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Sollux had not expected to survive the games and see the new world.
After all, he had decided to stay behind with Aradia when everyone else ventured away on the meteor to complete the game. He had been fine with that decision, not wanting to fight anymore. Whatever happened would happen, but in the end when the game was actually won he had somehow managed to get teleported to this new world. Not right at the creation however, but 5000 years into the future, the exact time period the winners had chosen to start their new lives in.
And so far, they hadn’t even lived there for half a sweep, more like only a fifth of a sweep when he crashed into the planet called Earth C. He had been confused, happy and angry at the same time. Confused because he had no idea how he had gotten there, angry because he had been happy with staying in the game, and then happy when he finally saw Karkat.
It was a weird feeling to say the least, but in the end Karkat had taken on all responsibilities of Sollux, even letting him move into his new hive he shared with two humans he barely knew. At first everything had just been plain weird, but as time went on it felt nice to truly get in touch with Karkat all over again. Just like when they started talking on trollian as tiny newly pupated wigglers.
But even if he enjoyed his time together with the troll, the planet he had been sent to was weird. Nothing Karkat said could ever change the fact. Sometimes he felt like a stranger on the planet that was supposed to be his home now. He knew nothing about it, so many things slipped his mind while Karkat seemed to know everything. He acted like he had grown up on the damn thing and was never confused at all.
And it made Sollux feel like he didn’t belong at all, not on the planet and not with Karkat. Like him coming there had been a mistake and that the game should have simply left him there alone. And he hated himself for thinking like that when the game had given him a second chance at life. He knew others would kill for it, and that he was lucky. So many of their friends hadn’t made it, so why was he so special?
He ended up telling Karkat, expecting him to laugh it off and tell him to grow a pair and suck it up. Instead he got a hug, a gesture Sollux at first had been shocked at. He and Karkat already filled the red quadrant and the hug was straight up pale, not flirting, but straight up a morail act that caused even more quadrant vacillation. Even the quadrant system had changed a bit on this planet and Karkat hadn’t seemed to notice, doing these pale gestures with everyone like he was a free pale bucket for anyone that needed some support (he later found out how the humans had impacted the society and how the pale quadrant could be classed as “more than a best friend” and that showing emotions and caring about regular friends wasn’t frowned upon anymore, and that the red quadrant had a lot of pale elements to it too, and in the end he got used to it too).
Karkat had told him the story Sollux hadn’t thought about. When Sollux had arrived, Karkat had already lived on the planet for six months (weird time measurement) and Sollux had arrived just when the adjustment period was over. Everyone had been confused and felt out of place in their own world, but in the end they had gotten it and become a part of it. It had taken a very long time, but they had done it together as friends. Sollux hadn’t been there that long yet, and he was alone.
Karkat made sure he knew he wanted him on the planet and there with him, and that he would be there with him every step of the way as time moved forwards.
Sollux realized it was nice, belonging somewhere.