God dammit, you're beginning to remember why you hated summer. Normally you'd just stay in the camper and mind your own business, but in the past several days you are just constantly being dragged outside into the blistering sun. You're pretty sure you've been badly burned. You don't know what it was but all of a sudden it's like no one will leave you be. In other words, you're exhausted, sore, and just want some time alone.

It's a lot to take in after just being completely left alone in almost solitude for several years and then suddenly getting so much attention that you can't handle. It's nice, you guess, to know that you aren't completely forgotten. But it was literally like being hit in the face by a soccer ball that came out of nowhere and you only noticed it a second too late.

You're currently curled up in you blankets on the top bunk in your camper. You trying to sleep in, but the birds, the stupid birds won't stop chirping. So, basically you just lay there, drowning in your thoughts, and pretend you're asleep, hopefully people will have the decency to leave you, Karkat Vantas, alone.

Of course, when do things ever go your way? But maybe, the world will give you a few seconds of peace…

"Hey, Karkat!"

"Fuc—," you jump and hit your head on the ceiling, and then proceed to growl at the intruder.

"What the fuck do you want, Egbert?"

He outs on that stupid grin of his and says, "Heh, sorry for startling you." He rubs the back of his neck before he continues, "Anyways, get your lazy butt out of bed. We're going hiking."

You look at him in the eyes and say, "NO." And then return into you curled position, only for him to tear off your blanket.

"You don't have a choice, this is a boy's night out and last time I checked you're a boy, so get up." You don't move. "Do you want me to get Dave, Karkat? The three of us haven't had a bros night in years, so don't make us drag you."

"Only the three of us? Last time I checked there are more than three boys here."

"Everyone else has other things to do. Like Dirk and Jake are having their own "boys night", if you know what I mean," you don't want to know what he means, but sadly you do, "Tavros and Gamzee are just going to chill here, Equius doesn't want to get distracted from building his robots, Eridan's going to hang out with the girls for their girls night out, apparently, Sollux doesn't do hiking, and everyone else has other plans. So it's only the three of us, and we're not giving you a choice."

You're not going to win this are you? Well, fuck. Maybe this won't be so bad, you know, if you're not killed by bears… Ha, seriously, you're part troll and you survived a game created by Satan, you don't need to worry about bears.

"Fine," you groan, since you also know that if John gets Dave you'll literally be dragged with them. It sometimes makes you wonder how old those two really are, probably ten years old maybe younger.

"Good, if you're not dressed and out of the camper in five minutes I'll send in Dave."

"I got that the first time." You say as he leaves. Sometimes you wonder how you've come to be friends with that moron. Or anyone here for that matter.

~.: :.~

This was a terrible idea. You should have stayed in bed, ignored John. No, wait, he would have gotten Dave who will never take no for an answer. Still, you should have fought back. What made you think this was going to be a good idea in the first place?

You hadn't known where they were planning to hike. You are currently walking alongside a mountain, and you literally have no idea where you're headed, and apparently John doesn't either. Dave is the one leading the way, and he doesn't answer when you ask.

If this turns out to be some prank that John set up and has Dave as a partner in crime, you'll murder them both and hide their bodies somewhere in these woods. They made they terrible mistake to have a prank in the middle of nowhere, where no one can find dead bodies. Unless, that is the idea. You should always be open minded when it comes with these two, since their brains work in strange ways on their own, and when combined they for one giant, unpredictable, moronic brain.

Or maybe this is really just a hiking trip, that'll be completely pointless in the end.

You've been walking for like, what, an hour? You've already taken off you sweater and tied it around your waist, so all you're in is a tank top and jeans, and you're considering taking you tank top off as well. Luckily, you aren't carrying anything; none of you are for that matter.

"We're here." Dave says. It appears you've ended up in the middle of a clearing, in the middle of nowhere.

"So what was the point of this, Strider?" You ask, a little irritated.

"The point to go on a long journey, you ask? Obviously to spend time with my bros, is that too much to ask?"

"Yes."

"Oh, come on, Karkat, lighten up," John says, just as cheerful as ever.

"I refuse to 'lighten up'," You snap back.

"Whoa, what's that behind you?" Dave says, and who are you if you're not going to fall for that? You look behind you and see, well, a beautiful view that's for sure. The light dances of the lake far below you and the mountains tower over everything, completely covered in the green of trees. "Why, could that be an amazing view?" He says, as he leans against you with one arm hooked around your neck. And suddenly you're way too close and warm for comfort. "Bet ya didn't think that I was capable of actually doing something right."

"Get off of me." You honestly can't deny that this view is amazing, so you settle with the casual "get off me, before I bit your head off" expression, but he still knows that you agree about the view.

"What are we even going to—," You are cut off when a water balloon collides with your face. Where the fuck did John get the water balloons anyway?!

"Every man for themselves!" John shouts as he fires away. You and Dave bolt in separate directions, apparently this has already been set up because you find a cardboard box full of water balloons behind a tree in, you grab the balloons and return the gesture to John, getting him straight in the back as he is distracted by Dave. There's a water gun the box as well, which is effective when you find Dave later.

You run far into the trees when John finds you. He may be fast, but you are faster. He's managed to hit you three times so far, one in the head, one on your side, and one shoulder. You've managed to hit him once, right in the center of his chest. That's when out of the blue Dave comes swinging in on a rope, with warrior face paint on like you and John, and gets both of you, and then John gets him in the face with a water balloon. You manage to slide under him and escape, but just barely.

It's not long before you are partially soaked and hiding in a tree waiting for either one of them to show themselves. If you are completely soaked, you lose, so you're still okay. There's a well in the clearing, which is the only source of water you can use to refill you gun and make more water balloons. It's like the fucking hunger games here. Basically, you're waiting for one of them to take a chance, although they may have the same idea.

It's not until you see a flash of blue in the corner of you eye that you know John has decided to take the risk, or just fell out of hiding spot. Dave has jumped out his spot and proceeds to attack John with all he's got, as does John. Now, they're completely out of water and balloons, and they aren't still completely soaked. In other words, now's your chance.

"Oh, boys~" you sing, as you land on the ground. Now the only thing separating them from the well is you. And you have the upper hand, with two water guns, one you managed to snatch from John, and a box full of water balloons at your side. There is an evil grin plastered on your face, and you can tell both of them are intimidated.

"Whoa there, Karkat, there's no need to get hasty here. Let's just talk this out." Dave says.

"Yeah, you wouldn't hurt your best bros, would you? Or s guy with glasses?" John's voice stumbles over the words. You can literally hear the fear in their voices. They should be scared, because they haven't seen this dark side of you until now.

You through in what would look like an innocent smile as you say, "Sorry, but I'm not familiar with the word 'mercy'." You aim.

"Shit, bro, run!" Dave shouts. And before you know it, there running away like prey from a predator. A predator that has more than one plan.

In the end, they are both soaked and you are the victor. You lay on the ground exhausted, John and Dave next to you.

"Well, that was a brutal defeat." Dave sighs.

"You said it," Johns says, his eyes remain closed, "I honestly expected you to be the first one to go down, Karkat."

"Well, I totally proved you wrong. You guys didn't even stand a chance the moment you through that balloon, John."

You don't notice when Dave moves and grabs something from one of the trees. When you look, you see it's two baskets. "Who wants lunch?" He asks, raising them up higher.

John opens his eyes, "Bout time you brought out the food, I was beginning to lose my faith in you, Dave."

"What would you have done if I hadn't?"

"Make sure every bag of Doritos isn't filled with Doritos."

He silent for a moment, "… You're a cruel man, John. If fear for how evil your children will be. Like seriously though, Vriska and you would make very evil children that could probably take over the world using pranks and deceit."

"I don't think that would happen. Vriska and I are kind of in a… pause? I don't know, things are just complicated at the moment," He sighs.

"Damn, that must suck, bro."

He sits up and stretches, "Yeah, but that's life for ya. Life likes to fuck people over." You hadn't expected them to end up in some "pause". They seemed to be the same dorky couple meant for each other all the time. You should really be paying attention to what's going on around you, rather than being focused on your own personal bubble.

Pushing yourself up a bit, you open on of the baskets and find that it's full of water and apple juice, mostly apple juice. Of course. It's so like Dave, you shouldn't be surprised, and honestly you're not.

"Who ever said life gives lemons for free anyway?" Dave makes a valid point. It sounds like something everyone should keep in mind – it's like one moment he's a complete dork and then the next he's a freaking wise old man.

The rest of the day involves you three chilling and some more exploring, before you actually get ambushed by Sollux, Aradia, Nepeta, Dirk, Jake, Rose, Jade, Roxy, and Jane. In the end, you all end up in another water fight, one in which you are not the victor of this time. Nepeta wins, having shown no mercy and no one standing a chance against her in the first place.

~.: . :.~

When you said you'd fight for Karkat's smile, you were meaning the genuine smile, not the "innocent yet I'm going to destroy you all" smile. You didn't think Karkat was capable of that, but apparently he is. You learn something new every day.

You are currently Dave Strider, and you have returned to the campsite after having another brutal water fight, where Dirk was the one to take you down, and then Jake took him down, and then Nepeta to Jake down, and then proceeded to be victorious. In other words, you all had fun.

This day probably wouldn't have been awesome if it weren't for John. Basically, this day was for you to try and make Karkat swoon, or happy at least, which was a success (the happy part was a success, you haven't made him swoon yet, you think). You had just recently found out that John knew about how you felt about Karkat; seemingly, he found out around the beginning of this summer, during one of your chats online which gave away everything. And him being your best bro, decided to help you out in making an awesome bro's night out that should at least brighten up his dull life. This bro's night helped all of you out it seems.

You actually didn't expect John and Vriska to end up in some sort of pause. Those two were practically meant for each other. Even after all that work to get them to together, they can't just give up now. You remember a few years ago, when John told you he liked Vriska and you having talked to Rose, who talked to Kanaya, who talked to Vriska, you knew that Vriska felt the same. And basically Rose, Jade, Kanaya, and you hatched a plan to get them together which turned out to be a lot more work than you had intended, but it worked out.

You're pretty sure if you just put the two of them in a room together they'll fight, kiss, and then make-up. Or maybe they'll end up hating each other and then all chances of them to being together may fall apart. You can't really believe that they could end apart, but maybe some things are meant to be. Like how Tavros and Gamzee tried being in that flushed quadrant but found they'd be better as bros, you think they may be aiming for the pale quadrant now. Either way, you'll be there to support your best bro if worst comes to worst.

You're currently with Karkat in his camper, John having decided he'll hit the hay at his own camper tonight, in other words, leaving you and Karkat alone in his camper (John is a good bro). Kankri and Signless are going to be spending the night over at the Leijon camper so you shouldn't' be expecting anyone to intrude. The plan is to basically watch movies all night, you'll let him watch his rom coms, even though you'd prefer to watch a horror movie (ah, yes, a horror movie about people camping and then being murdered off one by one) which could score you some cuddles. But, rom coms are better at scoring cuddles when it comes to Karkat. He gets so emotional over them, that he just has to cling to someone or curl up in a ball with a protective blanket on.

Hopefully your plan to make Karkat swoon tonight will be a success.