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A sharp jab between your shoulderblades rouses you from a short lived sleep. You'd practically jumped at the chance to invite Karkat to have a sleepover with you—the two of you rarely get those sort of one-on-one friendshippy hangout things—but it's no fun if he's poking you the whole time. You're too tired for any more shenanigans. Together, you had already carefully constructed a to-do list to make this the most amazing human-culture-sharing sleepover ever; a blanket fort (which you are now trying to sleep in) had been built, alchemized snacks were eaten, and many movies were watched. So many movies. Too many, maybe—your eyes still hurt from looking at the TV for so long.
Your troll friend pokes you again, several times.
He whispers, "Egbert? You still awake?"
You're about to tell him that you are now, and poke him back, when a thought crosses your mind:
How long will this go on if you don't say anything? The pranking opportunities are endless. You could let him think you're asleep, and then jump up and scare him! Or, he might spill some deep, dark, terrible (or maybe just embarrassing) secret. In the morning, you could reveal that you heard everything, and he'd freak out! That would be funny.
…Would it work, though? He might go right back to sleep, which would be boring—besides, who actually tells top-secret information to their unconscious friend in real life? Now that you actually put some thought into it you're pretty sure that only happens in TV shows. And would he really be scared just by you sitting up suddenly? Maybe you should watch some horror movies with him… that would set the mood for some awesome pranks. Oh, but what if he actually needs something? You should respond, just in case.
You realize Karkat is no longer trying to get your attention. Oops. You took too long thinking about your reply, and didn't actually… do anything. Would it be weird to say something now, if he thinks you're asleep? If he gave up so easily, it's probably not that urgen—
Huh?
You feel movement next to you. Is he getting up?
No, that's not it. He slowly but clumsily removes the numerous throw blankets from where they're draped over you, and lets them fall in a pile near your thighs. His weight shifts on the couch cushions you're using for a bed, and he settles right next to you. At this point you're very aware of the warmth emanating from his body; even more so when his arm, clutching the blankets so that you're covered again, snakes over your own in a one-handed hug. The front of his torso is fully pressed against your back, and you feel your cheeks flush a little. Karkat is just about the last person you'd expect to snuggle up with you! It's pretty cute, if you're being honest.
You stay in this position for a minute or two. You realize he was most likely making sure you were asleep so you wouldn't know about this happening, and make fun of him. Kind of like someone's unfriendly pet cat! This thought, for whatever reason, strikes you as utterly hilarious, and you try and stifle your laughter as you imagine your friend with cat ears and a tail.
Your laughter goes unstifled.
Oops.
Karkat immediately pulls away and bolts upright. He swears under his breath.
"Sorry, Karkat, I swear I'm not laughing at you!" You assure him in a whisper. You maneuver yourself into a sitting position to better look at him. In the general area of where you placed your glasses, you pat around hoping to find them. There! You put them on with minimum difficulty. Your pal's face becomes much clearer, and despite the dim lighting, you can tell his cheeks are much darker than usual. His brow is furrowed and he doesn't make eye contact with you.
He stammers out an excuse, but you cut him off. "Haha, what were you even trying to do? Secretly hug me? Coming from you, that's like a passionate, heartfelt ki—"
He interrupts you in return. "Were you awake the whole fucking time?!"
Instead of just looking angry, Karkat seems cornered and embarrassed. Smaller than usual. You realize that picking on him probably isn't the best approach if he was purposely being secretive. He can be a little sensitive when it comes to these types of things, you reflect.
You try to reassure him. "It wasn't on purpose, honestly. I just forgot to respond to you—that sounds really lame, I know, but I'm not lying. I really wasn't trying to trick you! Besides, you don't have to go through all that trouble just for some hugs. You can just ask me. I'm always happy to do cuddly stuff like that. And I won't tease you that much if it really makes you feel bad."
He stares at you blankly, his expression softening the slightest bit… you think? An awkward minute passes as he tries to process the things you just said.
"Uh, my point is, c'mere." You remove your glasses again (was it really necessary to put them on in the first place?) and place them on one of the nearby chairs supporting the blanket fort, then lay down and pat the spot next to you invitingly.
Karkat considers this for a moment, then says, "If you utter a word of this to anyone, I will make it my mission for the next three sweeps to completely humiliate every cell in your feeble human body. I will watch in satisfaction as you are fucked in the ass by such mind-boggling feelings of shame it would make an academically gifted whore cry. Your ridiculous 'Prankster's Gambit' thing will be tilted entirely in my favor."
"I won't! I promise! No need to threaten me with...whatever it is you're trying to say." An erotic, emotionally charged prank war? ...You hope not.
"Also, your face looks dumb without those glasses."
You can't help but snicker at this. You consider replying to his banter, getting the last word, but you're just too tired. Karkat promptly lowers himself back onto the cushioned floor, right next to you. This time, you're the one to swoop an arm over his.