Chapter Text
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The orphanage was a small one. Two floors and ten bedrooms, most of which had been assigned to children. Two of these rooms were the nurseries, each with a total capacity of eight, but only one of them completely filled.
And this was where two groups' newest plans converged.
It was quite simple: take some children, raise them as your own, and when they're grown up you have another few trustworthy fighters on your team.
One crew had already taken theirs; four children, between ages 1 and 4, stolen from their cradles. No one would know until morning, and no one would dare to think that such a group would have done it.
The other gang was in the middle of completing theirs. Though they had many more members than eight, there were only eight children left to be taken. So, they took what they got and made due. But unlike the former organization, these were exactly the type to steal children in the dead of night. They were, undoubtedly, the bad guys.
Of course, neither group realized that children had such a way of working their way into your head and heart. Neither group realized how much of a mess one small child can make, let alone a few. Neither realized that same aged children meant quite so many teenagers.
And so our story starts, on a day almost 15 years to the day...
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Nepeta Leijon would give anything to be a different person.
And by anything, she meant anything. Her favorite jacket, her shipping wall, her soul. She was that desperate. And why?
Well, let's count it off. She hated almost every person she knew. And most of them hated her right back, she just knew it. She had been homeschooled her entire life, along with her seven brothers and sisters. Oh, and her adoptive parents consisted of sixteen men and one woman. One woman who hated everyone except her sister Vriska, and sixteen men who didn't give a damn about her.
Oh, they acted like it. But the truth was, she didn't fit in. She never had. Kanaya had Stitch, and they would sit around all day, talking about fabrics and sewing. Terezi was obviously Crowbar's little girl, from the way she negotiated words and used a long blunt object when no one listened. Vriska was Snowman's, and when Snowman forgot she was there, she still had Clover there to take away the bad luck. Equius (the one person you could count on as something like a friend) had Cans and Sawbuck, and they would sit together and talk and exercise. Gamzee had been specially chosen by the Lord, and you saw one as often as the other, meaning once a month if you're lucky. Eridan had Quarters and Ahab's Crosshairs and the shooting range. Feferi was the most like you, but even she was obviously favored by Die.
She didn't have anyone. Itchy left you in the dust, SHE left Doze in the dust, Trace and Fin would rather follow each others' trails in circles than bother with her, Eggs and Biscuits weren't even smart enough to remember her name, and she hadn't seen Matchsticks in months.
So she decided to do what any 16 year old would do.
She snuck out.
And that was how she came to be sitting on a slightly wet bench in the park, thanking god that trees could block most of the rain, and wishing she were brave enough to go back home.
Home.
The word meant practically nothing to her. The mansion wasn't home. And if home was where the heart is, home sure as hell wasn't with her 'family'. Somedays she wondered if she even had a heart.
"Hey."
The voice startled Nepeta out of her thoughts, and her head snapped toward the young man who had spoken. He looked to be about her age, maybe a bit older, with dark brown hair and lighter eyes. Without asking, he took a seat.
"What are you doing out in the rain?" He asked, and she crossed her arms.
"I could easily ask you the same question." Without thought, she checked him over, coming to the decision that he probably couldn't hurt her. Also that he was cute.
He smirked in amusement. "Yeah, but I'm not the one who looks like their house just burned down."
She shot him her deadliest glare. "Look, it was nice talking to you, but now I-"
"Karkat."
"Have to- what?"
"My name is Karkat," he said, losing the grin. "Karkat Vantas."
She was really irritated now. "Okay, Vantas, it was really sublime, sitting under a dripping tree with you. But I have to go home now. So bye."
"Okay." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Bye."
Problems with going home suddenly solved, Nepeta stamped of back the way she had come, taking care to jump in every puddle.
It's not like they'd care if she got sick, anyway.
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Of course, sneaking out got her grounded for three weeks. Or two weeks. The third week was because she got caught coming back in.
But she couldn't stop thinking about him. Karkat. Kar-kat. Karkat. His name makes you think of something adorably ferocious, like a kitten with a string. Nepeta loves cats, though she can't often show it. Apparently cats were too soft and childish for the daughter of an entire gang.
She called him Karkitty in her mind, to mock him and her family. It doesn't really work on the former point. It just made her think of cats and Karkat even more.
She even found herself thinking of better ways to sneak in after she goes to see him. It's pathetically romantic, and any of her siblings or parents would tell her so. And then probably arrange something for Karkat. Something painful.
She can't let that happen.
She shoved the thought of him away, and she made it four days before she scampered away from the mansion, heading towards the park.
She sat on that bench for three hours before she realized that it was so stupid, really stupid, and she had no idea what she was thinking. Standing up quickly, she took one step toward home-
And promptly collided. The other person's armful of books went flying, and she scrambled to pick up as many as she could before turning around and handing them to...
"Karkat?" she said sharply. "Karkat Vantas?"
He slowly reached out and took the three books she held. "Do I know you?"
She turned bright red. "Um, no, actually, it was just that one day in the park in the rain, and, I don't know-"
"Oh!" He exclaimed in recognition. "You're that one girl who never gave me her name!"
If possible, her blush deepened. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that. See, I was having a really bad day, and you just..."
"Annoyed the fuck out of you?"
His strong language made her laugh. "Yeah, I guess that's one way to say it."
"Apology accepted," he said giving her a grin, "on one condition."
Conditions and terms were one thing she was good with. "Name it."
"Tell me your name."
The redness which had been receding came back full force.
"Nepeta. You can call me Nepeta."
"Well, Nepeta," he said, and she just loved the way he said her name. "Come on, sit down. Unless you've got somewhere to be...?"
She shook her head no, and took the seat next to him. He's funny, though his humor is rather self-deprecating. It was only when his phone went off that they both realized it's almost five o'clock in the afternoon.
"Well, it's been fun, Karkat, but I've got to get home now."
He nods, gazing past her and into the sky. "Same. Dinner is probably almost ready, if my text was anything to go by."
They both shuffled around awkwardly for a few more seconds, before trying to speak.
"Well, I should probably get-"
"When are you going to-"
Cutting off, they glanced at each other and broke down laughing. "You first," she choked out.
"I was trying to say, when are you going to be here again?"
She shrugged, caught of guard. He wanted to see her again? "Well, anytime, I guess."
The smile he gave her made her knees go weak.
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This time she had much more success sneaking in. Amazing what leaving more than one window open does.
She tossed and turned all night, unable to shake the memory of his eyes lighting up, or the way he used his hands when he talked, or his smile.
God, his smile.
It was a while before she fell asleep.
She wasn't able to go the next day, or the next. There was always a man on duty, always someone watching. It would have been tantamount to suicide.
But on the day after, she found herself once again sneaking through the house, leaving windows open in rooms that weren't often frequented. Finally she was outside, and walking the twenty minutes to the park. Catching the edge of the bench, she swung herself over and into something resembling a sitting position, but was much more comfortable. Feeling prepared this time, she dug out the book she had brought and a sandwich for lunch.
She was almost finished with chapter four when she heard him laugh.
"How long have you been here?" He sat down, and she moved her legs back to the ground.
"Four chapters. I think."
He raised one eyebrow. "What are you even reading?"
She shoved her book into her purse. "It doesn't matter."
"Like hell it doesn't. Come on, let me see."
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Come on," he wheedled. "Please? For me?"
His eyes opened wide and his bottom lip jutted out in a puppy dog pout, but she refused. Absolutely not. No way, no how-
"Fine." She sighed, handing it over.
Karkat reached out and took the offered book, turning it over in his hands. "The Curse of Love. Two unlikely people meet... Blah blah blah, fall in love, problems arise. Nepeta, is this a trashy romance novel?"
"It's not trashy," she defended halfheartedly.
He snorted. "If this isn't trashy, neither is a dump."
She laughed a bit. "Okay, it's pretty trashy. But there isn't exactly much variety where I live."
He continues glaring, though it's playful now. "No. No excuses. There's a public library, Nepeta, and I'll be damned if my new friend is going to waste the day away reading trashy romance novels."
"What would you suggest, then?" she challenged, hands on her hips.
"An actually good one."
"Fine. Let's go find a better book." Huffing in false annoyance, Nepeta snatched back her book and started stomping off towards the road.
"Nepeta, the library is that way."
It took every ounce of willpower not to laugh. Instead, she spun on her heel, stomped back to him and past him without another word.
Mostly because she didn't want to cry of happiness in front of her new friend.
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She was happy.
She had been sneaking out for weeks now, Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays to meet Karkat. That was the days they finally agreed on, rather than 'sit around and hope they show'.
She opened up to him. About cats, about reading and writing and drawing, about how alone she felt. And he understood.
One calm Saturday, they were sitting and talking, when he said something unexpected.
"So, Nepeta. Do you think it'd be okay if I brought my siblings to meet you on Monday? They're all really curious about you."
She stifled her surprise. "Oh, of course, Karkitty! I'd love to meet your brothers and sister!" (All of whom he had come up in conversation multiple times.)
He grinned. "Awesome."
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