A new chapter! And it only took me four months to write! Sorry about that. I was on a temporary hiatus but I'm back. Don't get your hopes up for this chapter though. It's pretty much filler.
You are Sollux Captor and you may be nursing a slightly cracked heart. When you started rooming with Karkat you had subsequently met all of his friends. John is his best bro, obviously. Vriska is the tag along girlfriend that may or may not actually care for Karkat a lot more than she's willing to let on. Jade is the best bro's younger sister and also crush (or maybe past crush?) slash good friend. Kanaya is the sister without actual relation that he can't live without. Terezi is the ex-girlfriend and now second best friend. You're pretty sure he can't live without her either. Then there's Gamzee. You thought he was the goofy best friend that Karkat felt responsible for but last night…you're certain you know what you saw. Granted you didn't have your glasses on and it was extremely dark but there was also that tiny smack of the lips.
You don't really know what time you fell asleep. Sometime around nine you'd started slowly shifting into a laying position with your laptop climbing up from your knees, to your stomach, to your chest. Eventually it ended up next to you and you just conked right the fuck out. The next thing you knew you felt hands on the side of your face and then your glasses were gone. You stole a peek into the blurry darkness and saw Karkat throwing a blanket over top of you and then just staring. You don't think he realized that your eyes were open or that you were staring right back up at him. If you'd had better lighting and your glasses you'd have been able to tell what expression he was directing at you but it was impossible. You wondered briefly if it was all a dream until you heard movement not coming from either of you and that jarred you the rest of the way awake. Karkat turned away from you and went to his own bed. A second later you saw a tall, lanky figure get up off the floor and climb into Karkat's bed. Obviously Gamzee. He snuggled up to Karkat and then you heard it. The smacking of lips on lips. They kissed. While cuddling up in a small bed in the dark.
You never would have guessed that anything was going on between them but now you notice every little interaction between them. In the morning you'd joked and tried to play it off like you didn't care but you wanted to ask him if something was going on. Are they secretly together? Did they really kiss or had you heard wrong? What about Jade? What about Tavros? What about you? Gamzee stirred awake while Karkat was off in the showers and you wondered if asking him was a good idea. He seemed pretty out of it and the odds of him giving coherent answers were very, very slim. You two sat in silence until Vriska burst into the room, griping about morning guard duty. You let yourself get distracted with that conversation, trying to enlist Gamzee's help protecting Tavros and he's all for it. Karkat, not so much. That's the first thing you noticed. He's so worried about his safety. There's no doubt in your mind that he wouldn't be that way with you. Even if they're not together, Gamzee ranks higher than you ever will in importance to Karkat. To your dismay, they left together. You wanted to follow them but that would be crazy, right?
Instead you waited a few minutes until you were sure they were far enough away, and then booked it to the senior building. Now you're panting quietly, catching your breath, as you walk down the long hallway of dorm room doors. When you arrive at Roxy's door you find Aradia is already there, waiting for the blonde girl to let her in.
"Good morning Sollux. Are you joining us today?" She asks, smiling in that faintly creepy way she always does when you're around.
"Joining you in what?"
"Movies and manicures."
"Uh, I'm down for the movie part."
"You might change your mind about the manicures." She wiggles her fingers in front of your face until you bat them away. "Why do you look so down?"
"I just…it's KK."
"When isn't it?"
"No kidding. It seems all of my problems of late can be traced back to him."
"I'm sure the ladies won't mind putting off the first movie for a little girl talk about crushes."
"Very cute, AA." You grin, bumping her shoulder with your own.
A second later Roxy opens the door and beams when she sees you. "Hey cutie, you gonna let us pretty up those chewed up nails of yours?" She asks.
"Not in this lifetime."
With a fake pout, followed by a cheerful smile, she ushers you both inside. Calliope is sitting on the floor in front of the TV looking through their joint movie collection. She waves at you both before returning to her very serious job of picking out the first movie. You plop down on Roxy's bed next to Aradia and sigh. Roxy, who had been gathering different nail polish from atop her dresser, stops and turns to look at you.
"I know that sigh. What happened?" She asks, placing the bottles of polish on her bedside table and taking the empty spot next to you.
"I think that maybe, and I'm only going off of one little thing that happened last night, that may not have even happened! Uh…I think KK might be secretly dating GZ."
"Gamzee?" Aradia asks, pressing her hand to her chest and looking at you like you'd just told her you were going to run off with him. "What on Earth gave you that idea?"
"They might have kissed last night."
"Might have? Baby, do you even have any proof?" Roxy asks, crossing her legs and tapping her already perfect nails on her knee.
"GZ came by last night after I fell asleep. KK woke me up when he took off my glasses."
"Aw, he took off your glasses for you? That was sweet of him." Aradia gushes a little.
"Yea well, they both climbed into his bed and I heard a noise that sounded like two people kissing."
"Making out or just 'you're pretty much my grandmother' goodnight kisses?"
"I don't know. I couldn't see."
"Then it may not have been anything."
"Yea I guess. But he…KK just cares about him so much. It's obvious from the way he interacts with him and protects him all the time."
"I think we need Vriska's input on this. She'd know best, right?" Roxy pulls her phone from her bag but you stop her.
"I wouldn't call VK for at least another two hours." You'd really rather not be the reason she's woken up again. Odds are you'd end up with a hit out on you.
"I'm really looking forward to meeting this boy. I've had to miss all of the meetings since he joined the club, but I'm sure our meeting will be one to remember." Roxy says fondly, taking on the expression of someone daydreaming.
"Don't get your hopes up." You grumble, lying back on her bed and staring at the ceiling.
"Look sweetie, that boy obviously feels something for you. Maybe there is something going on with this Gamzee guy, but I thought he liked that cutie in the wheelchair."
"He does."
"Then what's there to worry about? Just get them together and your grumpy little suitor will most definitely be free for the wooing."
"That's easier said than done. I barely know either of them."
"If you barely know Tav, why were you so concerned for his safety?" Aradia asks with perfect raised eyebrows.
"Because he's important to you. And because its total bullshit that he's being treated that way."
"Wait, hold up. You and the cutie on two wheels know each other?" Roxy asks.
"We've known each other forever. His brother is actually dating my sister. They've been friends forever and Tav and I ended up spending a lot of time together as kids as a result. That's actually how I met Equius too. His brother completes their trio."
"Equius, huh? Not to change the subject, but how are things with him?"
"Ugh, I don't know. Part of me wants to punch him in the face and the other part of me just wants to kiss him silly. Maybe both. Is that weird?"
"Nah, I understand." You say, thinking briefly about when you'd first met Karkat.
"He comes off as a little…controlling. Like, you know that stupid myth fabricated by media that football players have to date cheerleaders? Apparently he believes in that fake rule so he's trying to force me into being a cheerleader. That's pretty much why our relationship hasn't gone from occasional make out session to actually dating." She sighs. "Of course joining the cheerleading team will allow me to spend more time with cute cheerleaders."
"Oh? What's this about a cute cheerleader?" Roxy leans forward on her elbows and prompts her to move on.
"To humor him I went to check out a cheerleading practice and…you know Feferi?"
"I sort of know who she is. I've seen her at games." Roxy says.
"I've told you about her. She's my science partner and she was my first sexual experience." You add on, thinking of the cute bubbly girl who works part time at the aquarium.
"More on that later." Roxy says to you before turning back to Aradia. "So, what about her?"
"Well, she kind of mesmerized me with all her flipping and twirling. I've always liked spending time with her but watching her out there made my heart do this strange flip. I knew immediately I was smitten with her."
"How are you going to break it to Mr. Muscles?" Roxy asks with eyebrow wiggle.
"I don't even know if she feels the same and he isn't my boyfriend. For now I'm going to flirt and drop hints. We'll see where it goes from there."
"Man, I sure don't envy you two. I won over my girl after two weeks."
Calliope stands, crosses the room, and plops herself down right on Roxy's back. Roxy lets out a little "oof" followed by a laugh. Calli's cheeks are a bit pink and she has a scowl with no anger behind it set in place. Roxy turns her head to smile up at the smaller girl.
"As you recall darling, I was the one who confessed to you."
"Yea but I asked you out first."
"That doesn't matter, I was the one who won you over."
"Nah, you had me from day one with that cute smile of yours and rockin' body."
Her cheeks dusted a shade of pink making her bleached white hair stand out even more so against dark skin. Her hand slumps down beside her, she apparently intends to keep her spot atop her girlfriend, and Roxy grabs hold of it. You wish you could do that with Karkat. Hold his hand and not have to worry about him hitting you or yelling until his face turns purple. It's like they don't even realize how lucky they are to be able to do this simple little thing with each other.
"Now, our love lives aside, what do you think your next move will be?" Aradia asks, nudging your shoulder until your head is in her lap, her long fingers working through the snags in your hair.
"I don't know. What do you think he'd do if I just kind of grabbed him and kissed him?" You ask, covering your eyes with both hands, bumping your glasses up onto your forehead.
"From the stories you tell, my guess would be he'd disembowel you." Roxy says with a sigh.
"Fuuuuck." You groan out, muffled by your hands. "I just love him so much."
"I know baby. Love sucks and I think you need a drink. Calli, mind fishing out the bottle of wine from under the bed?"
Calliope releases her hand and hops off the bed, kneeling down to retrieve the unopened bottle. Roxy takes the opportunity to sit up and move over so Calliope can claim the now vacant spot. You slide your glasses back down onto your nose and stare up at the bottle. Pink moscato isn't exactly your favorite but it'll do.
"It's going to be a bit warm. I haven't had a chance to chill it yet but it should do just fine." She unscrews the lid and takes a sip before handing the bottle over to Aradia.
"If you don't mind me giving my two cents," Calliope starts, crossing her legs and leaning forward a bit, "it seems to me the best plan of action would be to woo him. I believe everything you've done has certainly helped you but it's also hurt you. He's only going to see you as looking to get into his pants so don't just seduce him. Make him feel special. Spend some time alone with him watching movies or going to dinner off campus. Don't try anything physical until he gives you the go ahead so that he doesn't just assume you're treating him like all of the other fictional hook ups."
You sit up, taking the offered bottle from Aradia and taking a large gulp – yea, it would definitely be better chilled – and contemplate what she's said. Pissing him off and flirting suggestively are your go-to interactions when it comes to Karkat. Being sincere and sweet to him will be difficult but if it'll win him over, what's the harm in trying? You've already let up on him a bit so now you've just got to be nice all the time. It can't be that hard, right?
A bottle of wine and a few hours later you leave their dorm room with Aradia. In the end you let them play with your nails. They'd clipped them, buffed them and painted them blue and red. You have to admit, they look much better than they did earlier this morning. You're feeling happily light headed after the wine. It wasn't enough to give you a buzz but you're definitely feeling better about things. Aradia's arm is linked with yours as you exit the senior building in search of a coffee cart. The cold immediately cuts through your jacket making you shiver. There's a dusting of snow on the ground that wasn't there when you'd left your dorm this morning.
"There's no shame in enjoying nicely painted nails." Aradia says, lacing her fingers with yours and holding up both hands to look at your nails. Hers are painted burgundy, a color which, for some reason, fits her perfectly.
"It's not as bad as I thought it would be. I might take you up on the next nail painting party."
"Maybe by then you'll be bringing Karkat with you."
"Yea, I doubt that. But hey, why don't you bring Feferi?"
"I just might do that."
To others you must look like a couple with your hands tightly clasped together and your shoulders brushing against one another. Of course you'd considered Aradia as a romantic partner years ago and you'd sort of dated a while back. You'd spent your time together practicing kissing each other more than actually dating. But when it comes down to it, she's really your best friend. You'd met in middle school and immediately hit it off. She's possibly the most important girl in your life. You're not so sure she feels the same but it doesn't really matter as long as she's by your side.
"Oh hey, look." She says, pointing with your joined hands to a couple off in the distance. "It looks like Tav is spending some time with Gamzee."
"What are the odds it's a date?" You ask, hopeful.
"I don't know. They do look awfully chummy. Just look at the way Gamzee looks at him. I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"I hope not."
You finally find a coffee cart without a mile long line and buy a coffee for yourself and a hot chocolate for Aradia. You keep glancing at the two boys talking and laughing together near the cafeteria. It would be great if they were dating. Partly because Gamzee had been pining for him for so long but also because you selfishly want him to be involved with anyone other than Karkat. Aradia catches you staring and nudges you in the ribs.
"Want to go say hi?" She asks.
"No thanks."
"Oh sorry, you took too long to answer."
She drags you along behind her toward the spot where they're chatting. To be honest, you're not really fighting her. She's not going to say anything she knows you don't want her to. There's no risk in just stopping over and saying hello. Maybe you'll find out what their relationship is. Or, more importantly, what his relationship with Karkat is.
"Hello boys." Aradia says cheerfully.
"Hey Aradia." Tav grins at her and you wonder if the red in his cheeks is from Gamzee or the cold.
"It's nice to see you two getting along. I hope we didn't interrupt anything."
"Oh, uh, yea. I mean, no. We're just talking."
"Sol and I just thought we'd say hi. See what you two are up to."
"Nothing really. We were just talking about our favorite games and, uh," Tav looks down at his lap and fiddles with a tear in his sweater sleeve, "making plans to maybe play sometime."
"Well, doesn't that sound nice?" She grins up at you and you roll your eyes.
Aradia and Tavros continue their chat about weekend plans while you try not to look awkward as you sip on your still-too-hot-to-drink coffee. You're not sure what you should say to either of them. If not for Aradia's death grip on your hand, you probably would have made an excuse and walked away by now. Though maybe it's best that she is holding you there. A fifth is about the join your party in the form of a short, grumpy looking roommate.
"It's too fucking cold out here. Why the hell did we have to meet outside instead of, I don't know, ten feet to your right inside the warm cafeteria?" He grumbles as he approaches.
You bite your tongue to stop yourself from saying anything that might upset him. Be nice, don't tease. He stops across from you, between Gamzee and Tavros, and looks around the group. His eyes land on you for a brief pause before they travel a few inches down.
"What is that?" He asks, pointing to the cup in your hand.
"Coffee." You say, biting back a sarcastic remark.
"What's in it?"
"Sugar."
"Good enough." He reaches for it and you let him take it. At first he's just using it to warm his hands and then he's taking a large gulp from it.
Two weeks ago he wouldn't have done that. He would have ignored your presence entirely. Maybe you have made some progress. Gotten closer to him. Close enough for him to feel comfortable stealing your coffee and drinking after you. The conversation is still going on beside you and Karkat continues to complain to Gamzee and tries to nudge him in the direction of the cafeteria. Gamzee finally agrees and moves to take the handles of Tav's chair.
Karkat turns back to you and opens his mouth but no words come out as his eyes fall onto your taken hand. He snaps his mouth shut and shoves the coffee back into your free hand. He almost looks angry and when he speaks there's more snap to his voice than there previously was.
"Your taste in coffee is just as disgusting as the rest of you." He shoves his hands into his coat pockets and scrunches his face into a grimace. With one more glance to your conjoined hands, he follows after Gamzee and Tavros.
"Fuck." You sigh out.
"What happened? Things were going so well." Aradia seems more disappointed than you are.
"I think it was this." You say, holding your hands up. "After all, he thinks you're one of my fuck buddies."
"But we're just holding hands. That could mean anything. For all he knows our hands were cold and we were keeping them warm."
"He looked angry though, didn't he?" You ask, smiling a little.
"He did. I thought you didn't want to make him angry anymore though."
"I don't. But he wasn't angry at me until he saw our hands. He was angry that we were holding hands, AA."
"You think he was jealous?"
"I don't know. Why else would that make him mad?"
"Well my dear, it looks like he might have feelings for you after all."
You're still a little upset that your first interaction after vowing not to make him angry anymore, you unintentionally made him angry. But it's a good thing. It's good that he got mad from seeing you holding hands with another. It means something. It means that on some level he cares about you. On some level he wanted that to be his hand you were holding. And that's pretty great.
You depart from Aradia and head back to your room while sipping from your coffee. All the while knowing you're drinking from the same cup his lips had touched.
Alright, that was pretty short compared to past chapters but this chapter was never originally planned. It's just something that happened. Sorry it wasn't very good. The next chapter will be longer and I'm really excited to write it! I appear to be out of my writing slump so hopefully it won't take me nearly as long to write the next chapter. Thank you guys so much for your continued support.
