Chapter 1
Eridan Ampora hesitated for a moment before slowly creaking open the door to Sollux's respiteblock. He wasn't sure what, but something had compelled him to visit the land-dweller he had killed. Of course, he'd probably kick him out, but he still felt like trying. Yes, Eridan Ampora wanted to speak with his arch nemesis. He twisted the handle to reveal Sollux, sitting there and tapping away at his hivetop.
"Hey...Sol? Do you...do you think you could listen to me...for a bit?" he said quietly.
Sollux whipped around. "ED, what are you doiing here?"
"I needed someone to talk to."
"2o...you come over here...and a2k me?" he said, making a skeptical face.
"Yeah...I just thought...maybe you'd be the best person to talk to." he said as he twiddled his thumbs awkwardly.
"waiit...fii2hbreath where ii2 thii2 goiing?"
it's not about somethin like that! I just need to vvent...and no one else wwould talk to me."
That last part may have been...not the truest.
"Oh...ok. what2...what2 on your miind?" he replied.
Eridan was surprised. He was inviting him to tell him his problems?
Eridan sighed. "Do you think...i'm a bad person?"
He cocked his head to the side, but didn't reply.
"Sol?"
He blinked, coming out of his thoughts. "Oh...oh 2orry...ii wa2 ju2t thiinkiing."
"Yeah?"
"No...no not really. ii mean, you're annoyiing and all but..." he mumbled back, trailing off.
"Uh huh?"
"There2 a diifference between beiing a bad per2on and makiing bad choiice2. yeah, you've been an a22 half your liife...but...I don't thiink you try two bee one." He gave him an unnatural sympathetic smile.
The Prince of Hope's cheeks went slightly violet.
"2top that." Sollux snapped.
"Wwhat?"
"2top blu2hiing! iit giive2 me thii2 weiird, 2tupiid feeliing iin my 2tomach." he answered him.
But Eridan just blushed more.
He looked away, sucking in his cheeks and shaking his head. "Oh god. why diid ii thiink you would take that 2eriiou2ly?"
Eridan snapped back into real life."Wwait, wwhat? I AM takin it seriously...I just thought...it wwas really swweet..." he mumbled the last part.
"Anyway2," he started again, apparently not hearing Eridan. "Why do YOU thiink you're a bad per2on?"
The sea-dweller looked at him.
"Don't you already knoww the answwer to that question?"
There was silence, which after a while, Eridan finally broke.
"Hey Sol?"
"What?" he said tiredly.
"I'm really sorry."
"ii'm 2orry two ED. ii'm 2orry ii 2pent the tiime ii wa2 aliive makiing fun of you. ii bet...iif ii had ju2t got two know you better...maybe ii could have known a diifferent you under tho2e 2tupiid fake ass gla22e2 and the whole 'hiip2ter' act." the hacker said, staring at the floor.
"It's not an act!" he said defensively, raising his tone.
Sollux raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"...Define..."act"?" he said, squirming uncomfortably.
"2omethiing that2 fake that you do two cover up who you really are?" the yellow-blood suggested.
"Okay fine..." he said with a sigh of defeat "I just wwear this stuff because I look really stupid wwithout it"
He looked at him like he was crazy."wiithout iit? really?"
Eridan stared at him, filled with shame.
The Coder scooted over to him, and removed his glasses to examine his eyes.
"Woah ed." He said, goggling at him in awe.
"Yeah, I knoww," He said, biting his lip. "I'm ugly."
"No...you're...your eye2 are...2hiit!...they're ju2t...really...
really pretty. :)"
Eridan smiled at the compliment, but with a hint of uncertainty.
"So..." he said after a while. "You finally said somethin nice to me?"
"Wow...ii gue22 ii never really notiiced ...purple really 2uiit2 you..."He said, his eyes moving up to look at Eridan's hair.
"Um, Sol?"
Sollux moved closer.
"Sol...wwhat...wwhat are you doin?"
Sollux ignored him and leaned in even closer.
"Seriously, wwhat...? -"
Suddenly, Sollux had pressed his lips against Eridans and put his hands on his shoulders.
The fishy prince looked bewildered at first, but then settled into the kiss.
Sollux pulled away, then blushed and stared at the floor, twiddling his thumbs.
Eridan looked at him in shock."Wwhat...?"
Sollux used his psionics to force him out of the room.
"Wwoah! wwait I-"
The door slammed once Eridan had been pushed a distance down the hall. Sollux locked it then collapsed into his chair with a huge smile across his face and sighed happily.
Sollux's face flushed honey mustard yellow and he sat back into his swivel chair, clutching his knees to his chest and smiling up at the ceiling. His stomach fluttered, doing big dips over and over again, the kind of thing that makes you feel sick.
"His lips were so soft..." He thought, his smile widening even further.
The Prince of Hope stumbled as the Psionics weakened and allowed him to regain free movement of his own feet. As he dusted himself off, he smiled.
"That. wwas. AMAZIN!" the sea-dweller thought, and walked off down the hallway.