A/N: Hi! =) Okay, so I just wanted to add that there will be a couple OC's, but since I don't really like reading or writing fanfics with OC's (I know a lot of other people don't either) they will remain more as minor characters that help move the plot along or provide some outside narration. The story will stay centered around the canon characters, but I apologize in advance for any out-of-character-ness because I'm still pretty new to writing fanfictions. Obviously, I don't own Homestuck. (Duh, this is a fanfiction website, haha.)
Thanks for reading!

Mituna Captor wasn't wearing his helmet today. He hadn't worn it yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that, either. In fact, he hadn't worn it in weeks, and that was the way he wanted to keep it.

He was in human form, wearing sneakers, and oversized Gemini t-shirt, and shorts to blend in with the other humans at the park because, let's face it, his totally rad body suit wasn't exactly listed in a Fashion 101 magazine here on Earth. Mituna weaved around pedestrians on the bike path that ran through the skating park, passing them at lightning speed on his four-wheel device. His mismatched eyes, now hidden behind rectangular red-and-blue glasses, searched the clumps of people as he slowed slightly.

Right there, on the bench straight across the park, were the people he was looking for. Well, he would have preferred to see only one of them, but it was close enough. He sped toward them and, once they spotted him, aimed towards some tree roots, causing himself to go flying off and landing face down in front of his friends.

"Ow," he managed to say, flopping over onto his back as the girl giggled. "Hey, Tulip," he greeted, looking up at her up-side down face and giving her his best smile. She helped him up and he turned to the boy, his grin becoming a little fixed as he said, "Hey, Kankri," dragging the "hey" out a little.

He retrieved his skate board from a few feet away and Latula beckoned him over. "Still getting used to it, huh?" she asked. "Come on, injury check."

His forearms were a little scraped up, but other than that, he was fine. Controlling falls was quickly becoming easier, but he felt guilty about pretending to be bad at skateboarding. In the beginning, he had taken some nasty genuine tumbles but the skills had quickly returned with his sanity. Still, he decided to act like he was still learning, at least in this transitional phase between seeing the world through a kaleidoscope versus a clear window pane. He didn't like humiliating himself in front of Kankri either, but he'd done it plenty enough unintentionally over the sweeps they were alive and then when they were dead, and he was afraid Latula no longer found him pitiful so he sucked it up and kept doing it while he tried to come up with a better plan.

"I'll get it eventually," he said.

"I know you will," she assured him with a warm smile.

Then Kankri decided to butt in in his usual manner and ruin the moment. "Yes, I suppose if you insist upon continuing to commute on your dangerous little toy you'll learn to use it properly after a while."

What Mituna really wanted to do was flip him off, but he just shrugged. No point in picking fights. "Well, at leatht I don't need the helmet anymore. No triggerth there." His voice somehow managed to come out lighthearted and friendly, and he was glad.

"That's true," Kankri allowed, and Mituna tried not to get mad. He was probably being unreasonable and, although he didn't want to admit it, jealous that his matesprit was hanging out with the annoyingly talkative troll. They'd argued plenty before and after he overexerted himself—no need to continue that cycle.

"Tho, what'th goin' on?" he asked instead, changing the subject.

He directed the question more to Latula, but of course Kankri was the one who answered. "We were actually just leaving. We're going to see an Earth movie."

"Oh, okay," Mituna said as cheerily as he could. "Should I come or ith it too late to buy ticket-th (tickets)?"

"I don't think you'd like it very much," Latula said. "It's a romance movie."

"Not even a romantic comedy?" Mituna asked.

"Nope," she smiled apologetically.

Mituna wrinkled up his nose. "Ew. Have fun."

She laughed again, and he was glad she was happy, but he honestly wanted to go along and make sure they didn't make their own romance movie somewhere in the back of the dark theater.

These were bad thoughts. He should trust his matesprit more. Just because he was insecure didn't mean he had a reason to be. Things had worked out just fine in the past even when he was still discussing strip-searches with poor Meenah Peixes while in a red relationship—seriously, what the hell had he been thinking there?—so he really had no right to be trying to control Latula's friends. That's all she and Kankri were after all, and if they wanted something more, she would tell him and he would have to accept it. Her happiness was the most important.

"I'll text you and meet you here in the skating park when it's over," Latula assured him. "It'll only be a few hours."

"Okay, sure," he said, afraid that any more words would give away just how not okay that felt whether he had a right to be feeling that way or not.

They said goodbye and she gave him a quick kiss—Mituna could have sworn Kankri's expression darkened for just a moment—and then they left together.

When they were out of sight, he sat down on the bench with a bump, putting his skateboard across his legs.

"Fucking shit!" he cursed to himself. Relationships could get so goddamn confusing.

Someone laughed from off to the left. "What, is that guy stealing your girlfriend?"

Mituna turned to glare at some kid holding a skateboard propped over his shoulder. "Pith off, it's none of your fucking beethwackth," he snapped, his speech problem accentuated by his irritation.

"Wow, no wonder she's ditching you, dude. What, with that lisp and your amazing face-plant skills."

"At leatht I don't wear a thweater in theventy fucking five degreeth. And bethideth, you have no idea what the real thituation ith, you judgmental little shit. What if I fell on purpoth?"

"Sure," the teen said, dragging out the word in an annoyingly condescending manner.

"Hey, I will out-thkate you any time, any day," Mituna said instead of ignoring him like a mature person. Maturity was never exactly his strong point.

"Sure," he said in the same way as before, "maybe if it was a falling down contest."

Mituna tossed his board onto the asphalt walkway. "You are tho on."

And finally, it wasn't a battle just to get the words out.