Cherries & Jealousy

Goat-ish Encounters

She laughed at the notion of her getting married, and he mirrored it, though with less enthusiasm. Sure, he didn't see her in a dress in front of a priest spouting vows of a lifelong partnership, but he could see himself proposing. But that all rode on her falling for him, and him not being sent back out to war, the latter being almost impossible to avoid if he went back to the cavalry regiment.

He jumped slightly as her arms slid around his waist, but he relaxed once more at the feeling of her face being buried in the bend of his neck, her warm breath tickling his skin, a gentleness he'd never felt before. Even the strumpets his crew had paid for him back in his training days didn't carry with them the softness of Terezi's touch. She traced patterns in his chest with the tips of her fingers before pulling back to massage tense shoulders, somehow knowing just where he carried his stress.

They sat in silence for a while, both pondering just how they'd gotten to this point, and reflecting on the past. Karkat hadn't treated her like a freak when he'd found her all those years ago. He didn't treat her like she'd fall apart if he touched her too roughly, or pulled her hair during one of their spats. He didn't think anything of it at the time; she was his first friend, and all he'd had to do was hold her hand whenever he went running around to cause trouble in the town. Eventually, she'd learned to listen and recognize his footsteps and be able to follow them, even through the uneven beaten paths and around corners of buildings. Of course, she wasn't infallible, there were times she'd twisted her ankle when she missed a step and found her foot stuck in a hole or two, but she'd always get back up and go running right after him. She was his first friend, and the only one who'd stuck around.

So, it was no surprise to him when she finally asked why he left without a word. At the time, he was only thinking about himself and neglected to consider just how she'd feel going to his home only to find he was nowhere to be found. He sighed heavily, gathering his thoughts, feeling her pull away from him both literally and figuratively. She peered into his soul, a hand resting on his shoulder, softly demanding an answer. But he knew nothing he could say would be enough to offset the hurt he'd caused.

"I didn't have the time. That day, I woke up to guardsmen standing at my door, saying the king had summoned me to his castle. They rushed me to put on clothes and go with them, saying if I refused, they had the authority to kill me on the spot for the crimes my father had committed. I asked if I could see you one last time, but they said the trip was long, and if we didn't leave right then, it would mean trouble for me. I tried to take my time getting dressed, washing up, hoping you'd be there early so I could at least say goodbye, but they figured out what I was doing and took me by the arm. The next thing I knew, I was on the back of one of their horses, galloping towards the palace. I'm sorry I left you alone." The pain was evident in his tone, his chest tight as he recalled that tragic morning. The sun wasn't even up yet when they'd come through his door. Part of him believed they knew about Terezi and did it on purpose.

Terezi stared up at him for a minute silence filling the room before her eyes began to gloss over. Blinking, she shifted from looking at him to looking at the ground. A tear ran down her cheek, it was visible and tainted. There was always a heartbreaking notion about Terezi when she cried. Her tears had blood in them. She wiped away one of the tears and gave a light unsure laugh, It was quiet with a hint of fear within it. Her hand slid off of his arm slowly as the girl began to try and stifle her own crying. Turning to him the Blind girl hid her face within his arm. Just holding onto him as if he were her only source of comfort.

" 1 w4s so s-sc4r3d... 1 thought you 4b4ndond3d m3 4-4nd 1 couldn't t3ll wh3r3 4nyth1ng w4s."

He was her eyes. As a kid who couldn't sense everything yet, he was all she had to guide her around. Sure he showed her how to use a stick to see, but that wasn't the same. Her grip on his shirt grew as she spoke. Trying to find some sense of organization in her mix of emotions and sputtered out words.