It all started when Dave turned 16. He was estatic! He can finally drive, he can go hang out with friends past 10 o'clock, and he didn't have Bro breathing down his neck every second of the day! He finally had freedom!
However, what made him the happiest, was he was a year closer to finding out who his soulmate was. A few months after he had turned 14, he was in baking class doodling on his left arm as Mr. Egbert was going on and on about how to make the perfect frosting.
For some odd reason, which Dave still can't remember, after drawing a stickman with a dress, he drew an alligator with a tophat. At the time, he thought it was hilarious. After sloppily coloring it in with a green marker his friend Jade had handed him, a grey heart appeared next to its open mouth.
Dave, at first, had been confused. When had he drawn a heart? Who even draws hearts? That's hella gay.
However, after voicing his curiosity to John and Jade, Jade squealed happily. Her eyed glossed over with excitement, "It's your soulmate, stupid! Have you not been listening in Teen Life class?" She asks him.
Of course he hadn't, he already knew what sex was and not to get people pregnant. He wasn't stupid.
"It's not all about sex, Dave." John says as he closes his locker. He turns, sticking up his finger and wiggling it, "They also talk about soulmates. Almost 20% of the world, which isn't alot by the way, has a way of finding their true mate."
Dave snorted, "Mate? What are we, cats in heat?"
Jade rolled her eyes behind her big, round glasses, "David, be serious! This could be your potential soulmate!"
She opens her arms in a grand gesture as she puts emphasis on the word "soulmate". She clasps her hands together, turning back to Dave, "When drawing on your arm with a pen or a marker, it also appears on your soulmate's skin! It's adorable!"
John nods, "I write on my arm all the the time hoping someone will reply." Jade fixes her glasses, grinning, "Yeah! Me too!"
Dave crinkles his nose. It just sounds like something a 10 year old came up with hoping for her prince charming.
However, the back and forth of the two continued. The person, who he'd learned was a boy named Karkat, praised him for his stupid drawings. If you call cussing and calling him "A sorry excuse for a living human" praising.
Back to the present. After hanging out with Jade, Rose, and John all day, Dave finally came home and plopped down at his desk. He opened a drawer and took out his red marker. He held out his arm and began writing on his forearm;
hey, karkles. im back. miss me?
A reply came a few minutes later;
NO.
BUT FOR REAL, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. HERE'S ONE TO HOPING WE MEET SOON.
yeah i rly wanna meet you.
YEAH, WELL, I'M NOT ALOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
don't say that. i can't wait to meet you.
OKAY. WELL... I'M GOING TO GO TO SLEEP. TTYL.
goodnight. <3
<3
/_/_/
Timeskip to 2 years later after Dave and Karkat had met. Karkat sat on a picnic table at the park, giggling to himself as Dave tried to skateboard down the slim walkway infront of him.
"What the fuck even-" Dave starts, tripping off the board. He kicks it half heartedly, "I fucking hate this!"
Karkat crosses his legs and leans back onto his hands. He flashes Dave a small smile, "You hate it because you fucking suck."
"I do not!" Dave yells, face flushed.
Karkat lets out another chuckle and jumps off the table, walking over to the Strider in distress. He picks the board back up and places it wheels down.
He grins at Dave, "Want the professional to teach you?"
"Oh, fuck off." Dave groans. "You had TZ's older sister give you a few lessons. That doesn't mean you're a professional!" He crosses his arms, huffing. The small smile on his face gave him away, however.
Karkat steps onto the board, "Does to. Sorry I'm just better than you in every way." He shrugs smugly.
Dave gives a exaggerated gasp, pushing Karkat in the back.
"YOU MOTHER FUCKE-" Karkat shrieks, before him and the skateboard both go flying.
/_/_/
3 years after that fiasco, Karkat and Dave lay in their house that they had bought together a year prior.
Karkat lays on the couch, Dave sprawled ontop of him. Karkat's running his hands through Dave's hair absent mindedly.
They're both looking at the TV which is currently playing Pee Wee's Play House.
"What's the word of the day?" Pee Wee exclaims in the silly voice of his, turning to his talking chair.
"Dick." Dave says, grinning.
Karkat stops petting his hair and slaps him lightly on the head.
"OW! What was that for?" Dave whines, reaching up and rubbing his head.
Karkat rolls his eyes, "I barely touched you, drama queen."
"I'm not a queen. You're a queen. And I'm your king." He wiggles his eyebrows and earns another slap to the head.
"It was supposed to be a compliment, dickhead!" Dave groans, turning his head back to the TV.
Karkat giggles, running his hands through Dave's hair again. As he lightly scratches at Dave's scalp he wonders;
How did I ever get so lucky?
/_/_/
However, nothing lasts forever. After a few days of endless vomiting on Karkat's side, Dave quickly contacted 911 as it had gotten very, bad very fast. Marks had started appearing all over Karkat's body.
No not love marks, and no, nothing either of them had drawn. After Karkat being rushed to the hospital, it had been deciphered that he had Morphea scleroderma.
Dave at first had been horrified. What the fuck was that?
The doctor calmly explained that it's a skin disease, to put it shortly, that makes your skin tight, blood vessels thicken, and messes up your insides.
Usually, it can be treated to help it feel not like hell. However, Karkat's case was severe. The doctor suggested surgery, which Dave quickly agreed to. Anything to save Karkat.
The surgery was a bumpy ride, but everyone came out alive. The doctor sadly explained that the surgery had not saved him, but only lengthened his days to live by a week.
Dave was a disaster. As all of his and Karkat's friends entered and left the hospital, none of them couldn't help but to cry.
Dave was on the floor sobbing, tearing out his hair and shrieking. No ome had ever seen him like this before. No one could even begin to think of what he was going through.
Every night as Karkat was sleeping, Dave would quietly walk into his room with alot of markers and doodle on his arm, leaving alot of hearts and swirleys.
He would hold Karkat's hand into his, lightly singing Karkat's favorite songs as he watched the markings he made fade away after hours. He refused to leave until nurses came in to check on Karkat.
However, the week quickly came to and end and Dave awoke suddenly on one of the waiting chairs. Nurses and doctors flew by him, all yelling numbers and words he hadn't understood.
In the jumble of words, he heard one that stuck out to him. Karkat.
He dove out of the seat and swiftly ran into Karkat's room, pushing aside doctors and nurses.
"Sir you can't be in here!" A nurse yelled.
He quickly grabbed Karkat's hand, whispering soothing words as Karkat just stared at him blankly, his eyes glossed over.
He looked at the heart rate monitor. He was still alive!
Dave kisses Karkat's cheek and runs fingers through his hair as the people around him fumbled around on machines.
"Dave?" Karkat asks softly, his voice wrecked.
"Yes! Yes, Karkat, hey." Dave says happily, tears streaming down his cheeks. Drops landed on Karkat's chest and blanket as he held his cheeks in his hands.
Karkat gave a small smile and a raspy giggle, "Look at my arm,,"
Dave furrows his eyebrows and looks down.
Dave feels a lump in his throat and he wipes a tear streak off the side of his cheek. He forgot he had left his markers in here last night.
He picks up a red marker off the side table and quickly doodles beside his artwork.
Dave finishes coloring in the heart and sobs, smiling lightly at Karkat. Karkat smiles back, then leans his head onto his pillow, "I love you, stupid."
"I love you, too, stupid." Dave gasps out.
All he hears is the beeping of the heart rate monitor flat lining.
It's the best tattoo he could have ever asked for.