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(AU! In which there's a zoo on alternia and you are one of the exhibits)

*(Y/N)'s P.O.V*
I don't know how longer I've been here, sitting in this cage as those foul beasts gaze upon me. This bird like cage, the handfuls of food I get every now and then, the neglect. I was a caged animal in here, those things, those trolls took me from my home and threw me in here a few years back.

I haven't seen the outside world since, some trolls who visit are kind, even pass food through the cage, they smile and ask me how my day was. Other trolls look down at me, with sneers and unknown rage, they hated my very being. I had good days and bad days.

The good days I would keep my head held high, greet the sitters with a smile, even if they didn't return it. I would refrain from attacking the helper who cleans out my cage and feeds me. I would please the people who put me here, knowing that if I didn't that would be another scar I'd need to hide from the civilians. On good days I'll make the children- I mean wrigglers laugh, and find that I'd get a little more food, a little more water.

The bad days were different, I would curl up into a ball and hiss or snap at anyone who dares approach my cage. The feel of it shrinking on me becomes unbearable. I would attack the cage, scaring the wrigglers and the adults. I would pull and push and gnaw and try my best to pry the bars apart. I just wanted to go home, every bad day I lose a helper and find I get a new one, the other's all to traumatized from getting a lowblood monster attack them.

Today wasn't a bad day, but it wasn't a particularly bad day either. I curled up, my knees pulled to my chest in the middle of the cage so no one could touch me through the bars. I heard the whispers of the people around me, they were waiting, waiting for me to do some parlour trick like someone from the circus.

I didn't comply, I sat there doing my best to drown them out. Trying to picture myself at home, with my parents, trying to picture myself happy again "hey KK look!" I heard a loud voice yell. Hesitantly I lifted my head, my hair covering my face. Standing at the bars of my cage were two trolls, the taller of the two had two horns, his forked tongue barely peaked out his lips. His expression displayed wonder, he had never seen a human before no doubt.

The other, shorter troll had his arms crossed over his chest, tiny knubby horns barely peaking out of his black hair. His nose was tinted red and light freckles dusted his cheeks. "What's so special about that thing?" he asked, his voice was raspy and relatively high. At his words I stood suddenly, causing the people around me to jump back with gasps, he stayed where he was eyes wide at the sudden action. Alarmed but not afraid.

I pushed my hair from my face and his shocked expression deepened, I approached the bars. He seemed hesitant but stayed put. He was feeling some form of fear, I gripped the bars in my hands inches away from him. I saw a few helpers try and run in but the trolls around us ordered them not too. They had to listen to them, the customer is always right you know?

"N-" I hadn't spoken in ages, my voice was hoarse from disuse "not special huh?" at my words whispers rose. None of them knew I could speak, not even the monsters that threw me in hear. All they've heard me do is scream, hiss, and sob, they didn't take the time to see if I had the ability of speech "you talk?" he was loud, this guy.

I tilted my head to the side "What's your name shortstack?" I questioned, his friend, the one with four horns whispered "you theriouthly don't want to thay tha-" "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT?!" he yelled. I rose a brow "why you of course".

'Kk' growled and rolled up his sleeves when the troll with the lisp held him back "Calm down Kk, I'm Thollux, this is Karkat, do you have a name?" he asked "yes, my name is-" I stopped for a moment. It's been years since I've heard my own name, years since anyone has said it. If you didn't think someone to could take your name away then you thought wrong, they stripped me of my humanity by doing so.

I huffed and pushed off of the bars "you should leave, they'll call closing time in a few minutes" I turned away from them. And just like I said a loud voice of the intercom declared closing time, the crowd dispersed, including the two peculiar trolls.

~*~*~*~*~
The two visited often but I didn't approach, I didn't talk to them. I shunned them, I turned my back. What difference would it make, I would always be in here and they would always be out there. The zoo was empty, it was midnight and everyone had gone to sleep. I lay in my hammock staring absent-mindedly at the top of my cage, I felt so small in this big thing.

I heard a jingling, like that off keys and I shot up almost falling out of my hanging bed. I heard the sound of someone whispering, curse words in fact. I kept my face hidden glaring up and out the cage warily and soon, carrying a torch came the loud Troll from earlier. Karkat.

I tapped the bar with the torch "come on" he whispered "hurry up nook sniffer, do you want my help or not?" he whisper yelled holding up a ring of keys. I jumped up stepping away from the door, he fumbled with the key pulling out a long black, antique looking one with a small tag on it reading "human". The key went in and he turned it with a click, the door slowly opened with a squeak.

I could feel my chest tightening in anxiety, Karkat stood at the opening "well? What are you waiting for?" he asked tapping his foot against the floor impatiently. As if sensing the fear flooding through my body he sighed and held out his come and lowered his harsh voice, which was quiet anyways otherwise we would've been caught. "You want to be free don't you?" Kk asked.

I bit my lips staring passed him at the long corridor, I walked forward slowly until I was inches away from his outstretched hand. I lifted my hand up flickering my eyes from his grey digits too his dark eyes, I hovered my hand above his own.

Just by taking his hand this would all be over. No more fear. No more pain. Freedom it was something so unfamiliar to me, something I hadn't experienced in so long, something I had grown afraid of. In one swoop I was out, the bars were out my by line of vision, I was free. As soon as my feet hit the ground red lights blared and an alarm went off "sh*t, COME ON WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME" he was back to his increased volume and we took off.

My hand never left his, not once, not until he kicked open the door and we high tailed out of the building. We didn't stop until we were miles away from the Zoo. I panted and looked around, I closed my eyes and felt the wind his my face, running through my hair.

I smelt the air, felt the grass beneath my toes. I could hear faint chattering of trolls "hey wake up, we're not out of the clear yet" Karkat spoke up as he tugged my arm. I opened my eyes to stare at me, who knew this loud mouth troll would be my saving grace. Before we could continue I placed another hand on the arm he clutched me with "thank you...for saving me" I spoke from the bottom of my very being.

Because of him. Because of Karkat, a simple troll. My days which had been so dark. My life which had been torn away from me had returned. It was light and finally something worth living. I moved closer to the male "I owe you my life" I whispered. Pulling my hand from his own I wrapped them around his shoulder and pulled the troll to me. Karkat went rigid and patted my back awkwardly "DON'T MENTION IT NOW CAN WE GO?".

"OH AND YOU BETTER BE POTTY TRAINED F*CK*SS".

~*~*~*~*~
It had been a few months and I still lived with the hot headed troll alongside his brother Kankri. The elder was slightly perturbed or 'triggered' as he said, but he learned to live with it as he noticed how determined Karkat was. I had been given clothes, a room, food and no one, not his friends, not even his enemies breathed a word to anyone. For both our sakes.

While I had done various odd jobs for him, including being his house keeping pretty much, I didn't think that my debt was even close to being repaid. Karkat obviously found my incessant need to please him delightful but as he had admitted it was 'annoying' at times.

I placed a plate of ham sandwiches next to his keyboard as he typed away yelling to himself "WELL AT LEAST YOUR GOOD FOR SOMETHING" I ignored the rude comment and simply nodded as he grabbed a sandwich and bit into it. With a mouth full of food and various crumbs near his mouth he stopped chewing and glared up at me "WAPH?" which obviously was meant to be "what?".

I gulped and kept my expression monotone, slowly I leaned towards his face, reaching into my back pocket. His cheeks began to redden and he moved to lean away but was stopped by the back of his chair. As my nose nudged his own I whipped out a handkerchief and dabbed the side of his mouth removing the crumbs, I pulled away "you had crumbs" I shrugged nonchalantly".

With cheeks aflame he pressed the back of his arm to his mouth, furrowed his brows and glared up at me. Swallowing his mouthful quickly "that's how you wipe food off on your crappy Earth?" his voice was soft and shook with embarrassment. I grinned and snickered "no, but that's a way of messing with a friend" I ruffled his hair, careful of his horns ignoring his infuriated hollering.

I soon skipped out of the room waving at the male. I plopped on the couch just as Kankri was about to walk out the door "hey, where you going?" I asked "I was a69ut t9 visit Mituna and make sure he isn't having an attack" he replied "oh, have fun" I waved.

Kannkri nodded "Thank you" with that he walked out of the door, closing it behind him. I sighed leaning against the couch, and switched on the T.V. I felt my eyes droop and tried to blink myself awake, giving up I dropped the remote and laying on my side on the couch and closed my eyes, drifting off quickly.

*Karkat's P.O.V*
I brushed the crumbs off my jumper with a curse, grumbling about how I would need to clean that up later, grabbing the plate I walked out of my study and downstairs to the 'living room' as the human called. I dumped the plate in the sink, I rolled up my sleeves just about to wash the plate when I heard the T.V going.

Pushing my sleeves back down I looked into the 'living room' and surely enough, laying there on the couch was (Y/N). Snoozing away, with the T.V still on. I sighed and rolled my eyes picking up the remote and switching off the box, "HEY STUPID, DON'T SLEEP HERE" I said but I didn't get a reply. She was far gone, it wasn't long until her face contorted into one of pain and she flinched during her slumber.

I furrowed my brows in confusion at her actions "...an nightmare?" I whispered, before crouching down by the sofa I placed a hand on her arm and she let out a shriek. I reeled my hand back and covered my ears "(Y/N)! WAKE UP!!" I yelled over the screaming.

Her eyes shot open and she jumped up, in cold sweat, panting heavily. Running a hand through her hair, tears pricked (Y/N)'s eyes as she stared down at her lap.

*(Y/N)'s P.O.V*

I could feel my heart racing and my body shaking, it wasn't so much of a nightmare as a memory. The day they dragged me into that place, locked me into the cage. I had fought so hard, I kicked and screamed for days banging and pulling against the bars. A month later I gave up, there was no way I could've gotten out, I allowed the trolls to feast their eyes upon me freely, ignoring them with self loathing burning at my insides.

I pushed my hair from my face and took a deep breath turning to face Karkat "sorry about that, I'm fine" I assured, though he didn't seem convinced "HOOFBEAST SH*T* he cursed. I resisted laughing at his terminology "It was just a nightmare Kar, nothing to worry about" I waved it off.

"(Y/N), YOU'RE CRYING" it was only then that I noticed the clear liquid seeping from my tear ducts, I touched a finger to my cheek and pulled my hand away. My finger tips glistened from the tear drop I had caught, I sighed and wiped my face "it's nothing, just forget it" I insisted "F*CK THAT" he scoffed taking a seat next to me and crossing his arms over his chest.

"TELL ME" Karkat ordered.

"Kar, really I-"

"YOU OWE ME REMEMBER?"

I sighed aggravated at my own honour and nodded "it was a memory...of the day they took me into that awful place" I pulled my knees to my chest and leaned back, placing my chin on my knees "I remember, I stopped fighting. I lost hope" my voice was slightly muffled due to my knees but still clear enough to hear. "I remember the first time they let visitors in, I was so disgusted, the comments they made, the faces they made, how they smelt, how they looked, how they pointed and stared. I hated everything, I wanted it all to end. I wanted to die".

Karkat was silent, hearing me out. "But then you came along..." he perked up "and when you opened that gate, when you held out your hand I finally felt like I had a purpose, a reason to live finally. You were my everything at that single moment, my only hope. You gave me a sense of life Karkat, that is why I need to repay my debt to you. You saved my life. No, you gave me life".

Karkat gulped, cheeks candy red and shifting nervously. "UM...OKAY THEN..." he trailed off. I sighed placing my head in my hands "I'm a royal screw up" I groaned "DON'T SAY THAT, IF YOU WERE SCREWED UP THEN DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE IN ONE OF MY QUADRANTS, I CERTAINLY DON'T FEEL BLACK FOR YOU" Karkat commented. I smiled to myself "while we on the subject, what quadrant am I in anyways?" I asked risking a glance at him.

"S-SHUT UP HUMAN! DON'T QUESTION YOUR GOD" he exclaimed "flushed for you Kitkat" he jerked to a stop, turning his eyes away from me, flushing even more if that were possible he continued to grumble.

"FEEL RED FOR YOU TOO NOOK SNIFFER" I chuckled and leaned over to place a peck on his cheek, his arms flailed as he freaked out over the sudden fleshy contact. This loud mouthed, troll wasn't so bad after all.