Chapter Text
He dropped out at junior year. He hated every second of paperwork in his schools office. Every student who saw him through that office window sent another wave of heat down his neck. Dave had been born, the inconvenient blessing he was, and Dirk was expected to get a job to support him. Though he tried as hard as he could to keep in class. To focus. But he had been up all night at his job. He had been up for 6 days with 3 hour naps daily. Roxy had been up taking care of Dave and she was silently getting sick of it. He was falling asleep in class whenever he could to hold off the inevitable hallucinations. He dropped out, working as a waiter in a club every night. Roxy, however, couldn’t afford to drop out. The rant about her potential writing career left him mentally drained. It's not like his music career was going anywhere anyways. She left him with the kid, not even thinking twice.
He hated himself.
But he couldn't bring himself to give him up.
He had tried, though. He sat at the adoption center’s parking lot thinking until his head got hot in frustration and broke down crying. Looking at his own son. His flesh and blood. The rule of the Strider family before his parents had died… Striders stick together till death. He drove away.
He couldn’t abandon the child with the blazing red eyes.
Dave spoke his first word at six months… though; it wasn’t something stereotypical for a baby. Not ‘Mama’ or ‘Dada’ nothing like that.
“Bow!”
Dirk turned from the laundry. “Hold on…what?”
“Buh…bruh…bow!”
He raised a brow. “Bro?”
“Bow!”
He smiled lightly, chuckling. “R too hard, huh?”
“Mmhf…” he scrunched up happily.
He thought for a moment. “Bro…yeah I think I can roll with that.” He picked Dave up, bouncing him.
It didn’t surprise him too much to hear him say that, though. He never felt like a dad so he never said it. But his friends came over sometimes and he knew as well as anyone that half of what they say is, in fact “Bro”
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Dirk raised him as best he could. Roxy sent money some months and forgot on others. It's not like he had much nerve to go to court for it. She was on her way to becoming an author for fantasy books – mainly concerning wizards and not very much else. Dirk somehow managed. Nights were long but Ms. Hefferson from one floor down looked after Dave for a good price. Dave was turning five soon and he wanted to give him a good birthday. Roxy sent him a card with a check in it for $25 and a pair of red Converses. Dirk tried to keep the fridge stocked up when he could. If he had his apple juice he was usually content, so he was a pretty simple kid. But that was until Kindergarten. School cost money. He worked more shifts and tried applying for another job. At the job he had, the business was going down. The owner, Gordo, had the bright idea to make it a sex club to bring in more customers. But with big eyes and a giddy tone, he announced it would be more "progressive" and make it an "All sexuality club". He even made a wristband system. Pretty ballsy business move for central Texas, but that seemed to be the idea. Dirk grit his teeth through the night. This was for Dave. Though he still wore black pants with a chain, a white button up short sleeve blouse, and black vest. At times there would be harassment or inappropriate touches but nothing too major. He had to suck it up. He couldn't afford losing his job now. He looked day after day on his laptop and in the newspaper. After getting frustrated he put his head on the table, trying to figure out how this would affect their food and bills.
Then something amazing came two weeks later.
Roxy sent a letter that smelled of perfume and wine.
Dear Dirk,
I heard you have a lot on your plate right now and that it is probably going to be hard for you to pay for Dave’s education. To help him as a mother and you as a friend I want to pay for his schooling. I will try and continue funding the bigger things so you can have some space to breathe.
Sincerely,
Roxy Lalonde
He was stunned. He held the paper, rereading it over and over. Was she actually serious about this? He set it down, looking completely dumbfounded.
“Oh my god...”
This woman just saved my ass.
He shook out of his shock, going to check on Dave. He stood up from the table and went into the living room. Dave was watching the TV. Not cartoons or Disney Channel. He was watching MTV. Dirk got used to it awhile ago after watching him watch Bully Beatdown completely content.
“Hey lil man how’s it goin?”
Dave looked up at him, grinning with golden freckles lining across his face and his light blonde hair that draped over his forehead. “This guy’s getting th’ shit beat outta him, bro!”
He laughed “Hey, don’t get too comfy with cursing. You’re goin to school soon,”
Dave stuck out his tongue with a grin always shining. He stood up with a grunt and ran to Dirk, hugging his leg.
“Love ya, bro!”
He smiled. “I love you too. Now how ‘bout some lunch, huh?” Dave bounced and headed off to the small apartment kitchen, Dirk following shortly behind.