It was too calm, too peaceful. Six months had passed since Dave, Rose and a handful of trolls started their journey on this godforsaken meteor. Most of that time had been spent getting everything from food, to sleeping arrangements, to exploration of the meteor sorted out. It was a little chaotic, but it felt natural to Dave. Chaos was his element, he was at his most relaxed when things around him were in some form of disarray. Not now though, things had slowly, but steadily getting calmer, and it made him antsy. At first it had just been a few moments of uneasiness that were easily quelled by checking over his shoulder or taking a peek behind a curtain, or simply moving to one of the more populated areas. Now however, it was this constant pressure that had crept from the back of his mind to the forefront of his consciousness, never letting him know a moment of serenity. Reminding him constantly that just because he could see danger didn't mean it wasn't there.

He hadn't slept it three days. Every time the welcoming hand of darkness reached out to him, he was yanked back by the instincts that had been drilled into him since he was four years old. This continual impressing need to be on guard. Damn, if these doors would just lock than maybe his mind could be at rest, but they don't and Dave didn't think there was any way to lock them; they were these motion sensor doors that opened when anyone approached them. Kind of hard to lock those; maybe there was a way to program them to shut down at certain hours, maybe he should try to find a control panel of some sort and look into programing his door. When he lived with bro he always locked his door; every night at 10:00, with a big thick padlock; it was his routine. To prevent a midnight attack.

All of this barley registered as fully formed thoughts though, as Dave was severely sleep deprived. Still, he couldn't achieve a respite from his instincts. Instead, he took to wandering aimlessly around the meteor. Tense, like a telephone wire pulled taut and a fucking bird tap-dancing on it. Every movement another bounce on the already taxed string. It was only a matter of time before it snapped. His mind was teetering between circumspection and out right paranoia. These thoughts fueled a nervous energy inside him, one that demanded release, however his mind was too out of sorts to recognize this directly. He didn't even realize he was walking in circles. His feet moved as a way to dispose of his restless energy, the only energy he had now, the electric impulse that refused to let him rest despite how very tired he was.

"HEY! STRI-DOUCHE!" A loud slightly gravelly voice called out to him. He turned his head to the direction the voice had come from, but the owner of the face took several moments to register in his mind.

"Sup"

"DON'T 'SUP' ME ASSHOLE! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Just walking." Dave didn't have the mental capacity anymore for sarcastic, long winded comments. Hell, it was hard enough just following what Karkat was saying.

"YOU'VE WALKED BY MY ROOM LIKE FIVE TIMES NOW! WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH YOU?!"

"Just walking." Dave couldn't think of another reply. His mind was conserving mental dexterity wherever it could. And right now it took too much effort to diversify his responses.

Karkat noticed that Dave wasn't himself and marched up to him; concerned despite himself. He brought his tone down. "Take off your shades."

"No." Even this tired Dave wasn't about to take his shades off, stubbornness didn't require much thought or effort for the blonde. It was an intrinsic part of his personality, he hated being told what to do.

Karkat, surprisingly didn't push it. Instead, he grabbed Dave arm and pulled him into his room, pushing him onto the bed. The sleep deprivation had made Dave weak, he was no match for Karkat's already superior strength. "Sleep fuckass." He had wanted Dave to take his shades off for confirmation, but he could get it another way if need be.

"Mmn not tired." Dave yawned, completely contradicting the claim he just made. Karkat rolled his eyes.

"I fucking watched your entire life in the veil. Humans need a certain amount of sleep. And I fucking know you haven't gotten that much in the past few days."

"How d'you know?" Dave's accent slipped out, as well as another yawn.

"Because your room if right next to mine dumbass! You really think I wouldn't notice your constant fucking pacing that only increases every fucking hour?" Before Dave could respond, Karkat threw a blanket over the knight and used a spare pillow to prop himself up next to him on the large bed, grabbing a book to read. "Go to fucking sleep."

Dave, in his current state, being highly suggestable, the act of laying down fighting with his innate stubbornness. The horizontal position broke down the last of unyielding aspect of his personality, creating a far more compliant state of mind than he would have ever liked. The bed was comfortable though and the blanket was nice; he tried to do as he was told. Again though, as he felt the tug of his dreams calling him into the realm of unconsciousness; his instincts reminded him he was not alone; and therefore not save. He shot up quickly, checking around him, causing Karkat to jump. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Dave clutched his head, Karkat's yelling, while more subdued than usual, was still giving him a headache. He fell back, he just wanted to sleep so damn much. His stoic filter was cracked, making it harder for him to think about his words before they came out of his mouth. "Can't, will be attacked."

Karkat just looked at him for a moment and sighed. "No one's going to attack you douchebag. I promise." He reached out and grabbed Dave's hand.

Dave tensed at the action. "Why are you holding my hand?"

"To comfort you fuckass, sit back, enjoy, and go to fucking sleep. I swear on my favorite sickles nothing is going to attack your worthless human ass while you sleep on my respite block."

For some reason Dave found great solace in his words. They felt genuine, like he could trust them. He slowly relaxed, letting the feel of Karkat's slightly callused hand act as his anchor. Did he trust Karkat? Maybe… kind of… yes. Karkat was a loud mouth, but in the short time he had known him, the troll had always been sincere in his words. He was a good fighter too, he could hold his own if attacked.

What was this feeling? Dave didn't think he had ever felt it before. This peace with himself and his surroundings. This tranquility of someone next to him that he trusted, holding his hand, trying to soothe him. It was nice.

And as the darkness crowded into his mind once again, Dave was finally able to succumb to it and sleep.