Kiss
"You want her to stay?" Karkat stared at Rose as though she had reported her desire to bomb China. "We don't have any spare rooms. And even more so, she literally fucking maimed our friends. Feferi hasn't been back to normal in days. Not to mention fucking Gamzee. Even more so-"
"Then we'll have her get her own place." Rose cut him off impatiently. "But there are more coming. And besides, we're all Ecto-Freaks, right? Should we not stick together?"
"I hear you, I get it." Karkat sighed. "But you lost an eye. Gamzee lost his mind. Feferi's terrified. I really don't think our group is mentally stable enough to handle it right now."
He was being irrationally reasonable for a Monday afternoon, fresh out of work. Normally he wouldn't even want to hear the sound of a bird's song this time of day. Nepeta described it as his witching hour, the hour in which he was most furryous. Terezi described it as just typical Mr. Leaderpants. To Rose, it was Monday.
"We need to get her back on her feet, at the very least. Please, let her stay."
"She's another mouth to feed."
"She's broke. Homeless. Never worked a day in her life."
"She needs to take care of herself."
"She needs our help." In her frustration Rose remained calm, arms politely resting on Karkat's computer desk, her hands folded. Karkat's face was getting red, his patience draining away.
"Fine." He caved. "Let her stay. But I want her OUT by this coming week. OUT."
"That's unreasonable."
"That's my final offer."
Rose briskly left Karkat's room, passing angrily through the hallways and slipping down the stairs like water down the drain. She knocked on the basement door, two swift raps, followed by a 'come in'. "Meenah." Rose addressed the braided girl, who lay on her back tapping at a cell phone.
"Sup."
"Come with me." She snatched Meenah's wrist, lifting her to her feet.
"Water you doing?"
"We're getting you a social security number." Rose dragged her upstairs. "With that you can get a bank account and get a job and then apply for a loan and get an apartment."
"Whoa, whoa, slow down there, lil fishy." Meenah stopped. "I'm gonna have to do paperwork?"
"Yes."
"I'm out. Boosh."
"Oh, no you're not!" Rose stopped her. "You have to do this, Meenah. Karkat wants you up and out by next week. And all your friends."
"Fuck that."
"Do you WANT to starve on the streets?"
"No."
"Then hurry up and follow me!"
"Fine!" Meenah groaned. That is, until the gears in her head began grinding and a grin stretched across her face. A lightbulb flashed over her head. "One one condition."
"What now?"
"I want everyone." She grinned. "To take a trip. To Six Flags Over Georgia."
Six Flags Over Georgia is, and has always been, the highlight of many an Atlanta kid's childhood days. With its rollercoasters zipping around and it's brilliant rides and restaurants, the theme park is a dazzling experience for men, women and those inbetween of all ages. Of course, no ride in the park can compare to the majesty of the pride of the show, the crown jewel of SFOG, the Goliath! With its swoops, sweeps and corkscrew turns, the Goliath is a high-flying ballet of the body, a masterpiece of modern machinery, a symphonic song of screams and squeals, echoing for miles and miles beyond the park and out onto the highway.
The Goliath was all Horuss could think about these days. Since leaving his home in the facility and having the sudden realization that he was free, the Goliath was the star of the show in the dance of his mind. He thought about it day in and day out. How fun it would be to board that masterful contraption! How interesting it is! How do the gears turn and the switches flip that make it go the way it goes? How indeed! But how, he wondered even more, am I ever going to board such a thing?
Meenah was how.
She and all the rest essentially owed him one for removing all the chips lodged in their spines and for building them cell phones resembling an iPhone. And since he had blabbered on endlessly about the majesty of the Goliath, she thought maybe she ought to pay him back.
So that Wednesday, after much begging and blackmailing. Rose and all the rest caught taxis to the park. Meeting them would be, essentially, their parents.
"Equius!" Nepeta purred excitedly that Tuesday. "I can't wait to meet my big sister! I bet she's really purritty! Aren't you excited to meet your big brother?"
"Not as much as you, but I am looking forward to it. It should be interesting." He said calmly, taking Nepeta's tiny paw in his great hoof. Nepeta giggled as butterflies are at her insides. Maybe, she thought, this is the right time to tell him? They're alone in Nepeta's bedroom now. No one can see them. What would it matter? But what would Equius think! What then? No! She decided, I have to tell him now! If not now, then when? She bit at her lip. She opened her mouth and made at doing, by it was only a squeak. She tried and tried to make the words come out, but they were far too afraid to leave her throat. Wait! She shut her mouth. Equius was saying something.
"Nepeta," he clenched her hand, "I have been meaning to ask you about something...serious...and for this purpose I will ask you not to make any cursed cat puns. Excuse my vulgarity." He was sweating rivers down his face. Nepeta looked at him with big eyes. "I...wanted to know if..."
"I've been wanting to tell you something, too!" Nepeta blurted. He stopped.
"Okay then. You first."
"No, no, you go!"
"I insist."
"I insist harder!"
"U-um, fine then." He looked away. "Nepeta, would you be okay with...how to put this...not being moirails anymore?"
Nepeta's eyes widened. "What?"
"I mean, we've been moirails for as long as I can remember, and-"
"But I thought you loved being meowrails!"
"I do...I mean, I did...but I don't really...um-"
"This isn't what I was expecting." Nepeta pulled her paw away.
"Well, what were you expecting?"
"Oh, I don't know, for you to want to be matesprits?" Nepeta blurted out before she should stop herself. Realizing her hideous mistake she covered her mouth and blushed insanely, but the words had been said and there was no going back now.
"What?"
"U-uh, I...I didn't mean that, I-" Nepeta stammered. "E-er...er...I meant that I...uh..."
"I wasn't aware of your red feelings."
"Like hell you weren't." And bam, knife in the back. Standing in their open doorway was Meenah- a huge grin on her face. "Everyone was aware of those-" she squinted her eyes- "red feelings."
"Meenah." He growled, standing up tall and looking down on her. "This is a private conversation, and I would very much like it if you didn't interfere." His height didn't bother her.
"Uhh, why so sweaty?" Meenah giggled. "Somebody nervous?"
"My perspiration issues are none of your business."
"Ooh, defensive, are we?"
"Meownah, purrease." Nepeta whined sadly. "I don't feel good, please don't be mean..."
"You've taken ill?" Equius turned to her. "Nepeta, are you okay?"
"Oh, now you care about her? Cmon, man, you crushed her."
"Like I said, this is a very private conversation and-"
"Blah blah blah bitch bitch bitch, will you please just cut the crap already?"
"I will not have you use such vulgarity in my presence-"
"Vulgarity, what do you mean, vulgarity?"
"The words you said only a moment ago. Vulgarity."
"Oh, you mean bitch? Biiiiiiitch, bitchbitch, bitchy bitch bitch bitch!"
Nepeta vomited to shut them up.
"Nepeta!" Equius exclaimed, dropping down before her. "Meenah, go get Karkat, get someone to help her."
"Go away." Nepeta whimpered.
"Huh?"
"Go away!" She cried. "You think you're so much better than everyone else, huh? Go away! Get out of my room! I don't need you to take care of me anymore! I can take care of myself, starting right now!" She stood up too fast and fell right back down, blacking out on the ground.
"Nepeta, are you awake?" Equius's voice sounded softly in her ears. The kitten blinked open her eyes, looking around sleepily to find herself still in her room. She felt horribly ill. Standing by her bed was- oh, God. Equius.
"Equius?" She whimpered.
"There you are." He smiled, gently resting a hand over her forehead and smoothing down her hair. "How do you feel?"
My head hurts, she thought. My tummy aches. My heart hurts. I'm sad. She said nothing aloud- only shutting her eyes tight as to not let him see her tears. She shifted away from his hand.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Nepeta." He sighed, sitting down against her bed, leaning up to her. She snuggled under the covers, fighting back her rejection tears. "It wasn't my intent, I-"
"Please go away." She sniffled.
"Nepeta, I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't know you felt that way about me and I-"
"Go away!"
"You're not letting me finish, I-"
"I said go away, I don't wanna let you finish!"
Equius sighed, resting his head in his arms, his elbows on his knees. Nepeta had never felt this horrible. She hadn't ever treated her best friend like this. But even he didn't want to be friends anymore. What had she done to deserve this? What did she do to him? Why is he doing this to her? Why is she doing this to him? Why couldn't she have just gone first and told him how she felt.
"Please, let me tell you what I wanted to." He said softly. Nepeta started crying. "Please don't cry. This really isn't how I pictured this going."
"I-If I le-let you say wha-what you wa-wanted to...will you p-please just go away?" Nepeta sobbed quietly.
"If that's what you want."
"H-Hurry u-up, then."
"I...I feel the same way about you."
"Huh?"
"I...I always have and I really didn't think that you did the same for me. I thought that I was just a friend and...I don't know. I didn't know how to tell you."
"S-so why did you not want to be my friend anymore?"
"Because I didn't I see our...relationship...really going anywhere else."
"So you broke it off?"
"I'm sorry, Nepeta, I'm sorry." He sighed. "I'll leave now." He stood up and crossed the room. Just as his hand touched the doorknob-
"Wait. Come back." Nepeta whimpered. He turned his head. Nepeta reached out a hand. He smiled softly and walked back, taking her hand in his. She started to cry again. Equius skillfully scooped her petite body up and hugged him close to his near-bare chest, her head pressing into his shoulder. He sat on the edge of her bed and rocked her softly and sweetly, kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry, Equius, I didn't mean it at all." She sniffled, her tears soaking into his arms. He stroked the hair on the back of her head.
"It's okay. It's okay." He promised her, his lips close to her ear. Nepeta leaned up and kissed him close to his mouth. He gently removed her mouth from his face and kissed her lips, as softly as he could manage. She kissed him back weakly, her hands entangling with his hair. He let his hands slip up and down her back, feeling her body under her clothes, carefully avoiding anywhere too intimate. She gratefully held him around the neck, her tears drying, a smile on her face. And for seemingly the first time in this entire fucking story two characters enjoyed an intimate, private moment together of absolute perfection, with no one watching them and no one to care.
I'm being serious.
Though this story seems to be filled with misfortune and violence, and though I separate my characters from one another and pain their hearts, I have decided to grant a royal exception and let Equius and Nepeta share their embrace in peace, privacy, and perfection.
End of act two. :)