(Warnings: This fic does contain Character Death, Some blood, Slight gore, and Language. Also featuring a bunch of fluff from my fave 2 idiots. If I have missed any warnings please let me know!)
They hadn't even been on the meteor for 1 sweep, but yet Sollux was fed up being stuck there. That, and the fact that most of the time he had a certain troll trailing his movements. Today was no exception as he felt the presence several meters behind him, disturbing him from his work.
"What the fuck do you want Fish-breath?" Sollux sighed and took his hands off his laptop "Because I swear if I have to spend the entire 1 and a half sweeps we are spending on this damn meteor with you following me-"
"Sol, can you just stop moaning for a moment? I only wanted to talk to you"
Sollux swiveled around on his chair to face the sea-dweller standing in the doorway. This better be quick he thought, he was working on some programming and was really not in the mood for this fishy douchebag. He raised his eyebrow expectantly; "Well, what do you want?"
All of a sudden, Eridan looked bashful. A violet flush began to form on his cheeks and he adjusted the scarf wrapped around his neck. "Um, well. I was thinking that – uh, maybe – you would...I don't know...maybe-"
"Jegus ED spit it out, or I swear I will turn back around and block out every noise that comes from your whiny mouth."
"If you hadn't of interrupted I might have managed to say it" Eridan clenched his jaw, and then sighed, bringing up a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose underneath the black-rimmed glasses. "You know what? It doesn't matter, just forget about it. Sorry for interrupting you"
Sollux was quite surprised at that, the fact that Eridan of all people actually apologized for something as minor as that. He kept his gaze locked onto the tall troll as he turned back around and began to walk out of the room he had barged into moments before.
Without any warning, there was a loud beeping coming from the laptop he was working on. He whipped around to stare at the screen, where on a sensor there was a large dot flying towards a slightly larger dot.
"Oh shit. Oh shit, shit, shit" He gasped and got to work, frantically tapping keys.
"What's that?" Eridan said. Sollux hadn't noticed that the troll had returned to the room once he heard the noise and was now standing behind his chair, eyes fixed on the screen.
Sollux paused mid-type, "I started to make a sensor for the meteor, so it would tell us if something is coming close to us – Such as Bec Noir"
A ringed hand reached out from behind Sollux's head and pointed to the large dot in the middle "So that one is…us?"
"Yes" Sollux nodded.
Eridan's hand moved to the moving dot and hesitated "And that one is…"
"I don't know. But it's getting closer and closer, we need to tell the others. Come on"
They wasted no time grabbing the laptop and the wires that were attached to various homemade satellites that Sollux had come up with. The two trolls helped each other carry equipment as they made their way out the room and onto one of the many transportalizers to be found on the meteor. After half running/jogging and trying to balance everything through the corridors they reached a room where Karkat was sitting in the corner reading a book.
He glared up when he heard the commotion and slammed his book shut, "This better be good you two fuckballs. I'm trying to have alone time here."
"KK, there's something coming towards the meteor, something big. You need to send a memo or some shit to everyone and tell them to get here ASAP."
Karkat stood up and walked over to a table where the other two were putting down the heavy objects they were holding. Sollux opened up the laptop to find that the flying object had got closer and closer, it was indeterminable how long they had until it hit.
"What the fuck is that?!" Karkat yelled "Bec Noir?!"
Sollux put his head in his hands "I don't know, but It's too big to be Bec. It's more like an object. From the looks of it though it won't hit us straight on, just clip the side of the meteor"
Karkat walked over to a computer on a desk in the corner where he pulled up Trollian. He was about to type a message when Kanaya burst in through the door followed by the others; "I am unsure whether you are aware of this, but there seems to be a large object heading in our direction"
"Yeah, we know" Eridan said "Sol noticed it on his sensor but we still don't know what it is"
Suddenly, Karkat breathed in sharply and when everyone turned to look at him he was pointing towards the window. All the eyes seemed to move at once, following the arm and resting their gaze on the window. A chorus of gasps released around the room.
Eridan and Sollux were the first to move, running to the window and pressing their hands against the cool gaze. Their eyes widening at the sight.
It was a very large rock. That was the best way to describe it. It was moving at incredible speed towards them. It didn't seem to be heading straight for them, but the chances of them missing it altogether was very slim, mostly impossible.
"How long till it hits? And Where?" Karkat says, for once he wasn't shouting.
Sollux moved back to the laptop and started tapping buttons again and messing with knobs on the satellites. "It's hard to tell exactly where it will impact, but within the next few minutes."
Everyone that had crowded into the room fell silent. They were anxiously looking at each other and the beeping screen with the dots that got closer and closer. There was nothing that could be said, just hopes that they wouldn't die withing the next few moments. Sollux looked up at Eridan who was standing next to him, only to find the violet-blooded troll gazing back at him. They both looked away from each other quickly, and for some reason Sollux's heart was beating unnaturally. It's the adrenaline he thought and began to try and get his breathing under control.
It seemed to go in slow motion then, there was a loud whirring sound and then a bang. The room started spinning. There was screaming as people tried to stay upright. Sollux held onto the heavy table next to him until he noticed several books flying directly towards his face, he stared at them blankly for a moment - his brain not registering what was happening until there was a tug on his clothes and he fell to the ground with an arm wrapped around his waist as the hardbacks flew past and hit a wall.
The spinning stopped and Sollux opened his eyes which he hadn't noticed were closed in the first place. The room was a mess, everything that wasn't attached to something or extremely heavy had been thrown around the room and was now in a heap all over the floor. Trying to ignore the nauseous feeling in his stomach, he moved to get up off the floor when he noticed the hand on his hip that had pulled him down and away from danger, he looked at the golden rings that rested on each finger and it took him a moment to realize in his head who that hand belonged to. Hurriedly, he moved forwards and looked back towards the troll who was slowly sitting up and adjusting the glasses that had gone askew on his face. The two trolls watched each other, not moving an inch.
"Uh" Sollux stammered "T-thanks, for you know –"
"Don't mention it" Eridan cut in, looking slightly embarrassed.
Getting his bearings back, Sollux kneeled up and looked around the room where others were in the same position as him, slightly dazed and getting their bearings on the situation. "Is everyone okay?" He asked.
There was a murmur of 'Mhm's' and 'I guess so' spread through the room so he assumed no one was seriously hurt. He noticed the laptop that had been launched off the table and was now lying on the floor upside down along with slightly damaged satellites. He cursed under his breath and crawled through the bits of rubble on the ground to reach it. He picked it up and wiped some of the dust off it before opening up the top. Groaning, he noticed that the screen had cracked and it was glitching in some places. Sollux pressed a few keys that thankfully worked and managed to pull up the Meteor statistics.
"Uh, guys?" He said out loud "It seems the meteor has stopped moving". Looking around the room, he notices all eyes were on him, and Eridan and Karkat were making their way over to where he sat on the floor. Karkat looked as though he was about to say something when a loud, static beep ejects itself from the laptop drawing Sollux's attention instantly. He watches the sensor, the circle in the middle representing them – and then the small dot slowly making its way onto the screen.
"Now what is it?" Karkat moans and collapses down on a patch of floor next to him.
"I think…I think it might be…" Sollux started but trailed off, unsure what to say next.
Eridan finished the sentence for him thankfully "Bec Noir".
A collection of gasps is heard as everyone gets the news. This time it's Terezi who speaks up; "I thought that couldn't happen though? Like, the meteor was supposed to carry on moving and he was never going to catch up with us?"
"Unless we are in a doomed timeline" Kanaya ponders and rubs dust off her skirt.
Sollux stands up "Well, I could try and get the meteor moving like last time. It might be useless but it could give us more time-"
"No" Eridan interjects. He stands up and crosses his arms at Sollux.
"Excuse me? I'm trying to keep everyone alive here"
"If it's a doomed timeline there is no point in trying to keep us alive"
"Well, alive for a little bit longer!"
"Come on Sol, you almost died the first time. There's no point in doing it again"
Sollux was about to shout something else when Karkat interjected; "Sollux listen, He might be right for once. It was dangerous the first time. There's no point".
Glaring at Karkat, Sollux noticed how deflated he looked. He looked around the room and noticed that everyone had the same concerned, sorrowed expression. He kicked the laptop on the floor and stormed out the room; "Well sorry that I tried to do something to help this shit we're in" He shouts.
Walking through the empty corridors he noticed how damaged everything was (he decided against using transportalizers since he didn't know how broken they were). Lights were flickering and furniture everywhere was upturned. He ran his hands through his hair and gripped it at the roots. The door to his room was almost in sight when he heard footsteps running behind him.
"Sol, wait!" Eridan shouts.
Fucking fantastic. Sollux turns around to face the troll coming to a stop and getting his breath back steadily. "For fucks sake, do you always have to follow me everywhere?" He says, exhausted.
Eridan looks at him apologetically and takes a slight step forwards; "I just wanted to make sure you're not goin' to do anything stupid"
"Oh don't bother, I'm not going to try and move the meteor if that's what you were wondering. That doesn't mean I don't want to though. All I'm trying to do is give the others a chance!"
"Yes, but giving up your life in the process isn't worth it!"
Sollux was stunned, literally lost for words. He tries to say something sarcastic but nothing comes out. So he stood there staring at Eridan with his mouth opening and closing like a fish until some sort of sentence comes out;
"Why do you even care Eridan? Why did you pull me down when you could have easily just let me get hit in the face? Why are you being like this?"
Eridan sighs and tries to keep his eyes fixed on anything except the troll standing in front of him. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about before" He says softly "But now that we are facing our impending death with Bec Noir making his way here, I don't see the point in bringing it up"
"Oh just say it already" Sollux spits out, although the confusion is thick in his voice as he thinks about what Eridan could possibly be trying to say.
"Sol, I think…I think I'm flushed for you" He whispers, barely loud enough for anyone to hear, but Sollux heard him clearer than if was speaking with a microphone.
"You're, flush- me- what? Is this some sort of sick fucking joke" He frowns and takes a step back.
"I wish it was, believe me"
Sollux took another step back. He didn't need this. No, he should be spending time to himself, getting ready for what was to come. He didn't need this going through his head. Eridan notices the fact that he was moving backwards towards his room and froze in place.
"Sol, please don't leave me alone"
"Why shouldn't I? I can't do this ED. Not right now"
"Please" Eridan chokes out, "Don't go"
"I'm sorry". Sollux takes one more step back before turning around and entering his room, without looking back he shuts the door and collapses against it. Sinking to the floor he curls into a ball and places his head into his folded arms.
He expects to hear a knocking on the door at any minute, to hear Eridan begging to be let in. But in never comes, just a silence that surrounded Sollux and suffocated him slowly. He was desperate to banish all thought of the Violet-blooded troll from his head but it was futile.
How had not seen it before? The way that Eridan always followed him like a shadow, how every look from him lingered. When Sollux was about to get hit in the face but got pulled down at the last second. When Sollux suggested that he should try and move the meteor Eridan was instantly there, telling him not to, concerned about his safety.
He was used to being on the receiving end of the Sea-dwellers feelings, but then they were mostly black. What caused them to go like this? What were Sollux's feelings about him? Sollux stopped breathing for a moment;
What are my feelings towards him? He thought, the words etching themselves into the darkness of his thoughts.
Those times when he caught Eridan looking at him, that was because Sollux was looking for him in the first place. Every-time he walked into a room he would scan it, to see if a violet caped troll had followed him in. In those times when Eridan was following Sollux around, he never told him to stop. Sure, he made comments -but he never told him to stop it.
What am I doing?
Do I…Like Eridan?
No. Don't be ridiculous.
His mind was having a battle with itself. He tried to distract himself by thinking about the green dots on his laptops sensor, the one representing Bec Noir. He tried calculating in his head how much time they had until he arrived. Then his mind started going off on a tangent again. He thought about Bec getting onto the meteor, finding his friends, then killing them, finding Eridan, then killing –
Sollux thought he was going to throw up. Somehow his mind had gone back to Eridan and now all he could see was Violet blood, and a dead body. His stomach lurched again as he put a hand and clamped it around his mouth. The answer to his questions seemed to hit him like a truck
Fuck.
I've been in denial this entire time.
Standing up, Sollux yanked the door open and was greeted with a silent corridor. There was no one to be seen anywhere. He cursed out loud and grabbed his phone from his back pocket then opened Trollian. He didn't have enough time to search the entire meteor for him, so this was the quickest way. He even gave up on using his typing quirk; there was no time for it.
..
twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]
TA: Where are you?
TA: Please I need to talk to you
TA: ED please answer
..
He began running as he typed, praying that Eridan had some sort of device with Trollian on with him. He had gone down about 5 different corridors when his phone vibrated. He stopped in his tracks and opened up the message;
..
CA: Storage room, near the bathroom
..
Sollux didn't need any more than that; he knew exactly what he was talking about and instantly headed there, running up stairs quicker than he had ever ran before. Less than a minute later, he was outside the closed door, one hand on the handle. He was unsure why, but he hesitated;
Just do it, wimp
He gritted his teeth then opened the door; it swung open and revealed the room full of junk with Eridan standing alone in the middle. There was Violet tear stains smudged on his face and Sollux felt a deep pang of regret in his chest. They stood completely still for a moment then. Without thinking, he ran forwards (half stumbling over things littered on the floor) until he reached the sea-dweller. Reaching his am up; he held onto the back of Eridan's neck before pulling him down and pressing their lips together in a hurried chaste kiss.
The slightly shorter troll lost himself in thoughts about why he had never done this before; the taste of Eridan's lips was incredible. The taller troll moved his hands so they rested on Sollux's hips, grabbing the material between his fingers as their mouths moved in a messy sort of synchronization where their pointed teeth clashed and scraped along bottom lips. There was no time to be neat and careful; their lives were ticking away by the minute.
Moments later, they pulled away slightly breathless. Eridan looked down quite shocked before pulling Sollux closer into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry" Sollux whispered into his shoulder "I'm so fucking sorry"
Eridan held him tighter "I should be the one saying that, for droppin' somethin' like that onto you in a time like this"
"I'm glad you did, or else I never would have known how I felt about you."
Sighing, Eridan pulled away and took the other troll's hand. He walked backwards tugging Sollux along with him until they reached a pile of blankets on the floor. "Here, this is where I usually go for quiet time" Their hands disconnected as the two trolls sat down with their arms resting against one another.
"Huh, I could have done with one of these for when I had a certain someone following me all the time" Sollux commented, making a pointed stare at the troll next to him.
He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed sheepishly; "Yeah uh, sorry about that. I guess I did take it a bit too-"
"Hey" Sollux interjected "Don't worry about it okay? It was kind of…nice, having someone there most of the time" He grabbed a purple blanket from the side of the pile they were seated at and draped it over the two of them.
They sat in a comfortable silence until Eridan looked sideways once again; "Hey Sol, do you know how long we have until…uh…he gets here"
Sollux sighed "No. But from the speed he was going the last time I looked at the sensor I would say we don't have much time left. An hour tops."
"Are you scared?"
"…Yes. What about you?"
"So fuckin' scared"
"Should we go and find the others?"
"No, I'm not very good at goodbyes"
They managed to find each other's hands underneath the blankets and gave one another a reassuring squeeze. Eridan spoke up "What's your favourite number?"
Sollux looked at him and frowned. "Huh? It's 2. Why?"
"If this the last time we are going to be together I want to know everything about you, from your favourite smell to your sleeping pattern"
Sollux sighed and rested his forehead against the chest next to him; "There are the dream bubbles, we will see each other there"
"We don't know that, there are a countless number of dream bubbles who knows where we will end up?"
"Okay" Sollux sat up again and smiled, "What's your favourite animal?"
This went on for what seemed like ages, throwing questions back and forwards. Many of them were funny as two boys recalled their most embarrassing moments but some of them were sombre as they thought back of times spent with friends.
"My turn" Sollux sighed as he played with a strand of violet hair on Eridan's head that was currently lying in his lap "When did you realise your…feelings towards me? And why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Eridan made a noise of discomfort before speaking; "I don't know; it was just before you moved the meteor I think. I don't think I said anything because I was still unsure whether it was red or black that I was feelin'. That and I didn't really know what relationship you have with Fef."
"FF and I are just friends, that's all we ever were" Sollux says "Fuck, I feel like such an idiot. I was in denial about you this entire time. I knew I had feelings for you I just couldn't aknowledge them. We could have spent so much more time together and it's my fault that we can't". He was rambling now so Eridan lifted up one of his hands and gently set it on his cheek to calm him down;
"Life's tragedy is that we die too soon and become wise too late" He says softly as his fingers run against Sollux's cheekbone above him.
The boy smirked; "Huh, I always thought you were the poet type of-"
Sollux never finished his sentence as he froze stiff, hearing something that echoed itself around the walls surrounding him. It was a loud, piercing scream; he couldn't tell who it came from only that it seemed to be a girl.
Eridan noticed it at the same time and gripped Sol's shoulders as he shot up straight.
"He's here isn't he?"
The smaller troll nods but doesn't speak as more screams and cries of his friends creep into the room slowly. He clamps his hands over his ears in a futile attempt to block out the noise; but it was everywhere. Eridan pulls him closer in a hug, mumbling quiet soothing words into his hair.
Sollux lets out a small sob followed by a few others. It was the first time Eridan had heard him crying and it was utterly heart-breaking, the way his cry seemed to work his way down his spine and cover his entire body in shivers.
Through the tears, Sollux took a breath and murmured "Kiss me. He'll be here soon. Kiss me ED"
Eridan didn't need an answer; he moved backwards and gently lifted up the head in front of him while leaning forwards so he could press their lips together. This kiss was a lot softer than the first, with Eridan's arms wrapped around Sollux's back while his arms were tangled in the thick hair.
There was a noise outside the door and the two boys jumped apart. It sounded like heavy footsteps but with the scraping of metal on the floor that could be coming from a sword.
"Can he sense us? Can we hide?" Eridan breathes into Sollux's ear desperately trying not to make a sound.
"I think so, hiding is useless" Sollux whispers back.
They stand up, and Eridan pulls out a wand that was hidden in his pocket.
The noise stops, then there's a noise directly outside their door that resembles growling.
Sollux takes a deep breath but can't prevent images floating into his head; most of them involving the violet-blooded troll, except his blood was everywhere. He clamps his hands over his mouth as a nauseous feeling sets over him which Eridan noticed. He took a step closer.
"Sol, are you okay?"
"No" He whispers.
Eridan nods and pulls one of Sollux's hands into his own, then takes off one of his many rings- it was a gold band with a large Violet gemstone in the centre. He slides the ring onto one of Sollux's fingers and then entwines their fingers together; "Just in case we can't find each other" He whispers.
The door slams open and both of their heads turn around to face the large black figure walking in with the sword in his hand covered in an almost-complete hemospectrum of blood. Sollux moved forward instantly, making a body shield between Bec Noir and Eridan, while still holding onto his hand. He moved to take off his glasses, so he could use his psiionics when a large wing flicked out and hit him full on, sending his body flying into a nearby cabinet.
His body in pain all over, Sollux just manages to open his eyes to see Eridan yell, wand in hand and about to attack Bec Noir. Without any warning the figure vanished in a lime green flash then shortly re-appeared behind Eridan, who lookes disorientated. Sollux attempts to shout something and alert him but it was too late, the sword in Bec Noir's arm plunges through Eridan's back before he kicks the damaged body to the floor. Sollux desperately got up and moves towards Eridan when the intruder picked up the white wand that was dropped on the floor and points it at Sollux. He lets out a gasp as the beam of light shoots itself into his chest. As he falls to the ground his eyesight gets hazy and he just about manages to see the shadow of Bec Noir leave the room.
"ED" He calls out, gasping for air "ED answer me. Eridan."
A choked out "Sol" Is all he gets in response. He begins to shuffle along the floor to the black and Violet figure metres away, who was doing the exact same thing. The hole in Sollux's chest bleeding more and more every second, his eyesight was fading fast.
He felt a hand touch his finger and then grip it, which he did in return.
Sollux focuses his vision momentarily to look at Eridan centimetres away from him, blood dribbling from his mouth and tears pouring from his eyes. The mouth begins to move, but Sollux couldn't hear anything. Just staring at the lips slowly moving in front of him and trying to figure out what Eridan was trying to say, Sollux closed his eyes. They didn't open again.
As everything dimmed out in his mind, Sollux pieced together the words that Eridan was trying to say. It was quiet, but he heard it soothingly as he drifted away;
"I love you"
Everything was white. But then colour began to flood into Sollux's vision until a picture was formed. It was bright, but not bright enough that his eyes stung. He focused his vision on his surroundings and noticed he was standing on a bridge above a lake and a waterfall next to it. There was a meadow spreading out for what seemed like miles and miles. He wasn't sure whose memory this was but dream-bubble was the word that found its way into his head.
The next thing Sollux noticed was the slight heaviness in one on his fingers. Looking down, he saw the golden/violet ring resting there and was instantly hit with the memories of what just took place. With no-one around, he began to sob. Collapsing to the ground, he held the ringed hand to his chest and sobbed until his lungs were sore, he sobbed until he heard a faint voice;
"Sol? Are you my Sol?"
Sollux's head whipped up and stared at the Eridan in front of him. Instantly, his eyes trailed to the hand where sure enough one finger was missing a ring. The ring that was currently sitting on his finger.
He scrambled to his feet and began to run to the other side of the bridge where he was waiting. He noticed the tears making their way from the whited-out eyes and down his cheeks. With one pace to go, Sollux leaped and landed into Eridan's arms where they stood holding onto each other without saying anything.
"ED, I need to tell you something" Sollux sighed and pulled back, Leaving one hand resting against Eridan's cheek.
"What is it?"
Sollux grinned and gently touched the ring on his finger with the pad of his thumb;
"I love you too, fish-breath"
So this was supposed to be uploaded on 4/13...but since I have a habit of procrastinating I have only just managed to finish editing.
This was super fun to write since it's my first complete Homestuck one-shot! There is sure to be lots or errors in there somewhere which I may get round to fixing at some point :D
That's all for now;
~Ambzeroo~