Chapter Text
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Nepeta was lying on her bed, sighing happily.
The meeting with Karkat's siblings went- well, not beautifully, but certainly better than she had hoped. And she was pretty optimistic, so, yeah.
She giggled, the sound sudden in the silence of her room. The thought that she had four friends was marvelous, especially considering that she didn't have any until recently. She remembered how the three newest of her acquaintances had been...
/FLASHBACK/
That morning, she made sure to dress nicer.
Not super nice, just small things, like picking the jeans without the hole in the knee, or making sure it wasn't a stained shirt.
Finally, she made her way to the bench, aware that she was early, but not caring. She didn't have to wait very long.
"Nepeta!"
His now-familiar voice had her turning sharply, and smiling as she saw Karkat running up, two figures trailing behind, and a wheel chair a little bit further.
At first glance, they seemed nice enough. His sister and sitting brother both had dark eyes like Karkat, but the other had one brown eye and one bright blue eye. They all shared the same dark hair.
"Nepeta," Karkat started after he stopped in front of her, "I'd like to introduce my siblings. This is Tavros," the one in the wheel chair, "Aradia," his sister, "and Sollux." The two-eyed one. "Guys, this is my friend, Nepeta."
Nepeta cleared her throat nervously. "Hi! Karkat's told me a lot about all of you!"
One look at the boy in question, and this was obviously the wrong thing to say.
"Aww, look. KK told her about us. You do care!" Sollux immediately started teasing him, speaking with a noticeable lisp. Though his slight red blush was adorable, she thought maybe she should step in.
"Yes, well, I wouldn't assume too quickly. Mostly he said you were an asshole."
Aradia burst into laughter as Tavros chuckled, and she felt mildly relieved. Sollux was scowling, but Karkat sent her a quick smile.
"So," Aradia said, leaning in as if to share a secret. "Just how much has Karkat told you about us?"
She refrained from giggling. "Well, like I said. One brother is an idiot, the other is pretty okay, and..." She raised the pitch of her voice to be rather high and singsong. "He has the prettiest sister in the whole wid world!"
Now Sollux joined on the laughter, and Nepeta finally let go of the giggles she'd been holding in. Karkat frowned at the mis-quote (he actually had told her that his sister was rather pretty) but the twitch of his lips told her that he was pretty amused as well.
Aradia sat down on the bench, and that seemed to be the okay for everyone else. There was a scuffle as Karkat and Sollux both lunged for the third and final spot, but the seat was taken by the former in the end. Sollux contented himself by leaning on Tavros's wheelchair.
"So," Tavros said, speaking for the first time. "You, uh, seem to know us pretty well, but Karkat hasn't, um, said, as much about you."
"Yeah!" Aradia continued for him. "So, what do you like to do?"
Nepeta smiled hesitantly, laughter and camaraderie of two seconds ago besieged by nervousness. "Well, uhhhhm..." She fished around in her head for things. "I like to draw!"
They looked slightly interested, but Karkat just 'hmph'ed angrily.
"What's the point in drawing if you never show anyone, idiot?"
She blushed. "I'm not that good! It's just doodling, really."
Tavros leaned in. "I draw a bit, too. It's, just doodles, I guess, but, uh, these guys seem to like them. You should, show us some time."
She threw her hands up. "Fine! Fine, I'll bring something next time."
"Oh no you don't." Karkat grabbed her bag from her. "She's trying to put it off, guys. I know for a fact she always carries her sketch book."
Nepeta snatched it right back. "Rude. Okay, you got me." She took her sketch book out and flipped through it, holding it close. "But only one drawing."
Sollux chuckled. "Sorry, Nepeta, but you've got us hooked now."
She finally found the right page and flipped it over to them, crossing her arms and pouted. The particular drawing was a rough sketch of her sister Kanaya, who was the probably the nicest person to her in the house.
They oohed and ahhed, and eventually gave it back, and she was blushing from all of the compliments they gave her.
Things were going very well until she looked down at her watch.
"Crap! Guys, I gotta go," Nepeta rushed through her words. "I have to be home in five minutes. It was lovely meeting you all!"
They yelled goodbye back as she ran down the path, and she only just made it back to the window before six, which was when she knew they would be checking for her. She scampered up to her room.
/END FLASHBACK/
So she was now sitting on her bed, tracing with her finger a doodle of a flower she had done some time ago.
Her door creaked open, and she looked up to see Snowman enter. Her heart started pounding as she threw a false grin at the woman. What was it? Had she been seen? Was she caught?
Snowman stared at her for barely a second. "I told them we should have left you, you know."
Nepeta's smile slipped into confusion. "What?"
"The night we took the eight of you from that orphanage," Snowman continued, sitting down on the bed and crossing her legs. "I told them you looked weak. I told them to find another. They refused."
Nepeta's mouth had gone dry. "So if they had listened, I would have had a normal life."
"Do you want to be normal?"
She almost yowled out, "YES!" before stopping herself. Did she? Sure, she would find it easier to see Karkat, but then again, she would be used to socialization and contact, and might not have ever thought about him again. She wouldn't know how to fight and defend herself, which was almost dangerous in the modern world, or so she heard. Quietly, she sighed.
"No, I don't want to be normal." She looked up into Snowman's eyes. "But I'd rather not be different, stuck here forever."
"Exactly," Snowman smirked. "You were never cut out to be here. You've never had a drive. You don't matter. I was right."
Nepeta grimaced. She couldn't deny it.
"So leave."
Her head shot up, incredulous. "I can't do that!"
One thin black eyebrow raised. "Why not?"
"I have nowhere to go."
"Why not with your little friends you met today?" She suggested casually, as if the fact that you had been sneaking out for months didnt matter. "I'll take the search for you myself. And if the best cant find you... Why bother?"
You shake your head. "I can't do that to hi- to them. I won't impose myself."
"I never liked you. But I always admired that fire you had, girl. You were willing to take risks. I see it every day you leave this mansion. Where's that fire now?"
She smiled grimly. "You see, Leijon, I've decided that you, with your morals and your feelings, are of no use. Either you toughen up to be at least some what accepted, you leave, or I kill you. That's my decision. What's yours?"
Nepeta gulped. "Give me two weeks, and I'll be gone."
Snowman stood up, smirking. "Nice chatting with you."
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Nepeta spent the next two weeks packing. Every sketch book, every pencil, every peice of clothing. They all fit in a small suitcase.
She got a small note in sharp handwriting, saying that no one would be watching the left lawn on Monday.
Sunday night, she spent time with Equius and Kanaya. And then she said goodbye instead of goodnight. They didn't realize.
So she snuck out one last time, Monday morning. Way too early, but she didn't want to tempt fate. Or Snowman.
And so when Karkat finally got to the bench where they always met, he found Nepeta with her suitcase, eyes a bit puffy from crying. Leaving the only home you've ever known isn't easy.
"Karkat," she said. "I need to ask you for a favor."
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