AN: This was first posted on Archive of Our Own and you can find it there under the same title. This was inspired by a wonderful work of art done by the artist Amarantto.
Your name is Dave and you have been talking to this kid across the alleyway from you for quite some time now. It started months ago after he moved in, just so happening to get the bedroom right across from yours the next building over. It took you no time at all to start talking to him, choosing to give him a quick 'sup' when he was just chilling in his room, reading some kind of book while sitting at the desk that he had. From where you could see, the room was pretty damn messy with clothes strewn about across the floor, the bed unmade, and countless cans of Monster sitting at the computer's side. You wondered if the kid ever even slept with how many energy drinks he obviously drank in a single day. Then again, when you actually got a look at him with his unkempt hair and bags under his eyes, you doubted it greatly.
Your first conversation didn't go over too well. He called you all sorts of things, stringing together words you have never heard strung together in such a way that he put them. It amused you, the way that he yelled at you just for saying hi to him, for trying to be civil. Quite obviously, laughing at this was not the best route to go, since it just sent another string of curses your way. Although, you could have sworn that you heard a small tint of amusement. Probably at your laughter, no doubt.
That was when it all started. You began to talk to him daily from your balcony in your room, and it was the one part of the day that you actually looked forward to- after all, the kid was home schooled, which kind of sucked. You learned that his name was Karkat Vantas, he and his dad just moved there practically for the hell of it, thinking that a new change of scenery was good, though Karkat did doubt it, considering his dad was a mob boss. Oh, you weren't supposed to know about that. You quickly promised to keep it under wraps, under lock and key, the secret would never escape your lips. His fantasy with romance was another thing that you learned about, and it intrigued you more than anything other else. The way that he lit up when talking, practically raving, about it couldn't help but bring a smile to your face and you did nothing but listen to him. Of course, you'd never admit it, but the talk of finding someone to spend the rest of your life with sounded pretty sweet, and breaking the whole 'Striders never settle down' chain would be pretty awesome, too. His star sign was cancer, his favorite colors were grey and red, and he was learning how to hack, though he was still pretty damn shitty about it.
Slowly, you began telling him things about yourself as well. You told him your name, naturally, and that you had lived in the same city your entire life, just moved around apartments a few times because of neighbors, considering you and your brother liked to sword fight on roofs and it normally scared the crap out of the poor people who couldn't handle it. You told him that your favorite color was indeed red, that you loved apple juice, and you even told him about your sister, Rose, and your other friends, John and Jade. You even told him about your hobbies with drawing a comic called Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff and mixing music, and your fascination with collecting dead things in jars. Sure, that kind of creeped him out, but, oh, what you would pay to see his face from back when you told him what your brother did for a living. It was priceless! He just looked so terrified to find out that Bro made puppet porn to make money, and that his website was actually rather popular.
It didn't take long for you two to start staying up until the sun rose, just talking away about mindless, mundane things. Whatever you wanted to talk about, you would, and it was absolutely perfect.
Well, at least, it was going perfect until you got the brilliant idea of jumping over to visit him. As soon as you climbed up onto the railing of your balcony, he began freaking the fuck out, telling you not to do it, telling you that you would fall and break something. You reassured him with the fact that you were a Strider, so you could make it…
Unfortunately, he was right, and you fell into the bushes below your balcony, thus breaking an arm. Naturally, Karkat began freaking out more and was on the phone with the paramedics when he appeared by your side and held your hand, causing you to smile instead of grimace in pain. Man, it was nice to have that warmth of his palm on yours. That was also the moment when you realized that he was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, that while you learned all these little things about him, he began to fill your heart up with love. Yes, with a broken arm, lying in a bush with your frantic best friend next to you was when you realized you fell in love with him. How fucking romantic.
Whelp, the paramedics came and took you away to the hospital, where you got your arm X-Rayed and then casted up. Yeah, it was most definitely broken. In two places, to be exact, and it would take quite a while to heal according to the doctor, so you had to take it easy.
Yeah, right.
The day that you came home from the hospital, Karkat asked you if everything was alright, which you answered that it was. Well, before you climbed back up onto the railing, getting an earful from your best friend across the way that you were going to fall and break your other arm, or break your already broken arm again, thus having it take even longer to heal than it was already going to. However, this time the outcome was different. You actually made it all the way across, landing right next to the other that you came to call your friend.
It took a little bit, but you got him to calm the fuck down and stop yelling at you just for you to pull him into a one-armed hug where you buried your face in his hair. He smelled like strawberries. Sweet, sweet strawberries. With a smile, you murmured for him to be yours into his hair. The silence ate at you for quite some time, and you actually got nervous before the arms that he had around your torso tightened and you could feel his lips tug upward in a smile against your chest. That was one of the happiest days of your life, and you would never forget it for years to come.