"Karkat!" A voice called, grabbing his attention where he was looking around the small bookstore. His mouth hardened into a grim compliance as he walked over and plopped in the chair across from Terezi.
"Hey Tez." He said, drinking from the coffee that had turned lukewarm in the time it took to drive across town.
"You're late Karkat. Did you find a new boyfriend or something?" She grinned, waggling her eyebrows at him.
He flushed, and rolled his eyes. "Hardly. Your douche bag ex caught me at the coffee shop and held me up."
Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Douche bag ex..." She muttered, puzzled by his statement.
He sighed in exasperation. "Strider. Blonde, tall, prickish? Ring a bell?" He asked, tapping his fingers against the upholstery of the worn chair.
Her face lit up with recognition. "Oh! Dave?" She shook her head, and smiled. "Silly Karkat. Dave is not a douche bag."
False. "He left you, after two years, without a word for a whole month. If that isn't a douche bag move to pull, then colour me shocked Terezi. I need a good redefinition."
She reached across the small table in between their two chairs and placed a finger over his mouth. "Shhh." She said, "I know. But that is in the past Karkat. Dave wasn't ready for more, and truthfully I wasn't either. But without him doing that, I probably wouldn't have known." She said, removing her finger after she finished speaking.
He was taken aback. Rarely did he see the normally light hearted girl act so intelligent and serious. He grumbled. "Yeah, okay. Whatever."
"Just give him a chance, okay? Before you judge him? He is a good guy."
Doubt that, he thought, but nodded in agreement for her sake. "Fine."
"You need more friends. And besides," Her soft smile turned into a predatory grin. "You two would look good together."
His jaw dropped and he kicked at her. "The fuck Tez?" He exclaimed, receiving dirty glares from nearby patrons." That's disgusting, one, and two, don't think about trying to set me up with your ex. That violates like, every rule in the best friend handbook."
She shrugged. "Why should I care about some made up handbook? And, Dave Strider is anything but disgusting. He's got a great body, and he's fantastic in be-"
"Stop. Just stop there."
Terezi's cackle sounded cheerily through the shop.

He honestly tried to like the stupid douche. He really did. But no matter how many promises he would make to Terezi, about trying to like said prick, it just couldn't be done. Couldn't do it. He was simply one hell of a douche bag.
It had been a week since their meet up in the coffee shop. The first day, Karkat grinned and bore him, and all his stupid little pickup lines, and ridiculously flirty glances, and he almost made it all the way to the second day, before he realised he really, really, REALLY hated Dave Strider.
There was no way to like the guy. Karkat would admit he was good looking, but his ability to flatten his hair with gel and put together a decent outfit was far overshadowed by the fact that he was a facetious little dick.

He was honestly starting to think of giving up in the challenge of his. Karkat should have been his by now. And yet, he was still resistant to every flirty move, every seductive wink. At this point, Dave even tried cranking on his southern charm all the way.
(That only got him laughed at and a half empty glass of ice water on his head.)
(So much for Karkat's anti-drink dumping streak.)
(Dave counted that as an acceptable loss though.)
Hell, even friendly gestures Karkat crushed under his Dave Strider hating boots.
The only thing that kept him going was the fact that Striders don't back down.
No.
Matter.
What.
He wasn't a wimp, and he would win this, and get the feisty little bastard in his bed, some way. For a single, fleeting moment, he considered calling up Terezi, and asking just how to seduce Karkat Vantas. But he figured he would get some LotR-esque "One does not simply seduce Karkat Vantas" speech, and who the hell has time for that?
Certainly not him, that's for sure.
Plus, that would entail talking to Terezi. And that bordered on the top ten things he would rather tear out his hair before doing. Not that he didn't admire her, or would ever consider never talking to her again, but she could be a little...
Crazy? Overbearing? Something like that.
And besides, she'd start asking questions and she would probably tell Karkat and then his whole plan would be ruined with a capital R, and that would suck.
"Strider! Stop dallying and start DJing! I don't pay you to stand around!" His boss called from the bar, snapping said DJ out of his thoughts. He nodded once, before hovering his hands over the set, waiting for the right time to switch tracks.
He found it, and mixed effortlessly, returning to his thought. The club was rather empty tonight, which was part of the reason he wasn't paying as much attention as he normally would.
He turned his gaze to the restaurant area, and watched Karkat dance around the tables, balancing a load of drinks with a grace Dave wouldn't expect of him.
Just in the last week alone, he had dumped far fewer drinks on his customers, and had less dumped on him, Achievement unlocked.
Dave spaced out, and didn't notice Karkat was glaring at him until he was standing in front of him, snapping his fingers.
"Hello? Strider?" He growled, folding his arms across his chest once he got Dave's attention.
Dave grinned in acknowledgement, trying no to let surprise show on his face. How long had he been in space land if Karkat was now in front of him without his notice?
"Look, I know I'm hot Strider, but you have work to do, and so do I, so I would appreciate it if you stopped leering at me like the creep you are and do your goddamned job." He snapped, glaring at Dave.
Dave nodded. "Yeah, okay whatever." He said. He found he honestly wasn't in the mood to bicker with the guy tonight.
Karkat turned on his heel and was about to exit the booth, before Dave caught him by the elbow.
"Hey, wait." He said, stepping in front of Karkat.
Karkat sighed. "What do you want now? Does work mean nothing to you?"
Dave rolled his eyes behind his dark shades. "Yeah, whatever. I just wanted to ask you something."
Karkat raised an eyebrow. "Spit it out then."
"Woah man, no need to get snarky. I was just wondering, you know just thinking up here in my booth, all by my lonesome-"
"Stri. Der. You have three seconds before I leave."
"Fine." He sighed dramatically. "Wanna get some coffee some time? Like, for real?"
Karkat raised the other eyebrow to match. "Are you asking me out on a date?"
Dave smirked. "Depends. Is that a yes?"
"If it'll get you to leave me alone and let me get back to work." Karkat said, stepping past Dave and back down the steps to the floor.
"It's a date then." Dave yelled after him, over the loud music pumping through the club.
Karkat turned partially back around, one foot resting on the last step. "Tomorrow. Ten O'clock. Midnight Cafe." He yelled, leaving.
One date in exchange for no more harassment tonight? Sounded like a good deal to Karkat.
Dave grinned, and turned back to the music. The plan was coming together after all, ex's best friend or not.
The small crowd that night got quite the set, if he would say so himself.

A/N: Wow I'm really sorry this chapter was late. It's end of Tri over here, so I've been a bit busy. But just for you guys, I'm going to give you next chapter a week early. Kind of an "I'm sorry I suck at updating on time and also happy Valentine's day" thing.

Cool. Thank you so so so much for everyone who reviewed, and favourited, and followe it's awesome! Okay see you soon :)