"Oh, look. It's you," you grunt as you spot him down the dimly lit hall, "Mr. 'Nubby Mcshouts'."

Karkat merely rolls his eyes at you, "A pleasant greeting to you too, Pyrope."

He's irritable as usual. Probably because he hasn't slept in weeks. In your species it's normal to be up for days in a row, but no one can keep going forever. If anyone needs sleep, it's Karkat. You can tell he's been avoiding it for far too long at this point.

"What are you doing out of your block? It's late." He grunts and asks you.

"I could say the same to you." You're really not in any mood to be grilled by him. You're too tired.

He grunts, "I'm on hall patrol, what else!?" Now he's getting shouty.

You can see right through that 'leader' façade. "You can't sleep, can you?"

"Wh-... No! Shut the fuck up! I can sleep whenever I want to! I'm... just on patrol right now..." His stupidity makes you want to laugh. Alas, you are too tired to.

"Anyway... have you seen my doll? ... She's missing." You remember what you came here for in the first place.

"What, you mean one of your scalemates?" Karkat seems like he'll fall asleep any moment.

"Pyralspite! ... I need her to fall asleep..." It's embarrassing, really. You feel you ears flush out as you stare at the ground bitterly.

Instead of laughing at you for still needing a doll to fall asleep, he seems concerned. "I didn't know you had trouble sleeping... Why didn't you tell me!?"

You stick your tongue out at him, you really hate it when anyone tries to baby you, "I'm supposed to be the responsible one!"

"Well, I'm the leader, Terezi! You need to tell me those things!" Karkat shouts again.

You groan loudly into your hands, "I just want my doll!"

"Okay, okay! Do you... want me to help you?" He sighs into his hand and looks up at you.

"...Please...?" You try to stare pleadingly into his eyes.

He grumbles again, setting a record for most Karkat grumbles in under 5 minutes, "Don't give me those eyes... And yes. I'll help you find your stupid doll..."

"Hehe! You're too easy..."

"Your block's a mess as usual..." Karkat flips on the lights of your block.

You choose to ignore his usual snide remarks and begin to rummage through your scalemates. At this rate you're getting desperate to find her, where could she have gone? You can't loose her! Now that your eyes are healed, it really is your only reminder of home.

"Did you find her-"

"NO!" You want to cry, but that would just make you seem like an even bigger baby, "I've looked everywhere now! ... That stupid ass clown must've taken it...!"

"Okay, first of all calm the fuck down! Second of all, do you REALLY need it to sleep?" Karkat saunters over to the scalemate pile.

"... She's all I had left of my lusus..." You rest your head back on your scalemates. "She was unborn... But the best mom in the whole world. Cos' she was MY mom."

Karkat stays quiet for a minute or so, which is very unlike him. "... Can I tell you something I've never, ever told anyone before...?"

"Of course..." You turn your head to face him, he's starting bitterly at the ground, ears flushing slightly.

"I... didn't hate my dad. At all, actually. I... actually really loved him." Karkat scrunches up his nose disgust with himself.

"... I thought you hated those baths he used to give you, and how he would embarrass you?" You're really not sure whether you're surprised to hear this or not.

"I just wanted everyone to think I hated him. ... I wanted to convince myself I hated him... because I was afraid to loose him." You've never heard him sound so serious before.

"... Wow. I never thought I'd here you say something like that." You climb up the colorful scalemate pile.

"So you're not alone. I'll admit it... I miss my lusus too. You don't have to feel lame and alone. We'll just be lame... together." Karkat's sounding more and more sleepy as he gets up to leave.

"Wait! Karkat!" He turns around to face you, "Will you sleep with me...? Not like that... just, help me to sleep until I can get used to not having Pyralspite."

He licks his lip nervously for a moment, "S-sure, if you want."

You smile again as you watch him struggling to ascend the pile. Piles of various things had become makeshift beds for all of you. There was no more sopor left. It changed a lot of things for you.

"So... what, do you want me to put your head in my lap or so something?" He sounds sarcastic, but it's exactly what you'd hoped for.

"Yes." You quickly make a nice pillow out of his lap. "And don't act like this won't benefit you in anyway. You need to sleep too!"

He grumbles, watching as you get comfortable on his lap. He's very warm, and very pleasant to be sleeping near... when he isn't shouting. You feel nearly more comfortable than you did when you were sleeping with Pyralspite. He's... comforting.

You start to feel his fingers in your hair. Oh, now that's just adorable. He's playing with your hair! Not to mention it feels quite nice and lulling. You chirp happily, nuzzling into his lap a bit more. You can feel yourself start to fall asleep. That's when something rather unexpected happens.

Karkat leans over and kisses your hair. You can't help but to smile at this. He's got his eyes squeezed nervously shut, and you can feel the embarrassed heat radiating off his face right before he pulls away. You smile profusely, eyes still shut, for a good moment before you hear him again. Oh, god. He's purring again.

"I can't believe you still do that." You comment, eyes opening slightly.

"Oh, shut up..."