Ch. 19 School time

Karkat's eyes snapped open with his alarm. His eyes were foggy and his hair was a frizzy mess of indiscernible forestry, it had gotten shaggier over the past two weeks. He lifted his head with a dazed expression, wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth. He yawned widely. Classes had started again last week and he was certainly feeling the mornings. Jake lay beside and he stared at the boy trying to focus his gaze. It was still pretty dark outside and his pupils dilated to adjust. He sat up, rubbing his face. Ella yawned waking up in Rufio's bed wearing a tshirt and panties, she rubbed her eyes going to her room to change for school before she went to wake up Tavros. "Hey Pupapan time to wake up" she cooed. Jake's tail wagged as he dreamnt mumbling nonsense in his sleep. Tavros Yawned and stretched rubbing his bleary eyes before smiling at Ella. "Okay" his said sleepily, getting out of the covers and into his chair. Rufio was in the kitchen Making coffee and toast. Karkat watched Jake from a chair in the kitchen as he munched on some leftover patte and a bun. His classes started in roughly 40 minutes, so he had time to lounge. He didn't know how to drive the Bike, so he opted to run. It would take a little longer, maybe 15 minutes to get to the campus rather than the five it took on the bike. He finished breakfast and sat on the bed next to Jake's sleeping figure and pet his head softly.

Ella smiled heading to the kitchen singing softly "another day" she smiled happily. Jake woke up softly stretching long he was in literally nothing but his underwear. "Good morning love" he smiled his tail wagging fast. "Morning kids" Otto smiled at them. Karkat looked Jake up and down with appreciation Before leaning over and kissing him "It certainly is." he smiled. Rufio bent over to peck Ella on the cheek, handing her a cup of Coffee. "How's it feel to be in your final year?" He asked sipping quietly as tav rolled into the kitchen, helping himself to some toast. "Karkles did you sleep good?" Jake asked kissing him. "Feels nice, hey Tav I have play rehearsals today after school did you want to stay with or do you want me to ask Gamzee to come get you?" Ella asked after hapilly returning Rufios kiss, this year Ella had chosen drama over piano class and the drama class was putting on Disney's 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and Ella was casted as Esmerelda.

Tavros thought for a moment and decided to stay with Ella and watch her rehearsal. "I'll stay" he said with a grin. Karkat hummed and nodded draping himself over the dog boy. "you are great in bed." He commented. Noticing the awkward wording he stuttered embarrassedly. "I-I mean you feel really good! ahugh. You are comfy to sleep with?" he ventured, Before dropping his face embarrassedly into Jake's lap. Ella smiled softly and hugged Rufio around the neck in a surprisingly coy way "you sir. don't get to see until tomorrow night when the play opens" she smiled softly kissing him then getting hers and Tavros' bags into the impala. "Tav baby ready to go?" she asked him lightly. Jake fell back snorting hard with laughter. "You're great in bed too" he complimented Karkat kissing him. Otto chuckled softly watching Ella mess with Rufio. Tavros Blushed at the two before nodding at Ella. Rufio was left standing in the kitchen with a mildly surprised and very intrigued look on his face. The Enigma that was Ella would never cease to amaze. IN those few seconds she had become an alluring goddess in his eyes and Rufio smirked. "I guess I'll just have to wait then" He said to himself. He glanced at Otto with Baffled expression, wondering if she did that alot.

"Never" Otto laughed before waving at the kids as Ella scooped tav out of his chair loading it in the trunk setting the sweet boy in the passenger seat. "You wanna get a donut from Janey's?" she offered. Jake smiled kissing Karkat his tail wagging. "You excited to see Ella in the play tomorrow night?" he asked. Tavros Cocked his head before nodding timidly, "yes please." he settled into the car seat and buckled up. Rufioh stared into space after waving them off. "She certainly is something." he smiled. Karkat nodded. "I'm very excited. I've never been to a play." He swished his tail before snuggling Jake tightly. His heart would not stop fluttering this past week when they were this close. Memories of the night he first came home would bombard him and he sighed happily. Ella smiled sliding across the hood before getting in driving them to Jane's bakery across the street from the school. "Yeah my little girl is amazing" Otto smiled actually reffering to her as if she were his daughter.

Rufio smiled at the bot admiring his connection with Ella and Jake. Heck he wouldn't mind thinking of him as a father one day either. He stretched and went inside, looking at the clock. It was roughly 7:40 am and he had to be in at the vet's by 9. Perfect. He had time to clean the house a bit and potentially getting to attacking the wild forest their backyard had become. Karkat stretched on top of Jake. He had about twenty minutes before class and 15 to get there. Five minutes, He thought. He promptly stuffed his face back into Jake's neck and relaxed. Otto smiled following Rufio inside. When he first met the young Taurus Otto wasn't too fond of the young man but now he was very fond of Rufio. Jake giggled at Karkat "I'm half naked love mind letting my dress myself? I'm not sure how my teachers will appreciate me coming to my classes in my skivies" Jake laughed. Ella smiled parking at the bakery "is there a certain kind you like angel?" she asked Tavros intending to run in get the donuts and get them to school.

karkat thought for a moment and then sighed dramatically. "Well, If you really HAVE to..." He rolled over Jake and onto the side of the bed, draping his arm forlornly over his eyes. He peaked out from under his arm to look at his boyfriend in all his under-panted glory before sighing again. "Oh darling you devastate me so." Rufioh Got to work on the house, as he did so he playing upbeat music to keep his thoughts entertained. Tavros Smiled gently. "Ah, if they have the fluffy powdery ones." he said timidly. Jake smiled getting up and getting dressed in a black tshirt and beige shorts. Ella smiled heading inside returning with the donuts giving Tav his as it was exactly as he described "here sweetie" she smiled.. Otto sang along to the music sliding old yet clean socks on his feet then going about sliding around the hardwood floors basically dusting them before cleaning up Ella's room for her.

Rufio thanked Otto with a laugh for dusting the floors and then continued on his way. Tavros smiled and accepted the doughnut, "Thank's Ella" He ripped a small piece off of it and poked it into his mouth, getting powder around his lips. "Fluff" He said and a small puff of the white powder left his mouth. He grinned like a child and giggled. Karkat watched jake dress and approved of the outfit silently. he stood up with a stretch and looked to Jake. "Do you have to leave yet? Or shall I just run over to my class?" Karkat inquired. Otto smiled calling back that he was welcome then went to clean up the basement. Ella smiled getting a cloth from her pocket offering to clean him up "you're too young for a beard you adorabull goofball" she teased with a loving smile. "I'm ready to drive us" Jake smiled. Karkat smiled. "Alright then my love, shall we?" He opened the door to their dorm and gestured the way out, his bag hanging from his side. He ditched his hat, seeing as it was now too small to hide his horns, And quite frankly he didn't give two flying fucks about what people had to say. Tavros blushed at being cleaned off like a child but he was thankful none the less. He quietly enjoyed the snack as they drove to class.

Jake smiled not bothering with his hat either "let's go" he smiled his tail wagging. Ella smiled and lightly wiped away the fluff after he'd finished then drove them to school helping him into his wheelchair. "So how'd you sleep?" she asked Tav as they went into the building. "Like a rock" he replied with a subconscious stretch, as if he was remembering sleep. "And you?" he looked up at her. Karkat got out of the dorm and hopped up on Jake's bike tossing his bag unceremoniously into the side car. "Like a baby, despite being as built as he is Rufio makes a damn good pillow" Ella smiled pushing Tavros though the halls to his first class. Jake smiled tossing his bag in too then got on in front of Karkat. Tavros smiled knowingly. He was very happy for those two. Rufio in his infinite love and happiness, seemed to have been shining brighter and more radiantly since Ella moved in. He hummed happily "He's a big teddy once you get through the 'macho man'" he giggled. Karkat hugged Jake tightly until they arrived at the campus, where he dismounted and picked up his smiling and sighing. He gave Jake a quick kiss, thought for a moment and then gave him another. He felt particularly full of energy this morning.

"Si, it seems like Gamzee's dad is the same" she smiled waving at said man as they passed him. "so I'll see you at lunch" she smiled down at Tavros. Jake smiled kissing Karkat back nuzzling their noses. "I'll see you at lunch love" he smiled heading to his first period class after kissing Karkat. Makarin waved with a small smile as he passed and tavros nodded happily "see you" he said as he wheeled himself to class. karkat smiled giddily and agreed to their little meeting and pounced off to his first. On the way, his energy began to slowly fade and he reverted to walking, smile still in place. about 40 minutes into first karkat got a bit of a headache. his tail flicked gently, hitting a girl in the leg. She threw him a dirty look and he apologized with his middle finger. He may have been sweet around his friend but this bitch needed to stop. She gave a disgusted look before returning her attention to the teacher. Karkat tsked as his head began to throb and asked to be excused, which the teacher took as a blessing. Maybe the kids would pay attention to the lesson now. karkat walked into the hallway and rubbed his head. "jesus" he whispered, it felt like he needed to hurl what the hell. Ella blew a soft kiss onto Tavros' cheek like she would for Jake then joined her brother in their first period art class where she happily drew Tavros as well as Makarin. Jake sat with his sister drawing mainly Karkat blushing softly when his sister playfully commented about 'puppylove'.

While Tavros studied the concepts of design in class, Karkat stumbled to a bathroom and held his mouth. He threw up, barely getting to a toilet fast enough. He groaned and slumped onto the floor. Holding his stomach. his head now felt about ready to blow up because of all the throbbing. He held his head a grazed a horn, flinching immediately. He hissed and got up to look in the small mirror. His heart stopped momentarily and he watched spindles of white enamel like substance growing over his horns and he stifled ah yell. "oh my god" He went to touch the white, but when he tried searing pain shot through his head. he collapsed to the floor gritting his teeth. his tail flicked around on the floor and he noticed the soft velveteen skin of it was turning a milk white as well. he watched in silent terror as his tail was slowly drained of it's black pigmentation. "Ja- Jakee. Jake jake ajke." he murmured in fear as he watched wide-eyed. A boy walked into the bathroom and yelled loudly at the scene "Jesus fuck! what the hell are you!?" He screamed and ran out of the bathroom. Karkat fumbled around for his phone and dial called his first contact which was Ella. His breathing quickened as his tail was almost completely white. The phone was ringing.