As I sat down to put my shoes on, Kankri started. "So, I know you're getting older and now that you actually have a boyfriend, I think we need to talk about some...things." He took a deep breath. "Karkat, we need to talk about...the birds and the bees."
I stopped, the laces taught in my hands, as I coughed and nearly fell off the couch. "W-what?!" I gasped. "Dude I'm old enough to know what to do and not do! I don't need 'the talk'!" I said, my face, neck and probably legs going red.
"Karkat, I know you're old enough in theory, but do you know if Dave has anything? Do you use protection? Do you stretch or-"
"Look, this isn't happening. I'm so not talking about my love life like that. Sorry, but no." I quickly tied my shoes and stood up. "Now lets get going. It's not far from here, but the others are probably there already."
He stood up and, out of no where, hugged me. "I just want to know you're safe, Karkat. In every way." I sighed and hugged him back quickly.
"I am. Dave's never been with anyone else. He would have told me." He nodded. "And I know he'd have told me if he had something. He even admitted to being a demon before we were officially together."
"I'm glad he's so honest with you." He said as we headed to the door, locking it behind us. We made our way to the elevator. As we waited, he fidgeted with his sleeves.
"Nervous?" I grinned.
"A bit. What are they like, exactly? His family." He said softly as the elevator opened with a ding. We were the only ones on it, so I was going to be open with him.
"Well, they're demons. And, from what I can tell, they're all at least bisexual. One of his sisters actually has a crush on Kanaya." I smiled softly. "I bet that if, once we can all get along, that the two of them can be happy." I breathed. "Like Dave and I are."
"So you're really happy with him?" I looked up at his question.
"Of course. I've liked Dave since we met, and now, wth all the secrets gone between us, I can really see myself with him forever." I'd started tracing my mark lightly as I was talking.
"Is it because of that?" He asked, his hand catching mine. I shook my head.
"No. I felt like this way before he bit me." By the look on his face, I'd said too much. "It wasn't unwarrented or unwanted, I swear. It was a mutual want. The mark wasn't exactly planned, but it's not a bad thing. It could have been really bad if Dave and I didn't love each other, though." I shivered. "Really, really bad."
He blinked and started to open his mouth, but I shook my head quickly. "Its really not the kind of thing you'll wanna hear right off the bat. But, all in all, they're nice. Well spoken if not a bit sassy and, like Dave, cocky." I smiled, understanding why they were all like that now.
WIth demons, the older you are, the stronger. And Dave and Rose had to be the youngest of the family. Even still, Dave is the most powerful demon I've witnessed in action. I've never seen the others fight, so I couldn't gauge how powerful they were yet.
"They sound nice." He said, and I looked up to see him smiling softly.
"It's like once they heard I was with Dave, they accepted not only me, but you and all the others into the family too. So Bro will probably be a little annoyed that someone attacked his family." The elevator opened and we were stopped from stepping out.
In front of us was Latula leading Terezi by the arm gently. Terezi was pale in the face, which made the cuts along her cheek bones and down her neck stand out. Her usually bare arms were littered with bangades of different sizes, all of them soaked to the top with blood.
She smiled and hugged me the moment she saw me, and my heart broke a little. "We kicked their asses." She laughed, trying to make me smile. "These are nothing. I've had way worse. The doctor just wanted to put some bandages on my arms so they wouldn't reopen if I bumped into something, which you know happens more often than not." She nudged my arm, still trying to get a smile out of me.
I smiled and hugged her again, letting go of any feelings I might have for her other than ones I would feel for a sister. A best friend. "I'll slit their throats, I promise." I said softly, making her relax a bit into the hug.
As we said our goodbyes to the sisters, we made our way into the softening night. Winter was on it's way, so the air had a bitter nip in it that made Kankri pull in closer to me for warmth.
It was nice, being in the lead like this. I haven't felt like this since I stopped hunting not too long ago. To take the lead again was pretty nice.
I turned around the corner and headed down the stairway to the cafe. Kankri paused for a moment until I looked up at him and waved him on with a smile.
He squared his shoulders and met me at the door. "Just relax." I grabbed his hand. He nodded nad I opened the door.