"Karkat," Terezi calls lazily across the room. I focus on my computer screen and do my best to ignore her. Doesn't she understand that I have important things to be doing? Even a tiny fraction of the time? I'm a leader, not a plushie for her to play with.

Terezi's block is way too bright, like it was meant for humans to live in. She says it makes the colors tastier, and I'm not going to argue with her. It's not like I actually understand how her magic smell powers work, anyway. The light, though, is reinforcing the fact that it's well into the morning and we should both be asleep by now. But even though I'm tired, I don't feel like sleeping.

"Karkat, if you're going to keep me awake by staying in my block this late, at least do me the courtesy of paying me a little attention."

I don't say anything because I don't want to encourage her. Maybe it's just a little bit satisfying to know that even after a sweep she still craves my attention to an extent that's almost embarrassing. Sometimes it's just annoying, though.

Something soft hits the back of my head, and I turn around to find a scalemate on the floor and a giggly Terezi Pyrope. She's already changed into her pajamas, and I can see right into her red eyes, since her glasses are nowhere to be found. Her hair is half in her face, and she's sprawled out on her scalemate pile like she doesn't have a care in the world.

My computer work doesn't seem that important anymore.

I pick up the scalemate and fling it back at her. She brings her arms up to deflect the blow, laughing as it bounces away.

She's quick to grab her next ammunition, this one a white one that I think I recognize. "Face the fury of Pyralspite!" she tries to say, I think, but bursts into laughter halfway through. Her grin could split her face, and instead of retaliating with another missile I bring the fight to melee range, bludgeoning her with the stuffed dragon.

Just when I think I've reduced her to a giggling wreck, she suddenly has me by the wrists, pushing me into the pile. "Damn it, Terezi, you're going to suffocate me to death! Is that what you want?"

"It is an undeniable fact that you are much more capable than you pretend to be! For example, I'm sure right now you could easily break my grasp, as it is hardly the tightest I am capable of."

This time I take her by surprise, throwing her off of me and making sure she lands softly in the pile. I give her another round of dragon-bashings, and she doesn't even try to avoid it, just grabs another scalemate to retaliate in equal measure. With her arms occupied with that, she keeps trying to push me away with her legs.

At some point I take a dragon to the face and a foot to the knee simultaneously, and fall forward, my arms pinned underneath me. She takes the opportunity to wrap her arms around me, forcing me to wiggle my way out. I try moving my right arm, and—fuck—it couldn't be in a more awkward place.

"What's the matter, Karkat, is something wrong?" she asks. Her eyes are widened in a mockery of innocence, but the bright teal on her cheeks is enough to give her away all by itself. She's got her legs wrapped around my torso now, too, and I'm sure the scene looks ridiculously suggestive.

"You know exactly what you're doing, don't give me that." When I manage to get my hands free, she doesn't release her hold on me, but pulls me in even tighter, so our faces are pressed up against each other.

"Your blush is completely delicious," she whispers, dragging her nose along my cheek.

"You say that all the time," I protest. "You don't know how it feels to have a crazy blind girl constantly doing the most embarrassing shit possible to you, just so that she can smell your blood."

"It bears repeating!" she says, and brings her hands to my hair. "And I'm so sorry to hear that it embarrassed you to have your hand stuck down there. I can assure you the experience was nothing but pleasant for me."

I'm sure I'm blushing even harder at that, and she inhales deeply as she presses her nose to my face again. She still hasn't tried to lick me, and I'm sure it's just for the sake of making me wonder when she's going to start.

Well, fuck that. I put my arms around her neck and kiss her. I can tell she's surprised by the way she gasps and squirms as she returns the kiss.

"You're quite bold today, Karkat!" she says, a contented smile on her face. "I've been looking forward to the night you'd have the audacity to kiss first. Is this something I can look forward to in the future or was this a one-time special?"

"Is that something you really want or are you just poking fun at me?" I ask. I don't always ask Terezi for a straight answer, but I know Terezi will give it to me if I ask her. And I'm actually interested in the answer to this question.

"Hmmm," she muses, as if she hadn't really thought about whether she was being serious or not until I asked. "It would probably mean fewer of your adorable blushes, but it is actually exhilarating to be taken by surprise like that." She runs her hands through my hair, rubbing her fingers against my skull and her thumbs against the bases of my horns. It's an absurdly pleasant feeling, and I finally feel like I might be able to fall asleep today. "And plus," she whispers, "I like feeling like you want to kiss me. I can't be the silly, needy one all the time."

"Just because I don't throw stuffed animals at you when you're working doesn't mean I don't need you just as much as you need me, okay? And," I admit grudgingly, "the work I was doing wasn't actually as important as I thought it was, and I'm glad you pulled me away. Are you happy now?"

"Karkat," she says, doing her best to look straight into my eyes. "I am cuddling with my adorable matesprit in a pile of soft stuffed dragons, and he's telling me that he needs me. How would you expect me not to be happy?"

She's obviously not looking for a reply, though, as the next thing she does is to pull me in for another kiss.

It's amazing how being around Terezi can turn me into a helpless, mushy pile of feelings, but sure enough, it's not long before we're curled up against each other, mumbling 'I love you' to each other. A single goodnight kiss won't do for her—she gives me little kisses all around my head, from my chin to the tips of my horns. I think I fall asleep with my arm around her.

In the evening Dave pokes his head in to roll his eyes at what lazy sacks of shit we are. (They're hidden by his stupid shades, of course, but it's not hard to tell that's what he's doing.) In return for his troubles, he gets a scalemate to the face, and I ask him if he expected any different. He leaves after asking if we're finally going to wake up and smell the sunshine any time soon.

But I think I'll stay here a while longer.

Announcement: I will no longer be reliably updating my FanFiction account. All new stories will be posted to my account on Archive of Our Own, 'argentConflagration'. There's a link in my profile, and there's already a story up there (Lonely Days) that I haven't posted to FanFiction.