None of them had really ever gotten the chance to be teenagers. And by the time they'd finished saving the world and creating another, they were grown up. Mature. Looked up to. Leaders.
To be honest, Dave wasn't the kind of person who complained about teenager-ism. Sure, there were bonuses, but he was glad he'd never gotten the chance to go through an emo phase. He hadn't even grown up as a 'normal' kid, for fuck's sake. Instead of cake, he got a plush rump every birthday. His childhood wasn't the worst or best, but it was near the strangest. That's why when Karkat asked if he'd been a teen, Dave was confused.
"DAVE, WERE YOU EVER A TEEN?"
"'Scuse me?"
"DID YOU EVER GO THROUGH THE EARTH PROCESS OF BEING A TEENAGER?"
Dave looked at his boyfriend. "Yeah, I mean, I got to twenty. It's gotta be in there somewhere."
"NO, I MEAN DID YOU PRACTICE THE TEENAGER RITUALS? SUCH AS DATING, OR GOING TO THE 'SKATE PARK'?"
"Well, I, uh. No? Not really. Bro took me a few times- ironically, of course- neither of us knew how to skateboard- but I haven't lived the Troy Bolton-esque teenage life."
Karkat glared at Dave. "DON'T MENTION TROY BOLTON EVER AGAIN."
"Dude, we only watched that ironically. It's not actually bad enough to be considered bad enough to be good. It's just, normal bad to good ratio."
"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU JUST FUCKING SAID."
"Okay, Karkat. What were you getting at again?"
The troll takes a deep breath. "WHAT IF WE HAD A WEEK TO BE TEENAGERS?"
Dave shrugs. "I had a few more years than that, but okay." Karkat glares at him again.
"NO, YOU ASSHAT. I MEAN WHAT IF WE TOOK A WEEK AND JUST ACTED LIKE NORMAL EARTH TEENAGERS? WENT TO PARTIES. HAD SHITTY DRIVE-THROUGH ICE CREAM. YOU KNOW. THE TEENAGERHOOD IDOLIZED IN YOUR MEDIA."
Dave winks at Karkat. "Sounds neat. Car sex included, or?"
Jade, who was sitting on the couch between them, promptly got up and walked away.
Dave laughed, almost falling off the couch. "Jade! No! I was kidding!"
Karkat pushes Dave the rest of the way, letting him fall onto the carpet. A muffled "Ow." from under him signifies that Dave was still intact.
In the kitchen, Jade shouts "You're making me uncomfortable!"
Dave's muffled voice yelled back. "Okay, but do you like the idea?"
Karkat sighs. "COULD YOU TWO COMMUNICATE IN THE SAME ROOM FOR ONCE?"
Jade walks in long enough to throw a can of Tab at Dave and Karkat. "Yes. It sounds great. Don't include me in the car sex."
"It was a joke, bro."
Karkat stares at Dave. "IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE."
Jade opens the front door and leaves.