The fourth time Dave Strider saw Karkat Vantas, he got punched in the face. He'd seen people attacking the gorgeous boy and immediately stepped in. The bastards didn't lay a finger on him. Karkat did. He broke his nose and he yelled and he made Dave promise to never try to save him again, not letting up until he did. Then, after snapping his nose back into place, they had coffee. And as Karkat told Dave stories and laughed with him and shot heart-breakingly beautiful smiles his way, the Strider realized that maybe, just maybe, they were friends. But they most certainly were not lovers, and Dave realized that he really wanted to change that.