and looked back at Damara. “Oh, it’s fine. I have an extra note with the signature you can sign, and you can just pay me now.” She said.

Dirk nodded as she talked and found his wallet “Alright, how much is the trip?” He asked.

“$100.” Damara said, she almost liked the way Dirk froze up at that number. Dirk bit his lip as he looked down at the content of his wallet.

“I um.. I don’t have that on me..” He said. He looked down at Dave “Can you go wait in the car?” He asked and handed him the car key. Dave nodded and took it before leaving them alone.

Dirk turned back to Damara “Can I owe you? I can get the money to friday.” he asked, hoping, but that disappeared as she frowned.

“We don't really do that here. Mr. Strider.” she replied. Dirk looked back down at his wallet, as if it would magically make more money appear.

Dave was on his way to the door when he saw John waving at him. He smiled and waved back. John ran over “Hey Dave, I’m waiting for uncle Jake to pick me up. Are you waiting for Dirk?” He asked.

Dave shook his head “Nah, he’s talking to miss Megido. She asked about the school trip.” he said and looked down. “Aww man. I told you, you should’ve just given him the note.” John said and clapped his shoulder.

“There you are John- oh hey ya Dave” Jake’s voice came from the school doors. “Is Dirk picking you up?” he asked, looking behind him in hopes of spotting the blonde. Dave pointed over his shoulder. “He’s talking to miss Medigo,” he repeated. Jake looked down the hall.

It looked like the two were discussing something important, but Dirk seemed extremely uncomfortable.

Dirk was glad that the people in the hall were starting to leave. He hated being put on the spot in the middle of public, especially when it was about money. “Please. can’t you go without $100 till friday?” he pleaded.

Damara only grinned “Can’t you?”. Dirk was sure she was getting a kick out of this.

He clenched his fist in irritation, and tried to take calming breaths “I would, if i actually had $100.” he said “Isn’t there something i can do for you to change your mind?”

Damara hummed, pretending to think, placing her hand on her cheek “Well, you could pay me in another way?~” she grinned as she looked him up and down, a dirty smile on her lips.

Dirk turned completely red with embarrassment, and he was about to fly completely off the handle, about to yell at her for even suggesting that when she knew damn well that he was gay. He might even have thrown some hands, if it weren’t for the gentle hand placed on his shoulder from behind.

“Excuse me.” Jake smiled, and Dirk had honestly never been so happy to see him interrupt a conversation. “ I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, and Dave told me Mr. Strider is in need of a tiny loan.” Jake smiled and looked between Damara and Dirk.

Damra looked pissed, but didn’t mention it. Jake just looked at Dirk as he pulled out his own wallet. “How much do you need?” he asked. Dirk would have declined Jake’s offer, but he could swallow his pride if it meant not having to lower himself to what was basically prostitution.

“52 bucks.” he said and looked down at his wallet. Jake just smiled and nodded as he pulled the right amount of money and handed it to Damara, Dirk gave her his own money right after. Damara took it and looked at Dirk “Have a good day, Mr. Strider.” She stopped herself to spare a glance at Jake. “Mr. English.” she gave him a slight nod before turning around to leave. Dirk didn’t wanna ask about the note and signature, he just wanted to leave.

“Dave and John are waiting by the cars” Jake pulled him out of his head. Dirk nodded “Okay.. I’ll pay you back on friday, and.. Thank you.” Dirk was grateful that Jake hadn’t just offered to pay the $100, despite being more than able and willing to.

Jake smiled and rubbed his neck “You don’t have to thank me, and you really don’t have to pay me back. I like helping you.” he said, but Dirk just shook his head as they started to walk down the hall to leave the school.

“No, Jake, you paid over half of Dave's trip. I can’t just take your money like that.” Dirk said and opened the door, letting Jake walk out first. Jake chuckled and looked back at him “Alright, if you really think you have to pay me back, how about you cook dinner on friday instead?” he asked

Dirk blinked and thought it over “Uhmm.. sure. what would you like?” he asked, a slight blush on his cheeks. He looked over at the cars, Dave and John were chasing each other around them. Dirk and Jake had parked right in front of each other, the cars facing each other. What were the chances?

Jake smiled, pulling out his car key, a tiny keychain swaying from it “I’m in the mood for some spaghetti. How about that?” he asked

Dirk smiled wide “I can cook that.” They both called for the boys before getting in their cars. Jake smiled wide to Dirk from behind the wheel, and Dirk couldn’t help but smile back.

Jake drove off first. Dirk just looked after him. Dave looked up at Dirk from the passenger seat “Do you like him?” Dirk blushed madly.

“What? No!” He said.

Dave didn’t look convinced “Mhm, sure…” Dirk frowned “I don’t. And don’t think you’re out of the woods just yet. Why didn’t you tell me about this school trip?” He asked, knowing that Dave hadn’t mentioned it even once.

Dave looked away “You seemed so stressed about money... I didn’t want to stress you more.” he said. Dirk sighed and reached his hand over to pat Dave’s head “It’s okay. But you shouldn’t worry about that. That’s grownup stuff.” Dirk started and turned the key, starting the car.

Dave nodded “I know. But you work so hard... And I don’t have to go. I’m sure I’ll live if I miss a dumb trip.”

Dirk smiled “Nonsense, of course you’re going. Might give me some adult time.” he joked.

Dave looked offended but laughed “Oh shut up. You love me.”