A/N: My first attempt at JohnKat! Also my first fanfic since like eighth grade! Reviews are appreciated!
The air was still and dry in the confined space of the respiteblock. For the twentieth time that same hour, tired, half-lidded eyes stared at the collage of romcom posters that plastered the walls. The troll let out a breathy sigh that descended in his throat to a frustrated growl. He rolled over on the floor, knocking his laptop closed, not that he cared. No one was online; they were actually conversing in person. Shocking.
Another frustrated sigh. Since his moirail had gone into hiding from everyone, especially Kanaya, Karkat couldn't exactly just go and see him whenever he got like this. Of course he knew precisely where he was on this gog-forsaken rock, but he wouldn't compromise Gamzee's hiding place for anything. Nor was talking to Terezi an option anymore, or else he might start something with Dave, who always seemed to be with her. Then there was Rose and Kanaya. Both infuriatingly insightful people who would only psychoanalyze him. And of course, Aradia, half-dead Sollux, weird dead god-tier Eridan and Feferi...
Karkat rolled onto his side and curled up around his laptop. Upon opening it, he glanced over at the chumproll opened up in the trollian window, looking for anyone with whom to start a conversation. No, nope, fuck no, he thought as he glared hard at each colorful trolltag. Then he looked at the two tags towards the bottom in his left that were grey in their offline status, more so at the very last. He looked over at his calendar and frowned. It had to have been close to three earth years by now. Isn't that how long it would take to reach their destination? For three years, the last handle had been grey, unable to come online as it's owner flew through space on a golden battleship.
Karkat looked at the screen, at the tag, a little longer than everyone else's. It wasn't that he necessarily missed the human, but he'd admit that he tolerated him more than the other humans. At least he wasn't stealing all of your remaining friends. But he couldn't help feel a pang of worry when the human wormed his way into Karkat's think-pan.
"Fuck this," he murmured to himself as he wrenched his eyes away from the screen. Without another thought, he closed the laptop once more, stood up, and stretched. He hadn't slept well in days; the freaky dream bubbles only brought back painful memories, sometimes, even mocking alternate universes of what could have been as a happy, normal troll, and not a mutant. Karkat glanced once at the empty room, then transportalized from his respiteblock and into the lab.
He didn't really know where he was trying to go, just that he needed to walk around, without bumping into anyone. The lab wasn't exactly his first choice in places to relax; there was hardly any light in the large room, only illuminated by the cylindrical tanks that housed various subjects. Overall, it was really quite creepy.
Karkat leaned against the far wall and slid down, sitting with his knees in front of him. He was just so bored, so tired. He let his eyes wander around the place, lingering from one floating science experiment to the next. The next thing he remembered was a gentle, but firm, hold on his shoulder from an unknown person. Karkat's eyes opened wide in shock and he turned his head fast enough to feel a slight pain in his neck. He looked up at the nearly-glowing troll standing close to him.
"Kanaya? What the fuck?" Karkat rubbed his neck, then looked at his hand. His gray skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat.
Kanaya's face that had momentarily held an expression of worry, softened into a gentle understanding smile. "You were screaming in your sleep. I could hear you from the computer bay."
Karkat looked down at his knees. "Oh." Damn. The horrorterrors must have gotten to him again.
"Is there anything that you would like to talk about? Perhaps it would dispel any negative feelings that may have found their way into your dream bubble?" Kanaya gave Karkat's shoulder a comforting squeeze. She always played the role of mother-grub when it came to the young troll.
Karkat shook his head. This is something he had to do with his moirail.
"No." Karkat got to his feet and pulled at the hem of his sweater. "Thanks, though." He looked at the rainbow-drinker. He found it hard to look at Kanaya with the usual spite he gave everyone, his gaze now holding something more like fear or sadness. Kanaya removed her hand and nodded.
"I'll leave you alone, then, shall I?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
And in a moment Kanaya was gone. Karkat blinked a few times in the dim light. The images that flashed across his eyelids were part of the same nightmare he had had often these past three years.
Feeling a little creeped out by his current surroundings, Karkat made his way back to his room. He leaned against one his posters and collected himself. Then he picked up his laptop from the floor and sat at his desk. The usual people were online still. He allowed himself another glance at the last name in the list. He blinked and saw the vision from his dream bubble again. John's face contorted with pain as Jack stabbed him again and again. His bright red blood falling to the floor in heavy streams. His face when he looks to you for help. Your name on his lips, and he reaches, shakily for you. But you do nothing. You are shackled to the wall behind you, and you pull against them. By the time you get free, Jack is gone, and you can only watch as the life leaves the ocean blue eyes of the human...
Karkat closed his eyes in self-pity and anguish at the repeat of his nightmare. He opened his eyes just in time to see a window fade in at the bottom of the laptop screen.
The window read, "ectoBiologist is online." Karkat's blood-pusher nearly stopped.
