Feferi ran her fingers through her hair, shaking the moisture out. She had just swam up from the bottom of the ocean where she had been exploring this new planet. So far, so good- lots of fish and lots of water. But she did miss her old planet, Alternia. Too bad it had been destroyed by The Reckoning.
"Lucky enough that I'm alive again," she whispered.
After the four humans had defeated Jack, they had taken the prize and created a new universe, becoming gods and goddesses. The children decided they didn't want this status, and offered to scatter the zodiacs across the sky again and bring back the dead trolls. The remaining trolls accepted, and took their own place in the universe, therefore starting two new races that coexisted together. The only disagreement was on what to name the universe.
The trolls and children had initially gone their separate ways, trying to find a planet suitable for them. So far, the humans and the trolls had found only one. That meant sharing. Feferi didn't really mind sharing with the humans; they were sort of cute, in a weird pink way. After finding the planet, which they named AlternaEarth until further notice, the group had split. The humans had stayed together, accompanied by a few trolls, and then everyone else found the environment that they liked the most. Everyone stayed close enough to eachother for help, but that was it.
A loud ping from her computer stirred Feferi out of her reveries. She sighed, crawling over on her hands and knees to the new laptop that Sollux had fixed up for her.
CaligulasAquarium [CA] began trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC] at 14:07
CA: hey wwhats surfin
CC: O) (, it's you.
CA: the one and only
CA: you sound disappointed
CA: wwhats up
CC: Glub.
CA: wwhoa thats serious
CC: Be quiet, you cod.
CA: oh man my heart
CA: its bleedin
CC: If you ) (ave to know,
CC: I was just t) (inking about t) (e game we just finis) (ed playing.
CA: ?
CA: sburb?
CA: yeah so wwhat
CC: I don't know...
CC: I guess I sort of miss it.
CC: And I miss being close wit) ( everyone.
CA: yeah
CA: i can sea that
CA: did you get that?
CA: i actually made a pun just for you because thats wwhat I fuckin do
CC: Well done.
CC: But s) (orely you ) (ave better ones. 38)
CA: you did not just bring out that fuckin smiley of yourself
CA: you did not
CC: I most certainly did!
CC: 38) 38) 38)
CA: just stop it
CA: really
CC: You ) (ave no sole!
CA: haha fuckin right
CA: fef
CA: are you there
CC: ? W) (at?
CA: dammit
CA: i miss you fef
Feferi stood back from the computer, a little shocked. Eridan missed her? Certainly didn't seem like that when he killed her, she thought bitterly. But something about being dead made you forgive and forget when you woke up.
She really did like Eridan. She just wasn't sure if she liked him enough for the quadrant stuff. She had always been a little suspicious that he might be red for her, but she could never tell. He came on strong to everyone. And to tell the truth, she did sort of miss him. He had always tried his best to be there for her. It's just, while being there for her, he also wanted to kill lots of land dwellers. She didn't approve of that.
CC: Awww, Eridan.
CC: I miss you too!
CA: really?
CA: dammit i mean reely?
CC: Except for your bloodt) (irst.
CA: oh
CA: wwell
CA: uhm
CA: ok
CA: so does that mean wwere not evven friends
CC: No, silly!
CC: I really do miss you!
CC: Glub, glub! I totally glubbing miss you!
CA: wwell thats good
CC: 38?
CA: cause im right behind you
cuttlefishCuller [CC] flipped their shit on caligulasAquarium [CA] at 14:27
Feferi slammed her computer screen shut, spinning around. And behind her stood Eridan Ampora, her ex-moirail.
"Eridan!" she said. Eridan shut his own computer, his orange eyes carefully watching her.
"Hey, Fef." he said. "Uhm, just checking up on you."
The sea dwellers warily watched each other, aware of how they had last parted.
"I'm not doing too badly," Feferi said, smiling. "Considering I was dead recently."
Eridan flinched. "Ouch, that was harsh. Uh. I guess I sort of deserved that."
"Yeah, I really think you did." Feferi had stopped smiling now. She stood up, drawing herself up. Even though Eridan was much taller, he still backed away a little, surprised by her sudden outburst of anger. "You know, you tried to kill Sollux, you tried to kill Kanaya-"
"Fef," Eridan interrupted desperately. "I can explain-"
"You actually killed me! What makes you think you can come back here and pretend as if nothing ever happened?" she breathed, her tiny shoulders heaving. Eridan bit his bottom lip, his sharp teeth digging into the flesh.
"I can't ask for you to forgive me," he said. "But I can at least say sorry."
Feferi stopped. She stared at him. In the last two years since Sburb had been won, Eridan had changed a lot. He had always towered over her, but now he was a giant – But somehow, it didn't scare so much as lend a protective aura. His face had thinned out, and his arms had become more defined underneath his black shirt. His voice was deeper, cracking occasionally. His pupils had started to fill in, and they were now a dark, tyrian purple. Suddenly, he had grown up. When did that happen? She despairingly thought. When did he look so weary and adult like?
Apparently, he thought much the same thing. "Fef," he said, unusually sober. "You've gotten really pretty. I'm not even gonna lie."
Feferi blushed, hugging her arms over her body, suddenly self conscious. It hadn't occurred to her that she had changed. Had she? She glanced into a puddle next to her, observing herself. Her body had curved recently, her clothes clinging to her frame. Her face had lost it's childishness, her cheek bones gentle and soft, her nose curved. All of her facial features were elegantly sculpted. Her hair was longer and curlier, glossier; her horns had grown longer and sharper, and her eyes were becoming slightly pink. She swallowed; maybe she had changed more then she thought.
"Thanks," she said, glancing up at Eridan. "I guess."
He nodded back, uncomfortably shifting his feet. He had stopped wearing his cape, Feferi noticed lazily, but he was still inclined to wear his long scarf. The cape had been stupid, she thought, but the scarf had always looked nice.
Eridan scooted closer, his mouth tight. His eyes had lost that wide and pinched look. Now they were big, the purple in them a deep color, soul-sucking. He smelled of the sea and of sea-dwellers. Feferi bit back a small noise; she missed Alternia. She missed her friends, and her lusus and all the other trolls. She missed swimming through the deep ocean, dreaming of Sollux and, Jegus, even taking care of Eridan. She missed home so much.
She fell into Eridan's arms, drinking in his scent.
"W-whoa!" Eridan exclaimed, unsure of what to do with the clinging girl. "Um. Fef? Are you ok?"
"Mmmgp"
"Uh, didn't catch that."
"I missed you."
Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, his cheeks tinged purple.
"Me too." he said softly. "Fef, I've changed. I really have. I realize what I did wrong. I died. I came back. Things can become clearer when you die."
Feferi smiled into his black shirt, his scarf tickling her ear-fins. "Yeah. It's like watching your life all over again." Eridan shrugged, squeezing her tighter.
What am I doing? Feferi thought. This is totally not like me. I mean, Eridan?
"Did I ever tell you that I had red feelings for you, Fef?" Eridan asked. Feferi froze.
"Er-" she said. "I think you might had mentioned it maybe..." Eridan opened his mouth in horror.
"What? I totally mentioned it!"
"Eridan!" Feferi said, exasperated. "I don't have time for your flirting. You go after anything that wriggles-"
"Hey, that's not true!" Eridan said hotly, pushing her away. She was startled; this was the first time he hadn't mentioned any of the quadrants when someone had deflected his sad attempts at flirting. He didn't even seem to be thinking of romance. "Look, I know enough now that not everyone is flirting, okay? I'm smarter then that." he cleared his throat. "But, er, I just thought-"
"You've changed," Feferi said. "You really have grown up." she stared at him, amazed. He stared back, swallowing nervously and pushing his hipster glasses back up his nose.
"Fef," he said. "Um-"
"Shut the glub up," she whispered, leaning in. "And go with the flow."
"Haha, that was a good one, Fef-" he laughed nervously, but was then interrupted by her lips brushing his, a soft and shivering touch that still managed to fill her with a warmth. His lips were a bit chapped, but that just managed to provide an interesting texture. He tasted of fish and sea, and the saltiness of her home. And...
Tab?
Whatever, she thought.
"Fef, I missed you so much. I'm so sorry I killed you. I was just... I don't know-"
"Oh my Gog, Eridan. Shut up!" Feferi snapped. She glared at him, her cheeks flushed pink.
"Feferi!" he said. She stopped, startled. She had never heard him use her whole name like that before. It was... Odd. A little heart-stopping. His wavy accent rolled the r's in her name, a lilting sound. She shook her head, angry at her stupidity. "I want to be with you. We were born for eachother- you're my matesprite.
"I love you."
The Sea Princess gaped, staring at her ex-moiral. He held her shoulders gently but firmly. His eyes stared into hers, his mouth set in a stern line. Feferi couldn't think of anything to say.
"Uh," she whispered. Kissing Eridan had been one thing. But claiming to be matesprites? That would be really weird and awkward. But... Eridan wasn't the same Eridan. Was she even the same Feferi? Who knew, she thought desperately.
"I have one condition." she said
"What?" there was his lilt again, she noticed, his w's pronounced and wavy.
"You're not allowed to kill any land dwellers or humans. No competitiveness." Feferi tapped his nose for emphasis.
Eridan merely laughed in a bitter way. "Fef, after what I've been through, I'm just excited to see them all again."
Feferi wasn't sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry at what he had just said. She had always wanted him to say that, but he was always to stubborn, too blood thirsty. Look at him now, her body sang to her mind. This is what you wanted? Take it.
She leaned in again, taking what she wanted, feeling his mouth and his fangs, kissing him. He kissed back. And somehow, she felt complete. She had never thought that she could feel this way, even when she and Sollux had still been together. With Eridan, it was different. Better, more fulfilling.
I don't love him yet, she thought. But I will.
The two suns in the sky set, casting a light over the sea.