Chapter Text
Dave sits in front of his turntable; watching attentively at the gray hands wandering over the assortment of buttons. Karkat never looked up from the table, but Dave's eyes seemed to fixate on the troll. He watched with a sort of fascination; staring at his partners’ drifting hands as the beat changed with every press of a button and turn of a knob.
“DAVE,” Karkat barked.
Dave's eyes drifted up to the neighboring troll without speaking; taking in his nubby horns hiding in a sea of spiky black hair.
“HEY,” Karkat snaps - taking out his tangled earbud, “ALTERNIA TO DIPSHIT.”
"hm?" Dave hummed in response.
"ARE YOU SICK OR SOMETHING???" Karkat yelled; crawling over the tangle of wires separating them, and pressing his monochromatic hand over Dave's forehead.
Dave pushed the trolls hand away with a sarcastic scoff. He adjusted his earbud, and twisted himself free from the bundle of wires trapping him.
"YOU HAVEN'T GONE ON ANY MONOLOGUES ABOUT SICK FIRES OR HOW FUCKING AWESOME YOU ARE ALL DAY," Karkat threw up his arms, and glared at the uncharacteristically quiet Dave next to him.
The blonde opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the floor shaking.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Karkat squealed.
"TURBUL3NC3!" Terezi answered while poking her head into the room and running off again.
"TURBULENCE??" Karkat tried grounding himself, "WHAT TURBULENCE?? WE'RE IN FUCKING SPACE FOR JEGUS SAKE!!!"
The meteor continued to shake at an intensifying rate. Dave bolted up; causing Karkat to get thrown around in a tangle of wires and cape. Karkat continued to struggle under the blur of red cape and loose wires even after the quaking abruptly ended. Dave shook the yelling troll out of his cape, and plucked out his earbud. Vantas looked up at Dave - who was focused on the door - and felt a wave of genuine worry crash over him.
Dave locked eyes with Karkat for just a moment - both of their expressions softening - before continuing to the door. Karkat scrambled to his feet, and trailed behind Strider.
The two of them walked through the eerily vacant halls. Dave kept a steady pace, while Karkat poked his head into any rooms they passed on their way. Karkat struggled to keep up with Dave's hurried march up the never ending steps, and nearly crashed into him when the blonde stopped abruptly. Dave flew up to the out-of-reach exit hatch above, and knocked it open.
"WOW. THIS IS LOW, EVEN FOR YOU. LEAVING A NON-GOD TIER SUCH AS MYSELF TO BE OBLIVIOUS TO THE POSSIBLE LOOMING DANGERS OF THE REAL WO-" Karkat's lecture was promptly cut short by Dave scooping him off the floor, "THANK YOU," he muttered (as quietly Karkat CAN mutter)
The back of the troll's head was inches from the knights chest. He could hear his heartbeat and straining breaths. It sounded like a rhythmic melody, a song that was too good to skip. Karkat could feel his whole face heat up, and his mind start to scramble. He looked down to see that he was only a few feet above the roof; and shook free from Strider's loose grip. He touched his cold hands to his burning face and swallowed his emotions.
Dave let go quickly when Karkat began to flail; he knew something had to be wrong, but he kept thinking of the troll leaning into his chest. He scanned the sky, trying his hardest not to fixate on the only other soul up there with him.
'Normal' he thought, 'Everything is the same as it has been for how many years we've stuck on this rock.' he slumped onto the floor 'No sign of earth #2 or either of the Jacks. Just... Nothing'
Dave sat in a silence that was broken by uneasy steps. Karkat stops right next to him and falls onto the floor beside him with his legs crossed. He tries to steal a glance, but is met with a mess of blonde hair hiding a shade covered stoic face. Dave folds his knees into his chest and turns his head farther away from the troll.
"HEY..." Karkat extends his hand to the humans quaking shoulder, "YOU CAN, UHM... TALK TO ME IF YOU WANT. OR, LIKE GO FIND THE OTHERS."
The knight exhales shakily, and slowly turns his head over to the concerned troll. Karkat pretends to not see the thin layer of tears on Dave's cheek and scrambles to the front of his knees. He taps his fingers against the humans pajama covered knees, and cringes at the deathly silence surrounding them.
"I just... I dunno," Dave meets the others' eyes, "we've been here for so long, and I feel like this whole 'second planet' we're flying to is just a big joke, and not even real... Like we're gonna be stuck here till Kanaya and..." He lowers his knees, "you, die."
Karkat brought his hands up to his mouth in thought. Dave leaned forward, and wiped his cheek while Karkat was distracted. Karkat met the humans covered eyes; scared he could hear his racing heartbeat. The troll cursed himself mentally for feeling this way while his best friend opened up to him.
"WELL, EVEN IF WE ARE, YA KNOW, STUCK HERE..." He brushed his hand behind his neck, "BEING SAD IS JUST BURNING TIME AWAY FROM THE ONES WE LOVE." Karkat covered his eyes and leaned back, "FUUUCK THAT WAS SO CORNY."
Dave leaned up to meet Karkat's chest; feeling the others heartbeat against his own. He gently brought his hands to the others, sliding them down and putting his own hands in their place. He pulled the troll's frozen face against his; meeting at their temples. Karkat's body burned, as he felt the knights own heat against him. He lifted his limp hands around Dave's waist. They both melt into eachother's lips, and quickly pull away. Karkat can barely see through his thick shades, and into the others soft eyes. Dave pulled Karkat back into a deeper, longer, kiss. Karkat crawled his hands up Dave's shirt, and causing him to flinch away.
"dude," Dave said casually, "your hands are so fucking cold," Karkat's face turned bright red, "DO'NT FUCKING SAY THAT YOU FLOPPING PIECE OF FAIRY SHIT."
Dave laughed, and Karkat could only watch and smile as Dave returned to his regular self.
"WE SHOULD PROBABLY MAKE SURE EVERYONE ELSE ISN'T DEAD OR SOMETHING," He spoke, swallowing his pride. "Eh...Their fine," Dave shrugged.
Karkat spun around and leaned his back into the other's chest. The two of them watched the infinite blank speckled void surrounding them. Neither of them spoke a word, but their understanding for each other spoke millions.