The first time you see him, you have food all over your face, hands sticky with the juices of the fruit and hair a tangled mess. That day you looked like shit. You had every right to look like a mess, you recently broken up with someone rather unpleasant.
Of course, he asks for your sister. Everyone asks for her, never you.
That day you did not know though, did not know that this boy, this boy with blonde but not blonde hair, mismatched brown and blue eyes, baggy pants, red shirt and scratches on his face and arms. You did not know this boy would change your life. That day you thought that it will be just another normal day, another normal day that will continue to be normal for the rest of your life.
But life is funny like that, huh?
The second time you see him, he had asked for your sister again, clothes heavy with the rain, hair cropped short, eyes looking dull, smile fake and plastered onto his still child like face. You did not know that this time, you will be his friend, but after you have formed your friendship you do not care, no- you care about much more important things than this boy who you have only seen twice.
That night, you did not expect there to be a message, waiting for you just as your online game was. You respond, not knowing that its too late to get out now, you have made the first step into this thing you will soon end up loving, this disease called friendship and love.
The third time you see him, its snowing, thick jacket and hat thrown onto his thin frame. He asks for your sister with a small smile.
The next few visits are a blur, you do not remember such ones, but you do remember talking to him, on that site you where on twenty-four-seven, Pesterchum was it? When you were on he was on, talking to you about random didn't feel so lonely when he would talk to you. When he would talk to you like you're a person with feelings; even though he was a complete dick sometimes. But that's okay, you are also a dick. Or at least he told you so multiple times.
One day, just a random day, you would log on and talk to him, talk to him about anything and everything. That day, you did not suspect to find him gone, he was not logged on. Which was odd, he was always online, waiting for you or doing other things he told you he liked to do. You waited, waited for hours and every moment you just brushed it off as 'he might be busy, he has a life after all.' And with that, you disconnect and climb to bed. Sleep slowly taking you.
The next day is the same, he's not online and you soon forget. Forget that he is him, that he doesn't just disappear, forget that he always has a computer, forget that he is friends with your sister. You soon forget that he is him. You forget these things after months of not talking to him, nothing but the old messages keeping you from forgetting all the way. You would re-read the messages and smile fondly, sometimes you frown in distaste in what you said. On those nights you would crawl into bed and look up at your ceiling, distant and missing something you didn't know you lost.
It hit you one day. It hit you like a bullet, you, Eridan Ampora, had a crush on a guy you only talked to online, only seen a few times, only greeted with a 'hi' twice. Of course, knowing this you acted upon your feeling, spamming him with messages, telling him, waiting for him to respond. But, he never does. And that hurt you a little bit each time you logged on.
One day, you don't bother to log on, going straight for the junk food and candy. Today, you were going to be a slob, no one is here to impress anyways. Feferi is at her boyfriends and mom and dad are never home. Today, you don't give a shit.
When he shows up to your house, you almost forget that he is a person. It had been a while since you seen him after all. His hair longer than the last visit, almost baggy. Pants fit him nicely, hanging off his thin figure, hugging his hips in a lovely way indeed.
This time, he asks for you.
And you have never been more happy in your life.