Warning: This chapter contains multiple cusses and some violence.

"Three questions to get to know eachother," Sollux grinned, falling onto his back, "Thoundth like fun! Go right ahead."

"Why are you so keen on spending time with me?" Karkat grumbled, looking up at the sky. They were barely a mile away from the Motel Pool, Sollux lounging on the ground as if it were a bed.

"I find you interethting." Sollux said, "Mytherious."

Karkat was laughing, "Are you gay?" he said, instantly regretting it. Two questions wasted.

Sollux raised his brows, "Yep. Juth like you."

Karkat frowned, "How-?"

"Aha! I was right!" Sollux fist pumped the air. Karkat rolled his eyes, leaning back on the ground to enjoy the clouded sky. Sollux proped his head up onto his palm, all weight resting on his elbow, "Tho, it'th my turn. KK, how old are you?"

"Seventeen," Karkat instantly shook his head, "No, wait- eighteen!"

Sollux called his bluff, "Nice try. I'm nineteen. First kiss?"

"A boy named Mituna." Karkat laughed, "You kind of remind me of him."

"Thuch an honour!" Sollux smirked, "How'd you loothe your virginity?"

Karkat went completely red, blushing didn't even come close to the description. He opened his mouth, then closed it, unsure if he was to reply. Sollux nearly burst out laughing, "Holy thit, you're thill...?"

"AND WHAT ABOUT YOU, FUCKASS?!" Karkat sreetched, mortified.

"It wath Eridan." shrugged the brunet, "We were both drunk, lonely, and totally horny at the time. Mithaketh were made."

Karkat blinked, "What?"

"Bathically," Sollux sighed, "Feferi wath having a party. Everyone there wath totally thoned from the brownieth, exceptm me and Ampora(Eridan) becauth we knew better. But we had a few beerth, Ampora hath a thitty alcohol tolerance, and BOOM we were kithing. You can only gueth what happened, next."

"You woke up naked next to eachother?" Karkat inferred.

Sollux grimaced, "Worthe. We both actually enjoyed it."

"Awkward." Karkat deadpanned.

"You have no idea." Sollux concluded.

They lay in silence for a few moments, Sollux returning to lying on his back. The sky tumbled along, moving the clouds by, and Karkat felt so small compared to everything else. He snuck a glance at Sollux, who was staring intently at him, and the raven haired teen blushed again. "What are you looking at."

"You."

"Why?"

"Bacauthe you're attractive."

"Oh."

Silence took them once more, Karkat feeling embarrassed with Sollux staring at him. So, he stared back. All was equal. He notice the way Sollux's hair curled near his neck, the few misplaced freckles on his nose, his canal teeth that stuck out so slightly that he almost looked like a vampire. But he couldn't see Sollux's eyes.

"Sollux," Karkat muttered, reaching for the paper glasses, "May I?"

Though he looked hesitant, Sollux said, "Thure."

His eyes were bright hazel. A brown-green-yellow morph of iris, and two large pupils. Karkat was instantly captivated by them, unsure why they were hidden in the first place.

Sollux closed his eyes, "Pretty freaky, huh?"

"No," Karkat frowned, "They're pretty nice, actually."

A smile played on the brunet's lips, and he murmured, "Thankth."

...

After spending an entire day talking with Sollux, Karkat had switched over to chatting with John on the phone. He seemed happy that Karkat had made new friends, asking questions every few chances he got. Then a few hungry customers walked in and Karkat was stuck serving them.

By the time night fell, he was exhausted. More people were at the Diner, mostly just to see Aradia's show, but some actually enjoyed Jane's cooking. Aradia was in the middle of a very pretty guitar song when it happened. Karkat heard Jade's voice from the bar, "Bec, I told you. It's over."

"No, babe. Please, I didn't mean nothing by that one girl! It was a misunderstanding!" a husky voice begged, ignoring Jade's words.

"Don't you 'babe' me! You're an insufferable man-whore. why would I go crawling back to you!" Jade seethed, Karkat heard her hit the table with her fist.

"I wouldn't disrespect me if I were you, sweetheart." growled the male voice in return.

"Like hell you wouldn't! Get out of my sight, Bec. I told you weeks ago to move on." all of the bubbly friendly Jade was gone, and replaced with a hurt and angry girl instead. Karkat stepped closer, listening intently.

"Listen here, girl. You're going to like me again, you understand?" Karkat could see the male talking, now. He was taller than Equius, buzz cut black hair and a spiked chain necklace. Intimidating bad-boy-wanna-be. Karkat knew Harley could do better, so why was Jade ever into this guy.

"I liked you before you became this-" Jade gestured to his entire outfit, "-mess! You're really sweet, somewhere down there, but the Bec I love is gone!"

Bec caught one of her wrist and yanked her closer, "Bitch, I'm trying to talk to you! Listen!" He sounded furious. Karkat stepped closer, stealthy as he could be.

"No! Let me go!" Jade snarled, spitting in his face. Way to go, Harley! Karkat grinned. That's when Bec's grip tightened, and he raised his other hand to hit her.

"She said let her go." Karkat grumbled, stepping closer. "So. Let. Her. Go."

Bec laughed, then barked at Jade, "New boyfriend?"

"No. She can do better than both of us, you fucking bastard." Karkat spat the curse word, "I told you to let her go. If you do, no one gets hurt."

Bec snorted, "You actually think you can hit me? Like you have any balls at all, pussy."

"Shut the fuck up and leave you insufferable dick." cursed Karkat, anger flooding his veins. "Or I will break your arm."

Laughing, Bec released Jade and loomed over to Karkat seizing for his shirt. Dodging, Karkat threw a quick uppercut to Bec's jaw, totally squaring him. Bec stumbled a bit, then charged back, aiming for Karkat's stomach, but the raven haired of the two was ready, and him right in the crotch.

"FUCK!" yelped Bec, clinging to his genitals. "I'll kill you!"

"I'd like to see you fucking try!" Karkat said, readying his fist. He approached the hunched over man, who leapt at him with much ferocity, and Karkat punched Bec right in the center of the face. There was a sickening crack, as the latter stumbled backwards, screaming in pain. Blood dripped down his now snout-like nose, and Bec yowled multiple cusses.

"Karkat," Jade called. her voice quivering. Are you really going to defend him? Karkat wondered, turing around to see his friend with an evil expression on her face. "Kick him where it hurts."

"You got it, Harley." he grinned, turning back to his weakened opponent. Bec, who had recovered quite rapidly, struck a clean hit at Karkat's eye. "FUCK!" Karkat seethed. He pounced at Bec's shoulders, knocking him to the floor.

"APOLOGISE TO HARLEY, YOU DICK!" he growled, grabbing Bec's necklace, "OR I'LL BREAK YOUR SKULL."

"Fuck no." Bec howled, spitting out some blood.

Karkat pulled on the silver chain, towing Bec's neck upwards, taking hold of the older man's shirt collar, he slammed Bec's head straight into the ground. "FUCKING APOLOGISE!" Slam. "I TOLD YOU TO SAY SORRY!" Slam. "I WARNED YOU, FUCKASS." Slam. "I FUCKING WARNED YOU!" Slam. Bec was quiet, his eyes were closed, but he was breathing. Karkat let go of his shirt, standing back up. He strolled over to Jade, grinning like an idiot.

"Karkat!" her eyes were wide, "Karkat! Karkat! Look out!"

But it was too late. Knocked to the floor with sudden force, Karkat took another punch to the eye, then the lip, followed by a few rib hits. It hurt like hell, but that all washed away when he suddenly felt suffocated. Something was around his wind-pipe, cutting off his air. He could hear people screaming, but it was blurring. His heart rate quickened, and all to suddenly he was flailing, gasping for breath. But no breath came. Karkat was going to die. Fear struck his veins cold. Strength was leaving him. Breathe. Breathe. He had to Breathe.

"You said you wanted to see me try," growled Bec, "So here you go."

And for a split second, Karkat thought this was the end. He held what little air he had left. When suddenly, the hands around his neck faded, knocked away. Relief swarmed him, the suffocation was gone.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU FUCKING DOUCHEBAG." snapped a voice. Who was it? Was Karkat still alive? He inhaled and exhaled, coughing multiple times.

"Karkat," another voice called to him, he felt a cool hand against his cheek, "I need you to breathe in through your nose, and breathe out through your mouth. Okay?"

Feferi. It was Feferi. She was leaning over him, clearing the stray hairs off his forehead. Her soft brown eyes filled him with relaxation, and he did as she told. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Karkat's heart was pounding in his ears, but he at least could breathe. His lips were bleeding, and it hurt to open his left eye.

"Good job, Karkat." Feferi said, smiling warmly. "You protected your friend. And look! You're okay."

"Evveryone, givve him some fuckin' room!" Eridan's voice commanded, as feet shuffled away.

"Gamzee," Feferi said, her eyes not moving from Karkat, "You know about black-eyes and stuff like that, right?"

"Yeah," huffed Gamzee, who was now crouched on Karkat's other side. "Need some motherfucking help, Fef?"

"Please," she said, looking grateful. Gamzee nodded, leaning closer to Karkat's face.

"You can't sit up, right?" Gamzee asked. Karkat shook his head, because his throat was scorching in far too much pain to speak. "Okay, here." Gamzee slid a hand under Karkat's head, lifting him slowly. His free arm wormed under Karkat's knees, finally, he held him bridal-style. Though Karkat felt dizzy, Gamzee was warm and welcoming, making his head calm the fuck down. He could hear a bit better, and sounds of light pain were muffled by the harsh sounds of wood hitting the floor.

"Sol," Eridan sounded stern, "He's had enough."

"Thut up. He nearly killed him!" Sollux raveled, "He could of killed KK."

"Kar's alivve, you twit. And look at 'im." Eridan sighed. Karat could see them now, since Gamzee was walking him somewhere. Sollux was clutching a barstool in his hands, blood soaking it's wooden legs. Eridan had his arms crossed, looking like a disapointed mother, and he was staring at a crumpled mound of beaten flesh on the ground. There was an unmistakable silver necklace on that little mound of flesh's neck.

It suddenly occured to Karkat that his life had nearly ended, and the one who had saved him was Sollux. With a chair. Holy fuck, his life was a mess. A twisted sob escaped his mouth, and that little sob became a terrified wail of despair.

"KK!" cried Sollux, dropping the barstool. "KK, what'th wrong?"

Eridan grabbed the brunet's shoulder, "Sol, wwait! He's had a near death experiece! Stay back."

Karkat continued to cry, causing his eye to hurt more, which only resulted in further sobbing. Gamzee, who had been holding Karkat the entire time, pulled him closer, into an almost protective hold. There was a unicorn on his T-shirt. Karkat hadn't noticed.

"Shoosh." Gamzee whispered, his hand stroking Karkat's hair, as he held the smaller teenager like a small child in his arms. "Shoosh."

The last thing he remembered seeing before falling asleep was Gamzee's violet eyes, smiling into his burgandy ones.