You hate the aggravating, douchebag known as Dave Strider. You shouldn't be feeling these… feelings. You, Karkat Vantas, might just be feeling flushed affections for the blond hipster.

This is completely frustrating in your eyes. If you were going to feel anything for him, it should be caliginous feelings. But noooo, the universe just wants to screw with you even more and make it red. It was always the hideous red. Red was the color that just loved to ruin your life. It made you a mutant on Alternia, and was tormenting you in your nightmares here. Red was the color that had brought you and Dave to a bro-ship. And it might just the color to destroy that bro-ship because of these feelings.

You are back in your camper, having finished three strifes in a row with Strider. Gog, he just ticks you off. You sit in front of your laptop watching No Strings Attached, it still doesn't keep your mind off of Dave – you wish you had jumped sooner, and then you wouldn't be in a situation like this. It was only half an hour ago that you realized you were feeling something for him. It was like a slap to the face and hit to the heart.

Dave had the courtesy – if that's the word for it – to walk you back to your camper. You had said you could make it back fine, but he didn't listen, his trust in you must have lessened after your stunt. When you parted he said, "Dominate you again later, bottom boy," and left with a wink. You couldn't see it because of his shades but you know he did. Not to mention the awkward positions you ended up in during the strifes.

All you can think is stupid, hipster, douchebag, Strider. One of these days, you'll domin- kick his ass. You really want to punch him in his gorgeous face- and, fuck, stop thinking about his looks; it's not helping your situation. Oh, great! Now you're thinking about his smoldering red eyes that nearly made you melt when you first saw them. And now his playful smirk. And now- no stop. This is going too far. Your face is burning and if you think about it anymore, you will die.

You close your laptop in defeat and set it on the floor. The only reason you wanted to watch a rom com was to keep your mind busy, but look at how that failed. Sighing, you lean backwards, stretching out your sore muscles. You continue to lie back, staring at the ceiling; maybe the ceiling can works its "ceiling magic" and put you to sleep.

You count down the seconds for each minute as it passes by, and eventually your eyelids get heavier and heavier. Before you even know it you're asleep, and it feels nice to let go for the moment. You hardly ever get any sleep, not that you ever really have.

You out like a light, and you doubt that Strider's obnoxiousness could even wake you up.

Unless he counters you in your dreams.

You're outside, on the bridge again. How'd you get here? Weren't you just in your camper? Oh well, might as well go along with it.

You find that instead of being on the other side of the railing like you were before, Dave is. Your heart seizes in your chest, and you're extremely terrified that he might just jump. Was this what he felt like when you were actually going to jump? He faces towards, and you just notice how close you are to him. You swear everything seems to be jumping, like one moment you're not even close to the railing and now you face to face with Dave.

You're a little uncomfortable with this "arrangement", and then you notice Dave's smiling. An actual genuine smile and you can't help but feel as though you've seen that smile at least once. Right, didn't he smile at you like that on the meteor one time. You can't remember the situation, but you know the outcome involved you and Dave to laughing like dorky kids.

You know for a fact if you looked in a mirror, you'd be flushed. Like, your face is heated – your face being the color red. Gog, you aren't flushed for that moron. Jegus, how could even think that. No- that is not the case. There is a large "MIGHT BE" there, so that doesn't mean you are. Sure, you like him, and there could be a chance – stop thinking about it, you're only making it worse! Focus on what is going on presently.

You attempt grab Dave's shoulders in attempt to pull him over to the safer, less likely to kill yourself side. Instead, he pushes forward and kisses you. You're pretty sure your heart just ruptured. Dave. Is. Kissing. You.

You don't move, frozen in place. You want to kiss back, but you can't. When he pulls away, you're still frozen and his smile isn't the genuine smile he had before, it's more of a sad, weak smile and it's an ache to the chest. He then leans back. And let's go.

Able to finally move, you reach for him, but he's too far out of your reach. You feel as though everything shattered as he falls.

Everything shatters, including you.

You are startled awake by a knock on the door. Nepeta stands at the screen door, waiting with a sweet smile. You get up and greet her at the door, the dream still in mind. "Hey, Nep." You say coolly.

You find it odd that Nepeta is here. Nepeta was on the first people to slowly drift away from you – Equius is probably one of the reasons why.

"Hello, Karkitty." Oh, Gog. Those nicknames, you forgot how annoying they were. "We were wondering if you would like to have breakfast with the rest of us." Well, that's new.

"Uh, I… guess?" You are utterly confused. What happened to being left alone? The solitude? Maybe this is just a onetime thing. Yes, it must be that. Just a onetime thing.

Nepeta grabs your hand yanks you out of the camper and begins pulling to where the picnic tables had been moved together so everyone, except you and some others who aren't really sociable, could eat together. First Dave and now Nepeta; are you going to get pulled around by everyone today?

As she pulls you along, you go back to thinking about that odd and disturbing dream. You can't help but feel unease. And worry. It's probably something meaningless, like most dreams are. Though, it still unnerves you. As to why, one, Dave fell, and two, he kissed you. He kissed you, and for some reason that sticks out more than the any other things that was in the dream. You blame that on your own confused feelings. 'Cause you know for a fact that Dave does not see you in that way at all. Part of you wish's he did, while the other is glad that he doesn't.

If Dave felt the same that could… well, you don't have a clue what could happen. No, actually you do. You'd fuck up. If you and Dave were to be in a relationship, whatever quadrant it may be – not even moiraillegience, cause that worked "swell" with Gamzee– you screw up and he'd no longer acknowledge you. He'd wright you off; throw you out the door because you would have destroyed that friendship with your failure of existence.

For now, you think as you follow Nepeta, its best that you ignore these feelings and eliminate any possible chance of you and Dave being in any form of quadrant.

How annoyingly short this chapter is... sorry for that. Kept getting distracted by other people wonderful fan-fics. Anyway... hoped you enjoyed this short chapter. Sorry for any grammar mistakes.