Chapter Text
Your name is Dave Strider, and after spending a long ass time on the meteor, you have arrived at a simple, reasonable conclusion about who you are as a person. You are one ugly bastard.
You stare into the mirror, quietly looking over your bare, pale face, pondering something. Your eyes have heavy bags, and are darker than they’ve ever been. It makes your ruby red irises stick out even more. You run your fingers down your chin and face, sighing softly at the disappointing absence of facial hair. It never seems to grow quite right on your face, other than sideburns.
And oh boy… Your hair is a greasy mess. It’s gotten shaggy, and you’ve been feeling too… “off” lately to cut it. For a moment, you run your fingers through your hair, feeling ashamed, and something else you cannot quite put a finger on. Shaking your head, you slip your sunglasses back off and step back into your bedroom.
To your surprise, Karkat stands silently in your doorway. You open your mouth to question him, but his voice beats yours.
CG: YOU LOOK LIKE A FUCKING MESS.
TG: Ok- Good evening to you too, and I think I look strikingly handsome and epic, thank you very much. Do you need something or are you just a new, louder model of my door?
Karkat huffs at you, rolling his eyes.
CG: WELL, FUCKASS, I CAN’T SLEEP, I HAVE THE WORST AGGRAVATION SPONGE, AND SOME GENIUS HAS HID THE… TYLER.. UHH…
TG: … Tylenol?
CG: YEAH WHATEVER JUST… HELP ME PLEASE. FUCK…
Karkat grunts and squeezes his eyes shut, rubbing his forehead. You shrug, and nudge past him. He’s about a head shorter than you, and you glance down at him.
TG: C’mon, lets go fix your brain, dude.
You walk out to the kitchen area and spy the problem. Some moron put the bottle all the way at the back on the top of the fridge. You roll your eyes with a slight smirk, and manage to reach it on your tip-toes. After handing it over to Karkat, he loosens up slightly.
CG: …THANKS.
TG: You want some water or something with that?
Karkat doesn’t answer, but as you watch him somehow swallow the pills dry, you simply raise an eyebrow.
CG: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? IS SOMETHING FUNNY?
TG: Nah. You trolls are just odd sometimes.
CG: AH YES, BECAUSE BIPEDAL HAIRLESS APES OBSESSED WITH THEIR OWN BULGES ARE THE STANDARD, “NORM”, RIGHT?
TG: … depends on where your from I suppose-
CG: SHUT UP! OH MY FUCKING GOG HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO BE THIS ANNOYING THIS LATE AT NIGHT. WHY THE HELL WERE YOU EVEN STILL UP?
TG: Sorry, I was just trying to figure out how to cut my own hair.
Karkat leans back, quietly inspecting your hair. He has some of the most interesting expressions when he’s thinking about something, it reminds you a bit of a cartoon character sometimes.
CG: IT HAS GOTTEN A BIT… OVERGROWN. DON’T YOU KNOW HOW TO CUT IT?
TG: No… My Bro used to always just shave it whenever it got too long. I don’t even know how to trim it.
He pauses for a moment, tilting his head.
CG: MY ROOM, 5 MINUTES. I KNOW WHAT TO DO.
_______________________________________
Karkat keeps his room much more dimly lit than yours. You stumble over to his bed, which he seems to have made some sort of nest out of. Karkat rustles around in his bathroom, muttering in a language of clicks and chirps you still don’t quite understand. Finally, he opens the door and motions for you to come in.
You sit down on the floor, and Karkat perches on the toilet seat lid behind you. He’s got scissors and a comb, and begins gently wetting and combing out your hair.
TG: Where did you even learn how to do this to begin with, dude? It's totally cool and all, but I kinda wanna know if ya know what you’re doing.
Karkat grips your chin, forcing you to hold still. For some reason, his little claws poking your skin gives you goosebumps.
CG: HOLD STILL, GOG DAMN IT THIS IS A METAL COMB, ITS GONNA STAB YOU. IF YOU MUST KNOW, MY FRIEND SOLLUX SCREWS UP HIS HAIR ALL THE TIME, AND I END UP FIXING IT. THIS IS MUCH EASIER IN COMPARISON.
TG: Ah, okay, no worries lil bro. Just don’t cut an ear off.
CG: (under breath) Yeah don’t count on it.
Karkat trims away silently and meticulously at your hair. Every once in a while, you twitch a bit too hard and he growls, but other than that, he doesn’t seem to mind this late night task. You notice him quietly humming at a certain point, and it's a relatively calming noise. You smile a bit softly, but don’t dare let him notice you like his little quirk. After a half hour or so, you stand up and look in the mirror. Your hair looks perfect, exactly like it did the day you boarded this ship.
TG: Damn bro, you’re a hell of a barber. Thanks!
CG: NO PROBLEM. YOU LOOK PRETTY GOG DAMN GOOD NOW.
You smirk at Karkat.
TG: Oooh, you think I’m handsome now or something?
Karkat, to your surprise, actually shrinks back a bit, looking flustered.
CG: OF COURSE NOT! WHERE WOULD YOU GET A STUPID IDEA LIKE THAT?
You’re caught off guard but put your hands up slightly as a joke.
TG: Dude I was just joking, Jesus. If you think I’m hot that’s fine. You are too, bro.
Karkat looks up at you, a bit stunned. You also are a bit stunned you just admitted to that. You both stand in silence in the bathroom for a minute, the only noise being a subtle hum of the A/C in the walls. Finally, you feel a bit of courage return.
CG: I… UHM. WELL..
TG: Uh. I’m heading back to my room.
CG: WAIT!
Karkat grabs your wrist, his breathing getting subtly louder. He pauses again, before tugging you out of the bathroom into his bedroom, taking care not to sink his claws into your skin. His touch is warmer than you expected for some reason, which you kind of like.
CG: PLEASE DON’T LEAVE.
Your heart beats faster. You have never felt like this before, and really don’t want it to stop now.
TG: Okay, well then would you like some company tonight? My room is boring anyways.
Karkat looks super relieved, and you see his sharp little teeth slowly curl into a soft smile. You follow him like an excited puppy to his bed, laying down next to him. You’ve never been this close to his face before, and you’re seeing details you’ve never noticed before… his dark grey freckles, the way his fangs glimmer against the glow of the cracked doorway… he’s so much prettier to you up close.
TG: I like your, uh, face dude.
Karkat fortunately ignores the stupidity of what you just said, instead grinning wider and letting out a small chuckle.
CG: I LIKE YOURS TOO, I JUST WISH YOU’D TAKE THOSE SHADES OFF SO I COULD SEE IT BETTER.
Nervously, you remove your sunglasses, setting them on the bedside table behind you. Karkat stares at you for a long moment, his mouth parted ever so slightly, his eyes flickering up and down your face like he’s scanning for something. His fingers suddenly brush against the back of your head as he pulls you to him.
You gasp right before your lips press together tightly. You close your eyes, wrapping your arms around his stocky waist and shoulders. His mouth is addictively sweet, and you deepen the kiss. You have secretly wanted this for months, and it is overwhelmingly relieving to finally receive the affection you’ve been craving.
Karkat breaks the kiss after a few moments, nuzzling into your shoulder.
TG: Dude you are such a good kisser, like… really good, superman good.
CG: DAVE I AM GOING TO HIT YOU IF YOU DON’T SHUT UP…
TG: Love you too, Karkat.
CG: …mhh..
You cuddle tightly for the rest of the night, until you both fall asleep. You wish this embrace would last forever, but eventually, his alarm goes off...