Equius yawned and stretched. Sunlight poured in through the window of the apartment. Car horns honked in the streets below. He could smell something sweet in the kitchen; he took a deep breath and decided that Nepeta must have made pancakes. He heard her soft purring though and noticed she was sleeping, curled in a ball on the couch in the corner of his room. Equius sat up and reached for the broken sunglasses on his nightstand. He put them on and got out of bed. The sound of his feet heavily hitting the floor woke Nepeta. She sat up abruptly, alert.
"Oh, it's only you Equi," she noted sleepily. She yawned, making a tiny noise as she did, and bounced to her feet beside Equius. "What's that smell?"
"It smells like pancakes. Did you make them earlier and go back to bed?" Equius asked. Nepeta shook her head and followed him to the kitchen, clinging to his muscular arm. Equius looked down at her, put a finger to his lips, and motioned for her to stay put.
Nepeta frowned, watching Equius with worried eyes, her hands folded in front of her chest like a cat's paws. Equius stepped closer to the kitchen, wondering why anyone would break into their apartment to make pancakes. His long black hair fell into his face as he peered around the wall to find Feferi Peixes standing in front of the stove with an apron tied around her.
"Jesus, Peixes! You scared us!" Equius shouted, trying not to break anything. Feferi jumped, startled, almost dropping a pan full of bacon. "What're you doing here?"
Feferi froze for a moment before shaking her head and getting back to her cooking as she admitted to having another fight with Eridan. Nepeta tiptoed into the kitchen and peeked around Equius's arm. He noticed her and smiled. He put his arm around her shoulders softly, trying to remain gentle with his petite friend.
Feferi turned and told Equius, "Nepeta gave me a key ages ago, just in case I needed somewhere to stay." She winked at Nepeta and finished up the bacon.
Equius looked down at Nepeta with a look that told her they'd be discussing that matter later. Nepeta smiled meekly and cuddled against him. He wanted to pull her a little closer, but was too afraid to hurt her. Feferi turned off the gas stove and untied her apron. There was a plate full of pancakes, one of bacon and sausage links, and a plate of scrambled eggs. Feferi pulled a carton of orange juice and a gallon of milk out of the fridge before brewing a pot of coffee.
"We haven't been grocery shopping in weeks!" Nepeta announced. "Did you get all this for us?"
Feferi smiled warmly. "Just because I'm a highblood," she said, "doesn't mean I don't care about my friends. Even if your kitchen was fully stocked I was bringing all of this over finnyways. I can't just show up at your apartment without something for you guys!"
Nepeta giggled and gladly accepted the plate Feferi had made for her, as well as the glass of cold milk. She sat down at the table and started to dig in. Equius remained in the doorway, watching Feferi. Despite the cool winter air filling the apartment, Equius had begun to sweat.
"I need a towel," he mumbled. Before he could move, Nepeta tossed one to him. His moirail was always prepared. He wiped himself off a little and tossed the towel around his shoulders. He still hadn't stepped out of the doorway.
"I'm sorry to show up unexpectedly," Feferi apologized. "Eridan was being a jerk first thing this morning!"
Nepeta watched Equius as she took a large gulp of her milk. Her muscles were tensed, ready to leap up should Equius's temper get the better of him. Feferi blinked, her eyes wide but gentle behind her glasses. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing her favorite outfit: a pink and blue blouse and a blue and green skirt that showed off most of her legs. Equius suddenly realized he was still wearing his pajamas, which consisted of nothing but dark blue boxers covered in horses.
Feferi's eyes wandered down Equius's chiseled body, but before they went too far, they snapped back up to his face.
"I'm going to go get dressed," Equius stated, retreating to his bedroom. As he put on some clothes, he heard Feferi and Nepeta talking.
"So what were you fighting about this time?" Nepeta inquired between bites of her pancakes.
Feferi sighed before answering, "He says I've been spending too much time with lowbloods, especially Sollux."
"Well that's silly. We haven't actually paid any attention to our blood classes in a long time. Spending time with your friends is purrrfectly fine!"
"But you know how Eridan is! He's so stubborn."
"He's completely red for you, too," Equius informed Feferi as he walked into the room. He was much less nervous with a black t-shirt and blue jeans on. He pulled most of his hair back, leaving his bangs in his face, as he fixed two full plates for his breakfast. He made another trip back to the kitchen for a mug of coffee as Feferi began to shout.
"There's no way Eridan is red for me! We're too different! He's a total jerk! Why would you even think that!"
Nepeta finished off the last of her milk and looked at Feferi. "It's kinda obvious, Feferi. He treats you differently, and not just because of your blood," she told Feferi with a slight grin.
Equius had begun to chow down on his breakfast as the girls argued over whether or not Eridan loved Feferi in as red a way as they claimed.
They came to the conclusion that Equius was right.
By the time the conversation and breakfast were over, Feferi announced that she had to get to her classes. She taught all sorts of water sports at the nearest indoor pool during the day. She quickly cleaned up the kitchen, grabbed her things, and told them she'd try to patch things up with Eridan and give them a little warning if she had to drop by again. As soon as the door shut, Equius turned to Nepeta. She crouched in her seat, waiting for the scolding Equius usually gave her after something like this. At least I didn't give Gamzee a key! Nepeta thought.
Equius pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before starting his rant about giving Feferi a key.
"Neppie, next time could you consult me before giving out spare keys?" he asked quietly. Nepeta peered over the edge of the table, nodding.
"Thank you."
Nepeta nodded again before asking if that was all he had to say. Equius narrowed his eyes though she couldn't see them beyond his sunglasses and asked if she expected more. She nodded, crouching a little lower so only her eyes could be seen. Equius softened his gaze and told her that was all he had to say. Nepeta smiled and sat up.
"Now, I'm going to go work out a little," Equius told her, standing. He started walking away before Nepeta piped up.
"Equi?"
Equius turned around and raised an eyebrow.
"Get me another glass of milk?"
Equius allowed himself to smile a little before pouring Nepeta another glass. While she downed the drink, Equius headed back to the extra bedroom, which he and Nepeta had made into a half-gym half-game room when they first moved in. Equius pulled his long black hair up and started his workout. He was benching almost twice his weight when Nepeta wandered in. She smiled and immediately leapt onto the bar over Equius. The unexpected addition of weight made him grunt as he continued, but he managed.
Nepeta's tail flicked back and forth, brushing over Equius each time he lowered the bar. She watched him curiously, wondering about his obsession with his strength.
"Nepeta," Equius struggled to say, "I'm just about done. Go get dressed and after I shower we can go out."
"Can we go to the mall, meowrail?" Nepeta asked excitedly.
"Hoof – err. If we must."
"Yay!" Nepeta exclaimed as she jumped down and scurried off to her bedroom. Equius finished his workout and walked to the bathroom, covered in sweat. Nepeta bounded up behind him, already ready to leave, and told him she had left fresh towels for him on the counter. Equius thanked her and started to close the door.
"Oh," Nepeta said, "I invited Aradia to come with us!"
