Characters of Andrew Hussie.
The ending sucks a little in the sense that the actual dialogue I had planned was lost. But the main point is still there.
Metallic drumming echoed through the normally silent halls of the facility. Metal feet meeting metal flooring in the steady beat of a desperate escape. Pain welled up in his chest as he ran as hard as he could. Running away to nowhere, to anywhere, to somewhere away from where he had been, from what he had seen. At the end of the hallway the floor dropped away into stairs leading down into the dark. Stepping haphazardly he managed to reach the bottom of the first flight on his feet; the second flight wasn't quite as successful. His foot slipped off the edge of one of the many, many steps and he was sent tumbling downwards, limbs flailing as he descended. He hit the bottom with a heavy thud. He had landed awkwardly and as hard as he fought he could not right himself. Giving up with a painful sob the troll curled into himself as best he could manage and wept. No one would look for him he knew, even if someone happened across him they wouldn't bother helping him up; they never did. Feeling alone and very much heartbroken Tavros cried to himself in the darkness of this seldom used stairway, half hoping never to be found.
Gamzee turned another corner and scanned the hall that lay before him. He no longer supported his usual grin and the lax sway in his stride was missing as he traversed the long hallways. He'd been looking for a few hours already and had quite lost track of where he was in relation to the others, though right now he didn't much care. He had seen the Taurus as he had fled the room, had seen him too late. Gamzee had never felt this horrible before, this gut wrenching pain that sat in his chest. He had to find Tavros, had to explain what he had seen.
Stopping to give his legs a rest Gamzee leaned against the cold gray wall, letting the images from earlier seep in. He had been with Karkat, had been listening to him as he ranted. It was about one of the humans as it usually was now. John something. The human that the shorter troll had once claimed to be his destined Kismisis. But not now, now it was turning red. It was turning red and Karkat was frustrated and confused. And Gamzee had listened, listened like he always did, like any good moirail would. For all his efforts Karkat couldn't seem to get this human boy interested in the way he wanted, the way he needed.
"Just give him a motherfuckin' kiss." Gamzee had suggested, "It's the best way to get a motherfucker interested, my brother."
"A kiss?" Karkat had echoed, "It's not that fucking simple."
"Yes it motherfuckin' is, bro." Gamzee had replied with a grin.
"No, it fucking isn-" Karkat had started.
Now he didn't think of Karkat as anything more than a friend, just his best bro. But he had kissed him. Had leaned down and kissed him. It was a simple thing, quick and meaningless with no feelings attached; except maybe anger when Karkat had pulled away and started yelling at him. But Gamzee didn't hear a word of what Karkat had started to say. His eyes were on the door behind Karkat, where he had seen, what he hoped he hadn't seen. The rushed footsteps in the hall confirmed it though; Tavros had been there. Had walked in, had seen them and fled.
Gamzee pushed himself off the wall now and started his search anew. He needed to find Tavros, needed to apologize. He needed to tell him it wasn't what it looked like. He didn't care for Karkat in that way. That he only cared for him that way. He had put off telling for so long, waiting, waiting for something. He wasn't sure what but he didn't want to wait any longer, he couldn't. The look on the Taurus's face when he had seen, he had only stood in the doorway for a second but Gamzee could see the look. Tavros's face had crumbled in moments upon seeing them, eyes tearing up almost instantly. He was crying, he was crying and it was Gamzee's fault. The weight of this knowledge crushed him and all he could think about was finding the small troll; finding him and pulling him close, telling him what he had wanted to say for so very long.
Gamzee stopped in his tracks and stood suddenly very still. There had been a noise. He strained his ears to pick up on what it might have been. After a moment it echoed again though the hall. It was faint, off a ways from where he was. He swiftly made his way down the hall, the sounds becoming clearer as he walked.
It was crying.
The echoes of pitiful sobs as they left the pathetic body where they had been trapped. Gamzee reached the stairs at the end of the hall and paused. Looking down over the edge of the first flight to the landing of the second Gamzee's eyes widened as he made out the trembling form of Tavros, curled into an awkward ball at the bottom. Leaping down the stairs as quickly as he could Gamzee rushed to the Taurus's side.
"Tav!"
Tavros's heart skipped a beat at the sound of someone calling his name. The shock soon turned to a rush of pain as he recognized it to be Gamzee's voice. He could hear the rapid decent of the other and wished desperately the he wasn't actually there, the he was still alone. He didn't mind being alone, really, he would rather be alone then to-. He could feel the tears burn in his eyes even hotter than before.
"Tav-bro, you alright motherfucker?" Gamzee asked as he reached out to help pick him up.
Tavros flinched at the Capricorns touch and tried to pull away. He couldn't bring himself to speak for fear of bursting into tears again.
"Tav, what?" Gamzee questioned as he was shoved away.
Tavros would have given anything to have smaller horns at that moment. He wanted to run away but was held fast by the odd angle in which they had dug into the metal when he had landed. Gamzee moved again to try and help him out only to have his hands pushed away once more. The tears were burning hot trails down Tavros's cheeks now as he struggled both to get up and keep Gamzee away from him. He cared for Gamzee, he was as flushed for the troll as one could ever be, but he had seen Gamzee with Karkat. They had been kissing. He had lost. He had finally gained the confidence to tell Gamzee how he felt only to find he had waited too long, though he doubted it would have mattered. He was pathetic and weak. There was no way anyone would choose him, especially not Gamzee.
"Tav, stop. You're only makin' it worse." Gamzee said as he took hold of the large horn to keep it from digging any further into the floor.
Tavros froze as Gamzee gripped his horn firmly. With the other no longer struggling the Capricorn was able to maneuver the wedged horn to freedom, being mindful of the others position so as not to jerk his head in an odd direction. Once he was free Gamzee tried to pull the smaller troll up, but once his hands left his horn Tavros was pushing his hands away again, trying to crawl away.
"Tav, wait-"
"D-don't-" Tavros managed to squeak though his tears as he tried to put distance between them.
"I know what it looked like, but it wasn't-"
"Don't, Gamzee. Just-" Tavros ceased trying to escape and just covered his face as his composure crumbled.
Gamzee watched as Tavros burst into sobs before him. He felt helpless and horrible and all he wanted to do was hold the Taurus tight against his chest. Sitting there Gamzee couldn't just let him cry and so he reached out and lifted the small troll into his lap. Tavros struggled weakly to get away at first but once Gamzee's arms wrapped fully around him he stopped. The Capricorn held him tightly feeling his own eyes tearing up. Tavros's fingers gripped Gamzee's shirt tightly as he turned enough to sob into the others chest. It hurt to be this close to him, but at the same time he didn't want to be anywhere else.
Gamzee pat Tavros on the back gently as he cried. Every time the tiny troll would shiver or shake from the tears Gamzee would give him a squeeze.
"Tav?" Gamzee asked in a whisper after some time had passed.
Sniffling against his chest Tavros nodded weakly.
"Tav, there's somethin' I need to tell you. Something I've been meanin' to say for some motherfuckin' time now." Gamzee said as quietly as he could and still be heard.
Tavros, despite his fear of what was going to be said, found himself anxiously waiting for what would come next.
"I'm motherfuckin' flushed for you, bro."
Tavros's heart skipped a beat and his breathing ceased. He looked up at Gamzee and was met with the sight of purple tears streaking down his cheeks and smearing the white face paint.
"I'm so motherfuckin' sorry, Tav." Gamzee's chest heaved as he spoke.
Tavros reached up and tried to wipe the tears from the others eyes as they fell, but was only successful in smearing the makeup more.
"Gamzee-"
"Back there- It wasn't like that- I swear Tav." Gamzee choked out.
Tavros leaned up and pulled Gamzee's head down so it was resting on his shoulder now. The Capricorn let his tears fall freely now and his hold around the Taurus waist tightened slightly. Tavros wrapped his own arms around the other troll's shoulders and pat his back as he had done just moments before.
"Gamzee," Tavros said softly as the Capricorn continued to cry, "I, have something I need to, uh, tell you too."
He hesitated as he tried to speak without his stutter. He wanted to say this with all the confidence he had, with all the certainty he felt in his heart.
"I-" Tavros stopped and swallowed hard, "I'm flushed for you too, Gamzee."
The arms around him tightened as he got the words out. Gamzee pulled his head back enough so that he could look into Tavros's eyes.
"Really, Tav?"
"Really, Gamz." Tavros replied and gave a weak smile.
Gamzee's face lit up and his lips pulled into a smile, wider than his usual grin by far. Tavros's heart fluttered when it spread across his tear stained face. Bringing a hand up Gamzee caressed the Taurus's cheek, which made him blush at the contact. Slowly Gamzee pulled Tavros into a kiss; light and sweet. Tavros felt his face burn tan as the Capricorn's lips covered his. He closed his eyes and leaned up into it; feeling the others lips curl into a bigger smile. The kiss broke and Gamzee looked down at Tavros with a look of such calm it made the Taurus's heart flutter once more.
"I motherfuckin' love you, Tav." He said, leaning his head against Tavros's own.
"I, uh, love you to, Gamz. A whole lot." Tavros replied, making his blush darker.
Gamzee placed a kiss on the others forehead and gave him another squeeze. He had done it, he messed up before but that didn't matter now. He had told Tavros and the other reciprocated. This was the happiest he had ever felt; right here, holding tightly onto the small troll. His little miracle who, to the best of his abilities, would never have to cry again. He wouldn't ever let him cry again.
Above the two trolls at the top of the stairway a dark figure loomed. It watched them with sharp piercing eyes as they hugged and kissed and rubbed faces. It wanted to puke. It wanted to hurt. And soon, soon it would get it's way.