You're Beautiful, Okay?

A light teal glimmered against gray skin, streamed down cheeks and plopped onto black pants. Terezi lifted a sweaty palm to her face and wiped away the sticky mess around her nose and eyes. Her knees hugged her chest and her red dragonhood was promptly curled tightly around her body. The female troll was sobbing like a grub. A loud, ugly sniffle resounded against the dark walls of her hive. Lights were nonexistent in this dark place. She had to hide from the world.

The world that seemed more pretty, more awe inspiring than herself. A world where "Rad girls" deserved so much more attention and love. Where even her best friends found her dancestor so much cooler. They'd never said it, no, but the youngest Pyrope knew it to be true. It had to be. She just wasn't good enough. Darker teal welled up in the latest bite to her lips, now chapped and bloody. Her mind whirled with silly thoughts about how Latula would certainly take her own place in Terezi's group of friends. That maybe she would never have friends again.

A loud, obnoxious knock sounded at the hive's door. "HEY TEREZI, WE'RE GOING TO GO DISCUSS OUR PLANS FOR CAPTURING LE, YOU IN?" Karkat's voice filled her ears as he practically yelled at her from outside her own room. "GO 4W4Y K4RK4T!" Silence filled the hive once more, even the sniffling resorted to quiet. She almost called out to see if he was there, but her answer was made clear quite quickly.
"HEY, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO UPSET YOU." His voice was softer now, gentle almost. Terezi sniffled and stayed silent. The troll had no words for her cherry-blooded friend. Actually, she didn't have words for anybody. "L34V3 M3 4LON3" Her voice was a murmur, quiet against the silent backdrop.

Karkat dropped his raised fist from the door and stood in the darkened hallway. Now that he thought about it, her room wasn't lit up at all. Squinting, the troll jiggled the handle. Locked. "HEY PYROPE, CAN I COME IN?" Again his voice was quiet, just above a whisper. He was starting to miss her insane cackle. His friend had been quiet the last few days, but she'd never gone to lengths such as locking herself in her room. That didn't seem like a thing she'd do. This was weird.

Terezi looked up through hazy red eyes. Okay, well, she really can't look, but if she could, she would. The teal-blooded troll blinked under her red shades and sniffled again. It was hard to "see" with a runny nose. To Karkat, she answered with "NO" and left it at that. No he could not come in, no he could not see her like this. She wouldn't allow it. Not at all.

Karkat's ever-present frown deepened. "C'MON TZ, WHAT'S WRONG?" Worry creased his facial features. His nose bunched up and he knocked again, louder and more obnoxious than previously. "COME OUT BEFORE I BUST DOWN THE DOOR!" Karkat puffed his cheeks and exhaled sharply. Seriously, what was wrong with her? Cracking his knuckles, the troll stepped backwards and raised his leg to-

Terezi got to her feet and swore. Grumpily, she unlocked the door and opened it to find her friend about to kick her face in. " :| WH4T TH3 H3LL K4RK4T?!" The male only gave a nervous laugh and lowered his leg. "RIGHT, UH...SORRY ABOUT THAT." TZ frowned and shook her head then turned back to her room. Without uttering another word, she curled up on the floor and resumed the same position laying down this time.

"SO, YOU GONNA TELL ME WHATS WRONG YET, PYROPE?" Not a shake of her head, not a malicious retort. Nothing. Karkat flopped down on the floor beside her and stared down at her, completely at a loss. "COME ON, DON'T BE THAT WAY. TELL KARKAT WHAT'S WRONG." Again, nothing. This time the cherry blood nudged her shoulder and peered down at her face. "TEREZI-" "SHUT UP K4RK4T"

Karkat blinked, confused. "W-WHA-?" "1 S41D SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU IGNOR4NT BLOCK H34D! YOU H4V3 NO 1D34 WH4T 1T F33LS L1K3! SH3S SO MUCH COOL3R TH4N 1 4M! 1TS NOT F41R! 1 JUST W4NT TO F1T 1N 4ND H4V3 3V3RYON3 L1K3 M3! SOM3ON3 TO L1K3 M3 ..." There was that ugly sobbing again. Terezi hunched over and sobbed into her hands, teal streaming down her face and pooling in a sticky mess on the ground beneath her.

Again, the cherry blood blinked. He raised a hand to the back of his neck and scratched, unsure of what to do. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL AND YOU FIT IN PERFECTLY. IS IT YOUR DANCESTOR? TEREZI, I THOUGHT I ALREADY TOLD YOU, SHE'S COOL YEAH AND EVERYONE LIKES HER, BUT THEY LIKE YOU TOO. ESPECIALLY ME, I REALLY LIKE YOU TEREZI AND I'D NEVER NOT BE YOUR FRIEND.." He paused here and rubbed the palm of his hand on the back of his head. A goofy smile danced across his facial features. "THERE'S NO NEED TO FEEL INSECURE TEREZI, NO ONE WANTS TO STOP BEING YOUR FRIEND. BESIDES, YOU'RE WAY COOLER THAN SHE IS. I MEAN YOU CAN DRAW AND YOU'RE ADORABLE AND THE WAY YOU LAUGH WHEN YOU'RE GIDDY IS JUST SO CUTE. AND NOT TO MENTION WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING LEGISLATORATOR, YOU SCRUNTCH UP YOUR NOSE IN THE MOST ADORABLE WAY WHEN YOU'RE THINKING OVER YOUR CASE. AND THAT DRAGON HOOD IS THE MOST PRECIOUS THING AND YOUR OBSESSION WITH DRAGONS. YOU'RE TOO CUTE NOT TO LOVE, TEREZI." Karkat closed his mouth here, unsure of how to go on.

How else could he tell her how special she was to him? Words couldn't begin to describe how he felt (How cheesy of him). He opened his mouth again, but the words wouldn't escape. Not this time. Sighing softly, the male troll let his shoulders sag and looked down at his friend. Her crying had ceased and she was slowly wiping away the tears and mucus. Carefully, she rolled over onto her other side and looked up at him. Her face was flushed a deep teal and her nose was brightly shaded. He bet that if she took off her glasses, her eyes would be puffy and dully colored.

Karkat raised a hand and palmed away the rest of her tears. "T-THOS3 TH1NGS YOU S41D ... 4R3 TH3Y TRU3? DO YOU R34LLY M34N TH4T?" The male blinked and stared at her, bewildered. "OF COURSE I DO...WHY WOULD I NOT? YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL, OKAY?" Terezi looked down at her fingers for a few seconds, to Karkat they felt like forever, then glanced back up at him. "TH-TH4NK YOU"

A silence passed between them. Karkat studied Terezi, and the teal blood stared at her twiddling thumbs without really paying attention. The two stayed like that until Terezi, out of seemingly no where, raised her hands to the back of her friends' head and tugged at him. He allowed this motion, confused and taken aback. Bloody lips mashed against new in a gentle tug of hope.

And quickly, without hesitation, Terezi kissed Karkat softly.