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~4 years old, a little more than two sweeps old~
You’re name is John Egbert, and you’re attempting to make cards for all your friends.
“Rose, do I need to make one for everyone?”
“Yes, John. It’s Valentine’s Day, and from what I’ve deduced from what our teachers have told us, various Nickelodeon specials, and my mother’s ramblings, it’s a day where you express how much you admire and appreciate someone by making heart shaped cards and giving out various confectionaries to said recipients of said heart shaped cards.”
“…What?”
“We’re making cards for our friends and giving them chocolate to show how much we love and appreciate them.”
“Ohhhhh! Okay! Pass me the scissors, then!”
You fold your red paper in half and trace a vague heart shape along the crease like Rose taught you. Hers come out much cleaner and neater than yours, but you think that’s cause she’s a lot more… uh… graceful than you? You don’t think that’s the right word. But you don’t really know another one to describe her with.
“John, really, at least try to make them look neat! I know it’s probably a lost cause to tell you to do so, and that you’ll probably just smile and say that makes them more personal, but I will tell you anyway because you might want to make it look like you tried harder when you give them to someone you really like.”
You look at Rose’s cards and see she’s really working hard to make one look different than the others, adding lace and ribbon and bits of glitter.
“Who's your special card for, then? It looks really pretty!”
“It’s for Kanaya, I feel like she’d appreciate the bits of fabric, and I’m only taping them on so she could use them to dress up her dolls.”
You look over at your cards –almost all of them done except for Dave’s and Karkat’s- and feel slightly… not as good. You look back to Rose and wonder what she meant by “someone you really like”. Like a best friend or a brother or something?
“Are you wondering what I meant by ‘someone you really like’? Or am I wrong?”
“How did you KNOW?”
“John, your face is like an open book,” She giggles, “Well, at least to me, anyway. You should give your special card to the person who you like best out of everyone else, and you ask that person to be your Valentine. Your Valentine is basically the person you really like and care about the most, and you just give them a name for the day. It’s a bit silly if you ask me, as you should show how much you care about that person everyday rather than once a year, but I guess it’s all just a matter of personal preference.”
Your mind goes to Karkat. He’d love a day like Valentine’s Day, all full of that gushy, feely stuff he likes so much. Out of all your friends, he’d appreciate all this silly, heart-y, red-and-pink stuff.
You decide that Karkat should be your Valentine. He’d like it, and he is one of your bestest bros.
You look down at your not-yet-cut-out construction paper heart and realize you have no idea how to proceed from here.
So you ask the expert.
“What you should do for your Valentine? Well, obviously make their card a little bit more special than the others, even if it is something simple like some glitter or stickers or something, and maybe get them some nicer chocolates or something better. I believe it’s also customary to get them some flowers and a stuffed animal. And once you give them all that, you ask them to be your Valentine. If they say yes, then you have a Valentine and that’s good, but they MAY say no if they already have a Valentine. Do you have someone in mind, John?
Oh yes, you have someone in mind.
And you also have the perfect plan.
~The Next Day (Valentine’s Day)~
You’re name is Karkat Vantas, and you’re a reject.
Terezi said no. She rejected your rose and bright red card. She wouldn’t be your Valentine.
Stupid Strider was already her Valentine. Stupid, stupid Strider.
So here you sit on the swings of the preschool playground. Alone. Wallowing in self-pity and wondering what to do now.
You sigh and hang your head. You feel… mortified and a little upset. You just want to go home and sulk under your blanket and watch Mulan and not cry because Karkat Vantas doesn’t cry and-
“Karkat, will you be my Valentine?”
You look up, and you’re nearly blinded by the sheer amount of red.
Egbert’s right in front of you, nearly dropping all the stuff in his hands. In one arm he’s got a pink, sprinkled cupcake and a stuffed crab. In his other hand, he’s got a sparkly… card(?) and a huge bouquet of roses that you know came from Jade’s garden, because she’s the only one you know who can make flowers that pretty.
He’s grinning like such a derp, so happy and excited and… and… John-like.
You’re blushing, you can feel it. He’s laughing, but it’s not at all mocking like you always expect.
Only John Egbert can make you feel better without even having to know the problem or any information beforehand.
Great, now you’re grinning too. How can you say no to him? You can’t, that’s how.
“Sure, Egderp, I’ll be your Valentine. Now, I’d like my flowers and cupcake, please.”