Read the Text

“Well someone has to and I’d rather it be me than someone I care about.” 

Priya frowned at him. “If you’re going to go, then I’m coming with you,” she said firmly.

“No you aren’t.” Dave frowned back at her.

"Yes, I am," she said decisively. "You're not going there alone. If something happened to you..." she paused for a moment. "I can't be alone again, Dave. I just can't. So I'm coming with you."

“No other way…” He sighed and finished his soda.

“Dave, you can’t,” she said, gripping onto his arm. “You might get hurt. I’m not gonna let you go.”

“Well someone has to and I’d rather it be me than someone I care about.” 

Priya frowned at him. "If you're going to go, then I'm coming with you," she said firmly.

“I need to find out what happened….” He looked far off.

She frowned a little bit. “Yeah, but you’re not going back there,” she told him.

“No other way…” He sighed and finished his soda.

"Dave, you can't," she said, gripping onto his arm. "You might get hurt. I'm not gonna let you go."

“I guess it is.” He shrugged. He leaned his head back against the wall and thought back to the abandoned lab they had escaped. He needed to find out what happened.

Priya set the mug down on the floor next to them, and looked up at him. “You’re sure everything’s all right?”

“I need to find out what happened….” He looked far off.

She frowned a little bit. "Yeah, but you're not going back there," she told him.

“You’re warm…” He smiled. “It’s nice.”

“Oh, um, thanks,” she said with a nervous chuckle. She held up her mug. “It’s probably the tea, honestly. I’m not usually warm.”

“I guess it is.” He shrugged. He leaned his head back against the wall and thought back to the abandoned lab they had escaped. He needed to find out what happened.

Priya set the mug down on the floor next to them, and looked up at him. "You're sure everything's all right?"

  “Yeah, they haven’t seen anything more strange than usual.” He shrugged a bit. “I’m sure they’re okay.” Dave pulled her onto his lap.

She was initially surprised when he pulled her onto his lap, but soon became comfortable as she curled into him. “That’s good to hear,” she said with a small sigh. 

“You’re warm…” He smiled. “It’s nice.”

"Oh, um, thanks," she said with a nervous chuckle. She held up her mug. "It's probably the tea, honestly. I'm not usually warm."

  When Dave finished talking to Karkat he walked back over and sat next to Priya. He wrapped his arm around her again.

She looked up at him and smiled a little bit. “Everything all right with your friends?” she asked.

“Yeah, they haven’t seen anything more strange than usual.” He shrugged a bit. “I’m sure they’re okay.” Dave pulled her onto his lap.

She was initially surprised when he pulled her onto his lap, but soon became comfortable as she curled into him. "That's good to hear," she said with a small sigh. 

  Dave rubbed circles into her shoulder and pulled away a bit. “I gotta warn my friends about that…” He stood and fiddled with what seemed to be a watch. “Be right back.” He relocated to a corner.

Priya let out a loud sigh as she watched Dave leave to talk to his friends. She slowly sipped on her tea, trying her best to relax, but for some reason still felt nervous…

When Dave finished talking to Karkat he walked back over and sat next to Priya. He wrapped his arm around her again.

She looked up at him and smiled a little bit. "Everything all right with your friends?" she asked.

  “Shorty.” He grinned and playfully nudged her before leaning down to kiss her forehead. 

She chuckled silently and smiled, resting her head on his shoulder, holding the tea close to her, feeling warm from both the warmth of the liquid and from being close to his body. She nuzzled in closer to him… she had missed this kind of physical contact.

Dave rubbed circles into her shoulder and pulled away a bit. “I gotta warn my friends about that…” He stood and fiddled with what seemed to be a watch. “Be right back.” He relocated to a corner.

Priya let out a loud sigh as she watched Dave leave to talk to his friends. She slowly sipped on her tea, trying her best to relax, but for some reason still felt nervous...

  “Good. Don’t want you getting hurt.” Dave took another sip of his soda. “How’s the tea? Warm enough?”

“It’s perfect,” she said. “Thank you.” She leaned up and gave him a small peck on his jawline, just because she couldn’t reach up to his cheek.

“Shorty.” He grinned and playfully nudged her before leaning down to kiss her forehead. 

She chuckled silently and smiled, resting her head on his shoulder, holding the tea close to her, feeling warm from both the warmth of the liquid and from being close to his body. She nuzzled in closer to him... she had missed this kind of physical contact.

  “Good.” He smiled at her. “New rule, if we end up going back no sketchy room exploring. Deal?” Dave raised an eyebrow.

Her lips twitched into a quick smile. She was going to say something about how that was no fun, but at the moment, couldn’t bring herself to it. “Yeah, okay, that sounds good.”

“Good. Don’t want you getting hurt.” Dave took another sip of his soda. “How’s the tea? Warm enough?”

"It's perfect," she said. "Thank you." She leaned up and gave him a small peck on his jawline, just because she couldn't reach up to his cheek.

  “No problem.” He sat next to her, opening his soda. He took a sip and leaned back. “Pretty freaky back there…” He put an arm around her.

Priya pulled her legs in so she sat in a ball, bringing the hot mug up near her face. “Yeah,” she said, leaning her head onto him. “It was pretty scary,” she said as she took another slow sip of her tea. “I feel a lot better now, though.”

“Good.” He smiled at her. “New rule, if we end up going back no sketchy room exploring. Deal?” Dave raised an eyebrow.

Her lips twitched into a quick smile. She was going to say something about how that was no fun, but at the moment, couldn't bring herself to it. "Yeah, okay, that sounds good."

  Dave nodded. “Yeah have a seat and I’ll get you that tea.” He smiled and went over to a machine to type in the code for Priya’s tea and some soda for him. He came back over and gave her the mug. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” she said, taking it from him. It was hot, so she took a small sip and felt the heat radiate through her body, which made her feel more relaxed. She took a deep breath and her shoulders fell again. She looked up and Dave and smiled.

“No problem.” He sat next to her, opening his soda. He took a sip and leaned back. “Pretty freaky back there…” He put an arm around her.

Priya pulled her legs in so she sat in a ball, bringing the hot mug up near her face. "Yeah," she said, leaning her head onto him. "It was pretty scary," she said as she took another slow sip of her tea. "I feel a lot better now, though."

  “For now…” Dave nodded. “I think we both need to relax after that… Want anything to drink? Ive got codes for tea, coffee, hot chocolate, apple juice, orange juice, mountain dew.”

“Tea sounds really nice right now, actually,” she said to him. Normally she would’ve taken any of the other drinks, but tea always helped the best with her nerves. “Just black, no milk or sugar. Thanks.”

Dave nodded. “Yeah have a seat and I’ll get you that tea.” He smiled and went over to a machine to type in the code for Priya’s tea and some soda for him. He came back over and gave her the mug. “Here you go.”

"Thanks," she said, taking it from him. It was hot, so she took a small sip and felt the heat radiate through her body, which made her feel more relaxed. She took a deep breath and her shoulders fell again. She looked up and Dave and smiled.

  Remembering that he was faster than most people Dave slowed down for Priya. He stayed at a good pace until they got to the lab. He let Priya in first then followed after.

When she walked into the lab, she instantly relaxed her shoulders, feeling actually safe. She looked up at Dave and forced a small smile. “Well, thank goodness that’s over.”

“For now…” Dave nodded. “I think we both need to relax after that… Want anything to drink? Ive got codes for tea, coffee, hot chocolate, apple juice, orange juice, mountain dew.”

"Tea sounds really nice right now, actually," she said to him. Normally she would've taken any of the other drinks, but tea always helped the best with her nerves. "Just black, no milk or sugar. Thanks."

“Back to my art lab. It’s closer and I know it’s safe. Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her along.

She followed him, picking up her pace when she was struggling to keep up. In her head, she was secretly thankful that she didn’t have to go back to her place on her meteor just yet.

Remembering that he was faster than most people Dave slowed down for Priya. He stayed at a good pace until they got to the lab. He let Priya in first then followed after.

When she walked into the lab, she instantly relaxed her shoulders, feeling actually safe. She looked up at Dave and forced a small smile. "Well, thank goodness that's over."

  “I’m okay… Yeah I’m good.” Dave took a deep breath. “Not hurt. We should go to a familiar place.” 

Priya nodded slowly. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Where do you want to go?”

“Back to my art lab. It’s closer and I know it’s safe. Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her along.

She followed him, picking up her pace when she was struggling to keep up. In her head, she was secretly thankful that she didn't have to go back to her place on her meteor just yet.