Chapter Text
"You did what?"
Karkat looked up at his blind, and apparently psychotic, friend. She was standing over him with her hands on her hips, grinning down while her read. Throughout the most of the conversation, Karkat would nod and pretend to listen to Terezi as she ranted about her week as he continued looking down at his romance novel, until she announced her biggest news.
"Well, it wouldn't just be me, Karkat! I thought we could all move in together, you know. Have fun?" This didn't sound like Terezi at all, at least to Karkat. After a huge fight that Terezi had with her then best friend, Vriska Serket, no one in the group of high school friends talked during the few months before college. Karkat looks back down at his book, frowning at the thought that in reality, he didn't even bother to talk to anyone either.
"I don't think it's a good idea to be near Vriska anymore, let alone fucking living with her," Karkat snapped his book shut after a moment of thinking. "You know that something is going to happen again and someone is going to get hurt. That's all that happens with Vriska around."
Terezi crossed her arms, a different look on her face as he watched her head turn to the side. "It's just different now. We've talked it all out, and Vriska wants to apologize."
"So she wants to apologize by all of us living in the same apartment? Is she even crazier than I thought?" Karkat didn't even bother with shouting at this point, it was too ridiculous. A lot of their friends had already moved somewhere far away for college, some without a goodbye. Just disappeared. He would think about friends (if that was a proper word for it) like John and Jade who ventured off to go to the same college as some relatives and relatives of friends. No one would stay here when there's so much for the world to offer.
"You know it wouldn't be all of us. Vriska said that anyone who needs some place to stay, then the apartment would work out." The short girl sat on the armchair next to Karkat's seat, huffing. "Besides, the apartment would be in a fantastic place."
This got his attention. Karkat sat up a bit in his seat, straightening himself out. "I'm listening."
"Imagine, an apartment near the college. It's such a big area near that college, nowhere near like this small town with only two high schools," she grinned even wider, leaning close to the boy. "You haven't seen any of our closest friends in months. I'm sure Kanaya misses you, and I heard that Dave is practically depressed without seeing anyone."
"Strider would not be depressed, or at least admit what he feels."
"You don't know what I know. Wouldn't you like to find out, Karkat?"
He really did want to find out, when he thought about it. Karkat didn’t know anything about his friends that decided to stay, so why not find out? It’s not like he had anything to lose. Well, maybe an arm.
“Fuck it, I’m in.”
--
When he was in, he was all in and in an instant. As soon as Karkat said he’d move in with the two girls, Terezi started to throw his belongings in bags for the big move. Then at some point Dave was called along with Rose and Kanaya, and somehow everyone arrived at the door of Vriska’s apartment. Karkat planned on being late enough so he didn’t have to be alone with Serket, but he also didn’t want to be the last one there. He noticed that the door was opened, but when he knocked no one answered. Karkat pushed the door open with his foot, his luggage following behind.
The apartment wasn’t the worst thing in the world. As soon as he walked in through the door, the room was made up of mostly the living room with a small part of it becoming the kitchen. As he set his bags beside the door, Karkat noticed a hallway that fell between the kitchen and the wall. Before he could get a closer look, he notices his taller and new roommate walking into the room.
“Oh Karkat, it’s just you. All of the girls are here; we were getting rooms all set up. You wouldn’t mind sharing a room, right? You’ll probably end up sharing with Dave, unless you’re picky about it.” Vriska started to shoot new information right after another at Karkat, he started to lose track of everything she was telling him. Before he process a sentence to her, he looked over at Kanaya appearing from the same hallway.
“Hello Karkat. You look… Stressed out.” She frowns at the shorter boy, looking him over. “I hope you have been feeling well. I haven’t seen you much over the summer, but I’ll be seeing you everyday now.”
Karkat leaned against the back of the couch as he watched Terezi and Rose come into the room and stand beside the other two girls. The four of them started to look over the walls and some of the empty spaces, with Vriska leading the other girls’ thoughts. It was a lot for Karkat to process all in the first few minutes of him being here. Back in high school, he was the go-to guy for anything. But now, Vriska was taking control of it all.
A loud thud broke Karkat’s concentration and he looked over at the source of the noise. Dave Strider was leaning against the doorframe with a box in his hands. None of the girls in the room noticed his entrance, or even the noise. Dave set the box next to a few others in the room.
“Sup, Karkat. I didn’t know you were already here.” Dave stood closer, and even the cool kid was taller than Karkat.
Great, so I really was the last one here, Karkat thought. “What was that noise anyway?”
“I don’t know, maybe someone tripped,” he shrugged, but it was obvious that he was hiding the fact that he fell. Karkat’s bags were moved from their spot, and it didn’t surprise him that Dave had probably tripped over them on his way inside.
Once Vriska noticed that Dave had entered the apartment, she clapped her hands together and the room suddenly became quiet. Even with his shades on, Karkat could see Dave glance over at him. He was probably thinking the same thing. Was Vriska really getting to be in charge of all of this? Karkat wasn’t exactly sure how much Strider knew, since he was never really around for any of the bad things that happened with Vriska. The only real interaction he had with the blonde was when he would argue with John and the boy was by his side, listening to his headphones and rapping to himself. The only thing he knows about him is whenever Terezi would gush about the cool kid through phone calls. It was practically an indirect love triangle, where no one really knows what each other felt except their own feelings.
Vriska was snapping her fingers in front of Karkat’s face when he finally stopped thinking about the other male, and she looked extremely annoyed. “Karkat, were you even paying attention to what I said? God, will this keep happening for the rest of the time we live together? Stop daydreaming.”
“Sorry, I can’t hear bitch sometimes, Vriska.” He could hear Rose snort from across the room, and he noticed Dave’s eyebrows rise.
“Anyway, like I was saying,” Vriska put her hands on her hips, turning her attention to everyone. “There’s this room with the kitchen, a bathroom, and three bedrooms. Since there are six people living here, we can split up the rooms with two in each room. Dave and Karkat, you’re the only two boys living here so you’re obligated to sleep together.”
“Wait, I seriously have to sleep in the same room as Strider? What about Gamzee, doesn’t he still live around here?” Karkat crossed his arms, but looks up at the blonde beside him. “I mean, I don’t mind sharing the room but we’ve never talked. Once.”
“Oh Karkat, Gamzee is off being a stoner in some closet.” She waves off his question with her hand, continuing with her instructions. “Terezi and I are best friends, so we share a room. Rose and Kanaya are best friends, so they share a room. That just leaves Strider and Vantas to share a room together.”
“I’m cool with it. I’m sure Karkat loves to cuddle, right?” Dave smirked down at the boy, and he felt flustered. No way he could share a room with this guy. All day and all night, it’s going to be rapping, jokes, and who knows what he’ll do if he brings home some chick. He punched the boy’s arm, gaining an even bigger smirk from Vriska.
“See, you two are basically best friends already. Now, there’s one thing left for us to decide,” Vriska sat back on the couch, looking up at all of her new roommates. “What movie are we all going to watch together?”