The Peacekeeper

Chapter 23

He had not come out in days and in all honesty, Karkat wasn't planning on coming out at all.

The room was cold and mostly colourless, at least in his mind it was. Blood stains splattered the floor and a pool of his own candy red was around him. He didn't know what happened. He was scared, hungry, and confused. Why did she keep banging on his door? Was it to torture him? Drive him mad? God, who knew.

The lack of food was starting to get to him.  His stomach was still unhealthily small even though he had spent a few months back in domestic civilization eating three, sometimes four, meals a day. He hadn't eaten in three days and he was already feeling like his stomach was eating itself. God, he just wished a horrorterror would pity him and finally end his miserable life. It was his time, he just knew it. He had to go now, he had done everything he could for the Empire. He needed to go.

"Karkat, dude come out. You're seriously starting to scare me!" Karkat blinked and suddenly he was standing in front of the mirror, just staring into his reflection. It was all a weird figment of his imagination. There was no blood and no starvation. He hadn't come out all afternoon, the days in the small dungeon-like room in his mind were just in his mind. It was all in his mind.

This had been happening a little more often than Karkat was comfortable with. He would zone out, his thinkpan wandering to the darkest corners and bringing back shitty memories like that one. He would subconsciously believe that he was back in certain places, whether it be locked up by that evil bitch in her crappy dungeon or it be that he was back home. Home with the smell of tea and honey in the morning and raw meat in the evening. Either way, Karkat was starting to get pretty damn tired of this.

The troll took a deep breath in and unlocked the door.

"Are you okay?" There was worry clear on Dave's expression. His eyebrows were scrunched up together and he was biting his lip slightly. For a brief second Karkat remembered the thirteen year old boy who was absolutely emotionless, Karkat had been the one to kill that Dave, but it was clearly for the better.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Really? You didn't respond to me at all after my question about dinner. I was starting to worry..." The troll brushed Dave off and walked around him.

"Everything's fine Dave. And yeah, sure I'll join you and John on your romantic dinner date." Dave rolled his eyes, not validating Karkat's snide comment with a response. Not like Dave cared if he said it. This was one of the few smart ass comments he's made in all his time home. Hell, Dave wouldn't care if Karkat said he rode John like a goddamn cowboy dressed as a cowboy. Of course Dave would have to respond to something like that but luckily it hasn't happened. Yet at least.

"Cool. But if we're going to make it you better throw on some clothes that don't reek of sweat." Karkat nodded, a small smile on his face. Today would be a good day. He would have a nice dinner and he could finally apologize to John about what happened the last time Karkat saw him.

~

Dave's car was crap. The AC was broken but opening the windows wasn't an option, too much wind would irritate Karkat's eyes so the two of them were trapped in a too hot car in awkward silence. They were both sweaty and bored. The radio didn't even work so that only made their awkward silence even worse.

Every two seconds Dave would glance over at Karkat. He was trying to figure out what to say without getting the cold shoulder but it seemed like nearly every topic made Karkat uncomfortable. He had no choice though, neither of them can really stand complete silence.

"So," The albino cleared his throat, "I've been meaning to talk to you...about us." Karkat scoffed.

"'Us'? Dave you make it sound like we're dating." Dave grimaced. That kind of stung.