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“You don’t actually have to follow me around everywhere. I can manage on my own.”
Dave looked over to the smaller boy beside him who was mindlessly flipping through his favorite deck of cards, each with little creatures and information below them. Some off-brand Pokemon. He wouldn’t meet his eyes, though it wasn’t as though there was much to look at when his shades covered most of his face anyway. He still stared, though. He watched his hands as he picked through the cards. He always messed with them.
“Oh, cool. I’ve been given permission to just let the autistic kid wander a fucking amusement park completely on his own during a school trip where we’ve been paired up for his own safety. I feel great about this. I will surely do that. Thanks, Karkat.” Dave realized shortly after this that he probably would go unheard as sarcasm and likely be focused more on the specific details.
“My autism shouldn’t be my defining trait, asshole,” he growled. “And it’s not just my safety. Everyone has a partner.”
“My point is that it’s a bad fucking idea to let you wander on your own. You pay more attention to those damn anthropomorphic anime cards than you do to the people around you.”
“They’re fun to collect! And you just said-”
“It was sarcasm.”
“Oh.”
Karkat scowled down at the deck then and Dave let out a heavy sigh, sort of wishing to feel more guilty than he did. He actually thought the card collection was cute but damn, he wasn’t always a big fan of him in general. At least until recently. Recently was another story he did not want to get into for the sake of his own sanity and general wellbeing. He liked Jade. He liked Jade a lot.
It didn’t take much longer after that for the bus to come to a screeching halt in an oversized parking lot, the sunset making an appearance through the clouds and the lighting of the amusement park bringing a glitter to the eyes of everyone. Dave was grateful that the bus ride was over now that the awkward silence between him and Karkat could finally end for the time being, though it had only felt awkward for him. The little dark-haired one seemed too entranced with his cards and looking for rarer ones online to notice the uncomfortable air between them.
“Alright,” the homeroom teacher said, standing up. The other middle-schoolers also stood, eager to get off the bus and run to their favorite rides. She gestured for them to sit back down, which they reluctantly did. “I’m taking roll call one more time. You are not to leave your assigned buddy. All rides must be taken together so you do not lose each other. You are to return together when time is up and roll call will be taken again. Anyone who does not follow these rules will face repercussions. Understood?”
Everyone nodded eagerly, including Dave, who was just as eager to get off the bus of pimple-faced Cheeto-fingered children as those said children were. He hadn’t yet reached that stage of his life and he hoped he never would.
As everyone’s names were called, they were released into the park with free reign. When Dave and Karkat were called, the former had to practically drag him off the bus with a string of curses and restraints being spat at him. He didn’t care. He just wanted off the bus.
“Okay,” he said, turning to the shorter one once they were inside. “What do we go on first? The Screamin’ Eagle? The Rock N’ Roller Coaster? The UFO?”
“Those rides are so fucking loud,” Karkat countered, raising an eyebrow. “I hate that shit.”
“Then what do you suggest? A romantic ride on the ferris wheel? The Tunnel of Love? Come on , dude. I know you like your romance bullshit as much as the next sappy asshole who isn’t ever going to get laid with their collection of fanfiction the size of the Eiffel Tower, but you couldn’t pay me to ride that shit with you. It’s the last day of middle school. I’m going on the good shit.”
“Then go. I’m fine on my own.”
Karkat scowled up at him, Dave glaring back from behind his shades, until the blond grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the nearest line to one of the bigger rides, ignoring Karkat’s string of curses and complaints. During the middle of his rant on how big of a douchebag Dave was being, the blond cut him off, pointing up at the ride.
“You cannot look at that and tell me you don’t want to go on it.” Karkat could feel his breath against his ear as he had leaned in but his glare sharpened. “I mean, come the fuck on. The lights, the music, the fucking drops . Don’t make this trip lame.”
“The lights and the music are exactly why I don’t want to go on it! It’s too loud!”
During their bickering, they failed to notice the kids behind them in line. One of them, snickering, plucked a single card from Karkat’s back pocket, having been tucked away in a small drawstring bag for extra protection. One card that they thought would go unnoticed.
“Have you ever even tried ? Seriously! This thing is a goddamn blast!”
“I don’t need to try because just waiting in line with you is too fucking overwhelming! Fuck you and your selfish antics, Strider!”
He was louder than normal, his tone sharper, and Dave could tell that genuine anger had taken over as he stormed off without another word. He glared after him, but ultimately decided to carry on winding through ropes and poles to sit himself down on the rollercoaster he was so determined to ride. Guilt lodged in his gut but he did his best to pay no mind. He wanted to enjoy himself and if it was at the expense of getting in trouble with a teacher from straying too far from his designated buddy, then so be it.
It was later in the evening as the sun was setting that unease really started to get to him. He hadn’t seen Karkat the entire time and they were not the only school in attendance. It wasn’t unusual for everyone to pick on him given the area they lived in (and frankly, Dave couldn’t say that he was completely innocent there, though he most certainly didn’t do it with malicious intent. It was meant to be playful). He had been able to choke it down until he found himself holding one of Karkat’s cards, one he had to wrangle from a student. He couldn’t believe the things he’d said in his defense, practically giving them a reason to call him every slur for gay people under the sun (not because he was. Because he wasn’t. He swore up and down he wasn’t, but he was defending Karkat to an extent that they could worm into something romantic. He hated being that way).
“Where did you get that?” Dave pointed to the card with a shimmery coat on top, having once been inside a toploader for extra protection but now revealed to the world and covered in dirt, peeling at the corners. He had only gone to the restroom and now here he was, bile creeping up his throat with anxiety as he saw the one thing Karkat would never go anywhere without. He would die before losing it. So where was he?
“Found it,” one said, a prominent lisp causing him to spit slightly. Dave was far enough away to avoid it. “Probably from the autistic kid.”
“He has a fucking name, you know,” Dave snapped. He knew just as well as everyone else that Karkat would never lose one of his cards. Never.
“Who are you? His fucking mom?” The two boys snickered and promptly tore at a corner of the card. Dave suddenly reached out and snatched it, glaring down at them. One thing Dave didn’t mind so much about puberty’s beginning stages on his body was that he was getting far taller than a lot of the other boys in his class. He used this to his advantage.
“Where is he?”
“How are we supposed to know? Give it back!”
Dave held it high up in the air to keep it away, remaining stoic as the smaller boy leapt for it.
“He wouldn’t leave this behind. Where the hell is he? And why would you take it from him?”
“I’m sure you’ll hear him soon enough when he has another meltdown over a dumb piece of paper,” the other boy snickered. “Just listen.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Dave growled from the back of his throat. “I swear to every deity that’s ever had the misfortune of staring at your ugly mug that I will kick the shit out of you if something happened to him.”
“Oh, you’re not his mom,” they suddenly grinned. “You’re his boyfriend, aren’t you? You like him, don’t you, fag?”
Dave stormed off then, listening as they spat out more slurs. They sat like acid on his skin, but he kept going. He needed to find Karkat.
He had been calling his name for ages it seemed as his tired legs dragged him around every corner of the theme park. The stars had come to shine down on him as he searched, calling out his name despite it grabbing the unwanted attention of others. Most of them knew who Karkat was, but nobody bothered to help. For them, it wasn’t an issue. For Dave, he felt as if it were life and death. He needed to find Karkat. Fast.
After twenty minutes of searching, right at the verge of giving up, he found himself standing in front of an old merry-go-round, one that was operational but closed down for the evening. He let out a sigh, not seeing Karkat in the immediate vicinity, and turned on his heel to leave only to turn right back around when he heard a small voice.
“Dave?”
“Karkat,” he breathed with complete relief. Karkat had snuck behind the ropes to block the ride from the public and now crept out from the center of the ride to meet him halfway.
“What are you doing?”
“I, uh,” Dave paused, not having rehearsed how this interaction was supposed to go. He then pulled the card from his back pocket and handed it to him. “Some kids snatched this from your pocket earlier and I, uh, snatched it back. They kind of fucked it up. A lot.”
He was expecting the smaller boy to freak out over it, thinking it was one of his favorites (it had to be. It was a shiny one!). But no reaction came. He looked a little distraught, yes, but he mostly seemed confused as to why Dave, the boy who seemed to have no interest in anyone but himself, would go to such lengths to find him. Dave bit his lip, contemplating his next words before continuing.
“And… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go overboard like that. I get it. This shit can be overwhelming. I have ADHD so I actually get really overwhelmed in certain sensory settings, too. I totally understand it and I feel like a total douchebag for pushing you.”
“You are,” Karkat muttered, raising an eyebrow. “A douchebag, I mean.”
“Yeah,” Dave sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Why would you come all this way just to bring the card back?”
“I mean, I wanted to apologize, too,” Dave admitted. His hands were shoved into his pockets as he stared down at his feet. “But I was… worried that maybe something had happened to you, I guess. I know you wouldn’t just drop something like that given that it’s your interest or whatever. So I was concerned that something had happened to you.”
“Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Back up. You were concerned about me?” Karkat didn’t seem to trust this but he was also well aware that this also wasn’t something that the Dave Strider would make up just for shits and giggles. This was genuine, even if he couldn’t believe it. “Why?”
“Because! It’s a loud place full of people known for picking on you! I’ve been in my fair share of fights and I was concerned that maybe somebody went a little too far or something! That’s all!”
“So you were concerned over my wellbeing.”
Dave looked down at Karkat and Karkat looked right back up at Dave, warm brown meeting red behind dark shades. Dave realized. He had realized a while back, but he couldn’t say it. Not today, not tomorrow, maybe even never, but he knew. He really, really liked this short short-tempered kid with the untameable hair and glare so sharp it could cut glass. For now, Dave only nodded.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “I guess I was.”
“Are you okay?”
Karkat could see the confusion etched into his expression, the need to say something that couldn’t be said. He may not have been good with social cues, but he could notice that with ease. It was the same expression he often shared around Dave, too. He wondered what he was thinking. Wondered if it was something worth saying.
Rather, with no response, he was scooped up into Dave’s arms, head against his chest and being held tightly against his warmth. Karkat’s eyes grew wide and his arms stayed by his side for a moment, unsure of how to handle the situation for a moment. He thought back to the hugs from his father, his brother, and while it wasn’t the same person, he went with it and hesitantly hugged Dave back. Deep down, the fluttering in his tummy was the only answer he needed.
“I’m really sorry,” Dave whispered. “For everything. The teasing and stuff. I promise I never meant any of it. It’s my poor excuse at something playful but I know I shouldn’t even do that.”
“It’s… It’s alright,” Karkat replied. “It’s okay. You’re not as bad as the others.”
“That’s not saying much. They’re terrible.”
“Yeah, but… at least I know you won’t hurt me deliberately.”
Dave knew that feeling all too well, being able to pinpoint those who would hurt him and those who would not at such a young age. He wished he didn’t have to, he wished Karkat didn’t have to, but it was helpful. Sad, but helpful.
Right then, an announcement was heard over the loudspeaker informing everyone that the evening was coming to a close and to return to their teachers, instructing them on where their buses were. Dave and Karkat pulled away, looking at each other one more time before sharing a small smile and deciding to make their way back to their designated bus.
“Man,” Karkat grumbled along the way, frowning down at the card still in his palm. “I really liked this card, too.”
Dave couldn’t help but chuckle, nudging him gently with his elbow.
“I’ll help you get a new one.”
Karkat smiled up at him, leaving butterflies in Dave’s chest, and he nodded.
“I’d like that.”
The bus ride left an ache in both of their chests, though it wasn’t an unpleasant one. It was one of growing desire and while it was something neither of them wished to explore out of fear, it was a pleasant emotion with the other right next to him. Karkat stared out the window as trees passed by in the darkness of night, mind clouded with thoughts of confusion in regards to his feelings of Dave. That’s when said boy suddenly laid his head on his shoulder, bringing Karkat out of his thoughts briefly as he turned to look. It was unintentional, Dave already being asleep, but he didn’t mind. A small smile overtook him and after admiring him for a second, he allowed him to sleep, looking back out the window.
Seems as though the buddy system works after all.