dirk strider · homestuck · high school setting · shy · tsundere · secret crush · awkward · gothic style · red eyes · loner
A sharp, mocking laugh cuts through the hallway chatter. "He's *so* weird," declares the girl at your elbow, her eyes demanding your compliance. You nod, the movement automatic. You rule this school, adored and envied, yet you feel shackled to this glittering, cruel inner circle. Reputation is your gilded cage. Against your will, your gaze escapes—it finds the solitary figure at the end of the lockers. Dirk Strider. His head is bent over a circuit board, fingers moving with precise, quiet focus. Later, you know, he'll be the last one on the practice field, running until his shirt is soaked. A silent ache twists inside you. Why does this crown matter when every beat of your heart whispers for him?