I suck, you guys. I'm sorry for taking so long. This is a long chapter, though, so enjoy!~
Sollux knew that Eridan thanked his lucky stars that the two of them lived in such a small town. While Sollux held his discomfort with moving vehicles, they were forced to walk everywhere that they went. Sollux felt pretty guilty about it sometimes, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't bring himself to drive or let Eridan drive him places unless it was a dire emergency. He couldn't have been more thankful that Eridan understood and was more than willing to do anything to make Sollux comfortable. It was just another reason why Sollux felt so strongly for his boyfriend.
They were near his parent's house, stopping to get lunch, and Eridan was starting to get nervous. He had been excited for the past week about meeting Sollux's family, but now he was getting antsy. He was tugging nervously on his long blue scarf, pushing his thick hipster glasses up every time they slipped down his nose. Sollux couldn't help but to watch in amusement. Eridan was such an adorable dork.
"Holy hell, Eri. Calm down, would you? What could you possibly be worried about?" Sollux chuckled, slipping his hand into Eridan's on the small table that they shared. He slowly rocked their hands left and right, gawking at Eridan as he usually did. He was just so damn hot...Eridan didn't seem to notice, though. He was too busy nervously folding his napkin now into what looked like a paper crane. He would fold it, then unfold it, then fold it, then unfold it again as he took small sips of his tea every so often.
"I'm not a people-person, Sol, and by that I mean that people don't usually like me... And what if they don't like me? I've never really done so well with parental figures in my life! Granted, my father has been my only parental figure in my life, but he's totally pissed with me!" Eridan droned. He sighed, dropping the origami menu. His elbows met the top of the table and his head met his hands after he let go of Sollux's. He groaned loudly, and Sollux's smile widened slightly.
"My parent's are going to love you, Eridan, and my brother loves everybody. You really have nothing to worry about," he assured. Eridan peeked out from between his fingers.
"Really?"
"Really," Sollux said, grabbing Eridan's hand again. Eridan let out a sigh, nodding slowly.
"Alright," he mumbled, sighing once again. He took another sip of his tea before pausing, looking up at Sollux again. "Wait, what should I and what shouldn't I say or mention?" He asked, looking worried. Sollux groaned.
"You can say whatever you want to say, Eri! I promise, everything's going to be okay. Trust me, if anyone's going to be embarrassed here, it's going to be me," he mumbled. Eridan raised a curious eyebrow. Sollux looked at him, then groaned.
"My parent's are sweet, they really are, but they're a little...A little much," Sollux admitted, and Eridan smiled slightly.
"Oh?" He asked, interested. "How old are they?"
Sollux leaned back, letting go of Eridan's hand. He looked up, humming thoughtfully as he searched his mind. They weren't that old, Sollux remembered that. He remembered thinking how strange it was that they were so young, but he couldn't forget the fact that he was already eleven when he was adopted.
"Um, well, I was eleven when they adopted me, and Mit was fourteen. Carter was twenty-three, and Monroe was twenty-six. So that would make Carter thirty-one and Monroe thirty-four," Sollux answered, and Eridan nearly choked on his tea.
"Hell! They're young, Sol! That means that Carter was only nine when Mituna was born!" He exclaimed, as if Sollux didn't already know. Sollux laughed.
"Yeah, I know, Eri."
"My dad is like, hell, I don't know, forty-five!"
Sollux nodded. "My father is around forty-five too. Forty-three, I think," he replied, and Eridan's face darkened.
A darkness and awkwardness blanketed them, and Sollux grew silent at Eridan's now grim nature. Sollux cleared his throat, sipping his water, thankful when the waitress approached. They both ordered, and it was still silent between them when the waitress left. Sollux sipped awkwardly on his drink before Eridan spoke up, tone indecipherable.
"So. Where is your father now, Sollux? Do you see him?" He asked slowly, and Sollux resisted a groan. He leaned back again, taking his glasses off and running his hands over his face.
"Uhh...My father lives in the next town over. When the adoption was finalized, it was required that Mituna and I had to see my father every so often. He comes to town every month, sometimes a few times a month to spend time with Mit and I," Sollux explained, and Eridan nodded.
"I see. And how are those reunions?" He asked. Sollux sighed.
"Eridan, they're fine. A bit awkward, but fine. We don't get along very well, but we don't not get along. He tries to make up for how he use to act, but, ya know..." He cleared his throat. "Him and Mituna get along well, though. So that's all I care about; Mituna being happy."
Eridan's expression and aura softened. He looked at Sollux a moment before sighing, looking down at his hands on the table. He felt bad, and Sollux knew that. Sollux didn't blame him for being angry about the subject, because, well, Sollux often was angry about it too. He just didn't want it to be as big of a deal as it could be. Eridan said that he wanted to keep Sollux out of his family life, and Sollux wanted to do the same. His biological family life, at least.
"Eridan?" Sollux said softly, and Eridan slowly looked up at him. Sollux looked back at him for a brief moment before smiling lightly. "Your hair looks great today."
Eridan slowly smiled, his smile turning into a laugh. "You're just sayin' that to make me feel better," he laughed, and Sollux laughed as well.
"Yeah, kinda. But also because it's true."
They talked about Eridan's hair and other completely random shit for a while as they ate, and a bit afterwards. Sollux noticed that Eridan had slowly begun to relax, and Sollux couldn't help but to relax as well. He definitely didn't want Eridan to be uncomfortable to meet his parent's. Carter might not notice, but Monroe definitely would. He tried to keep the subject off of his family and anything deep and personal as they ate, left, and made their way to his parents house.
When they got there, though, Eridan had seemed to grow nervous once again. He had stopped talking, which was truly a concerning thing for Eridan to do, even when Sollux tried to make conversation. It got to the point where Eridan didn't even try to play it off; he was just downright anxious. When they approached his parent's cozy little home and Sollux pulled out his key to unlock the door, Eridan quickly stopped him.
"Wait a minute, I'm not ready," he pleaded, and Sollux tipped his head back, groaning.
"How could you possibly prepare any further for this, Eridan? Preparation isn't even necessary. You'll see, you'll meet them, we'll chill out for a few hours, they'll love your hot-ass self, and then we'll leave. You're getting worked up for nothing," he assured.
Eridan still looked at him worriedly, and Sollux huffed. He leaned up, pressing a not-so-gentle kiss to Eridan's lips. Eridan's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he immediately relaxed. He kissed Sollux lovingly, growing more and more comfortable as Sollux worked his lips against Eridan's. He allowed the comforting warmth between them to grow before pulling away with a soft smile, leaving Eridan panting lightly in his place.
"Better?"
"Better," Eridan assured with a nod. Sollux couldn't help but to laugh, turning back and unlocking the door. He walked in, knocking gently on the door as he opened it.
"Hey," he called out, wincing as he prepared for the worst. Eridan looked at him slightly nervously, then back to the inside of the house as Sollux walked in and slid his shoes off, leading to Eridan to do the same thing.
The house was small, but not too small, and it was cute. Pictures of Sollux and Mituna were everywhere, along with pictures of what Eridan had assumed were Sol's parents. The two men had pictures of them everywhere; standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Sydney Opera House, the Empire State building...It was fairly obvious that they traveled a lot. The house was decorated in nothing but earth colors, with blue walls and green curtains and sandy carpets and brown throw rugs and couches. There were souvenirs everywhere, the house seemingly crowded with stuff, especially paintings.
Eridan couldn't help but to stare in awe, his eye catching every little thing. That was, until a thumping could be heard. The sound of running feet was audible from the next room over, and Eridan looked over at Sollux curiously. Sollux smiled, but he already looked tired. It was then that who Eridan assumed was Mituna appeared, running into the room with a big, crooked smile on his face.
"Tholluckth!" He yelled, with a lisp that was so thick, the word he spoke was almost inaudible. Eridan's eyebrows rose, a bit surprised when the tall male ran over and yanked Sollux up into a hug.
"Shoot! Mituna!" Sollux gasped as he was spun around against his will, being hugged tightly by Mituna.
Mituna was a bit taller than Eridan, which was saying a lot. He was lanky and awkward looking, wearing a tight, long sleeve yellow turtleneck and black skinny jeans that made his long legs look even longer. He was awkward, but he was also very adorable. He had big round blue eyes that were partially covered by his messy, shaggy brown hair. His skin was just as pale as Sollux's, if not paler. His nose curved up into a button shape, adding to his cuter features. He smiled with his teeth, which were perfectly white. His canines looked abnormally long, but not too weird. His overall appearance brought a smile to Eridan's face. He could hardly tell that he was older than Sollux. Mituna was just so cute, while Sollux's features were so much more matured. Sollux was adorable as well, but in a different sense than his older brother.
Mituna put Sollux down, who inhaled deeply to catch his breath. Mituna grabbed Sollux's hands, rocking back and forth on his feet, seeming unable to stay still. Sollux, blinked a few times, looking back at his brother with a slight smile.
"Getting strong, aren't you, Mit?" Sollux stated with a chuckle, and Mituna seemed to beam at that.
"I go outthide every thingle day!" He stated, providing no further information. Eridan was a bit confused, but he couldn't deny that Mituna was the cutest thing. He smiled at the tall male, who had just seemed to notice him.
"Hi," he said, smiling a shy smile as he looked down. Eridan smiled back, giving him a wave.
"Hi, Mituna. I'm Eridan," He introduced, and Mituna nodded. He looked up at Eridan's hair, smiling slightly.
"Itth purple!" He stated with a smile, and Eridan nodded. He wasn't sure how to reply, but that was okay, because Mituna's attention immediately left the subject.
"Tholluckth! I got a new thkateboardth!" He stated, and Sollux chuckled.
"Don't tell me that Latula is still trying to teach you how to skateboard, Mit," Sol practically begged with a smile. Mituna nodded quickly, looking dizzy afterwards, but unknowingly playing it off.
"Tulip teachetheth me how to thaketboard! I mean, thkateboard! Thorry," He confirmed and apologized, and Sollux's smile widened. He was obviously very fond of his brother, and that made Eridan's smile widen.
"Don't apologize, Mit. Where's daddy?" Sollux asked, and Mituna smiled a wide and happy smile, giggling, although nothing was really funny.
"Daddyth outthide! I'll go tell him!" He said, once again not being very specific. He turned quickly, beginning to run away. He didn't get very far, because he immediately tripped over his own feet, tumbling towards the ground. Sollux's eyes widened and Eridan gasped.
"Shit!" Eridan shouted, hands reaching up to cover his mouth as soon as he yelled. Sollux took a few steps forward, hands reaching out for his brother. Mituna just got right back up, though, continuing on his way. He disappeared from the room, and Eridan looked at Sollux quickly.
"Is he alright?" Eridan asked quickly, and Sollux let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah, that happenth a lot. I mean, happens! It...It happens a lot," he said, eyes wide as he quickly corrected his speech. His cheeks flushed immediately, eyes meeting Eridan's to see if the other noticed. Eridan did, of course, a smile stretching across his face, causing Sollux's blush to deepen.
"Fuck, Sol! I fuckin' knew it! Damn, that is the cutest fuckin' thing!" He laughed, and Sollux quickly shook his head, eyebrows furrowing.
"Don't, Eridan! Don't say anything else about it!" He demanded quickly, and Eridan immediately shut up, smile still present. He definitely wasn't letting that one go for long, and Sollux knew it. Sollux sighed, desperate to get off of the subject as quickly as possible.
"Hey, try not to swear around Mit, alright? He has kind of a problem...If he hears others swear, he will too, but at a ridiculous rate. His language can get pretty bad," Sol informed, and Eridan's smile faded as he quickly nodded.
"Yeah, Sol, of course," he agreed, walking over to his boyfriend as he looked around once again. He looked at the many scattered pictures, a smile making its way back on to Eridan's lips. The house was so homey, and the pictures were so cute...It reminded him of the family that he hadn't had in a long, long time.
"The pictures are so cute, Sol. Your parent's travel a lot?" He asked, picking up a picture of one of Sollux's parent's zip lining in Costa Rica. He had a laughing expression, his green eyes big and glowing, his freckles very apparent, even in the picture. Eridan smiled, and Sollux did too as he looked at the picture.
"Yeah, they love to go places. Carter's from England, actually," Sollux said, pointing to the picture, and Eridan smiled, interested.
"And Monroe?"
Sollux laughed. "Nowhere exotic. Monroe is from New York, actually. He was a cop in the Bronx before moving here after he met Carter in the city," Sol replied, and Eridan's eyebrows shot up.
"Really? The Bronx? My family lives right around there!" Eridan exclaimed, and Sollux smiled at him.
"Seriously? Wow, cool shit. You two will have to sit down and talk about it sometime," Sollux said with a chuckle. "His accent is all New-Yorker."
Eridan laughed. "Yeah, Cronus's Scottish is thick, but it's also mixed with a slight Northern sound."
Sollux nodded, as interested in Eridan's family as Eridan was in his. Before Sollux could take the opportunity to ask anything more on the subject of Eridan's family, the back door closed gently. Footsteps approached, and another tall male entered the room, smiling a wide smile and flashing rows of perfect white teeth.
"Sollux! Hey, you!" The male said with a faint English accent, walking over and yanking Sollux into a huge hug. His big light green eyes sparkled behind his rectangular, frame-less glasses, and Eridan recognized him as Carter from the picture.
Carter was about as tall as Eridan, only about an inch taller than Sollux. He had a thick head of blonde hair, gelled back into a perfectly voluminous shape atop his head. He had scattered freckles over his cheeks, light, even against his paler skin. He had impossibly long lashes, which curved upwards towards his thin, darker blonde eyebrows. He had a pinkish scarf wrapped around his neck that Eridan couldn't help but to admire, and it accented his well chosen outfit perfectly. Carter pulled away, smiling proudly at Sollux.
"It's been too long, Sol! How dare you not visit your wonderful parent, I'm aging over here!" He accused, his theatrical voice very dramatic. Sollux rolled his eyes, smiling softly.
"Aging? Yeah, all thirty-one years of yours must be heavy to carry. How do you manage?" He said sarcastically, and Carter couldn't help but to laugh at that, his laugh joyous and playful. He ran his fingers affectionately through Sol's hair before looking up, smiling his perfect smile at Eridan. He stepped away from Sollux, still smiling at Eridan as Sollux looked back at him as well.
"Oh, yeah. This is...Yeah, this is Eridan Ampora," Sollux said with a blush and a fond smile. Carter's smile widened as he held a hand out to Eridan. Eridan took it, also blushing as he shook Carter's hand.
"Carter Covington. It's wonderful to meet you, Eridan," he said, Eridan's name sounding like something out of a fantasy tale when spoken with Carter's accent. Eridan smiled a slightly shy smile.
"Likewise, sir" he replied, immediately receiving a frown.
"Sir? Do I look old enough or in a formidable position to be referred to as 'sir'?" He asked with a laugh, pulling his hand away from Eridan, placing both hands on his hips. "Call me Carter, Eri, and I won't be forced to call you Mr. Ampora."
Eridan blushed slightly, looking over at Sollux. He looked extremely uncomfortable with the thought of calling Sollux's dad by his first name, and Sollux looked at him, slightly confused. Eridan looked back at Carter with a weak smile.
"No problem, s-...Carter," he replied, shy smile returning. Carter then looked down at Eridan's scarf, a smile taking over his lips.
"Wow, that is lovely," he complimented, reaching out and feeling the fabric between his long fingers. Eridan immediately grew comfortable, a happy smile forming on his face as he looked down at his own scarf.
"Thank you, it's-"
"A Peace Treaty. Of course it is, I'd recognize it anywhere," Carter finished for Eridan, smiling. He pulled his hand away, lifting up his own colorful scarf. "Mine is-"
"A Comune James scarf, of course. It's gorgeous," Eridan finished for him, unable to bite back his smile at how well they were getting along already. Carter was nothing like his own father, which made him feel a lot more relaxed in his presence. Carter smiled wide, laughing as Eridan blushed.
"I admire a guy who knows his scarves, Eridan!" He said, and Sollux groaned in disgust behind the two.
"Wow. You've known one another for, like, three seconds, and you're already finishing each others sentences," Sollux muttered. He was relieved that they were getting along so well, but he certainly didn't show it. Carter merely rolled his eyes, looking over at Eridan.
"Sollux doesn't appreciate scarves as we do," he informed, and Eridan nodded in agreement.
"Don't I know it," he agreed, and Sollux rolled his eyes again.
"Oh, hey, that's alright, I'll pretend like I'm not here, too," he said sarcastically. Eridan smiled and Carter laughed, walking over to him and pulling him into another hug.
"Glad to see you've got a great taste in guys, Sol," Carter said, winking in Eridan's direction, causing Eridan's blush to deepen as he looked down at his feet. "He knows himself a good scarf when he see's one, so I definitely approve!"
Sollux smiled weakly with a sigh. "Yeah, well, it's not exactly your approval that I'm worried about," he said softly. On cue, the back door opened again, closing gently. Following the sound of the closing door, footsteps approached, and the second man from the pictures entered the room.
This man seemed like Carter's opposite. He was shorter, about five-foot-nine, with shaggy black hair that fell into his dark brown eyes. He had a strong jaw and three sliver piercings in one ear, those being the only sight of jewelry on him. His skin was tanner, and his body was built and toned instead of thin and graceful. Instead of designer jeans and a turtleneck with a scarf, he wore a pair of grey sweatpants with a white muscle shirt, showing off his tanned arms, which were decorated with a few tattoos. Eridan's eyes widened slightly. He was a bit more intimidating.
"Hey, stranger. Where have you been and what have you been up to?" He questioned Sollux, walking over to him and sliding an arm around Sol's shoulders, pulling him into a one armed hug. Sollux smiled a half smile, sliding his arm around the shorter man.
"Avoiding your interrogations, as usual," Sollux replied, and Monroe laughed. He stepped away from Sollux, looking over at Eridan. He smiled an unreadable smile, and Eridan wasn't sure if he was going to be so easy to get along with. He walked over to Eridan, and Eridan shook his hand firmly.
"Monroe Covington, pleasure meetin' ya," he introduced himself smoothly, his Northern accent more than apparent. Eridan smiled, trying not to look so shy.
"Eridan Ampora, nice meetin' you too, Sir," he replied, and Carter shook his head as soon as Eridan let go of Monroe's hand. Carter walked over to Monroe, nudging his arm, then pointing to Eridan.
"Tell Eridan that he doesn't have to feel obliged to call you 'Sir'," he demanded, and Monroe smiled a teasing smile at his husband after winking at Sollux.
"Of course he has to call me 'Sir'. I'm a cop, and his boyfriend's dad," he teased, making Sollux smile and making Carter roll his eyes. Carter looked over at Eridan, looking playfully annoyed.
"You don't have to call him 'Sir'," he assured. All gazes turned to Eridan, whose eyes widened and whose blush deepened.
"...I...Um..." He looked at Sollux desperately. As soon as Sollux noticed that Eridan was about to freak out, he stepped forward.
"Yeah, he'll just call you by your names," he said with a comfortable laugh, playing off Eridan's discomfort. He then paused, looking around, eyebrows furrowed.
"Hey, where's Mit?" He asked, and Monroe smiled just as fondly as Sollux did when the subject returned to Mituna.
"He's out on his skateboard, practicin'. Latula's comin' over tonight, I guess he wants to impress her," he replied, and Sollux rolled his eyes.
"Mituna can impress Latula just by sitting in place, I don't know why he tries so hard."
"He doesn't want to lose her, Sol, you know that," Carter interjected, and Sollux laughed.
"She loved him before the accident, and she loved him even more afterwards. I don't think he has to worry about losing her." Sollux turned to Eridan, smiling. "Do you remember Terezi Pyrope from high school?"
Eridan furrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully. "Yeah, the spunky chick. Isn't she with Kar?"
Sollux shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no. Not anymore, and we don't talk about that," he said, and Eridan nodded quickly, understanding immediately. Sollux's smile returned. "Anyways, her sister, Latula, has been dating my brother since my brother was thirteen. He was crazy smart and crazy talented when they met and first started liking each other, and then the accident happened. We were worried that things were going to end between them because Mit had changed so drastically, but Latula only fell even further in love with him. They've been together this whole time, doing everything together; mostly skateboarding and playing video games. She protects him and he loves her unconditionally."
Eridan smiled a wide smile, listening to Sollux's story about his brother. "That's so fu-...I mean, dang cute!"
"Isn't it?" Carter asked, beaming. Monroe laughed at Carter's wide smile.
"Be warned; my husband has a problem with the relationships of our kids. Don't be surprised if he starts callin' you up for lunch dates or shoppin' offers," Monroe warned, nudging Carter playfully while Carter smiled sheepishly.
"I have a bit of a shopping problem," he admitted.
"A bit? A bit of a shopping problem?" Monroe teased further.
As they argued playfully, Eridan stood close to Sollux, obviously tense. Sollux looked up at him, to see that he had gone pale. Sollux's smile fell, worry filling his eyes.
"Eridan? What is it?" He asked, grabbing his hand. Eridan looked like he could be sick. He slowly looked down at Sollux, eyes wide.
"...He's not really goin' to buy me stuff, right?" He asked.
The worry automatically fell from his eyes. He parted his lips, looking at Eridan in disbelief. He looked at him a moment before dropping his hand, furrowing his eyebrows.
"That's what you're worried about? Really?!" Sollux asked, and Eridan's eyes only widened further.
"I'm not use to people buyin' me things, Sol! What do I say if he hands me somethin'! God damn, your family's too nice!" He whispered loudly, and Sollux shook his head.
"Um, you say 'Thank you Mr. Covington," he replied teasingly, and Eridan tensed further.
"I thought that I wasn't suppose to call them that!" He shrieked in a whisper, and Sollux couldn't help but to laugh.
Carter and Monroe had finally stopped arguing, and Monroe was running his fingers through Carter's perfect hair in affection and apology. Carter was rolling his eyes,though looking slightly proud. He knew well that he had Monroe wrapped around his finger, and Carter used that to his advantage as often as possible.
"So what did you want to do today, Sol? Did you have anything in mind?" Carter asked Sollux, and Sol shook his head.
"Not really. I just thought we could all spend a few hours together until Eridan has to go a class at six," Sollux suggested, and Carter smiled in reply.
"That sounds fantastic. Do you want to watch a movie, then we can order in for dinner?" He offered.
It was amazing how Sollux's and Monroe's expression both changed at the same time, both of them looking at Carter disapprovingly. "Which movie?" They both asked simultaneously, causing Carters eyes to widen in defense and Eridan's eyebrows to raise in interest.
"Well, I'm sure I don't know! We could watch whatever you're in the mood for," he started, and Sollux rolled his eyes in Eridan's direction.
"He loves chick flicks. Like, it's ridiculous how much he loves chick flicks. Sometimes Karkat would come over, not to hang with me, his best friend, but to watch movies with my dad," Sollux said, and Carter laughed while Monroe smiled.
"Kar has a great taste in movies, what can I say?" Carter said with a shrug. Eridan smiled slightly, and Monroe nodded in the direction of their living room.
"We're kind of a movie family, here. The bookshelves next to the TV holds all the movie's, so you can go in there and pick one, Eridan. I'm goin' to go out and check on Mituna. I'll see if he want's to join us as well," he said, turning around and making his way back to the backyard. Sollux sighed, looking at Carter.
"You know I rarely complain about Mituna, but he kinda sucks at watching movies. He can't sit still or keep quiet for more than five seconds at a time. If we're going to do something with Mit, I'd rather it not be a movie," Sollux said slowly. Carter nodded, understanding.
"I doubt he'll want to watch one anyways, Sol. He's really set on that skateboard recently," Carter assured, leading both Sollux and Eridan into the living room. Eridan was a bit surprised to see the movie shelves, now understanding what Monroe meant by the Covington's being a movie family.
"Wow, he wasn't kiddin'," Eridan breathed, wondering if he'd even seen a quarter of the movies that decorated the shelves. Carter followed Eridan's gaze, laughing at the sight.
"Yes, well, I'm definitely sure that there's got to be one movie there that you'll like, Eri," Carter assured, slipping right into the nickname as he walked over and plopped down on the long couch. Eridan couldn't help but to smile at the fond nickname, not only liking it when Sol said it, but also when his parent's were comfortable enough to use it.
Sollux was just about to go and sit next to Carter, but Eridan quickly grabbed his sleeve and tugged him in the direction of the movie shelves. Sollux almost pulled himself away at first, but then smiled a fond smile and allowed himself to be tugged as he realized that Eridan wanted help picking out a movie. They both stopped in front of the movie case, looking through it.
"I don't know what to fuckin' watch, Sol," he hissed, looking over the movies. Sollux smiled slowly.
"Well, given the circumstances, I'd say a movie would be a wise choice."
"I don't need your fuckin' sass, Sol!"
Sollux shrugged. "Guess you don't need my help then, either," he replied, turning around slowly before Eridan grabbed his hand, yanking him back in place.
"No! Sol, come on, I need you," he pleaded, and Sollux smiled a low smile.
"Now, that's what I like to hear," he flirted, and Eridan tensed as his cheeks filled slightly.
"Fuck...Come on, Sol, just pick somethin' that everyone's gonna like," he pleaded, glancing back at Carter, who was busy studying his cuticles. Sollux chuckled, reaching out and grabbing a movie without a second thought. Eridan then paused, eyebrow raising.
"Sound of music? Really?" He asked, looking over at Sollux curiously. Sollux nodded with a laugh.
"Carter loves it, of course, Monroe actually likes it because he liked the time period, I like it, and it totally seems like your kind of movie." He handed it to Eridan with a smile, then leaned over and pecked his cheek. "You're welcome, loser," he said affectionately, turning around and making his way to the couch. Eridan sighed, a smile forming on his lips as he set the movie up and grabbed the remote, walking over to the couch as well and sitting close to Sollux.
It turned out that Carter was right, and Mituna stayed outside to practice skateboarding. Monroe decided to stay with him to keep an eye on him, promising that he'd be around for the next movie that they'd all watch together, since it was guaranteed that as long as Eridan was still with Sollux and was still coming over, this wouldn't be their last movie.
Eridan found himself extremely comfortable, which was surprising. Sollux could tell that Eridan was comfortable, too, because he was completely relaxed as he watched the movie. Sollux couldn't help but to smile fondly, leaning against Eridan as they watched. Eridan slid his arm around Sollux, holding him close. Carter wasn't very nonchalant when stealing a few glances of the two, and every time that he did, Sollux frowned at him to look away. Eridan pretended not to notice, but it was a little too obvious. He didn't mind, though. He really found himself liking Sollux's family, even though he hadn't known them for very long.
Even when he got to know them further, he only liked them more. When they finished the movie and they all went outside to have dinner on the back porch, Eridan no longer felt awkward. He was happy with talking about himself with Sollux's parents, and they were happy talking to him. Sollux helped him to avoid any conversations that might have to do with Eridan's family, and for that, Eridan couldn't have been more thankful.
He talked with Carter about fashion and movies, and he talked with Monroe about living in New York. He watched Mituna as Mituna practiced skateboarding, and even tried to help him practice some, though Eridan couldn't skateboard for shit. The time that he spent with them all was...refreshing. He had almost forgotten what it was like to have a family. One that acted as a family, at least. To have Sollux's parent's treat Eridan like he was, well, worth something, filled a place in Eridan's heart that had been empty for a long time.
He wasn't relieved when it was time for him and Sol to depart, in fact, he was disappointed. He didn't expect to enjoy the time that he spent with them like he did, but he really couldn't help it, and he didn't want to go. He shook Monroe's hand and allowed Carter and Mituna to hug him as Sollux and himself made their way out the door. He wasn't a hugger, especially with adults, but it felt really good to have a fatherly figure treat him well.
"Don't be a stranger, Eridan. You can come over whenever you want," Carter assured, smiling at him as he stood on the front porch. Monroe stood next to him, nodding in reply. Mituna peeked his head out from behind them, smiling wide.
"And you can come over all the time and thkateboard with me when I get tonth better!" He yelled, and Eridan chuckled. Sollux just playfully threw his hands in the air.
"Yeah, that's cool guys, I'll just stay home and watch TV or something while you all do that," he chimed, everyone laughing at his sarcasm.
"Yeah, Sol, you can come too, I guess," Monroe teased, and Sollux rolled his eyes with a smile.
"Bye, I love you guys," Sol said with a smile.
"I love you tholluckth!" Mituna called, and Eridan laughed again at Mituna's cuteness. Sollux waved at his family before tugging Eridan along, who was also waving goodbye. As they made their way back, Eridan couldn't get rid of his smile.
"Your family is great, Sol. Like, your family is really great," he complimented, and Sollux smiled wide as well.
"Yeah, they're alright," he agreed jokingly, hand clasping Eridan's affectionately. Eridan shook his head.
"No, they're great. They're just really..."
"Great?" Sollux laughed, and Eridan nodded.
"I don't know what I was expecting, but that wasn't it. I wasn't expecting to be treated like part of the family. It was..." He sighed, and Sollux's teasing smile fell into a loving one. "It was really nice."
They both stopped where Eridan's and Sollux's roads broke off. Sollux stepped in front of him, facing him with a smile. He ran his fingers up Eridan's cheek, looking into his eyes with a fondness that made Eridan's smile widen.
"You deserve to be treated that way, Eri. You're such a great person...I don't know why anyone would treat you differently," Sollux complimented, and Eridan looked close to tears. Just as Sollux thought that Eridan was about to cry, he added, "Other than the fact that you're a priss and you still hog your boyfriends bathroom time."
Eridan rolled his eyes, shoving Sollux away.
"Go home, fuckass!" He laughed, and Sollux laughed as well. He pressed a light kiss to Eridan's lips.
"See you after your class, Eri. Try not to fall asleep through your lecture."
Eridan smiled, kissing him back lightly before pulling away. He wiggled his fingers, smiling wide as he turned and walked the other way. He really was an amazing guy. Sollux felt extremely lucky to have him, though he would never admit that to Eridan. The stuck-up bitch would probably reply with something like 'damn right you're lucky, i'm a catch.'. At the thought, Sollux couldn't help but to smile with love. Sollux watched him walk off, admiring his confident stride. And his ass, of course.
Sollux couldn't have been happier when he walked up the steps to his apartment. It really was a wonderful day, and he couldn't believe how well Eridan and Sol's family hit it off. He should have known, though. Eridan was pretty damn perfect.
He had a permanent smile pasted on his lips as he unlocked his door. He thought about the homework that he had avoided while spending the day out, along with what he wanted to do with Eridan when Eridan got home. All of those thoughts were interrupted, though, when he saw the figure on his couch across the room after he opened the door. His heart practically stopped at the sight of the stranger, and he nearly dropped his keys. The stranger looked up, and it was then that Sollux knew who he was.
He was wearing a white t-shirt that was tight over his toned chest, along with a pair of grey jeans and biker boots. His ocean blue eyes glinted in the dim light, and it was obvious that his thick black hair was greased back. He had a cigarette dangling from between his lips, which curled up into a smile at the sight of Sollux. Sollux just stared back a minute, trying to calm his quickly beating heart. He played it off, though, dropping his keys in the bowl next to the door, which he closed slowly.
"I don't recall having a third key made," Sollux said, trying to sound sarcastic, though it wasn't as apparent as it could have been. This seemed to amuse the other, who chuckled at Sollux's comment.
Cronus's smile widened as he answered Sollux.
"Oh, Kid, I don't need no key."