Working All Day

17

   "Thank you for driving me home." Kankri leaned close to Cronus.

"It's no problem." Cronus smiled as he pressed his lips to the waiting ones. Without another word from the Vantas, he hopped out waved goodbye before he walked inside. Kankri mentally prepared himself for Karkat's yelling, scolding and insults.

"Kankri, where the hell have you been?" Karkat shouted.

"I'm sorry, Karkat." Kankri looked down at the ground as Karkat stood in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What the fuck ever, just get to bed, nook-sniffer." Karkat made his way upstairs to his room. After a couple minutes of just laid in bed bitterly and furious. He was surprised when his phone buzzed with a new text.

'Is this Karkat Vantas?' The text asked.

'Who's asking?' Karkat texted back warily.

'I'm Cronus. A friend of Kankri's. I need you to do a favor for me.' The text restonded almost immediately.

'Why would I do anything for you?'

'Because if you don't he might die.' The text read with a serious tone. Karkat paused. Rereading the text over and over.

'What do you need, Cronus?' Karkat texted back.

'When he's asleep, I need you to find a way to look at his legs. Call me when you see.' The texting ceased. About ten minutes later, he heard nothing but silence. He walked out of his room and pressed his ear to Kankri's door. When he heard soft snores, he reached above the doorframe, grabbed the key to his bedroom door and unlocked it. There, he saw Kankri sleeping without pants.

Karkat snuck around to a side of the bed and saw that there were short little cuts as well as light-brown bruises on his hips, but this isn't what sickened him. When he tugged the blanket down Kankri's thighs, he saw deeper and longer cuts as well as purple bruises and dark red burns.