Primarily Yours

Chapter Nine

Walking casually out behind Karkat, John couldn't help glancing over his shoulder for any well-meaning friends. Thankfully the streets were empty except for him and... well...

The red-haired gray-eyed foul-mouthed mutterer walking next to him with good intentions in his heart. "Who are these friends anyways?" John asked quietly.

"Only a handful of people. Terezi, Gamzee, I think Nepeta said she'd do 'anything for love'..."

"You guys sure have some weird names." said John in a puzzled manner. Karkat shrugged, unconcerned.

"We pretty much grew up together and for a while they were the only people I knew. We tend to get close. Besides the five of us, there's eight more. Eridan, Feferi, Equius, Sollux, Vriska- I think you might like her."

"Karkat, you are aware that I'm gay."

"I didn't mean like as a girlfriend! She's bats-t crazy anyways."

"Sounds like a good friend."

Karkat smiled, showing off pointy canines and white teeth. "Who said I was sane?"

With those reassuring words in mind, John mustered the courage to ask a second question. "Is Kanaya going to be there too? She seemed pretty interesting from our conversations."

"Yeah, I managed to rope in her. I think she gets off on being a mediator or something so this should be fun for Kanaya. Good thing Rose isn't a part or we'd never get any peace."

"So- her and Rose-"

"For about two months now."

That was how long he'd been "dating" Rose.

"They're pretty close. I think they bonded over summoning demons and drinking the blood of their enemies. Under all that darkness, though, Kanaya has a good heart."

"Yeah, so does Rose. I guess I just assumed she would... trust me with something like this."

For a moment, Karkat's anger was replaced with sadness. Despair was written into the corners of his mouth. "John, you know how cruel the world can be. Rose trusts you, quite a lot actually. She's just afraid to let anyone in."

"Being someone like us is so scary, John. Some people prefer to keep it inside. I thought you might understand that."

"I do."

"However, secrecy got us into this horses-t. So maybe it's good that we're clearing the air. It might make things easier with everyone. Between me and Dave, you and Dave, Rose and Kanaya, there's certainly enough gayness to throw a pride parade."

"Does Jade have any ex or current girlfriends I should know about?"

Karkat shrugged noncommittally. "I wouldn't know. I find it easier to keep my distance from her. It makes it hurt less."

"Seems like Dave hurt us both."

"He did."

"He's a good guy- don't get me wrong. But I know there's pain hiding. Pain about his brother, about his sexuality, about... him. And he doesn't let anyone see."

"Except Jade." murmured Karkat. "Couldn't trust a guy but he can trust her."

John reached out and grasped Karkat's shoulder gently. "Hey, remember- we're doing this to help Dave. Maybe we can make things right between you guys too."

Karkat looked at him sadly. His shoulders drooped with the weight of unreturned affection. "Sometimes I think the only way things can be right if we get together again."

He tilted his head in sympathy, knowing they both had the same goal. Before John could think of something to say, he saw they'd arrived at the park they were heading to.

And that there were three people barreling towards him.

"Karkat!" cried a girl with cherry-red hair and matching glasses. "You brought fresh meat!"

"Hey!" said a smaller girl with black hair curling out from under her blue cat-face hat. She had olive skin, a shy smile, and a quiet beauty.

The third person was a droopy-eyed boy with hair trying to escape from his head. The strangest part of him was his gray and white facepaint. This person only offered a casual wave.

"John, the cannibal is Terezi." Terezi smiled at him with teeth that looked too sharp to be human. "The catgirl is Nepeta." Nepeta was gazing at Karkat, but she looked at John for a moment and smiled again. "And this guy is Gamzee."

Gamzee gazed at him with bloodshot eyes. Beneath his perpetual smile and sagging clothes, John sensed a quiet malice that made him want to turn and run. But that was crazy- the guy was clearly harmless.

"So, my plan is to stage an intervention for Dave."

John gaped blindly at him. "That's your damn plan? He's not going to listen to an intervention!"

"It's not going to be us and him. We're going to take him a to a support group."

"A support group for what?" Nepeta asked softly.

"For people who have faced persecution because of the sexuality or gender." stated Karkat calmly.

"Oh man." sighed John, burying his head in his hands. "This is going to fail so badly."

"Don't give up just get!" cried Terezi cheerfully. "I bet it's better than anything you could come up with anyways. I mean, I doubt you're an expert planner." John glared at her furiously. Whoever she was, he didn't like her.

At least Nepeta seemed cool- if she was clearly into Karkat. Poor girl. Clearly she has terrible taste in men.

"Do you guys want to sit down so I can explain it before you all s-t yourselves in anger and choke me with it?"

They said yes.

No one wanted to make Karkat angry(ier).

Terezi stretched across the table, pushing her feet into Nepeta's lap with a lazy smile on her face, watching her squirm. Gamzee sat there silently- unnervingly- as Karkat began to speak.

"I'm going to have Kanaya tell Rose about something she wants both her and Dave to go to. I'll say it's for a game that's coming out soon- the game is Homestuck, but I won't tell you guys about that now- and that they shouldn't miss it. Hopefully this will kill two birds with one stone."

"One Dave and Rose get there and see John, Kanaya, and I we can try and convince them to stay. If they don't want to I've got Nep and Tez for backup and potential barricading. Once we have them inside the meeting, it should be easy. The speaker is a good one."

John looked nervous about- his face has gone milky white.

"Uh, Karkat? If I'm there, won't Dave know I'm gay?"

"Yes. We want him to know that you are. We need him to. It'll make him more willing to open up to us."

"But-"

"No butts. Butts are for what s-t comes out if. This plan, however, is 0% s-t. It's gonna work f-ing wonders."

"D-mn right!" cried Terezi gleefully  

God, she was so f-ing weird.