Karkat spent most of summer vacation at Sollux's house. They played videogames, watched movies and TV and ate ice-cream on the porch. And of course they made out. Sollux's dad seemed pretty happy about Sollux's relationship. Kankri had just ranted to them a whole lot. Kanaya had smiled and congratulated them. And Porrim had told them not to have sex. God, Karkat's family was weird.

Karkat woke up with Sollux lying next to him. That had been happening quite a bit for the past few weeks. Karkat smiled and sat up. He stretched out and stood up. He grabbed a shirt and pulled it on. Then he brushed his hair with his hands. He bent down and shook Sollux's shoulder.

"Wake up Sollux. It's morning." Sollux blinked and sat up.

"Morning KK." he muttered. They stood up and walked to the table. Sollux's dad was drinking coffee.

"Good morning." he said. Karkat nodded and Sollux grunted in response. They each grabbed themselves a bowl of cereal. They sat down and Karkat munched on his cereal. He glanced up at Sollux and noticed he was frowning.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"…Headache." Sollux said. "It should be fine though."

"Okay."

They finished eating their breakfast and went to Sollux's room. They sat down and played videogames. They played Mario Kart and Sollux played Lakitu while Karkat played Bowser. Karkat used Bowser because he could imagine him squashing all the other cars. But he never did. Karkat always played videogames with Sollux with the knowledge that he would lose, and still flip out when he lost. But that time he actually beat him. He glanced at Sollux worriedly.

"You okay? I just beat you at Mario Kart."

"It'th thith thtupid headache." Sollux complained. "I haven't gotten one thinthe…" Sollux gasped and doubled over.

"Sollux? You okay?"

"Th-there are thome pillth in a box in a drawer! Get them!" Karkat walked over to Sollux's chest of drawers.

"Which drawer?"

"Th-third one! Hurry up!" Karkat opened it and rummaged through. After a few seconds he pulled out a plastic box with some white pills. He opened it and took a pill out. He sat next to Sollux and passed it to him.

Sollux popped it in his mouth and swallowed. He was shaking and breathing hard. Then he jerked and landed on his back. His back arced terribly and he gasped. Then he suddenly collapsed, breathing hard. Karkat bent over him and heard Sollux's dad enter the room.

"Sollux?" Karkat said. He reached for him but Sollux shoved him away. He sat up and curled up into a ball.

"Thollux, what happened?" his dad asked. He noticed the box of pills Karkat was holding and he sighed. He took the box from Karkat and put it next to Sollux.

"Go away." Sollux choked. Karkat frowned. Was he crying?

"Sollux-"

"Leave me alone!" Sollux's dad grabbed Karkat's arm and pulled him to his feet. He dragged him out of the room and shut the door.

"What just happened?" Karkat asked. Sollux's dad sighed.

"Athk Thollux about it when he calmth down, okay? For now it'th betht to give him thome thpace." Karkat watched Sollux's dad walk back to his office and shut the door. Karkat looked at the door to Sollux's room and wondered what he should do. In the end he sat down and waited. After an hour Sollux's dad came back out. "I think it'th okay to talk to him now." So Karkat stood up and walked into Sollux's room.

Sollux was curled up on his bed with the blankets pulled over him. Karkat reached forward and pulled the blankets back. Sollux stared at him and crawled away from him. He was clutching a photograph to his chest and his glasses had fallen off, revealing his peculiarly coloured eyes, which were red from crying.

"Sollux, what's wrong?" Karkat asked. Sollux closed his eyes and hung his head. Karkat sat next to him and reached for his shoulder. Sollux slapped his hand away and wrapped his arms around himself. "Sollux? What just happened?" Sollux was quiet for awhile. He took deep breaths and after awhile he lifted his head up. But he wouldn't look Karkat in the eye.

"…When you were a kid, your parentth died, right?"

"Yeah…" Karkat wondered where he was going with this.

"There wath a kid who thaved you from the murderer, remember?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Sollux sighed like Karkat was stupid.

"That wath me."

Karkat's jaw practically hit the ground. It made so much sense if he thought about it! It explained why Sollux had looked familiar when he first saw him, and why Sollux had looked shocked when he saw Karkat! Karkat couldn't believe he hadn't realized it!

"Why didn't you tell me that?!"

"Becauthe of how I thaved you."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Um, you caught me when I jumped out a window. Then…I dunno. I remember you shooting bright light and destroying the house, but that's impossible."

"No it'th not."

"What?" Sollux looked at him in the eye.

"It'th not. I can do that."

"…Whoa, what? You have like, laser eyes or something?"

"I have pthiionic powerth. My dad doeth too."

"Okay…then what does that have to do with what just happened?" Sollux sighed and looked at the photograph he was holding.

"…I had a girlfriend back in the town I moved from. We were childhood friendth." Sollux took a deep breath then continued. "Thometimeth, if I don't uthe my powerth for a long time, they build up inthide me and if I don't take thothe pillth they forthe out of me and…" Sollux started crying again. "I-I uthually had the pillth on me all the time. But…one time I forgot them at home. And we were at the park and I…" Sollux covered his face with his hands. "…She died."

"Oh."

"That'th why we had to move out here. I-I thought they'd thtopped becauthe it didn't happen again while we were here but now…" Karkat reached forward to hug Sollux. Sollux pushed him away again. "Th-thtop it! I'm dangerouth! I-I'll hurt you I—I don't want to hurt you KK. Pleathe thtay away from me."

"No." Karkat said. "I'm not going to stay away from you." He reached forward and forcefully hugged Sollux, who tried to shove him away.

"Thtop it!"

"No!"

"KK, pleathe-"

"No! Okay? I'm not leaving you alone." Karkat kissed Sollux's forehead and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's okay. It's obviously happening less now, right? It'll probably stop eventually. That doesn't happen to your dad, does it?"

"No, but it never did. How do you know it'll thtop?"

"I don't, okay? But that's what I think will happen."

"What if I hurt you?"

"I won't let you. I promise."

"You'll be thafer if you jutht thtay away from me."

"I don't want to be safer Sollux, I just want to be with you."

"…I'm thorry."

"Don't apologise." Sollux looked up at him and managed a small smile. Karkat leaned forward and kissed him.

"Thankth KK."

"You're welcome."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

This is the last chapter about Sollux and Karkat, but next I'll update with a short story (it's like, only some paragraphs) that I think gives it a really sweet finishing touch. So yeah, please wait for that. I'll try to post it tomorrow, if I can get up to the library.