Short Story – Sollux/Feferi + Eridan/Feferi – For Her
Sollux closed his eyes and clenched his trembling hands as tight as they would go. Fingers clawed against his arms, breaking skin, dripping fresh blood down his shaking limbs. Strangled, airless gasps left the mouth below him. Straddled over bony hips, he could feel the squirms of desperation beneath him. Quick thuds of a pulse echoed under that far too warm skin. He should let go, allow the man to breathe, if just for a moment longer. But he stayed, hands not even slipping from their grasp.
Those foreign fingers moved to Sollux's face, throwing his black framed 3-D glasses across the room. Nails pierced his skin, blood flowing down his cheeks, mixing with small beads of sweat before sliding off his skin. It only made him push harder, practically shoving that neck into the wood below. His arms shook, fingers ached, body screamed. It was too much. But he couldn't let go. Not yet.
Slowly, the nails lifted from Sollux's face. Hands drifted down to his arms, leaving small, warm trails of red against his skin. The squirming stalled, the fingers fell away. A moment more, and the pulse faded. Only the stilled calm of death lie in his grasp. That's when Sollux opened his eyes.
Large black frames were skewed on the face below, scarf stretched out under that black mass of hair. Purple, lifeless eyes bulged from their sockets slightly, the white stained red from blown blood vessels. Small drops of Sollux's blood fell onto that now paling face, cascading down those cheeks and onto the floor with grace. The man below didn't even flinch.
He was gone. Eridan was finally gone.
There would be no more calls. No more emails. No more drives past Sollux's house. No more showing up at his doorstep. Nothing except that blissful knowledge that he'd never have to hear or read another word that man uttered ever again.
But it came too late.
Sollux paused a moment, staring at those eyes just a moment longer. Then he picked himself up, pulling away from that body and walking towards hers, eyes frozen on the wood below his feet.
The floor was clear at first, only showing the drops of blood Sollux left in his wake. Then a pool showed. Red. All red. Long, black hair reached through it as if grasping on the liquid to soak it back into her body. If only it were that easy. Maybe she wouldn't look so fragile then, with pale skin and the lightest of blue lips.
He knelt beside her, brushing a hand against her cheek. She was cold. Too, too cold. He wished the life he just pried from that man could slip into her. But it couldn't be. She was gone, dead, just like Eridan, but her death was undeserved. She was sweet and kind. With each greeting, each word, a smile curled her lips up. Even with Eridan breathing down her neck, calling her phone, following her moves, wanting her back so desperately he couldn't leave her alone, she kept her composure. Smiles and laughter galore. If Sollux voiced his concern, her hand would be on his arm and the sweetest smile would touch her lips.
"Everything will be alright, Sollux."
It wasn't alright. He should have been home, snuggled on the couch with her, brushing her raven hair with his fingers instead of gallivanting around with a friend. Maybe he wouldn't have received that call, hearing her voice crack in his ear piece. Maybe he wouldn't have rushed home to see Eridan standing over her, one of the kitchen knives in hand. Maybe he wouldn't have slammed Eridan to the ground and wrapped his fingers around that vile skin. Maybe he wouldn't be here now, hovering over her, touching her cold skin with his fingers as if his warmth would, somehow, bring her back to him.
Maybe, just maybe, he would see her smile one more time.
His vision blurred as tears slipped down his cheeks. He leaned over, pressing his forehead against her cold shoulder, a broken sob leaving his lips.
"I'm thorry, Feferi. I'm tho thorry."