Your name is Karkat Vantas and you are nervous as almighty fuck.

You are currently pacing your apartment as Dave sits on your couch. He's here to support you, since you know you can't deal with your family alone. You never could. Your brother drives you crazy with his almost constant lectures, and your father may as well hate you. You wouldn't be surprised if he actually does.

And now they are both on their way to your apartment for a visit.

Dave has been watching you pacing in anxiety for about half an hour now, and he finally stands up. "Karkat. Will you please just chill out and come sit down? Walking back and forth like a lunatic won't help anything." He puts a hand on your shoulder. You nod slowly. "No, you're right. I'm just really fucking anxious about this." Dave smiles reassuringly at you and leads you over to the couch, where you both sit. "So, what's the story with these two, anyways?" He asks.

You sigh, but honestly, you don't really mind talking about it to Dave. He makes you feel incredibly less unnerved by this.

"Well, as I've told you, Kankri is my brother, and Simon Vantas is my father. He used to be in politics before my mother passed away. He was really well known, too. His words were known to motivate almost anyone who heard them, which is why he was so fit for that career. Anyways, after my mother's death, when I was about thirteen, and Kankri was eighteen, things went downhill. You know how those stories go, the wife passes away, the father goes into deep depression, goes to drinking, smoking, losing his job, and eventually, violence. Now, my father has always been pretty strict, but once he began those awful habits, he got downright violent. He explodes over the simplest things, many times hitting me."

You pause. It's painful telling this to someone, but at the same time, somewhat liberating. Dave waits quietly for you to continue. "Kankri was never home, since he had gotten a few jobs to support the family since father had stopped working. That's why I don't hold it against Kankri, I just...he knows that I don't like my father. And yet, he still brings him here. Father has always expected a lot from both of us. Kankri has promised him that he will go into politics, and is planning on going into it soon now that there's one less mouth to feed and he has more time to go to college. That's why Kankri is his favorite, whereas, I hate politics. They bore the shit out of me, which is why I've always been the biggest, most dissapointing, worthless peice of shit the man has ever seen. Or at least, that's the way he always looks at me, and treats me. Like I'm garbage, and I'll never be successful. And you know what? He's probably right."

Dave frowns at you. "Karkat. You know that's bullshit. Look at yourself. You're supporting yourself, you have a job, friends, and a boyfriend, and all-in-all, you seem pretty happy. Am I wrong?"

You shake your head slowly. He nods. "Exactly. I'd say that's a pretty succesful life so far, wouldn't you? And believe me, Karkat. If you were garbage, I wouldn't be dating you right now."

You give him a small, reassured smile. Then another thought hits you. "That reminds me another thing I should tell you about my father."

He tilts his head. "What is it?"

You frown. "My father is a homophobe, Dave." He frowns as well. "Well, shit. That's not good, is it."

You lower your head. "If he finds out we're dating, he'll go completely apeshit. Knowing him, he'll go off on me and strike me again." Dave lifts your head up to make you look at him. He slides off his shades, looking you in the eyes. "Karkat, I swear. I won't let him touch you. If he so much as lays a finger on you in a threatening way, I'll protect you, okay?"

You stare into his red pools. It's somewhat cheesy, but he's not being ironic. He honestly wants to protect you. The thought itself makes you feel happy and warm inside. You peck his lips, and he picks you up, sitting you in his lap, where the two of you sit for a while, enjoying each other's embrace, until there's a knock on the door and you jump out of your skin.

You quickly climb off of Dave, looking back at him. He gives you another smile before slipping his shades back onto the bridge of his nose. You let out a deep breath and open the door.

Kankri hugs you, surprising you for a moment. You give a pat on the back in response. He lets go of you, drawing back and smiling at you. His brown eyes are shining and he looks very happy to see you. "Oh, Karkat. How have you been? This apartment looks awfully small, and I can't help but feel you might be a teensy bit cramped in here. Oh! And look at that hair, messy as ever I see. Not that I have room to talk. Anyways, it looks like you have a new friend. I am very pleased that you've made new friends here, it means you must be getting along well here."

You roll your eyes. "Kankri, shut the fuck up."

A deep voice cuts in. "Karkat. I have told you to watch your language. I see you're a dissapointment as always. You can't even make yourself look presentable for your own family." You flinch and look up at the tall man. God he's a wreck. "Hello, father." You say quietly, refusing to look him in the eye. But he doesn't seem to like that. "Look me in the eye when you speak to me, boy." You hesitantely drag your gaze to his eyes. His pathetic, lost eyes. Well, at least he seems sober. For now, at least. You're sure he's brought booze with him. "Yes, father."

He looks at you as if you are a cocaroach, dirty and beneath him. "Hm." Is his only response as he inspects your new home. You cleaned the place up a bit, just so he didn't think you're living in a complete dump, but the scowl on his face suggests that he thinks so anyways. Whatever his opinion, you can tell either way that he does not approve. After a moment of deeming your home atrocious, his eyes finally scan over Dave. He is standing and making his way over to you. He holds his hand out to the taller male. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm one of Karkat's friends, Dave Strider." Simon doesn't take his hand in return, he simply gives Dave an unpleasant expression and turns back to you. "Is this the type of friends youve been making? I'm not surprised that you would choose failures as friends as well." Dave only tilts his head at the man, grimacing slightly but trying to stay cool, which he succeeds at. "No offense, Mr. Vantas, but how would you know whether or not I'm a failure?" Simon only scowls harder. "Just look at you. No decent, or successful man would wear such awful clothing. And you're a friend of my son."

Dave looks just about ready to say something rude when Kankri interrupts. "Father, I don't mean to tell you what to do, but I believe that it would be in everyone's best interests if you were a bit less...well, rude."

Simon growls at him. "I am not being rude. It is only the truth."

Kankri crosses his arms over his chest. "Maybe you should give him a chance at least?"

Simon only glares harder. "I don't see why he needs a chance. He is nothing more than someone my son is aquainted with."

Kankri frown at him. "Really now, father. You shoudld be more accepting of his friends."

"And you should learn to hold your tongue." He says sharply, cutting off whatever Kankri wanted to say next. He only sighs. "Yes, I am sorry, father."

You guess you're not the only one who can't say no the your father. Although, you're pretty sure it's for different reasons. Your out of mainly fear, and his out of more respect. Kankri has always looked up to father, making excuses for his current state being because he's 'going through difficult times.' Difficult times your ass. It's been years since your mother passed away and he is still as much of an isufferable asshole as he was back then. Kankri may think one day, he'll come out of his bad times, but you know that there is no hope for this man.

You look at Dave, wishing that you could just hold his hand, or embrace him for comfort, but with your father here, that wasn't an option. Besides, him just being here was alone an incredible difference between you being calm or going off the deep end.

Simon glares at you. "Well, son. I did not expect you to think that us standing in the doorway talking forever would be acceptable. Are you really as inhospitible as to not invite us in?"

You jump. "Oh! Right, come in, I guess." You offer akwardly, moving aside to let them fully into the apartment.

Simon steps in first, pushing past the three of you to enter the place. "You guess? You really are an incopetant child, aren't you? Well, I wouldn't expect any better from you."

You mutter, "Sorry, father." You see Dave scowl beside you. He looks like his patience with this man is running thin. You hope he doesn't do anything sudden. He tends to do unexpected things fairly often.

You close the door once Kankri has entered the apartment. "Oh yes," He begins. "Father, shouldn't we invite Karkat and Dave to dinner?" You glare at him. The man being in your home is bad enough, let alone having dinner with him.

Simon growls. "I don't see why if we go to dinner, this boy would have any reason to come." He gestures to Dave, who frowns in response.

Kankri begins the previous argument. "Maybe he really does deserve a chance. Karkat obviously cares for him enough for him to be here right now. The least we can do is invite him along."

This only makes Simon angrier. "I said no. If we go to dinner, it shall be only my sons and me. Unless anyone here can give me a plausible reason for him to accompany us, I don't want him there."

Dave speaks up again. "I can give you a reason."

You give him a questioning glance, but before you can ask him what he's planning, he's already spoken the next words.

"I'm dating your son, asshole."

AN: Sorry I didn't post yesterday or earlier today. I couldn't think of what to make happen. But I got a few ideas earlier, and just got them typed up after dinner and such.

Also, I'm sorry if I made Signless a bit OOC. I TRIED QAQ

But he needed to be this way anyways, so eh. Anyways, I don't think I'll be able to update tomorrow, since I have a bunch of stuff to do, but I might get a chance. If not tomorrow, then in the next few days. Thank you for your patience. vuv