Notes:

[f/n]= first name

He weaves his fingers with mine, his gray skin contrasting my own. He is rigid with nervousness and his face is flushed red, which makes me smile fondly at him. Physical contact always made Karkat adorably embarrassed. I lean my head against his shoulder as he keeps his eyes glued to the movie. Sadly, the movie that is playing isn't one that can capture my interest. Out of boredom, I find my eyes wandering to Karkat's candy corn horns.

I was always curious about his horns ever since Karkat made a big deal about never touching them. With Karkat being so absorbed in the movie, his guard is down. Now is my chance! Slowly and carefully, I reach out my hand towards Karkat's horns. Once my fingers are close enough, I take the opportunity to grasp one of his horns, rubbing it firmly.

Out of all the reactions I expected, I did not expect him to moan. But I did expect the rage afterwards. After all was said and done, I ended up laughing all the air out of me as I held on to Karkat affectionately. His horn sensitivity is something good to know for...future reasons. With his arms crossed in a stubborn grudge, I lean over and peck him on the cheek. To my surprise, he seizes me so that I am now on his lap.

"What pathetic excuse of an apology was that? If you want to make up for it, you got to do it better," Karkat mocks me, then pecks me on the lips.

"I can do better than that!" I declare, then peck him on the lips multiple times, slowly and gently. Before long, the brief kisses started to become much more passionate. Then…

Beep beep beep! My alarm clock abruptly interrupts my dream, bringing me back to reality. I stare at the ceiling for a moment, face heated to what feels like a feverish degree. Seriously, what is with my fetish for gray skin and horns, let alone my brother? I mean, we aren't blood related at all, but I still consider him family. Yet I can't stop these dreams, which have become more frequent.

I throw on some clothes absentmindedly, still trying to shake away the remnants of my dream. It's kind of embarrassing seeing him so soon after having such a dream, but I have to wake Karkat up. So I slap my cheeks and mentally prepare myself to see him, then go to his bedroom door. This time, I knock. Of course, he doesn't respond. Karkat always nags me about not just walking into his room, but every time I knock he doesn't hear it. I take a deep breath and open his door. "Time to wake up!" I shout the usual phrase.

And as usual, Karkat bolts up in a rageful frenzy. I hope Karkat won't be as angry as he was yesterday. We eat our breakfast in the same silence as yesterday, which tells me that Karkat is still angry at me for some unknown reason. And as I feared, Karkat once again refuses to sit with me on the bus.

Such circumstances makes it hard for me to concentrate on my teachers' lectures, because my mind is so busy trying to think up the reason Karkat is mad. But I just don't know why, so I make up my mind that I'll just have to ask him about it. The class bell rings, dismissing the students to another class. I hug my books to my chest, mind lost in thought. At the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of a familiar black sweater. Karkat is the only one I know who likes to wear a black sweater frequently, and just as I thought, the owner of the black sweater is Karkat.

I head over to him, determined to speak with him on friendly terms. But when I open my mouth, I notice he is not alone. Terezi is with him. I shut my mouth and stare at Karkat, whose back is turned to me. I can tell they are in the middle of a serious conversation, one that I shouldn't interrupt. My curiosity gets the better of me, so instead of moving along I stay put, wanting to hear what it is they are talking about.

"So, Karkles, you didn't forget that prom is coming up, did you?" Terezi says with her mischevious toothy grin. Terezi has her hand on Karkat's shoulder, which annoys me for some reason. She is blind, so it makes sense that she would need physical contact sometimes to know her surroundings. But Terezi always seemed to know her surroundings to the point that people forget she is blind, so I don't see why she needs to be touching Karkat when she knows he is right in front of her.

"No, Fuckass, the prom posters all around us failed to send signals to my brain that a night of hormonal mistakes is dawning on us," Karkat says sarcastically.

"I can't see said posters!" Terezi says with mock offense. "But I can certainly hear, and rumors been going around that you don't have a date for prom."

Karkat shuffles around nervously, and I wish I could see his face. Is he embarrassed? Happy? I don't know, and it makes me nervous. "So? Unlike the pathetic hoard of assholes who believes self worth is measured by relationship status, I for one believe that relationship status means jack shit when it comes to true self worth. I only need a partner who is worthy enough of my time, a mediocre partner who is meant to be worn around to help my image is not worth my time," Karkat says, annoyed.

Terezi cackles. "No need to be so upset, Karkles!" she says, tightening her grip on Karkat's shoulder. "I don't know about you, but I am for one not an accessory to be worn around! So on that note, am I worthy enough to be your prom date?" My breath catches. Terezi likes Karkat? I really don't like the idea of Terezi and Karkat dating.

"What?" Karkat shrieks.

Terezi chuckles. "I thought it was obvious! What I'm saying is, will you go with me to prom?"

I feel frozen in place, anticipating Karkat's response. Silence stretches on, which makes me hopeful that he doesn't want to be Terezi's date. If only I could see his face! Terezi frowns, letting go of Karkat's shoulder. I feel relief, for Karkat's silence is surely a sign of rejection.

"...Sure," Karkat softly replies. I feel my heart plummet. The ringing of the late bell resonates around me, but it barely registers. I can't even move when Karkat turns around. He looks horrified, probably because his annoying sibling witnessed him being asked out. Karkat's expression hardens, and he walks past me without saying anything. Numbly, I start placing one foot in front of the other, until eventually I am properly walking to class.

Any chance of me being able to concentrate on school was annihilated. The teachers' words fly right past me as I am consumed by thoughts of Karkat. Not only is he mad at me, but now he'll be by somebody else's side. School is finally over, so I pack my stuff and enter the bus. Karkat is staring intensly out the window, his bookbag preventing me from sitting with him. He doesn't spare me a glance as I walk past him to a different seat.

When we get home, I stomp upstairs directly to my room. I toss myself onto my bed, burying my face into my pillow. Why am I so upset? Why does it matter to me if my brother starts dating? Irregardless of reason, I am heartbroken. Sniffling, I flip around so that I am on my back. My fingers graze soft, plush material, which I grasp and hold in front of me. It's Crabdad, worn out due to all the years we've had him. Karkat had given him to me a few years back, as a token of brotherly love. I feel a tear drip off my cheek as I hug Crabdad close to my chest, my aching heart beating against it. I hug Crabdad tightly, as if Karkat won't slip from my grasp if I do so.

I can't just let things go on like this! At the very least, I want to know what I did wrong, and try to fix things between us. So I shake away my self-pity (or at least as much of it as I can) and storm into Karkat's room. He is sitting at his desk, furiously typing away. He is so absorbed in whatever conversation he is having that he doesn't notice my presence. "Karkat?" I call out hesitantly.

His body jolts, taken by surprise. His fingers tense up, eyes glued to the computer. "What?" he asks.

I wring my hands nervously. "Lately, you've been avoiding me, and acting angrier than what you normally are. Why?" I ask.

"Are you stupid? I'm not angry," Karkat says tersely.

"You're lying!" I exclaim. "You won't sit with me anymore, you keep our conversations brief, and we haven't hung out in what feels like forever! If I did something wrong, you have to tell me, because I don't know what I did!"

Karkat slams his hands on his desk, startling me. "I told you, I'm not angry at you!" he shouts. He stands up, his chair screeching against the ground. "I'm going to Sollux's house."

I feel tears sting my eyes as Karkat approaches me, still avoiding eye contact. I clench my fists angrily. I've had enough! Before Karkat can make it out the door, I tackle him with all my might, slamming him down onto his bed. I pin him down so that he can't escape. My tears drip onto his face, and for the first time in what feels like forever, he looks at me. Pain flashes across his face, but it quickly diminishes. He struggles a bit, but I hold him down firmly. "You can't leave until you tell me what's wrong," I declare.

Karkat furrows his eyebrows, shifting his eyes away from me. He closes them, taking a deep breath. He opens his eyes, looking at me once again with determination. "I'm just sick of you! You're always in my hair, all the fucking time. I need my space!" His words come like a slap to the face. I loosen my grip on Karkat, reeling far away from him. I feel like my heart has shattered. We used to be so close, but now I'm only annoying to him.

Tears continue to pour down my face as I stare at Karkat, the feeling of betrayal evident on my face. "If...if you feel that way," I stammer, "then you don't have to bother with me! I'm leaving!" I dash out the door, the world flying past me. Before I know it, I'm outside, water splashing against my skin. Of course it would be raining. Figures. But I don't stop, my feet continuously slamming against the ground as I keep on running.

Memories flash in my mind, of Karkat and me. I remember Karkat placing a band aid on a scrape on my knee, kissing it better. I remember Karkat carrying me on his back after a long day of playing at an amusement park. I remember Karkat scaring away anybody who dared to bully me. I remember our playdates, our sleepovers, our movie nights, everything. What happened? What changed?

I run until I can run no longer, stopping to place my hands on my knees in exhaustion, panting. My tears mingle with the rain. What I did just now was really stupid, but I was swept away in the moment. We live together, of course we're going to see each other. How am I going to face him now? I slump to the ground, hugging my knees to my chest. I don't know what to do, but for the moment, I just want to stay here.

But I don't get much time to wallow in my self-pity, for moments later the sound of feet splashing through water approaches me. I glance up at the person in front of me, and to my despair it is Karkat. I bury my face into my knees, unwilling to look at him.

"[f/n]," Karkat chokes out. He stays silent for a moment, receiving no response from me. "I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry?" I sob. "You're not sorry! You don't like me now, that's all there is to it!"

"That's not it!" Karkat shouts.

I stand up, glaring into Karkat's eyes. "Then what is it?" I demand. I refuse to look away, and this time, Karkat won't either. He looks so conflicted, like he is in pain almost. His face starts to redden, and I watch as he progressively becomes nervous.

Finally, he blurts out what he has been hiding from me all these years. "It's not that I don't want you near me because I hate you. I don't want you near me because I love you!" I stop breathing, staring wide eyed at him. What? I feel something bloom in my heart. "You chose me to be your brother, and I tried very hard to be just that. But when I'm around you, I want to hug you, to kiss you. Things brothers are not supposed to do! I thought if I distanced myself from you, the feelings would fade and I could be like your brother again. I even agreed to date Terezi to try and move on. But you're even in my dreams!"

Karkat stops his ranting, face beet red. I can see his slight trembling. I can feel my own face becoming very warm. I don't know to say. What I feel for Karkat is… "I love you too!" I blurt out. "The moment I met you, I fell in love, I just didn't realize it. I wanted you to always be by my side, so I made you my brother to do just that." My voice starts to thicken with tears. "When you said you'd date Terezi, it felt like my world fell apart. I don't ever want you to leave my side." I bury my face in my hand, little sobs breaking free.

I feel hands grip my shoulders. I remove my hands to see Karkat's beautiful red eyes, staring at me passionately. "I would never leave you. I can't bring myself to." Karkat brings me close, pressing his lips softly against my own. I feel a jolt of what feels like electricity run through my body. Images flash through my mind, images of Karkat, of when he was a troll. Memories pour into my mind, memories of a whole other life I had lived.

I pull away from Karkat, staring at him in wonder. "In those dreams, did you have gray skin and horns?" I ask.

He smiles at me, his rare smile that takes my breath away. "So you remember too?"

I laugh, the world feeling brand new. "Yep! Karkat?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm flushed for you!"

He grins softly at the troll lingo. "I'm so very red for you." We kiss again, feeling as if we have been reunited.

But it's going to be really hard explaining to my parents that my brother and I have started dating. Oh, and canceling that date with Terezi. Being on Terezi's bad side means a world of trouble.

Still, I could not be happier. As I had told Karkat, we're together again. And that's all that matters.

The End