Unspoken Attraction (Dave/Karkat)

"That's cool with me" Bro shrugged.

Dave fell silent, fighting with finding something to talk about when he was trying so hard not to think about why they were here.

"Anxious to see karkat again?" Bro asked.

Dave immediately lit up at the mention of Karkat. "Anxious would be a massive understatement. It's more like I am going to explode if I don't see him soon."

"So Tomorrow I"m setting up a chat so you can talk with him right away so long as he's up to it, I take it." Bro smirked slightly.

“Only if he's up to it," Dave agreed. “Don't wanna keep him up if my baby's in too much pain, y'know?

"I know. we wouldn't want him to get any worse." Bro replied. "Tav's been taking good care of him, hate to put that to waste"

"Tav's really changed towards Karkat since we moved. Weird t'think all it took was a lil more elbow room," Dave replied with a smirk.

"Mutual territory" Bro replied. "Same thing happens with animals. Move them from their old territory when you introduce a new animal and they'll be more open to the new animal."

"You're really more in tune with trolls than I am," Dave admitted. "I'd have probably just gotten a spray bottle and a rolled up magazine."

"And that is why your hand is in a cast" Bro replied wisely.

Dave snorted, lightly elbowing Bro's side. "I don't need a cast to know I'm shitty with trolls."

"No, but it helps you learn what not to do" Bro smiled.

Dave sighed. "Really don't need a lecture right now."

"I'm not lecturing. Just saying you learn from your mistakes." Bro shrugged. "Everyone learns from their mistakes. "

"Ideally," Dave corrected.

"well yeah, you always have that one idiot" Bro shrugged

Dave pointed towards himself with both thumbs.

"You're not that guy" Bro rolled his eyes. "You've learned something at least. I know you have"

Dave stuck his good hand in his pocket. "If I wasn't some kind of idiot, we wouldn't be here."

"This isn't your fault" Bro replied firmly.

Dave shook his head. “I should'a trained more.”

"You couldn't exactly defend yourself when you were down a limb" Bro replied

"I know, s'just..." Dave gnawed on his fat lip. "I thought that you could always beat me in a strife because you're bigger, you're stronger, you're faster, and you're more experienced. I'm not even admitting anything you don't know here, we both accepted that I would always lose to you because of that, like it's as factual and perpetual as gravity itself. That guy... that guy was all those things compared to me. So- so now I'm thinking, maybe I just kept telling myself that you're stronger as an excuse for being weak."

Dave paused in his step to face Bro. "I don't want to be the weaker oponnent any more, Bro."

"Its not that you're weak, Dave" Bro replied with a sigh. "He took advantage of you being unable to properly defend yourself. That has nothing to do with being weak. If you weren't in a cast, you probably could have gotten away"