A rattle of thunder shakes the room, causing Gamzee to nearly fall off his ladder. He clutches the railing just in time. "Motherfucking storm," he hisses at no one in particular. He spent the day buying more booze and more lightbulbs, and he's working on hanging the new lights up. He's elected to forgo the chairs for now, because the crates seem to be doing just fine.

It's Friday night, the thing that's either going to make him or break him, and it had to pick today off all days to pour. Since four, it's been as if someone is determined to pour an ocean on the city of Skaia, and there's not much Gamzee can do about it. Most people don't want to get dolled up so they can be a mess in the rain after five minutes. Oh well.

Gamzee isn't sure whether or not to be surprised when Dave shows up right on time. He left his equipment here last night, or else he probably wouldn't have risked it being wet. As the boy strolls in, Gamzee scoffs. "Do you ever take those motherfucking sunnies off?" It has to be black as pitch outside, between the coming nightfall and the thick clouds, but the dripping boy is wearing the same glasses as always.

"Nah, bro, cool guys never take off their shades."

"Well who all up and made that rule?"

Dave shrugs. "The first cool guy?"

"Forget it," Gamzee mutters, finishing what he's doing before crashing on the couch behind the bar. He taps Karkat's number into his phone and sighs. He's know the kid for years, longer than he can remember. Grew up together. It's no mistake that whenever he's nervous or whatever he texts him.

KaRbRo, WhEn ArE yOu GoInG tO cOmE cHeCk OuT mY nEw ClUb?
He doesn't really care if Karkat ever comes to see it—clubbing isn't his thing, he's more of a solitary animal—but it's something to talk about while he waits anxiously for eight to arrive. The phone is silent for almost ten minutes before it buzzes.

I DON'T CLUB, ASSHOLE.

GeE, tHaNkS fOr AlL tHe SuPpOrT kArBrO.

FUCK FINE. I'LL COME TONIGHT.

Gamzee slides the phone back in his pocket with a satisfied smirk. At least one person will come, and that person is Karkat. It could be worse.

At eight, he swings the door open, expecting no one to be there. It's a pleasant shock to find a small crowd of fifteen or so people waiting anxiously, huddled under the old awning to get out of the rain. As they start streaming in, racing to claim seats by the blackboard or the bar, Dave takes the hint and starts the music pounding. Tonight, it's an electronica mix of a skittery bass line.

It takes all of twenty minutes before everyone has a drink and is comfortable chatting. People continue to wander in, dripping wet, so the club is just about full by the time Karkat walks in.

Gamzee can tell right away that Karkat's here, because no one else he knows is that small or that self-conscious. He's surprised at the effort that's gone into it tonight, really. Black skinny jeans with a pair of Doc Martens he got God knows where. Instead of his usual blacks or greys, Karkat is wearing a crimson sweater, tight and knit and very modern. He's wearing contacts, like he usually does when he's out in public, but he's traded the usual mud brown for dark blue, almost purple ones.

Gamzee has to admit, he's never seen his friend look quite so… hot.

Over the noise and energy of the club, he waves Karkat over and pulls him behind the counter. He gives him a quick hug and hands him a drink.

"What's this?" Karkat yells over the noise.

"Long Island Ice Tea," Gamzee yells back. "You look motherfucking nice tonight, Karbro. It's bitch tits awesome that you came out tonight."

Karkat just shrugs and takes a sip. Long Island Ice Teas can knock a grown man on his ass if he's not careful, something Gamzee knows all too well. But he wants his friend to loosen up and have a good night, because he has no idea when the last time Karkat went out and had a drink was.

Around midnight, the rain stops, and people start to come in waves, until there's a line up outside the door. Gamzee makes a mental note to get a bouncer. He's no longer worried the club won't be successful, but he's going to have to make sure it doesn't get trashed either. Out on the dance floor, Karkat is dancing with a mutual friend, a sweet girl named Nepeta. Gamzee isn't totally sure when she got here, but he knows her well enough. His cousin is dating her older sister, so they see a fair bit of each other. She likes a night out on the town, and she can defend herself if anyone tries anything. Still, he feels a bit like an older brother, keeping a careful eye on her. For the moment, she's got Karkat—who is totally trashed by this point—keeping her company, so Gamzee isn't worried.

His phone vibrates, but he's too busy mixing drinks to check it. It isn't until a full fifteen minutes later he manages to sneak a look. A smile spreads across his face as he realizes it's Kurloz. Speak of the devil and all that.

Two messages and half an hour later, Kurloz is dragging Meulin into the club. She wanders off to find Nepeta—who is by this time helping a very drunk Karkat draw a crab on the chalk board—and Kurloz swaggers up to the bar. Gamzee nods. "Hey motherfucker."

Kurloz nods and asks for a shot. As Gamzee pours it, Kurloz starts talking about how he just got fired. That's why he texted Gamzee: he wanted to know if he could qualify for free drinks, since he can't afford any at the moment. Gamzee sees this as a stroke of luck, thinking how he can turn this to his advantage. His cousin is fit, tall, and between the lip piercings and the shaggy hair, he looks decently threatening. Perfect for a bouncer of a popular club.

"So, what if I all up and offered you a job, cous?" Gamzee asks a few shots later.

Kurloz raises an eyebrow. "A job like because you're my cousin so it's really a favour, or you'll pay me?"

"Pay you, give you health care benefits, the whole nine motherfucking yards."

Kurloz shakes his mane of black hair, the one feature he shares with Gamzee. "Deal, little motherfucker."

A/N: Sorry this one took so long! I tried to get a little GamKar started for the anon who requested it (will develop more in the future!). Please feel free to review and throw out more ideas for characters/ships you would like to see. Thanks for reading!