Oh my gosh, guys. You are all too awesome. I really love each and every one of you.

So, I was totally going to have this chapter up yesterday, but then I went and hung out with Dave Strider. Couldn't pass up that opportunity, you know?

Anyways, I made sure I made this chapter longer for you wonderful people.

Disclaimer: I don't own Homestuck or any of the characters mentioned. I simply own the plot of the fanfic.


The past few weeks had been rather boring for the Cancer. Both Sollux and he were wary of his time outside, especially since his eyes were beginning to fill in with his rich blood colour. The two of them would go out early in the day and be back mid afternoon at the latest. They would only go to the lightly populated areas. Besides that, Karkat spent all his time inside the hive stem playing video games and watching romcoms. The mutant raised no complains about the romcom part, however, but he did often make the Gemini watch them as well to his misfortune.

"Theriouthly? We've watch thith one tho many timeth. I'm thick of it!" Karkat rolled his eyes.

"Don't give a shit, asshole. We're watching it again. Now sit your ass down and-" There was a soft rapping on the door. The two trolls froze, eyes wide with fear and mouths open. Sollux pointed quickly to an enclosed room, starting a slow stride to the front door. The red blood ran in and pushed himself behind a whole shitload of old knick-knacks that meant nothing to him. Sollux opened the door.

"Hello Sollux. It's very nive to see you." Kanaya's voice was even and pleasant, expression blank and hands holding hips. She looked polished and radiant as ever.

"Kanaya. What bringth you here? You never come ov- how in the fuck did you know which hive thtem I lived in?"

"Intuition," she replied vaguely, shifting her weight to her left foot. "I was wondering if you had a clue as to the whereabouts of Karkat. I haven't heard from him in quite some time, and I am beginning to get worried." Sollux was more thankful that his glasses were covering his heterochromatic eyes, otherwise the rainbow drinker would have seen his blue eye twitch from the nerves.

"Oh…yeah. I've talked to him. He thaid he'th been buthy with thomething and told me to quit bothering him. Haven't talked to him thince then." His voice remained smooth, his tone clear, as if he was speaking the honest truth. However, it didn't seem to faze Kanaya, for her face showed her skepticism. Sollux was beginning to hope that she couldn't hear his heart thudding in his chest.

"Well… I went to his hive already and found it empty and abandoned. Do you know anything about this occurrence?" Sollux bit his tongue and shook his head.

"No. Like I thaid, that wath the latht thing I had heard from him. Maybe he left."

"And where could he have gone? We are on a meteor."

"…Maybe he jumped on to another meteor."

"That makes hardly any sense at all." Sollux did everything in his power to not verbally yell at himself. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"Then I don't know what to tell you. I obviouthly don't have a clue where he ran off." Kanaya frowned and crossed her arms.

"Perhaps I should put in a missing troll rep-"

"No!" Sollux coughed awkwardly to cover up his sudden outburst. Karkat stifled his yell from the other room, glaring darkly in the mustard blood's direction. Way to almost blow it, dumbass.

"No. He probably would get even more pithy and complain and rant about it. Do you really want that? He'll come back on hith own time, and then everything will be juth fine." Kanaya arched a black brow, lips pursed.

"You're acting very unusual today. It's very peculiar. Be that as it may, I suppose you are right. Do contact me if you hear from him." The Gemini nodded. Kanaya gave him a forced smile, "Then I will be taking my leave. My best regards to you, Sollux." Sollux nodded once again and shut the door behind her. He turned the lock and set off to find Karkat.

"KK? She'th gone. Where are you?" Karkat stood and shuffled his way out of his hiding spot. He said nothing.

"There you are. I gueth it'th time I thtart hiding you better. That wath clothe." The mutant nodded his head and pushed past Sollux, making his way back into the living room and finding himself a comfortable place on the couch. He curled up slightly, knees and legs close to his chest. His heart was beating faster than what was manageable and his body felt numb. His eyes were transfixed on the T.V, the red colour dominating his eyes prominent in the lighting.

"Hey… No need to be tho thcared. Everything ith-"

"Everything is not fine, Sollux! Are you fucking dumb? That could have been one of her men! We aren't prepared for that! God, I hate this! I'd rather them find me out!" Karkat was left breathing hard, hands clenched and sharp teeth bared. He was completely outraged and had no physicality to filter what he had just said.

"I… I'm thorry, KK. I didn't- I didn't want you to jutht worry about thith all-"

"Well fuck you! Of course I worry about this shit all the motherfucking time! And you don't seem to have a care in the world! This is a fucking serious matter!"

"I know! I know, okay? I wath trying to make thith more normal and complathent for you tho you didn't get even more upthet! I know where I'm hiding you when it'th obviouth that she'th looking for you. I know how to keep them off your tail for awhile. I have everything ready and everything planned, but I wath waiting until it wath abtholutely nethethary to move you." The Cancer stared at him and bit away at his bottom lip angrily. He waited (very patiently, he might add) for Sollux's rant to be over with. Once he was sure the yellow blood was going to shut his mouth, he spoke up.

"Alright, listen here you piece of shit. You were only waiting until absolutely necessary? They could come at any fucking time, and you're just playing this game with my life. Are you even trying to help me, or are you just keeping me here until you get bored? Are you going to turn me in afterwards?" Sollux's face went stoic, no emotion being emitted from those duo-chromed eyes of his. Karkat began to wish he hadn't said a word.

"KK…gog…fuck. Okay, you're right. I haven't thought ath much throught ath I firtht thought. You're right, okay?" Sollux's expression then contorted, and Karkat could see the hurt from his own stinging words clear on his face. The psionic suppressed a sigh and just continued on.

"Jutht don't think that I'm dangling you out over the top of a hive. I'm not. I only wanted you to worry leth tho everything wath theemingly normal. I didn't think of how bad you'd feel or how you might freak out. I'm really thorry, okay? Juth calm down." The mutant combed his hair with his fingers, nodding slowly. He had to admit that he appreciated the (almost) normalcy of his days spent in hiding. It made it so much easier on the both of them.

"Just…we need to prepare for them. I don't think we have enough. Don't get me wrong, fuckface, you're doing an…okay job. We just have more shit ahead of us to get ready for. You know that to be true." Sollux bobbed his head in response and crossed his arms across his chest. Karkat closed his eyes and pressed his head against his knees.

"I'm already sick of this bullshit."

"I promithe you, it won't be like thith forever." The mutant then let out a sigh and mumbled.

"Yeah, I know."


So, what did you guys think? I'll try my hardest to get chapter four up tomorrow. But of course, I ask for reviews!

I love you all, and I hope you all are enjoying this!

-Javelin