The Peacekeeper

Chapter 14

It was hours after everyone left. Dave was still locked in the bathroom and Karkat was still in Dave's room. Karkat had his own little crying session and in all honesty, that did make him feel a bit better. The time alone also gave Karkat time to think. And his thought was that Dave was right.

Quietly, Karkat walked out of the room and knocked on the bathroom door. Dave didn't open it at first but he did after a moment. Karkat probably needed to use the restroom and he couldn't restrain the troll's basic necessities because of his own emotions.

"Dave..." Karkat's voice was quiet, a heavy tone of guilt very present. "I've been thinking about what you said...and you're right. We do need to talk..." Dave blinked and nodded reluctantly. He honestly had no clue how to respond to that. "Maybe it's better if we talk sooner rather than later..." Another nod and Dave stepped out the bathroom. Karkat led them both to the couch and sat down with his legs crossed and clutching a pillow. Dave's position was less casual and more stiff. This was awkward for him. He yelled at Karkat not too long ago and just spend a good amount of time crying in frustration, now he and Karkat were about to talk and hash things out. This was awkward.

"You know Karkat, maybe it's better that we talk some other time." Dave was already beginning to get fidgety. "Maybe tomorrow when things are less awkward and we get a good's night rest. You know a full night of sleep will give us the perfect energy to get everything out in the air."

"No Dave, this kind of shit is going to be awkward for as long as we keep avoiding it. We might as well just...get it over with." Dave had to admit, Karkat had a point. If they just kept avoiding what needed to be said then it wouldn't be helpful to anyone, especially not Karkat and the whole point of this was to help Karkat. The albino nodded and tried his best to relax.

"Do you need...like some sort of starting off point? To get things going?" Karkat thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright uh...well...can you explain...exactly how you and Sollux and Equius...y'know...all became one giant happy quadrant family...?" Karkat nodded stiffly. This wasn't going to be the easiest of topics to talk about but he figured after the other day's episode it might be good to talk about it.

"It's kind of a...weird story..." Karkat scratched the back of his neck, thinking of exactly where to begin. "It wasn't long after I first arrived over there. I already had my title and everything but the Empress thought I needed better weapons...so I went to Equius..." Karkat paused and chewed on his lower lip. He didn't want to drone on and on with useless details, he wanted to keep it quick. "Long story short...I was desperate. I had no one and Equius was the first person I saw that acted semi-normal to the Equius I knew and I just...fuck I'm pathetic." The troll sighed and pulled his knees up to his chest.

"Hey...no you're not..." Dave patted Karkat's reassuringly, though Dave had no clue what Karkat was saying. So far he had gathered that apparently Equius was the first normal troll he saw and Karkat was evidently pathetic. Dave was lost.

After a moment or two Karkat composed himself and resumed talking.

"I was desperate for someone. After I found out that the stupid crab watch didn't even fucking work I needed someone there for me. I didn't actually think Equius and I would ever be moirails, I just needed a friend... I invited him to train with me and...we just kind of hit it off I guess? God this must be the shittiest explanation ever." Dave shook his head and urged Karkat to go on. "He just...he was the first person there to actually talk to me like a normal person. He was...surprisingly nice to me and I just sort of attached myself to him after that. We didn't immediately become moirails though...it took some time. We just...grew on each other. Every second of free time I had I always spent at his shop, always talking to him and helping him and just...bonding with him. Our moirailegiance just sort of...happened. But it felt natural and right. In all honesty I might've fooled myself into believing that I was pale for Equius. Like I said, I was desperate and I probably just needed a friend."

Dave was quiet now, processing what Karkat just told him. It seemed...reasonable. Dave supposed he could relate in a way. Karkat had nothing and no one so he latched onto the only person he was familiar with and pretty much forced himself to have false feelings for them. That sounded familiar...in a way.

"As for Sollux...that encounter was a little different." Dave crossed his legs to feel more comfortable as Karkat continued. "I first met him when I was trying to disprove a stupid rumor that was actually true. I got hurt and was bleeding heavily and he happened to find me... Coincidentally we were near my hive. Once I woke up, Sollux was still there. Obviously I wasn't just going to let him go...I mean it was Sollux. He was my best friend here so I figured he would be my best friend there too, clearly we became more than that."

"I don't know how to describe it..." Karkat sighed and thought, trying to find the right words. "I guess...it was a lot like how you and I fell in love." Dave blinked and he felt a twinge of pain in his heart while simultaneously feeling a spark of hope. "Though I will admit, it happened a lot faster than you and I. And it was less awkward as well...but I still felt that connection with him. Like...a hole was filled somewhere inside of me...the only difference with Sollux was that I still felt kind of empty, even before he died I just didn't feel complete. I loved him all the same though...it just...I dunno...felt kind of empty?" Dave nodded, still listening but in all honesty he was still hung up on what Karkat had said on how he fell in love with him. "We were happy and that was all that mattered, we had a couple of grubs..." Now Dave was paying full attention.

"You what?" Dave's eyes widened and his mouth was agape. "You had a couple of grubs? With Sollux? How??" Karkat chuckled nervously and looked down.

"They're not actually mine, well they are mine! Just not genetically. I adopted them...well more like...stole them... But I had a very good reason!" Dave was still incredulous but he waved his hand, telling Karkat to continue. Maybe he didn't have a chance with Karkat after all if he had a couple of kids with his late matesprit. "They were originally...Vriska's...but if they stayed with her they'd grow up all corrupted and...horrible. So I...kidnapped them. Into a newer and safer home that would properly teach them right from wrong. Kidnapping is still pretty fucked up but...I did the wrong thing for the right cause...right?" Karkat looked to Dave for reassurance, unfortunately for him Dave stayed quiet. He was still trying understand that Karkat had kids of his own. That was just way too much. Eventually though, Dave nodded slowly and spoke.

"Y-Yeah dude, totally. I would've done the same thing...probably...I wouldn't of. Kanaya would've though!" Karkat frowned a bit.

"Yeah...anyway...their names were Camber and Rivkaa. Camber was always so quiet and calm. He loved biting everything but because his teeth haven't come in yet he just drooled all over the place. Rivkaa was feisty. She always wanted to be the center of attention and would do anything from head-butting to screeching to get her way. They both constantly fought over who got to be the center of attention first." The troll smiled at the memory of his adopted children and sighed. He really did miss the two grubs that he had but at least he knew they were now in the hands of the most trustworthy rainbow drinker he knew.

"They sound great, but I have a question..." Karkat nodded. "Okay so...you need two trolls to make the lil grubs right? Like at least two, maybe three if I remember weird troll mating customs or whatever. So that means that this "evil Vriska" had to have a matesprit or a kismeisis, right?" The troll nodded stiffly, his once relaxed posture instantly tensing up. "Then...who was the other troll?" The cancer troll's expression darkened and his hands curled into fists and caused Dave to feel slightly scared.

"No one important." He snarled out as he stood up and instantly walked to Dave's bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him and leaving a very confused Dave in the living room.