A/N: Hey there guys and gals, Archemedies here with the next one shot, this one suggested by Veratis, coming in with an Equius Aradia short. I hope I did your request justice, but I'm not really sure about writing for Equius as a character. I hope I still managed to reach your expectations. The short up next is a particularly angsty one, so be warned. But following that is going to be some light, fluffy, comic relief crack pairing, so be sure to stick around for that. But, with all that out of the way, I should take this time to say that if you, yes, you, have an idea for a one shot, and a pairing for said oneshot, make sure to drop it in the reviews, and I will get it done. It may take just a little while though, so stay patient. Other then that, make sure to follow and favorite if you want to, it's super motivating. But, fav whoring over, make sure to enjoy, and as always, stay Jammy.
Story 3: Bus stop blues.
Equius looked up into the sky as the first drop of ran splattered against his head. The slate gray sky had been throwing down showers all day. And of course, it couldn't wait until he was on the bus, or safely back in his house. It just had to break while he was standing around outside the bus stop, waiting for his ride home. Absolutely infuriating. It was unbecoming of a man of his stature to be standing around in the rain. He very promptly solved that problem by going inside the bus stop, and sitting down on the rather low quality bench. Protected from the rain, he pulled his phone from his pocket, and began texting, muttering under his breath as he typed.
centaursTesticle (CT) began Trolling arsenicCatnip (AC)
CT: D- Are you at home yet?
AC: :33 yeah. just before it started raining too X33
CT: D- Hmm. Fortunate. I'm still waiting for the bus.
AC: :33 unlucky
CT: D- Quite.
Equius stuffed his phone back in his blazer pocket, glaring out of the bus stop, into the pouring rain. The weather had been tempermental all day, with short bursts of rain all through their lessons. Luckily it had stopped before P.E, but the incesscent showers had muddied the field to the point it made rugby, normally one of his favorite sports, near hell to play. The team spent less time scoring tri's then scrambling to stay on their feet on the slushy ground. Their performance had been less then satisfactory, and Equius had left the sports field soaked, muddied, and utterly infuriated. Luckily, Nepeta had been there, almost immediately when she had come back from gymnastics, her sport of choice. She had always excelled at it with her cat like balance and somewhat awe inspiring flexibility. And she put those skills to work upon seeing his less than stellar, mood, performing an entirely unnessecary hand spring and landing beside him, with a "Tada!" and enthusiastic jazz hands. And though he'd grumbled and mumbled about her making a scene, it really was a boost to his mood. And she knew that all too well.
He leant back against the glass wall of the bus shelter, and thought back to first day they'd met. It had been all the way back in lower school. He'd been sitting there, eating lunch all alone. The other children were all far too scared of his ridiculous size and muscles to even think of coming near him. And the reason she'd approached him, he'd always said, was because she didn't think. He'd been chewing silently, when she'd flopped down into the seat across from him, and just started staring. She'd sat there with her chin on her hand for several minutes, until Equius finally decided to talk to her.
"Erm...Hello?"
"Hiya!"
The cheer in her voice was quite the bafflement to Equius. She lapsed back into silence after that, so he took it upon himself to continue the conversation.
"So...Why are you here?"
Drat. That had come out entirely wrong. The girl didn't seem fazed by his blunt question though. She began to fiddle with the blue, cat shaped hat atop her head.
"Oh, I just though you looked lonely!"
"...So?"
"So! You need to stop being lonely, duh! So I came over to keep you company!"
Equius was very confused. "Oh. Well. Thank you..."
And from that point on , she hadn't left his side. Through lower, middle, and now well into upper school she'd clung onto him like a particularly happy barnacle. They'd had their fair share of rough spots, when he'd get angry and say something that upset her, or when she'd fail to understand when he just needed to be alone.
But they always managed to come back together. Together in a strictly platonic way of course. That was a mistake many made, thinking they were "Together together" rather than "Together". The two were always quick to correct them, and often if it was Equius who did it, they weren't in a hurry to make that same mistake.
He gave a little grin, and looked left, wondering when his bus was going to come. He turned to the right, and was greeted by a most wonderous sight.
A beautiful girl, dressed in a school uniform unfamiliar to him, was striding towards him. Long, dark brown hair curled its way down her back, and hung wetly over her face as she rummaged through a satchel bag hung over her shoulder. She pulled a packet of cigarettes from it, and stood up straight, brushing her hair out the way to reveal a pale, regal face, and whiskey brown eyes that seemed to shine bright, even in the midst of the rain. She hurried under the small amount of shelter provided by the bus stop, and light her cigarette with a engraved zippo.
"Oh christ I'm sweating"
Equius averted his eyes as she turned to him, hoping she wouldn't see how much trouble he was having holding himself together. Maybe, if he didn't look at her, she wouldn't talk to him, and he might actually come out of this with his dignity intact-
"Excuse me?"
Equius jerked his head up embarrassingly fast, locking eyes with her as she breathed out a long puff of smoke.
"Y-Yeah?" Darn it. This was entirely unlike him.
"Do you mind if I sit there?" She gestured to the space next to him with her free hand.
"Mmm, yes. Well, no. As in, I don't mind. Yeah"
She smiled at him, setting his heart fluttering, and sat down next to him, puffing away.
They both sat in silence, until Equius pulled his phone from his pocket.
centaursTesticle (CT) began Trolling arsenicCatnip (AC)
CT: D- Nepeta, help me.
AC: :33 why? whats wrong?
CT: D- Because, it started raining, and now I'm stuck waiting for the bus, and this bench is absolutely tiny, and there is a very attractive lady sitting next to me-
Equius was broken from his text based rant when he realized the girl next to him was giggling. Quite loudly.
"I'm I really?"
He was completely dumbfounded.
"Hmm? What? I'm sorry, but I don't really know what you're-"
"'A very attractive lady?' Am I really?"
Equius flushed neon red, spluttering.
"What? How did you...What?"
She smiled bashfully, and looked down at the ground.
"Well, you were talking while you texted...?"
He slammed his head into his hands in one of the most powerful facepalms ever seen.
"Oh no...I'm sorry..."
She giggled again, only spiking his heartrate further.
"Well...Don't apoligize. It wasn't exactly an insult was it?" She grinned. "My name's Aradia Megido"
She stood as the bus pulled up, extending a hand. He took it, hoping and praying it wasn't as clammy as it felt to him.
"Erm...Equius Zahhak..."
"That's a nice name. Well Mr Zahhak, I am afraid I need to cut this conversation short. But...It was nice to meet you, and you seem a really nice guy" She tossed her cigarette to the ground, and stomped it out, before releasing his hand and turning to walk into the bus. He pulled his hand back, and looked down at the scrap of paper in his palm, and the series of numbers upon it.
His head snapped up to watch the bus go, spotting Aradia in one of the windows. She locked eyes with him, and waved goodbye.
As it vanished out of sight, he realized two things. One, he appeared to have aquired the phone number of a beautiful girl, and two...
"Fuck! That was my bus"
But he wasn't really angry.
Not anywhere near it.
