This chapter's winning vote was: Sollux, catch up to your ex

Sollux stops outside of the restaurant looking both ways in hopes of spotting the messy black hair and tell-tale nubby horns he loved so much. His eyes quickly lock onto Karkat as he dashes across the street, a white car skidding to a stop mere inches from him. Karkat stops for only a moment to fling up both middle fingers at the driver and screech at him to fuck off before taking off again. Sollux jumps off the steps of the restaurant in hot pursuit of Karkat.

Karkat rushes down the street cutting through a dark alleyway jumping over a homeless man sleeping in a dingy box next to a trash bin. He periodically turns to check behind him, hoping that no one is following him, but yet wishing someone did. He stops again in another alleyway, panting and taking in big gulps of stale air smelling of trash and piss. He wrinkles his nose in disgust and once he's able to catch his breath again jerks at an angle through a third alley.

Sollux runs across the street with no problems from traffic due to it still attempting to start back up after Karkat's almost accident. He darts through the alley Karkat ran through tripping over the sleeping man's legs and falling. He curses and sends a vicious glare to the poor confused man. Shoving himself up he ignores the pain in his left knee and the stinging on his scraped hands and starts running again as fast as he can. He stops at the end of the alley and looks around frantically but sees no sign of where Karkat disappeared to.

"Looking for something bro?" An amused voice rings out from above. Sollux blinks and looks up following the fire escape up floor after floor with his eyes until he spots a messy thick black mohawk, bright brown eyes, and huge bull-like horns.

"Tavroth!" A huge grin splits Sollux's face as he's filled with hope. "I ran into Karkat today! But he got thpooked and ran off. Have you theen him?"

"Well." Brown eyes sparkle with mischief as Tavros taps a well manicured finger on his chin in mock thought. "I did see a nubby horned ex-god run by. But that could have been any exiled death god. There's no guarantee that it's Karkat."

Sollux gives Tavros a very unamused look, obviously not amused by the younger god's antics. "Which way did he go, we don't want him to get away!"

"Um... I don't see why you should care." Tavros turns an angry glare down at him. "You're not intending to cheat on my sister... are you?"

Sollux bites his lip swallowing the bile rising up in his throat. Yeah, he forgot about Aradia as soon as he saw Karkat walk in the restaurant's tacky red door. But... would he pick his hot tempered ex-lover who disappeared without a trace and caused his demotion from god of destruction to god of celebration over his loveable frog obsessed adventurous goddess of preservation? He sighs "No. I jutht want to help him. It'h been twelve yearth Tavroth. He'h been alone with no contact from any other god for twelve yearth! Wouldn't you be lonely? Plus... Don't you mith him?"

Tavros grins flashing a mouth full of sharp fangs and hops off the fire escape, landing with a loud clang on the concrete in front of Sollux. Steam shoots out around him as he straightens up. He's wearing an unbuttoned black shirt flashing a light dusting of chest hair, and black cargo shorts. His legs were a sleek metal still letting off a light stream of steam as he straightened them with the humming of well made gears. He smirks and wiggles his eyebrows before walking a short distance down the street and hopping into a bright red corvette convertible with black flames running down the sides. "Hop in bro. I suppose I can um... help you out. But this means you owe me." He winks with a mischievous smile.

sollux grins and runs over jumping into the car in a much less graceful manner than his large horned counterpart. His ass barely hits the seat before the car shoots off down the street swerving around the thick city traffic like it's not even there. "Geeth Tavroth! Thlow down!"

Tavros laughs loudly and jerks the wheel barely missing clipping a tanker truck and a minivan full of gawking children. "I'm not the god of speed for nothing! Just sit back and enjoy the ride."

A few blocks away Karkat stands leaning against a rickety rusted railing on a small staircase in front of his apartment panting. He looks around him until he's satisfied that no one has followed him. Wiping the sweat from his forehead he nods to himself deciding he's safe and digs into his pocket for his key. He tugs it out, just a simple key attached to the crab charm he's cherished for 15 years.

He steps up to the cracked and tattered red door looking down at the crab, memories clouding his mind. Memories of his first trip to the human attraction known as Disney world. Of getting onto the teacups in excitement, and then horror when Tavros gets in across from him. The teacups spinning too fast and his stumach rolling. Memories of vomiting in the trash can just outside of the ride, and the warm hand rubbing gently along his spine. Memories of sitting down at a table as a cold drink is pressed against his forehead and looking up into the mismatched eyes of his friend he had to beg to come with them. And memories of the warm feeling that filled his chest as a small crab key chain was dangled in front of his face with a "feel better thoon idiot." and the light yellow blush that crossed his friend's cheeks.

Moisture dripping onto the palm of his hand next to the charm brings Karkat back to himself. With a frown he scrubs at the red tears escaping from his eyes with one sleeve and gripping the crab tightly in his other hand as he shakingly tries to get his key into the lock.

Tavros swerves the car around a corner nearly running over a silver haired old woman and her prissy looking dog before skidding to a stop in front of the run down apartment buildings. In truth, the speed demon had known where Karkat was for many years now, having come across him a long while ago while he was running through the park. He'd decided to keep an eye on his old friend, and to make sure he didn't do anything that would hurt his beloved big sister.

He still had his doubts that he should be doing this. But he can't keep Sollux and Karkat apart forever. He'll just have to make sure nothing happens between the two or he'll make sure both gods are left in a world of pain.

Sollux glares at Tavros slowly prying his fingers off of the chair where he dug them into the leather in the terror of the ride. "You almost killed uth you crazy ath!"

Tavros grins smugly. "I got us where we needed to go. And you better hurry up. Unless you um... want to miss him."

Sollux jerks his head around to see Karkat hunched over at an old door with faded chipping red paint, scrubbing his sleeve against his eyes and shoving his key into the lock. "Thit!" He curses shoving himself out of the car stumbling as his feet re-adjust themselves to standing still after his wild ride. Tavros sits back and watches as Sollux wobbles up the steps with help of the creaking rusty railing and grabs ahold of the small troll at the door.

Karkat jerks ripping his arm away from the slender fingers that wrapped around his upper arm. Turning swiftly he swings his fist connecting with Sollux's Jaw with a loud crack.

Sollux stumbles back, only the railing keeping him upright. His hands shoot up to his mouth and a fang falls out into his palm covered in thin yellow blood. He looks up in shock, blood slowly leaking from the corner of his mouth as wide red eyes stare back at him.

"Fuck! Sol I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to... let me see! here I can fix this. I can..." Karkat sighs heavily remembering he had no powers to heal like he used to. His hands curl into a fist and drop to his side, the crab pressing painfully into his palm as he watches the trail of yellow run down Sollux's chin.

"Karkat..." Sollux steps forward slowly placing his free hand on the shorter god's shoulder. "Where have you been? Why didn't you TELL me?"

Karkat cringes and looks down, tears threatening to escape from his eyes again. "I couldn't do it Sol. I couldn't kill that boy. Even knowing he grows up to be a cocky asshole. I still couldn't have killed him."

Sollux's cold forehead presses against Karkat's overheated sweaty one as his hand moves up to gently rub along his jaw. "We could have run away together. Like the god of love in Disciple's stories she'd tell us in our youth."

Karkat looks to the side, fidgeting with his key and the beloved crab attached to it. "I couldnt bring you down any further than I already had."

The loud screech of a car horn causes both boys to jerk turning to stare at Tavros. Brown eyes narrowed viciously in their direction. Sollux's hand drops and he steps back biting his lip and looking away.

"What the fuck Tavros! What are you DOING here!?" Karkat growls stomping down the steps to the side of the sparkling car. "And where the hell did you get this sweet fucking car!?"

Tavros grins and runs his fingers affectionately along the steering wheel waggling his eyebrows at Karkat. "Lets just say I was in the right place at the right time. So... You gonna just stand there gawking. Or you um... wanna go for a ride?"

NEXT CHAPTER?
Karkat: take the most terrifying ride of your life Sollux: interrupt the reunited friends and drag them upstairs for a serious talk.
Dave: go to the park with john.