I still own nothing! absolutely nothing! Huzzah
-Sunday evening-
After hours of tedious paperwork for Eridan and his older brothers, who finally managed to make it to him, he was released and free to go from the hospital. His bad arm was in a sling and cast, one wrist was still bandaged, an eye patch and bandages covered the injured eye, and beneath his shirt bandages and stitches from his rather rough scuffle. He could care less about his appearance, though, for his face lit up with color as he walked out of the hospital to see Karkat waiting as promised.
"You are finally done, thank gog! I thought they were going to try and keep you forever." Karkat complained, but smiled nonetheless to the other. With him were Gamzee and sweet Tavros who even when he didn't care for someone, such as Karkat or Eridan, didn't make it a habit to be cruel or unusual to them. Tavros had recently gotten surgery for prosthetic legs, and he looked great and walked over to Eridan, pushing Karkat aside to hug the boy. "I know Karkat missed you… But… Uh, well we missed you too…." Such a sweet boy, Eridan was gentle in his hug before he felt Tavros being tugged and pushed away by Karkat. "Don't tell this fuckass that, you'll boost his ego, and then he'll get ' ideas'." They all laughed, even himself and Gamzee managed to chuckle. However, his eldest brother looked none too pleased.
"I do not care for your friend, Vvantas, and if he attempts any more games with my baby brother, I'll kill him." He was blunt and to the point, but Cronus stepped up behind Eridan. "Hey man, Orphaner, chill out. He isn't such a helpless child anymore, but seriously, Karkat, tell the Captor kid to wwatch out. Next time me and the boys, and wwell, no promises there." The eldest simply glared before hugging Eridan, giving him an affectionate kiss to the head which Tavros teased, and Cronus ruffled the hipster boy's hair before following the older one. "Wwe'll see ya later baby bro, you obviously got some hanging out to do. If you start to hurt too much, give us a call!"
After a few moments, Karkat teased him as well. "Yeah baby bro, give daddy 1 and 2 a call~" He got a kick to the shin for that, which had him hopping around, cursing his assailant. Tavros and Gamzee laughed at the short troll's misfortune. Tavros was the next to do a playful pick. "Yeah, trying to be like your big bro with that eye injury?" Eridan pouted and contemplated kicking the other, but he was sure that would do more damage to him than the other. "Oh hush up. Are we going to actually hang out or are you all gonna tease me all day?" Karkat thought the other's pout and blush were actually very befitting on the male. However, Gamzee took his thoughts away with the notion of food. "I vote pizza, and then games till me and Tav gotta head out!" Karkat nodded, as did the others, thinking that was a great idea.
-Later-
After ordering pizza and setting up the game systems in Karkat's house, soda bought and other snack food obtained form the store, the four of them were on the ground playing games with a dear blind friend of theirs, Terezi, also chilling with the group. "Ohhhhh~ It's a fighter, give me a try!" The girl made grabby hands and Karkat kept his controller, but Eridan forfeited his over. "This I have to see." He chuckled and Gamzee took the controller first, picking character in all red costume. "Ohhh, did you make him all red~?" She inquired and they all confirmed in unison. "Yes!" To which she widened her grin. Eridan watched Karkat actually lose miserably to the button mashing queen. "Oh wow, Karkat. You suck at these games, evven against Terezi." For that, he got glares and one smack to the leg and a thwack on the head from Terezi's cane.
Eridan however, wasn't much better, considering he was playing one-handed with his good hand, with the controller sitting awkwardly on his lap; Karkat chuckling as Eridan was losing to Tavros who sat there with his tongue sticking out of his mouth slightly in his concentration of winning. Gamzee threw his hands in the air. "Fuck yeah, bro! Kick his ass!" He chuckled which had Tavros and everyone laughing. "Good luck wwith that! Here comes your doom Nitram!" It was such a narrow win for the sea-dwelling troll who finally won a complete two rounds against the other taking the title as the winner and forfeited the controller, arm hurting some. "Alright, I'm good for noww." Tavros pouted for only a few seconds before Gamzee took the controller. Eridan got up to get a drink, with a slight limp form his side hurting. Karkat noticed this and followed quietly.
"Hey, you gonna be alright to spend the night, Eridan?" He inquired calmly, the troll blinking in confusion over the other's concern, but nodded with a smile. "Y-yeah, just a bit thirsty and sore is all. No need to worry." Karkat didn't believe a word from the high-blood troll, grabbing the boy a drink before they left the kitchen. He took the other's hand to pull him back gently, giving him quite the look. It was serious on Karkat's part, yet to Eridan, it was so very cute and endearing from the shorter troll. "Promise me you're okay?" Eridan nodded with a soft chuckle at the boy's concern over his wellbeing. "I'm fine, really."
- 2 hours later -
It was finally time for Terezi and Tavros to be heading home for some sleep before the next day since they both had early shifts in the morning. Gamzee got up to bring both of them home and actually ruffled the sea-dwelling troll's hair. "Stay cool bro, don't let Karkat hit you too hard. You're actually a pretty chill muthafucker when you're with him. See ya." Before Eridan could retort, or Karkat for that matter, Gamzee was on his way out with Terezi close behind and Tavros quickly gathering his things. He nodded to his two somewhat friends. "U-uhhh, see you guys around. I, uh…. had fun! Bye!"
Watching everyone leave and making sure they left, Karkat let out a breath of relief. "Finally! Those fuckasses stuck around forever. You finally ready for some Lord of the Rings action or what!?" He inquired and Eridan perked up in such joy that his ears actually twitched; the cute appearance of that happening made Karkat's cheeks redden with his blood color. "A-are you sure you'll be awwake for it?" "Longer than your ass will be!" He teased and Eridan just stayed cheerful, moving some stuff and having Eridan get up so he could turn the couch into a futon so this time they could be comfortable before got out his bed spread and such. Eridan offered several times to help set up only to be somewhat politely turned down by the mutant blooded troll, which led him to pout till he was sent to change into his pajamas, which wasn't hard till he got to his shirt. After five minutes, Karkat finally came to check on him, already in his own sleepwear.
Adorned with loose red sleep pants that hung low on his waist and a loose black t-shirt, he blinked at the sight before sighing and apologizing. "Sorry, Eridan, I didn't even think about your arm or stomach. Come 'ere and I'll help." "You don't havve to. I could just sleep in this." Though with the look given to him he found himself sitting down without much of a fight, and soon those slender fingers belonging to the other troll were upon his bandaged hips. Karkat had such a gentle touch and caused the injured boy to shudder as he felt the other lift the fabric up and off of him, cheeks flushing with a purple tint. Karkat's face was surprisingly flustered as well, and Eridan looked away once the other got the second sleeve off after a bit of fiddling and gentle tugging of the fabric through the loose space in the sling.
"Does it hurt?" Eridan's eyes looked up form his sitting position to the other and he laughed slightly. "Not terribly, no." He was honest. It wasn't so bad now. It was mostly just sore, and then he felt the other begin to un-do the sling and gave him a perked brow as he felt himself being pushed down onto the bed, his heart racing and beating against his chest so hard. "D-don't get any ideas, Ampora, it's just easier to do it this way and replace the sling afterwards." His hand and arm were left in the same position as they had hung in the sling while he lay there, moving when touched gently to get the sleeve around his injured arm. He sighed some. "O-of course not V-vantas, wwhy wwould I?" He pouted some, feeling said arm finally put back into it's sling, and the sling was retied and set. Karkat sat the other up to help him get dressed the rest of the way, though before he buttoned up Eridan's pajama top, he felt a soft touch to his bandaged stomach. "Not even, this?" he inquired with concern, looking into Eridan's eyes past his glasses and Eridan blushed more, but shook his head. "N-no, not really, especially with that soft touch." He teased playfully and Karkat's face lit up, an angry pout forming as usual before buttoning up the light purple top that matched the hipster youth's pants in color. "Alright, you're good to go, ass. Now c'mon before we end up crashing here for the night."
As Karkat left, Eridan grabbed his hand as he quickly got up and followed; words on his lips, a question, and Karkat's eyes met his as the younger's head had snapped back around to silently inquire why the other took his hand. Eridan then dropped it and just smiled, not asking the question. After so many rejections he was sure Karkat only did all this for him out of pity. "N-nothing, sorry. A-anywways, lets go wwatch that movie." Karkat blinked, giving the boy a suspicious and almost let down look before nodding and guiding the other back to the living room where he let the other get comfortable.
-4 hours later-
Eridan was still up after the blu-ray extended edition of the last movie finally finished its run, looking over a sleeping Karkat. He had only passed out about thirty minutes ago after much fuss about trying to win after Eridan convinced him it was okay to lose and get some sleep. He was rather drowsy himself, though still he watched the other troll sleep. The boy was quite lovely, especially when he was so peaceful and calm in his slumber. The candy-red blooded troll was laying on his back while Eridan was slightly propped up on his good arm, examining those features with his glasses on. At some point he found himself leaning in closer and closer to the other's face before he barely caught himself in time. What was he thinking? Karkat wasn't his Matesprit, and not his Moirail either, nor was he in the other blackrom quadrants. He sighed and smiled down to the other, taking off his glasses.
He finally lay down on his side, and before he could even fully go to sleep, he felt the shorter male shift to lay on his side as well in his sleep. He supposed the younger thought him a pillow, and while the grab caused him to gasp in pain from his injuries, he let the younger boy pull him close and cuddle against his back. He cursed for his unpatched eye being the one closer to the mattress, for he couldn't glance over his shoulder to look at the other, but he let it go and simply enjoyed the closeness so the male he was pretty sure he was starting to feel quite red for, though, he then swore to himself at that moment, before he fell into slumber, to never voice this flushed feeling he was developing for the low-blood.
With this, he fell into a peaceful slumber.