The Peacekeeper

Chapter 5

"I got Kanaya to make you some new clothes." Dave mumbled, glancing over at Karkat who was sitting across the table from him. The mutant blooded troll just sat there, staring at the bowl of cereal Dave had prepared for him. "Dude come on. I didn't wake up at seven in the goddamn morning to make you the most exquisite bowl of off brand Honey Combs." Karkat continued staring at the cereal. The human sighed and put his spoon down in his own bowl and pushed it aside. "Fine. If you don't eat I won't eat." Karkat glanced up at Dave but didn't say anything. Dave sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was hungry as fuck but he was also going to make a point. He grabbed the bowl of half eaten cereal and dumped it in the sink before plopping back down in his seat. Karkat blinked but still didn't say anything.

"Alright fine, you don't have to eat but you have to at least let me give you a bath. You reek and I can't stand all the dried blood on you anymore. It doesn't even look like you bathed in the month you've been here. Did Sollux like, mention bathing you at all?"

"Yes," Karkat mumbled, "but I didn't really want to and every time they tried I just...hid." Dave scoffed.

"Seriously Karkat? You hid? What, did you suddenly have Harry's invisibility cloak? Could they just not find you and eventually give up on getting you to bathe? If so, then that's a load of bullshit."

"No, I just...I just didn't want to take a bath okay?? Is that really so bad??"

"Yes! Karkat for god's sake you're covered in dried blood. Honestly I'm surprised you didn't die of an infection, your cuts and shit can't be clean."

"Dave, I don't need a fucking bath. You can't bully me into taking a bath! If I don't want to take a bath I won't!"

"Fuck no dude. You aren't not getting out of this. You have to be sanitary and fight off infections. Plus you gotta get all squeaky clean because later on you have a doctor and a dentist appointment. I can't have you stanking up the place while they're trying to find every bruise, cut, or bump on you." Karkat glared at Dave, his mouth curling over one fang. "Nope. That scary bullshit won't work on me. So go into that bathroom and get ready for a bath or so help me I will get the hose and bathe you out on the sidewalk." Karkat snarled but stood up and stomped to the bathroom.

Dave had been living with Karkat for a couple of days. In those couple of days Dave realized that Karkat...changed. Well obviously he changed, he wasn't going to be exactly the same as before but these changes were drastic. More than Dave thought. The small troll Dave fell in love with six years ago no longer spoke his mind, instead he was quiet and closed up. He no longer eagerly munched on food as Dave talked about his day. He no longer jumped up and down when Dave mentioned his favorite actor. Karkat was different and in all honesty, it hurt Dave a little. But even if the troll he used to know was gone, Dave wasn't about to leave him. He was set on helping him.

The human grabbed a couple necessary bathing items and walked into the bathroom. Karkat was still fully clothed and sitting on the toilet. Dave sighed and instructed him to start stripping down as he turned on the bath water.

Karkat was less then eager to strip down. A part of him said that he didn't need Dave to give him a bath, he was a big troll now. He could do it himself. Then again if Karkat could do it himself he would've done it by now. He wouldn't of been acting childish with Sollux and Equius and hid at the mention of a bath. He had a reason for not wanting to bathe though, he didn't want to see what was under his clothes. He didn't want to look at it unless he had to. He only changed a handful of times because he was too distraught at the sight of the brands and scars.

The troll reluctantly began pulling his clothes off, dreading Dave's soon to be reaction to the horrors that he so well hid underneath his clothing all this time. The human had his back to the troll and Karkat was grateful for it. A minute later and Karkat was standing in the bathroom, tense, uncomfortable, and nude.