The Peacekeeper

==> Refusing A Bath Isn't A Sign Of Good Mental Stability

"I got Kanaya to make you some new clothes." Dave said through a mouthful of food, glancing over at Karkat who was sitting across the table from him. The mutant blooded troll just sat there, staring at the untouched bowl of cereal Dave had prepared for him. "Dude come on. I didn't wake up at seven in the goddamn morning to prepare you the most exquisite bowl of off brand Honey Combs for you to leave it more untouched than a freshly hatched baby displayed in a heavily armed glass case." Karkat continued staring at the cereal. The human sighed and put his spoon down in his own bowl. "I can make you something else. In hindsight I probably should've asked what you wanted for breakfast instead of dumping this bowl of cereal on you. Do you want anything else?" Karkat shook his head. "Are you just...not going to eat?" A nod. "Alright fine, you don't have to eat yet but you have to at least take a bath. You reek, you're covered in dried slime, and I can't stand all the dried blood on you anymore. It doesn't even look like you bathed while you were living with Sollux and Equius. Did Sollux, like, mention bathing to you at all?"

"Yes," Karkat mumbled, "but I didn't really want to and every time they tried I...hid." Dave scoffed.

"Seriously Karkat? You hid? Fuck me if I'm being rude but I call bull."

"Hid, locked myself in available blocks, same thing."

"Okay, yeah, but both of those guys could easily rip a door off its hinges at any point. Actually scratch that, I'm just seeing how ripping a door off it's hinges to get to you would be a bad idea. Still though, you reek, no offense, and they should've made you bathe."

"I just...I just didn't want to take a bath okay?" Karkat responded, agitation rising in his voice. "Is that really so bad?"

"Yes! Karkat for god's sake you're covered in dried blood and suspicious looking cuts that should've probably been cleaned a hell of a lot earlier."

"Dave, I don't need a fucking bath. You can not and will not bully me into taking a bath."

"Fuck no dude. I'm not trying to bully you but are not getting out of this. You have to be sanitary and fight off infections. Plus you gotta get all squeaky clean because later on you have a doctor and a dentist appointment. I can't have you stanking up the place while they're trying to find every bruise, cut, or bump on you. In fact I will give you a bath myself if I have to. I am more than willing to do it." Karkat glared at Dave, his mouth curling over one fang. "Nope. That scary bullshit won't work on me right now. I'm going full serious mode right now. See this? See how serious of an expression I have? If I walked into a business center with this face I'd be called sir and handed a coffee. So go into that bathroom and get ready for a bath or so help me I will get the hose and spray you down out on the sidewalk." Karkat snarled but stood up and stomped to the bathroom.

Dave had been living with Karkat for a couple of days. In those couple of days Dave realized that Karkat...changed. Well obviously he changed, Dave had known it from the start but this? The mercurial alien Dave fell in love with six years ago no longer spoke his mind. He showed no excitement when old interests were mentioned. Worst of all, for a good bit Karkat was being eerily obedient. Thankfully the troll was starting to talk back so some personality was starting to seep through the cracks. Dave counted this as a win towards getting Karkat readjusted even though it was making things increasingly difficult. But even if the troll he used to know was gone, Dave wasn't about to leave him. He was set on helping him.

Dave grabbed a couple necessary bathing items and walked into the bathroom. Karkat was still fully clothed and sitting on the toilet. Dave sighed and instructed him to start stripping down as he turned on the bath water.

Karkat was less then eager to strip down. A part of him said that he didn't need Dave to give him a bath, he was a big troll now. He could do it himself. Then again if Karkat could do it himself he would've done it by now. He wouldn't of been acting so childish with Sollux and Equius and fought tooth and nail with them at the mention of a bath. He had a reason for not wanting to bathe though, he didn't want to see what was under his clothes. He hadn't looked at his bare body since the first night in Dave's hive. He didn't want to look at it unless he had to and he certainly didn't want Dave to see him this way.