It's Cold Outside ||Human!stuck Karezi Au||

Wintry Mornings

A loud squeak awoke Karkat. Just let me sleep! Can I not be able to have a decent night's rest? His mind complained. But then he realized that Terezi wasn't lying down next to him. Her warmth was gone and his whole body felt cold. His eyes shot open remembering the nightmare he had last night. Karkat mentally let out a sigh of relief when he saw Terezi's silhouette sitting on the edge of the mattress. A scale mate was tucked under one of her arms. She squeezed it again and another squeak came out like the squeak that woke him up. He hears the crinkling of paper. Karkat sighed and accepted that he just wouldn't be sleeping for any second longer. Cursing, Karkat lifted himself up into a sitting position. At the sound of his movements and his swearing, Terezi turned around. "Oh, you're up!" Her ever present smile visible. Her mouth was full of daggers as usual and he could see her eyes, bright splashes behind her glasses.  Karkat looked down to her hands and found a newspaper. He knew she liked to draw and whenever he had the opportunity he snagged a flyer or other useless paper from the trash cans and give it to her as drawing material. Terezi didn't seem to care about the text on each sheet of paper and he liked that. He liked that she wasn't picky.

Air was thick and stale as always and it didn't quite smell like a lavish hotel. Some moments Karkat felt has if he'd choke from the bitter air. He stretched and took a spot next to her. Terezi was scribbling once again. He remembered when she used to draw on the walls of the tunnel. But she'd learned that the doodles of dragons and cherries were not going to survive once the rain started to pour down and the tunnels flooded, leaving only the graffiti. The sat in silence for a while, him studying her movements. The silence felt a bit awkward as the smell of something over saturated wafted in the air pairing with the hint of despair and desperation was distinct. It still felt cold but it wasn't as freezing as the night's blanket of chilliness.

Karkat cleared his throat before speaking. "Do you think we can head over to the Lejions' a little earlier? Like get every situated now?" The Vantas' voice was hoarse even after clearing his throat. Once the words left his mouth Terezi understood why. It had to be because of the night terror he had last night. Could had it been about the tunnels flooding? She couldn't say for sure. She'd only know the answer if he were to give it to her but that was very unlikely. Though wanting to get the answer out of him, she nodded and said sure. Terezi heard him inhale and the exhale through his nose. He muttered an 'okay' or something along the lines of that. After that his breathing steadied and became calming to her. With every breath it seemed as though he would grow calmer. But this wasn't the case, for she knew he wasn't exactly the most calm and laid back person. She had been so invested with his breathing that she was slightly startled once he got off of the mattress. The sound seemed louder in the tunnel as it seemed to echo. Terezi felt the weight wing lifted from the bed and no longer felt the warmth he radiates next to her. 

She smelt his figure move over to the shopping cart they had stolen from the parking lot of a store. Karkat gathered the thick blanket that was on the mattress and stuffed it in the cart. His back was facing her now. His dark coat smelt like the black licorice of self hate and his dark brown hair - almost black - was dark chocolate over his tan skin concealing his delicious cherry red. He was the only thing in here that smelled interesting. All the colors in the tunnel smelled dark and putrid. Well, all except for him. Terezi didn't know how else to describe it but here in the dark of the tunnels he smelled bright, like a source of light. A light she's being following for years - it has been years right? - that she's been trying to clasp in in her hands. Eventually, she got up and helped him pack. Putting all her scale mates and the two lumpy pillows in the cart. The cart smell stood out, it was the sharp sting of sliver metal; it smelt cold next to him with the mass amount of heat he radiates.

Once they finished Karkat asked if it was better for him to go to the Lejion's motel with the shopping cart and leave her to guard the mattress or if the both of them should carry the mattress out and later come back to get the shopping cart. Terezi stopped and thought about both options. She knew there were people like them,  people without homes, that could steal the mattress right from under her with her disability. She also did not want to be left alone. A small shake from her was left unnoticed by him. God, she did not want to be left alone again. Terezi then answered him. "Let's just get the mattress out of the way," she went over to one side of the mattress, getting ready to pick it up. She hears him give a sigh of relief. Karkat ran a hand through his hair going to the opposite side she was on. 

Together, they hauled the mattress out the tunnel with Karkat leading the way with his head full of working eyeballs. Just like in his nightmare, they stopped at a grate. She heard him gulp and then muttering something under his breath. In the horrible senario his mind had some how conjured the hole in the grate seemed so much smaller. Now that he looked at it, he realized he had nothing to worry about. Now that Karkat thought about it, how did his mind conjure that up? How did his mind piece together those horrible night terrors he has? It sent a chill down his spine thinking what other horrid things his mind kept from him. Anyways, Karkat stepped through the hole and pulled the mattress through. He sighed as it fit through and Terezi was now on the other side of the grate with him, safe. They ended up making it to the tunnel and soon made their way to the sidewalk. They both stopped for a second. Karkat took a look at the sky, dull and dry with clouds shielding the sun's bright rays. The clouds were threatening to release their water onto the two 24 year olds. He then mumbled to her that they should get going. They both continued until they reached a building. 

It was the Sleepy Kitten Motel that was ran by the Lejion family. Both Karkat and Terezi had stumbled upon the motel a little after they had sold Old Red. It was an old rinky-dinky motel that was clean enough and the cheapest place to stay near them. They had gone to take refuge when the rain had caused the tunnels to flood, they had both been new to the idea of having to vacate their shelter every now and then, so ever since the first time the tunnels flooded they went there. Fortunately, the Lejion's were very friendly and welcoming. Most other places wouldn't have granted them entry to their establishment having that they were homeless. Terezi had easily befriended both of the owner's daughters, Nepeta and Meulin. Karkat slowly but surely followed suit as he became more comfortable with both girls. Nepeta was coincidentally the same age as them, 24, while Meulin was 27 years old. Both Terezi and Nepeta had interests in drawing and role playing, no wonder they had gotten along nicely. But he knew Terezi wasn't the only one Nepeta had taken a shine to. Her small kindergarten-like crush on him was evident but obviously he couldn't return those feelings. That being because he had those feelings for the girl who was with him now; helping him set down their mattress in the alleyway next to the motel where the the garbage cans were.

The Lejions, as always, had left a blue tarp and old wooden crates that acted as an impromptu bed stand. Karkat and Terezi set the mattress down on it and Karkat then draped the blue tarp over it to shield it from the incoming rain and to hide it from anyone who had the intent of stealing. He then looked at her and asked her a question. "Are you gonna come with me to get the cart?" His voice sounded dry and grating. He questioned why it sounded like that, maybe he was merely parched. A little hum escaped her lips as she contemplated. "Sure," Terezi gave her simple answer. He didn't know what compelled her to say yes but he had a thought that could have been the cause. He shook off the thought knowing she wouldn't want him to bring any thing of the sort about that not so distant memory.

Karkat felt her lock their arms together. He felt some sort of a spark and felt like she had just gabbed a feather and tickled his heart. But he was all too familiar with this feeling. Karkat had been feeling this jolt of electricity every time she'd grope his arm or hand. The reason for the arm lock was that she had left her cane back in the tunnels. Sure, Terezi was good at navigating but it was a bit hard to follow his scent with the dull atmosphere and dark clothes that hid his cherry viens from her. Terezi nudged him with a "let's go," and they started their journey back to the tunnels.

They were quick to grab the shopping cart and to bring it back to the alleyway. He covered it with the excess tarp. It was late morning, around 10:50 or so. "We should get something to eat," Karkat proposed once they finished. "Yea, I'm hungry," Terezi said and rubbed her stomach. He knew that she was probably fantasizing about some sort of waffle-fruit-syrup heaven. It wasn't completely wrong of her to dream about food they could afford, a soft bed or a nice roof over her head. Karkat would fantasize of those types of things as well. So, he wouldn't be a hypocrite and shut down the thoughts of nice, luxurious things. Everyone has dreamt of things they couldn't have. He knew he did, all the time. But it was of something that was far better than food, a plush bed, or a nice home. It was the girl who was tapping her cane on the cement sidewalk with her arm locked with his.