Don't Cry Out - Act 1 - Part 11
His feet seemed to get heavier the further up the stairs he got, and his arms were glad to settle Karkat in the one surprisingly comfy-looking chair.
The alien mumbled something under his breath that John couldn't hear and lolled his head over to the arm of the chair, hiding his eyes in his forearm.
John sighed and plopped himself down on the floor, leaning up against Karkat's legs and suddenly feeling very tired again.
"I hope..." He had to think about it. "I hope you appreciate what they do for you someday. Even if it's not today, I hope you will, in time, be able to remember your friends."
Karkat breathed in what John interpreted to be agreement, so he continued. "You have people giving up their lives to keep you here. And even if they aren't literally dying, again, mind you, again, they're still giving up on a normal life." John fingered the carpet underneath him and shifted his gaze out the window to meet the back of a retreating Dave.
He looked up at Karkat, and let go of the carpet.
"Don't you dare wake up."
He let his legs carry him without really thinking about what he was intending to do. They ran him out of the plane, down the stairs, and across the slight distance Dave had covered, one hand extended outwards, shouting something he was pretty sure didn't make any sense but didn't matter because he couldn't hear it anyways.
It caught Dave's attention regardless, and he turned around just in time for John to grab the lapels of his blazer and kiss him.
It was still sweet, just the way John remembered it. And it was still subtle bordering on unresponsive, but Dave still had that way of seeming very there. And John still had to stand on tiptoe.
That tall bastard.
Dave didn't say anything until John backed off his mouth and took in the snide, but not entirely unaffectionate smirk on his face.
"We broke up for a reason, love."
"Fuck that." John tried to reach up and claim his mouth again, but Dave dodged this time. "I'm still alive and you're still alive and I'll do what I want."
Dave smiled at his sudden assertiveness and swept a hand into John's hair, pulling him up onto his toes to kiss him again. "There. Was that satisfactory?"
John looked back at the plane behind him, then at Dave. "Yes. Yes it was. You go get Terezi's memories back and come find me. Okay?"
Dave nodded, and untangled his hand. "Just don't hide too well, okay?"
"Well, who in the hell would I be to think I could hide from a Strider." Dave smiled down at him. "Goodbye, you amazing motherfucker."
"See you around, Egbert."
The roar of the plane engine starting up behind him diverted Dave's attention just long enough to allow John to let go.
And the sun broke over the airfield, and John ran for the staircase, following the overwhelming sense of victory because Karkat was in there, they'd won, and running away from the tears on his face for Sollux and Tiffany and everything else he knew he had to leave behind.
Sollux, who was already dead, Terezi, who was going to die, and Dave, who he'd once been in love with and would never see again.
[-=+=-] END OF ACT 1 [-=+=-]