He immediately felt the rising heat in between his skin and his suit collar when she brought herself over to him with two glasses of wine.
Equius cleared his throat when Vriska Serket sat down next to him in the booth. Vriska didn't sit very close to him, but just the fact she was near him discomforted him so. Equius pressed his palms into his temples and stared down at the table, not entirely in distress but wished the situation was quite a bit different.
Scoffing, Vriska slid one of the glasses towards Equius' elbow and downed her glass half way. "I want to be here as much as you do, Zahhak." That didn't necessarily make him feel any better, but he half smiled when she called him Zahhak. Normally she would call him Equius but when she tried to act big however small she was compared to him, she called him Zahhak.
They had known each other for quite a while. Ever since their childhood, Vriska had gotten into things and Equius was there to both scold and console her. It was only ever in secret Vriska appreciated him when he did that. But usually she would punch him and get hurt herself.
"This party wasn't what I had in mind. It's overwhelming." Equius muttered, loud enough for her to hear. Vriska shrugged, taking sips this time of her drink. "I've been to bigger and louder. But yeah. Kind of ruined my Sunday for this." Equius couldn't really tell if she was lying about her going to bigger parties because usually whenever he ever saw her she was playing shooter games in her room or arguing with her mother and storming back upstairs. He remembered why he didn't really visit anymore.
The ballroom was dressed in white. The chandelier glistened from high above and the curtains were expensive whitey fabric. Everyone was dressed in either black or white, of course besides Vriska's cerulean dress and Equius' handkerchief in his coat pocket. Equius lifted his head up and spotted Vriska's mother, Arachne, talking to his father (everyone called him Arthur, however). Vriska scowled when Arachne began walking toward the two in the booth.
"Well now, I see we're getting comfortable." Arachne was a tall and hostile looking woman who was dangerously slender. She hardly looked older than Vriska with her short haircut, but her fragile hands quivered from time to time. Vriska averted her mothers' eyes as Arachne placed her hand on Equius' shoulder. "I trust you'll take care of my daughter very well. Your father and I are very proud of what you have become these past years." Every word was well enunciated and Arachne's voice was rather charming, leading to Equius listening very clearly however uncomfortable he was doing so.. He nodded once and sat back in the booth, so Arachne's hand wasn't touching him anymore.
Arachne drew her hand back, smiling. Turning her direction to Vriska, her stare was more menacing. "I'll see you later, dear." Vriska finished her own glass as Arachne walked back to Arthur.
"Does she always act like that?" Equius asked Vriska.
"Like what?" Vriska knew what he meant, but still she wanted to ask him. "Like that... To you?"
Vriska bit her gum and slowly, she nodded. "You would've thought it'd be obvious by now. The sickening part of it is, she does actually love me." That didn't seem so sickening to Equius, but then again, Vriska was Vriska. Ugly was beautiful, and beautiful was ugly. She turned to him, smearing the blue lipstick on her lips and sitting closer. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he turned to her. "Come on, we should be having fun. We should be dancing or drinking. Talking, at least, you know?" Equius knew it was going to be a silly question but said, "Why?"
"Well... We are getting married."
Author's Note: Short and sweet, hope you don't mind.