Through a Lens (Dave x Reader) Part 2

Is it still considered stalking if the person consented?

It certainly felt like it. Everything about this felt awkward and strange. I sincerely hoped Dave hadn’t started his own project. The thought of having someone watch and photograph me when I was (mostly) unaware, was nerve-wracking. I couldn’t relax no matter what I did.

I tried not to cringe at the wary looks coming from the other people wandering around campus. An older woman froze and actually backed away slowly, as if I would launch out and attack her which was completely absurd. I wouldn’t chance damaging my camera so carelessly, the thing cost a small fortune. Her blatantly disturbed look did make me consider it though.

I almost wanted to find a more secluded place but at the same time I’d feel even creepier. Instead I settled on manually focusing the camera, the auto focus wasn’t getting the pictures exactly how I wanted them.

From what I had seen, Dave was always calm and collected. This was his idea so I guess he should feel comfortable.

From my vantage point on the stairs I could easily spot his group lounging on the grass. Quickly I used my index finger to carefully adjust the zoom. The closer I zoomed, the more obvious the subtle shake in my hands or posture became even after properly adjusting my arms posture.

Unconsciously I ground my teeth in annoyance, before pulling back from the wall and sitting down carefully on the steps. None of the pictures really fit. They were candid but they just didn’t work. The pictures all looked average, not really bad but there was nothing interesting about them.

I thought back to the notes I wrote down when we briefly talked initially, idly chatting about the standard likes and hobbies. He gave me his general schedule and the okay for me to show up at certain places. The only thing that particularly sparked an idea was his job as a dj.

Going to a club would be fun, and the atmosphere would create an interesting variable to my photographs but that wasn’t what really caught my attention. It was miniscule but I had caught a flash of a smile when he brought it up. He radiated confidence when he said he made his own music. He sat up a tiny bit straighter and I could imagine his eyes lighting up as he talked about it.

 There wasn’t a way for my face to be any redder than it was right now. It was mildly chilly outside but being asked about my (brand) SLR had made my cheeks burn. The bulky camera definitely brought attention, unlike a normal point and shoot which could be hidden in purse.  

“N-no, really! It’s for a project.”

I had to admit, even I thought that sounded like an excuse. The tall troll beside me merely gave me an amused grin as he leaned against the wall. His face paint would have ordinarily put me off, but the calming tone he used kept me at ease even as he questioned me.

“Shit sis, didn’t mean to all up and embarrass you. Dave’s motherfucking cool. He doesn’t mind pictures.” He chuckled, glancing towards the stage where Dave was then to the crowd where several cellphones lit up the darkened floor.

“It’s really for a project though! Dave’s my partner, we have photo together.”

“Alright, why don’t I just go and tell him you’re here and-“

“You can’t… At least, I mean, not yet. Give me fifteen or twenty minutes and then you can. I’ll sit at the bar and you can point me out, but he can’t know I’m here yet.” I pleaded, trying to find a compromise. If he told Dave, it wouldn’t be candid. If it wasn’t candid, I’d be coming back camera in hand to embarrass myself another day.

He nodded and patted my head, sending me off with a lazy grin. The placating motion had me wary but nothing about him set off warning bells. The easy air about him had me letting my guard down.

I dodged around people holding drinks, even with my camera in a bag I wasn’t wanting to see how secure it was. When I finally found an empty seat at the end of the bar, I practically collapsed in the chair. It was at the bar, but hidden in the corner out of the way.

My fingers habitually brushed against the counter, making sure there wasn’t any water on the countertop before tossing the strap over my neck and setting the camera down. I braced my elbows against the table and adjusted the settings manually before raising the camera up.

The people dancing had been distracting until I looked through the lens. They, as well as the few at the bar, faded out. For once I had a stroke of luck. I could see Dave easily and I wouldn’t need to move around.

Carefully, I adjusted the zoom until he was the only one in the shot. I snapped a few pictures, both loving and hating how the lights flickered and moved. A hand suddenly shot up, obscuring a miniscule part of the turntables ruining the last picture.

Momentarily I thought of zooming farther in but I rationalized I could always crop the picture later. Instead I zoomed a bit farther back, allowing the silhouette of the dancers to frame the screen. I alternated between snapping pictures and fiddling with the focus.

“So…”

I jolted nearly off the seat when a much too close voice rang out. My (color) eyes snapped towards the voice locking with a pair of bright pink ones. The blonde girl was leaning precariously across the bar, the smirk and teasing tone had my earlier embarrassment come rushing back tenfold before she even said anything.

“Is it Dave or Dick-crap I mean, Dirk?”

I swallowed thickly before replying. “It’s Dave, but we’re doing a project.”

She snickered quietly as she tilted her head, leaning forward a bit more and faux whispering, “You sure? You were pretty focused for a project. Not that I blame you the Strider’s are obvs talented, but I don’t think that’s why they have such a big fan base.”

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears I was so embarrassed, not once but twice in the past half hour I’ve had someone insinuate that. Nervously, I chewed on my lip before answering. My hesitance had her smirk growing and that was killing me.

“It’s my final and this was Dave’s idea.”

“He ain’t lookin’ over here, I don’t think he knows you’re here tonight.”

“I’d hope not, if he did then it’d kind of ruin the idea of being candid…” I mumbled, shifting my attention back to my camera. Slowly I calmed down as I refocused onto reviewing the pictures I got. There were over sixty, so I could see where she was coming from. Taking a ton of pictures was always habit. Each one turned out differently.

The blonde bartender was thankfully called to the other end of the bar. I didn’t look up but I caught the change in pitch as she responded, it was probably someone she knew pretty well.

When I was flipping through pictures, I halted at one I had taken a minute or so before the girl had startled me. From what I could see the focus was centered on Dave and the crowd was out of focus, but still framing the bottom of the picture. The multicolored lights seemed to give the picture a certain glow. There was a smile on his face, instead of the static expression he had in the ones I looked through.

Had he smiled more while he was up there and I was just too focused to see?

Or was it just the small fraction of time that the camera was able to catch?

I glanced up momentarily as I thought about it, but I was distracted by the fact someone had sat in front of me. Not just anybody, but Dave. He was leaning casually against the counter, not even facing me. How did he always look so at calm?

“Gamzee came up after my set and told me there was a ‘motherfucking pretty (color) eyed girl with (color) hair’ wanting my picture.” Now he was teasing me too? The smirk was more blatant than the smile was on the picture. “I thought I’d be nice and come and pose for you.”

“And how is that candid?”

The music almost drowned out the chuckle, but I heard it nonetheless. His head tilted towards me, the sunglasses continuing to shield his eyes from my own curious ones. Unlike the two others I had talked to, he was content enough to allow the conversation to die and sit in relative silence. We merely sat beside each other listening to the music.

A quick glance at the person on stage, to the new person controlling the music, I noticed he looked vaguely similar to Dave. I hadn’t been listening to the music, but there was a notable change in style. I wished I had paid more attention to his music then I would be able to honestly compare which I liked more.

My eyes drooped slightly as I relaxed; unconsciously I played with the dials on the camera. It was something to keep my hands busy. The place was nice, and it was even better to have a familiar face beside me.

Dave’s shoulder brushed lightly against mine. The sudden contact caught my full attention before I sent him a questioning look. Rather than me, he was focused on the camera held in my hands.

“It looks like you took plenty already. Could I-“

Instantly I shut off the camera, not wanting him to see just yet.

“I think there’s something about seeing a working project before the big day.” I quipped, staring pointedly at him.

“You’re thinking of a bride, but fair enough. I’m not planning on letting you sneak a peek at what I have either.”

Rather than flushing in embarrassment, the blood drained from my face. What kind of pictures had he gotten? I hadn’t done anything special the past couple days. There was class, (hobby), studying, and unfortunately more studying. “When did you take them? I haven’t seen you taking pictures or even with a camera.

He merely laughed. My calculating gaze saw the upward twitch of his lips as he ran a hand through his hair. The noise from the club seemed to be much louder when I actually wanted to hold a conversation. Rather than asking him to speak up I leaned forward, focusing on his lips as he spoke. It wasn’t like I could maintain eye contact anyway.

“If you wanted to be a private investigator, you definitely need work. It’s not my fault I could stay hidden and you couldn’t.”

For some reason or another, the crowd started shouting and applauding affectively drowning out my snarky reply. He most likely caught the agitated expression as I rolled my eyes. The smile probably dampened the effect though.

I knew exactly how I wanted the other pictures to be. I wanted there to be a smile, a frown, or even a scowl. There was going to be emotion in each one of them.