They stepped out of the car, into the empty parking lot, the only light source hanging at the entrance of the school's entrance. The meager light cast long shadows creeping along the graveled tar, welcoming the addition of the darkness that puddled around their feet. Without a word to each other, just a glance, the two of them walked towards the school's entrance building, the door creaking open was what broke the silence.
Once inside, Karkat saw Sollux lift a hand in greeting, but to whom Karkat had no idea. He just figured it was a weird thing that his instructor did every morning, which was actually true, but it had reason behind it. Karkat was simply going to ignore it, but when Sollux looked to him with a raised eyebrow, he could tell that he was also expected to do the same.
After a glaring contest, trying to avoid being persuaded to do so, Karkat gave up.
"Fuck, okay, fine," he muttered, raising his hand and rolling his eyes.
"Good morning, Mr. Vantas."
Karkat gasped as the mere resonance of the voice nearly sucked his soul out of his throat. His eyes flitted to the owner of the voice and his eyes somehow locked with those of Aradia's pure white ones. She nodded to Sollux before turning her gaze back to Karkat's.
"You should take care to watch your language in front of authoritative figures," she reprimanded, but her voice held an amused note in it.
Karkat had to clear his throat before answering and shoved his hands in his pockets sullenly as he did so. "I'll be sure to watch the sound waves being emitted from my mouth," he said sarcastically. "If that's even possible, Principal Megido."
"I have to agree," Sollux added. "I don't think you can watch sound waves, Aradia."
In response, Aradia laughed, the hollowness of it sent comforting chills down Karkat's spine in a mix of eerie warmth. It was a strange sensation, but it wasn't unenjoyable.
"Very observant. Both of you," she chuckled.
Karkat shrugged, which Sollux verbally translated for him as, "Thank you."
She nodded, her dark lips still curled up in a smile. "Carry on. Oh, but Mr. Vantas?"
Karkat looked up with questioning. "Yes?"
"Please keep in mind that alternation does do you good when it comes in abundance. Welcome it when it arrives," she said.
Though very confused, Karkat nodded anyways, respectfully moving out of her way as she brushed past. He watched he walk by and had to suppress the gasp that nearly rose out of his throat when he witnessed her disappear.
"Where… Where did she go?" Karkat asked. "We're a few feet from the door and she just disappeared. Where the hell did she go?"
"She just went to her office. She likes to do that when she's dropping messages," Sollux explained. "Come on, let's go to my block. You can use a computer to waste time while you're waiting for school to begin."
He put a light hand on Karkat's shoulder, which Karkat didn't shake off, and led him down the hallway. Later, upon entering Sollux's classblock, the psionic saw his student's shoulders visibly relax, as if the computer lab had placed a blanket of safety over his shoulders.
"Wish I could stay here all day," he growled under his breath.
"And why's that?" Sollux asked.
"Every other room is too fucking cold or so hot that I can feel the radiation from the ventilation traps. It's actually not a freezer ditch or hellhole in here."
"Well, I'm honored to be the only yellow-blooded instructor at Alternia High," Sollux explained, turning on the main computer on the table next to his desk.
Karkat narrowed his eyes in suspicion after Sollux's explanation and sat down at the computer desk immediately in front of Sollux.
"But it's not chilly in here. It's warm. It's like Alternia sunrise in here, not sundown. Lime-green teachers I've had, who are very fucking close to your blood color, err on the side of cold, but your classroom is warm."
Sollux only offered him a quirk of his lips as he walked around his desk and turned on the computer behind Karkat.
"Karkat, help me turn on the computers."
"Alright, next time we're crunching numbers using the word processors you designed. Finish your programs tonight!" Sollux called over the bell.
His remaining students gave him replies of affirmation as they tossed their backpacks on their shoulders and, as he had ingrained into them, the last person shut the door with a satisfying SLAM!
But the difference this time was Sollux deliberately waiting after the door slammed, shoving his car keys in his pocket, but not moving from his chair in the slightest until his house guest had arrived.
And soon enough, Karkat opened the door to his classroom and leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
"We leaving yet? I think I've spent enough time in this decomposing concrete sty. If time spent here were currency, I'd be wealthy enough to buy that fucking rental hive that costs so much," Karkat grouched.
"By my leave, then yes," Sollux said. "Let's get out of here. But, you're not getting any more impoverished by staying by the way," he added.
Later that evening, when they arrived at Sollux's hive once more, they repeated the welcoming process from the day before: Sollux bringing him in, then giving him a blanket, but this time it was different.
"Wait up," Sollux asked.
Karkat looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Wait up?"
"For me to finish showering," Sollux said. "I need you to do something for me."
Karkat sat down on the couch with a gruff, "whatever," and balled up the blanket in his arms. Sollux took his answer as a "yes" and quickly entered his hygieneblock to shower. He hurried a little bit faster than he usually did, quickly drying his hair by using psionics to run the towel through his wet locks while he pulled on his pants at the same time. It wasn't his intention to keep Karkat awake for much longer. When he finally was fully clothed and dry as he could be, he exited, grabbing an extra shirt and pair of shorts from his respiteblock before returning to where Karkat was waiting.
Upon hearing him approach, Karkat looked up, only to have the articles of clothing tossed over his head. He pulled them off gruffly and glared at the psionic fiercely.
"And these are for God-knows-what?" he demanded.
"You're sleeping with me tonight," Sollux said. "And-" he said, interrupting the stream of complains that would have surely spilled from Karkat's lips, "-no arguments. You can't lie to me about being 'used to' nightmares, Karkat."
Karkat's grip on the clothing tightened as he clenched his fists, indecision evident in his eyes.
"Your descendants aren't going to be very healthy if you wake up like you did yesterday every day," Sollux said. "Go get changed. Physical REM sleeping time. You can leave your dirty clothes on the floor in the hygieneblock."
Though he had his eyebrows furrowed with uncertainty, Karkat stood up anyways and nodded, entering the hygieneblock, then exiting with his clothes changed.
"I hope you're completely filled with insurmountable glee," he growled, rubbing the pincer marks on his arms self-consciously.
"Don't worry about that," Sollux said. "I'm utterly overjoyed with the fact that you complied, though, if you were wondering. You first, if you would." He added a bow with a small smile to encourage him, and Karkat reluctantly approached the recupercoon, which seemed to be inviting him with its promise of sweet sleep.
He slipped in the opening and shivered, though the sopor was only lukewarm. It was already easing the tension in his muscles and making him drowsy. He could feel himself drifting off by the moment. It was only in the last vestiges of his consciousness that he felt Sollux slip in beside him and wrap his arms around him as he finally fell asleep.
Karkat's school routine did not necessarily change in regards to the actual school day, and soon the addition to his mornings and home life had become part of his life as well.
For the next week following, that was their routine. Sollux was satisfied to finally have had established normalcy in Karkat's life.
I thought I'd be a little irresponsible and send it in twenty minutes after my promised deadline. Just to keep you on your toes. Give me a break. This month was short. And by the way, they do eat. I just haven't had a scene for it yet. Just imagine they magically life off of school food for now. Timeskip happens with the next chapter.