[ dave moves his arms so they aren't crossed over his face any longer and just examines karkat. like. he's pretty sure it will hurt worse? and he doesn't buy the injury thing, or really the rest of it, but he does reach out a hand to trace one of karkat's cheekbones. he debates pulling him down for a kiss but that seems really final and also a little bit too desperate.

he lets his hand drop. ]

Because you never have? Because you sounded like you were signing your own death warrant when we talked about it? Because maybe it really kinda fuckin' hurts when you flinch away or panic and look around to see if anyone noticed or clearly feel a bunch of dread towards the whole concept of admittin' to anyone we're datin'? Because I'm pretty sure it's gonna hurt worse for me for you to be doin' all of that while you try to get used to it? Because it's a thing to, I don't know, bear. And maybe it's fucked up I was even remotely worried about how much it'd hurt me?

[ to put up with. because honestly dave isn't sure that's so far off the mark. there is not any real tangible benefit to dating him that he's aware of other than his dubious grasp on how to relationship.

he pushes karkat away from leaning over him so he can roll off the bed and onto his feet, before he takes dirk's advice and says the rest of it in a tone of utter flat reluctance and directed more at the floor than anything else. ]

Because I really, really can't stand that you can do datin' shit with literally everyone but me, and now you'll try to do it only because I said that, and not because you ever had any desire to like, do any of it with me. You can literally raise a crab-child with another guy or have pillow talk with Jake or like a thousand other things you would never even consider doin' with me, Karkat. And absolutely none of that is anything I should have ever said to you, so, you know, congrats. You win one shitty human being.

[ yeah he was right he hates himself more now, this is fine ]