I'll lay beside you till the end

Chapter Seventeen

Dave sat in the rocking chair in a new room. A cradle to the right of him and toys strewn acrossed the ground. In Dave's arms was a bundle of blankets as he rocked back and forth, the only sounds in the room was the soft rocking of the chair, piano music that John recorded for him and the soft gasps of a sleeping being. Karkat slowly opens the door to the room and smiles softly at Dave. Dave looks up from the bundle in his hands and can't help but smile back at his husband.

Slowly karkat picks up the toys a d puts them away quietly as Dave stands up. He sets the bundle into the crib and turns on the mobile. The little planet toys of Derse, prosit, and Skaia turn in a slow circle above the cradle. Karkat comes over and intertwines his hands with his husbands as he looks down into the cradle. There in the cradle lies an infant that can be no older then two years old.

His skin is a light grey and has two candy corn colored horns on his head. Both very short, one pointed while the other is bent inwards. The child's hair is just starting to grow in more and more, blond sprouting on his head. The infants eyes were closed, sleeping peacefully to the sound of the sweet music. Both Dave and karkat knew they didn't need their child's eyes open to see the beautiful red orbs that he got from both of his parents.

Karkat ended up having their son in December. He was born very small for a grub at first but soon grew out of that grub stage quickly. They brought him home the moment they could and kept him a secret from everyone except their friends. They want to keep Rayven away from the world for as long as possible. Ah yes the child's name, Rayven Strider is what they named their son.

Dave and karkat walked out of their sons room quietly and shut the door behind them before heading down the hall to their room. Dave was able to get two better jobs so that they could move out of the other place and into something better. Both of them basically became work ahollics to make sure their son had everything he needed. Their friends came over here and their to help watch their son while they were at work. They loved coming over to see Rayven, he was very well behaved.

It was one of Dave's rare nights where he didn't have to work so he got to sleep in the same bed as his husband at the same time. These nights were special to Dave, he got to spend time with his son and his husband for as long as he liked.  He crawled into bed with Karkat and pulled him close to spoon him. Dave never wore his shades around the house, he didn't need to. He knew he would never have to hide his eyes from his son and his husband ever.

Three years later a young boy turned four. He sat in the living room with his dads playing with his toys. Dave and Karkat cuddled one another as they watched the TV and their son play. A Christmas tree up in the corner of the living room with a few presents under neath. The young blond troll turned to his fathers and smiled softly as he crawled over to them on his knees.

"Daddy father can I open one present please?" Dave raised an eyebrow and karkat opened his mouth to reject but is stopped by a pair of big red eyes, the eyes of his father Dave. "Its Christmas eve, just one present." Karkat looked over at his smirking husband before giving into his son. "Fine but only one."

The young boy jumped up and hugged both of his parents before rushing over to the tree. "One Rayven! If I see you open two or more so help me I will shove my foot up your-" karkat his stopped by a cand clasping his mouth shut. Babe not in front of the kid. We can't go teaching him bad words to share with his friends when he gets into school.

Karkat crosses his arms and glares at Dave. "And how old were you when you learned cuss words?" About Rayvens age but oh the hell I paid for that shit. I was a cool kid in the kids eyes but my brother a bad parent in others eyes. Karkat chuckled and got up taking Dave's empty mug and his.

"Want some more egg not douchebag?" Yes I do, thank you very much. "Daddy whats a douchebag?" Something you call someone your close to or someone you don't like. "You like father dont you?"

Karkat looked between his husband and son, Dave keeping his ruby eyes in his husband. Yes I do Ray, with all my heart. There will never be a day I won't stop loving you babe. "And I the same nooksniffer." Dave smiles as Karkat disappears into the kitchen and Dave focuses in Rayven.

Rayven grabs the biggest present he can find and starts opening it. He is met with a electric piano key board with a mic and more. "Oh thank you thank you thank you daddy and father!" Rayven runs over to Dave and gives him the biggest hug he can. Your welcome little man.

Dave watches as he nearly tackles Karkat and almost spills the drinks. Karkat smiles and picks up his son after setting the cups down and twirls Rayven in the air. Rayven loved to sing and he was good at it at his age. He also wanted to learn how to play the piano and other instruments as well. It was a lot of money even with John and Jakes help but they managed it.

Dave watched as Karkat played with Rayven in the kitchen, twirling him around a little and tickling him. Dave loved seeing this side of Karkat, it was a side of his husband he got to see when he is truly happy. If Dave could he would stay in this moment forever but he can't. Instead he takes out his phone and snaps a quick picture of them both to keep the memory forever. Karkat put Rayven down and smiled as the young boy went back to his new present.

What Dave didn't seem to notice as his eyes followed Rayven was that Karkat leaned back against the counter with a hand to his chest. Pain rippling across his face as he gripped his sweater. With reluctance Karkat pushed off the counter and grabed the drinks and headed back into the living room with a smile on his face. Like nothing had happened a second ago.

Later that night Karkat came down stairs after putting Rayven to sleep. He snuck up behind his husband and wrapped his arms around him as he did the dishes. Dave finished up and dried of his hands as he turned around and pulled Karkat into a proper hug. They danced in a slow movement to the sound of nothing. Losing themselves in the moment.

After what seemed like forever Dave stopped and pulled away gently. He smiled down at karkat as he pointed up in a silent gesture. Karkat looked up to find a mistletoe above them in the arch way of the kitchen. Karkat couldn't help but shake his head as he grabbed Dave by the collar of his red sweater and pulled him into a deep passionate kiss.