Your name is Tavros Nitram and you think you just found a doomed version of Jade Harley.
Well, probably. You think she's strong enough to live longer than when you last talked to her, because she looks exactly the same here. Unless humans don't get bigger after that? But, no, you saw older humans that were way bigger than Jade is.
Either way, your crush on her has not gone away and you need to say hi. Maybe this one died before you made a total fool out of yourself. If not… then you'll probably die of embarrassment, maybe. But you should still try it. After all, you gained a lot of self-esteem when you ran out on Vriska.
You still feel sort of bad about that.
But, that's not really the point. The point is, the girl of your dreams is just over there, and you need to go see if you can, maybe, not make a fool of yourself this time.
"H-hey!" you call, hurrying out from behind the tree you were sort of freaking out behind. She turns around and wow you don't remember her being this pretty. It's so different from what you're used to, because, she's a human and you're not, but wow. "Um, I was wondering if maybe, if you had the time, we could do something?"
That was maybe not the right way to go about things. Does she know who you are? You don't know if you want her to know you or not. If she does, then she remembers you talking about killing her lusus. If not, then you just made a fool out of yourself again.
Yeah, um, you're not the best at this.
You could maybe be a bit more eloquent.
And less awkward.
She smiles though, which is good, and as she comes closer you notice that the two of you are about the same height, which is pretty cool. Actually, it doesn't really matter, but you notice it.
"U-um," you say, swallowing, trying to make your mouth not so dry, because, it's sort of hard to talk like that. "I'm Tavros. So, uh, I did already ask you a question, and I would, probably, like an answer."
She nods, and you let out a breath of relief. "Sure!" she says, and you're pretty sure her smile is as bright as the blistering Alternian sun, which is horrible and bad and don't even fall asleep next to the window it's bad. Wait. No, her smile is not bad. That was a bad metaphor. "I'm Jade."
Good, she doesn't remember you.
The two of you stand there awkwardly for a few moments until she says something else.
"You're one of the trolls, aren't you?" she asks, and your heart pretty much just drops into your stomach, because if you remember right, she doesn't really like trolls, which is probably because of Eridan and maybe Karkat, because he can get really loud sometimes. Even though they only contacted each other over instant messaging. He's just, really, a loud person, and if you're not used to it (even if you're used to it) he can get kind of terrifying?
"Uh, yeah, that's probably definitely right," you say, rubbing the back of your neck awkwardly. Your face is getting really hot. You're not used to this kind of attention from anyone but Gamzee. Well, okay, Aradia was really nice before she went all weird and ghost-y, but that's really sort of it? You couldn't really talk to Nepeta outside of the chat client because of your allergies, and you really, really like Jade. Like, it's sort of embarrassing how much you like her, probably?
She hesitates, and wow yeah you screwed this up. You avert your eyes. You don't actually want to look at her when she tells you to leave or something. Or if she turns you down again. At least now Vriska won't be spying on you? Because… you left her behind…
Yeah…
At least she has a new friend, who is also sort of equally as terrifying.
"I, uh, my handle is adiosToreador," you offer, and she looks like she's thinking. You're really glad you didn't try to actually troll her, because, not only might she turn it around and freak you out like the other human who you seriously admire for those sick fires, it would probably make her hate you. So, you're really glad you didn't. But you also sort of wish that she remembered being friends with you? Because that would probably be cool, and a lot easier to tell her about how you're flushed for her. Because, yeah, the first time didn't go so well. It just sort of gave Vriska something to make fun of you for.
…And then you died.
Alright, that was probably not the best thing to think about.
She's trying to think of who you are, you can tell. Then her face lights up. "I remember you!" she says, and you hope that it's nothing bad. That she's maybe from a timeline where you didn't bring up the 'hey I killed your lusus haha oops' thing. They're not even called a lusus if they're human.
"You do?" you ask, and she nods, grabbing onto both of your hands and uh wow you really think your head is going to blow up. Because, really, it's getting way too warm and you're pretty sure you're turning brown.
"I'm sorry," she says, and she's really, really nice. This is why you started to like her in the first place, you remember – because she's really, really nice, and that's a nice change from a lot of trolls.
Of course, she's not a troll. But that's beside the point.
"U-uh," you say. You have to make a conscious effort to make your tongue work right. "For what?"
"I was kind of short with you earlier," she says. "I was just super fed up with all of your troll friends! And you killed my grandpa."
Grandpa. That's what humans call the lusus. That might be useful information, probably.
"Oh," you say, and you have no idea what to say beyond that. "So, uh, now that you're dead and stuff, and so am I, do you think we could maybe, possibly, work on the fact that I'm sort of totally flushed for you? We're in the same place now, and not, this time, universes apart."
She takes a moment, but she nods her head slowly. She's still holding your hands. That has to be a good sign.
"I have some stuff I want to take care of first," she says, and you think you just died again. Of embarrassment this time, though, not a lance through your chest. You're not sure which is worse. "But…"
Oh good there's a 'but.'
"Maybe sometime later?" she says, and then she kisses you on the cheek and skips away. You just sort of stand there, hand pressed to your cheek, watching her leave.
Once she's gone, you cheer. Then you clap your hands over your mouth, just in case she heard you. But you don't think she did.
Your name is Tavros Nitram, and you might have a cute, nice matesprit in the future.
I was happy and decided to write a JadeTav? I don't know, it's my favorite Homestuck pairing, and I've never written anything for it, so I decided to remedy that!