A/N: Why helloooooooo, my lovely readers, whom I cherish with all my soul.

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Homestuck, for all you fuckasses who think I do.

So, how was the last chapter? Did y'all like the cliffhanger type dealie thing I left? I thought y'all might. Well, this is the continuation of the last chapter, so this…situation that John and Karkat find themselves in will be 'resolved'. ^^

I would like to thank so-adorabloodthirsty yet again for an awesome review. Heh, the name might be a coincidence ;). Also, I just had to leave it at that point last chapter! It was too tempting!

It never hurts to reiterate this to the world, so again, I thank all of my readers with all of my heart! :B

I apologize for the lateness! I have been working on my book report on The Three Musketeers. I enjoyed the novel very much, but the analysis I must complete is a pain, especially for a girl with a fandom to write about.

Also, just saying so no one nags me, I used Rose's outfit from in the game rather than her usual one before the game.

Warning: Third person POV. H3H3H3.

Now, onward we march, my people.


Veins

Chapter Seven:

Frothy Escapades With John and Karkat

Part II

Karkat had never noticed until now that John's freckles looked comparable to tantalizing sprinkles of cinnamon peppered across his cheeks. He had never been a mere five inches from the boy's face before, so of course he had not noticed this. Smooth, raven hair fell into his eyes a little, reaching just past his glasses. He also noted the purity of John's cerulean eyes, and how he could become lost in their swirling tempest of blues. They were intoxicating, tempting him to stare into them all day. He leaned forward involuntarily, ever so slightly…

John had never noticed Karkat's flawless gray skin and how when it tinted vermillion from an embarrassed blush, it was unearthly and mesmerizing. He looked into those yellow and red eyes, fully taking in the contrast in the colors. That crimson red flared with a passionate fire usually fueled with anger, but now it fed from the troll's sheer astonishment at the situation he now found himself in. Pearlescent fangs peeked out from the Cancer's mouth, which was slightly agape in shock. John found himself bewitched by the sight of the troll before him. He slowly craned his neck…

This.

Is.

Stu-

No, this is not stupid. This is merely the odd beginning of what appears to be a 'friendship'. Whether or not this comes to fruition or not is up to the two current figures of interest, who seem to have recovered their senses.

"Holy shit, Karkat! What the hell were you thinking? You could have hurt one, or both of us pulling something like that!" shouted John as Karkat fell with an 'oof' over to his side next to him. After the rather awkward episode of staring into each other's eyes and almost kissing, Karkat had tipped over, attempting to avoid falling headlong onto John's chest. John had taken his hand from Karkat's waist as he slumped over. They were both now sitting on the same bench of the booth, perched ramrod straight. They glanced at each other, blushed to kingdom fucking come, and turned away.

"Well, that was certainly a compromising situation," came a methodical, yet feminine, tone. They boys could pick out the amusement that completely saturated the voice.

"R-Rose?" queried John uncertainly, hoping that the aforementioned female had not seen everything that had just happened. His hopes were crushed into dust as a prim young woman and a dignified troll girl appeared from around the corner, coming to a stop in front of the duo. The girl of which John spoke was a pale, delicate figure that stood straight and proud before them. Her strange platinum blonde hair was cropped short, just reaching past her ears. A black headband contrasted her hair, bringing the unique color to attention. Her serious eyes, lined with black eyeliner, were that of a vivid pink hue. John could discern the intelligence and keen wit in the pink depths. Her lips were painted a beautiful black that seemed very striking against her pale skin. She donned a simple black dress that had a pink sash tied around the waist of it. A small symbol, reminiscent of a deranged squiddle, matched the pink accents of the outfit.

"Yes, It is I. Now, onto more," there was a pause in which Rose quirked an eyebrow slyly, "pressing matters. Why was a troll, unbeknownst to me, straddling you, staring into your eyes hungrily, as if spellbound, just a mere second ago? Also, it appears as if your own visage were returning the 'spellbound' expression," said Rose, smirking. The troll beside her looked at Karkat, and her eyes widened, recognizing him as she did a double take.

"Karkat, you are with this human? What were you doing to him?" asked the troll, gesturing toward John. Her jade-colored eyes brimmed with relief that she had found her friend, and also with concern as to what he had been doing to John.

She had grown taller over the past sweep. Her jet-black hair was in a windswept pixie cut, and tall, proud horns protruded from her head. The left horn, the same colors as all troll horns are, had a hook that jutted downward from the point, while the right was a arched horn of relatively the same length and curve with no adornments. Her jade-green eyes and Virgo sign on her black shirt indicated that she was a highly respectable jade blood, who tended to the Mother Grub in the birthing caverns. Her Jade lipstick-clad lips, usually the natural black, allowed two elongated fangs to show, giving her the appearance of a vampire or a 'rainbow drinker', as trolls called it. She had always been inclined to dress more fashionably than the rest of her friends, and this fact was well supported by her tasteful long-sleeved charcoal undershirt with a black shirt displaying her emblem and a red skirt that hugged her hips and flared slightly at the bottom, which was just shy of her ankles.

"Kanaya! I am so fucking happy to see you! I wasn't doing anything to this idiot. He took some of my delicious froth, and he wouldn't give me some of his," said Karkat as he pouted slightly.

She tilted her head to the side in a sign of confusion. "Froth?"

John looked back and forth between the two trolls, who continued to converse, before answering Rose. "Um, well, he sort of, uh, fell in my lap while trying to steal my coffee from me," he said quickly in an embarrassed tone. He then registered the last bit of what she had said. "And he was not staring into my eyes like that! He and I were just…." He trailed off, hoping to avoid the brunt of the ridicule. "Nevermind about that though. I missed you, Rose!"

A knowing smile caressed the corners of Rose's black-painted lips. "Hmmm, well, I suppose introductions are in order, seeing as I have not the first clue who this theoretical coffee-stealer is. Let's get to know each other, no? By the by, I missed you too, John." At this point, Kanaya and Karkat had turned their attention back to Rose.

"This is Karkat Vantas, my roommate," said John, gesturing toward Karkat as he spoke. "Karkat, this is one of my oldest and best friends, Rose Lalonde."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Vantas," said Rose, holding out her pale, dainty hand for the grumpy troll to shake.

"Likewise, Lalonde," replied Karkat in his customary annoyed tone of voice as he contemptuously took her hand and shook it firmly, as was the human custom.

Rose turned back to John. "This is my roommate, Kanaya Maryam," said Rose, a smile touching her lips.

"Hi, Kanaya, nice to meet you! You know Karkat, right? I saw you guys talking," said John facing the female troll and grinning.

"Why yes, I am well acquainted with him. He is a dear friend to me," she paused and turned to Karkat with jade eyes filled with joy. "and I have missed you Karkat. I suppose you comprehend my feelings of loneliness, considering you were isolated like the others and I were."

"Kan…I know. I missed you and the others too, but what if…" Karkat bit his bottom lip and furrowed his brow. He cast his eyes down, not meeting Kanaya's eyes. This was very uncharacteristic of the nubby-horned troll. Kanaya knew what he was getting at.

"They have not changed in the sense you concern yourself with, Karkat, but they have matured. Even Nepeta, as playful and frivolous as she may be, has grown into a mature troll, among others who have undergone changes. Even you have changed. I can see it in your eyes. They have completed their transformation," said the Virgo affectionately, yet sorrowfully.

Karkat growled at the mention of his unique eyes. "I'm nothing but a fucking mutant. My eyes are a testament to that damn fact, Kanaya. If anything, Gamzee will have a fucking rage-splode in his thinkpan again, and this time he'll kill me for my damn candy blood. He may be my moirail, but the dumbfuck clown will go insane and…" Karkat could not finish the thought. What if Gamzee really did try to murder him? Karkat mulled this over. No, he is way too fucked up to kill his moirail, right? Right.

"He will do no such thing, Karkat. He will not harm you as long as I am around," she said, pulling out a tube of jade lipstick from a pocket in her skirt and smirking.

"I can defend my own fucking self, dammit! And is that your chainsaw? I swear to fuck, I will flip my fucking shit if you threaten me with that again," said Karkat, glaring at the offensive makeup.

John stared at it in confusion. "Chainsaw? It's just a tube of green lipstick."

"That's what you think, Egderp," came a mumble from Karkat as Kanaya placed the lipstick back into her pocket.

"Maybe I will show you one day, John," came the enigmatic reply from the Virgo. John only shook his head and looked at Kanaya disbelievingly, then looking back to Karkat.

John only just registered what the Cancer had said about his blood. He glanced at Karkat's scowling face, deducing that the topic was not one to fuck around with. He would ask later, when they were alone. He had no idea what they meant about blood color and eye color and shit.

"Well, John, I am afraid that Miss Maryam and I must take our leave. Farewell, John, Karkat," Rose stated during the silence following the conversation of the lipstick.

"Yes, goodbye, John. Take care and behave, Karkat," said Kanaya, gazing meaningfully at the boys. She cared about the grouchy Cancer, and she wanted him to be happy for once in his young troll life. He seemed to at least tolerate the John Human. Maybe Karkat could…become John's friend.

"Bye, Rose! Bye, Kanaya!" said John as they turned to exit the café.

"Yeah, I'll see you later, Kanaya. Bye, Lalonde," said the candy-blooded troll, watching them leave. He looked fondly after Kanaya, but did not bother to worry himself with Rose. She was the flightiest broad he had ever come across.

Karkat hoped the jade blood was right. He hoped the others he had yet to see would not change their opinion of him, however low and disgusting his blood is. At least he had Dave (although he admitted this grudgingly), Rose, Jade, Gamzee, Kanaya, Feferi, and a certain bucktoothed idiot, who he absolutely loathed, on his side.


I hope you guys like this chapter! It has not been my best work, but I had to get something done. :P