[Through what's left of his battered detachment, Dave starts to feel: His throat's a mess, his heart's wringing itself into knots; he kind of has to pee. He rubs Karkat's back like he's got to generate enough warmth to start a fire, to keep them both safe from the night. He's rocking them without even realizing when he started, he lays his head alongside Karkat's and breathes rickety breaths.]
I'm s-sorry for scaring you. I--I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry, I just started remembering--things, and. And I wanted to make it stop. For a little bit.
[His voice goes high and frayed at the last word, like he's running out of air, and he swallows, tries to take a deep breath. It catches halfway through, making his shoulders jump. He holds Karkat more tightly.]
D-didn't want to feel...like that. Like the things I was f-feeling.
[Another cut-off, rattletrap breath, then another. Dave's back-and-forth motion has slowed almost to nothing, and the pattern of his shakes has changed--shivering stillness punctuated by little jerks, low noises stifled deep in his throat. One of them escapes, a soft, too-young sob, and he shudders, starts rocking Karkat again, more desperately than ever.]
Sorry, I'm sorry, I won't do it again. You're okay, we'll be okay. [Sniff. He curls tighter around Karkat, presses his nose into that thick hair.] Karkat, I'm sorry, i-it's my fault, I'm such a fuck-up, I don't want to do that to you...
action
[Through what's left of his battered detachment, Dave starts to feel: His throat's a mess, his heart's wringing itself into knots; he kind of has to pee. He rubs Karkat's back like he's got to generate enough warmth to start a fire, to keep them both safe from the night. He's rocking them without even realizing when he started, he lays his head alongside Karkat's and breathes rickety breaths.]
I'm s-sorry for scaring you. I--I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry, I just started remembering--things, and. And I wanted to make it stop. For a little bit.
[His voice goes high and frayed at the last word, like he's running out of air, and he swallows, tries to take a deep breath. It catches halfway through, making his shoulders jump. He holds Karkat more tightly.]
D-didn't want to feel...like that. Like the things I was f-feeling.
[Another cut-off, rattletrap breath, then another. Dave's back-and-forth motion has slowed almost to nothing, and the pattern of his shakes has changed--shivering stillness punctuated by little jerks, low noises stifled deep in his throat. One of them escapes, a soft, too-young sob, and he shudders, starts rocking Karkat again, more desperately than ever.]
Sorry, I'm sorry, I won't do it again. You're okay, we'll be okay. [Sniff. He curls tighter around Karkat, presses his nose into that thick hair.] Karkat, I'm sorry, i-it's my fault, I'm such a fuck-up, I don't want to do that to you...