Karkat Vantas' Stri-Do's and Dont's of Highschool: A Davekat Fanfiction

Chapter 17: Push and Shove

You'd learned that apparently Kankri walked out over his boyfriend of a year and a half. None of you ever once heard about this guy until now, which makes you kind of respect Kankri for leading a double life. You can tell it's a hard blow, not just for your father, but for everyone. Even you. You're so used to him being home. He's supposed to be the good one. Your father is closest with Nepeta and Kankri, just as your step mother is with you and Meulin. As a matter of fact, it hurts a lot more than it should. Dave had left almost immediately per your request and now you're sitting in your room, wondering whether you should text your brother or not. Eventually, you decide to at least ask him if he's coming home, so you pull out your phone and message him.

carcinoGenecist [CG] began trolling triggerController [TC] at 16:34

CG: HEY.

CG: DAD'S UH... KIND OF A MESS AND I GUESS WE WERE ALL WONDERING IF AND WHEN YOU WERE COMING HOME...

TC: 9h, yes. Father wanted t9 speak with me, s9 he's invited Cr9nus and I t9 dinner t9m9rr9w.

TC: If he hasn't t9ld y9u yet, I 6elieve he w9uld like y9u t9 invite y9ur 69yfriend as well. I'd like t9 pr9perly meet him.

You sigh in relief, sitting back in your chair and running your hands through your hair. So he is coming home. That's good. Dinner is a start, isn't it? You sit up again and begin typing.

CG: YEAH, THAT'S FINE. JUST PLEASE DON'T EMBARRASS ME IN FRONT OF HIM.

TC: I w9uldn't dream 9f it. G99dnight, Kat. I l9ve y9u. Sweet dreams. <3 #dontletthecoonbeastsbite

CG: LOVE YOU TOO, IDIOT [:B #TAGGINGMYSHITJUSTFORYOU

TC: Much obliged. (:B

triggerController [TC] ceased pestering carcinoGenicist [CG] at 14:49

With a soft sigh, you minimize the window and push your wheeled desk chair back as your father knocks and opens the door, "Karkat? Do you have a moment?"
You glance over at him and shrug, motioning for him to come in, "I suppose so. Take a seat."
He sits on your bed, "I invited your brother-"
"-For dinner and want me to invite Dave, right? He already told me. I just got done talking to him actually."
He nods slowly, "Oh. Did he say anything else...?" You shake your head and he sighs in relief, standing, "Good. I'm glad you two spoke. Dinner will be done shortly." He says as he opens the door.
You hesitate but stop him, "Dad...?" He glances back at you, waiting for you to continue, "...What happened earlier? Why did he leave in the first place?"
His eyes fill with pain but he shakes his head, "Get washed up and come to dinner." He closes the door behind him. Neither of you speak for the rest of the night.

~

"Dinner party, huh?" Dave mutters to himself, leaning against your locker as you grab your math book, "Your family seems like a hell of a lot of fun, Kitten. I'm pretty stoked."
You roll your eyes and close your locker, leaning against it as you face him, "Please don't swear in front of them. I want them to like you."
His arm snakes around your waist as he maneuvers you through the halls towards your math class. He does it every day and you're sure his science teacher hates you for making him late to his class daily due to the fact that the math and science wings are on opposite sides of the school and on different floors. The only time he's ever punctual is when you're absent, which doesn't happen often, "Wouldn't wanna make a bad impression, huh?" He chuckles and stays quiet a moment before asking in a hushed tone, "So... Your brother is going to be there? Him and his boyfriend?" You nod, "Should I be worried?"
You shake your head this time, frowning, "He's harmless. He's more likely to make a fool of himself than you, which really says something."
Again he pauses, "Did you ever find out why he left...?"
"No...my dad shut me down when I asked..."
He nods slowly and stops outside the door to your class, "I'm sure you'll find out soon. They can't hide it forever."
You sigh and shrug, "I guess."
Dave leans down and brushes his lips over yours, "I'll be there at 5:15 on the dot, okay? I love you."
People stare and whisper, including your teacher, but you just giggle and peck his cheek, "I love you, too."

~

Dave arrives right on time, perhaps even a minute or two early. Your father look impressed. 'Punctuality is key' as he always says. He even dressed up a little for you. That is, If you call a collared shirt and khakis 'dressing up'. You're all sitting at the table for twenty minutes before Kankri and Cronus finally waltz in. Cronus, with his hair slicked back, at least wore an unstained tee and unripped jeans unlike your brother. He must be trying to prove a point. They sit and Cronus apologizes for being late, claiming his motorcycle wouldn't start. To your surprise, your father doesn't comment, but you definitely catch the look he gives your step mother. After a long silence filled with nothing but the sound of forks scraping off plates, your father turns to Dave, "So, you and Karkat, hm? This wasn't a thing when you stayed over, was it?" Your father shoots you the 'Better-Hope-He-Says-No' look.
"No, unfortunately I didn't have to courage to admit my feelings and I knew he wouldn't have been comfortable with it yet anyways. He said he had strict dating rules so I obeyed."
Your father smiles at this, "I like you already," He turns to Cronus, "Am I to assume you two have already pailed?"
"Father!" Kankri hisses.
"It's a simple question," your father retorts.
"It isn't appropriate for the table," he snaps back.
Your father leans forward in his seat, arms crossed on the table and his eyes locked on your brother, "Are you avoiding the question because you know I'm right?"
"I'm an adult now."
"You're celibate!"
"I was celibate dad. I was also a virgin, too!"
"Kankri!" Your step mother gasps.
Your father stands, snarling, "You wouldn't dare."
He stands as well, "He used to sneak in all the the middle of the night and pail me senseless! I learned to keep quiet so you wouldn't hear! I snuck out and drank and went to parties and had fun and lived, Dad! I've never been happier!"
"You think you'd have some respect not to send nudes under my roof! What about your future?! Your church?! Your religion?! You were supposed to be my successor!" Your father sounds desperate. You've never heard any of them talk this way, and you can tell Dave is just as disturbed as you. Kankri was never one to act out. Maybe it's because he was always caged in that he thought acting out was the only way to be free.
"Those were all your dreams, Dad! Not mine! I never wanted this!"
Your father turns to Cronus and points to the door, "Get out of my house."
Cronus' eyes widen in shock and you begin to pity him, platonically of course. He hadn't said ten words and already he was being thrown out. Now it's your turn to stand, "Dad, leave him alone. He hasn't done anything."
His eyes snap to you, "Now you defy me?"
"You can't say you're a man of god when you treat people like this, Dad!"
"God doesn't want the pure to be corrupted by people like him!" he points at Cronus accusingly.
Your step mother is standing now, "That's enough! Sit down and leave him alone! Karkat's right! You're no man of God. If God doesn't want the pure to be corrupted by the wicked, then why are you trying to corrupt them?!" She yells at your father.
Slap. Right across her face. The whole room is silent in mere milliseconds as the sound echos through the room. Everything else happens so fast. Kankri tries to climb over the table to get to your father, but Cronus grabs him and drags him outside. There was so much screaming and yelling and crying that you could barely figure out what was happening. Your step mother drags the girls upstairs as your father finally comes to his senses and pleads for forgiveness and instructs Dave to take you to his house. You're begging Dave not to make you go, but he scoops you up and quickly takes you to his house. By the time you get outside, you see Cronus and Kankri turning up the road. They don't return after that.