They'd seen it all, the deaths, the rebirths, and the torment of the game. They could never be the same, and they knew the end was near for both of them. It had gone from black, to pale, and finally red, leaving both wondering what the future held.
Karkat sat at his husktop, blue and gray text flashing quickly to each other. Karkat was alone, no morail to comfort him, and no other friends to speak with. He was alone, so very alone. The only thing that kept him sane these days was the conversations John Egbert had with him.
Both knew what was coming. Who was coming, and that they were both alone. They had been talking for hours a day, for the past week, trying to figure some way out.
CG: JOHN, REALLY. YOU CAN'T FUCKING EXPECT THIS TO WORK. ENGLISH IS GOING TO COME AND OBLITERATE US BOTH.
EB: i know, karkat, but at least we can try, right? i mean, we should try to see each other before it's all over.
CG: … YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT…
CG: HEY JOHN?
EB: yeah karkat?
CG: REMEMBER WAY BACK, WHEN… I TOLD YOU ABOUT THOSE BLACK FEELINGS?
EB: well we decided to never talk about it again, but yeah i remember all right! why?
CG: WELL… FUCK…
CG: JOHN I DON'T THINK THEY'RE BLACK ANYMORE.
EB: what do you mean?
CG: I MEAN I'M RED FOR YOU, DUMBDUMB.
John stared at the gray text that had just slashed up onto his screen. Karkat Vantas was red for him, and he didn't know how to respond. His fingers froze as he typed a response he had done so long ago, and he erased it quickly. It wasn't truthful anymore. Could he tell Karkat the truth?
CG: FUCK. I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID IT.
CG: I'LL JUST GO NOW, AND LEAVE YOU ALONE.
EB: no karkat wait!
EB: i am really happy you told me because.. hehehEB: i feel the same.
Karkat stared back at the text, the blue type that was so brilliant it sometimes hurt his eyes. This was John Egbert, King of Pranking and self-proclaimed "Not a Homosexual." It was a trick, a prank, something he could use to tease Karkat on for the rest of their short lives. He was about to close his husktop, and disconnect, but something he didn't know even existed popped up.
His speakers rang like a phone, and he clicked the "accept" button. The window popped up, and he was shocked when big blue eyes gazed at him from his monitor.
"Hey, Karkat. Is it working?" John's voice was soft, and shy.
"I… yeah…" Karkat finally managed, taking in the sight of John's face. He was sitting in the dark, and his computer screen illuminated his face with a soft blue light. He smiled, prominent front teeth a pearly white, and thick frames covered icy blue orbs.
"I knew you were going to think I was joking, Karkat." Karkat fiddled around with some settings, before his face appeared in a small box in the right hand corner. John paused for a second, and Karkat knew he was studying his face. He tried his best not to look nervous, but blushed anyway.
John smiled at his computer screen, the gray troll had finally shown himself, and he was adorable. Scruffy black hair spiked up, and fell over his face, obscuring thick eyebrows, and deep gray eyes. His nose had a small scrunch at the top, and was upturned. His teeth stuck out from gray lips slightly, the overbite an obvious feature. His horns were small, and jutted out like candy from the mess of black locks.
"Anyway, I knew you were going to think I was joking," he finally continued, and Karkat felt his cheeks deepen even more, "I'm not, okay? I might even say I love you, Karkat." John smiled again, and Karkat bit down on his lip, chewing with his pointed teeth.
Karkat's eyes avoided the screen, and he heard a noise that made his head snap up. It was low, and soft, and melodious. John was laughing. It did him so much more justice than his text laughter. Karkat blinked a few times, a slowly, a smile formed. Lopsided, and pulling higher on the left side of his face.
"I… well shit John, I love you too." John laughed again, and cocked his head to the side.
"So when do you want to try out our plan?" He asked, oceanic eyes searching yellow and gray ones.
"As soon as fucking possible! Do you want to, or me?" Karkat rubbed the back of his head, hair fluffing up, and he smoothed it back down, yellow nails a striking contrast in the dim lighting.
"Whatever you want."
"I'll do it, then. I'll set out first thing tomorrow, okay?" Karkat felt himself smiling like an idiot again, and he suddenly felt not so alone. They sat like that, speaking softly, and watching each other's facial expressions for hours, until John dozed off at his keyboard, and Karkat felt his eyelids getting heavy as well. Karkat disconnected the chat, peeled off his clothes, and slumped down into his recupricoon, what little sopor slime remained coating his body.
Karkat fell into a nightmare-ridden sleep, diminishing sopor slime unable to keep all the terrors away. It was only a few hours before he jolted awake, neon green go sliding off his slightly chubby frame as he hauled himself out. He slicked the slop off his body, and pulled on a pair of gray jeans, and another black turtleneck sweater. The fabric clung to his body comfortingly, and he wrestled his hair into somewhat of an orderly shape. It wasn't long before he finished tying his shoes, and made his way to the transportilizer.
After the flash, and the initial wooziness wore off, Karkat managed to look around the measly place John called home. It was empty, much like his own, and Karkat couldn't spot John anywhere, it was only barren orange grit. Karkat's shoes crunched their way through the sandy dirt, heading toward a sound he'd heard only a few times, the sound of the ocean.
John had woken up long before, and now the sun was setting. He sat cross legged on the beach, wondering when Karkat was going to arrive. He had said first thing, did that mean morning, or night? The purple tinted water lapped poisonously. Were he and Karkat really the only things left in the universe besides Lord English? Was Lord English really going to kill them?
He was snapped out of his thoughts as the last glimmer of the glowing orb disappeared on the horizon, along with the crunchy approach of feet. He glanced next to him, where short legs stood, black hem of a sweater, and gray hands also met his eyes. Karkat was shorter, and chubbier than John had expected, and the troll gazed over the plateau of water distantly. John looked back over the water, and saw what Karkat was staring at, the massive green thing coming over the horizon.
Lord English was there.
Karkat sat next to John closely, and they stared at each other for a long time, silently.
"I love you." John whispered, and Karkat whispered the words back. There was a charging light, and after Karkat murmured another sentence, they pressed their lips together, eyes closing. The heat was unbearable, but the kiss made the pain less noticeable, and it was over before they knew it. Karkat's words lingered on the breeze, and the combined dust of both bodies accompanied them.
"Hello worthless human, this is your God speaking."
