Hey, so I know that this is all really late. I haven't updated for a while, I'm just still having a lot of trouble with my own life and I can't really put my projects as a priority right now. Believe me, I'm trying my hardest. Anyways, what matters is I have a new chapter out.

Reviews/follows/favorites are great as always.

Have a nice morning/day/afternoon/evening, lovelies.

~Eridan POV~

Looking up, you smile at his face. He smiles back weakly, stepping out the door and into the fresh air for the first time in six days. Four days unconscious, two staying in the hospital. You know what your dad is going to say when he sees the medical bill, but at the moment you don't really care. You only have one school week and another weekend before he comes home and Sollux goes out, and you refuse to let that go to waste.

Holding his shoulder you walk slowly with him. He's careful but steady, much better than the first time he got up and wobbled severely. You figure that you can't really be too cautious in your situation; you care about him too much, and you can't lose him again.

Every night as you slept by his side, pleading for him to wake up, it was like he was gone forever. Like the doctors were lying to you and that he was already dead. Gripping tighter onto his arm you lead him to the car, which Feferi drove down to the parking lot for you. She sits in the driver's seat, smiling weakly and watching as the two of you make your way over.

You help Sollux slide into the backseat and shut the door before opening the one beside it and climbing into the passenger seat of your car. Feferi starts the engine back up and begins to pull out of the parking lot, beginning the drive back home. For once, you wish you didn't have such a flashy, expensive and extravagant car. You see the faces of small children in vans turn to watch the three of you pass, but you just want to be invisible.

Behind you Sollux reaches up, grasping your hanging hand. You squeeze back, looking back at him to smile, but you know he can tell that you aren't really ok. This just makes you feel all the worse, because you know it hurts him more; he blames himself. You want desperately to tell him that it's okay, that he isn't the reason you cry but the reason you smile. But you can't.

You grew up feeling alone, other than Feferi. Your dad was out a lot, and if you showed emotion to him other than what he expected he got extremely uncomfortable. So you didn't talk about your problems or happiness a lot, and now you find it hard to really express a lot of feeling other than loneliness.

Nothing but teasing from anyone but Fef followed, and now you've found someone who you actually love, trust and care about more than anything. And you can't find the words to express it, so he doesn't know. And when he doesn't know, he can't tell that someone really cares, and then he tries…

He can't understand that you aren't mad at him, but mad at yourself.

Eventually you pull up to your house, still holding Sollux's hand tightly.

"Fef, do you want me to drive you home really quick?"

"No, it's okay. It's not that far, I'll walk." You nod, giving her a look of thanks that he can't see. She smiles, pulling the keys out of the ignition and tossing them to you. You catch them and get out of the car, pulling his door open and grabbing his hand to pull him up. Although reluctantly he grabs it, grunting as he stands on the slanted concrete. The both of you know he hates needing this much help, but what choice do you have?

Slipping the house key into the lock you open the door, letting the key chain jangle as you throw it onto the bench waiting by the side of the door. You've decided to take Monday and Tuesday off with Sollux to help him, and then you'll go to school. You send another silent thank you to Feferi, who took her lunch period to pick the two of you up.

Climbing down the stairs you hear him follow, and plop down on the couch with him beside you soon. You curl up against his side as he leans over to the table, picking up the remote and turns on the tv. It's already on the movie channel so he lets the remote fall down beside him, snaking one hand behind your back and one over your stomach, pulling you closer to him.

Resting your head on his collar bone you sigh, eyes turned toward the television but not really watching what's going on. It's like everything before you is just a blur of picture and noise, a mindless, useless distraction to your feelings of anguish and the rest of the world. He brings his hand up, stroking your hair back and forth.

Suddenly, for no eminent reason, you want to cry. You want to bawl for the entire world to see, for hours, just to feel ok. He's safe, but right now he's fragile, and you aren't really sure if it's the best idea…

You swallow, the pang in your throat thick and bulging. It feels like your vocal cords are strung taut against a board of sandpaper and rough wood. Is this what some people go through every day? You have him beside you, yet you feel so alone. You have to be strong, you have to be brave, but you're sad and scared.

Maybe this is what depression feels like.

You clench your toes, your hands, your teeth and then let them relax. These feelings are completely irrational. You're totally safe, and everything is fine.

Yeah. Everything….

Everything's fine.