The Perfect Plan

It starts simply. Nepeta rushing through the halls between classes, knowing she's going to be late and fearful of getting a detention—which her best friend Equius would never approve of—so she was more barreling through the empty halls rather than anything else. The halls are empty, emptying at least, and so it's pretty much a clear shot down the hall, around the corner, and into the room. Except a clear shot isn't quite what she gets. Instead as she reaches the corner there is a collision. Her body slamming hard against another person she hadn't even seen as she rounded the corner. They both fall, their books going everywhere, and her stammering out apologies.

   There is another voice though, also apologizing, though with less vim than she managed. It was a voice she recognized, a voice she loved hearing, that she could pick out over the din of a busy hallway. The voice of the guy she's had a crush on for months, years even. His name was Karkat Vantas, and Nepeta Leijon was certain she was in love with him. For all that he could be abrasive, she knew there was more to him. That below the surface, below the nervous exterior that made him snap at people to protect himself, he was a tender, loving person. Nepeta just knew it. And now here she was, sprawled in the hall, looking at the only guy she'd ever looked at like this, and she was trying her hardest not to blush at the sight of him.

   They scrabble for their things, Nepeta ducking her head every time her hand would brush against Karkat's as they reached for things. Soon enough their things are gathered, all but one thing, and though she tries to grab for it first, the simple fact is that Karkat reaches it before her. Of course it didn't help that the sketchbook had fallen open in the tumble. That it was showing off one of the sketches she'd done of him while he was debating something rather passionately in their World History calls that he'd never even noticed her in. As much as she wants to snatch it out of his hands, run away and pretend it never happened because she's so embarrassed, they are both frozen in place as the bell announces that they have managed to truly become late to class and there was no longer a reason to hurry. Karkat sighs, shakes his head, shrugs, and returns his attention to the sketchbook, frowning rather hard at it.

   At length Nepeta starts to reach for it, not knowing what to say, and wordlessly Karkat passes it over, though he doesn't really let it go as it rests in her hand. The dreaded question comes at that point: was it that she was stalking him, or that she drew all the random people in the school? This time it's too hard to hold back the blush, and with a surprising burst of strength she snatches the sketchbook away and presses it hard to her chest with all of her other school books. Quickly she comes up with a lie that is true enough to get by. She mentions that they took introduction to art together in their freshman year, and that the teacher had selected Karkat as the class model one day because he had managed to leave his sketchbook at home. Says that his face was so expressive during that class that she'd done tons of rough sketches, and this was one of the ones she was working on fleshing out for a class project.

   He admits that he hadn't really noticed her, and even apologized.

   Nepeta says it's okay and she's sorry if she confused him. What she doesn't say is that they've had about seven different classes together in the last two years, not that she was keeping track. Still, she knows when it's best to cut her losses and run. And this, Nepeta decides, is the moment of all moments where she should really abscond. Long before she does something truly stupid, like admit everything. Which would be foolish because there was no chance that a person like Karkat Vantas would ever pay attention to her, no matter how much she wanted him to.

   Except he does. Maybe not that moment, in that hallway, but the next day in one of the classes they share, he notices her, smiles and gives her a little wave. It almost feels like a perfect moment, and for a second Nepeta is certain her heart is going to overflow from the joy of it all. It even gets better the next day, where he realizes it they more than one class together and even says her name. A few weeks later he even asks her to join him at lunch, not that she says yes considering her best friend would never stand by and accept it. But she does go out of her way to figure out the paths he takes to classes, so they can run into one another every now and then. So she can walk him to his classes. So they can steal moments to talk and tease and joke.

   It takes two months, but at last she gets the nerve to ask him to pose for one of her drawings. Nepeta claims it's for one of her art class projects, but the simple truth is and always be that it is for herself. Karkat, surprisingly, agrees, and Nepeta convinces Equius she needs to spend lunch with him for a class project. They take a table alone, away from his normal group of friends—Terezi and John mock Karkat mercilessly for it and he just blows them off with a few strongly worded insults—and Karkat sits and talks to her while she sketches him gesturing emphatically with a french fry. It takes her a week to finish, because in truth she's milking the time for every moment she can steal for it, and when she's done she makes a photocopy for him. He insists that she signs it, and so she does.

   He insists that she put her phone number there too, and so she does.

   Their first date is to a kids movie because it's innocent enough, and it's adorable which Karkat apparently had a secret weakness for. As they walk out afterward, discussing the finer points of the movie, their hands brush, Nepeta resists the urge to gasp, and in the end he takes her hand in his own and though they are both sweating and nervous, it's a wonderful moment she swears never to forget.

   It's a moment they repeat over the next few months. Dates for dinner, dates for movies, dates for just wandering through the park peacefully together. Dates turn into coming over to each other's houses, spending time together. Meeting parents. Meeting friends. Equius hems and haws, John instantly approves, and Terezi just acts as if nothing has changed. They welcome the blending of their circles, and in the process draw about another five people—Vriska finds John funny, Terezi lures over a cool kid named Dave and his exchange student girlfriend Jade who may or may not have been John's long lost twin sister, and a guy named Gamzee just pretty much turns up some day—and through it all her eyes are on him and their fingers are intertwined. By the time the prom rolls around it's all but established that they are a thing, not that it keep Nepeta from being terrified that Karkat won't ask her. Dave and Terezi have already confirmed their going to make a mockery of the whole thing, though in truth Dave is going with Jade and she is putting up with his antics. Vriska has asked John out and they swear that their pre-prom party is going to be a Nic Cage watching marathon. But Nepeta, she's left waiting. Spends afternoons out with the other girls picking out dresses, not even sure whether she's going to get to wear her own.

   When he asks it's amazing. A note slipped into her locker that is really a clue. The clue leads her to another under the desk she uses in their World History class. That leads her to a tree they sit together during lunches sometimes when they need a break from their friends. And there waits Karkat with a daisy and two tickets. They spend an hour talking about the color of her dress so he can get the right tie.

   The dance is magical, for all that the theme is silly—who wants a dance under the sea—and the music is terrible, and the food is a joke, and most people are there just to show off their dresses. Terezi dares Dave to take over the DJ table, which he does to the delight of all of the students there. Jade teaches everyone some dances more popular where she's from. Gamzee spikes the punch with Redpop Faygo—not that it really has any affect on anything other than messing up the balance of tastes in the punch. Vriska steals the prom queen crown and awards it to John. Nepeta watches it all with amusement, and then is gathered up in her own joy as Karkat leads her through not one, but several dances. Sure, he isn't experienced and steps on her feet a few times, but she doesn't care because she does the same. They laugh over the failure of coordination and by the end of the night they sway together slowly, foreheads pressed together, smiling.

   By the end of junior year everyone knows they are a couple. By the end of senior they are the favorite couple in the school, winning the superlative for the yearbook despite Jade's fake campaign on Dave and Terezi's part—apparently at some point Jade had gotten into their whole ironic humor. It's almost bittersweet when graduation approaches. They've spent all of this time together, and for what? Nepeta had managed to get accepted into a nearby art school, prompted to even apply because of Karkat. As for him, well, it isn't like he's going far, but Nepeta's still worried. He's a few towns over at another school, supposed to study psychology to become a therapist, but Nepeta worries anyway. Worries that she won't see him often. That some attractive college girl will step in and take over Karkat's life. Sure, he promises to visit at least every other weekend, but that doesn't make it better. She worries, always has, always will. Finally she's got her hands on the guy she loves, well and truly loves, and she could lose him before she even had the slightest chance to do anything about it.

   Vriska promises to watch over him since she's going to the same place for biology. Terezi swears by her dragon plushies to see to it that no girls even try to come near Nepeta's precious Karkitty. Equius even agrees to watch out for women who are making unwelcome advances. It doesn't make it any better. The only thing that makes it better is when he shows up like clockwork every other Saturday afternoon. He spends his Fridays powering through all of his homework so he can steal his time with her. Those moments are wonderful. They talk about their classes, the shows they both watch, how their friends are doing. They talk about everything and nothing, and it doesn't matter because they are together. The only thing that matters is that they are together.

   Karkat proposes in the middle of winter break. The snow is falling thick as they stroll back to her dorm after a late dinner in town. In the middle of it he stops and pretends to need to tie his shoes. When Nepeta slows and advances on him, tilting her head curiously, his hand comes up with a small velvet box. All she can do is stare as the box is opened, stare down at the ring that isn't much to look upon but means more than the world to her. When he slides it onto her finger and promises never to leave her, she knows. Knows that none of this would have happened had she not been late for class, rushing blindly down the halls. Running and running until she slammed into Karkat. In a moment her whole world had changed.

   At least, that was the plan. Nepeta had gone over it about give times now. All that had to happen was putting it into motion. So here she was, nervously checking her watch yet again. In another moment she should be good. Should start running down the hall in hopes of bumping into Karkat because this was the way he left his third period on the way to his fourth.

   There, now was the time. Nepeta gulped in a huge breath of air, made sure her sketchbook was on the top of her pile. Then, hopes deep in her heart, she threw herself down the hallway at full speed, ready to throw herself into the arms of fate.