Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/569240.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      F/F, F/M, M/M, Other
  Fandom:
      Homestuck
  Relationship:
      Dave_Strider/Karkat_Vantas, Dave_Strider/Original_Male_Character, Rose
      Lalonde/Kanaya_Maryam, Dave_Strider/Terezi_Pyrope_(Moirailship), More_to
      come
  Character:
      Dave_Strider, Karkat_Vantas, Rose_Lalonde, Original_Troll_Character(s),
      Original_Male_Character, The_aren't_actually_that_important_tho, More_to
      come_-_Character
  Additional Tags:
      SlaveStuck_AU, Post_SBURB, Winning_the_game, Many_tags, Pretty_much
      everything, OC's_being_anyone_other_than_canon_characters_who_screws_with
      Dave, Interesting, ...I_hope, Don't_Like_Don't_Read, Some_Major_Character
      Deaths, but_only_in_first_chapter, Oh_yeah_and_SexSlave!Dave_is_the
      second_and_thirdish_chapters, Maybe_later_ones_too, idk_-_Freeform, Might
      add_more_tags_later
  Stats:
      Published: 2012-01-01 Updated: 2013-01-24 Chapters: 2/? Words: 10842
****** Never the Safe Haven ******
by sabertoothshadow
Summary
     Dave thought that when the game was over it'd be some sort of safe
     haven. He's probably never been more wrong in his whole life.
     (I know its basic but I don't wanna give anything away :P)
Notes
     That you John Doe (As thats what I promised to credit you as) for
     your help with the ideas for this!
     This is why I love troll play guys
     Also if anyone could teach me how to use the colors on here I'd be
     grateful.
***** Waking up at the end *****
Dave looked around and saw the mess around him.  Terezi lay dead, only a few
minutes ago that had happened, Kanaya lay dead, being one of the first to die,
Mayor was surronded by the remains of can town, his shash covered in blood.  He
was also dead.  But the one that brought tears to his eyes wasn't John, who had
died heroicly.  Wasn't Jade, who had died trying to protect Aradia.  Wasn't
Dirk who had died protecting Jake, a heroic death that killed his brother.
 Wasn't even the amount of blood on his own top and sword.  No, it was the dead
body of the troll before him.  The troll that died protecting him.  The troll
he had fallen in love with.
 
"Damn it!"  He cursed.  Karkat had died moments earlier and the death of his
boyfriend had sent Dave into a fit, landing the final strike.  Karkat's death
had saved them.  But that didn't make Dave feel any better about his death.
 
Rose moved over to him, placing a hand lightly on her brothers shoulder.
 
"Dave, come on, we need to end this.  Please."  She said, Dave shook his head,
he didn't want to leave Karkat, never wanted to leave the troll who he held
tightly in his arms right now.  Never wanted to let go of him.
 
"Dave, Karkat would want you to go, he'd want you to be happy, and alive.  You
need to come with us."  Rose said, Dave looked over at her.  Their wasn't many
of them left.  Just Dave, Rose, Jake and Sollux.  There was also 4 doors.
 Yellow, like Sollux's blood.  Forest Green, Like Jake's eyes.  Lavender like
Rose's eyes and Red like Dave's. Reductally, after what seemed like hours, Dave
let go of Karkat, getting up.  Sollux went into his door first, then Jake and
then Rose.  Dave took one last look around.  
 
Terezi, with her love for dragons and red chalk, was in the middle of a teal
pool.  Dirk, with his heroism and love of computers, lay dead.  Aradia, his
fellow timeplayer was dead for the millionth time but this time was the last
one.  Jane sat with her fork stabbed though her shoulder, bullet holes in her
chest.  Roxy sat next to her, Dave recalled that she'd tried to save Jane by
pulling her away, but she wasn't quick enough and ended up being shoot a
hundred times.  Gamzee lay almost unreconizeable with how many bulletholes he
had.  He looked over them all.  The trolls from the other session were all died
to, all the ghosts had been wiped out completely by now.  Calliope had taught
the humans how to kill Lord English and, eventually, it had worked.  But not
without great sacrifices, Calliope being one of those sacrifices.   Dave let
his eye's look over Karkat's body one more time.  The troll had pushed Dave
away when Dave had safed Rose.  Karkat knew Dave's death would have been
heroic, so he died so that Dave didn't have to.  Dave knew he'd have done the
same thing, but that didn't make Karkat's death any easier.  
 
After a few moments Dave reductedly turned from the scene, opening his door.
 His eyes were blinded by a white light and he shut his eyes tightly at the
sudden light.  When he opened them he wasn't infront of a red door on a meteor
full of dead friends anymore.
===============================================================================
 
Instead he was in some room.  Dave looked down, discovering he was no longer in
his god teir PJs.  Instead he was wearing his old record shirt and black jeans.
 
"What the fuck...?"  He wondered aloud.  He looked around and he was in his old
room only something was different.
 
Dave walked over and looked out the window.  No, he wasn't in Texas at all.
 Instead he was in the middle of no where in a same town.  The had three other
buildings in it.
 
"I need to find out what the fucks going on here."  He muttered to himself,
looknig around for his phone.  He knew he had to have one.  What kind of 16
year old doesn't have a fucking phone? Where is this damn phone he knows he has
an ipone somewhere around here, he has to ha- oh, there it is.  Dave picked up
the familiar object, quickly locating pesterchum, glad it still existed.  He
checked his online list but no one was on.  With a sigh Dave clicked on Rose's
chumhandle.
-turntechGodhead [TG] started pestering tentacleTherapist [TT]-
TG: sup rose
TG: guess it worked, we won.
TG: lucky us, suriving hell and coming here
TG: so, where the fuck is here?
 
That should do it, now all Dave had to do is wait for Rose to get on.  In the
mean time he figured looking around couldn't do any harm.  He opened the door
to his bedroom, walking out and looking around.  It looked pretty much the same
as his and Bro's old apartment...
Bro.  Maybe, just maybe he was here, alive.  Maybe Dave was lucky for once in
his shitty life and Bro had come back. 
 
Dave looked around the apartment looking for any sign that his older brother
was alive, apart from the smuppets and shitty swords on the floor.
 
Then he found it.
 
A note.
 
On the fridge.
 
'working late kiddo,
gotta get those bitches when they aren't expecting it.
And no one expects a Strider coming up their ass.'
Bro's hand writing.  Bro was fucking alive.  Dave couldn't be happier...
actually he could.  He definatly could.  But maybe if Bro was back then Karkat
was too.
Maybe.
 
===============================================================================
Dave spent the next ten minutes checking out this town.  No one seemed to be
home and it really didn't take that long to see everything.  It appeared there
was only oneother house that people lived in there and Dave wondered who it
could be that is his neighbor.  One of the other houses was a farm-like place,
with plants and a few animals and shit.  The blonde wondered why it was inside,
in such a small building to.  He looked sadly at the pumkins that grew.  They
reminded him of Jade.
 
The other building was a gym, Dave assumed thats where he and Bro must strife.
 It also had a few targets that looked like they'd been shot alot, there was a
rack of guns and a rack of swords to one side but that was pretty much it.  It
reminded Dave of Jake and Dirk and the blonde he decided he couldn't exactly
deal with all these reminders of people who he saw die so he fgured he'd be
fine if to go for a walk in the forest, after all it couldn't be that bad to
wonder around or anything.
 
He had made it about three metres when his phone bepped.
TT: Why hello Dave, I am glad it is finally the you I know.  Not the Dave who
was used to this world.</font>
TG: oh sure, lets play the game 'confuse the confused cool kid even more then
he already is and give me no explantions at all' </font>
TT: I was getting to the explanation if you would be patient for a moment dear
brother.
TT: It appears we 'woke-up' as ourselves from this new world that we created.
 I know this from both the fact that it is obvious and the fact that, well, I
still happen to have my godly amount of knowledge.
TG: wow that was lame rose
TG: i have never read such a lame pun
TT: I asure you no pun was intended.
TG: it was still there tho
TG: and it was still lame as hell
TT: Do you want to know what happened or should I just leave to your imaginary
puns?
TG: im good
TG: explation shit to me
TT: Alright then.
TT: It seems that I arrived one this new world a week or so before you did, and
as such had to spend a week or so talking to this version of you that had no
clue about the game or anything of what we had done.  Had I not discovered
Sollux and Jake I might have believed that I may be the only one who knew of
our Sbrub session.
TT: Of course by 'may' I mean I wouldn't have believed such a thing.
TT: As the Seer of Light I was given a knowledgeable run down of this new
planet and all our parts in it when I awoke.
TT: Although I can't say we still have our God Tier powers to such an extent as
we did before.
TG: okay then how comes bros alive again tho?
TT: What, you didn't wish your brother was alive?
TG: you know what i mean
TT: Yes, I do.
TT: And I can answer it too.
TT: It would seem that both our gaurdians are once more alive in this universe,
but I know for a fact that Mom has no knowledge of Sbrub or her dying and so
have reason to believe that neither does your Bro.
TT: What did confuse me though is that Jake is still a 16 year old.  At first I
believed this was just because he was the only one from the Ahpla session to
survive but I have come across some information that pretty much throws that
thoery out the window.
TG: what kind of information?
TT: I found us.  Both of us.
TT: Apperently we were pretty important in this world, or atleast the Aphla
versionsof us were.  Until we were killed that is.
TT: Up until that point we were pretty much the unstopable pair.
TT: According to the research I have been doing our Aphla version raised my Mom
and your Bro until they were roughly thirteen, as thats when they died.
TT: When I asked Mom about it she said that she named me after my 'grandma'
Rose.
TT: I assume its the same with you and your Bro.
TG: so your saying that the me from dirk's session was bad ass enough in this
world to raise bro and to get bro to give me his name?
TT: I suppose you could say it that way.
TG: so what is it that we exactly did?
TT: I can't be that sure, the details aren't anywhere and Mom doesn't seem to
remember anything or enjoy talking about it.
TT: But we kicked ass, and were some sort of hope for the human race.
TT: I do know we started the colonies that we both live in though.
TG: and we're back to playing the confused the cool kid game again.
TG: whatever, just tell me, what about the troll?
TG: *trolls
TG: i meant trolls
TG: don't you dare think into that any futher than a typo
TT:  I know what you are getting at Dave.
TT: So I should warn you that it is much to late for that.  I already started
reading into that the moment I read it.
TT: As I have with every other word you have writen.
TT: I know you are having an urgeny for me to tell you what I know about what
happened to Karkat, but the truth is that I truely have no clue.
TT: Although I assume he is alive on this new planet as I've been talking with
John and Jade quite often since I got here.
TG: so hes alive?!
TG: thank every fucking hero of life and space and fucked up reality.
TG: do the others remember?  if they do karkles probably does and that means i
can just pester the fuck out of him the next instant hes on.
TT:  I do suggest that you find out for yourself, although I do not suggest
pestering Karkat, or trying to meet up with the troll.
TG: why the hell not?
TG: hes my boyfriend rose
TG: i thought you and kanaya were the ones who were perfectly okay with that.
TG: even though gamzee wanted to fucking kill me for it because he doesn't like
it
TG: or rezi being unsure that karkles actually liked me or was trying to get
her jealous
TG: she really needed to get over herself on that on
TG: seriously
TG: but anyway, you and kanaya were the ones who said you were happy for us
TG: in fact i even remember you said it was about time
TG: now here you are telling me not to see him or talk to him, what the fuck
rose?
TT: Well, you see, trolls aren't actually on good stands with humans at the
moment.
TG: what are you talking about?
TT: Dave, the colonies are for humans trying to escape the reach of trolls.
TT: They came a while ago, humans and trolls were instantly in war and its
lasted 23 odd years.
TT: And it can barely even be called a war anymore.
TT: Humans are on the run Dave.
TT: Trolls have almost completely taken over Earth.
TT: We were the ones that were like humanities beacon of hope because we, as
you say, fucked shit up.
TT: When we went missing humans pretty much asconded from the battle.
TT: Into the colonies like the two we live in, only a lot bigger because we are
pretty much isolated.
TG: ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffFFfffFffffffffffffffff
TT: Dave? 
 
Dave became pretty unable to reply as three adult trolls jumped at him.
 Naturally they missed, Dave was no incompetent fool and was definatly good
enough to be able to dodge a bunch of overweight troll morons like the ones he
was currently seeing.
Okay so only one of them looked overweight but the point that Dave is no shitty
fighter still stands.
So when said overweight troll tried to attack him with his claws Dave
flashstepped out of the way, trying to get his sword out with no results.  None
at all.  
'shit'  Dave thought, dodging again as one of the not-so-fat trolls jumped at
him.  He found himself backed into the over weight one with another running at
him.  Dave waited to the last minute before flashstepping out of the way.  
'mental note these guys are idoits'  He thought as the two smashed into each
other.  Dave was punched in the back by the third troll with enough force to
push him forward and he turned to face the guy that hit him.  According to the
sign on his top he was a blueblood.  Like that Equius guy and his ancestor...
Dave worried that super strength was a trait with all the blue bloods.  If so,
Dave was pretty sure he was screwed.  
 
That was not the case though and Dave found it wasn't that hard to slam the
troll onto the others and they all ended up in a huge black-outed pile.  They
were so bad it was almost ironic.
 
TT: Dave?
TT: What happened?
TG: sorry rose, i was attacked by some trolls
TG: they were so bad it was almost ironic
TG: if thats the kind of trolls that fight in their armies humanity really
sucks at fighting.
TT: ....
TT: I do believe you did not run into a few soilders.                
TG: then who did i run into?
TT: I believe you ran into a few slavers.
TG: a few whats?!
TT: Slavers.  Slaves has always been a thing for trolls and so they will
commonly capture a human and sell them into slavery if need be.
TT: Most of the time it is just whoever they run into by chance.
TT: Although sometimes its planned out for the ones they believe would gain the
best price.
TG: so they randomly bump into me and try to kidnap me?
TG: this world is sounding more fucked up by the second
TT: I won't think it so random Dave.  
TT: Because you are Bro Striders little brother.
TG: so?
TT: Well, Bro and Mom both followed the Aphla versons of us' footsteps.  Bro
even more so.
TT: He's pretty much the most threatening enemy of the trolls at this current
time in history and as such because you are his little brother you are both a
bargaining chip for Bro and would gain the largest price of all humans.  
TT: Expect maybe Bro himself, but if it were possible to catch him he'd be
killed because of his crimes agaisnt the empress.
TT: I myself have received quite a bit of targetting by the slavers although,
as you probably have found, they can be quite stupid so I do doubt that anyone
like us who are trained in the act of agressive or passive-agressive fighting
would be able to be caught.  Even more so considering our history.
TT: Oh yes and, even though I doubt you didn't find this out, they don't have a
Sylladex or even a Strife Deck so don't try to grab your weapons or items from
cards anymore.
TG: yeah i figured
TG: so what youre telling me is to look out for these weak ass slavers because
they will try to kidnap me even though im never gonna have trouble betting
them?
TT: Yes, they may be easy to beat but your going to have to look out for the
troll camps too.  Even though you will be the first to say how good a fighter
you are you would still not be able to fight off a thousand or so trolls.
 
While Dave was reading Rose's huge text wall he hadn't been watchig were he was
walking, having been walking on autopilot and only just looked up at where he
was.
TG: fuck 
TT: Dave?
TG: so rose... i may or may not have just walked into one of those camps you
were warning me about
TG: infact i may or may not be in the smack damn middle of one.
TG: fuck

Dave looked around at the hundreds of trolls that he was surronded by and
decided he was screawed.  All the same he fought off the trolls as they
attacked.  Strider's never go down without a fight.
 
===============================================================================
 
Dave panted as he fought back yet another troll. He must have taken down a
fucking hundread of these and nothing was fucking helping.  There were so many
of them.  He had his phone go off but he didn't have time to check it.  He
kicked away another troll, backing off.  His foot dropped a bit and he realized
that he had reached stairs.  
'fucking stairs'  He thought to himself as he tried to climb down them.  Dave
let out a sigh of relief when he reached the bottom safely, which he realized
was to soon as he backed into a firm body.  Turning he saw it was a girl.  On
her chest was a teal sign that, as he looked at, instantly reminded Dave of a
dragon.  There was red on the tips of her fingers and it reminded Dave of
chalk.
"Rezi."  He muttered.  He knew it wasn't her.  The troll in front of him looked
nothing like her.  All the same Dave found himself thinking of a different
time, spacing out.
 
===============================================================================
 
"Heeey Dave!"  A voice chuckled as a certain pointy horned troll jumped on
Dave's back.  It'd been a will since the blonde had meet his parton troll and
the Strider found himself letting the smallest of smiles grace his lips around
her.  Not like it mattered anyway, Terezi had a nack for smelling his moods.  
 
"Sup Rezi?"  Dave greeted her.
 
"No much~.  Terezi said.  Dave could tell by her cheeky smile she was up to
something.
 
"What are you up to Pyrope?"  He asked.
"No idea what you're talking abut Strider.  Now come on."  Terezi said, pulling
Dave to some place.  As they reached the door to Can Town and Dave walked
through he was overcome by a heck load of falling dragon fucking plush toys.
 
"Rezi!  What the actual fuck?!"  Dave said after letting out a completely un-
Striderlike sheirk.  Terezi on the other hand was laughing her ass off.
 
A good 15 minutes later Dave was out of the pile of plush and instead laying in
it with Terezi.  
 
"You said you were missing your Bro, and I remember you telling me that he used
to cover you in plush rumps."  She explains and Dave rolls his eyes but he
smiles anyway because its Terezi and shes an awesome moirail when it comes to
this stuff.
 
"Thats totally not what I meant by that."  He says.  The two of them have a
feelings jam for hours before both falling asleep on the pile.
 
"Thanks Terezi."  Dave mutters as he drifts off to sleep.  Terezi has never
grinned more.
 
===============================================================================
 
  
 
When Dave was no longer zoned out he looked around to realize he was in a cage.
 "Fucking hell."  He muttered to himself.  Bro would be so ashamed.  Dave was
so ashamed.  He'd let himself be captured over the thought of Terezi.  His
'moirail' as she called it.  Oh god you missed her.  He still remembered when
they'd actually filled the pale quadrant.
 
 
===============================================================================
 
Terezi had come to him crying.  Dave had been alone at the time and was
slightly surprised by the teal tears that spilled for the pointing horned
troll's eyes.  Tear after tear about the game and the friends she'd lost and
the friend she'd killed and how she was too young to be able to take this. How
she didn't know what to do anymore.  How she didn't know how to try anymore.
 Dave shushed her, telling her its gonna be alright and how she doesn't have to
worry, that he's there for her.
 
"H-hey Dave?"  She sobbed.
 
"Yeah Terezi?"  Dave replied.
 
"Will you be my Moirail?"  Terezi asked.  Dave had to think for a moment to try
to remember the conversion he had with Rose about Troll romance.
 
"Yeah, sure."  He answered when her remembered what it meant.
 
"Cool."  Terezi replied, ending up falling asleep in Dave's arms.
 
===============================================================================
 
 
Why haven't he been able to pretect her?  Why had she been so far away?  Why
hadn't he looked a moment earlier?  Wondering why didn't help then and
certianly couldn't help him now.  All the same Dave couldn't help as his mind
wondered off...
 
===============================================================================
 
They were at the final battle.  The very last one.  They would either die now
or win.  Either way the game was ending today.  Dave was panting lightly as he
faught back what was atleast the 7000 imp that had attacked them.  Finally the
last one.  Finally they could move on to the to the real fight.  Lord English.
 They could finally put Calliopes plan into action.  Finally win.  Or die
trying.
 
Dave looked around, he was glad to see the only ones who had died were imps and
doomed Daves/Aradias.  He looked back and could see Lord English, so very
close.  But he didn't move, didn't stop the plan.  
 
That's when he saw the gun in LE's hand.  Thats when he heard the shot as time
slowed down around him, he wished it really had, that way he could have saved
Terezi.  But no.  He saw as Terezi smiled at him, turning to found the bullet
that shot her right though her chest, saw her look of shock.  Watched as Mayor
went to try to help her, only to get shot himself.  
 
Thats when the realy started.
 
===============================================================================
 
Dave didn't cry, although he felt like it.  Didn't cry even though he wanted
to.  That wasn't what Striders did.  Not ever.  Terezi had only seen him cry
once, and that was because he was in a bowl of onions.  The only person who had
seen him actually cry was Karkat.
 
Dave quickly blocked off the thoughts before he could zone out again as some
man with red hair and brown eyes appeared out of no where.
 
"Don't say anything kid, but I'm gonna get you out of here."  The man said.  
 
"Who the fuck are you?!  Quick, get out of here."  Dave muttered back.  Who was
this guy?  Dave could get himself out perfectly fine...
 
Or at least he didn't need want any help, or to endanger anyone else.
 
"I'm Joe.  Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.  I'll get you out and with your
pal soon."  
 
"My pal?  What?"  Dave asked.
 
"The other kid I got out earlier."  
 
"I don't know who that other kid is, just get lost, I'll be fine, run!"  Dave
whispered urgently.
 
"Nah, done this heaps of times, now shut it or we'll get caught."  Joe said.
 
"Heaps of times, huh?  You must be the pain in the ass who keeps taking my
slaves."  A male voice said and Dave looked up to see a indigo blood, a little
more blue than Gamzee, standing there smirking down at them.  Joe seemed
surprised slightly, but ready, grabbing out a knife he fought with the troll.
 It was an amazing effort but Dave didn't think this guy had fought very often
in his life and Dave watched as he was eventually caught, hands behind his ack.
 The indigo blood brought him in front of Dave, smirking darkly.
 
"Watch this boy, this is what'll happen to you if you don't follow your
orders."  He said.  He had the blade of the man's, Joe's, own knife at said
mans neck and Dave's eyes opened slightly as a scream ripped through the forest
and crows scattered everywhere, crowing as they did so.  Had Dave not just seen
some stranger died because of him he may have found it ironic but he couldn't
think that as whatever he had eaten last threatened to come up.
 
 
 
 
***** Chapter 2 *****
Chapter Notes
     There is a little smut in here but not that much
     I am all smut-ed out right now T.T
     Wow I never thought I'd say that.
     Anyway, sorry for the wait but I've made up for it in the fact that
     this some how managed to become A 15 PAGE LONG CHAPTER
     working on the next one as soon as I get home.
Dave blushed darkly as he was pushed into the angry troll in front of him,
turning his head and glaring at Terezi, who giggled and pulled a confused
Kankri away.
 
The Strider wasn’t sure if he should run off, say sorry for running into Karkat
or say ‘your welcome’ for getting Kankri off Karkat’s tail and just walk off.
 
“Hey Vantas, enjoying your dancestor’s rant of nonstop bullshit?”  Dave asked,
he didn’t realize he had spoken until the words hung in the air and there was
no way to reclaim them.  Guess he’ll have to wing it.
 
“Fuck no.  His are fucking worse then your pointless rants of bullshit that
flow through your fucking protein hole with no purpose what so ever.  At least
you know that there is such thing as too fucking much.  I hope to the fucking
greatest of the gods from the furthest fucking ring that we travel through that
I don’t sound like that.”  Karkat groaned, not noticing his own rant.
 
“Heh, yeah, but when you do it it’s cute, besides, you aren’t half as long.” 
Dave said.  Oh shit, he wasn’t meant to say that.  He hoped like hell Karkat
didn’t hear.
 
“My ranting does not make me fucking cute!”  Karkat protested, blushing darkly.
 
“Does too, you’re adorable.”  Dave teased.  ‘Oh my god mouth, stop, stop now.’ 
He thought afterwards.
 
“Fuck you Dave, just because you get to look like a fucking sexy god does not
give you the right to fucking call me cute!”  Karkat said.  Dave’s world froze
at those words.  Karkat had just called him a sexy god.  Dave gathered all the
courage he had and kissed Karkat.  Karkat gasp, this time it was Karkat’s turn
to freeze.
 
‘Change of plans.  Abscond!  Abscond!’  He told himself, pulling away from the
kiss and turn to run off but before he could Karkat grabbed his arm. 
 
“Don’t you dare fucking run off on me, you can’t just kiss and run asshole.” 
He mattered as Dave realized Karkat was hugging him around the waist, holding
the blonde close.  It took Dave a few minutes to collect enough brains to talk.
 
“Really?”  He muttered when he could. 
 
“As real as this fucking hell hole that let me meet you.”  Dave felt a smile
twitch as his mouth.
 
“That was cheesy.”  He teased, feeling Karkat’s face heat up.
 
“I watch RomComs all the fucking time, what did you expect?”  Karkat muttered.
 
“Hmmm, maybe another kiss.”  Dave replied, Karkat rolled his eyes facing Dave. 
Both of them were smiling as they kissed this time.
 
--

Dave knew it was a dream, of course it was a dream.  All the same he woke up in
the cold grey prison he now lived in with an aching feeling in his chest as he
longed to see Karkat again, to feel the trolls lips against his own, but at the
same time he didn’t want to Karkat to see him like this.  As a slave. More
precisely as a sex slave.  Used by anyone and everyone who felt like paying a
fortune for the human hero’s kid brother. 
 
Which was a lot.
 
Dave looked around the grey room, which had been his home for the last 3
months.  The grey always reminded him of Karkat.  He was glad the bed was
white, otherwise he’d feel guiltier about the things that have been done on
it.  He knew his guilt wasn’t right, it wasn’t his fault about what happened,
it was never his fault, he was a slave and this is what happened to most of the
human slaves in troll society, they weren’t good for much else.  But he still
felt ashamed every time.  Still didn’t think he’d ever be able to meet Karkat’s
eyes again.  If he ever saw the troll again that is.
 
Dave looked around the room he’d lived in since this purple blooded had bought
him.  It was grey in color with a white bed, white dresser, white toilet and a
white sink with a white shower for good measure.  Dave didn’t bother getting up
to get something to wear, he already knew all the outfits in the closet, a
purple skimpy as fuck costume that consisted of a pair of way to short short-
shorts and nothing else, than there was what Dave could only call a bikini, a
purple strap of clothing that was meant to be the top and purple swimming
shorts, then there was the red fucking Lolita-style dress he had made wear on
more then one account, the last thing in the closet was the black top and
trousers that he wear when he wasn’t being used as a toy.  Dave hated that too
though because it had his ‘Master’s sign on it.  Currently Dave sat on the bed,
recovering from his dream, wearing the purple pajamas that reminded him so much
of his derse clothes that he couldn’t hate them.
 
Dave was staring at a point in the floor, trying to forget about Karkat for the
day, for an hour or so even, and failing because he just couldn’t forget about
that damn adorable fucking troll that he loves so damn much, when someone
knocked.  Another slave.  The guards don’t knock and his Master rarely came to
the prisons.
 
“Come in, not doing nothing.”  Dave replied to the knock and slowly, nervously,
the door opened.
 
“Uh, h-hello.”  A young troll girl with black hair and not yet colored eyes
said as she entered the room, checking for guards before closing the door
again.  Her horns were much like that of a deer; but it was obvious they had
been blunted.  Dave hated that about troll slaves, they got their horns blunted
so they couldn’t hurt anyone; some of them got their horns cut if they were too
big.  This girl’s pair are pretty small.  
 
Dave remembered the troll, she had been bought at the same auction he had, but
they’d both come from different Masters before that and couldn’t really talk so
he didn’t knew her that well.  She wore a black dress with the Masters symbol
on it, she wasn’t a sex slave, just a normal one.  One of the non-sex slaves. 
Or at least she wasn’t one officially, and her outfit defiantly said she still
wasn’t, it wasn’t skimpy enough, didn’t show everything off enough.  She had
probably never been use for sex before, she was lucky.
 
“What is it kid?”  Dave said, sitting up right.  The girl was couldn’t be over
12.  Still a fucking kid.  Dave felt his hate for the trolls rising again.  He
could understand, somewhat, why humans get this fate, because of the war, but
he couldn’t believe they did it to their own kind!
 
“I uh… found something I think is yours.”  She muttered, making Dave look at
her confusedly, he had to have heard her wrong.  He couldn’t think of anything
he owned anymore.  Then he saw what was in her arms.  Shades.  His fucking
shades.  The ones John had gotten him.  Dave flash-stepped to get them,
instantly regretting it as pain coursed through his body.  The girl jumped
slightly at how fast Dave had moved, but the Strider ignored her reaction and
the pain in his leg and he took the shades, caressing them in his hand for a
moment. 
 
“John.”  He sighed.  He missed his derpy best friend as much as he missed
Terezi, which was almost as much as he missed Karkat.  Dave put the shades on,
feeling slightly better somehow as he did. 
 
“I… uh… saw you wearing them at that auction and I found them when I was
cleaning the other day.”  The girl said.  “Are they special to you mister?” 
 
“Very.  My best friend gave them to me on my 13th birthday, and don’t call me
mister.  Name’s Dave.”  Dave said.
 
“Mine’s Hope.  Um, how old are you now mi-Dave?  If you don’t mind me asking or
anything.”  The girl, Hope, asked.
 
 “I turn 16 tomorrow, you?”  He answered.  He could remember exactly what the
date, time and second was.   It was the 2nd of December, exactly 2 years 7
months 1 week 2 days 3 hours 42 minutes and 46 seconds since he had first
become a sex slave.  Tomorrow would mark his 16th birthday but he didn’t feel
like celebrating it.
 
“I-I’m 5 sweeps.”  Hope answers, she’s even younger then Dave thought, which he
figured after he did the math in his head.  Hope looks slightly uncomfortable
as she stands there, and Dave could tell she was freaking over if one of the
guards were going to come.  Hope had a lot of guts to be able to even come and
give Dave his shades, technically she had stolen them from their Master and
broken the rule of talking to the other slaves to give them to him.  She had
guts, even if she stuttered.  It was a shame to make her a slave; that kind of
bravery could be useful with the ones who were currently trying hard to bring
down the trolls, and Dave doubted Hope wouldn’t want to help them.  For what
had to be the millionth time, Dave wondered how his friends and his brother had
reacted when he went missing… surely they all could guess why, and if not Rose
had to know and have told them.  Dave’s thoughts came to a halt as a silent
alarm went off inside his head.  It was getting near that damn time, the guards
would be at his room soon, no doubt.
 
“You should go kiddo, guards gonna be coming soon and you don’t wanna be caught
here.”  Dave said softly.  Hope nodded, leaving the room.
 
The normal slaves weren’t meant to mix with the sex slaves and vise-versa.  It
wasn’t all that uncommon but if you were caught the price was pretty damn
shitty.  Dave knew that well, he’d had quite a bit of experience with it.
 
Dave had experience with all the rule breakings actually.  All the payback that
he got.  Everything he could do to rebel against the trolls that bought and
sold him.
 
The first thing he’d done, naturally, was try to escape.  The doors opened and
Dave tried to flash-step out.  He hadn’t been able to though, not because he
wasn’t capable of doing so, but because of the damn thing around his leg.  It
stabbed his leg every time he flash-stepped, send an electrical current though
his body and the pain of spikes digging into his ankle.
 
The next time he had tried to sneak out, only to be shot by an even more
powerful electrical current as he tried to leave the building.  The stupid
collar around his neck needing some advanced code to be unlocked or something
and whenever he put in the wrong one the collar burnt his throat.  It was at
times like those Dave wished he had Sollux’s, or Dirk’s or even Roxy’s hacking
abilities.  They’d be out of here easily.
 
Then there was the time he’d tried to hit his last Master.  3 weeks, 2 days, 6
hours, 42 minutes and 7 seconds sent in complete darkness where the only time
he had another living being in there was if they were hitting him or fucking
him.  Dave didn’t understand how Terezi could live her life in that black hell
everyday.  He hated not being able to see anything.
 
If there's a rule, Dave’s broken it.  No matter if he’s been caught or not. 
He’s broken every single rule they’ve given him.
 
He just wished he’d found a way out.  But no, it was made quiet clear at
‘school’ that getting out was impossible.
 
--
 
Dave had been caught for 3 days. 3 days, 2 hours and 43 minutes, before he
started at the ‘school’ for slaves.  He was next to a bunch of other people; a
lot of them gave him weird stares, keeping away from him, muttering amongst
themselves.  A lot of them knew who he was, and if they didn’t they soon found
out.
 
Dave didn’t care that they didn’t talk to him, didn’t give a flying fuck.  He
was to busy trying to come up with escape plans while he was being lectured on
‘how to act’ and all this bullshit he, also, gave no fucks for.
 
“You should listen you know, if you don’t they’ll hit you.”  A girl had said
when she looked over Dave’s shoulder.  “So, you’re the big shot’s brother that
everyone's to much of a pussy to talk to?”  She asked when Dave gave her some
attention.  There were a few mutters from people in the room but a growl from
one of the guards around shut everyone up.  Everyone but Dave and this girl.
 
“You care because?”  Dave said, raising an eyebrow at her.
 
“Cause I’m bored and have nothing else to do.”  The girl replied.
 
“Well, you could pay attention.”  Dave mocked.
 
“Nah, I’ve heard this bullshit too many times, besides, they’d think I was up
to something.  Paying attention is for the morons who have lost all hope and
drive to fight back.”  She said.
 
“Exactly why I’m not paying attention.”  Dave replied, making the girl laugh a
little.  Guards and even some of the other human kids instantly glared at the
two but the girl acted like it wasn’t anything to worry about.  Dave wondered
how long she had been here.
 
“Fair point.  Anyway, nice to meet you Dave, I’m Eva.”  She said, holding out
her hand to shake.  Dave took it in his own, shaking it.
 
“Yeah, you too.  How’d you know my name?”  He asked.
 
“Oh, just from a friend I grew up with.  She told me a lot about you.”  Eva
said, Dave’s internal clock told him ‘school’ would be over soon.
 
“What was this friends name?”  Dave asked.
 
“Tell you later tonight.  What cell number is yours?”  She replied.  Whenever
they won’t in this fucked up system they called a school the slaves were in
prison-like cells, some alone while some in groups.  Dave was one of the few
that were alone.
 
“413.”  Dave said; he had found it kinda ironic at first really.
 
“See you later then.”  Eva said just before the school was dismissed.
 
 
 
The next time Dave saw her was at exactly 08:41 that night.  She had hurried
down the hall and towards his cell and into the empty one next to him that was
unlocked.  Both these cells had a classic old cell feel with cages that had
metal poles in between the two.
 
“Hey.”  Eva greeted hushedly.
 
“Sup.”  Dave replied.
 
“Not much really, just sneaking around.  You?”  Eva shrugged, a smirk on her
lips that made Dave roll his eyes behind his shades.
 
“You gonna explain shit?”  He asked.
 
“I will, I will, geez, straight to the point much.”  Eva said, rolling her
eyes.
 
“Yeah, I feel like Rose.  Just tell me how you know me.”   Dave said.
 
“Cause, Terezi told me.”  Eva answered.
 
“What?!  You know Rezi?!”  Dave asked, absolute shock that was only shown
though his slight rise in voice.
 
“Yep!  We lived in the same colony before I got caught.”  Eva replied.
 
“But she’s a troll.  How the hell does that work?”
 
“There are some colonies that are for just humans, but a couple of them are for
humans and trolls that are against what their race has done and so want to help
the humans.  Terezi was one of those trolls!”
 
“So you knew her?” 
 
“Yep!  She told me heaps about you, like how you’re the absolute coolest and
that you’re smart.  I was actually really surprised when you wound up here,
how’d that happen?”
 
“I was talking to Rose and just happened to walk into a troll camp.  I fought
back of course but it, obviously, wasn’t enough.  Some dude tried to save me,
but he ended up dying.”  Dave muttered; it was pretty obvious he didn’t want to
talk about it.
 
“So the rumors about him were true then.”  Eva said, mostly to herself.
 
“What rumors?”
 
“Oh, there were these rumors that some guy that lost his best friend who was
killed by trolls wanted to screw with them in every way he could, one of those
ways was to release the captives they took.”  Eva shrugged.
 
“Oh.”  Dave replied before he thought for a moment.  “Hey Eva?”
 
“Yeah Dave?”
 
“Did Terezi ever say anything about Karkat?  He’s this short, nubby horned
troll.”  Dave asked, not sure if he was going to like the answer.
 
“Oh!  Yeah, she did mention him.  I think she said something about not having
see him since they were kids, and that she had no idea if he was alive anymore
and it worried her.”  Eva said after a moment.
 
“Oh…  Okay then.”  Dave said; that was a depressing thought.
 
“You never know though!  He probably isn’t dead.”  Eva said, after realizing
how upset Dave was over it.
 
“Yeah… I guess.”  Dave muttered.
 
--
 
Dave shook the thoughts out of his head.  That wasn’t something he should be
remembering.  He wondered where Eva was; he hadn’t seen the girl since she was
finally sold a little while before he was.  Eva had been his first link to the
trolls; she had proved that at least one of them was alive and that maybe
Karkat was too.
 
She was also the person that got him up to date on everything that went on in
slave trade, answered every question he’d asked with a second thought, never
once asked him why he didn’t already know certain things that he was sure he
was supposed to.  She looked out for him, not that he really needed to be
looked out for physically, but mentally she kept him sane.  Kept him from
giving up.  Even after they made him a sex slave she hadn’t turned her back on
him or told him to man up like he thought she would.  She talked him through
it, told him that it wasn’t all that bad, told him why it was better then
normal slaves.
 
She was almost as good at keeping him sane as Terezi, not as good but almost. 
But there wasn’t any point in thinking about that, not a single point at all,
not now that the door open and a glaring troll with a rough face and a scar on
his neck and scrawl on his lips walked in.  He wore the normal guard amour,
black body suit, supposed to be high-tech and almost impossible to penetrate,
and a belt around his waist that stated his blood color, which was blue. 
Trolls didn’t tend to hold any weapons around here.  Their claws and teeth were
enough.  Plus Dave figured they were worried that a slave might steal it off
them and try to fight their way out, not that they could get very far anyway. 
Stupid collars keep anyone from getting too far away.
 
“Get up human.”  The troll said the word with a voice full of hatred and
disgust; although humans were popular by a lot of trolls some of them thought
the other race was disgusting.  Although most of those ones were just jealous
they didn’t have one.
 
“No thanks.”  Dave was in a rebellious mood this morning, his shades giving him
the urge to just fuck with trolls.  He didn’t care if it won’t help, didn’t
care if it would just make things worse; he just wanted to fuck with those that
made his life hell.
 
“Get up you filthy piece of shit.”  The troll growled.  Dave knew it would only
result badly if he didn’t do as he was told, but he didn’t like what was going
to happen to him if he did either.
 
“Rather stay seated, this bed is comfortable.”  He said.  The troll came over
and went to slap across the face but Dave caught his wrist.
 
The logical part of his brain, which he had nicknamed the Rose corner of his
brain, told him that he should stop, but at the same time another logical side
of his brain, nicknamed the Dirk corner, was telling him that he was too far
gone to back down now and he was screwed either way so fuck it.   He listened
to Dirk’s corner.
 
“You little prick.”  The troll guard hissed, pulling Dave’s wrist off him with
a clawed hand, cutting the boy who hissed in reply.  “How dare you deny a
command, you’ll pay for that slut.”  He snapped, clicking a button on his belt,
pain filled Dave as an electric shock was set from the collar around his neck. 
Oh yeah, that's another reason they don’t carry weapons.  They have a little
button that’ll send an electric shock to any one in range with on of these damn
collars.
 
“You’ll come with me or I’m tell the boss about that meeting with your little
troll friend that stole these.”  He said, taking Dave’s shades.  The strider
panicked, on the inside, and grabbed at them. 
 
“I’m going, no fighting back, but leave my shades and Hope alone.”  Dave said,
red eyes glaring at the troll.
 
“I don’t know, seems like too big a deal, I’m getting something I could just
beat into you anyway.”  The troll smirked.
 
“But you’d get in trouble if I was unusable.”  Dave hated that work with a
burning passion; it labeled him as a toy, something to play with before
throwing away.  Which is pretty much what he was. 
 
“Not if I say your were not following orders.”  The troll remarked.
 
“Oh so what happened to that last guy wasn’t actually a thing?  My mistake,
sorry.”  Dave smirked back.  The last time he had been claimed unusable the guy
went missing, completely off the radar.  The troll thought about this for a
moment.
 
“Fine, the lowbloods safe, wont tell anyone about her.”  He finally agreed.
 
“And my shades?”  Dave demanded.
 
“You get them if you do what your told today, no struggling or anything
stupid.  Until then I’ll hold onto them.”  The troll said before smirking
more.  “If you so much as try anything that you know your not meant to, I’ll
break them.”  He said.  Dave thought for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. 
Well, pretending to.  He couldn’t risk losing those shades; they were all he
had left.
 
“Fine, I agree.”  He muttered.  The troll smirked, getting up and Dave followed
after him.
 
--
 
Dave was lead to one of the many rooms he loathed so deeply.  One of the many
rooms he hated.  This was his Masters bedroom.  Dave entered and was greeted by
a smirking fat troll.  He was an over-spoilt purple blood who obviously ate too
much.  Dave remembered when he had asked Eva if trolls really ate humans, she’d
laughed at him and said that no they don’t.  She explained how the chemicals in
their skin and a few other organs were too alike so it had the same effects as
if a human ate another human.  That had settled his fear of being eaten, hadn’t
help anything else though.
 
“Hello David, how are you today pet?”  Dave flinched at the nickname, which
only made the other smirk more.  He didn’t want to answer, but he had to if he
wanted his shades.
 
“Fine.”  He muttered in reply.
 
“Oh well that is a very good thing.”  The man smirked, standing up and walking
over to Dave.  The human made sure he stayed still for the other.  “You should
be in a fine mood for todays activities.”  Dave shivered at the word.  He did
not want this.  Oh god he did not want this.  He wanted it to not happen. 
Wanted it to never have ever happened.  But he didn’t have luck.  He ran out of
it.  He should have know, humans never have all the luck.
 
Lips crash against his own and Dave forces himself to respond, forces himself
to kiss back although it makes him want to be sick.  He hates this man with a
burning passion, and the other knows it too.
 
“That’s right, good pet.”  The man smirked.  Dave glared at the troll whose
horns always reminded him of a devil.  “Now do me a favor and take of that
annoying top of yours.”  He smirked, sitting back on the huge double bed.  Dave
glared at him for a moment, but he knew he had to do what he was told if he
wanted to kept the one thing that reminded him of his friends, of his life.
 
With hesitant fingers he pulled the light material of the purple top over his
head, shaking slightly.  The troll’s smirked widened and he pointed to Dave’s
pants.  Dave didn’t do anything for the moment.  He would be going against so
much if he did that.
 
“Take off you pants pet, I’m pretty certain you’ve been doing this for long
enough that you don’t need me to tell you what you need to do.”  The troll
said, slightly annoyed already.  This Master wasn’t very patient.  Dave glared
at him as he forced his hands to move.  “Stop glaring pet, you look better when
you don’t.”     
 
 
Dave used all his years of poker face to take the glare out of his eyes as he
pushed his pants done and off, leaving him there naked.  The troll looked over
Dave with that greedy look that made the human shiver.  With a motion of his
hands the troll called Dave over and the boy did as he was told, walking over
to his Master.  Dave felt sure that if his Bro could see him now he’d be
ashamed.  Of course if Bro could see him that would probably mean Dave was
getting out, so he doubted he ever would.
 
“Sit on my lap pet.”  The troll commanded and Dave, although he really didn’t
want to, sat on his lap with one leg on either side of the trolls body like he
already knew he was supposed to.  “Good pet.”  The troll smirked.  “Now I do
believe there is a few more pieces of clothes in my way, would you mind
removing them?”  The troll smirked. 
 
‘Oh god.’  Dave thought.  ‘He wants me to strip him.  Oh god.’  His eyes must
have widened slightly because he heard the troll chuckled.
 
“Hurry up then, you can start with my shirt.”  He said.  Dave had never striped
anyone before… sorry, he had never striped any of his Masters before, had
really never ever wanted to and, had his shades not been on the line, he won’t
have now.  With slightly shaking fingers Dave pulled the fat trolls shirt off
revealing the less then appealing fat and hairy chest beneath.
 
“That's right pet, now the pants.”  The troll encouraged smirking.  Dave got
off the man, standing up and undoing the troll’s pants.  He couldn’t pull them
down though because the man was sitting on them.  “Say please.”  He smirked and
Dave glared before remembering he wasn’t meant to be glaring and stopping the
glare. 
 
“Please get up.”  Dave muttered, knowing it wasn’t going to be enough.
 
“And who are you talking to?”  The man smirked.  Oh god if those shades weren’t
all he had left they would not be worth this.
 
“Please get up, Master.”  Dave muttered after a moment, barely keeping the
annoyance out of his voice.
 
“Why would I do that?”  Dave’s Master smirked.  Those shades were so lucky they
were the last thing he had left.
 
“Please get up so I can take off your pants, Master.”  Dave almost spat out. 
The troll smirked. 
 
“Get on your knees and I will.”   Oh those shades were lucky John had given
them to him.  Dave got down on his knees, knowing very well that when the other
got up a face full of fucking bulge would greet him, but he also knew that it
was still an order and, although he didn’t want to, Dave got down onto his
knees as his Master stood up.  Yep, face full of troll dick.
 
“There you go, now finish what you started.”  The troll smirked.  Dave reached
up and started pulling down the others pants only to be tsked.  “With your
teeth, pet.”  He ordered.  Dave glared again, hesitating for slightly to long. 
“I gave you an order David, don’t you have something on the line?!”  Spat the
purple blood.  Dave froze, but not in the way that he had before.  He froze in
shock at the troll’s words.  Oh god he knew.
 
“What are you talking about?”  Dave said, trying to keep the emotion out of his
voice.  To pretend he had no clue what the troll was talking about.
 
“Oh please, you really think I don’t have camera’s in the rooms?  That I don’t
know everyone that goes on.”  The troll smirked at Dave’s frozen composure.  “I
know all about that thieving bitch who gave you back your shades that I took
from you.  The deal about those shades was my idea and she’ll be getting
punished as soon as I’m done with you.”  The troll finished with a smirk.  “You
know, she is quite a pretty troll for one so young.”  He added, the smirk
widening.  Dave glared widely, fists clenching tightly by his sides.
 
“Don’t touch her.”  He hissed between clenched teeth. 
 
“Excuse me?  Are you giving ME an order?”  He Master yelled, anger in his voice
though he was still smirking.
 
“Don’t you dare touch her.  She’s only a kid, its sick enough that she’s a
slave, but don’t you dare do that to her.”  Dave hissed back, glaring into the
purple eyes of his owner.
 
“What are you going to do about it David?”  The troll chuckled.  “You can’t do
anything to stop me.  Oh, unless you’re going to try to attack, because that
turned out so well last time didn’t it.”  He mocked.
 
“Anything!  Just don’t fucking touch her!”  Dave almost yelled.
 
“Hahaha, well, lets just see how generous I’m feeling after your finished
working, shall we?  Because I do believe we were in the middle of something
here.”  The troll smirked.  Dave knew what he meant ad he hated it.  The
conversion was over now and it all depended on how well he pleases this asshole
on if Hope wasn’t going to end up with the same fate as Dave.
 
Dave didn’t want for an order to move again, couldn’t want for an order in case
that effected anything.  He had to play it safe, really safe.  Without
hesitation, but with complete and utter hidden disgust, Dave started pulling
down the troll’s pants with his teeth.  When they were off his head was yanks
up and towards the others bulge.  He tried not to glare as he opened his mouth
and took it in.
 
Soon the troll was fucking his mouth and Dave let him, hoping like hell that
it’d just be that; that he would be let off with simply having to give the fat
bastard a blowjob.     
 
Apparently the Light Aspect was looking after him that day because Dave soon
felt the thrusts into his mouth become irregular.  He could feel the troll
tense before releasing into his mouth.  Dave swallowed the odd colored sperm
before being pushed away, coughing a few times.  Normally there would be more,
Dave new there was meant to be more, but to his luck the Highbloods phone-like
device went off.  A conversion went on in a complete other language and when
the troll hung up he seemed a little annoyed.
 
“Looks like we’ll have to cut this short today Pet.”  He said, putting his
clothes back on.
 
“What about Hope, and my shades?!”  Dave said, slightly out of breath.
 
“That's up to you.  Since you didn’t get to finish your job you get to pick on
of them.”  The troll smirked and Dave had a feeling he was going to do that
either way.  “Pick your shades and you get your treasured item back and I’ll
punish the girl as I see fit, pick the girl and she’s safe and you get to watch
your guard out there break them.”   Dave was left with a hard choice, although
he loved his shades he couldn’t actually let something like that happen to
Hope.  Not at her age and not when he can do something about it.
 
“…Hope… don’t touch her…” Dave chose with a defeated sigh.  He hated this
troll, truly hated him.
 
--
 
Dave spent the rest of the day in his room, broken shades held in a clenched
fist, just starring at the wall and feeling into an uneven sleep.  He had woken
up and fallen asleep again so quickly so many times that he began to forget
which won was the dream and what was reality. 
 
In his dream, which he decided was reality because it was just so much better,
he was once more with Karkat, sitting on the edge of the building on the meteor
like they often did, just talking.  The last battle was drawing closer but it
wasn’t yet and they were still safe.  They could still just… talk.
 
--
 
“Dave don’t you fucking dare, that would be too fucking lame, its not even
fucking ironic enough for you dumbass and no amount of the bullshit you spew
from your mouth can convince me otherwise so don’t even fucking try.”  Karkat
said, although he was still smiling.  Karkat saved his smiles for Dave.  Sure
there was the rare times when he smiled for everyone but these were the kind of
smiles he saved just for Dave, the ones that let the human know just how much
Karkat was in love with him and every time he smiled Dave found himself more in
love with Karkat.
 
“Maybe, just this once, I’m not trying to be ironic.  Maybe I’m just trying to
make you smile and laugh and blush, because all three of those are adorable.” 
Dave smirked in reply.  Karkat blushed and Dave once more took a mental image
of the cute red tinted face of his lover, memorizing every detail, the pointed
curve of Karkat’s nose, the way his ears went straight and were red at the
pointed edges.  The way the blush lit up his cheekbones and fit his face so
perfectly.  Dave thought about how everything about the way Karkat looked was
pointed and rough but on the inside he was sweet and kind and perfect, all you
had to do was get under all the pointed spikes and rough defenses he had learnt
to put up to protect himself and his blood color.
 
“Strider you are such a fucking insufferable prick.”  Karkat muttered after a
good minute.  Dave smirked back.
 
“Love you too Karkles.”  He replied, leaning over and kissing Karkat,
memorizing the taste of Karkat’s lips.  The slight cherry taste under the taste
of the alchemized food and fresh fruits from the humans planets that Jade had
brought with her with the after taste of something alien and yet somehow
familiar but all in all just completely and utterly Karkat.
 
--
 
Dave woke up to someone shouting but his conscious only lasted a moment before
he fall back into the blissful embrace of sleep and memories of Karkat.
 
This time he was still with Karkat, but they were in Karkat’s room, watching
one of the trolls many, many RomComs that the troll, for some reason, loved. 
This time it was 50 First Dates.  The credits were rolling and Karkat was
resting in Dave’s arms while the human was fiddling with the grey hands in his
own that rested atop the red-bloods belly full of popcorn.
 
--
 
“Hey Dave?”  Karkat broke the comfortable silence, for once his voice having a
soft quietness to it that was something else he only saved for Dave.
 
“Mmm?”  Dave hummed in response, moving his glance from their hands to Karkat’s
eyes.
 
“You’d never forget me, right?”  Karkat asked, nervousness in his voice.
 
“What?  Of course not.”  Dave answered confidently.  “I love you Karkat, I
could never forget that.”  He assured the troll.  “What brings up the
question?” 
 
“Its just… I overheard Rose talking to Kanaya in the computer lab.  They didn’t
know I was there and they were talking about how, after we beat Lord English
and finally fucking finish this hellish game and go into the new universe it
might be different to what we expected.  Rose was saying that she can’t be sure
that you guys even remember any of it.  She told Kanaya that because the human
race haven’t had any better contact with other alien races you might forget all
about it to keep the humans from pre-evolving, or whatever she fucking called
it, while the rest of us, because trolls were always conquering and enslaving
other races, will remember.”  Karkat ranted.  Dave knew he was really worried
about this, that he was terrified that he’d have to live without Dave
remembering him.  Dave considered the possibility for a moment.
 
“By game design we’re supposed to rule over the new universe.  What kind of
rulers can we be if we forget?”  Dave answered.  It seemed to satisfy the troll
and he nodded. 
 
“You’re right.”
 
“Of course I am I’m always right.”  Dave smirked.
 
“Sure you are Strider, sure you are.”  Karkat smirked back.  They continued on
like this for a while before the troll yawned and Dave finally convinced him to
go to sleep, promising that he’d be there to look over Karkat as he slept. 
 
While Karkat slept Dave thought about what the red-blood had said earlier. 
Although he said that it wasn’t going to happen he hadn’t been telling the
complete truth.  By the design of the game they weren’t meant to rule over the
universe they created, that was just what the trolls had planned to do.  No,
Rose had explained it to him.  By design the game created a universe that was
the best living conditions for the victors of the game.  What if he really did
lose his memory after it ended?
 
--
 
Dave awoke once more, but this time he was thinking too much to fall back
asleep.  They had been so wrong about the whole losing their memories theory
but Dave had only woken up that day back when he was 13.  Before then he knew
he existed, Rose and the photos in the house had proved that.  Its not like the
world had started spinning on the same day.  He had no idea what he had been
like during that time but he was sure he didn’t know anything about the game or
his life with Karkat. 
 
What if Karkat had tried to contact him and Dave had had no idea who he was? 
What if Karkat thought Dave couldn’t remember him?  God Dave hoped not.  That
would be the worst thing possible.
 
Expect that Dave still had no idea if Karkat even existed in this world. 
Terezi did, that he knew, but what if Karkat had been killed because of his
blood color?  Or what if Karkat just hadn’t been taken to the new universe?  Or
what if Karkat didn’t remember?
 
It was only then that Dave realized that he wasn’t in the room anymore.  He
felt ashamed it had taken him this long to notice the sadly familiar grey walls
had been replaced with the even more, sadly, familiar dark grey of a cage. 
Dave was at a slave auction… again.
 
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