Unlikely Heroes

Chapter 23

Three months before the war ended a family of three was brought in, Rufioh helped them and took, who he assumed to be the kid's father, to the medical tent.

Rufioh went to find Karkat, thinking he could be in danger or need help. He didn't get very far before he heard Karkat calling for him.

"Rufioh!!" Karkat called out.

"What are you doing, kid?" Rufioh asked, kurloz and Gamzee didn't understand very much.

"They are my friends! They are here! Look!!" Karkat was smiling, something Rufioh had hardly seen.

This, in turn, made Rufioh smile as well. "That's awesome, kid! Make sure they're okay." He ruffled Karkat's hair and walked off. He kept his eye on the three of them, though.

Rufioh walked back to the medical tent. He decided that he needed to explain somethings, when he tried explaining what was going on, the man seemed to speak English quite well. Rufioh left the tent and went to find Karkat, again. He wanted to make sure the two others with him weren't dangerous.

Karkat ran into the medical tent, past Rufioh who ran in after him. He stared, wide eyed and frozen.

Rufioh covered Karkat's eyes and  pulled him out of the tent. "What are you doing??" He asked.

Karkat was thinking straight, which caused him to speak in German. Rufioh could only understand when Karkat said "Cronus" and "Kankri". 

"Woah, woah, Karkat... Slow down..." Rufioh got on his knees, looking Karkat in the eyes. "Calm down... Try again."

Karkat breathed, letting out a sigh. "Is he okay? There are bullets, how many?" He asked first.

"What?? I-I don't know. He'll be fine though. I've seen those guys pull a pipe out of a guys arm and he can still use it! Now, what about Kankri and Cronus?" Rufioh took Karkat's hand, walking around with him to keep him calm.

"...I said to Kurloz... It said! I not meant to, but it did! He is mad now! He say it is wrong!! Why??" Karkat squeezed Rufioh's hand, getting worried.

Rufioh froze. "...he won't...do anything? Will he?"

"I think not..." Karkat looked up at Rufioh. "What matter?"

"...come here..." Rufioh lead Karkat back to where no one was. He got on his knees again. "People do awful things to people like them... The world thinks it's wrong for two guys to love each other... It's not wrong, but people think it is."

"Do you think that?" Karkat frowned.

"...don't repeat this." Rufioh looked around. "I mean it! Say you won't say anything!"

Karkat put up his hand. "Nope! Not a word!"

"...I also like a guy..." Rufioh looked to the side. "...I mean no one but the person I like knows. I'm actually dating someone else, who's a girl. He knows that, but...I like him really..."

"Mean to you?" Karkat asked.

"People? Yeah...I've had people be mean. Beaten up plenty on times... I haven't told anyone about it since. Only one who knows is my brother, but he thinks it's fine." Rufioh smiled slightly.

"Beat up? Hit you?" Karkat asked again.

"Yeah. I'm okay, now! Perfectly fine! Don't tell anyone about this, though." Rufioh grabbed both Karkat's shoulders. 

Another kid walked over and Rufioh stood up. Karkat and the other kid were talking, which caused Karkat to hide behind Rufioh. They talked for a while longer before Karkat blurted out "fuck you". That was the only thing Rufioh understood from the small German. "Karkat!" He said, not wanting him to swear.

"I don't care!!" Karkat yelled in English, before yelling something at the other kid in German. After that Karkat and the other kid had an exchange of words and Karkat pushed him off and ran away.

Rufioh glared at the other kid, wanting to know what he did. Truth be told, both of them were skeptical of one another. Rufioh pushed passed the kid and went to look for Karkat. "Karkat!" He yelled, finally finding him sitting on Rufioh's bed. "What are you doing? You okay?"

Karkat looked up, then back down. "Okay..." He muttered.

"You and that other kid got into an argument and I got worried... What was that all about?" Rufioh sat beside him on the bed.

"His name Gamzee... I known him for long time. I thought he was going to yell at me. Like Kurloz... The other person..."

"Did he?"

"Did he what?"

"Did he yell at you?"

"Well, no...he still think Kankri is wrong..." Karkat covered his face.

"How do you know? Did he tell you?"

"...no...I thought..."

"See, then you don't know what he was thinking. He could've been apologizing!"

Karkat looked up. "Fine...if he really was apologize. I wait till he come back."

"Okay. I'm going to check on some other things. Stay in here for a while, okay? I don't want you getting into trouble." Rufioh stood up and ruffled Karkat's hair. He walked out, letting Karkat be on his own.