"Okay so what exactly do you want to eat?" Eridan turns to Karkat, the smaller male looking to the taller before putting his head under the others arm to peek in, pulling out a bag of lunch meat. Eridan blinks and lets out a soft sort of chuckle. Karkat tilts his head a bit and blinks in confusion.

"Do you want a sandwich or somethin'?" he laughs softly at this, Karkat tilting his to the side and letting out a soft noise that did not at all sound human. Eridan sighs softly before taking the meat and putting it back. Karkat visibly tenses again, his eyes going wide and him stepping back, Eridan gently pressing a hand to the others back and sighing .

"Kar you ain't in trouble. I'll whip somethin' for the both of us." Karkat nods a bit, his ears still pressed back at the slightest. He goes to the table and sits down, swinging his legs and watching the other with a steady eye. Eridan busied himself, getting down ingredients and preparing a meal that was all too familiar to him, but most likely new to his guest. Karkat could feel himself shiver at the smells and the warmth settling into his bones from the meal, him licking at his lips as his tail twitched.

"Is it almost done?" he asks this softly, but in a more or less whining tone, the taller male turning to look at him.

"Yeah. Do you want something to drink?" Karkat nods, Eridan smiling softly and getting him a glass of water, bringing it over and setting it down in front of the other. The hybrid thanks the other softly, lapping at the water and making a face at the slight difficulty at the shape and flexibility of the human tongue. Eridan smiles softly at this, before adding the last of the ingredients and turning off the stove and bringing the finished meal over, serving a bit to karkat. His attention is turned to the human as soon as he smelt the food come closer, his ears perking and his tail flicking a bit. Eridan blinks and could feel his heart melt a bit with a smile. Karkat starts eating, letting out a soft purr, smiling and murmuring soft thank you's to the other. Eridan rolls his eyes and sighs.

"you don't have to say thank you every five minutes. You're a guest…but.. I guess you're welcome" Karkat blinks and smiles a bit, his tail flicking and his ears perking. Eridan relished in the rumbling purr rising from the smaller males throat, his hand reaching over and petting through the others hair, the purr just increasing in volume as the smaller male leaned into the touch, causing his glass to tip off the table and shatter onto the floor. Karkat jumped and blinked at the glass and the water before going rigid, his eyes going wide

" I-I. I'm." he cuts off with a jump, running off into the depths of the house. Eridan blinked and noticed the fleeing male.

"Kar!" he tenses and sighs, going and grabbing a broom and dust pan, sweeping up the shards of shattered glass. He'd have to keep reassuring this hybrid he wasn't going to hurt him no matter what.

It was about twenty minutes before Eridan found Karkat cowering in a hall closet. He sighed and reached a hand up, petting the males head and frowning at the way his body was trembling.

" Kar… you don't have to be afraid. Im not angry at you or anythin… I have tons of glasses, that was just one." Eridan could still see the traces of fear and sadness in the other males eyes, which glowed much like a cats in the dimness of the closet. Karkat slowly reaches his arms out, eridan picking the other up and holding him much like he would a child. Karkat was twice the size of a toddler in all ways but he didn't mind. He was light weight. The smaller male purred and nuzzled his head against the others shoulder. Eridan pets his back and sighs, kissing his head and nuzzling him, Karkat purring into the others shirt.

"You're okay, alright?" Eridan murmurs into the smaller males hair "everything is going to be okay… No ones going to hurt you here and if they try they'll… they'll have to deal with me" The way Karkat's head lifted suddenly caused Eridan's heart to stop for a spilt second, the look on the others face allowing it to continue. He looked grateful, even happy to know he had someone there to protect him.

"…thank you" He murmurs this before lightly kissing the others cheek, Eridan flushing and blinking, wide eyed. He had to tell himself that the other was probably showing gratitude, which only caused him to feel as if he were punched hard in the gut, him screaming mentally to himself that this guy was a hybrid and on the run, and that he wouldn't even probably want to be in a relationship with him. He managed a smile anyway, though shaky. Karkat tilts his head before nuzzling into the others shoulder.

"If I'm going to be okay then you're going to be okay too, okay?" The small hybrid murmurs this into the others chest. Eridan nods and swallows hard.

"I promise I'll be fine… now want to see where you'll be sleeping?" Karkat looks up and nods. This time Eridans smile is genuine, him gingerly taking the other males hand and leading him down the hall to a spare room. Well, now spare room, his father's old room that had been cleaned out except for the bed and the dressers. Eridan had a feeling things might look up for himself, as well as the other. That maybe, just maybe, his life would be better off .