Sorry for the wait, guys, I was in the hospital…again…

Never mind all that dreary talk; let's cut to the chase! I have a new chapter out. Half in Karkat's POV, half in Sollux's. Some more drama, of course…

Also, a lot of you asked about why I had Eridan's speech impediment include y's. I have a headcanon that he also has problems with y's, as well as we's and v's, which is why he stutters when talking like that. Just to clear up any confusion ^.^

I will also be featuring a review of the chapter, instead of replying to each review (my PM is a bitch and also I get really lazy, sorry :/), most likely being a review that made me smile extra wide, or something super sweet one of you lovelies wrote.

This review of the chapter is by… EgyptianRatScrew! If you haven't seen the review, you should, bc it's long and makes me smile a lot! I love long reviews, but even if you don't have time for that, even a few words is much appreciated! So, thanks again ^.^

Someone requested some more Gamtav. Don't forget that I take requests; not saying I'll accept them all, but I definitely will consider anything you guys would like to change, whether it be the character's personality or how a scene went. So, next chapter will feature some Gamtav action.

I think that's it…so….

Read on~!

"Excu'th me?" I raised an eyebrow at Eridan, who simply stared back at me, his expression deadly serious.

"I mean it. Y-you don't know w-what he's like w-without y-you. He tries to hide it, but he's really upset." He sighed, tightening the grip of his scarf a little bit. I relaxed and bit my lip, my heart softening for a brief moment before closing back up again.

"Look, I know you mean the betht (best) for KK, but I'm not getting back with him."

"I know you w-want to, Sollux."

"No, I don't." I spoke firmly, watching as the blonde's eyes dimmed a little. He pursed his lips and nodded, remaining silent for the rest of the hour as we sipped out drinks.

I watched leaves blow by in the gentle breeze and let my gaze wander over the small pond in the center of the park. I remember coming here with Karkat once before, and I felt a sharp pang of longing. Standing up, I said my goodbye to Eridan and got back into the car, driving to someone's house that I knew. I had to get this uncomfortable feeling out of my system before it consumed me from the inside out.

Knocking on the front door of he rather large house, I waited with bated breath, hoping she was home, and smiled, greeting Aradia when she opened the door.

"Hey. Can I…thay the night?"

Oh god, someone kill me please.

Someone please just sickle open my heart right now.

I was currently sitting at my desk, my head buried underneath my arms as I tried not to freak out. I was about to have a major meltdown, and it was all my new boss's fault.

She was a stern, middle-aged lady with sharp blue eyes and a keen interest in anyone who worked diligently throughout the day. My previous boss had recently promoted me, so she assumed I was one of the best journalists and assigned a zillion extra tasks for me to complete. For example, today I had to take over one of my sick colleague's three articles and finish my front cover image before leaving work tonight. Each article had to be three hundred words, and I hadn't even started the image. It was already five, and my headache was worse than ever.

I stood up and stomped to the printer, retrieving the images I had just printed, and tried to think through my throbbing head. It was just the second day of my new boss working here, and she was already driving me insane. With a sigh, I sank into my chair and switched on my computer, reading an email that had just popped up on the screen.

Three hours later, I had finally finished all the articles and scanned the front cover into the computer. Packing up my things, I went straight home and collapsed onto my bed after downing a few painkillers.

When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I did was take a quick shower. As I emerged from the bathroom and made my way into the kitchen, still towel-drying my hair, I gave a quiet, unmanly shriek as I saw a slightly moving lump sprawled out on my couch under a blanket. Cautiously, I approached it and quickly whipped off the blanket.

Blue eyes peered up at me tiredly as John groaned: "You're making breakfast, right?"

As we both sat down to a hastily thrown together omelet I had made for us to split, I noticed the same bruise covering John's neck. Seeing me looking, he pulled his turtleneck up to hide it and averted his eyes, causing me to frown.

"John…are you alright?" I asked after a pause, taking a bite of my apple. He simply nodded. I noticed more marks circling his wrists, and I frowned deeply.

"Is there something you aren't telling me?"

At these words, John tensed up and then said quickly, "Yes, but don't freak out, ok?" I immediately tensed up too, preparing to freak out.

"I was walking by the forest last night and some guy attacked me. My boyfriend got there in time to stop him before he could hurt me too seriously." John spoke in a rush, the words flowing out of his mouth as if rehearsed. Hm…That still didn't explain why he was here and not with his boyfriend, but I left it at that, sensing the other male didn't want to talk.

"I told you not to go walking alone at night!" I scolded gentle, crossing my arms. The raven smiled sheepishly and took a bite of his omelet, scraping the bottom of the plate with his fork as he did so.

"I'm just glad Aaron was there to help." He continued as he took another bite, finishing up his share of the egg. I nodded as well, wanting to meet John's boyfriend.

As if reading my mind, he remarked, "You should come over and meet him! I'm meeting him for coffee right now, actually, why don't you come with me?"
"Oh, I don't know, Egbert. I don't want to intrude…" I objected at first, but John eventually convinced me to come with him. We got our coats, and I drove to the little bakery John was meeting Aaron at. Once we entered, John pointed him out, and we walked over to the booth.

Aaron stood up, his muscles rippling under his long sleeve shirt. He smiled at me, and for some reason I tensed up. I disliked that cold grin…He was tall, with dark green eyes and cropped blonde hair. He held John close in the booth and kissed his cheek. Watching them interact, I couldn't help but notice that Aaron seemed so much stronger and more powerful than his small boyfriend.

"So, you have to be Karkat. John's told me a lot about you." The blonde ordered a muffin for himself and John to split. I refused, still full from half the omelet I had eaten.

"I'm Aaron, but I'm sure you knew that. Been talking about me a lot, John?" He asked the raven teasingly, and I was surprised to see a bit of fear flash in John's eyes before the look passed and he smiled.

"Ehe….maybe…" He nuzzled Aaron, who wrapped his arm around the younger male. The muffin arrived, and John was fed little bites. He giggled, pecking Aaron on the nose. I noticed those bruises again and felt uncertainty rise up in me again.

John said someone had attacked him and Aaron had saved him, but why didn't I believe that?

That's all for now, my lovely readers.

Let me know what you think by dropping a review, yes? My, my, that Sollux sure doesn't know how to handle emotion well...another one of my headcanons: Sollux isn't too well with pent up emotion bc he prefers technology over living things.

~samx