At Fault: Chapter 26
"Gosh, I just can't wait for Christmas break."
"Heh, I-I feel you."
Tavros casted a glance to the side as he said the prior, giving his friend, Jade, a grin, "It's about time w-we got, a break. Are you doing something?"
She returned the grin he gave him with a mischievous smirk, "Of course. Me and my grandpa are going into the mountains to go hunting. It'll be great!"
"Uh... Shouldn't you go hunting in the, spring?"
Jade shrugged, "It'll be to test our skills. We aren't going that far into the mountains, so it won't be like, 40-below or something. Besides we're heading south to do it."
Probably she noticed his discomforted expression so she gave him a friendly pat, "Don't worry, I know you don't like hunting, but in retrospect it's probably more humane than how people normally kill animals for food."
He nodded in a agreement, trying to keep the latter from forming visions in his mind. Currently, the last period of the day ended, and Jade and he were walking together. Well, she was walking anyway, and he wheeled at an easy pace beside her.
About a month passed since Tavros and Gamzee had the rather awkward conversation concerning their sexual life (or rather, lack of one). It was never brought up again, which could have been a good thing or a bad thing. He hoped it was only because Gamzee didn't want to make him uncomfortable or anything, rather than he was losing interest in the concept of having sex with Tavros all together. It sometimes itched at the back of his mind, but by now he was fully dived into his classes and his new flourishing social life. Ever since he had became closer to Jade, and met Gamzee, it seemed the bullying dwindled to nearly nothing. Sometimes he still got the jabs regarding his disability or his speech impediment, but Jade usually scared them away.
Jade was a kind girl, most of the time. Despite her tomboyish-like tendencies, she wore skirts often, and her hair was long and wore down, with sometimes a bow or band in it. Her skin was similar to his in color, bit perhaps a bit more yellow, rather than a brownish-tan, and each of her fingers had a colorful string around it (she explained they were reminders, because she was forgetful) and she had a habit of falling asleep in class.
Her personality had a reputation for being pretty happy and cheerful a lot around her friends, and she was completely animated with her emotions. But people she thought didn't deserve her friendship or kindness, she was very cold and icy towards. You could just see it form across her features; her eyes hardened, she frowned irritably, and she always fixed them with a glare that sent shivers down spines. There were times when she became a complete badass as well; the first time somebody sauntered up to Tavros with Jade around and called him a 'faggot', she punched him in the face.
She got suspended for a week, but she assured Tavros it was completely worth it.
But that was months ago. Since then, they had become close friends, and even had a few classes together. A few times, they chilled over at John and Karkat's house and played video games late into the night, much to Karkat's annoyance, since the three were often raucous in their games. Sometimes Gamzee joined them, but he was terrible at video games, so he usually just provided piles of junk food and Faygo (this sort of made Tavros a little bit annoyed, since he was always trying to tell Gamzee to eat healthier).
Jade never seemed bothered by Tavros, even when they first met she treated him like a regular person, rather than somebody who is in a wheelchair with a speech impediment and had a boyfriend. Tavros appreciated this greatly; he felt like any other normal person talking with her. That was probably why she was such a close friend.
"When's Gamzee gonna pick you up?" She asked as she scanned the front of the school where a purple truck usually waited.
Tavros pulled himself from his thoughts. He seemed to have dozed off. "H-he has a shift at his job right now, he messaged me earlier and uh, said he'd be late."
"Oh, okay! Well, mind if I wait with you? I need to finish my homework anyway, and I get so distracted at home!" Jade veered off the concrete walkway and plopped down on the grass that stretched out between the parking lot and the school building.
Tavros awkwardly wheeled across the grass over to her just as she pulled out her notebook, "Ugh, I feel old, remember the days when there wasn't any homework?"
"N-nope," He snickered. "I-in that, I was implying we've been having homework so long, I forgot what it was like to not, have any."
There was a breeze in the air, but the sun was shining between folds of clouds, so the temperature wasn't so bad. Tavros pulled on his jacket anyway before beginning his homework. Knowing Gamzee, he would probably distract him from it most of the afternoon, like usual.
"Why don't you come down here?" Jade asked after a while, looking rather curious, "The grass is dry and pretty comfortable. Has to be better then sitting in that chair all day. Does it ever give you back cramps?"
"N-no. Well, hmn, sometimes, but, I am just used to it." Tavros replied, "Er... It's hard getting to the ground from a wheelchair."
"Need help?" She offered as she began to stand but Tavros hastily shook his head.
After much struggle, Tavros managed to slither to the ground, his pant-legs in a tangle. Once he became situated, his pocket began to buzz. Must have been his phone;
-terminallyCapricious[TC] began pestering adiosToreador [AT]-
TC: hOnK. }:o)
TC: hEy tAvBrO.
AT: hEY,
TC: I WiLl Be ThErE iN a FeW, gEtTiNg OfF sOoN.
AT: oH, oKAY, tHANKS,
AT: nO NEED TO RUSH YOURSELF, tHOUGH,
TC: 3
TC: sEe YoU sOoN.
AT: yEAH,
AT: 3
-terminallyCapricious [TC] ceased pestering adiosToreador [AT]-
"Gamzee'll be here soon, he's about to leave work."
"Good." Jade replied, "It's pretty cute that he picks you up from school."
Tavros shrugged, "Y-yeah, I guess, it's nice of him to do so. Sort of my fault, t-though."
"Oh?"
"Well... M-my dad said he wouldn't bother picking me up from school this year, because I uh, should be driving myself."
Jade stared at him for a good half minute, "But you can't."
Tavros shrugged again. "A-also he said my faggot of a boyfriend could pick me up, so..."
She looked rather pissed off now, "God your dad is a pile of poop! I wish I could just take you away and let you live in my closet!"
"Hah... i-if only, but, I don't, uh, think that'll sit well with Gamzee. He's been trying to get me to, uh, move in with him for months now."
Jade clenched her jaw, as if trying to calm herself down, "Why don't you just say yes and move in with him? It has to be better there than living with your dad."
"God, you're starting to sound, uh, like him." Tavros said, considering her words for a minute, " And also, I know but, I do not want him, trying to support me, n-not while I cannot work and, uh, help. I c-can't even clean, I will be dead weight."
"Not dead weight! Not if he wants to take care of you! But, I guess I see your point." She scratched at her chin as if thinking before saying, "Ever consider getting prosthetics for your legs?"
Tavros shrugged, "I-I used to, but, it's real expensive, and I would need somebody to uh, help me, and I dunno... My d-dad never seemed up for the idea, because he says I don't deserve them-"
"What?" Jade interrupted with an explosive yell, "Don't deserve them? What kind of parent is that?"
Tavros fiddled with the hem of his shirt, "It's uh, a long story, I'd rather not share... but, without his money, I can't really go through the surgery or, uh, get the legs..."
"That's terrible. God, I know you've told me about the crap your dad puts you through, but that's ridiculous."
Tavros shrugged and reassured her with a smile.
"And then you turn around and act so happy all the time." Jade went on with a long sigh.
He cheeks reddened a bit, and he scratched the back of his head, "Uh, thanks but I guess, I'm just used to it?" Life threw a lot of shit at him, but he did his best to never let it drag him down into a pit with more negative thoughts. Sometimes it managed to wrap a coil around his wrist and stare menacingly from the pit, but he never let it drag him in.
Tavros barely noticed the surprised look Jade was giving to the area behind him before he almost screamed. Something tackled him from behind and wrapped their arms firmly around his shoulders. A high, almost-squeaky giggle rustled his mohawk, "Greetings Tavros! Jade!"
"O-oh my g-god, Nepeta, y-you almost, gave me, a heart attack!" Tavros replied, clenching his chest where his heart beat rapidly.
Jade and Nepeta both broke out in a unison of laughs. The one that was clinging to his shoulders rolled backwards into the grass, "You squeaked like a kitten!"
"N-no, I didn't," Tavros denied rather seriously.
"I'm pretty sure you did, Tavros," Jade snickered, blatantly taking Nepeta's side.
She wiggled around him and pushed herself into a sitting position, "Fancy meeting you guys here. Why are you just sitting out here?"
"Gamzee said he was gonna be late, so I decided to stay with Tavros, since I can just drive home," Jade replied, still a bit giggly. "What about you? Isn't Equius herding you home usually?"
"Yeah but he has to finish a test so he told me to wait." She rolled her eyes over-dramatically and scowled, "But I'm bored. Then I saw you! And pounced!"
"Yeah, it really, took me b-by surprise," Tavros muttered, still rubbing his chest; at least his heart was quieting its frantic pounding.
"That was the point!"
Tavros began lightly chuckling anyway. While Jade and Nepeta (who got along surprisingly well) spoke among each other, Tavros concentrated on the homework he knew Gamzee would distract him from later. It wasn't too difficult; he was pretty good in his classes, especially his senior ones, where it usually involved just note-taking for both classwork and homework.
About twenty minutes passed when a second pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders. He was convinced for a second it was Nepeta again, but Nepeta was still sitting next to him.
"Hey my cutest motherfucker," Gamzee chuckled into his ear, bringing a tiny almost inaudible giggle from his breath tickling his skin.
"H-hey, Gamzee," he replied, conscience of where they were at the moment, and how there were still students milling around, and the two of them were in plain sight.
"Hope I didn't up and keep a bro waiting?"
"N-not at all! I just, worked on my homework."
Gamzee snuggled his nose into the back of Tavros's mohawk, a grin crawling up his face, "Missed you, Tavbro."
His heart was pattering harshly in his chest again, and he leaned forward away from Gamzee's nuzzling, "Y-yeah, you too."
"You alright? Didn't get any motherfuckin' shit today, right?"
"Um, no."
Gamzee took Tavros's face by the chin and gently turned it towards him, "Your nose is all red and a little runny, you shouldn't up and be out in the motherfucking cold like this, you'll get sick."
Tavros pushed his hand away and gave him a reassuring smile, "I'm fine, really."
"Aww, you guys are just really cute," Nepeta commented; she had an obsession with romance.
"Thank you, but Tavros here is the real motherfuckin' cutie. Have you seen this motherfuckin' face?" He used his fingers to pinch the sides of Tavros's cheeks.
"Umn..." He mumbled with his face being squished.
"Anyway, unless your busy, ready to up and head motherfuckin' home?"
"Uh, yeah, sure. If you're ready...!"
Tavros went to lift himself in his chair, but Gamzee grabbed him quickly, mumbling something about not letting a brother have to get into their own wheelchair. He hugged him around the waist, pulled him from the ground, and placed him in his chair. The gesture was probably more intimate than need-be, seeing how he managed to draw more curious glances from nearby bystanders.
He swept that small paranoia from his mind though, reasoning with himself that bystanders also had a life and probably didn't give two shits about him. Gamzee gathered his bags and papers that were still on the ground and put them in his lap before waving bye to the girls and wheeling him away towards his truck that was parked nearby.
His discomfort went unnoticed, and it lessened once they left the schools property.
"D-did you have a good day?" Tavros asked.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah I did motherfucker. Went to a class this morning then motherfuckin' chilled with little kids the rest of the day. Cute little fuckers, but they're always sticky or some shit."
"Y-yeah."
"Do you like kids, bro?"
Tavros shrugged, "I dunno, they are, okay, I guess."
"Should bring you over to the preschool sometime, motherfucker, you can get your chill on with the little motherfuckers."
Only, little kids tended to veer away from him once they found out he didn't have legs. That made him a little afraid.
Gamzee shifted a look over at him real fast, and maybe noticed the change in facial expression. "You okay, brother?"
"Uh... well, kids tend to be afraid, of me, so..."
"Well Tavbro, we'll take you after Christmas or something, I'll be sure to let the older kids know to treat you with motherfuckin' respect," he paused, "But only if you wanna bro, I ain't forcing this shit or anything."
"Well, I d-don't mind," Tavros replied with an ernest smile.
"Great, motherfucker, I'll up and check with the other staff next time I have a shift. It'll be motherfuckin' wicked for the older kids to learn to respect differences."
If only the kids from elementary school learned that same lesson, Tavros thought to himself with an inward sigh, maybe then it wouldn't have been so bad.
i am lord of ending chapters
it is me
/heavy sarcasm
i think i might upload 27 tonight as well. dunno. depends on where i go with 28. maybe i'll upload all three in one night