Jade examined the figure just down the hall from her. He was dressed in all brown and a chocolate colored cape danced around his heels. Messy black hair stuck up here and there. The figure was undeniably Karkat. He had decided to break his normal uniform of a dark sweater and actually wear his god tier clothing for once.
She raised a hand and waved at him, grinning brightly. A flicker of light crossed his unsmiling face as he raised a hand and gave an awkward wave back. Jade happily after him, lifting her dress so it would stay out of her way.
"Hi!" she chirped, rocking on her feet.
"Hey, Jade," he answered in a softer voice he reserved for very few.
"Wow, it's been a while since we last talked! How are you?"
His eyes flicked to hers.
"Stressed," he growled. "Whoever thought it'd be a good idea to bring back all twenty four of us was-"
The sound of a speech suddenly filled the halls, getting closer and closer every second. Karkat's eyes went wide as he stared down the hall in panic. Never before had Jade seen such fear plastered upon his face. Those wide yellow and silvery eyes glared down the hall with such terror, even she became frightened.
"Quick," he hissed, grabbing her arm, claws digging into her skin. "Warp us somewhere else. Anywhere. We have to get away from him. Go, go, go!"
"Wha- why?" Jade looked at him, a bit bewildered.
"Just do it!"
"Who is it?" a grin crossed Jade's lips as she leaned forwards. Karkat attempted to pull her back, but she slipped away. "His voice sounds a bit like yours…"
"It's fucking Kankri!" he about yelled. "He's insufferable! Please! Let's go now!"
Jade looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"PLEASE?" he begged, desperate eyes crying for help.
"Please?" She repeated, taken back. "Wow, okay-"
"WARP US TO YOUR PLANET!"
Her eyes shot open and she threw her arm around him.
And they warped.
Her knees wobbled as she fought to stand up while Karkat skipped right to falling in the soft, emerald grass.
Jade laughed weakly as she regained her balance and eyes Karkat. He appeared rather content down there. His shoulders relaxed as his fingers toyed with the blades of grass beneath him.
"Thank GOG we got away," he grumbled, voice muffled.
Jade kneeled down next to him. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. The ground is my home now, I'll be okay."
Jade gently ruffled his hair and stood back up, dress swirling around her legs in the wind. She looked around at the towering, green trees and the cherry red flowers blossoming upon them. The small, hummingbirds zipped around them, mere inches away at some points, but never touching. She turned and looked at the clearing her house sat in, tall and proud.
"You really don't like him, do you?"
Karkat rolled onto his back and struggled a bit, but eventually sat up.
"No, and if you try to take advantage of that Ill be fucking pissed and never talk to you again."
Sighing, Jade plopped down next to him and smiled up at the sky. "I won't."
Karkat was quiet a moment, examining his surroundings. He lifted his fingers towards a humming bird that buzzed right in front of his mystified face.
"Eh… I never realized how nice your planet was…"
"Uh huh!" Jade replied brightly.
"That last time i was here you were a back crap crazy grimbark mess. It's very… comfortable when it's calm. My planet was covered in jagged rocks and blood. It was weird and boring."
He paused, looking at one of the bright red flowers on a root next to him and toyed with one of it's large petals.
"Anyways, how are you, Harley?"
"Good!" Jade replied, breaking her focus on him and plucking a bright red flower from another root. "I love being able to see everyone."
Karkat's mouth twitched, but in a sort of good way.
"Honestly," he began in his permanently loud voice. He bit the bottom corner of his lip nervously. "I never got to express the fact I'm… relieved that you're okay again…" His normally pink tinged grey skin went almost completely red. Like this, you could see a his skin was splattered with tiny, dark pinpoints across the bridge of his nose. "I was…" he cleared his throat, eyes darting away nervously. "Worried when I learned you had died…"
He stared away, nose wrinkling with anger. The tip of his nose and the tip of his ears went bright, candy red.
Jade's mouth fell open, blinking once as she stared at him. Her heart pounded in her chest as her eyes became soft. She pushed a bit of messy, dark hair behind her ear.
"K-Karkat?"
"Hm?" he grumbled, crossing his arms bad temperedly.
Jade leaned over and wrapped him in a hug, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you- oof!"
Karkat flailed wildly, arms clawing at the air sending Jade toppling on top of him, fingers grasping his soft sweater.
"NO! OFF ME, CRAZY BARKBEAST LADY! DON'T SHOW ME AFFECTION! I DON'T NEED THIS SHIT! I AM A LEADER! YOUR GROTESQUE HUMAN DISPLAYS OF FLUSHED FEELINGS ARE REPULSIVE! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC! I AM A COLD-HEARTED, HARDENED SHELL OF A BEING! I DO NOT NEED A HUG!"
She rolled her eyes, refusing to let go as he continued to flail like a fish left in the mid day sun. He didn't need a hug? Ha. No one needed a bit of appreciation and love more than him. He was… wonderful. In his own way of course, but wonderful all the same. He didn't know it, but anyone with half a brain knew how sweet he could be.
"Yes you do," she mumbled softly, taking his cheek in her hand and kissing the other, She let go and fell back on the heels of her hands. A slight smile crossed her lips as she glanced at him.
His face had gone completely blank and his mouth hung open slightly. He stared off into the distance as bright red blossomed across his cheeks.
"Karkat?" Jade giggled, examining him carefully. She blushed just slightly and sat up a bit more.
The slightest wisp of a noise escaped his lungs. His wide eyes still stared into oblivion as the red reached his ears.
"Sorry, Karkat! I didn't mean to surprise you that much! I just… I dunno-"
Karkat cleared his throat, blinking his eyes back into focus.
"YOU BETTER BE! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!"
Jade rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. Her ears pinned themselves to her head as she looked away, brow furrowing.
"YOU CAN'T JUST SURPRISE ME LIKE THAT!" He yelled in his signature harsh tone. He grit his teeth, and then looked back at her, voice softening but not by much. "You know I will flip my shit! That's what I do! I'm a huge ass fucking mess! You have to give me some warning! I'm a gutless shit head! Then you throw red feelings into the mix and I-"
"Hang on!" jade yelled, stopping him mid rant as she looked over to him.
"What?" he asked, voice going back to its normal, ice cold, irritated tone. Despite that, his face continued going red.
Jade studied him a second as he just wrinkled his round, slightly crooked nose.
"Did you say…" she hesitated a second. "red feelings?"
He opened his mouth again, going even redder if it was ran a hand through his already messy, black hair as his eyes widened. The small spattering of dark grey that rested on his nose became clearer as he became more visibly flustered.
"N-NO- well, yes… I… I- They might be present- B-BUT I'M TRYING TO EDUCATE YOU ON THE PROPER COURTING RITUAL FOR TROLLS! If you were going to properly court me, first-"
Jade's heart swelled as she watched him ramble on and on, eyes rolling than anyone would have thought possible as the breeze made his hair flutter about and his cape ripple like waves upon a bay. The layers upon layers of annoying jerk cracked, revealing the bright light inside him just enough to make every inch of her tingle with excitement.
His eyes danced all around her, refusing to meet hers. She took a deep breath in and hesitated a second, but then leaned in, fingers dancing upon his cheek as she kissed him. His lips were shockingly soft. They were immobile a second as he let out a small "MPGH!" She began to pull back when he dove forwards, taking her hand in his and placing the other on her cheek. Pure joy radiated from her heart as she tilted her head, just slightly.
She blinked a time or two and stared down the hall at Karkat, biting her lip as her heart ached. One of these days she'd tell him… or somehow they'd end up alone together and it would all work out. Chances are it wasn't today or tomorrow, but one day.
He hadn't seen her yet, he was looking the other way.
Without saying a word, she backed up, and walked away.