"What's your problem!?" Karkat whines as his father yanks the blankets from his body, leaving the twelve and a half year old shivering and curled up into a ball.

"What's my problem? If I don't wake you up now, you'll be in bed for hours! Until noon, maybe! And we don't need that on Christmas Eve, now do we? Now, up, up, up! We have so much work to do! I can't believe you let me put off decorating until this long, and then don't even get me started on Christmas shopping…" The child groans as Kankri walks out of his room, still rambling on and on about all the things he was responsible for and didn't do.

Finally feeling at peace, his droopy eyes close. He had wanted to get rid of those bags beneath his eye sockets for quite some time now, and maybe now would be a good time to do so…

"Wake. Up!" The bright lights flick on in his small bedroom, soliciting a groan from Karkat. "Get up, have some coffee, put on your winter apparel, and grab yourself a shovel! We've been needing to get rid of that snow in our driveway for quite some time now, don't you think, Kiddo?"

Karkat says nothing as he drags himself to an upright position, a grimace set upon his bitten lips. "Am I even supposed to have coffee?" His voice, a rather high-pitched one mine you, cracks from his drowsiness, and Kankri laughs.

"Well I don't see anything wrong with it! I give it to you every morning, and look; you're the picture of health!" Sunken in eyes, pale skin, and a sniffling nose are what Karkat believes to be the opposite of what his dad had just said, but he doesn't say it. There's no need in starting a debate with him this early in the morning, so he might as well do what he's told.

It takes Karkat all but ten minutes to run a brush through his hair about three times, leaving it still a little messy, suck down his coffee, throw on a gray winter jacket, black snow pants, and some boots, and head outside, where Kankri is waiting with a smaller shovel.

Most of the kids at school make fun of the poor boy for being short; he's always hated that the most about himself. Kankri always told him he got it from his mother, whom he's never met before. She left as soon as she could, leaving Kankri heart-broken and with a hardly manageable child. Whenever Karkat got up the nerve to ask about his mother, the man would speak very fondly of her despite what she did to him.

"Are you ready, sport?" You see, Kankri was that dad who always called his boy by pet names in an attempt to gain affection. Of course Karkat loved his dad, but he always had trouble expressing it. Sometimes, the two would get into heated arguments, ending in Karkat stomping to his room and slamming the door, and Kankri mumbling to himself angrily while reading a book.

They didn't have a television in their house; Kankri always deemed them 'unnecessary'. Karkat always responded with a gruff 'well I think school is unnecessary, but you make me go to that.' This would often end with him grounded in his room for the rest of the night.

"Yeah, sure, whatever…Let's get this over with." Shoveling snow made the young boy sweat with the effort, even in the cold weather. Every so often, his dad would start talking about what gifts to buy who, or what Christmas carols they should sing later (which, by the way, Karkat wouldn't partake in just like every other year), and sometimes even the rumors and gossip going around. But he'd always justify himself by telling both sides of the story how he heard them, and by not taking a side. 'Offending someone is the worst crime you can commit,' he'd often say. Karkat would simply scoff and manage not to make a remark about his own rude behavior.

They were working at the driveway for quite some time, and when they were finished, it was light outside. "What time is it!?" At his boy's request, Kankri checked the watch around his wrist, pulling up his red, fleece sleeve.

"About nine o' clock!"

"Nine o' clock! Are you shitting me!?"

"Language!" Karkat bit his tongue as he let the curse word slip. He did this quite often though, so Kankri would often let it slide. Unless the F-bomb was accidentally dropped, then the younger Vantas boy would be in a world of trouble. And lectures. It's always about the lectures.

"Sorry, dad…" He mumbled, sniffling and wiping his nose with his bare, red hand. "Can I go inside now? I want some more coffee."

"Didn't you wear gloves!?" Kankri abruptly ignores his son's request, and instead, tromps towards him with a worried expression adorning his face.

"You didn't tell me to wear gloves! Now can I please go inside!?" There's a slight hint of aggression in the request, and Kankri nods subtly, sighing.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll finish up here…"

"Thank you!" Karkat throws his hands in the air, dropping the shovel to the ground and stomping to the front door, which he struggles to open with his blistered hands, and steps inside. "Fuck…" The word is hissed out in a whisper as hot breath is blown on the Vantas boy's hands from his own mouth. "Where's the stupid heater when I need it?" As per usual, he finds it in Kankri's room. It takes a large amount of effort for him to drag, carry, and nearly drop twice into the living room. It's about half his height, and definitely a lot heavier than his lanky form.

He grumbles obscenities under his breath until it's successfully plugged in and pointed at the couch, where Karkat sheds his winter jacket and snow pants, leaving him in only a gray sweater and black sweatpants. He wiggles his bare toes, sighing in relief at the heat that flows from the device. Sure, a television isn't necessary, but a heater definitely is, especially when there's already heating in the whole goddamned house!

For ten or fifteen minutes, he simply sits there, with his knees tucked against his chest and just enjoying the heat. But eventually, his boredom gets the better of him and he finds himself doing what he originally meant to do; making coffee in the kitchen.

Just as he pours it into the thermos and screws the lid on, the door opens and Kankri's voice is heard throughout the house. "Karkat! You're little friend is here!"

"Which one?" He shouts back with hardly any effort; shouting had become a regular thing in his life.

"What's you name sweetie?" He hears his father mumble. "She says her name is Nepeta!" Karkat is flying towards the door in an instant, almost slipping on the wet, hardwood floor. She waits for him at the open door, Kankri having returned to the driveway. A giggle escapes her thin lips, her gloved hand covering her mouth shyly.

"Don't hurt yourself!" She has black hair that falls barely to her shoulders, and it's flattened by a blue cat hat with ears that is almost always fitted atop her head. Her olive green trench coat hardly looks warm enough, but she seems to be perfectly fine in it, only having to wear blue mittens, black sweat pants, and snow boots to keep the rest of her body warm.

"N – Nepeta!" He straightens up, as if he hadn't just almost fallen and broken his face. "What are you doing here?" He takes note of her skin, almost as pale as his, and wonders if maybe he should offer her his own jacket.

Nah.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out walking with me. I love looking into all the stores and seeing what's for sale!" She clasps her hands together and grins; the excitement in her voice is evident, and Karkat finds himself blushing just the tiniest bit, his fingers twitching.

"I – I guess that sounds like fun…" He rubs the back of his neck nervously before nodding his head and returning to the couch. "Let me put on my coat and stuff. I'll meet you out there."

"Oh, yay!" She jumps up and down a few times, clapping her hands, before running outside, closing the door behind her. Karkat is right behind her, and she grins when he walks outside. "Okay good, you're ready! C'mon, let's go already! Momma wanted me back by three o' clock, so that only gives us a little time!"

"A little time!? Are you kidding me that gives us a few hours!" She's dragging him along by the hand, and he turns his body awkwardly to look back at his dad. "Dad, I'll be back!" Kankri waves at him, laughing heartily at the two.

For the next few hours, they spend their time pressing their faces up against the glass of various stores, gaping at the wonderful toys inside. Nepeta had even been kind enough to bring enough money for the two of them to buy hot chocolate at a candy store near the beginning of their development. Of course, Karkat had responded with: "You didn't have to buy me anything, fuckass…" and taking the money anyways.

The younger, but only by slightly, Nepeta had simply giggled, knowing he meant it in an affectionate way. Or at least she hoped.

Finally, after finishing their hot chocolate (coincidentally, Karkat had dropped his coffee after nearly tripping back at his house), Nepeta smiles. "Okay, I can't hold it in any longer!"

"What are you talking about?" Karkat mumbles as he tips his head upwards, trying to get the last bit of chocolate out of the bottom of the cup. Even after using his tongue, he's unsuccessful and slams the cup onto the booth-table, cursing.

"Look at this!" She reaches into her pocket and bites her bottom lip before placing a small box on the table.

"What the hell is that?" Gray eyes rest their hardened gazes on it. It's white, with olive and red stripes decorating it horizontally. She pushes it towards him, her eyes never leaving his face. "Is it…For me?" It isn't very often other kids give Karkat a present, and he feels a smile breaking out across his face. It takes a lot to get the Vantas boy to smile.

"Of course it is silly! Christmas Eve presents are the best! They're almost as fun as Christmas presents." She looks so intently at him that he absolutely has to open it now. Carefully, with eager and blistered fingers, he pulls the ribbon out of its neat bow and takes the top off. His eyes light up at what's inside: a locket and a necklace.

"Did…Did you make this?"

"Yup! I used the chain of an old necklace I had, and Momma found the locket in an old box in the basement." It's shaped like a cat paw, and Karkat finds himself clicking it open. Inside, is a picture of Nepeta. A blush covers her face as the smile remains, unwavering, on his face. "I…I hope you like it."

"Are you kidding me?" He picks it up in his hand. "I love it!" It only takes him a few seconds to fit the chain around his head so it hangs loosely around his neck. "T – Thanks, Nepeta." He scoots away from the booth, and Nepeta does the same so they can meet in a little-more-than-friendly embrace.

"No problem, I'm glad you like it!" She turns her head after the embrace is broken to look at the clock hanging on the wall just above the door. "Oh wow, how times flies!" It reads '2:30'. "I should probably be going!"

"Oh." Karkat's face holds a bit of a disappointed expression. "Hey, before you leave – are you going to the pond tonight? The rest of us are."

"I nearly forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me, Kar-kitty!" With a small giggle, Nepeta's out the door in the flutter of her trench coat, leaving Karkat standing there with a silly grin stretching his cheeks.

"Mr. Vantas? Is that you?" He turns at the sound of his name. The shopkeeper there, Horuss, gives Karkat a peculiar look. "You look mighty happy! I saw you with Nepeta just a second ago."

"Yeah, what about it?" He loses the grin and crosses his arms over his chest defensively.

"Oh, nothing. I was just going to say Merry Christmas Eve! My boy, Equius…I understand you'll be seeing him later tonight, at the pond right?"

"I guess so."

"Good, right! I was just making sure he wouldn't be going alone. I'll be seeing you then! Bye!" Karkat rolled his eyes and gave a half-assed wave to Horuss before exiting the shop, holding the locket in his hands.