DISCLAIMER: I do not own Homestuck, or any of its characters. Those rights belong to our Lord and Savior, Andrew Hussie. This fanfiction is rated M for Karcrab's colorful language, suggestive themes, possible violence, and for future chapters. But I'm sure you were already expecting that. Why else would you be here? Collegestuck. KarkatxSollux. Karkat's POV. Will contain my own canon and various ships.
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Karkat Vantas lifted his eyes from his History textbook and leaned his head against the wall behind his bed, taking slight comfort in the support and coolness it provided. His intense copper gaze fell on the slim figure seated a mere three feet from his current position. The wiry and lean form of his roommate, Sollux Captor, was slanted back in his computer chair; elongated limbs stretched as he viewed the progress on his computer screen. Thin arms were folded comfortably behind his head of short and unkempt dark-mahogany hair; the glowing light from his monitor reflecting on his prescription glasses. His hetero-chromatic eyes, one sky-blue, the other hazel-brown, were focused on his latest program. His scrutinizing dual-toned orbs scanned the many lines of complex codes, checking for any possible breaks or errors. Karkat's eyes traveled downwards to examine the Gemini's casual, black v-neck shirt that showed a generous view of his slender neck and collarbone. He then allowed his stare to voyage further south to inspect lanky, jean-clad legs, which were crossed at the ankles under the wooden desk. It had not been the first time that day the short college student had stared down his friend, and he begrudgingly admitted to himself that it wouldn't be the last before it was over. As if sensing the attention, Sollux slightly turned his head, sending a side glance towards his admirer. He grinned a toothy smile. "Like what you see?" he quipped, a slight lisp clinging to the edge of his words. Caught in the act, Karkat's brows furrowed together in a knit of irritation, his lips pulled back in a menacing scowl; a familiar expression. He fought down the blush threatening to rise from his cheeks. "No." he retorted harshly, forcing his eyes to return to where he'd left off in his homework assignment. He heard a chuckle escape the hacker's throat, much to his annoyance; the sound resonating pleasantly in his reddened ears. Keeping his focus stubbornly glued to his book, he heard a creak being emitted as weight was lifted from the chair his roommate had been occupying. The tall teen stood and stretched, his spine and joints popping loudly due to sitting for an extended period of time. Sollux slipped into his intentionally mismatched shoes, grabbing a set of keys from the surface of his desk. "I'm going to the store, KK. You want anything while I'm out?" he questioned. Karkat remained silent. Then, after a few seconds hesitation muttered something that sounded much like "surprise me". Another chuckle was heard as it's possessor left the room. A moment later, the front door of their shared apartment opened and closed, leaving its second tenant alone in its wake.
Staying put on his bed, Karkat sat, marinating in the flush he no longer cared to conceal as his thoughts wandered elsewhere. He propped his head back to it's previous spot, closing his eyes as he did so. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Because it wasn't completely obvious that he'd been staring down his friend like a homeless beggar at a juicy sirloin in a steakhouse window, or anything. He grimaced. Suave, Vantas. Real fucking suave, he silently reprimanded himself for what must have been the eleventh time that week. Lifting a hand, he ran his fingers through the untidy assortment of dark tufts in a futile attempt to smooth down the countless, ever present cowlicks that made up the bulk of his hair. In a small display of frustration, he gripped a fistful of his black locks and exhaled a heavy sigh. This was becoming increasingly difficult.
With a huff, he placed his neglected text to the side, knowing full well that he was too distracted at the moment to dedicate the attention needed to finish the assignment. Sliding off his mattress, he trudged slowly towards the hallway, dragging his feet as if the simple task of walking to the bathroom were a laborious journey. Reaching his destination, he reached an arm inside, feeling around for the light switch along the wall. Having found what he was searching for, he flicked it upwards, cascading the washroom in a harsh, yellow light. Karkat returned the glower he received from his mirrored image. Leaning forward against the porcelain sink, he performed a self-appraisal of his facial features.
Stark, rust-colored eyes stared back at him from bloodshot sclera, criticizing every pore and characteristic his face had to offer. The ashen face was youthful in it's roundness, with its plump cheeks and button-nose giving its owner the appearance of one much younger than his years. His chapped, cupid's-bow lips were set in their usual frowning manner. Fatigued, permanent shadows lined the undersides of his sleep-deprived eyes as laden lashes framed his heavy lids. The Cancer's build was, to put delicately, lacking in altitude. At an agonizing height of 5'3 (5'4, depending on what shoes he wore) one could describe his physique as nothing but petite, despite his frequent claims of being "compact". It didn't help the fact that he happened to surround himself with a troupe of bean-stalks, either, making his size difference all the more obvious.
Karkat pushed up the sleeves of his black, pull-over hoodie before twisting the handle of the sink's faucet. Bending his body at a ninety degree angle, he ran his cupped hands under the cool water, splashing the revitalizing fluid onto his face and neck. When he finished scrubbing, he grabbed blindly for a nearby hand-towel. After buffing his mug with the clean-scented cloth, he draped the small towel around his neck, feeling somewhat more awake than he had prior. Stepping out of the bathroom, he ventured into the main section of the house where the living room and kitchen merged. He removed and set the hand-towel on a counter as he passed them, glancing at the clock on the stove. 2:34. Damn. He was scheduled to be at work in less than two hours.
Moseying over to the refrigerator, Karkat opened its door, and hunched over, narrowing his eyes as he viewed all that the white appliance had to offer; not so much surprised when he found its bounty wanting. Let's see, a handful or two of shrunken and pitiful grapes, a large hunk of deli cheese now harboring an impressive layer of white mold... He pushed aside expired milk cartons and half-empty takeout boxes containing questionable and once edible contents, not necessarily expecting to find anything worthwhile. Just when he was about abandon his search for nourishment, a tinfoil-wrapped pan hidden in the back caught his attention. Sudden anticipation getting the best of him, he hastily pulled it out and peeled back the aluminum blanket before releasing a low groan of gratitude.
Not bothering to grab a plate, the ravenous teen scooped a handful of the double-fudge brownies and crammed a large chunk of the chocolatey delicacy into his mouth. He closed his eyes blissfully as he chewed.
Sollux Captor you beautiful bastard.
Karkat shut the refrigerator with the edge of his hip, locating himself and his newly found treat to the living room. He plopped himself down on the aged but comfortable couch, picking up the television remote with his free (clean) hand with the pan of brownies resting on his lap. He surfed the channels with no clear idea of what he was searching for. News channels, America's Funniest Home Videos, Sesame Street, the World Poker Tournament... His finger ceased its rapid pressing as one of his particularly favorite channels came up; Lifetime was currently showing The Lake House.
Yes.
Hell yes.
Hell fucking yes.
He settled back against the couch's plush pillows, momentarily content with life as he continued to gorge himself with brownies and watched the remainder of one of his favorite films.
As the ending credits scrolled down the television screen nearly forty-five minutes later, Karkat stood up and carelessly brushed the crumbs from his lap onto the floor, wondering just why the hell it was taking his roommate so long to return. He picked up the now 2/3 empty pan of brownies and half-assedly covered it back up as he returned to the kitchen. After replacing the dessert in it's proper place, he stretched, dreading the soon approaching work shift that lay ahead of him. If Sollux didn't return shortly, he would have to leave for work without getting his surprise and saying a proper good-bye ...
At that last notion the Cancer stopped his train of thought at a screeching halt, mentally slapping himself for thinking of such a stupid and sappy thing. For fuck's sake, when did he get so pathetic? With chagrin, anger from his own self-hatred began to boil like hot tar under his skin, instantly souring his pleasant mood. He growled at no one in particular as he stomped towards the apartment's single bedroom, his attitude worsening with every step. Flinging open his dresser drawers, he ripped out various and random articles of clothing until he found his work uniform. Karkat tugged his hoodie off forcefully over his head; the short-sleeved, gray cotton tee soon joining its comrade on the carpet as he unfastened and dropped his dark denim jeans, not giving a single fuck that he was stripping in the middle of the room with the door wide open.
Biting down on his lower lip with seething rage, he attempted to distract himself with the task of dressing for work; his fingers fumbling clumsily with the infuriatingly difficult buckle from the belt on his black slacks, then on the unnecessarily intricate buttons of his white shirt. Stupid lousy goddamn dress-code.
With a loud huff, the irritable college student all but threw himself down onto his mattress, deciding to spend the rest of the time he had before work steeping in his rancorous, loathsome emotions. The petite male closed his weary eyes as he sighed loudly, draping an arm over his face as his thoughts drifted; taking him along for the ride down memory lane.
For years he had suffered silently in his unrequited, one-sided love affair with his best friend. For years he sat by, waiting, hoping for a sign. Any sign. He prayed, pleaded, bargained, and complained to any god or goddess he thought would listen. He turned down suitor after suitor, male or female, in hopes that if he waited long enough, Sollux would finally open his bi-chromatic eyes and see what had been in front of him all this time.
Karkat pulled a face as he recalled the few but serious relationships the geeky twenty-one year old had been in. Aradia Medigo had been Sollux's first and longest girlfriend. They'd been sweethearts for the majority of High School, and eventually planned to get married after graduation. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, one day out of the blue she had called off the engagement and dumped him for a body builder; leaving a devastated Sollux to pick up the shattered remains of what little he had left of his heart. The Cancer felt his chest tighten slightly as he remembered the living hell his best friend had endured afterwards. What he himself had also endured as he painstakingly stood witness to Sollux's anguish, doing all he could to assuage and mend the weeping wound Aradia had left behind. After what seemed like eons of heavy drinking and blurry one-night stands, Sollux met Feferi Peixes; a sweet, bubbly, Marine Biology student during their freshman year of college. Feferi at the time was a temporary exchange student from California. With her lithe body, waves of thick, wavy hair streaked from sun and chlorine, and her overall happy-go-lucky demeanor, it wasn't long before the Gemini had once again fallen victim to cupid's bow. The tech major wasted no time in cleaning up his act; determined to win the heart of the girl he could eventually see himself spending the rest of his life with. For a while everything was smooth sailing; Sollux was happy, and despite Karkat's own painful yearning, he managed to hold himself together and support the relationship for the sake of his best friend. But before they knew it, Feferi's semester came to an end, and the beloved couple had to bid farewell to one another. For a short period of time, the two had attempted to resuscitate and continue the bond via long distance, but that too lost it's luster, and through a mutual agreement the relationship came to an end. It was a bitter-sweet finish, and fortunately since, Sollux had been too preoccupied with juggling both his job and education to seek out another potential soul-mate.
But that didn't necessarily mean the gangly gamer had turned completely celibate, either.
Karkat knew that the hacker had fooled around with not only females, but experimented in male flings as well. He'd heard through the grapevine that a drunk, shit-faced Sollux had been taken home by a sleazy Eridan once or twice, and if you were to inquire a certain deadpan Dave Strider, he would shrug and casually admit that the two of them had the occasional "hook-up" from time to time, much to Karkat's raging jealousy.
So if Sollux's past relationship history said anything, it was that the lispy Gemini had proved to be at least somewhat bisexual. Karkat frowned. Once again with the beanpole's unrivaled penchant for duality. It wasn't as if the grouchy teen had any qualms with the object of his obsession swinging both ways; far from it. He just hated, no - - detested, abhorred, the mere concept of Sollux being romantically involved with anyone other than himself. Whether it be a grown man or a stupid girl, Karkat Vantas was completely and totally opposed to anyone coming between him and his predestined other half. He wouldn't tolerate it! He couldn't ... Not after everything he'd been put through ...
Karkat gasped lightly as he made an attempt to swallow the bitter stone that had lodged itself in the base of his throat. His eyes burned and tingled from behind his closed lids with the incoming threat of leaking liquid pride. In an effort to prevent the hot tears in their pursuit of escape, he squeezed his eyes shut tight; only to result in having the opposite of the intended effect. He felt the shameful fluid trickle down his embarrassed, warm cheeks as he continued to harass his psyche with tormenting emotions and bitter thoughts.
Damnit ...
Godfuckingdamnit!
Just as he was prepared to surrender to the cruel treatment of his undulating self-abuse, the sound of the front door opening caused him to jolt out of his current state of mind and return him to reality. He swiftly wiped his eyes and face on the sleeve of his shirt, sniffling and taking a deep breath to regain his sense of control. Karkat rose to a sitting position, hoping that his roommate wouldn't notice the blotchy, red appearance his face had taken on. As if on cue, Sollux meandered into the room; a plastic bag in one hand and keys in the other. Still riled from his previous meltdown, Karkat glared at the taller resident as he passed by the bed. "And just where the living fuck were you? I didn't realize it took a fucking PhD in common sense to get to the convenience store and back in a goddamn timely fashion. Leave it to you to turn a simple errand into a full-on unnecessarily complicated issue. Seriously. The gas station is right down the road and you were gone for a fucking hour. How is that even possible? Even by your standards that is inconceivable." he harshly criticized. Sollux deposited himself onto his computer chair, opening the cheaply-made plastic bag as he reached in and grasped something within. Without warning he tossed it towards his cranky roommate's direction, smirking as he did so. "KK, I'm touched. If you missed me so much, you could have just sent me a text saying you wanted me home". he teased, untwisting the cap from a bottle of Mountain Dew.
Karkat managed to catch the object hurdling towards him before it made impact and glanced at it; a box of Milk Duds, one of his favorites. He looked up and stared daggers into his best friend as his face burned with slight humiliation, in spite of the fluttering sensation in his chest. "Real funny, jackass. Do us all a favor and don't quit your day job". he retorted in response. Then, lowering his tone of voice, he added " ... But really. What the hell took you so long?".
The spectacled brunette gave a small shrug, frowning slightly. "Tech support called me in at short notice and I had to go in and fix someone else's fuck-up. Half of those assholes wouldn't know their way around a hard drive if their life depended on it. I mean FUCK, if they can't figure shit out by trial and error then they have no business being in that sort of trade in the first place. I know kids who are more qualified than those idiots" he answered, the disposition of his words taking on a minor but noticeable hostile manner. Karkat nodded, knowing all too well of the incompetent associates his friend had to work with on a daily basis. But then again, to a hacking genius who is positively apeshit bananas at computers and technology in general, the majority of people would seem useless in that area of expertise.
"Well, the next time you decide on taking a pit stop, a little head's up would be really damn considerate".
"What are you, my wife? Shut the hell up and eat your candy, KK".
Karkat scoffed, but didn't need to be told twice to open the orange cardboard box in his hands and indulge in the chewy, chocolatey-caramel capsules.
Across from him, Sollux rebooted his computer and began to run the program he'd been working on prior to his outing for sweets. The Cancer squinted his eyes in distaste as he watched his roommate push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, already engrossed in his coding and once more oblivious to everything around him. Karkat rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. Typical fucking Captor.
The bed-headed teen set aside the sugar and calorie loaded candies and stood from his bed, shoving his socked feet into black work shoes. Sensing the sudden movement from the corner of his eye, Sollux peeled his eyes from his monitor, casting the shorter boy a questioning glance before lifting his wrist to determine the time from his black sport's watch. "I thought you weren't supposed to be at work until four-thirty" he presumed.
"Yeah, well, the last time I went into work I was fifteen minutes late due to mindless assholes in traffic. My boss blew a fucking gasket and chewed me out for half a damn hour. It's bad enough the fucker is constantly breathing down the back of my neck as it is. And if I didn't know any better, I'd swear that he's got it out for me." Karkat grumbled. Sollux grinned. "Jesus, KK. You're so paranoid."
"Shut up, Sollux."
"Make me."
"No. Fuck you. I'm going to work."
The lanky Gemini was still snickering when Karkat left the bedroom. He lifted his jacket from the coat-rack near the front entrance, pulling open the door after slinging it over the back of his shoulder. "I'll be back at eleven. Don't fucking wait up." he called loudly into the house. He listened for Sollux's hardly audible reply before stepping outside and closing the door behind him. Keys in hand, he approached and unlocked his piece-of-shit car. He was a firm believer that the only thing holding the poor vehicle together was its rust. He'd gotten the car as a graduation gift from his folks, and for what the car lacked in beauty and flashiness, was made up in willpower and determination. Like Karkat, the black 1989 Yugo was a fighter, and despite how often he complained of it's incompetence, it was still his precious baby in the end. After a few words of encouragement from her loving owner, the car's engine finally turned over and the machine revved to life.
Some time later the crabby teen was shifting into an intersection, fingers absentmindedly strumming atop his steering wheel to the music from the radio. He shot a glance to the clock; hell, he might actually be early today. That'll show his foul-tempered, son-of-a-bitch boss. The bastard. Minutes later as he was pulling into the diner's parking lot, his cellphone vibrated in the passenger seat. Powering the engine off, he reached over and picked it up, flipping the device open to view the random text message.
It was from Sollux. What the hell could he possibly want...
Upon reading it, Karkat's heart stopped mid-beat and clenched painfully.
Goiing out driinkiing wiith ED twoniight. Don't waiit up.
Sollux's quirked message stared back at him coldly, almost mockingly. For a moment, the Cancer sat there, numbed. Staring at the text until it burned into his corneas. Inhaling a shaky breath, he finally snapped the phone shut, jamming it into his pocket before draping his arms over his steering wheel, resting his head on them as he slumped over. And as he slouched there in his crest-fallen state, hot, bitter tears rolled thickly from his clamped-shut eyes as every horribly possible scenario flashed through his mind.
And he hated himself just a little more.