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It's all his fault for being such a douche. It turns out, you see, that you're genetically primed to be attracted to them, and by the fifth time he swoops in from the future like a Big Damn Hero to pull you out of the path of a raging zombie giclops or warn you away from lava or oh-so-casually mention that his mother's house isn't built up enough yet and you might want to wait a bit before dropping through her sixth gate, just FYI, you're starting to feel a distressing urge to actually show your appreciation rather than forcing a curt "thanks, arsehole" through your fangs and moving on.
Not that it'd make any difference. It's not like Dave Strider's shy about showing his feelings and if he was interested in that, then he would have said something during your sweep-and-a-half of horrorterror-ridden hell, if not just shoved you up against the wall and snogged your thinkpan out. And now he's got the whole goddamn timeline of this session to look after, and what are you to that?
It's all his fault for being so stupidly, adorably, fucked up. Everyone knows you've got a narcissist streak a parsec wide, but Karkat's the only one who doesn't seem to have noticed all the cracks in your attempts at projection, and that's a greater irony than you could ever have pulled off alone. Doesn't hurt that he's broken in ways you never could be, that your bro moved heaven and earth to stop you from being even while you languished in his shadow, and maybe you're starting to get why he talks so much about pity, because somehow the most attractive thing about him is how he's such a mess.
But if he felt anything in return... well, you saw how much he trolled John and Jade during your session, and only once even bothered to speak a word to you. His interests lie Prospitward, and who can blame him. Certainly not you.
So when he comes to you and tells you he understands, he knows about you and Jade, and he'll get out of your way, it takes you a moment to make your twitcher move. "What the maggot-ridden fuck are you babbling about, you oblivious dipshit?"
"I'm sayin' I get it, Karkat," he says, and he clearly doesn't. "You've had a thing for her forever, it was obvious as a goddamn meteor heading straight for Buckingham Palace and I'm not gonna be sorry for us apparently having the same taste in girls, but -"
"Oh my fucking god, will you shut up for just one second. You're the one who's been ignoring me for her and John, just like I goddamn said you would, and... fuck it. I get it, I'm not... I haven't been your friend since we were three like you have with them, and I never faced the Reckoning with you, and your session doesn't need another Knight, and your team certainly doesn't need a fuck-up like me. The only thing paradox space needed me for in the first place was to make you, and now that's done, I'm -" Superfluous. Unnecessary. An empty grubflakes box ready to go out with the trash.
His voice is careful when he answers. "You think you're not important to me."
"Not like them. Or Rose."
"Karkat." Something in his voice silences you, stills you - he's never said your name like this before, like it was precious, and when his hands close over yours, you don't push him away. "You fucking idiot. I'm gonna tell you a thing, and you're gonna listen. See, maybe you don't get told on Alternia that you're special. Maybe you don't get told that everyone has something to contribute, that everyone's important. Hell, maybe they don't even you tell shit about snowflakes. But you'd better goddamn believe me when I tell you this - I have never once, in this entire shithole of a game, met anyone who wasn't goddamn important."
He leans in while you're still gaping, lets his lips brush yours, just briefly, a question you didn't expect him to ask, and you answer by not letting him pull away.
"Neither have I," you say, when you break, a few awkward seconds later, to breathe, and you hate that you can't see his eyes widen, but the best shades in both worlds can't hide his sharp inhale.
You really should get going. You've got reality to save and idiots to keep out of trouble. But before you go, you figure you've got time for another kiss.
It's even better than the first.