Breathing heavily and teary-eyed, Karkat Vantas had fallen to his knees once again. He had been running for god knows how long, winding up in a place he did not recognize.
Arising to his feet slowly, he studied his surroundings. Had he really run that far, that he could not trace his way back?
It would not matter anymore. Karkat did not wish to return.
A single tear had fallen from his cheek, and he quickly brought his sleeve to it. Crying was a sign of weakness. And even though Karkat knew he wasn't weak, at this moment he felt helpless.
Of course it was hard enough having to deal with the eleven others in his group, or having a seemingly terrible moirail, or even just dealing with his own lusus, but this was much different.
Karkat was told that he should hide his blood color, and that no one should know. There was always a threat that he could be killed for his mutant blood, so he tried his hardest to never show it.
That secret wasn't kept for long.
And once the secret was out, life only seemed to get worse. Some had overheard his and Terezi's conversation about it, and the rumor was spreading like a wildfire. The highbloods teased him, the midbloods laughed at him, but the lowbloods did not seem to care.
Of course, revealing your blood to everyone was not the smartest thing to do, but it must've made sense in his brain. That was his plan.
After finding his friend Sollux's hive, which he had been looking for, he slowly crept his way up to the roof. Sollux didn't seem to notice, as he was probably working on viruses or something of the sort.
Karkat wiped another tear, reaching for his sickle. Maybe this was the correct choice. Maybe it wasn't. His mind couldn't tell anymore.
Bringing the sharp blade to his right wrist first, Karkat wrote three words into his arm.
'I GIVE UP.'
Repeating this process to the other arm, he dropped the sickle at his feet, raising his arms above his head. The bright red liquid seeped from his veins, leaving colorful trails down his arms and onto the ground, where it splattered at a steady pace.
The tears fell and fell, and as he saw the trolls staring at him oddly, all he did was stand there, maintaining his balance on the ledge.
Of course, Sollux had known about Karkat's blood, but frankly couldn't care less that he had mutant blood. Sollux himself was a low blood, with the mustard-colored blood he possessed.
Karkat coming to his house had become a regular thing, as he could feel the morallegiance growing stronger. Karkat's former moirail had left him, leaving him alone.
Seeing as commotion was growing outside his window, Sollux stood from his computer, seeing what the fuss was about. He saw nothing peculiar at first, but a drop of the bright red blood on his windowsill had immediately told him.
Rushing to the roof, he went to find his friend. Karkat was still standing on the ledge, crying as he watched his blood pour from his veins.
For just a few cuts on the arms, there was quite an amount of blood.
Before Sollux thought anything else, his first reaction was to stop this. He ran up to the other, grabbing him by the waist and pulling him onto the ground.
Karkat had been surprised at the gesture, thinking this would be the end. Little did Sollux know, Karkat's initial plan was to jump. To smear that blood across the pavement for all to see.
Holding the other tightly, Sollux pulled the now fidgeting Karkat against his chest. Seeing as how the other was tormented enough, Sollux simply whispered soothingly into Karkat's ear.
"Shh..." He spoke. "Kk. Shh. It's alright."
Karkat did not seem to stop, nor weaken his struggle.
"Karkat." Sollux had called soothingly.
This was the first time Sollux had spoken his first name fully. And apparently Karkat realized that as well, as he slowly stopped trying to kick and hit his way out.
He finally sat in the other's lap, Sollux's legs pulled around him. Tears streaked his face, as he tried to convince Sollux to release him.
"Just let me go.. Let me jump. It's what they want to see." He tried to persuade, without any success.
"Just let me... Just.. Surrender."
Sollux gripped him tighter, eventually crying himself.
Karkat's voice grew softer.
His breaths grew slower.
His eyes grew heavier.
He fell asleep in Sollux's arms.
