One month later…
Kankri had settled in, and Gamzee was set to get a car for them to drive home in, and until that point, they would be walking home, though Terezi had given Tavros a pocket knife. He was to use it if Vriska got close enough that he could, though she had wondered if her softhearted brother would be able to. Of course, after the incident with the gun, giving Gamzee deadly weapons was decided against, and he simply had to rely on his own strength and wit to get through.
They were walking home, and Gamzee, as usual was pushing Tavros.
"Hey Tav?" Gamzee said, staring in front of them rather than looking down at his friend.
"Yeah?"
"Does me pushing you all up and bother you?" He asked, this time meeting brown eyes with his own.
"W-why would you ask that?" Tavros replied, obviously stalling.
"Well, anytime I start pushing you, you blush and all that, so I was wondering if I embarrassed you." He said, his eyes sad at the thought that his best bro would be embarrassed about him.
"I-it isn't you. Just that, well, people think that we're…more than best bros." Tavros said, face flushed and staring at his shoes.
"Oh. So it does bug you, then? Do you want me to stop, then?" He asked, and Tavros thought for a second. He loved the feeling of having Gamzee pushing him. Not only because there wasn't the strain on his arms, but also because he trusted Gamzee to choose the right direction more that he trusted himself. But at the same time, all they needed was another reason for them to stand out, and being the town's only gay couple could insight that.
"I- I don't really know. I just don't want you getting made fun of for it." Tavros responded.
"How about you push yourself until we're away from the crowd, and then I'll push you. That way your arms don't get all up and tired? I like looking at your face better anyway." Gamzee smiled, moving to stand in front of the chair, walking backwards. Tavros smiled, loving how carefree his friend was. Until he stopped the chair, catching sight of the exact person they had planned to avoid, with the football team standing behind her. Vriska.
"Well, if it isn't the little cripple and the crazy clown." Her high-pitched cocky voice rang out, and Gamzee stopped walking as well, though he didn't turn around, his smile turned to an angry scowl.
"Leave, Vriska." He said, his voice lacking its usual happy fluctuations. Gamzee's heart sped up, and the voices started to whisper, telling him to go ahead and kill them. Kill them all so that Tav wouldn't have to be afraid anymore.
"You embarrassed my brother. Do you know that his Girlfriend broke up with him? That little bitch left him, because you beat him."
"What is she talking about, Gamzee?" Tavros asked.
"Then your beef is with me. Tav hasn't done anything to you. He can leave, right?"
"He's your friend, and guilty by association." She responded.
"That was a bad fucking choice. Tav, go get Karkat, and stay at my place. I don't have time to explain, so just do it." Gamzee demanded, his voice so dominant that Tavros was responding to it before he could cognitively make the choice.
"Are you gonna be okay, Gamzee?" Tavros asked, and what answer could Gamzee give him but yes?
"Aren't you the knight in shining armor, Makara?" Vriska cooed, gesturing for one of her lackeys to go after Tavros. The football player was promptly knocked out as Gamzee's hand met the back of his neck. Tavros glanced back, and moved away faster when he saw the insanity spark in Gamzee's eyes as a small dribble of blood came from the fallen boys head where it his the concrete.
"If I kill you, then Tav will be safe. He'll never have to worry about you again." Gamzee said, his voice soft, as he stared at the woman as a bead of sweat rolled down her temple.
"I want his head on a stick." Vriska said, scowling. Gamzee let out a bloodcurdling chuckle as the reluctant boys attacked Gamzee, more afraid of Vriska than him. For the moment, at least.
"Gamzee!" Karkat called as he arrived to find Gamzee surrounded by (hopefully) unconscious boys, and Vriska held up by the hair of her head, other hand closing around her throat. He had a spatter of blood across his face, where the paint had smeared, causing the thing that children likely have clown nightmares about.
"Hey, motherfucker." Gamzee replied, dropping the passed out girl along with her friends.
"Gamzee calm down." Karkat approached him slowly, and patted his head, lulling him down. As his mind returned to itself, he looked around him and started sobbing.
"I told you, Karkat. All I ever do is hurt people."
"But they attacked you. And they would have attacked Tavros. He's more important to you than them, right?" Gamzee nodded, letting himself be led home, make-up smearing more with his tears. As they walked, Karkat noticed that he had a hole and a small cut on his torso where one of the boys had pulled a knife on him. He stopped and took pictures, keeping away from Gamzee's face where he looked downright scary. If they wanted to prosecute, self-defense would defiantly be in order.
Karkat snuck Gamzee in through the back so that Tavros wouldn't see him, and told him to take a shower before coming out. He brought Gamzee a change of clothes, and helped him out of the bathroom on his shaky legs, hair still dripping where he hadn't bothered drying off. He didn't put on any of his make-up, and so the three scars across his face were clearly visible. He went into the living room, where Tavros was waiting with Kankri.
"Gamzee, what happened to your face?" he asked, and Gamzee looked at him questioningly for a moment, as if not remembering that he had scars. In a look of epiphany, he frowned harder.
"They're old. You just couldn't see them past the make-up. But I did promise you an explanation, didn't I?" He said, sitting down.
"I'll tell him if you don't want to, Gamzee." Karkat offered, realizing that Gamzee may have hard time explaining this, or possibly explain it too much at once.
"No. Tav deserves to hear it from the source." Gamzee said, sitting down and looking Tavros in the eye. "You know what Schizophrenia is, right, bro?" He asked, and Tavros nodded.
"Do you have that, then?" Gamzee clenched his fists as Tavros looked slightly scared.
"Yeah. I have a fuckin voice in my head that tells me to hurt people. But the one it's never told me to hurt is you. I guess even that violent fuck can't find a reason to hate you." Gamzee smiled sadly as Tavros recoiled a bit.
"Then even…Karkat?"
"Yeah. Mostly while I was in the hospital. They had to chain me up because I almost killed six people. And Karkat risked being the seventh so that I could get out. And now I've gone and hurt more. I won't be mad if you're afraid of me, Tav. In fact, I encourage it. But I'm far too motherfuckin selfish to push you away if you want to stay with me." Karkat gestured for Kankri to follow him out of the room, saying softly that he would be right down the hall if they needed anything.
"Is that why you're always running off, and coming back all weird?" Tavros asked.
"Yeah. Anytime I'm reminded of how cruel people were to you, the voices act up. They keep telling me that if I killed all of them, that you'd be safe. And I almost fucking listened. Hell, I did. I was ready to kill every last one of them, or at least until they killed me. But Karkat calmed me down. I'm a monster, Tavros." Gamzee told his friend, head falling and hands digging into raven curls, tugging on his hair, small bits of it coming out.
"Stop that, Gamzee. You aren't a monster." Tavros, said, boldness growing inside him as he moved slightly closer to Gamzee, the closest his wheelchair would allow, and lifted the head up to look at him once more.
"I hurt people Tav. I should never have left that hospital. The straps should have stayed right where they were." He held up his arms weakly, and only for a moment, bringing attention to the scars along his wrists.
"No. I've never been happier than when I was with you. I- I love you, Gamzee." Tavros choked out, but Gamzee just looked away.
"You don't have to lie, Tav. Don't say shit like that just to comfort me." Gamzee snapped, a tear running down his cheek.
"I'm not lying! Listen to me!" Tavros nearly shouted, roughly moving Gamzee's face back, and placing a forceful kiss to his slightly chapped lips. Tavros waited for rejection. Waited for Gamzee to push him away and say that he didn't like him like that. But it never came. Instead, he felt himself be picked up, and moved onto the purple boy's lap, as the kiss was returned with equal passion.
"I motherfucking love you so much, Tav. Please, know that I'd never hurt you. I'd rip the voice outta my motherfuckin head with a spoon if it ever suggested it." He growled, his usual vigor returning.
"Don't leave me, Gamzee. I don't know what to do anymore without you." Tavros whispered, as if balancing out his former aggression.
"I never knew what to do without you. I was just lost. You've found me, Tav. Like a Shepard and his motherfuckin lost little sheep." Gamzee whispered back, holding the smaller boy close.
In the hall, watching, Karkat rolled his eyes. Leave them alone for two seconds, and they're already kissing. But he had a smile on his face, happy that his son had found someone that he could truly love.
Speaking of love, He dialed Terezi's number, having meant to ask her on a date a few days ago. Yes, the ever-grumpy Karkat was going to try his hand at wooing a girl.
A/N- The next chapter is going to be nothing but Karezi, and I'll sum up what you need to know in the chapter following it, so if you don't like the pairing you can skip it. Thanks for reading this far, and I hope you review!