Wither Away

1 - The Dress

    "How about this one?" (Name) pointed to another frilly dress, a silky (color). I sighed, checking the price tag and raising an eyebrow.

        "Why do you always pick the expensive ones?" I felt my cheeks flush from her giggle. I plucked the short dress off the rack and folded it over my arm. "Anything else you need?"

        (Name) shook her head, her (h/c) hair bouncing off her shoulders with each movement. We headed to the line where the check-out was. I noticed how (Name) just couldn't calm down, she just kept smiling.

        "Calm down for fucks sake," I hissed, watching as her bouncey attitude ceased and she stood still with the same shit-eating grin on her face.

        "You should calm...up, Karkles," she laughed. I mentally facepalmed at her use of words, and made a mental note to try not to strangle her for calling me that dreadful name. Terezi had rubbed off on (Name), a lot. They always would laugh and talk together, and now that (Name) knows my weakness, she will never let me live the rest of my life in peace.

        Walking up to the register, a chubby short woman in her mid-twenties stared at us as we pushed the dress onto the counter. The employee eyed (Name) a few times before finally checking out the dress and letting me pay. Once I had paid, we walked outside into the pouring rain.

        "Here," I handed her the dress, digging into my pocket for my keys, "I'll get the car so you don't get fucking soaked. Stay here." She nodded and stood under the awning of the clothes store while I ran to my beaten grey truck. God, I was a fucking terrible driver. I've probably crashed that thing so many times, I'm surprised it's still running. I'm also pretty damn surprised (Name) trusts me to drive her places.

        I pulled out of the parking space, and next to the curb where my matesprite had been waiting. She stepped into the car, placing the small dress into the back seat.

        "Hey Karkat," she poked my shoulder, I grunted in reply. "Are you going to go with me and Kanaya? To the party?"

        "Yeah," I said, "Do you really think I'd take the chance of letting you get drunk with Dave and-"

        "Okay, okay!" she laughed. "Well do you at least have a suit?" I pushed down on the brakes at the stoplight, eyes widening as I realized I had forgotten to get a fucking suit. This stupid party was in three days. "Kar?"

        "Shit. I forgot one. I'll have to get one later on," I sat back, rubbing the bridge of my nose with my finger and thumb.

        A small chiming sound kept any other conversation away thankfully, and (Name) reached into her bag for her phone. In an instant, she held the device against her ear and asked for the caller. I heard the preppy voice from the other side of the line.

        "Hello (Name), have you bought your dress yet?" Kanaya asked.

        "Yeah actually, Karkat and I are actually going back to the house now."

        House? What the he- oh. The house. It's pretty sad, I've been here on Earth since the end of the game and I still don't understand the human terms. I should have remembered 'house' means 'hive' if anything.

        "Good," Maryam's voice chimed. "I'll be meeting you at your human house to make sure what you will wear will be...presentable." Kanaya had hung up.

~

        "(Name), what are you doing? You do know it's ten at night, right?" I asked her, watching as she twirled in her (color) dress dreamily.

        "I know. I wanted to see what I'd look like in it," she replied.

        "Kanaya just approved of it a few hours ago. Isn't that enough of an idea of how it will look on you?" She stopped dancing and stared at her reflection nervously.

        "Well, I just wanted to see if I liked it.."

        "You better like it," I said curtly, "We can't return it."

        (Name)'s eyes appeared sad and she curled her hands into gentle fists and held them to her chest. My chest swelled with an odd feeling.

        "Hey," I walked slowly next to her putting my hand on her shoulder and twisting her towards me. "You alright?" She lowered her hands and looked at me with tears in her eyes.

        "Did you see the way that woman looked at me today?" she asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, only for it to fall back in front of her (e/c) eyes.

        I sighed and hugged her to me lightly.

        "Some people are just stupid assholes, (Name). Don't take it personally," I pulled back to look into her watery eyes. "She's just a jealous bitch because she'll never be as beautiful as you,"

        (Name) sniffled and looked back into the mirror, fingering the bottom of her dress.

        I cleared my throat, "Your chest doesn't hurt, does it?"

        She didn't reply, only wrapped her hands around me and put her head into the crook of my neck.

        "(Name)?"

        She pulled away smiling and pecked my nose.

        "Don't worry love, I'm fine."

        "Good. Take off that dress, let's get to bed."