You wake from your nap to the sound of someone knocking on your door. You sit in a groggy stupor for a few moments before realizing that, yes, you should probably answer that. With a sigh, you stretch and crack your neck as another knock sounds. You move as quickly as you can while you dress and call out to whomever is there. "I'm coming!" You run to the door and open it.

Cronus stands there, a smirk on his face. "Coming, huh? Never thought I'd hear you say that." He ruffles your hair as he comes into the room, pulling off his heavy leather jacket before sitting on your couch,

"Cronus what are you doing here? You said you weren't going to be here until six!"

He leans back, making himself comfortable and you just pout at him. "Chief it's like six thirty already. I was actually starting to get worried."

You gasp softly, sitting next to him. "I am so terribly sorry! I didn't mean to worry you I was just.."

"Don't you worry about it, yeah? I was late anyway so it worked out." He gives you a light shove and a grin. "But what's got you so flustered, huh? You look like there's something on your mind."

You run your thumb over your lower lip as you think. "I'm... Not sure if I want to tell you. Or anyone really."

"Babe." He tilts his head toward you and just gives you a look. "It's me. You think I'd judge you?"

You furrow your brow and frown. "Yes. I do think you'd judge me."

He rolls his eyes and leans on your shoulder. "I won't fucking judge you, chief. You don't judge me for my shit yeah? So I won't judge you for yours."

His weight against you is reassuring, and though this is a far cry from what the two of you had planned for the night, it feels like something that you need. "You know that I've mentioned certain... fantasies before, yes?"

He snorts. "Yeah, babe, you talk like a crazy ton about jerking off for someone that's supposed to be celibate."

You give him a soft punch to the shoulder. "Shoosh. You know what I mean though!"

"Yeah, yeah. It's always someone with your eyes ain't it?"

"Isn't." You correct him, not even acknowledging how right he was. "Ain't is uncouth."

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever, chief. Stop changing the subject."

You wring your hands as your stomach tightens. "Fine." With a rough swallow, you steel your nerves before whispering. "It's Karkat."

He scratches the back of his head. "No shit?" You feel him as he shifts and his other arm moves around your shoulders. "Well fuck, babe, I mean... That kinda shit happens don't it?"

"I'm... Not entirely sure if it does." You shake your head. "It can't can it? If it did then more people would talk about it... Wouldn't they?"

"I don't think so, babe. Incest ain't exactly a thing most people are cool with." You look up at him as he tilts his head back. "Can I be frank here?"

"Of course."

"I know for a fact that you ain't the only one that feels that way about your bro. I mean for fuck's sake you know me and Danny have made out a few times. Even when we were sober." He pinches the bridge of his nose as he speaks. "But that don't mean that people ain't gonna be weird about it... And I don't even know if Karkat would be up for something like that with you..."

"Don't you think I know that, Cronus? He hates me and I know that, but I just don't want to accept that. I know that he'll never want what I want that he'll never give me anything like that... Not even just a kiss."

"I get that, Kanny. Me and Danny got an agreement that we don't move past making out if we do." He sighs as he leans back. "Sometimes I wanna do more too, though."

"We're quite the pair, aren't we?"

"Fuck, you got that right, babe." He gives your shoulder a squeeze with a good-natured grin. "But, uh, I bet we could do something about both our problems."

You furrow your brow, unsure if you like where this is going. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, like. We're friends, yeah? We done stuff with each other before. As friends. Who's to say that we can't help each other out with this?" He shifts closer to you. "And I mean... It's not like you don't want that, right?"

You squirm a little in your seat, knowing what it is he's suggesting. "I... I do want that. But, Cronus, I don't want that with you I want that with him."

"And he's not here now is he?" He raises his eyebrows. "And you can just sit back and close your eyes. You don't even have to think about me being here." He licks his lower lip and you're suddenly immensely aware of the fact that most people don't like him because he's pushy and can't seem to take no for an answer. And that he could easily overpower you.

"Cronus I don't like the sound of that. I... I don't want to have sex with you." You look away from him, face flushed darkly as you feel your entire body tense.

"Babe you don't gotta fuck me. I mean... I was just thinking that I could just like, you know, suck you off." He grins down at you.

"I... I feel like there's something that you're not telling me. What do you get out of this?"

He shrugs. "I like sucking cock and you need some fucking release." He tilts his head. "Ain't like we haven't done this kinda shit before, what's so different now?"

You roll your eyes and tilt your head back. "Fine. But if I tell you to stop you stop."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He ruffles your hair and slides down to the floor between your legs. But you don't look down at him. You don't want to look down at him this time. He has the same kind of intense gaze but his eyes are too blue and his skin is too pale. So you keep your eyes closed and listen as he unzips your jeans.

It doesn't take long for you to get lost in fantasy. With the heat from his lips and tongue against your boxers you can imagine Karkat in his place. A tentative brush of his lips on the fabric and a hand pulling it down. The warmth of his mouth and soft lips envelops your tip forcing you to let out a breathy moan.

You can see his startling eyes gazing up at you and his eyebrows are pulled into a questioning posture, as if he's asking if he's doing all right. Without thinking you twine your fingers in his hair and are a little shocked at the thick, heavy feeling of gel in his hair. But you just give his hair a rough tug as he moves down, encouraging him to keep moving.

One of his hands holds your thigh as the other holds your base and the pleasure is enough to make you want to scream. Just feeling that heat and gentle lapping against such sensitive skin makes you buck your hips into it, though you hear a gagging sound. You brush his hair back and peek down at him, half expecting to see your little brother. But Cronus is still there, pouting at you from between your legs as he rests his cheek against your thigh.

"Why'd you move your hips, you know I don't like that..."

You sigh and lean back, disgusted with yourself. "Sorry, Cronus, I... I lost myself."

He presses a kiss to your thigh and you can feel him moving back to keep going, but you take it upon yourself to stop him. "Babe?"

"No. This isn't right." You put your hands over your face. "I can't do this anymore."

The pressure from his hands leaves you and you feel him sit back on the couch after he tucks you back into your jeans. "Hey, that's cool... I mean like I'm pretty disappointed by that, but I'm a big boy. I can live with this." He rests his head on your shoulder. "We can still make out though, right?"

You let out another exasperated sigh. "Cronus. That's not what friends do."

"You know we're more than friends, chief."

"No, Cronus. We're friends. And, as my dear friend, would you kindly get us something to drink from my fridge?"

He laughs softly to himself and presses a kiss to the back of your hand closet to him. "Sure thing." He gets up and you slump back more.

"And stop doing things like that..."

He comes back with two bottles, opening them as he sits. "Like what?"

"Like kissing me. I just told you that our little... arrangement is done."

He sets one of the bottles down on the coffee table in front of you and pouts as he takes a sip from his own. "Don't that seem like something I should get a say in?"

You sit up and grab your drink. "Cronus." You give him a stern look. "No means no. As you are so very well aware of."

He takes another drink and sits in silence for a moment, peeling the paper of it back. "Yeah... But why?"

"Because I can't get him out of my head."

"Oh." He swallows. "Guess you were super serious about that then? Like... How you feel about your bro."

"Yes, Cronus. I am serious about that and I'm sorry that I ended it like this. But you're still my best friend and I hope that you don't hold this against me."

He shrugs weakly. "Yeah, I mean, like... You know that our shit wasn't gonna pan out none. I mean a hopelessly romantic musician and a relatively celibate teacher? That shit never lasts." He ruffles your hair with a grin. "Sounds like something my bro would write don't it?"

You roll your eyes. "Ah, yes. It most certainly sounds like something written by someone with a hopeful outlook on life..." You give a deep sigh. "And my life sounds like something written by a cruel god with a terrible sense of humor."

"I'll drink to that." The two of you clink your bottles together and each take a sip.

With the bitter taste of beer on your lips, you have a feeling that the next few weeks are going to be long.