Listening {Karkat X Reader X Dave}

~T W E L V E~

((I'm such an awful person and my updates are so inconsistent. It's been like literally 2 weeks since I last updated. Anyway I really wanted to say that I'm so sorry I'm not responding to all comments and stuff, I'm probably just being stupid but I feel like if I respond to anyone I'm going to sound super insincere, it's a bit of an insecurity T~T If you bother to even read my notes, thank you and i really, really mean this apology from the bottom of my heart. I'm sorry for being so bad at pleasing y'all. Writing is something that comes to me rarely.))

((Oh hey this might be a boring chapter at first and it will probably sound like a recap or something but it's worth it.))

Oh hey language warning?? If y'all are really offended I'll change it but eh

The next day, I woke up from sleep. The dreams came back, but this time I was in a hospital and Karkat could talk. His voice sounded distorted, like sounds were being plucked from words and put into others. He would tell me he hated me, and that he didn't really love me. He would somehow know everything I hated about myself and repeat it to me over and over and over. I woke up for real finally, and was told that I had been crying in my sleep for three weeks, even longer than last time I went into the dream state.

This process happened repeatedly. Every time Karkat came to visit me, it would ignite some kindling of hope until I was so deprived of rest that I fell asleep and didn't wake up again for a few weeks. I had cried myself out and would just hold Karkat while he whispered to me. However, with every word he said it seemed to fuel my dreams even more, giving dream Karkat more to use against me. I wanted to stop seeing Karkat, and maybe I would no longer have dreams about him. Different people were showing up in my dreams, and every time I was given a new nurse, they would show up in my dreams again whispering their own mutant offenses. Everyone showed up doing the same thing, even Grandma, Mom, and sadly enough especially Henry. Henry always hurt me, so his sounded less messed up. I wished Adam could be there, because he just always had a very calming aura. Of course, I would probably get used to his taunting crudeness from my dreams.

Once a doctor finally realized that my dreams were terrifying and rude, he started not allowing me visitors, excluding Karkat, because he was  the nicest one to me. It didn't help at all. Karkat was slowly tearing me apart, even though it wasn't really his fault. I refused to tell him about my dreams because he was already worried about me, and if he found out he was the source of my fear, he would be devastated. I knew him too well than to knock him down harder than he already does to himself. So, every time he came in I forced a smile on and did my best to pretend that I was fine. I still loved him- more than anything, honestly- but I was tainting him with my own nightmares.

What bothered me the most was that Dave still hadn't visited, much less said anything when I was asleep. He had become my source of comfort. He never moved anymore, or spoke at all. When I tried to see his backside, half of it was black and looked like a void. It had become a confusion that comforted me. I was so used to the basic repetition of being called out by friendly faces, that the mystery of Dave and his half back soothed me. It was probably weird, but everything else was lately, too.

Many times I considered just ending it, tying myself up by bedsheets or something. Heck, I knew it would probably happen eventually.

Until finally, something new happened. I had just woke up from yet another series of unfortunate nightmares, when I heard a noise. The window was being tapped on. I forced myself up, clenching my teeth and pushing past the pain that tore through my body as if i were glass being shattered with every movement. I managed to pull the window lock to the unlocked position, but fell down to the floor from the exertion. I was panting and pouring with sweat, waiting for whoever came in the window. I didn't care who it was: Murderer, savior, insect, or idiot prankster. I didn't care about anything, really. I felt empty.

I looked up weakly and was surprised to see a calming face. It was none other than Dave Strider. His shades were falling off and his hair was messy, along with his outfit. There was a rope tied comfortably around his waist that went upwards. "I've been climbing down this tall ass hospital for a while. You ready to go?" he smirked like it was no issue, even though he was obviously at least a little tired.

I rubbed my eyes in confusion, unsure if I was seeing things. "Um, what?"

"Oh my gog, you can't possibly be THAT clueless. Come on!" He grabbed me by the waist and tugged me towards him before jumping out of the window backwards. I was a little worried, but didn't really panic. There wasn't much left to panic about in my life, for there wasn't much to lose.

"Wow. I honestly thought you'd be a little more scared," Dave chuckled, a look of slight worry and guilt on his face.

"Why would I be? Whatever sickness or crap I've got can't be much worse than death anymore," I whispered out hoarsely. The doctors said my voice would probably be worn out for many reasons, including the fact that I screamed almost every night.

"That's funny, because last time I checked it actually is easy to cure," he said smugly.

"That's funny, because last time I checked I've had this for, what, a year? I haven't exactly been cured so I've lost count of the time," I answered back irritated.

"That was the doctor's plan. They bring you in with sickness and pretend there is no known cure so they can slowly kill off the human race and reduce the lives that cause them to have even more work hours. Me and my small team of heroes are here to rally an army and stop them." I groaned in disapproval.

"Wait, really?" I squeaked. I clenched onto Dave and glared at the hospital. Dave was usually a jokester, but I was sick, weak, and being pulled up the side of a building by a teenage boy hanging by a rope. I had to open up a little.

Of course, Dave just snorted. "No stupid! You'll be fine. I promise. We need to get back and then the others can explain. I didn't even listen, they sounded like lame ass teachers." I giggled and hugged him tighter, weirdly feeling better just from his embrace.

((Hey something interesting finally happened! Yay! So if you wanted to know, the plan is to end the story with a chapter or two for Karkat's ending, and a chapter or two for Dave's ending, so I'm building up some romantic possibilities for both of them. Thank y'all for your support!! It really means a lot <3))