An Unspoken Thing [Davekat]

Cherries and Lagoon

Karkat's p.o.v.

"Swear he should have never came out of the sea, the air has gotten to his brain." Sollux said sourly as we watched Detective Daniel loom over Eridan, speaking to him in hush tones with a stone glare. "No wonder nobody likes Eridan, he is dumb, rude, a total jackass, and abused Dave Strider of all people. The Strider. I've always invisioned that guy like a steel wall." He said those words softly so only I could hear.

I bit my lip and looked down at my shoes. But you don't know what happens at home with his brother, do you? No one knows except me and the station.

"'I'm Eridan and my gills get in the way whenever i try to pull my Adidas shirt over my head!' That's what he does. Its him, let me tell you." Sollux glared even sharper. "Wish he could hear me right now. YOU HEAR ME, FISH BRAIN?! YOU ARE AN ABUSER! YOU TERRIBLE, VIOLENT, LITTLE-"

A sob broke out next to me and Dave's voice boomed. "GUYS. CAN YOU STOP?!"

Terezi's face was buried in Dave's shirt and tears were streaming down her face. My heart broke in two. Dave is Terezi's friend too, oh god, she must feel as bad as I feel.

To my surprise she stood up sharply, her throat still gasping between sobs and sniffles, and grabbed my hand. She led me out the door and into the hallway, sniffing if there was no one around. Then she started to feel around my body, her eyes sunken. "W-where... Where did he-" she felt my cheek that had a bruise on it from when me and Eridan fought eachother this morning, and brought her face close to it. My face started to heat up from how close she was to me. Then I heard her sniff.

She crumbled. "P-p-purple... You have a bruise- I-!" She threw her arms around my neck and held me tight. "Oh god! I hope Eridan gets arrested for hurting you so terribly! I wonder what else he did to you that I can't see. I am so sorry Karkat, I'm-" then she stopped and pulled out of the embrace, her face daringly close to mine. Her cheeks were dusted teal and her face softened. Then she started to lean closer and closer until our foreheads were touching.

What is going on?! Why is she assuming all of these things? Before I could explain, her lips pressed against mine solemnly and sweetly and my face heated up from embarrassment and nervousness. No. No. No no no no no-

I pulled back and frowned. "Terezi."

"Karkat- I-" she looked more nervous than me. "I wish this never happened to you because I care about you and I love you. I- I love you."

My heart felt like it sunk a hundred kilometers in an ocean and I removed her away from me, creating distance when I held her hands firmly. "Terezi." I said slowly. "I am not the victim."

Terezi paused. "What?"

"Dave is the one conficting Eridan of Physical and Sexual Assault." I said at once. "Not me. I only got in a fight with him that I started so I could protect Dave. So that Dave would-" I paused and my heart warmed up a little. "So that Dave would be safe with me."

"Eridan... Dave.... Dave safe..." She pushed her eyebrows together, her eyes tearing up. "With you." She slowly inhaled and a tear slid down her cheek. "Cherry. Karkat- you're blushing- you're - you're Dave's." Her voice cracked and wavered throughout her sentence.

"Terezi, I'm really sorry. Please- don't be harsh with yourself-"

Her fingers dug wildly in her black hair. "I should have known! But I- I didn't! I'm!" her voice squeaked. "I can never be a detective, who am I kidding." She laughed lightly with sorrow. "Tell Dave that I really hope Eridan gets his punishment. I want him to be safe. I- I have to go."

She started to stride off and desperation pumped in me. "Terezi- wait!"

She whipped around and jabbed the air with her finger aggressively in my direction. "You." She said sourly. "Don't come near me. I can't let the thought of you stray me from what the conflict is. Dave needs my help. Love made me more blind than I already am, and I'm not letting that happen again!" Then she stomped away, angrily wiping her face.

I stood there, my black jeans not feeling like jeans. They felt like heavy leather weighing me down. My jacket felt like bear skin draping over my shoulders and my chest felt like a rock. I sank down, slowly to the floor. I stared blankly at the specks in the tile and muttered softly to myself. "She loves me..." I murmured, swirling my fingers around the specks and seeing them drown in shallow pools of water. I was crying. "She loves me... And I..." my throat tightened and my face was hard as stone. "I blew it."