Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Today was supposed to be a normal day, with a normal lunch, and normal friends, a normal bus ride, and normal homework. But nothing ever goes as planned for Karkat Vantas.

Today, Karkat awoke on time for school in the back of a pick up truck. He didn't know why he was there, or where he was going. His dad sat in the front seat, muttering to himself, his older brother sitting in the passenger seat, sleeping like nothing was wrong.

"Dad where are we going?" The boy asked his father, sitting up and holding his head. It was one of the few times he was able to sleep, and when he did he always awoke with a huge headache.

"Shut up and sit down." His father growled, keeping his eyes on the road. It was apparent he wouldn't give any information on where they were headed or why they were going there.

The boy huffed and sat back, crossing his arms. The bed of the truck behind him was full of their stuff, so he couldn't see behind them to see if his dad had a trailer or a moving truck with the rest of their stuff.

After a minute of silence, he scooted over to the window and rolled it down just enough to stick his head out the truck window. His sandy white hair blew in the wind as his dad raced down the highway, his bright red eyes straining to look around the dressers an tables in the back. He only caught a glimpse of a U-Haul trailer and a moving van following them before being pulled back roughly into the cabin of the truck by his father. His father glared at him in the rear view mirror, not risking waking the older Vantas brother with yelling. With the look alone he knew he was in for a good scolding when they stopped driving.

He hid behind his father's seat, swinging his legs up onto the seat as he leaned back against the door, arms crossed once more. How many more times would they move before he finished school? How much longer would his father hide from him and his older brother why they kept moving as suddenly as they did? He had no way of figuring out either of these answers, nor did he plan to ask them. He was in enough trouble as is.

Karkat sat staring out the window opposite to him, mulling over where they were going when his phone buzzed in his jeans pocket. He looked up at his dad in the mirror, who wasn't paying the slightest attention to him. Carefully he pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled his knees up to hide the phone. He wasn't supposed to have a cell phone, and for years he had kept the gifted phone a secret from his family. It was the younger of the Maryam sisters, Kanaya. Her soft, curious voice played in his head as he read her text.

'Where Are You? Your Teachers Called Saying You Have Yet To Arrive And Class Started An Hour Ago.'

'MY DAD IS MAKING US MOVE AGAIN. ONCE MORE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO.'

'He Really Should Not Keep These Secrets From You. Does Kankri Know The Reason Behind These Mysterious Moves?'

'I DON'T KNOW AND DON'T PLAN ON ASKING. HE'S ASLEEP ANYWAY, WHY WOULD I WANT TO WAKE THAT ASSHOLE UP. ALL HE WILL DO IS TALK MY HEAD OFF.'

He was barely able to hit send and shove the phone back in his pocket when his father grabbed his leg and pulled him into view. He hadn't noticed they were at a gas station until he was jerked out of his little world.

"Get out and wake up your brother. Get what he wants and get me a coffee inside. Get something cheap for yourself." He said, handing him a credit card. "Also ask Egbert if he wants anything." He added on as an after thought.

Karkat opened the door and slid out of the truck. He walked around the front to the passenger door and opened it, promptly flicking Kankri in the head, which granted him a scolding look from their father. He snickered as Kankri snapped awake at the flick, meeting red eyes with him. "Get up Kankri and tell me what you want for breakfast."

"Karkat that was very rude of you." His brother said and rubbed the side of his head where he was flicked. "I don't know why you continue doing that when it only gets you scolded later."

The older Vantas paused to take a breath and before he could continue Karkat held his hand up. "Sorry. Just tell me what you want for breakfast."

"What is there? Is there anything healthy? You know what I like to eat Karkat, I don't know why you are asking me. It is nice of you to let me come up with a decision though."

Karkat smacked his palm against his forehead. He never gets a straight answer out of his brother. He pinched the bridge if his nose and sighed. "Just come inside with me and pick what you want yourself." He said and started walking back to the moving van behind them. He ignored the morning rant of questions his brother normally asked when they moved like this, shrugging when Kankri paused.

He knocked on the moving vans window, and to no surprise, got no answer. Mr. Egbert manages to somehow fall asleep within the first 2 minutes of a stop after driving all night. He knew what to get the sleeping man though. He always remembered after the first time he had woken Mr. Egbert up.

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The Egberts always moved with them, no matter where they went. They had always shared a house, Karkat's own family getting all but a room or two. Mr. Egbert had a son, John. John was much like a little brother in the family, and was even short enough to be the youngest.

The smaller Egbert popped his head around his fathers shoulders, flashing Karkat a smile. In turn, Karkat scoffed and rolled his eyes. John was incredibly clingy, mainly when it came to Karkat, and now was no exception to the rule.

Karkat stood there, his eyes locked on the sky, as he heard the slam of the door and the slap of tennis shoes against the asphalt. A tug on his sleeve and Karkat looked over at John, who was only an inch or two shorter then him. "You want to come with us then?" He asked, knowing how the other would answer.

Karkat couldn't help but smile a little at the enthusiasm in John's eyes as the boy nodded and smiled, bouncing on his feet.

"Come on yak machine, we're going inside." Karkat called over his shoulder as he started walking towards the main building of the rest stop, John practically skipping at his heels.

Kankri normally stopped looking around him while talking, and now was one of those cases. Karkat chuckled as Kankri jogged to catch up with them, complaining about Karkat's nickname for him. "Karkat I do not appreciate that name, nor the attitude you took when saying it." His brother started, halted by Karkat's hand rising, which was returned with a breath for another rant.

"I don't appreciate your constant talking, it gets annoying to be honest." Karkat said and pushed his hand back into his pocket, continuing his walk to the building. He turned and pushed the door open with his back, Kankri's glaring face staring him in the eye until his brother sighed and ran to caught up again. Karkat pushed the door open and spun around it, John slipping in after him. Kankri was left to catch the door on his own.

The three were quickly in and out of the store, Kankri with a bagel and coffee, Karkat with two cups of coffee and a bagel hanging from his mouth, and John walking happily next to Karkat, nibbling a doughnut with a bag of mixed bagels and doughnuts in his hand.

Karkat stood aside once they got to the Egberts truck, letting John open the door. He leaned in and put one of the coffee cups in the middle cup holder, nearly falling on the floor in the process. Karkat huffed and swore under his breath, the empty hand on the floor of the truck to keep him from falling, the other sitting in the seat, holding his fathers cup to keep it from falling. He felt someone pulling on the cup and his head shot up, meeting the classic Egbert Blue eyes of Mr. Egbert. He had woken him up. Out of habit, Karkat flinched when Mr. Egbert moved his arm, his eye peeping open when he didn't feel the sting of the older Egbert's hand against his cheek. He saw the warm smile on Mr. Egbert's face and chuckled nervously.

"Come on Karkat. Lets get you off the floor." Mr. Egbert said and reached a hand out.

Karkat would never get used to the kindness the Egbert family had shown him since they met a few years back. Mr. Egbert had always been much nicer then his own father, who would hit him for the simplest of things. He accepted the hand up and quickly straightened up. "Sorry about that Mr. Egbert. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Oh it's no problem, sonny. Go tell your old man I'm ready to roll again when he is." Mr. Egbert said and handed him the coffee cup back, which Karkat took with a small smile.

Talking to Mr. Egbert always managed to make Karkat smile, even if it's just a little smile, even though his father managed to make it disappear as soon as it comes. As soon as both him and his brother had gotten back to the truck, their father started screaming at him. Yelling about how he took too long, his cup wasn't full enough, how he wasn't getting in fast enough and that he was wasting time and space. This was normal stuff to him, but for some reason it got to him more right now since he was bringing up his mother. How he and his mother were freaks of nature, with snowy white hair, red eyes like a vampire, and extremely pale skin, littered with freckles on their noses and cheeks. He sat clenching his fists, the backseat door open in front of him while grinding his teeth while his father was complaining about how abnormal he was, what a freak his mom was.

"I'm not riding with you the rest of the way." Karkat growled and slammed the door shut, turning and starting for the Egberts van. He winced a little as he heard a door slam behind him and yelling from his father follow him.

"Get your ass back into this truck RIGHT NOW." His father growled and he could hear the stomping feet behind him. He knew he was in trouble, and the only person who could help him was Mr. Egbert. He heard his fathers foot steps get faster and started running towards the Egbert's van.

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He could hear his heart beating in his ears as he ran around to the passenger side of the van, the sound of Mr. Egberts door opening, and the scuffle of feet on the other side of the van. The grumbling of the two older men, with occasional shouts, only made him rush to get into the van and squeeze into the passenger seat with John. Karkat couldn't bare to look at the trouble he was causing Mr. Egbert with his father. He felt Johns small hand pat him on the back. The scuttling outside the van was soon over, and the van moved as Mr. Egbert got in, the door slamming as it was shut. He peeked over at Mr. Egbert, who was giving him an awkward smile.

"Your dad will leave you alone for now kiddo. Just take a bagel, and relax." Mr. Egbert said and held the bagel bag out for him to take one.

With a hesitant smile, Karkat reached into the bag and took one out. "Thanks Mr. Egbert." He mumbled and nibbled on the bagel. Just perfect, his dad was pissed and they hadn't even gotten to the new house yet. Maybe Mr. Egbert wouldn’t mind renting a hotel room for a few days for him? No, No, No, he already owed Mr. Egbert enough. But maybe...

John must have been able to feel the waves that were rolling off his skin, for he was snapped out of his little thought bubble by the smaller boys arms wrapping around him. He looked over at John, who had a big smile and was nodding, as if he could have known what Karkat was thinking. He looked up and saw Mr. Egbert was smiling as well, like everyone could read his mind.

However unsettling it was, Karkat gave a small smile and a small hug back to John before looking out the window as they started moving down the road again.

The ride in the car was more or less uneventful, John falling asleep on his arm, Mr. Egbert singing to classics on the radio, normal stuff, but that wasn’t what made the car ride seem so long to Karkat. His mind was filled with thoughts of what his father would do to him when they got to the new house.

He didn’t even notice they had arrived until Mr. Egbert had to reach over and shake his shoulder.

“You okay kiddo?” Mr. Egbert looked worried, which was one thing Karkat hated most. Making Mr. Egbert worry about him, on top of his own son, was probably one of the biggest things he beat himself up about.

“Yeah. Well... yeah. I’m fine.” he lied, and smiled a little to make it less obvious. Dooms day had come, and now he had to see what the damage was. He crawled out from the entanglement John had become since the smaller boy had fallen asleep on him and sat him back against the seat before closing the van’s door. Might as well get his punishment now rather than later.

Grimacing, Karkat walked over to his dad, who was unloading the small, tattered trailer they have owned for as long as he could remember. Before he could say anything, his dad shoved a box into his arms and shooed him away with a hand. Looks like he had gotten lucky this time, and some poor dude on the road took the rage for him.

“Come on Karkat. We need to get upstairs and put these boxes down.” he heard his brother call down from the empty stairwell.

Karkat hadn't even thought to look at the building they were moving into yet, and now that he was looking at it, he would rather be at school surrounded by people he didn’t know. The walls, that looked to originally be white, were a browned yellow and covered in vines and cracks. The yard was well overgrown, like it hadn't been mown in years, and more than likely hasn't.

Groaning, he knew he would soon be put to work fixing everything wrong with it. He trudged upstairs and left the box in the living room before searching for a room to claim as his own.