The shadows of the lab loomed ominously, sultry with the stale air. His eyes widened at the sound of a shuffle, watching anxiously as a figure came into the room with him. At first, he couldn't make it out. He hadn't heard any honks, and the figure was much to short for it to even be Gamzee.
"Sollux?" He winced at his own voice. It came out louder than he intended it to, the name cutting through the silence.
The dull light made her red glasses shimmer as she stepped into it, and through all of the shit that had happened, Terezi Pyrope had found some way to smile. She sniffed the air and nodded. "I thought I smelled candy red!"
"Terezi how the fuck...?" he trailed off. "How are you alive?"
"I followed your taste," she responded plainly.
Karkat pulled her into a hug, which caused Terezi to chuckle, though it was obvious this action had caught her off guard. He pulled away reluctantly, his lips tweaking into a small smile. "You're finally here...I thought I lost you forever."
"Even if I died, I'd wait for you," she stated bluntly.
Karkat always knew she was ironically clueless about how dark she sounded, and with death facing them at every corner, he could only hope that they stayed alive long enough. Long enough for him to savor everything about her. Long enough for him to make up every second he didn't spend with her.
"I would always wait for you," he admitted, blushing. He hugged her again, hiding red face. She sniffed and licked his ear, smiling and laughing as she did so. He cringed as she licked him—if it weren't obvious enough, he still hadn't gotten used to anyone's tongue running all over his face.
Suddenly she tensed. She pulled her cane out, swiveling around, trying to find something that wasn't there. "Licorice, I smell licorice!" she mumbled, over and over.
"Terezi, what the fuck?"
The shadow engulfed them all at once then, and all Karkat had ever done without Terezi he regretted. He wanted more time. Even ten seconds more would have been enough. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing to die, but it was best to die with her. He loved Terezi Pyrope, as she loved him, and dying together was the easiest way for both to leave.