Request: Hello! I was wondering if I could request David Stephens x (more specifically) male reader? Just for the fact that the prompt would be coming out/getting together with a bit of fluff? Maybe in the flat (or before the murder thing). If you don't vibe with the prompt or anything about the request I totally get that, have a good day:)(sorry for requesting for him again)
Requested by: @peter-hughes-harmonies
Summary: The reader starts a relationship with David Stephens
Warnings: none :)
Words: 1.3K
Notes: Okay, so, this is my first time writing for a male reader, so I do apologise for any inaccuracies or dodgy writing- if I do portray anything inaccurately, please tell me, and I shall try to correct it in future!
And don’t you dare apologise for requesting a character you love
I will, however, be apologising for the sporadic nature of this oneshot. It may feel like it hops back and forth a little (I don’t know, I am not very good at telling that kind of thing) This is because I wrote this during my mock exam period, and couldn’t really write in solid blocks like I normally do :)
Not my gif
David had never really been one for going out alongside Alex and Juliet, unless they forced him that was. He was a quiet man, who preferred the simpler things of life. He would much prefer to spend an evening curled up with a book than spend a night out on the town, on a pub crawl.
You had found this out for yourself, actually, within the first two weeks or so of staying with him and his flatmates. Alex had asked you all if you wanted to go out for a night, and whilst Juliet had been all for it, you and David had respectfully declined the offer- both of you holding your ground as Alex teased you almost relentlessly.
“God, you two are so boring.” Alex sighed, dramatically rolling his eyes at the pair of you.
"Boring is a rather relative term, Alex." David replied, sighing quietly at his rather boisterous flatmate.
"Oh, leave the pair of them." Juliet stepped in before an argument could break out between the pair, shaking her head slightly at the butting of heads. "Let's just go, or by the time we get to the pubs they'll be shut!" She laughed, tugging on Alex's arm gently. He quickly gave in to her, following her to the door of the flat with a little bit of a laugh. Thankfully the obnoxious sound faded quickly as the door shut behind them, leaving you and David in a peaceful, comfortable silence.
When the silence did break after both too long and too brief a period of time, it was David who spoke up.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked you, looking over the top of his glasses at you. “You have that... Thinking face of yours.” He noted, and you simply shrugged whilst you tried to think of an answer.
“I don’t know.” You responded, turning your attention back to the tv, letting whatever schlock that Alex had left on take your focus for a moment.
David cleared his throat a little bit to get your attention again, and you looked over to him, resting your cheek on your shoulder. “What?” You asked quietly.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked again, leaning forward on the table he sat at. You let out a quiet chuckle, shaking your head at him with a little bit of a smile playing on your lips. You decide to play along with his little game, pursing your lips in thought at him.
“You, I guess.” There’s a beat of silence, before David chuckles quietly at what your answer was- more in disbelief than anything else.
“You’re joking around, right? Please tell me you’re not starting to pick up on Alex’s sense of humour.” He mused, smiling slightly.
“Yes... And no.” You reply. David quirks a brow at this, prompting you to go on. “I mean...” You begin, trying to find the right words for what you’re current train of thought is. “We spend a lot of time together... Both around and not around the other two.” He nods slowly as you speak, seeing your point on this. “And... We know each other, fairly in-depth. I mean, especially when compared to the other two idiots.” You chuckle, and he nods again.
“You have a point... Where are you going with this?” David asked, his brows starting to furrow again as you continued to steer the conversation the way you desired, with your sweater-clad flatmate along for the journey.
“Well, normally, when people spend a lot of time together, they tend to start to grow really fond of each other.” You continue, “Y’know, the exposure effect?” You prompt, using your hands for emphasis.
“Are you... Saying you’re fond of me?” David inquires, a smile starting to play upon his lips.
“Maybe,” You reply, and he starts to smile a little wider, not too far off from a grin. A grin you were indeed very fond of. You start to smile back at him, the warmth spreading over your expression.
“Well... Maybe I’m fond of you, too..” He mumbled, almost nonchalantly. It took you a couple of seconds to actually clock what he had said, and your smile grew ever wider.
“And you’re not joking around?” You ask, almost too used to this kind of thing with people like Alex.
“I’m not Alex.” David replies with a chuckle, seemingly catching on to your line of thought. “I don’t play around with people like he does, do I?” He shakes his head playfully at the phantom insinuation. “When have I ever lied to you?”
He had you there. He hadn’t ever lied. Well, not enough to hurt your feelings; no, he had achieved the Golden Mean of honesty with you. Maybe less so with Juliet and Alex, but that was more because he just was not as open with either of them. Your relationship was special, a very close bond, and one that you both cherished deeply- perhaps more than you would have yourself believe.
“Never,” You answered, lowering your gaze for a moment, though the smile didn’t drop with your eyes.
“Exactly.” David replied, almost with some pride, leaning back in his chair.
You lapse into silence for a little while, you’re not really sure how long for. It could have been ten minutes, or maybe half an hour. You only know that it is David to break the silence again.
“So... We’re both fond of each other...” He says quietly, glancing down at his hands.
“It... Seems that way, yep...” You agree, nodding somewhat awkwardly. There’s another few beats of silence, but it is more... Awkward, almost more forced than before.
“So, with that.. In mind, so to speak, would you... Like to...Go out, sometime?” He asked. It was not unusual to see David in a state of nervousness, but this was something different, this was a strain of deep anxiety that clearly ran deep, you could tell by the way he was focusing on picking the skin around his nails as his words faded away.
“You mean like... On a date?” You ask, slightly unsure as to how he meant.
“Uh- yes. Wait, no. No, wait yes.” David stumbled over his words, quickly trying to correct and re-correct himself. “Yes... Like a date.” He clarified. “I-if you wanted to, of course. You don’t have to.” He says quickly, nervous you’ll shun him and shoo him away for his offer, for his question; your friendship damaged, your bond irreversibly shattered.
“Calm down, David.” You soothe, giving him a small, comforting smile. He seemed to perk up a little bit at that part, taking a tad of comfort in the fact that your friendship may be recovered, despite the rather awkward outing of himself.
“I’ll go out with you... Did you have a place in mind?” You ask quietly, and his face just lights up at your question.
“Um, yes, actually... I was thinking a walk in the local park, and then maybe that restaurant I told you about the other week? It’s relatively cheap, but still looks nice...” He told you with that tiny little smile of his, that only truly showed up in the absence of the others.
You nod, rather eagerly, in agreement. “Now that sounds real nice.” You said quietly, and he seems nothing short of overjoyed. It warmed your heart to seem him so.. Happy. So purely happy and joyous, a side to him often ushered away in the face of Law and Miller. He sits there for a moment, happily beaming away to himself, before speaking again.
“Does this... Does this mean I can call you my...” He trails off, steeling his nerves to say the entire sentence, unbroken, and without an ounce of his anxiety showing through. “Does this mean I get to call you my boyfriend?” He asked, and you start to mirror his wide and joyous smile, starting to nod at him.
“Yeah... So long as we don’t tell the other two. Don’t think they’re quite ready for that one,” You joked quietly. David got to his feet, shuffling over to sit beside you, and putting an arm around your shoulder.
“This is okay, right?” He asks, as you start to lean into him.
“Yeah, this is perfect.”
Summary: SFW alphabet for David Stephens, from Shallow Grave.
Notes: I enjoyed working on this very much! I know some sections are a little on the short side, but I didn’t want to make it seem like I was babbling on with everything! Enjoy!
Not my gif
A - Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)
Typically, in front of others, David is not an affectionate guy. He’s practical, not sentimental.That is not to say of course, he doesn’t show affection at all. He just shows it in a different way to most. He’ll sit with you and watch some tv shows- though with him it’s more like critiquing sometimes. In terms of physical affection, he’ll occasionally give brief kisses, and on rare occasions he’ll give you a warm hug. If he knows you’ve had a bad day at work, he’ll find you a little trinket to keep you amused or cheer you up, but he’d leave it on your nightstand rather than give it to you face to face.
B - Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? Where does the friendship start?)
He can very much be the stereotypical quiet friend sometimes. There of course are many occasions where he will pipe up with his own opinion on a subject- whether he agrees, disagrees, or sits on the fence. He’s actually got quite a knack for debating, which can lead to some very enlightening conversations about subjects you’d often think as incredibly boring.
C - Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)
He isn’t really that fussed on cuddles, in all honesty. He’ll give you one if you’ve had a hard day, but in a usual situation, it’s not really likely. He’s not exactly one for frequent physical contact.
D - Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking, cleaning, ect?)
This man does do very well in the cleaning department, let’s give credit where credit is due. Cooking, however, that’s more left to Alex and occasionally Juliet. Settling down? Well, in his mind he sort of already has settled down. He’s got a steady job, a nice home, and you. Boom, he’s settled.
E - Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)
Oh boy, would David be a little too blunt about it. He does not see the point in trying to sugar coat anything in a situation like this, so he’ll just say it how it is. If it’s a problem with him, an issue with you, whatever it may be that caused the break up, he’d be the kind of man to say it outright to you.
F - Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? Do they wanna get married?)
Once he’s entirely sure he can trust you with every little detail of his life, and he knows you can do the same for him, then yes. He’d love to marry you. He’s not fearful of commitment, after he warms up to the concept a little bit of course.
G - Gentle (How gentle are they both physically and emotionally?)
Whilst he can be very closed off emotionally, during brief moments where he opens up, he can be incredibly gentle. It’s the same with the physical side of things too, unless he is angry or upset and becomes aggressive towards others.
H - Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it, and what are they like?)
Like cuddles, he isn’t that fussed on them. He’ll give them if you’ve had a bad day or are quite clearly down in the dumps. There has been one or two occasions where he’s asked you for a hug, but he has never revealed the reason behind it to you.
I - I Love You (How fast do they say the “love” word?)
Not fast at all. (I mean faster than Alex probably would, but still, the man’s pretty closed off.) Though, when he does finally utter those words to you, quiet as they may be, he means them with every fibre of his heart.
J - Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What are they like when jealous?)
Not that he’d ever admit it to you even when you ask, but he does get jealous. Very jealous. Remarkably jealous. Horrendously jealous, in fact. He’ll become completely and utterly silent for the next few days, not bringing it up, not even speaking to his flatmates or you.
Once, you saw someone reported missing, one who had spoken to you a few days prior, sparking David’s jealousy.
K - Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)
Brief. Almost always brief and fleeting. The corner of your mouth or you temple are his favourite places to kiss you, and his favourite place to be kissed is the cheek- simple, yet endearing.
L - Little Ones (How are they around kids?)
He’s largely indifferent towards children, neither liking them or disliking them. There’s not much else to say on this side of things.
M - Morning (What are mornings like with them?)
Largely uneventful. Like every other morning, in a way. He’ll make you a cup of your favourite beverage for you, offer you a slice or two of toast, before he heads off to work.
N - Nights (How are nights spent with them?)
Also, like the mornings, largely uneventful. You may all sit with Juliet and Alex, around the tv or playing a game with them on game night. Once you go to bed, he may read for a little while, but apart from that, nothing too much happens. It may seem boring to some, but David is honestly really happy with this part of his life.
O - Open (When do they open up about themselves?)
Almost never. He is not an open person.
However, there is one way you can get him to open up, if only for a few minutes. It usually only works in the early hours of the morning though, and you have to hold him incredibly close, and almost coax him to speak to you.
P - Patience (How easily angered are they?)
Inwardly he can be very easily angered, but, as mentioned many times, he’s closed off- good at masking his emotions. Outwardly, it takes a lot of annoyance or stress to make him snap. If he does snap though, he snaps hard. Just look at how he was with both Alex and Juliet at different points after Hugo’s passing- mental state aside.
Q - Quizzes (How much do they remember about you?)
He remembers almost everything you tell him. You mention something off-handedly one night when you think he’s too focused on a book, and he’ll bring up or purchase something related to that thing a few weeks later.
R - Remember (Favorite memory with you?)
He read one of his favourite books to you once, after you had pestered him about it for a solid three days. Though you found it boring and eventually fell asleep on his shoulder, he admired that you cared enough to bother him about it.
S - Security (How protective are they?)
Super damn protective, even if you don’t realise it. He keeps a watchful eye on you almost every second of the day- through various methods, some darker than others. You’ve not brought it up with him yet, though.
T - Try (How much effort do they put in?)
A fair amount- even though you yourself do not reap the benefits of said effort, nor are you aware that half of it is going on. But he does indeed try, Mr Stephens is not entirely heartless.
U - Ugly (What are their bad habits?)
David has a nasty tendency to jump to conclusions sometimes. He doesn’t always mean to- and it has caused a couple of arguments- but it has happened on more than one occasion. Him and Juliet are trying to work on that to help your relationship, and cause less fights.
V - Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)
No, I wouldn’t say that he’s a particularly vain man. He does dress well and keep himself groomed for the most part, though I would put that down more to profession and habit, rather than vanity.
W - Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)
He would definitely feel something amiss without you around. Like his reaction to most negative things, he’d be eerily silent, retreating only to his thoughts and letting them slowly start to consume him in the process.
X - Xtra (Random HC)
He likes to watch you sleep when he can’t find rest. Sometimes it helps him to sleep, he finds it very soothing to see you in such a peaceful, almost perfect state of bliss, completely worry free and shielded from the horrors and stresses of day to day life.
Y - Yuck (Things they don’t like either in general or a partner?)
Someone who pries too much into his life or his mind. He’ll open up to you or someone else on his own, constant badgering about certain topics makes him clam up.
Z - Zzz (Sleep habits)
David does not have a good sleeping pattern, and is often very restless. Though he goes to bed and switches out the light at the same time every night- like clockwork- it doesn’t seem to help. He’ll lie on his back for hours, his mind running rampant and torturing him with intrusive, and sometimes very concerning thoughts.
