This took waaay longer than I was expecting it to, plus it's obnoxiously long. There is some OOC, angst, mentions of abuse, and some sexual content. It's a bit of mess, but thanks to anyone who can actually read through it. Updates will be back to normal for my other story now, hopefully.
Also, this follows a headcannon that Dave is albino, thus white hair, pale skin, red eyes. Yeah. Enjoy, and maybe drop a review?
Your name is Karkat Vantas, and you swear everyone on this Gog-forsaken meteor is trying to send you into a psychotic breakdown. These nooksniffers had to be conspiring behind your back, they had to be. What, with the homicidal clown, the blind psycho, Kanaya and her human pailing buddy, and of course, Mister Cool Guy himself, Dave Stridouche. Two years you'd been stuck on this flying wastepile, and there was still another to go. You weren't sure you could make it. The straw today had been... No, no, you didn't wanna think about it.
Right now, you were half sprinting through the corridors to get away from that something, your blood pumper pounding, eyes burning with tears that threatened to fall. No, not here, not where that stink monster could see you.
Of course, on cue, said stink monster just had to pop right in front of you at that moment, sending you face first into his sternum. Fuck, why did humans have to be so bony?!
"Hey there, Kitkat. What's got you so hot under the collar?" There it was, that smooth drawl that grated your nerves so damn much. Even more than your former piss-poor moirail's ever did. Now was not the time for this.
"Fuck you, Stridick! Get the fuck out of the way!" you refused to look up, refused to let him see the pain in your face, the red blush giving away your secret.
"C'mon, Karkitten, I just wanna chat with you. What's the rush?" He still hadn't moved, and you were starting to lose what little grip you had on your composure.
"I said," you growled, "Get. The. FUCK. Out of. MY. Way. Strider."
The white haired boy's eye quirked up, a typical variation of his usual stoic face. "Whoa, now, Karkles," you flinch at his use of her nickname for you, "I just wanted to-"
"I don't CARE what you wanted, you empty-panned, nookeating, fecal mound," you snap, finally looking up at his face. You know that a few cherry tears have leaked out, but dammit, this was not the time for his button pushing. You hated those sunglasses he wore. As if you needed to see your inadequacy, what an utter failure you were, when you spoke to him. "Now please, get the every loving FUCK OUT OF MY WAY." You were screaming, which you'd been trying to work on, you really had, but fuck, you were too frazzled to care.
The other eyebrow rose to meet its mate, and for the first time ever, you would almost be wiling to say that stoic Stridick looked confused. Or maybe concerned. Didn't matter one way or another to you, because he sidestepped enough for you to resume your abscondence. Without another word, you resumed running to your secluded respiteblock. The teen said something after you, but you didn't make out what it was. Upon reaching your door, you hurried in and slammed it shut with all your might. A poster fell off the wall, and a couple books fell from your bookshelf, but you couldn't care less at the moment. You stripped off your sweater, shoes, socks, jeans, and finally your boxers as you made your way to the cleansingblock attached to your room. You flipped on a light, and examined yourself.
Man, were you a hot mess or what?
Or what was likely the correct answer. Your light grey skin was flushed red from your cheeks to your chest, dark circles more prominent that normal, eyes bloodshot and still brimming with crimson tears. You were petite and lithe, though not feminine. You certainly didn't have the stature or muscle mass of Gamzee, then again, he was a damned Highblood. Your eyes were charcoal grey. However, they were a lie. With care, you held your eyes open wide and gently removed the contacts. Bright red, like your blood, stared back at you. You'd had to alchemize these a couple months back now; you were becoming a fully mature troll. Something that should have excited you, terrified you. Especially now that aforementioned Highblood was sober and, while he wasn't murdering anymore, it wouldn't surprise you if he culled you upon finding out your little secret. Thankfully, and not so thankfully, you hadn't grown an exceptional amount, and your horns remained the same, so it wasn't obvious you'd hit the milestone of adulthood. You stood, naked, and looked at yourself for a few moments longer. Of course she hadn't wanted you. What sane troll would? You were a male who was barely bigger than the lowest rustblood females; she had towered over you by several inches. Of course she hadn't wanted you. She was a teal blood. You were a mutant. You were an anomaly, and while interesting, you weren't enough. Of course she'd chosen a Highblood. Even if it was out of hate, she had chosen. And it hadn't been you. You suppose the Dave human could be blamed, as well; upon discovering her black romance, he had dumped her. So she'd ran straight to him. She had been for weeks. It shouldn't have surprised you. You should have knocked. You should have listened more. Then you wouldn't have seen it. Wouldn't have seen her sightless eyes hazed overl turquoise tongue lolling. Wouldn't have seen Gamzee's predatory look as he'd...
You really needed to stop this train of thought before it went any further. It was her life, her decision.
You didn't realize you had punched the mirror until you looked at your hand and the candy red blood dripping from it to the floor. Well, fuck. You ignored it and went to the cleansing tub. Usually, these were used only for bathing, only for cleaning the body then exiting promptly. However, you had developed a quirky human habit; you enjoyed bubble baths. They soothed you, a small comfort in the dark and loneliness. It rang through your body that you needed physical affection, the attention of a moirail or maybe something else, but you didn't have one. Not anymore.
As the water ran, you poured a small amount of sweet scented human bubble soap under the faucet. Rose had made it for you, and you genuinely appreciated it, even if you would never say so out loud. You lit a few small candles and flipped off the light switch. Your hand was still bleeding, but you didn't care. The bath would wash it away and you'd clean the glass later. Turning off the faucet and slipping into the water, you closed your eyes and finally let the sobs and tears escape, mumbling curses and admonishments to yourself.
You were so preoccupied, you didn't remember you hadn't locked either door. You also didn't notice you had a spectator through a small crack in one of said doors.
Karkat: Be a cool guy who has a little bit of control over his emotions.
Your name is Dave Strider, and wow, you have never seen Karkat look like this. You'd been bored out of your mind, roaming the corridors when you'd heard hurried footsteps. Curious, you'd turned a corner to spy the cranky troll going full speed ahead, head down. Dude was mad, as usual. Though, something seemed different. You flashstepped in front of him, bringing him screeching to a halt. You should have just left him alone, you shouldn't have said anything. His refusal to look at you should have told you that much. But no, your tongue moved on its own, even as the warning sirens blared in your head.
"Hey there, Karkitty." Dumb ass, he hates that name, are you trying to piss him off more? "What's got you so hot under the collar?" Nice, Strider. Make him madder. Smooth. Never mind you actually wanted to have a conversation with him, no, you just had to antagonize. Jesus.
"Fuck you, Stridick! Get the fuck out of the way!" he still wasn't looking at you, and his voice was as loud as normal, but tighter.
"C'mon, Karkitten, I just wanna chat with you. What's the rush?" He was shaking lightly, and the sirens in your head blared even louder. Still for some reason, you wouldn't just let it be. Now you were genuinely starting to worry.
"I said," you growled, "Get. The. FUCK. Out of. MY. Way. Strider." Wow. Okay, actual last name. Do not engage, Dave, DO NOT engage. Dude was redder than your magic pajamas, and getting redder by the second. Terezi had informed you early on that the short troll was a mutant; his blood was a bright red, which, while normal for humans, was not for trolls. She'd also mentioned some shit about the last troll with that blood color had tried to start a revolution, which had been awesome, but was then basically troll-crucified for it. Not so cool. Speaking of which, what was her nickname for him? Oh yeah...
"Whoa now, Karkles." Oh, that was a big flinch, and he's not shaking now. Oh no. Go back down, eyebrow, you sumbitch. "I just wanted to-"
"I don't CARE what you wanted, you empty-panned, nookeating, fecal mound." Now it's your turn to flinch as he finally looks at you. His cheeks are stained red, eyes glistening as tears escape. Oh, dammit Dave, what did you do. His voice was quiet, too quiet. It was a spooky effect on the normally screaming troll. Worst of all was, somewhere in your mind, all you could think of was how downright adorable he looked when he cried. What the actual fuck.
"Now please, get the every loving FUCK OUT OF MY WAY." Oh, there was the screaming again. And now you were sure you looked like an idiot, eyes wide behind your shades, staring down at the huffing, crying troll. First instinct should have been to get away, and quickly. But no, your first instinct was to reach out for the dolt and hug him tightly, till the tears passed. You followed your second instinct and lightly stepped aside. Karkat pushed past you, running full speed, in the direction of his room.
"What the fuck happened, man?" He didn't hear you, or if he did, he simply didn't answer. So you stood, dumb look on your face, in the middle of the hallway. Quickly, you placed your stoic face back in place, and looked down the hallway he'd come running from. You took a few steps, reaching another corner, and peered around the edge. Oh. That explained it.
The wall was splattered teal and violet, claw marks running down the stone. Papers, broken items, and more splatters led down to what you knew was Terezi's room. You were fairly certain you could hear crying, but you pushed it out of your mind. Of course, it had to be those two, had to be her that got him all worked up. No one had been pleased to find out about Terezi and Gamzee's kismesissitude. Least of all you, since you'd been dating her at the time, and had actually started to get really into her. You didn't grasp troll romance, but you knew a completely toxic relationship when you saw one. Even Kanaya had stated that, while kismesis relationships were healthy for trolls, this was "too black" to be beneficial. So you'd dumped her, when she refused to leave him. You'd known Karkat had a crush on her, since the cock ouiji incident. But it seemed odd for this to bother him.
For some reason, your footsteps started taking you to his room. What, no, this wasn't what you wanted to do. But it was. NO, it wasn't. It wasn't like you hadn't been there before. It was commonplace for you to play pranks on the poor guy. But that wasn't why you were walking there now. Why are you walking there now? You don't want to make him madder. You halt in front of his bedroom door. You shouldn't be doing this. You reach and slowly turn the handle. You really shouldn't be doing this. You take short steps, slowly entering. It's fairly dark, and it takes a second for your eyes to adjust behind your shades. He's redecorated since the last time, with less posters from sappy movies and anime cluttering the walls. One had fallen to the floor, along with a couple books; you carefully picked it up and rolled it closed, placing it on the desk nearby, as well as replacing the books. The bed was actually neatly made, black and grey plaid comforter smoothed and tucked. Only a lamp next to Karkat's purple Husktop was turned on, but light streamed in from beneath another door. Common sense told you that it was a bathroom, that he was in the bathroom and to leave, but instead you approach the door, stopping just inches from it. Your heart was pounding, but why? You were just going to turn around and leave, pretend you hadn't entered his private space, that you hadn't touched his belongings, that you hadn't noticed his clothes scattered on the floor...
Except, your hand was on the doorknob again. And it was turning very, very slowly. Oh no, man, you are not about to peep on Karkat doing his business, you thought, horrified that you still didn't stop as you opened the door just a crack, enough to see inside.
Now it was your turn to be bright red. Standing in front of the mirror, completely naked, was Karkat. All of his skin was exposed. His shoulders, chest and neck matched the red you had seen earlier, as well as his lower stomach... Oh God, you would not look any lower, not yet, not at Karkat. On his ribs, almost in the middle of his abdomen, were what you'd come to know were grubscars, scars left behind by the trolls shedding their third set of limbs during pupation. They were jagged, bright red scars cutting across both sides. They were actually kinda hot... Oh, no no no no no no no no no no, you did NOT just think Karkat was hot. He isn't hot, he's loud, he's bossy, he's... Strangely charming, in his own spazzy way, and right now he's standing in front of you, bare and vulnerable. All slim limbs, firm muscles, and his face... You actually hadn't noticed his face, but then you realized that something was different. His eyes... They were bright red. Your breath stopped in your throat, and you felt a warm chill go up your body, starting from regions you didn't wanna think about right now. Bright red, and shiny, with dark circles around them, and tears still present.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
You don't think your heart had ever beaten so hard in your life.
And then he surged forward, a flash of motion and sudden noise that made you jump back and almost fall, a curse silently escaping you. You hurriedly crawled back forward, instead of running LIKE YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN. He was now standing at the tub, and the mirror was shattered. Bright red blood ran freely from his hand. What in the actual fuck. He turned and you blushed even harder. Oh. So Terezi hadn't been lying; male trolls didin't have any obvious sexual organs. However, you could make out a slit, which why in the FUCK were you looking at him so intently you could see that, Jesus Strider you fucking pervert, and knew that besides his bulge, he also possessed a nook. Trolls were fucking weird, but damn if this one in front of you wasn't beautiful and making you feel weird in the best way. Said troll, satisfied with the water level, turned off the faucet, struck a match and gently lit a couple red candles. He began to come towards you, making you scoot furiously away, and a second later, the light was off, and a small sloshing sound told you Karkat had slipped into the water and foam. Breathing heavily, you began to stand and leave, until a soft, ragged noise caught your attention. You returned to the door, much less cautious this time. You opened it further, and looked at the troll you would be more than willing to call your friend.
He was crying, deep sobs that wracked his whole body, and he murmured curses. "Stupid... stupid... why the fuck couldn't you have done something... why'd you let it get like this... why why why... That fucking clown and his fucking... Gog fucking dammit..."
Your name is Dave Strider, and you have never seen Karkat look like this. So broken, so raw, so beautiful. You really shouldn't be here, you really shouldn't do this, but you are.
Dave: be surprised.
You heard the bathroom door open, and you went silent. Who in the fuck had the stones to enter YOUR private space, NOW of ALL TIMES... You sat up and prepared to spit venom at your transgressor, when you froze.
Dave Strider stood in the doorway, breathe uneven, cheeks flushed. What the fuck was up with him? Of course he'd be the one to come in here, to annoy you as always. You opened your mouth to speak, when for some reason the white haired idiot stripped his shirt off and...
Wait, WHAT.
"W-WHAT THE FUCK, STRIDER?!" Now he'd taken off his pants, standing in nothing but his boxers and shades. He paused, looked at the washbasin, then bent down to rummage around beneath it. "WILL YOU JUST FUCK OFF?! I WANT TO BE ALONE, OR WAS THAT NOT CLEAR? I AM SO NOT IN THE MOOD AND I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT YOU NAKED IN MY-"
"Will you just shut the fuck up and let me bandage your hand?" he'd produced medical tape and a clean rag from beneath the basin, and was walking towards you. You had to admit that the view wasn't bad. Wait, now was NOT the time to think that, as he took a knee and grabbed your injured hand. Well, grabbed might not be the right word, because the touch was excuriatingly gentle. You stared, mouth agape, as THE Dave Strider, cool kid extraordinaire, knelt on your washroom floor, dabbing at the cuts on your knuckles, in his bright red boxers. Had you died and gone to hell? Or maybe this was heaven? Either way, you were 99.9 percent sure that you had died as he wrapped the wounds. When he'd finished, he remained there, holding your hand, brows furrowed, and for once frowning. It was quite disturbing.
"Umm... Okay, thanks, I guess, but if you could kindly get the fuck out now..."
"Would you, uh, mind if I joined you?"
Your mind went blank. Did you hear him right, or was your brain not working? Heat rose in your cheeks, not indignation as normal, but shyness.
"W-what did you say?" He sighed, and reached a hand to his face, taking hold of his shades. Oh, no fucking way... Your blood pusher couldn't beat faster if it tried. He pulled the glasses away from his face and placed them on the floor, keeping his eyes closed. He slowly fluttered them back open, and you gasped. Red. Just like your eyes. Red. Just like your blood. Dave looked you dead in the face, stoic expression back in place, but ruined by a blush as he repeated himself.
"Would you mind if I joined you?"
You sat silent for a moment, registering the situation. You were naked, completely naked, no contacts, nothing, in a tub full of warm water, and Dave Strider, who was almost naked, and may as well be by Dave Strider standards without his shades, was asking to join you in said water. And for some reason, your brain wasn't coming up with any logical reason he shouldn't.
"W-why?"
"Because you're upset."
"So? What's it to you?"
Now he looked irritated. Today was going from shitty to weird really fucking fast. "Because, you loud mouthed jerk, I actually kinda care about your well being? I mean, I'd even go as far as to call you my amigo?" the teen rubbed a hand on the back of his head and looked down. "I... know from Kanaya that trolls feel emotion differently than us humans, but some of it is the same. You're obviously upset, and from what I remember y'all have some kinda quadrant thingy that was supposed to help with that, and shit."
"You mean a moirail," you said flatly. "Something I no longer have."
"Yeah, that's the word. And, ah, since you don't have one..." He now spread his arms out in a sweeping gesture. "Well, here I am. I mean I guess I can substitute, at least."
Annoyance flared in you. "What the fuck does that have to do with you joining me in this bath?"
A, quite possibly, nervous look entered his face. Damn he was easy to read without those annoying shades. "I mean, you seem pretty chill in there. And there's enough room for us both. And I couldn't really look at you, so you could say whatever you wanted, even get out before me and leave."
"..."
You had to give the guy props; he was trying. Which was... oddly touching, and more than a little unexpected. He was offering you the pale affection, attention, you needed. And who better to understand your plight about the tealblood than your former rival for her affections? Wow, this was sounding like one of your romance novels. You had to be out of your mind.
You realize you definitely are you open your mouth and give him an answer.
"... Alright." You whisper, sounding meeker than you've ever thought you could.
He blinks, once, twice, three times, then nods and stands. You shift forward for him to slip in behind you, pointedly looking away as his fingers go under the wasteband of his drawers and he tugs downwards. Not that you can't still see from your peripheral vision. Not that you hadn't seen a human bulge before in romance movies. However, it was the gesture. He chuckled as he sat, however.
"No need to act bashful. I've seen you naked, it's only fair you see me."
"Wait, when did you see me naked? ... Were you peeping on me?! You fucking perv-" You were quieted by a gently pap to the head. You froze. Then it happened again. Pap. Dave wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you back against his chest.
"Sssshhhhhh."He began to pet the top of your head, shooshing quietly. Suddenly, the hurt and pain of early came flooding back, and you couldn't stop the keen that left your lips. The gross sobs began anew, and you leaned your head back on the human's collarbone and let the feelings flow. Only, it wasn't just feelings from earlier, walking around a corner to see your former flushed crush and friend pinned against a wall, naked, bleeding, sobbing, your old moirail and brother, fangs deep in her shoulder, claws scratching, and ravaging. It was everything. This stupid game, the death, the loss, your doomed existence... everything. It all welled up and escaped through your tears as you sat, shaking, naked against the one being on this meteor who probably gave a damn about your well being. Dave Strider, the stoic prick, the cool guy that loved to push your buttons and you liked doing the same, who wore that stupid fucking cape, was here, with you, in the black. You were drowning in it, but now, it was changing, turning pale, maybe even red?
You sat and cried and screamed and keened until your throat was sore and the water was lukewarm. Until you were a shivering mess in the albino teen's arms. You realize besides shooshes he had been silent. Now that you were calm, he spoke.
"So... you stumbled upon Terezi and Gamzee, eh?"
You nod, sniffling.
He sighed, exasperation leaking through. "You know, Kanaya has asked her kindly that they do that in the privacy of their bedroo-er, respiteblocks. And used pails. Fucking mess, man."
You chuckle darkly. "That's an understatement."
You both returned to silence and sat a few more minutes, until Dave tapped your shoulder. You looked back at him inquisitively. "I don't care if we continue this, but can we do it somewhere else? I'm kinda starting to turn into a pickle here." He raised his hand to your sight, showing you the pruning of this skin. You still thought that was the most bizarre adaptive trait ever, and that was saying something with these aliens.
"Sure. I can make a pile in the floor...?" He nodded agreement and, carefully, you untangled from each other and stood. No point in modesty now that you'd been skin to skin for what felt like hours. You let out the water and he reached you a towel, having tied one around his waist. You murmured thanks and entered your room. You quickly gathered your pillow and blanket and threw it in the middle of your shaggy rug, and retrieved another pillow and a couple small throws to add to it. Satisfied, you retrieved a clean pair of underwear, moved to turn on some music. You'd gotten a taste for human music lately, and a quiet guitar ballad began. You noticed that the fallen poster and books had been moved and looked questioningly at Strider, who had emerged from the cleansing block in his own boxers, shades still missing. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"I figured it was fair that I pick them up since I was.. Yeah."
"Peeping. The word you're looking for is peeping." you flung yourself onto the pile and settled in. He lowered himself much more cautiously, arranging his pillow in a way that better suited him. You watched as settled in. You'd never realized how picky he was. When he was comfortable, he met your gaze. It was strange, looking into his actual eyes. Even more because they so well matched your own. You sat in silence, a low tension buzzing in the air. You were nervous, and he seemed to be deep in thought. Finally, he blinked, and a warm look entered the red orbs. He opened his arms again, in that same beckoning gesture. This time, you slipped right into them, snuggling against him. He was cooler than you to the touch, but you had learned that humans maintained a regular temperature, unlike trolls who's varied by blood color. You had always been outrageously hot, even by troll standards. Dave didn't seem to mind, however, as he pulled you close and sighed quietly. You nuzzled in closer, feeling his steady blood pumper- no, they called it a heart- beat. Th-thump. Th-thump. You wouldn't mind listening to it forever. However, the white haired hottie-er, man, beneath you rumbled a statement into the air.
"You can't make Terezi do anything she doesn't want to do. Believe me, I tried." He rubbed his eye with the back of his hand. "Kanaya has, and so has Rose. And I know you dumped Gamzee when you found out how bad it was, that time we all found her in her underwear, drunk off her ass." A twinge in your chest made you shift, tryin to wish it away. You didn't want to talk about this, but what was the point of a feelings jam if you didn't let your feelings out?
"I know that, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't have done more. That I shouldn't do more."
Dave shook his head in disagreement. "Karkat, all we can do is be here to catch her when she falls. She's deep in that fucked up lovin' Gamzee is giving."
He was right, though you hated to admit it. "I... ugh. Yeah, I know. And ya know, I didn't... I didn't just dump Gamzee because of Terezi, although that was definitely the catalyst. He was a terrible moirail. And besides," you gesture to your torso, where your red blood shows through, "as a Highblood, hell, heir apparent to the title of Grand Highblood, a descedent of the Subjugulators, he'd cull me on the spot." Now you pointed back and forth from Dave to yourself. "This kinda thing, though it's not exactly in the pale quadrant, never happened. I couldn't risk him finding out, and even then, I was mostly a tool to keep him from going of the fucking deep end. I have never filled a quadrant properly in my whole life." You run a hand through your hair. "Through this whole fucked up experience, it's just been me."
Dave shifted and pulled you close again, looking you directly in the eyes. "That's a shit ton to deal with on your own. Putting all that pressure on yourself. Even back then, before the shit really hit the fan, you shouldered all the responsibility yourself, and that's not good for a person's soul." A cool hand stroked your cheek. "Let someone else take it for awhile. Or at least let someone help you bear it all." He raised up to lean over you and look down. "I'd like to help you bear all that. I'd like to help you anyway I can."
You stared at him for several moments. It had been a loaded statement, one that made things tilt. Something in the air had shifted, you weren't sure what, but it was there; it was bathing everything in shades of pink and red. "Strider, I don't think you realize-"
"'...the social implications this situation is causing?'" He stayed hovering over you, red eyes seemingly glowing in the dark. A small smile- not a smirk, an actual smile that made your insides warm- crossed his lips. "Yeah, I don't exactly get this quadrant thing. And I'm not sure... what this," he mimicked your previous pointing, "is, exactly, but I know that it's probably a long time coming." Dave grabbed your injured hand and gently wrapped his fingers with yours. "I just want... to help."
Your breath stilled, and the weight of the statement behind the question made your mind screech to a halt. You weren't the one moving your arms up and around his neck. But you were. You weren't the one pulling him down to meet you in a soft kiss. But you were. And when you did, everything got a lot clearer.
Oh. This was what you'd been missing.
You you pulled back, face flushed, and mumbled an, "Alright." There. That solidified it. Whatever it was. It was odd. It was comforting. It definitely didn't fit in any quadrants. But yet it filled them. He placed a light kiss on your forehead, petting you again.
"Alright," he answered. Wow, this was weird. But a good weird. A comfortable kind of weird. You laid in silence, all tangled together. Dave continued petting you, and kissing your head softly. It was honestly beginning to make you sleepy.
"Uh... Dave...?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you stay here... for awhile."
"..." he placed a kiss on your nose now. "I'll stay until you kick me out, Karkat."
"Good. Ass."
"Ha. You're welcome, shorty."
"... thank you."
You drifted into sleep, with the feeling of cold lips against yours.
"Of course."
Your name is Karkat Vantas, you think maybe you'll be able to make it another year. In this pile, with this astounding guy, you could make it through anything.
Karkat: Be your ?
Your name is Dave Strider, and you're not sure what you just signed up for, but you've got a beautiful guy in your arms, who you totally got to kiss and dear Lord on high it had been amazing, and you got to keep kissing on him, smelling his hair, his skin, and you feel more at ease than you have in weeks. Maybe trolls were onto something with these piles and feelings jams. Karkat was looking up at you with half lidded eyes, which damn if that wasn't the sexiest thing you've ever seen.
"Uh... Dave?" he sounded sleepy, and his eye lids are definitely starting to drop. Adorable. And the way his voice sounded, saying your name in that low tone? Man, talk about bringing you to your figurative knees, at his command.
"Hmm?" you twirl a piece of black hair around your finger, loving how soft it is. Why hadn't you done this sooner?
"Can you stay here... for awhile?"
You didn't respond right away. Shit, you'd move in with him right here and now if he asked. You didn't want to leave his side, ever. "I'll stay until you kick me out, Karkat." Which you would. However long that happened to be.
"Good. Ass." There was your Karkat, the tough act back on. You liked him this way, too. No, it was more than liking, but that word, that feeling scared you. But it was okay, cuz this was Karkat, and he made it okay to lose your cool.
"Ha. You're welcome, shorty."
"... thank you." You'd never heard him say it without sarcasm. You couldn't resist as you placed your lips on his. He was insanely warm, but you were constantly freezing, so it was nice.
"Of course."
Your name is Dave Strider, and you're not sure what you just signed up for, what you are to and with this guy, but damn does it feel good.