A little one shot to tear your hearts out.

tw: relationship abuse

Terezi Pyrope was a sweet girl. She used to hold her head high and smile at you with those bright, lively eyes. She would pick flowers that smelled lovely and sweet and put it in her hair after begging you to braid her a crown. She would wear one every day, the soft scent of red flowers became something you grew to love. Every morning she would bring you the flowers to braid and you would always refuse grumpily, saying how she should grow up. She would just snark right back, tell you not to be so uptight like your brother, and with that, you would reach gingerly for the flowers and braid it, never outwardly admitting you liked doing this. She would lean in close and all you could smell were the sweet flowers, tickling your nose and intoxicating you. You would do anything just to see her face light up with that pleased grin she always wore, how she teased you and how you teased back, how you didn't have to be sweet to know she could tell you cared. You were sweet, though. You walked her to her classes, held her books and broke your back carrying those brail indented slabs around for her. You would help her with everything she asked for or more, whether you fussed or not was not important- because in the end you really didn't mind.

Terezi Pyrope was a strong girl who saved you more than you saved her. She used to sit in detention with you giggling and throwing notes and doodles in your general direction, never feeling remorse for harming those who bullied you. She called it "justice" but the school called her "delinquent". More often than not you would purposefully do something stupid for the sake of being in detention with her. To reluctantly stammer words of gratitude to her and snicker at her cute doodles of an angry principal followed by a messily scrawled "BLUH BLUH HUGE PRICK" over the unsteady and ornery looking portrait. You would always tell her in the end that you didn't need her help, but she knew you just didn't want her to get in trouble. She would punch your arm before hugging you in a suffocating embrace, orange hair pressing into your face. She held the scent of sweet flowers.

Gamzee Makara was the kid everyone kind of ignored because they mutually agreed he was an absolute dumbass. So much as shaking hands with him and your hand would hold the wicked dank for weeks to come. You couldn't stand him. But you couldn't stand to be without him. He was one of the few who wasn't a dickraving douche to you, and you appreciated that in your strange, malice-veiled way. The kid managed to sober up after senior year, only second to him graduating high school on the spectrum of miraculous bullfuckery occurrences.

Terezi Pyrope had lingered away from you, perhaps losing interest, perhaps just done with you. She wasn't in front of your house in the mornings asking you to make a flower crown, she was out of school and attending Harvard. You were taking a year off to get a job and live a little before getting shoved back into the system for the rest of your existence. You didn't lose touch with Gamzee, though, you couldn't get rid of the stupid fuck. One day, though, he asked to bring his date over for a movie.

"Despite the fact I would be a literal third wheel in this bicycle of miraculous occurrences I never thought would happen, whatever, consider it my reward for you actually managing to get a girlfriend." You had told him. When he arrived, your heart nearly vomited with elation at the sight of a familiar face. Terezi Pyrope. She, of course could not see you, in fact, you highly doubt Gamzee even told her where he was taking her. "Terezi?" You had said, a voice full of awe and disbelief. She paused a moment, tilting her head. "Karkat?" She said in return. Her voice was less haughty, like someone had knocked her down too many times. Her hair was a mess and face pale as the moon. She was still beautiful. Without thinking you held her, noticed how she flinched, tensed even after realizing you were holding her, like you were doing to dig a knife in her back. Gamzee by this time went in between you two. "So I've been clean for over a month now."

"Good for you, dumpfuck, you managed to actually be a good citizen for once, want a fucking gold star?" You had hissed, not mentioning your crabbiness was due to having to let go of the girl of your dreams. It clicked. "How the hell did you two even hook up?" you said, making an obvious expression of being repulsed. "Well, funny fuckin' story, bro, you see, I was up and looking for a roomie to all up and share my apartment with, when this saucy fucker asked for a live-in guide as well as a place to crash. So I was all like 'sure whatever' and then we got to gettin' down." He said raising his eyebrows and making your heart want to puke again, though this time out of disgust. "Gamzee why the hell did you bring her to see a movie if she's blind?" you hiss beneath your breath, and he just shrugs. "Haha, oh yeah, that could be a problem I mean you can just up and turn the volume up wicked loud, you hear what I'm saying?" You wanted to punch him for being so inconsiderate. Regardless, she seemed adamant about staying and watching a movie, or really anything in the house. "Need more fresh air rather than being cooped up at home." She had said with a frail smile. Finally deciding to give in, you pop in a movie and sit on the couch, wanting to shit out your eyeballs and plug them into your auricular holes to block out the noise of those two snogging on the couch like horny teenagers. If it was what made her happy. One movie and agonizing makeout session later, Gamzee decided to roll out the awkward PDA tent and set it up elsewhere. As you said your goodbyes, you told her to meetup with you sometime, to catch up and all that good shit. She waited a moment and leaned towards Gamzee, who shrugged before realizing she couldn't see. "Oh, uh, yeah its all good, don't got no plans or anything, so you can come and pick her up for a bit." He said nonchalantly before heading out the door. Terezi stood in place, she was loath to leave. "Bye Karkat, See you soon." She said, opening her arms for a hug. You held her, reveling in her orange hair pressing into your face and her pointy glasses jabbing your skin. She no longer smelled of flowers.

You went to pick her up, leading her to a park you two used to always go to as kids and sat side by side on a bench. "How goes law school?" You had asked her, and her smile immediately dropped. "I... I decided to just kind of... Drop out. Gamzee pays the bills."

"What? You can't be serious, you were the best at politics and captain of debate team! You can't just-"

"Let's drop it." She interjected, smiling once more, but her eyes were not lit, her smile was feigned.

"Well, I think you're worth trying again, you were the best out of anyone I ever knew."

"Thanks, Karkat." It was silent for a long while before a giggle filled the air. Her giggle. The giggle that melted you into nothing but a puddle. "Hey, remember how we'd pick all those flowers I liked, the yellow ones-"

"Red."

"What?"

"They were red. Your favorite flowers."

"Oh. Well are there any left?"

"Duh."

She stood, cane in hand. "Lead me to them." She requested, to which you obliged. Kneeling down, gentle hands that were once confident and steady, now tremulously pulled the flowers out before hitting you in the face when she tried to hand them to you. "Sorry... Now make me a crown."

"After that little James Bond sock to the face, good luck getting me to do shit." You replied, despite your words, though, you eagerly took the flowers, braiding them perfectly and and placing it atop her head. A beautiful crown for a beautiful woman. Upon seeing her hand come up to rest on your forearm as you tweaked the position of the crown, your eyes fell to catch a purple bruise. "Woah, what's that?"

"What's what?"

"The bruise. On your arm. How'd you get it?"

"Oh, just bumped into a doorknob, hurt like a real bitch, too." She was quick to say, and your gut screamed it to be wrong, but she had no reason to lie to you...right?

You spent the rest of your time on your backs, lavishing in the old days of bullies and justice and Dave Strider. By the end of it all, you took her back home, and at her doorstep pressed your lips to her forehead. She smelled of joy and red flowers.

A week later, you returned to her, only to have her open the door and have another bruise on her face. "Hello?" She asked out blankly. "Terezi, oh my god are you okay?"

"Yeah." Her voice cracked, it was dry and croaky, as if she had been crying and screaming.

"No, you're not." You blurted, coming close and resting a hand on her shoulder, which jumped as if her soul was trying to leap out of her flesh. "I just fell again, jesus, Karkat." she defended, to which to responded with "I know you, you're not that careless."

"Who the motherfuck is at the door?" Called out Gamzee from out of view.

"Just... A salesperson."

"Well what are you doing, tellin' them your fuckin lifestory, tell them to fuck the motherfuck off an up and shut the fuckin door." He growled from afar.

"Did Gamzee do this shit to you? Did he? I'm going to fucking kill him." You hissed lowly, trying to move forward to which she grappled your arm.

"Karkat. Just leave. Okay? Nobody hit anybody, I just fell."

"Like hell you fell!"

"ARE YOU STILL TALKING?" Boomed a voice so full of rage, you could hardly believe it was Gamzee at all. Along with it, thunderous booms followed it, until a messy, still in pyjamas Gamzee came to the door, expression softening at the sight of you. "Heeey best bro, hows you up and been?"

"Karkat, please." You heard her, and that was enough to diffuse the bomb that had been ticking dangerously low. "I was just coming over to see if Terezi wanted to come to a party, Sollux is holding on in celebration for the douche being one year older." You figured if you couldn't kill him, you could get her away. "Sorry bro, but we were actually about to get down and read, weren't we, sis?"

"Yes. Sorry Karkat."

"I'll go get that book, now, you see him off." He said lowly, sauntering off.

"Please come with me." You begged her.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I should see you anymore."

"Terezi-"

"Go." She turned away, a moment, wiping away tears.

"I would never treat you like that."

"I know." She said sadly, and you moved in close to kiss her forehead one last time. You had lost your red flower.