Karkat gave a frustrated sigh as he read over the piece of paper in front of him. It was garbage. Some lowblooded idiot was propositioning him for some kind of pity relationship, just because Karkat had beaten him up a few times? Bullshit. This wriggler was ignorant and pathetic.

Like hell he didn't already have that quadrant filled.

Before he was really able to dwell on it, though, a light lit up on his computer. Someone was online messaging him.

The letter was forgotten instantly as he rushed to his husktop. Terezi. Shit, they hadn't talked in a while. She'd been offline for almost two days.

[gallowsCalibrator has begun trolling carcinoGeneticist]

GC: YOU TH3R3?

CG: YEAH I'M HERE.

CG: PERUSING THIS FOUL SLUDGE THAT HAD PRESENTED ITSELF AT MY DOORSTEP FOR SOME SEMBLANCE OF HOPE FOR OUR RACE.

CG: THERE IS NOTHING TO BE GLEANED FROM THIS EXCEPT THERE ARE IDIOTS IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD.

GC: WH4T?

CG: I GOT A STUPID FUCKING PITY CONFESSION.

GC: H3H3H3 R34LLY?

CG: YEAH.

CG: I DUNNO WHAT TO DO WITH IT. NOTHING SEEMS APPROPRIATE.

GC: 34T 1T!

CG: FUCK NO.

He glanced down at it. It seemed to call him from the other side of the room. Okay, maybe trying it wouldn't be so bad.

So he chomped down on it for a few moments. Worst fucking decision of his life. After about ten seconds it felt like someone had opened a billion wounds and dried the shit out of his mouth.

CG: THAT WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA.

CG: FUCK YOU.

GC: YOU 4CTU4LLY D1D 1T?

CG: SHUT UP.

GC: H3H3H3

CG: YEAH LAUGH SURE

CG: I JUST HAVE PAPERCUTS

CG: ON MY TONGUE

GC: W4NT M3 TO F1X TH4T TOO?

CG: ...MAYBE.

GC: TH3N M44444444YB3 1 C4N 4RR4NG3 TH4T!

CG: NOT THAT I LIKE THAT OR ANYTHING.

CG: CAUSE THAT'S FUCKING STUPID.

GC: Y3S SO L4M3

GC: L4M3 L4M3 L4M3!

CG: TOTALLY LAME.

CG: BEYOND LAME.

CG: ALMOST AS LAME AS CONSTANTLY BITING SOMEONE DURING SLOPPY MAKEOUTS THAT AREN'T BLACK IN NATURE.

He knew he wasn't fooling her at all. His tongue was still a bit dry, and he took a drink of some random liquid. It tasted like some kind of pop. It almost burned, but it was really an attempt to distract himself.

GC: H3Y THOS3 W3R3 N1C3 B1T3S!

GC: 1 W4S B31NG N1C3!

GC:OR DO YOU W4NT M3 TO B3 M34N?

CG: NOT IN PARTICULAR.

CG: SAVE THAT SHIT FOR VRISKA.

GC: 1 DO!

GC: B3S1D3S

GC: YOU L1K3 1T!

CG: BESIDES

CG: SHUT UP.

Karkat rubbed at his eyes for a minute, giving a sigh. He was losing his touch. He was dead tired and grumpy and sore. At least he had Terezi to talk to. It was better than nothing.

GC: YOU C4N'T H1D3 FROM TH3 S33R OF M1ND H3H3H3

CG: YES I FUCKING CAN.

GC: OH R333333334LLY?

CG: OF COURSE.

CG: WHO WOULD WANT SOME BLIND CHICK DRINKING THEIR BLOOD?

GC: YOU! TH4T 1S WHO.

GC: YOU 4R3 4LL L1K3 OH GR34T T3R3Z1, 4CC3PT M3!

GC: 4ND 1 DO!

GC: B3C4US3 C4NDY 4PPL3S 4R3 D3L1C1OUS

CG: I THINK IT HAPPENS MORE LIKE

CG: KARKAT I AM BITING YOU NOW.

CG: THE END.

GC: YOU 3NJOY3D 1T!

GC: YOU M4D3 FUNNY GRUMBLY NO1S3S.

GC: L1K3 4 F4NGB34ST!

CG: THAT NEVER HAPPENED.

CG: GOT IT?

GC: H3H3H3

GC: 1T W4S SO 4DOR4BL3!

GC: YOU 4R3 SO CUT3

CG: WHATEVER.

CG: YOU'RE PRETTY CUTE TOO.

GC: H3H3H3

He cracked his knuckles, glancing out his window. Maybe he should do more training that day. But the letter had thrown him, and he was not leaving Terezi when it was her first time online in so long. What had she been doing?

Trollian flashed.

GC: NUBBY...

CG: WHAT?

GC: 1 4M ST1LL WORR13D 4ND 1'M NOT SUR3 1F TH1S 1S P3RF3CT Y3T

GC: BUT 1 DON'T TH1NK TH3R3 1S 4NYTH1NG 3LS3 1 C4N DO NOW

GC: SO

GC: 1 TH1NK 1 F1N1SH3D?

CG: ...YEAH?

CG: I'M SURE YOU'VE DONE PLENTY.

GC: 1 WORK3D R34LLY H4RD!

GC: 1 W3NT THROUGH 3V3RY POSS1B1L1TY

GC: 4ND TH3 POSS1B1L1T13S TH4T C4M3 FROM TH3M

GC: 4ND TH3N ON3 ST3P FURTH3R!

CG: THANK YOU.

CG: REALLY.

GC: Y3S B3 V3RY GR4T3FUL

CG: I AM.

GC: 3SP3C14LLY S1NC3 SOOOOOOOOM3ON3 W4S 4LL L1K3 OH NO W3 C4N'T S33 34CH OTH3R FOR 4 R34LLY LONG T1M3!

CG: YOU STUPID FUCK YOU KNEW WE HAD TO.

CG: BESIDES, I DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE THAT NEEDY.

GC: 1 KNOW W3 D1D STUP1D!

GC: 1T W4S JUST R34LLY T1R1NG.

GC: BUT 1 V1S1T3D SP1D3RTROLL 1NST34D

GC: SO 1 F3LT B3TT3R 4FT3R, 1 GU3SS.

CG: FUCK, YOU WENT AND VISITED SERKET?

CG: AND UH, HOW DID THAT...GO.

GC: 1T W4S...

GC: 1NT3NS3!

GC: H3H3H3

CG: IN A GOOD WAY?

GC: 1N 4 BL4CK W4Y!

Well, that explained the absence. She had been off black romancing with Vriska. What a twist.

CG: HOW IS THAT SERKET ANYWAY. WE DON'T TALK MUCH.

GC: W3LL, SH3 W4S GOOD H3H3H3

GC: SH3'S WORK1NG OUT H3R OWN PROBL3MS

GC: TH3R3'S 4 LOT GO1NG ON OUTS1D3 OF YOUR STUP1D L1TTL3 BUBBL3!

GC: BUT 1'M SURE YOU OF 4LL P3OPL3 KNOW TH4T H3H3H3

GC: 1 TH1NK W3 M1GHT W41T 4 WH1L3 B3FOR3 M33T1NG 4G41N THOUGH.

CG: THAT HATEFUL HUH?

GC: H3H3H3 Y3S

GC: SO...

GC: DO 1 G3T TO S33 YOU NOW TH4T 1 F1N1SH3D?

CG: YOU HAVE TO SOUND MORE DESPERATE THAN THAT.

GC: W3LL 1F YOU DON'T W4NT TO 1 W1LL JUST GO SL33P : \

CG: OF COURSE I WANT TO SEE YOU STUPID.

GC: 1 4M COM1NG TH3N!

CG: YEAH HURRY YOUR STUPID ASS UP.

And how long had it been since he had actually seen Terezi, anyway? It felt like forever. No one else had asked about what he was doing, though, or why he was only seeing her. The plan had worked out.

And damn, he wanted to see her.

"Now who is the desperate one hmm?"

Her voice drifted outwards, and he spun in his seat to see her. She had gotten taller, and her horns might've been larger. Fuck, had it been long enough for that to happen? Or was he just imagining things?

"Still you," he snapped a reply. He had missed the bantering.

"Hehehe." She crossed the room, with a bit of a strange shuffle, leaning down over him. Well, at least it saved him moving. "Oh, so you don't appreciate all the hard work I did to save your stupid ass?"

"Of course I..." Karkat felt his voice trail off as he glanced her over. There was something different about her, and the way she had crossed the room seemed a bit off. Her arm seemed teal. He looked again, feeling a small sense of horror creep over his body. "What the shit did you do?"

"Nothing...?" Terezi seemed puzzled, leaning back. After a second, she touched his arm and grinned. The action would have made him feel happy had Karkat not been busily watching blood drip onto his floor. "Oh right! Hehehe. Do you like it?"

"Your fucking arm! Are you trying to become even more handicapped?"

He hadn't realized that she had just just gotten back from blackrom with Vriska. Her shirt did seem to have some splashes of blue, glancing over it. But Terezi was adamant about grinning and she leaned back in.

"Of course not! I am just gaining lots of levels. And that's just the one you can see! Are you proud?"

He stared into her red eyes for a moment. Proud of her for what, taking on Vriska in the throes of hateful passion?

"...A little," he admitted, looking away.

"Only a liiiittle?" She resumed leaning forward, making Karkat lean deeper into his seat.

"You know what I mean!" Karkat growled, feeling a bit of heat on his cheeks. At least she had the quadrant filled and, knowing Terezi, she had put Vriska in her place. Okay, maybe he did think it was amazing that she was able to do that, and that she hadn't spent all her time alone.

"And what do you mean?" she prompted, jabbing him in the shoulder. He rubbed the spot, scowling, before meeting her eyes again. It was pointless, he knew, but he still had her glasses, and he was used to looking at the giant red spot on her face.

He jabbed her gently between her eyes. "Of course I'm fucking proud. You're the best."

"Hehehe. Good."

With that, she sat down on his lap. A grunt escaped his lips, but he tried not to fidget as Terezi began to run her hands across first his face and then on his chest and arms. He knew why she was doing it, but it still was a weird mix of uncomfortable and not.

It lasted annoyingly long, and it was pretty obvious the blind troll was doing it just to piss him off. Her hands lingered on his arms.

"I've been working pretty hard training," he snapped, as she gave his upper arm a squeeze. The fuck was that?

"Oh really?" Her voice was laced with disbelief. She shifted her arms, slipping them under his shirt. Fuck, her hands were cold. "So do you have all the muscles yet?"

He pushed her back, and she withdrew her hands with a laugh. Karkat punched her in return. "I never didn't have muscles you fuck. It's been a while but I am so amazing with a sickle."

"So you hadn't been practicing at all?"

Shifting his arm, he have her a nudge, and she stood up from her place. Karkat followed suit, pacing for a moment. It hadn't been like that, not really. "I'd practiced. I just hadn't fought in a while."

Things had been different after the game had ended. At first Karkat had no motivation to go out and fight. But with recent events, and the older he got...the less he was scared and the stronger he had gotten.

"That is not good nubby!" Terezi was protesting, seeking his arm with her hands before giving it a good smack.

"Hey it's an issue and it's been resolved," he muttered, stepping away from her. However, she seemed intent on following him.

Despite his small effort to avoid her, she again reached out, grabbing first his arm and shifting to grip his face. "Don't make me worry more than I have to then!"

"I'm not trying to."

"Nubby..."

He shifted, looking up at her. Shit, he was totally shorter than her than he had been before.

"What?"

There was a pause. "No, nevermind! Hehehe."

"No. You are telling me right fucking now," he growled, crossing his arms. "I haven't not seen you for this long for you to be a stupid shit about talking."

Terezi slid her arms around his neck, and Karkat wondered if she was going to bleed on him. Or how injured she was under her shirt, exactly. "I am just happy to be here again!"

Her big, stupid grin was a dead giveaway. "You miss all the delicious clay?"

That earned him a smack. "Here with you stupid!"

He gave her another once over. Her bleeding arm, slight bags under her eyes, and that stupid grin she was wearing like it was some kind of a good thing to look like a complete idiot the first time they'd met in months.

Karkat pressed his lips against hers, and she returned the kiss quickly, tightening her grip on him. Holy hell he had missed that too. But it didn't last long, and they drew apart.

"I'm happy you're here too. Even if you are going to stain the floor if you keep bleeding."

Was Terezi trying to shake more blood on his floor, or was she shifting her arm like that without intention? Fuck, no, she was probably trying to get everything she could onto his floor. Great. There was a bit of a trail of teal on his bedroom floor. Karkat wasn't sure how it would stain or if Terezi was going to be a big troll and let him clean it the fuck up.

"Well then at least your hive will finally have some colour in it!" she was protesting.

"Yeah you can just sniff out the spots when you drop by. We'll remember it as the place you fucking bled on my floor and it never came out."

"Maybe I should bleed on a few more things then! Hehehe."

With that, she started to wander around his room, smiling a bit too much for his liking. He grabbed her arm, halting her tracks, although it seemed she had already left another smudged teal trail across the floor.

"Or not."

They stood in silence for a moment, Terezi slowly grabbing his hand and tugging at it. He raised an eyebrow. Not that she could tell. He began absently playing with her hair. Fuck, she was pretty, and he was so damn glad she was back. It had been hard, training the whole time.

"Nubby."

"Right here."

Terezi leaned forward, resting her head against his shoulder. Shit, this was bad. Was something wrong?

"You have to live."

Oh, fucking hell. He wrapped his arms around her. Her grip was tight, but not in a good way. Something seemed really off about her.

"There are a bunch of possibilities where I die, aren't there," he murmured. He resumed stroking her hair. It wasn't a question. There were so many ways he could die. And he had let Terezi sit there and figure them all out.

"...It...doesn't matter." She kept her voice low, muffled by his shirt. "I won't let it happen. So you can't either!"

The blind troll shook him, jostling Karkat's think pan. A scowl returned to his cheeks and he grabbed her face to make his point.

"I'm not going to. You're not going to have to see those again. I promise."

"Nubby, don't laugh at me. But I'm so tired. So, so tired. I don't want to think of these stupid outcomes anymore." She leaned harder against him, digging her hands into his shirt and his flesh underneath.

"Then don't. You've done enough Terezi. Just. Relax. I can handle this for a bit."

Fuck, he hated seeing her like this. Terezi was supposed to be the happy, giggling, fucking crazy psychotic one. It hurt to see her upset. He was the worst matesprit ever to just sit aside and let her do this crazy shit.

"Just don't go anywhere. I need to refill on candy apples. Then I will be fine."

"I'm not going to go anywhere. You're just stuck with me for now." Again, he played with her hair, shifting a little from foot to foot. It was weird having her like this.

"Thank you. I'm a little dizzy. So stop moving!"

"Stop losing blood!" he snapped. Fuck, that wasn't even her fault.

"Make me! Hehehe."

She leaned back, grinning again. That was better than nothing at least. If it meant she felt a bit better, then hell, he'd roll with it.

Terezi kept her fingers digging into his back as she leaned forward to kiss him full on the lips. Whatever. It had been too long. It didn't even both him that she kept digging those damn hands in the whole time or the fact his arm was getting damp with teal blood. Shit, it was just nice to be with her again.

She drew back slowly, and Karkat sighed. "You're an idiot. I can't believe I went this long without seeing you."

"...I missed you nubby."

"Yeah." He went back to holding her gently. "I really missed you too."

"It...it was scary. But don't laugh! If you tell anyone I'll destroy you!"

"Why the fuck would I tell anyone? And I told you just to come over if you felt like that. Way to listen."

That earned him another smack. She glared at him quite convincingly for someone who couldn't see. "I wasn't about to ruin everything! There were enough bad end possibilities as it was!"

She just didn't get it sometimes. He didn't want her to be scared either. Fucking shit, times to explain.

"It's a bad ending if you're fucking scared, Terezi. If you're scared enough to tell me then just...fuck. Just, calm down alright?" He ran a hand through his hair, releasing her. "Fuck, what am I saying."

There was silence for a few moments, as Karkat spent his time looking everywhere except at the female troll.

"I'm sorry nubby." Her voice cut through his blank mind. "I shouldn't have said anything."

Alright, that was not the angle he had been going for. Because he was an idiot she should keep quiet? That made less than no sense to him. Time to get back to explaining.

"No. I'm glad you did. I hate the fact you're scared, but, I'm glad you can tell me."

For a second he watched her, arm dripping, standing with a small frown on her face. No, he was not letting this get away from him. They were not going to fucking fall apart or not talk about this. "We'll work this out. All of it."

She was silent, absently touching her arm. Karkat returned to her side, and when he looked she seemed to be smiling slightly.

"Do you want the good news?" she asked.

"Sure."

"If you tell Sollux, there is an 83.4% chance it will go fine."

There were so many remarks he could make there. About how stupid that percentage was, or something about twos, and Sollux. But she had worked so hard to get that result and he was not going to be an ass about it. Not then. "Heh. Looks pretty fucking good to me. Besides, he's been on my bulge about seeing him. Stupid shithead."

"...Yes." The pause made him worry. "The meeting will probably not end in your death."

Well, this was all stemming from something. "Terezi. I am not going to die. Not now. "

"Come here grubnuts."

"I am here you idiot blind shit. Can't get much more here."

But he did anyway. They were standing very close, and she rubbed her hands on his shirt briefly, seeming to judge the distance between them. It was not that far, not at all. He could not get much closer without being all over her.

"Good. Close your eyes Bulgepants McNooknub."

He followed her instructions. Black filled his vision. "Behold, I have closed my fucking eyes."

She placed her lips over his one eyelid, and then the other. It was a lot more gentle than he was used to, and the contact made him try and step back. But she wrapped an arm around his waist, leaning in. "Nubby. I love you nubby."

Everything shut down.

His mind, his brain, any thought process. Shit. What did you say to that? What did you do? Karkat didn't even know if he was breathing. Or living. Wow.

Something slowly began to work his pan again, and he tried to get out something as a reply.

"I...holy fuck. I love you too."

Horrible.

"I know," she replied quietly, stealing another kiss.

"Shit. Just. Shit. That...it means a lot to hear that. Really." Gog, he sounded so pathetically stupid. His heart was pounding, and she was just so close, and it had been so long, and he was just...she was perfect.

"I know," Terezi was talking again, and Karkat removed himself from his mind to listen intently. "But I do."

"Yeah. ...Yeah. Wow. I am such a speechless shit right now."

He ran a hand through his hair, as she curled her hands into his shirt and gave him a shake. There was something seriously wrong with her right then. He had never seen her make a face like that before.

"You can't die nubby," she again was quiet. "You can't. You can't. ...Please."

He smoothed back her hair, kissing her forehead. "Then I won't. It's that simple."

"It...it's not, nubby."

There was a weight to that statement that he just couldn't deny. And she would know, too. He had made her look down that path so far, after all.

"I know. I'm sorry I made you look so far ahead. I don't want you to have seen so much. The last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt you."

"I know. I know. I...I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." He kept playing with her hair, holding her tightly with his other arm. Something had to be comforting enough to help her. "It's not your fault. You're just trying to keep me safe and I love you for it. But take a break. I'm not dead. I'm right here. And I'm going to be right here forever, okay?" Removing his hand from her hair, he tilted her head up, looking at her face.

"I can't afford to take a break. I can't. You don't understand."

Her expression was borderline unreadable. A mix of things that Karkat wasn't sure that he was aware of.

"Terezi, maybe I don't. But you're not going to be any help worn out and pessimistic. There's always going to be a chance I can die. But I can handle that myself for now," he gave a sigh, resting his forehead on hers. "So just try for me. That's all I ask."

Damn, how could she pull herself closer? She was cold, and maybe shaking, but he was never gonna comment on that fact. Holding her after so long was enough. At least for him.

"You ask for a lot! But I will try."

Ah, that was some of the cheer he had been missing from her. It was something small, and it made him happy. He was glad she was there with him again. But something seemed wrong, and he would get to the bottom of it. Just...maybe later. Maybe after he got to spend more time just being with her.

"Good," he replied, before he was cut off by the best kiss of the day.