David’s Dating Dilemmas Part 2

“NOOOOOOOO!!!”

The sounds of David’s cries of agony snapped Morgan from her slumber in a snap. She jolted from their bed and ran to the source: the bathroom. She burst through the door, nearly ripping it off its hinges.

“Honey, what’s wrong???”

There, she found her fiancé kneeling on the floor with a look of horror on his face. He stared down at his palms, which seemed to contain nothing from Morgan’s point of view. She squatted low to meet his gaze. “Darling, what is the problem?? Please, tell me!”

He looked up, his face covered in a look of pure misery. “My… My contacts broke…”

~~~

David hung his head low in misery. If there was one thing he hated more than having to wear a hoodie in the middle of a sunny summer day, it was having to wear his backup glasses. The thick-rimmed Clark Kents made him look like a complete loser. Normally, he was fine not looking particularly attractive, but glasses like these were like a beacon of a dork. He would be noticed, which is why he never wore them.

However, he wouldn’t be able to get new contacts for at least a couple of weeks. No matter how much he pleaded and bribed them, they would not budge. He was simply going to have to deal with the glasses until replacements could be acquired.

Morgan was doing her best to be supportive of him. It was true, his appearance gave off a far different appearance from his usual cool, quiet and bland appearance, but his new look wasn’t bad. In fact, it was oddly adorable, and she was doing her best to show that he was indeed still good-looking. The most logical idea was to take him out on a stroll to show off how good he looked.

Needless to say, it was not working. Perhaps it was the overbearing waves of heat beating down on his body and into his oversized, grey hoodie. Maybe it was the powerful smell of flowers that began to irritate his eyes as they strolled through a flower garden. It could have been the loud screeching of kids nearby that made him grab his head in slight pain. All he knew was that he was irritated.

Morgan frowned, hugging her arms. She felt like a bad fiancé for dragging him out like this. Maybe staying home was the right choice. Self-doubt ran through her head and terrorized her to no end. How could I expose him if he felt so vulnerable?? Fuck, I’m going to make such a bad wife! Stupid, stupid!

She was part way through hitting her forehead with the side of her fist when suddenly a hand stopped it. David looked down and sighed. “I’m… I’m sorry. Just this whole thing is not really my biggest scene. Plus, these glasses…” He grabbed them and started to adjust them in annoyance. “Hate these… Stupid things…!”

Morgan laughed as she watched him fiddle with his glasses in an overexaggerated manner. She didn’t know why, but the clownish actions David sometimes performed made it seem like he was trying to cheer him up. She liked it. “Well, if you’d like, I could find you a pair of glasses that are far more suitable for you. However, I think your current pair of glasses is quite adorable.”

David’s cheeks got more red in color. Being complimented was something he was getting often these past few months. He still hadn’t been used to it. Why would I deserve to have a compliment thrown my way, that niggling little voice in his mind said. I’m a bad person, especially after what I did to…

“David?”

He froze. He turned around to see a woman in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Her body was firm and toned, the product of sports no doubt. Her red hair was cut short, matching her athletic appearance. In this, there was nothing but the warm ocean breeze separating them.

“A-Alex…” He managed to speak.

Alex looked at Morgan, who looked back curiously. The disguised Devil took her fiancé’s hand, prompting Alex’s eyes to widen.

“So… You got another…”

David squeezed Morgan’s hand. “Y-Yeah… I did.”

Morgan looked at him, then at the woman. It wasn’t long before she came to a clear conclusion.

“David… Is this an ex-girlfriend of yours?”

“U-Uhh, well-”

“I must say, she is quite the looker…” Morgan put her hand on her chin and looked Alex up and down. “A tight, athletic body… Obviously very tough and in command… I can see your preferences.”

“Morgan-”

“Is that how you would like me to look? Shall I work out more?”

“N-No, Morgan, I-”

“Well, just in case, I wouldn’t mind getting some work together to fit your standards-”

“Morgan!”

She snapped from her babbling to see her fiancé a little bit frustrated. Adjusting his glasses with two fingers, he motioned to the tomboy. “Morgan, this is Alex. She’s… She used to be my best friend since I was a kid.”

“Oh.” Morgan could feel the awkward tension rise as David and Alex looked away from each other.

Alex spoke up, looking up at Morgan. “Actually, I’m dating his ex. His proper ex.”

David looked up. “Wait, Casey is-” He paused as he saw Alex avoiding his gaze. Immediately he looked down in shame.

Suddenly, a soft, feminine voice rang out. “Sorry, honey. I took me forever to find a working water fountain.”

Turning his head to his side, his heart sank to the pit of his gut. Standing there in a pair of short shorts and black tank top, long black hair in a swoop over their eye, was a feminine figure with a bright, joyous smile. They held a water bottle in their small, delicate hands and moved with a spring in their step that hurt David with every skip. As soon as they spotted David, however, their smile faded, but not to one of sadness. Rather, it was a look of shock and surprise.

“David…! You…”

David looked away, trying to hide his shame from them.

“You’re wearing your glasses!”

Everyone paused and looked at the androgynous individual with utter confusion. They had not lost their joy, simply moved it to surprise. Alex looked over at them. “Uhhh… Casey? Isn’t there anything else…?”

“Hmmm…?” They looked at Alex confused. “What do you mean?”

“Ugh…” The tomboy facepalmed.

Morgan, for her part, was equally confused, but for different reasons. Who was this? Was this their ex? They seemed to be female, but also male at the same time. They clearly didn’t try to present as either-or. It took her a long moment before her brain finally connected and her jaw dropped.

“D-David, you’re… You…”

David looked over at Morgan and sighed. He motioned over to the androgynous individual. “Morgan, this is Casey. He’s… My ex-boyfriend. Casey, this is Morgan, my… Fiancé.”

The news hit Morgan like a ton of bricks. Was that why he always seemed hesitant to hug her or receive her kisses? Did she make a mistake? “You mean… You’re…”

“I’m bisexual, yeah.” He shrugged. “It really didn’t seem like something to bring up.”

He was bisexual. A wave of relief fell over her, not only for their future marriage but also that she hadn’t been forcing a gay man to marry her. It still made her question why he seemed hesitant with her. Her assumption of him being reserved would have to suffice for the moment.

“Wow…” Morgan said as she looked at Casey and held out a hand nervously. “N-Nice to meet you.”

Casey smiled back and shook her hand. Immediately, he gasped as he rubbed her hand. “So soft…! And you’re so pretty!” He smiled brightly at her, making her heart leap. This man had a way of bringing some sort of joy out of people. It was powerful and dangerous, and she needed to be careful.

Alex, however, seemed frustrated. “Babe, are you going to ignore the big fact that-”

“Alex, hun. I’m gonna go walking with Morgan. I wanna talk with her. I think you need to talk with David.”

“W-What??” Morgan, David, and Alex said collectively. Before any could oppose, the two had left, leaving David and Alex alone.

~~~

As the eight-foot-tall disguised Devil walked through the park’s garden with the five-foot femboy, her heart seemed to have an odd tightness about it. Why was she so nervous? Why did she feel like she needed to impress David’s ex? He didn’t need to do the same for that piece of garbage Martin.

Casey spoke up as he peered at the flowers. “They’re very beautiful, aren’t they?”

Morgan quickly snapped out of her headspace. “Huh? O-Oh, yes. They’re lovely.”

He nodded. “Whenever I see these flowers, I remember David and the times we spent together.”

Morgan looked down at the flowers. “Really…?”

“Mhm… You see… Whenever David wasn’t studying or working, we were going to this park, the three of us. Alex was always playing some sport with other people, and David… Well, you know, his head was always in some kind of work…”

He chuckled. “But… He always went with us. Even though we did practically drag him, he had the power to refuse. And he… Didn’t.” He looked down. “Maybe that’s why, when he got his job and I asked him out… Everything changed.”

Morgan kneeled next to Casey. “How so?”

Casey was quiet for a moment. “When we started dating, it was fine. In fact, it was great. He was finally moving a bit forward towards being… Well, happy. Then…” He went quiet once again, looking at a rosebush. “I-I don’t know… All of a sudden, he changed after one phone call from his parents. I don’t know what they said, but he started getting more work-focused. He paid less attention to us. He got more irritable. Coming home later and later…”

Casey bit his lip and clenched his fist. “I tried to get him to stop but he wouldn’t budge. We both did everything, but he just got angrier. Then…” He closed his eyes tight and teared up. Morgan wanted to see if he was alright, but after a few deep breaths, he continued. “W-We, uhhh… G-Got into a big fight. A lot of yelling and arguing. He… R-Raised his hand at me.”

Morgan gasped. “That’s a lie! He would never-!” However, the look in Casey’s eyes, peering into his soul, showed that this was anything but a lie. “How… How awful…”

Casey nodded. “A-Alex… She was there to stop him before he could… But she punched him in kind. I moved out right after, and… We never spoke to him again.”

Morgan was absolutely floored. Who truly was this soft-spoken man she had fallen in love with? Was he hiding his true self? Was he planning on hurting her?

A gentle hand placement by Casey snapped her out of it. Looking at him, he seemed to calm down. He didn’t seem angry or in pain. In fact, he seemed at peace. “Has he had any intentions of hitting you or even shouting?”

“N-No! Of course not!” Morgan said, her cheeks flush. “B-But how could-??”

“That’s all I need to know.” With that, he stood up and stretched. “Come on. They’re waiting for us.” He smiled at her, the same joyous smile that he always had. Morgan was very confused but was in too deep to not see where this would go.

Alex and David sat at a bench not far from where they met. They watched as some college students played shoeless soccer in the field, laughing as they crashed into each other. David recalled an old memory, of watching as Alex did the same thing. She was always strong and fearless.

He had tried to say something, but Alex simply looked away with the stoic expression she kept since the two had left. It was all fair. He knew he didn’t deserve it. He simply sat there and watched his feet. Time ticked away slowly, agonizingly. Then, Alex spoke in a sour, angry tone.

“You know something… I’m so… Frustrated in you. You’re by far, one of the biggest idiots I ever met, and you graduated top of our class!”

She rubbed her forehead. “All this time, we were trying to help you get over your loser parents, and instead, you BECOME them! Not only that, I had to hurt you to keep you from making the biggest mistake of your life!!”

She turned to face him, face even angrier. “Do you know what it’s like to watch two people I love and care about shouting at each other than see one of them about to smack the other?? And THEN, I have to stop you before you not only traumatize and hurt Casey but then put yourself in jail and ruin your future???”

David stayed quiet, eyes shut tight. He hated being yelled at. It always meant that someone was about to get hurt. Alex, however, didn’t hurt him. Rather, she sat back. “And yet… All this time Cass and I have been dating, I insisted that he get mad, to just forget you and write you off. And he never did.”

She shook her head, letting out a sigh. “She would always wonder what you were doing, hoping you were okay, hell even praying for you. PRAYING! We don’t even go to church!” She laughed before groaning. “Despite everything you put him… Put us through…” She became quiet for a while. “When are you planning on hurting Morgan?”

“W-What??” David snapped up and glared at Alex. “I’m not going to do that! I’d never hurt her!”

“Hmmm…” She hummed, not saying anything as she spotted the two. Morgan looked quiet, contemplative. David immediately knew what that meant. She knew what he did. He wanted to curl up and die already. Then, a shadow loomed over him. Looking up, he saw Casey. It didn’t take long for him to sing.

“Casey, I… I’m sorry…” He said, covering his face. “I let other people dictate my life and I made the biggest mistake by nearly…” Tears ran down his face. “I-I didn’t want to hurt you… I just… I don’t know… P-Please, I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Casey watched her ex babble and cry endlessly. Morgan was aghast at how he had broken down. The pain in his voice, the agony of his soul. This was eating at him for how long? What surprised her more, and likely Alex as well, was how Casey wrapped his arms around him in such a loving embrace. All the pain David had caused him, and there Casey was, coddling him like a loving mother.

“It’s okay, David… I already forgave you a long time ago…” He smiled sadly as he kissed his head. Taking David’s cheeks, Casey looked his ex in the eyes. “Just promise me that you’ll love Morgan properly, and never hurt her.”

David nodded silently, rubbing his eyes and sniffling. Alex couldn’t believe it. She thought that Casey would finally see things her way if he confronted David, but it seemed like she was wrong, that she in fact, saw a bit from his perspective.

Morgan meanwhile, had felt a new sense of emotions flowing through her. When she walked back, she wasn’t sure if she would see David the same way. Now, she was positive she wouldn’t. She saw him for as flawed as he was, and yet able to learn from his failures. He made his promises and she knew, deep in his heart, that he cared for her. In this, she couldn’t love him more.

As Casey released David, he smiled at them all. “Now, let’s get some ice cream. I think with this heat, we need it.” He giggled and took Alex’s hand. She nodded and rose up. Morgan and David mimicked their motions and walked beside the other couple.

As they walked to a nearby snack stand, Casey smiled up at Morgan. “You know, Morgan… From the moment I saw you two, I knew that you were the perfect fit, that you’d help fix what we couldn’t.”

Morgan blushed and smiled. “Really? What made you think that?”

“Because..” Casey pointed to his eyes. “You got him to wear his glasses! Even we couldn’t pull that off!”

As Casey, Morgan, and Alex sighed, David shrunk down and grimaced. Yet, he smiled behind the grimace. Somehow, he felt lighter, like another weight was taken off of him. He hoped that this was the greatest challenge in his engagement.

And then he endured true Hell.