Chapter 1: Chills
Karkat shifted his weight to the empty side of the bed. His eyes slightly lifted apart while his body aggressively curled in to avoid the abrasive-chilled air. He sighed as fog blew out his mouth, giving him the awareness of his conciseness. The sky was a dull bluish grey and the room had a pale overlook to it.
Karkat was unable to unwrap the comforter that hugged him. He quickly pulled himself up and shivered from the air's attempt to find its way through his plush-armor. Yet it's attempts made it clear that it's that time of year.
It's the holiday seasons. Karkat never really celebrated Christmas as a kid. His dad was not interested in religious celebrations. Nothing ever influenced him to take up the offer of ever becoming a part of these types of things and, nothing has ever influenced him in any way particularly either. All that to say, Karkat doesn't care for the holidays.
He continued to the kitchen where Gamzee, one of his closest friends, started his morning. He was a tall lean brown skinned fellow. Crazy curly hair and brown eyes. His dad was white and for all he knows his mom is a darker complexion. This can be seen through his smooth thick interracial skin. Keeping up with him is like playing cards. You never know what you're going to end up with fucking around with him. You either know what you're doing with him, or you have no clue what the fuck is going on.
"Fuck man" Gamzee opened the fridge.
"Yeah I know," Karkat continued
"Cold as shit !" Gamzee grabbed a water bottle and tossed it to Karkat. He watched the bottle hit his shoulder and roll down the side of his comforter and onto the floor. He stared at it and watched it until it was still. He glanced at it, refusing to pick it up or make an effort to do so since the air was freezing his berries off.
"You know Kar, you could turn the heat on."
"Yeah but, then for the next three months, we'll feel like we need to turn the heat on everytime it gets cold. That's a lot of money nobody has to be spending. And what are you planning on doing today?" Karkat trailed into the kitchen.
"I was hoping that later, Tavros, the new retail worker, would hang out with us today." Gamzee grabbed an apple hoping to satisfy his wondering hunger. Karkat settled for the same as they both moved into the living room and sat down on their dark green sofa.
"Do you like this kid?" Asked Kar.
"I mean...let's just say he got a way of making a brother like me swoon. He's so...so…" Gamzee tried his best to explain what Tavros actually made him feel. He gestured some more to imply words but they just weren't coming to him.
"Ahh-fuck it. What about you. I known John's a nice looking fellow. Do you plan on seeing him today?" Gamzee took a bite of his apple.
"I don't know, I mean...he's too kind for his own good, he's a cheesy ass motherfucker, and he doesn't even seem… you know interes-"
"Gay?" Gamzee said as he took another bite.
"I guess…" Karkat glared awkwardly towards his comment. He's usually uncomfortable calling himself 'gay'. The term seems new to him yet so ordinary. Why gay? They could just say "uninterested in women." There are plenty of ways to say gay. But when they say gay, Karkat felt that there was some ceremony applied to it. That you had to have gone through some hardships, had sexual and romantic experience, or even marriage.
"Come on Kar. 'Gay' isn't a bad word. It's just a word to describe your preferences. You've know for ten years already. It's time to let things just be." Gamzee finished his apple and shot it towards the trash can sitting against the outer wall of the kitchen. It bounced off the wall and fell straight into the basket.
"Weather or not I feel conformable; what makes you think John is...interested?" Karkat swirled his apple clockwise re-evaluating his choice of food.
"I guess the same way I know Tavros is interested in men."
Karkat stopped spinning his apple in contemplation.
"You don't know...do you?"
"I only know what the motherfucking guy let's me know." He gave a big smile. His grin widened as it became the glamour of hope for Karkat for the moments it lasted. He gave a weak smile back. He wasn't certain about anything really.
"To be honest, I think I'm just going to ask Tavros to come over our house instead of just a simple hangout !" Gamzee jumped up from the couch and Karkat jumped up in urgency.
"This house looks like shit though!"
"Decorating is a good idea- isn't it?" Gamzee looked at the light blue walls and the with a slight "hmmm" in order to stretch out his thoughts.
"What time is Nitram coming over?" Karkat asked as he finally shifted the comforter off his pale body.
"six" There was a pause.
"How about I go to the store and go get seasonal decorations and you can go to the grocery and pick out snacks. Not heavy but also not college student broke." They breaker and Karkat ran to his room to retrieve clothes suitable for normal everyday settings. A nice black and yellow flannel with black leg fitting jeans and white sneakers to fit. He grabbed his house keys and left.
He ran towards the elevator and out the apartment building. He made his way down the street and a few blocks down the busy loop. He found a decent area for taxis before calling one and hitching a ride to the nearest Dollar store. There he gathered all his materials and needed decor; this'll surely surprise, not just Tavros, but Gamzee as well.
Karkat felt so proud of himself! He collected fake snow, missile toes, decorative plates and cups, as well as two or three snow globes to put on the fake fireplace that they use as a heater.
As he approached the register, he noticed a friend of his.
"Aradia!?" Karkat rushed to the brown haired girl.
"No way! Karkat!? Wow you look- you look so much older! Dude, how have you been? I haven't seen you since prom...How's school coming?" She started scanning his bags as she made a bright toothful grin on her face.
"I'm actually taking a gap year. I'm working to save up for college. You know, gotta get my shit together before I go in debt. Heh...heh… So how's your sister doing?" Karkat started placing his materials in the plastic bags.
"You know...she's still fooling around with your brother." she bobbed in an awkward fashion suggesting an uncomfortable truth, " I honestly don't know what she sees in him."
"He told me that eventually he was going to break up with her, but they're totally compatible sexually, does that count as love?" Karkat grabbed all the bags and nodded.
Aradia smiled at him as she gestured him a heart.
"Love, Karkat, is in all forms. It can last forever or it can last a little while. Weather it counts as love; I guess it's on their own accord. But I'll see you later Karkat. I just started working here recently so stop by anytime."
"Thanks Ari. See you soon"
"He left out as Aradia began taking another customer. Karkat clumsily left out the door and on the borderline of the busy sidewalk as he began his way towards the best area to score a taxi. As he made his way downtown, walking fast past plenty of strangers. He bumped into another familiar face,
"Oh hell! I'm so sorry...Eridan!?"
Karkat stood there as he saw the lean black haired aquarian mouth open with amazement.
" Karkat!? What the fuck!? Why the hell would you bump into me like that and not say hi? Come here!" Karkat was grabbed into a full embrace under Eridan's arms.
"Gah! Eridan, it's good to see you too- but I'm kind of busy."
"Oh! Sorry, my bad. What's been up? I haven't seen you in a while."
"You know, getting stuff for the holidays. I'm trying to basically hook up a friend of mine. What's it to you?"
"Nothing I just wanted to see how my good friend was doing."
"Surely! Knowing you for a while makes it almost impossible not to know your intentions."
Eridan gave a huge breath before admitting .
"Let's just be honest here… I missed you Kar. You and me had something special years back and I was maybe thinking…"
"What… you'd get back together with me? Did Feferi run you off?"
" Kar! I'm not the same person anymore." Karkat rolled his eyes.
" You look as white and privileged as ever."
"If that's how you feel, you're not an exception to the rule. The only difference is I already have money."
"Yeah well, go find another person to spend it on. We are 'friends'. We are nothing more and nothing less."
"Kar I… L- let me help you."
"What?"
Eridan grabbed a couple of bags and whistled a taxi. Under Karkat's opinion, and those opinions he would not admit to, he thought he looked pretty handsome doing it. But this is another Eridan, another year and a new day. He left for a reason.
Karkat watched as the taxi pulled by.
"Here are your decorations Kar."
Karkat hopped into the vehicle as Eridan trailed behind him.
"Please Kar….think about it." He closed the door. As he watched the vehicle drift away, he began to fidget with his hair.
"Kar, I really do still love you," and he began going into the opposite direction of the now, long gone car.
Karkat while on his way home, thought about John to make himself feel better , but was clouded with the memories of the past.
"Dammit Eridan!"