Red [A Karezi Fanfic]

Dinner

Karkat cleared his throat, the air turning thick and his sweater suddenly becoming too suffocating. Terezi nudged his leg under the table, nodding her head once.

Great, everyone has their shit together except me.

He stared at his brother, who simply looked at him, expression hard to read.

Other things in the room seemed more interesting, like the dim glow of the candles in the middle of the dining table and the crappy table cloth that you'd probably buy off of a shady vintage thrift store. He ignored Latula's pointed look full of expectations and Mituna's impatient grumble, barely audible. But to Karkat, he could hear the washing machine beeping from the downstairs laundry room. Everything moved in slow motion and he wished he could think of a good fake name at a time like this, but he knew that would only create more of a mess. His throat was dry and his voice was hoarse when he finally spoke up. His father for some reason was patiently waiting, much to the latter's frustration.

"My name's Karkat, Karkat..." He took a pause, looking at his brother as if waiting for another nudging look. But all he got was that same unreadable expression, he grimaced.
"Vantas." The noirette cringed, scrunching his face up as if flinching, eyes squeezed shut in hopes he wouldn't see what would happen.
But in the end he did, peek one eye open in absolute confusion.

The thick silence was broken by a low and merry laughter by the man at the end of the table, leaving shocked and wide eyed looks his way.

"You're an absolute hit, buddy!" He tapped the table several times as he chuckled.
"Really, how did you even know my son's name? You're weird with jokes, my friend."

Kankri was supposed to let breath out of relief, but his air cut short as he stared at his father with utter disbelief.
"Father." The eldest Vantas looked at his eldest son, smile on his lips.
"He isn't kidding. That's Karkat." His voice was hard to decipher too, it was a series of negative emotions trying to be supressed.

As for the younger Vantas, he sat there. Frozen. Shocked. Offended. Plenty of other things he liked to mention. Upset. Angry. Possibly ready to leave this place now.
His father sat at the other side, freezing midway from clapping his son on the back.
"Kankri? You're in this too? I thought you didn't like jokes about your younger brother. I even feel bad for laughing, but I feel like humoring the kid."

"I'm not kidding. Why would I be kidding." The youngest Vantas finally spoke up, Latula's head whipped over to him, trying to find a way to calm the situation down. Terezi hadn't moved an inch as of now, but hung her head low, listening.

All attention was on Karkat again.
"Well, my son has been gone for years now, and he suddenly appears? It's impossible, an absolute joke, now that I think about it, it's not too funny." He rubbed the scruff on his chin as if thinking, looking up at the ceiling all while still keeping up a pleasant mood of his own. Karkat stared at him in disgust.

"You think this is a joke? I'm really trying here. Thanks for nothing, dad."

"Hey, I'm leaving you with a warning, I'm keeping my cool and treating this lightheartedly. I don't just let anyone joke about my missing son." Mr.Vantas had suddenly switched moods, that for some reason, not phasing Karkat at all.
"Oh, so now you care?! Where the hell were you when I was kicked out, huh?" He stood up, hands slamming on the table.
"Karkat, please-" Kankri stood up too, inbetween his family as the eldest Vantas stood up to match Karkat.
"Who told you he was kicked out?"
This made Karkat scowl, about to throw a counter attack, when someone had finally raised her head.
"He's not joking okay? What kind of father doesn't recognize his son?!" The strawberry blonde yelled, face pointed at the scented candles. Latula dropped her fork onto the plate, making a loud clatter.
"Terezi Pyrope!" She demanded, voice cold unlike her usual enthusisatic chatter. Terezi cringed under her sisters glare.
"I don't see the problem here, he's your son, just accept it, you selfish defect." Mituna butted in, venom filled voice and the opposite of how he was minutes ago. Kankri hissed at him under his breath as his retort was ignored. Karkat and Mr. Vantas stared each other down from across the table.
"How are we so sure, huh?"
"What, do you want a DNA test? I look like you! I have the same hair as you and the same freaking eye color!" Karkat raised his voice, yelling between gritted teeth. He gripped a fistful of his hair, glare piercing. His father's look however was that of an angered wolf, biting and cold, Karkat felt uncomfortable under it but was too angry to tell.
Terezi seeped lower into her chair as her sister glared her down through her red rectangular glasses. It wasn't like Latula at all, but you could tell she didn't like doing it.
Kankri was fumbling, scolding Mituna for making such a rude retort and trying to buffer between his father and his brother. "Can we all just please sit down?" Kankri pleaded, one hand was extended over to Karkat, a motion to stay put. The other hand mirrored his other as his father was at the opposite end. His head was ducked to become eye level with Mituna as he scolded him and his eyes for once, intensified with frustration.

It was silent, but Mr.Vantas was the first to move.
"I think I'm just going to call it a day." He tucked in his chair, Kankri watching him leave.
"The joke is no longer funny. You kids can stay here, but next time, watch your mouths." His voice was cold, deadly as his marching footsteps silenced once he reached upstairs. Kankri exhaled, dropping his hands.
"Take a seat, Karkat." He sighed, sitting himself down. The teen gave up, sinking into his chair and pulling his knees up, refusing to eat although nobody was making him.
"Please overlook this, I'm sure many things were said that were not meant to be said. Karkat," He looked over to his brother. "I apologize on his behalf, he doesn't really have any experience with parenting."
"I wouldn't call this parenting though, it's more like socialization and cooperative abilities."The older sibling chuckled bitterly, picking his fork up.
A wave of silence passed over them.
"Terezi." Latula had said, voice strained and less angry, Terezi flinched, putting the fork she gripped under the table and clinking it onto her plate.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." Her voice was quiet and forced, like it was on the tip of her tongue and choked out because of guilt. Her sister sighed.
"Just don't do it again, sis. It's their business." She sounded that of a mother, right after finishing an argument. That cleared up a bit of the air.
"But, isn't that sort of unfair?" The strawberry blonde spoke up again, her sister looked at her pleadingly.
"Drop it, Terezi. It won't help." Her younger sister twiddled her thumbs in response.

"Karkat, I can try talking to father." The noirette scoffed.
"Like that'll help." His brother tilted his head, looking through him.
"It's worth a try, go get some rest, okay?" He shooed him away, the teen standing up and shuffling through the hall.
"I'll be up in a minute, Karkles." Terezi called back, her voice tired. He didn't respond, not really needing to, and dragged himself to their room.

Once there, he collapsed onto the bed, tired and sore.
For the first time in a long while, he really felt like crying.

W|N I hope you guys know the alternate title for this chapter was 'Vantas Square Off  ft.The Pyropes' I felt like changing it to a more serious one tho. The whole argument scene moved faster, but it moved slower cause the dialogue was scattered, many things happening it once. I'm not use to this much chaos in a scene, so it's pretty weird. Anyway, thanks for reading ;)
Anyone watch the Yuri on ice episode 7??? Yurio is such a sweetie but I'm dying because of makkachin :(