Chapter Text
Title: Purr Your Heart Out
Fandom: Homestuck
Pairing: John/Karkat – Redrom (Matesprites)
Word Count: 990
Rating: T
Warnings: much fluffy cuddling, AU setting, mention of child abuse
Prompt:"JohnKat, involving a purring kink"
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Karkat is grumbling to himself when he comes in the front door of your quaint little flat, and normally you probably would not give this much notice – Karkat likes to grumble and he’s just gotten off an extended shift at the clinic. But it’s the slightly choked tone that has you glancing up in concern, and then you see he’s on the verge of tears.
“Baby,” the word slips off your tongue instinctively, and he starts to sniffle. “No no no,” you declare in a concerned tone, almost running as you cross the room and sweep him into your arms. “Tell me all about it.”
He just starts to sob, leaning heavily into your chest, the rounded nubs of his horns bumping your throat. Making soft, crooning noises, you lead him slowly and carefully to the couch where you situate him on your lap. He curls into you, still sobbing, and you just continue shushing him as you run your fingers up and down his spine. This seems to help somewhat – it usually does – and so you move your hands up, fingers carding through his hair gently.
“Do you want to talk about it?” You finally ask him when his sobs have dwindled to small hiccups and sniffles.
“Maybe,” he answers softly, fingers twisting anxiously in the fabric of your shirt collar, and you know he means ‘yes’. He heaves a sigh that dissolves into another hiccup and clears his throat. “One of my patients left, so I was paired with another to take his place. We’ll call her V.”
You understand he’s not allowed to tell you much. Karkat works in a clinic that counsels abused children while they’re waiting to be placed with new families. To keep the kids safe there’s a very strict policy, set by the clinic’s owner Dr. Scratch, and it means even sharing a name could get your lover fired. You nod in understanding, bumping his forehead with yours as a silent prompt to continue.
Karkat tries to center himself. “Her father died before she was born, and her mother died about a year ago. She went to live with her Aunt, but –” he chokes a bit, thinking about what he’s about to say. “John, her aunt hates her; resents her. V is so full of potential, I can see it, but her Aunt was just so jealous. She broke V’s arm really badly pushing her down the stairs. It’s so bad they might not be able to fix it, and she stabbed her eight times…. She almost killed her!”
He starts to cry again and all you can do is hold him, your heart hammering your throat as you desperately wish there was anything you could say to help. You know this job can wreck him at times. You both knew it going in. But you also know Karkat wouldn’t be happy doing anything else. He might seem gruff or even scary at times, but all he wants to do is help people.
You hum softly, tugging his hair gently as you nuzzle the side of his face, and press your lips to his temple, his cheek, his throat. “It’s going to be okay, Karkat. V is alive, and even if they can’t fix her arm, she has you to help her through it all.”
He starts quieting again and even nuzzles back into you. “You can be really smart sometimes for a human, John.”
You smile. “I know.”
Releasing his messy black locks, you rub your fingers around the base of his horns and he tenses up. His back straightens and archs a bit and he’s biting his lip to stifle the sound.
“Let yourself relax, baby,” you encourage him softly, thumb brushing the ridge between scalp and horn. “I’ll help you. You need to.”
He fights it for about three seconds – a new record for him – and then your heart starts melting as the sound is released. The smaller male makes a low rumbling noise in his throat as he nudges his horns against your palm, and you smile and oblige him. You ghost your fingers along the ridges, tracing a familiar pattern, fingernails scraping gently against the rounded tip and sliding back down. He’s a veritable engine now, purring like an old classic car, and it makes you feel like you’ve helped at least somewhat.
Unable to contain yourself, you pause the horn massage and his purr drops off slowly. He blinks at you with big, quizzical eyes, and you smile as you lean forward and press your lips together. At the same time your fingers scrub his horns again and the sound explodes across your tongue, like you’ve licked a swarm of bees. You giggle and he blushes so you kiss him again, on the nose this time.
“How about,” you murmur, kissing each cheekbone, “I make us some dinner,” you kiss his forehead, “and then we can watch Troll Will Smith in that Hitch knockoff?”
“It’s not a knockoff!” He protests weakly, but his eyes are grateful. With a smile and a wink you tweak his horn between your fingers and kiss him quickly as you stand up.
“Sure thing,” you retort sarcastically, smirking.
“It’s not!” Some of the passion is returning to his argument, which is good. Grumpy Karkat is normal. Sad Karkat makes your heart shrivel in your chest. He slips his arms around you right before you step into the kitchen, and the surprise embrace catches you off guard. The purring has started up again, as it usually does, and the furious bubbling feeling makes your skin tingle. “John?”
The softness in the way he says your name has unnoticed tension melting from your spine. “Yes?”
“Can we have…mac and cheese?”
You smile, turning to tangle one hand in his hair and kiss him fondly. “Sure thing, Karkat.”
Anything to keep you smiling, you think to yourself as you head off to make dinner.