John cautiously poked his head through the doorway. Karkat was in the midst of a rage, the kind where he either burst into long soliloquy on the dual futility and moronity of life, or, worse yet, refuses to respond to anything at all except to stare with reproach, hatred, disdain, any number of awful emotions, his red eyes burning into John's feeble soul.
Still, John had to try. Karkat had not said a single word to him as he passed John, only going straight into his Fortress of Solitude and locking the door. Of course, this was no great obstacle; John had a spare key, and Karkat knew it. Sometimes John thought that Karkat locking the door was really a plea for help, executed in such a manner only because Karkat had much too much ego to actually request anything at all from anyone.
John bit his lip, then took a deep breath. "Hiya, Karkat."
Karkat made no sign at all that he had heard him except to mutter, "Go away, Egbert."
"Aw Karkat, don't be such a–"
"I said go away." He turned, and John took a step back. There was no sign of emotion on his face at all save the rage in his eyes so pointed it was almost palpable. "And I meant go away."
John recomposed himself. "No. You are clearly not in any condition to be telling me to go away." Slowly, quietly, he entered the room, his only goal not to upset the beast, stir the dragon, trip the invisible wire. "So...what happened?"
"Nothing, Egbert. Will you please leave me alone?"
"You know I can't. I'm your friend. And this is what friends do."
"Stay and disrupt me from wallowing in my misery pit in perfect solitude as I wish that my life was not inherently and irreversibly a giant clusterfuck over which I have no control whatsoever? Gee, thanks. So thoughtful."
John was used to Karkat's biting remarks by now. "Come on, now. Don't be such a dick. I'm trying to help you. Now tell me. What happened?"
Karkat glared at him again, then softened. "He's being a brainless moron again." There was no need to specify who. "Sometimes I wonder why I put up with him at all. But then my heart in all of its predictable asininity has to be all fucking irregular, and I just have to stay."
"I think you two are cute, if that helps at all."
"It doesn't."
"You're welcome."
There was a pause. Karkat hunched forward just a little bit more, returning to his own little world where every cloud was dark and blustery and every tree withered. John sighed and placed a hand on Karkat's back. He rubbed little circles on Karkat's shoulder blades, trying to calm him down. At first, Karkat refused to accept the gesture, his back tense and his form somehow unapproachable. Eventually, though, he softened a bit. John jumped on the opportunity.
"You know, you don't have to feel weak just because you're in love. I mean, everybody has to be a little humbled by the person they're in love with. Otherwise no one would ever grow as a person. And whatever it was that he said, I'm sure he didn't mean it. He's just being...well, you knew what you were getting into and you can't deny it. Anyway, just remember that I will always be here to comfort you after all else fails and the world seems to be spiraling into your little hate world of dark and evil. So...cheer up?" John sighed, knowing that, most likely, Karkat had ignored everything he had said or would come up with another sarcastic remark to counter it.
Surprisingly, Karkat spoke in a less-than-offensive tone.
"John?"
"Yeah, Karkat?"
"Thanks. You're the best."
John smiled, knowing how much Karkat loved his smile, loved when he was happy. "You're welcome."