Karkat sat behind the wheel of the empty minivan, once bustling with life and chatter of his kids. He had just dropped His youngest, Tavros, Off at College, now there was no-one at home waiting for him, not even his husband, John who was on a business trip.
The drive back was lonely, and he missed the presence of at least one of their children. He arrived home later that afternoon, his youngest deciding to go to College as far away as possible 'Just like the rest of them' he thought to himself.
Karkat sat at the table and ran his hands through his hair, he looked around at all the old photo's everywhere, and the big family portrait that was taken a few months after Tavros was born. It had himself and John in the middle, a baby Tavros on Karkat's lap, the eldest Equius stood at the back with the second eldest Gamzee, then Eridan standing on the side next to Karkat, and their only daughter Nepeta who sat on Johns lap.
The grumpy mother got up and brushed his fingers over the photos, all of his babies were grown up now, they didn't need him, it showed since none of them ever called.
He looked to the phone, 'Should I call Tavros? Make sure he's alright?' Then he remembered that he was going to college so far away for a reason, and crumpled the idea.
karkat headed to all of their old rooms, it was getting darker now, he realised just how empty the house was. He teared up a little coming to his second oldest's room, you had found out last year that Gamzee died of a drug over dose, he was 29. He could still remember the last thing that the troubled youth had said to him.
"Mother fuck, mum! I have to fucking leave this shit hole, I ain't gotta listen to a single piece of your shit!" You flinched, Gamzee never yelled, he had found the nineteen year old doing drugs in his room a week or so earlier, and had taken them away, the teen was sobering up, and was angry all the time.
"Gamzee Makara Egbert you calm the fuck down right now" He shot back. "I won't have you doing drugs in this house! Just you wait till your father gets ho-" "SHUT UP! I can't take this!" The teen yelled and pushed the other away.
"I'm leaving and there's nothing you can do about it!" And just like that, he walked out of the door. It took karkat a few seconds to realise before chasing after him. "Gamzee! Get back here!" Karkat chased the running teen into the street, pleading behind him, but lost him after a full fifteen minute run.
Karkat wiped his eyes, walked in and picked up a small goat toy, he kissed its head, first rule: If they get kisses then so does teddy.
He walked back out and to Nepeta and Tavros' room. His two babies, Nepeta had gone to do vetenary course a few states over, last he'd heard she was engaged. Tavros was doing a course in Zoology, and after a year of his basic course he'd be going to Africa.
He picked up 'Tinkerbull' and Nepeta's lion toy, kissing them both and taking them with him, along with the goat. He went to Eridan's room, the boy who gave him an amazing amount of trouble, but loved him, despite being at each other's throats. You smooth down the sheets and walk out. 'You scared me to death everytime you ran away, even when I'd know you would come home' Eridan had joined the NAVY, taking his plush seahorse with him and he wrote occasionally, but mostly stuff for his Aunties Kanaya and Rose.
He finally ended at Equius' room. His oldest, he had been a big boy, but not fat wise, just tall. He had a little chalk wall in his room from when Nepeta would spend days in there with her big brother, drawing and babbling. Equius had gone to college in the UK, and kept in touch when he could. "At least you do when It suits you" the older scoffed, picking up the horse plush, hugging it close.
Karkat took all the toy's to his and Johns room, cuddling them. "You fucking little ingrates, the least you could do is call your mother.." he sniffed, but he knew that they were free now, Karkat had been harsh as a mother, but only because he was honestly scared of losing them.
That night Karkat went to sleep, hoping that when he woke up, his husband would be there with his 'stupid fucking cheesy' wake up calls, his babies would be curled up around him, Eridan would be in the middle because he was a hug whore, and Gamzee and Equius would have snuck in and pretended that they were cold.
That night Karkat realised something. As grown up as his babies were, they would always be his children. "One day you little fuckers will come crawling back because you need that fucking goodnight kiss.."
And by god he'd be there to give it to them.