The Blood I Spill for You

My Friend John and His Little Girlfriend

  Soft beams of light peaked through the window, illuminating the dust particles floating across the desk beside the bed.
Six days went by quickly as Karkat warmed up to his new environment. Despite their interactions before, Dirk spent more time out of the apartment than in it, including when he slept.

The house smelt of left over food and laundry, both dirty and clean, and Dave breathed softly in his sleep behind him.  He looked peaceful. Karkat wondered if he too looked calm and pretty as he dreamed, or if his face contorted with the nightmares.  

Karkat reached out to tuck Dave's blond bangs away from his nose, but the strands brushed against his cheeks. He yawned, bringing his hands to his face, but Dave kept his eyes closed. He wouldn't open them without his shades, Karkat had learned. Dave's near-white hair was sticking up in away that made the light shine through it, making it look even lighter.

"Karkat, you awake?" His hands patted the nightstand and he blocked his eyes. He saw the troll nodding. With a grin, Dave scratched at the thick hair behind Karkat's ear. He giggled.

"Stop it!" He spun around to get away, but jumped in surprise as his elbow collided with Dave's nose.

He groaned, holding his face and checking for blood without once opening his eyes.

  "I'm so sorry!" Karkat tried to leap out  of the bed, but Dave's palm struck him across the face. He choked back a cry. Crawling to the floor, Karkat held his face, tears spilling down his fingers. He hit him. He punished him.

  "Karkat! No no no, I didn't mean to hurt you, I just tried to catch you so you didn't fall! I'm sorry."

  Before he could think better of it, Karkat snatched the shades from off the counter, holding them to his chest. Keeping his eyes closed, Dave swallowed hard. Did you," he whispered, "take my shades?"

   Karkat opened his mouth to say no, but his grip tightened on the cool metal and plastic. "Yeah."

   "Can I have them back?" His voice fractured the whisper into chunks.

   This confused him: what about the shades changed the human's mood from so quickly? Well, what to shades do? They hide peoples eyes. Did Dave not want him to see the emotions in his eyes? No, even though he was almost cold around his custodian and in public, he smiled and chuckled around him quite a bit. He held his ground with confidence. Karkat said no..

"You have to tell me why you need them." Dave licked his lips nervously; he should have seen this coming for a while now.

   "I, um." His face contorted with struggle.

  Karkat walked over to him and cupped his cheeks, letting his thumbs soothe him with circular motions. Slowly, Dave let his eye lids flutter open, squinting slightly at the brightness in his room.

   Karkat takes in the deep red, coated in ruby lighting strikes, and his lips parted in awe. They were the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen. He pressed the glasses into Dave's hands, relieved to see that they were both shaking slightly. "They're beautiful."

He forces a small laugh. "No, they're not. They're freaky. Humans aren't supposed to have red eyes."

Karkat crawled over his legs to sit on Dave's thighs, pulling him into a hug. "Trolls aren't supposed to have red blood, you know. Not like mine. It's a mutation."

   "Who cares about what colour blood you have?"

At this Karkat had to bark out a laugh, "Where have you been? The whole world cares! Your Earth caste system is much more confusing that the one our ancestors had on Alternia. Even if I'm on either if them."