Readers POV
Karkat is standing right in front of you. Smiling. It's so warm, and kind. He is so young but when his eyes light up they tell stories from long ago. A thought rushes through your mind, you want to kiss him. This causes you to smile, you are internally laughing at your own though. But you begin to feel slightly embarrassed, so instead of fulfilling your small fantasy, you ask a question to break your internal tension.
"May I draw you? Like this I mean." He blushes a little and he momentarily drops his grin. He nods at you. You lead him to the couch so you both can sit, you open the sketch book to a new page. Are you really doing this? This is the first time you've had someone model for you, you've always just kind of drawn people. The pressure was on now. Not only was it your first model, it was Karkat. His opinion mattered quite a bit to you. The both of you sat and talked for about 20 minutes while you finished the drawing. You spoke about classes, your friends, but nothing too serious, nothing beyond the surface. When you were done with the sketch, you had to say you were pretty pleased with it. But the real judge was sitting in front of you with a slightly impatient look on his face. You turned the book to face him and braced for his opinion.
"FUCK." His face was unreadable. He hates it. You can't believe it, this is why you don't ask people to model for you. "THIS IS FUCKING AMAZING. HOW DID YOU LEARN TO DRAW LIKE THAT?" His eyes again were bright and full of wonder.
"I taught myself, you really like it? This is the first time I've had someone modeling for me..."
"I SERIOUSLY THINK THIS IS AWESOME, IT IS PROBABLY THE ONLY PICTURE OF ME SMILING, EVER." You take a moment and look at the picture, and do something else you've never done before. You sign the bottom of it, and tear it out of the book. You handed it to Karkat and he just stared. "THIS IS FOR ME?"
"Yes,"
"UMM, THANK YOU (F/N)"
"Well, you ought to have a picture of your smile, so maybe you'll remember to do it more."

Karkat's POV

"WHY IS SHE SO NICE TO ME" you think. This picture is beautiful, it looks more like you than most photographs, and she's just GIVING it to you. What do you do, what do you say?
"UMM, THANK YOU (F/N)"
"Well, you ought to have a picture of your smile, so maybe you'll remember to do it more." She likes your smile? She wants you to smile more? Maybe this all has worked better than you expected. But maybe you've let your guard down too much. You are starting to have feelings, flushed feelings, toward (f/n) and you KNOW you shouldn't. She couldn't reciprocate these feelings, she would be pale for you at best. You aren't even the same species and relations between the two of you would result in her social outcasting. But still, when you look at her you feel a wave of red pass over you and warm your whole body. "JUST A FLUSH CRUSH" you think as she puts in another movie. That's all it will ever be.

*TIME SKIP*

You and (f/n) had been hanging out everyday this week. You would come over after her mother had left, and you would watch movies and talk, not about anything serious but she was still fun to talk to.
You can't even express the number of missed opportunities you've had to kiss her. Her pinkish lips are calling out to you. This is the worst flush crush you've ever had on someone. But it's probably because you know for a fact you can't do anything about it. Maybe today you can find out who she is flushed for, at least then you will have some kind of closure, you can give her advice, hell, she may even become your moirail. That would be nice. A secret moirail still, but for some reason, even if it isn't flushed, you still want her in your quadrants. She must have noticed you getting lost in though, because she paused "21 dresses" and looks at you.
   "Karkat? Is there something on your mind?" Yes. So so much.
"NO, NOT PARTICULARLY. JUST THE SHORT STORY ASSIGNMENT IN ENGLISH I GUESS, I AM DRAWING A BLANK."
"Oh! I'm writing mine taking place in the Progressive era, like just after the Victorian age. But not in England, in Washington, because of their mining industry. I've done my research, it's discusses the flower, paper folding and fan languages." She is so excited. She must be really into all this.
"YOU'VE DONE A FUCK TON OF RESEARCH TO HAVE IT NARROWED DOWN THAT MUCH."
"I just really like the era, and all of weird rules in place and how people were so weirdly secretive, and never said anything upfront. Like with fans you could say 'I despise you' or 'I love you' or even as complex as 'meet me at 4:00 in the next room' with one simple recognized motion. But the flowers are my favorite." She is going off on this, you hear more about how the paper folding was mostly lost to history, and how she spent two weeks learning fan language. But one things really catches your attention. "It's recognized today that a red rose means love, and that started with the Victorians! A single red rose meant passionate love, but a bunch would mean respectful love. You wouldn't really marry someone who gave you the single, but you may still reciprocate the feelings. I am so so sorry, I'm going off on this long tangent, I just get worked up sometimes..." With her realization, she went from booming with energy to shrinking in on herself. You couldn't let that happen.
  "NO! I MEAN, I ENJOYED IT. I LIKE HOW PASSIONATE YOU GET." Her confidence returned, she smiled and she quickly leaned into you and kissed your cheek. It was so soft and sweet. She's blushing at you, her hand is resting on your thigh and her eyes are searching yours.
  "Thank you. People usually don't like me to talk so much, it's why I'm so quiet all the time."
  "WELL, I LIKE YOU LOUD."

Readers POV
  "I like it too. But come on, tell me about what you are passionate about."
  "I LIKE ENGLISH. I ACTUALLY LOVE IT. ALTERNIA DOESN'T HAVE AS MANY WORDS, BUT IN ENGLISH, FUCK, YOU HAVE A SYNONYM FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING! IT LENDS TO BETTER WRITING." While you are always aware that Karkat is a troll, sometimes you forget on a conscious level. Like, you speak English to him, but you forget that it isn't his first language because he speaks it so well. It's just moments like this that you completely forget. You wish it didn't feel like it's such a glaringly obvious mistake. You wish that it didn't matter. You wish that people would look at you and Karkat together as friends and think it is beautiful and not an abomination. You wish people could see him the way that you do. If people knew that while he was abrasive at first, he was actually really sweet. If people knew he loved Rom Coms, loved writing and was actively pursuing a friendship with a human. Would they still view him as a monster? You barely know him, but you know there is more to him than what's surface deep.

A/N: I've been a bit stuck here but I've found momentum again. I hope you enjoy it. They will be progressing soon ;)