AT: wELL, HAVE YOU?
It's been a some months since I got into that scuffle with whoever jumped me afterschool, and things have really speed by pretty quickly. Our chemistry teacher told Karkat and me that the class has passed the test with a class average of eighty-five percent. So we've been teaching the class ever since. Vriska and her group of trolls haven't really been talking to me, all except for Terezi. She has been keeping me updated with anything that seems suspicious, like if Vriska's gone, or the anything out of the norm. My Matespritship with Karbro has actually been going really well. With a couple of forgotten month-versaries by me, we've been dating for about five months now. And they have been some of the best months of my life. Plus, or minus some arguments over my black eye, we've been doing just well. Which brings me to the conversation right now. I'm sitting downstairs in my hive, on my couch watching T.V. and texting Tavros in between commercials, on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It started out asking him if I cancel a hangout with him for a date with Karbro, he said it was cool but then he asked me something.
AT: hAVE YOU SAID YOU LOVED HIM?
TC: WhAt?
AT: wELL, HAVE YOU?
TC: NoT tHAt I rEmEmBeR…
AT: dO YOU LOVE HIM? lIKE REALLY.
TC: …..
I stop for a second and actually think on it. Do I love Karkat? We have been dating awhile, and I know I haven't told him that. I made sure of it so it didn't feel rushed. I've been dying to say it though instead of "Bye, text you later." Or just saying "hi" when we meet. Then, I flash back to the hundreds of texts I have sent him. And making sure I sent him one in the morning as soon as I wake up, and floating to where I meet him in the mornings. Running back to the school after dropping off Tavbro off to walk him the rest of the way to his hive. Our first movie date, how he says my name when he's upset with me, it's just motherfucking cute.
AT: gAMZEE? yOU STILL, UH, THERE?
I snap out of thinking to feel my phone vibrate again. I do, I do love Karbro.
TC: SoRrY mOtHeRfUcKeR, i ZoNeD tHe FuCk OuT.
TC: YeAh, I lOvE kArBrO, i ReAlLy Do.
AT: sO, WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD HIM?!
TC: I dOn'T kNoW…sHoUlD i?
AT: YES!
TC: …..HmMm
AT: wHAT?
TC: I kNoW wHaT i'Ll dO...
TC: i GoTtA uP aNd Go, TaVbRo. I'lL mESsAgE yOu LaTeR :o)
AT: oK, BYE gAMZEE. }:)
I look over his last message, and then I find Karkat's name on my contact list and ask if he was still coming over today. It takes a few minutes but he replies to me saying yes in his verbose way. He tells me he will be over in about 15 minutes, and I text back that I'll be waiting for him. Looking towards my wall clock I see it tick 2:16. The time seems to be slugging along like a baby grub, I take a shower, play around on my phone, even start to make a pie. But the time still won't move any faster, it just says that it's 2:20. I sigh and continue making the pie, measuring mixing, and finally tossing it in the oven. Now from what I've been told, some of the ingredients I use aren't good to eat for a young troll's mind. It's sopor slime, from my recuperacoon. My friends say it's going to rot my think-pan, but I don't know, it's to miraculous to be that bad. I'm about to take it out the oven when I hear a knock at the door, looking at the clock I see it is flashing 2:32. Wiping my hands off on some kitchen rag I yell that the door's unlocked . Karkat walks in smiling at me, and he leans against the wall as I grab the burning hot pie out the oven.
"SuP kArKaT? YoU rEaDy fOr OuR dAtE?" I toss off my oven mitts and walk over to him giving him a kiss on his forehead.
"IF YOU ARE, WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED THIS TIME? A MOVIE? SOME MORE OF YOUR SHITTY COOKING? I DON'T THINK I COULD HANDLE THAT AGAIN, I THINK I WOULD EAT ONE OF THOSE DISGUSTING PIES YOU MAKE ALL THE TIME THEN YOUR REGULAR MEALS. IT'S LIKE YOU DRAGGED IN A RANDOM BEAST AND CHARRED IT ON A FIRE AND CALLED IT DINNER."
"I sAiD tHaT i LoSt TrAcK oF tHe TiMeR. i SwEaR i DoN't AlWaYs CoOk LiKe ThAt!" I pout playfully towards him "AnD yOu WoN't HaVe To Up AnD SuFfEr ThRoUgH mY mOtHeRfUcKiNg CoOkInG. I tHoUgHt We CoUlD jUsT gO oN a WaLk." He looks at me and shrugs.
"IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE UP FOR, THEN WHY NOT? IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD BE FUN." I smile towards him, and start to grab my jacket from the corner on the floor.
"Ok, LeT's Go, KaRbRo." I make sure that I have my keys in my pocket and hold the door for him as he walks out. Locking it, I grab Karkat's hand and we set off in the direction of the school. We talk very little enjoying the silence of the late afternoon. We keep walking till I'm in an area I vaguely remember, and spot a cliff edge with a good view of the valley pointing towards the two Alternian moons. I sit down dragging Karkat into my lap along with me. Once again the silent goes in as we just sit there with the only conversation is with the wind blowing at our backs and hair. Then I take a deep breath and I hold Karkat closer in my chest.
"KaRbRo, HoW lOnG hAvE wE bEeN dAtInG?"
"FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS TODAY." I grimace at the forgotten day. I really had no idea, but I hope what I have to say will make up for it.
"AnD hOw HaVe YoU fElT dUrInG tHe TiMe We BeEn ToGeThEr? LiKe, HaPpY aNd ShIt."
"YES, VERY HAPPY, BY A LOT ACTUALLY. WHY DO YOU ASK?" I think I hear slight concern as he say the last part. I take a deep breath, and start practicing what I've been saying in my head for the entire walk.
"KaRkAt, I lOvE yOu. I rEaLlY dO, aNd I dOn'T kNoW aBoUt YoU, BuT i DoN't WaNt YoU tO LeAvE mE, EvEr. AnD i WaNtEd YoU tO kNoW tHaT. kArKaT i WoUlD dO aNyThInG fOr YoU." I sit there, holding him in my arms, and resting my head on his back. At first, I don't think he is going to say anything back, and that it's going to keep being quiet. That maybe he doesn't feel the same way back, that I'm crazy for saying it out loud. I'm starting to wish that I didn't say anything.
"I LOVE YOU TOO, GAMZEE. AND I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU EITHER, EVER. AND I WISH I TOLD YOU THAT SOONER." I just can't help but smile, and I think I feel tears well I my eyes. "OH MY GOD, ARE YOU CRYING?" I see that Karkat hass turned around in my arms and is facing me.
"N-No, I jUsT yAwNeD." I laugh out, ok he caught me and I'm a horrible liar. I'm just so happy. He rolls his eyes at me and wipes some of them away with his thumb.
"You're such a clown." Karkat says right before he leans in and kisses me on the lips. My eyes shoot halfway open some, but then they close as I push back. It's only the second time we ever kissed like this, the first time being at the party. But this one, this one isn't the same. It feels ten times more special than it ever could. I let go first and just hug him, and lean on his neck.
"I lOvE yOu."
"I LOVE YOU, TOO."
