This chapter sucks, but hey, there's lots and lots of Arasol coming. Finally. Enjoy this shit.
~UC
Sollux opened his eyes. The bright lights of the ceiling made them shut again. Where am I? He looked around his bedroom in surprise. What happened? He felt his face. He had fallen asleep with his glasses on. He sat up. His head throbbed in pain. I can't remember shit. I was at my parents house and then I told them everything and…what happened after that? I don't remember driving home…do I? Ugh, hell if I know. What time is it?
He clicked on his phone. 2:29. Why is it so late? It was pitch black outside. He looked at his phone. Kanaya and Rose had tried to call him 9 times. He scrolled down his notifications.
GA: Sollux?
GA: Are you okay?
GA: Please hurry
Missed Call: Rose today 2:07 AM
TT: I am concerned, you know.
TT: I hope nothing bad happened to you.
Missed Call: Kanaya today 1:19 AM
TT: It is one o'clock in the morning and Kanaya is going nuts not knowing what's going on and on top of it you're not answering so she's in hysterics. Please do me a favor and answer.
Missed Call: Kanaya today 12:46 AM
GA: Please
GA: You're worrying me
GA: Sollux please answer
Missed Call: Aradia yesterday 12:17 PM
AA: It's Rose. Are you okay?
Missed Call: Rose yesterday 11:34PM
Missed Call: Rose yesterday 11:30 PM
GA: Aradia needs you
GA: Sollux please answer
Missed Call: Kanaya yesterday 11:17 PM
TT: Sollux?
Missed Call: Rose yesterday 11:06 PM
TT: She is not breathing.
TT: We are taking Aradia to the hospital.
Missed Call: Rose yesterday 10:56 PM
Sollux sprang out of bed and flew out the door. He pulled his car keys out of his pocked and dashed out his apartment.
Sollux sprinted through the parking lot of the hospital. He was surprised his car was there. But that wasn't important right now. He bolted through the front doors of the hospital, slid across the halls, skidded to a halt at the waiting room, gasping for breath. He felt himself being pulled by the arm. He then felt a smack to the back of the head, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Where were you?!"
"Sweetie, calm down."
"I have put up with your bullshit and this hospital's bullshit all night. I'm sick of it! Where were you?!"
"Can't…catch…breath…must…have…condition…" Sollux sat down.
"You have a bump on the back of your head," noticed Rose.
"Where is…Aradia?" Sollux gasped.
"I think you should really get that bump ch–"
"And I think we should stop talking about it!" Sollux snapped.
"Okay then," replied Rose. A doctor walked out.
"Ms. Lalonde?" They all ran up to the doctor.
"Can we please see her now?" Kanaya quivered.
"Yes, she is awake now, but there are a few things you should know," he informed, "We will be keeping her over night so we can monitor her breathing. It's good that you brought her to us when you did. You saved her life." Everyone then followed the doctor to the room.
Upon entering the room, they saw Aradia, eyes barely open, hooked up to an oxygen mask. Her breathing was slow and slightly ragged. Her eyes widened with the sight of everyone. She smiled and waved. The three crowded around her.
"Oh Aradia, I'm so happy you're alive," sniffled Kanaya hugging her. Aradia smiled.
"How are you feeling?" Rose asked.
"I'm okay…" she took off the mask so everyone could hear her better. "Breathing better…"
"Everyone's safe, right?" Kanaya ensured. Aradia nodded.
"they're all fine…"
Sollux watched in empathy and guilt as Aradia hacked, coughed, and gasped for air. Kanaya stroked her head with a worried expression on her face. Aradia had some kind of virus. Sollux always took the flu for granted. He had no idea that this could happen in this century.
"Poor dear."
"well you would have an easier time breathing if you kept the mask on," Rose pointed out. Aradia put the breathing mask back on.
"…Sollux…" she murmured, muffled by the oxygen mask. "I need…"
"Hmm?"
"I need to…"
"Just focus on breathing right now," he reminded. She nodded.
"You told them…"
"Hmm?"
"…Your parents…"
"Oh. Yeah I told them. They weren't too happy but it was enough," he replied. She smiled.
"Sollux I need to tell…" she then broke into another fit of coughing. Sollux sighed.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow, okay?" She smiled and nodded.
About 2 weeks later…
"What was the Emancipation Proclamation?"
"Um…it freed the slaves?"
"Not quite."
"What do you mean not quite? It's it or it isn't!" Eridan snapped.
"No. You got it wrong," simplified Terezi.
"Let me see that notecard," he demanded. Terezi handed it to him. He looked it over.
"Come on. They aren't that bad."
"Yeah they are."
"I like them. So does everyone else. You really don't need contacts."
"Please, it just gives everyone else a reason to tease me."
"Hey! Your eyes are cool!"
"It's hard to have a decent conversation with other people though because the can't stop staring."
"Um…how do you think I've been feeling recently?"
"…touché."
"Hey Mr. Appleberry Blast. Good day Miss Licorice," greeted Terezi.
"Good day Terezi."
"Sup."
"You know sollux, you come over here a lot," suggested Terezi, "why don't you two just move in together? It'd be so much easier." Aradia and Sollux looked at each other.
"You're going to see more of me every week, remember," influenced Eridan.
"Moving in doesn't sound like too bad of an idea, actually," Sollux quickly replied, "Especially if it involves less Eridan."
"That'd be a bit awkward though, wouldn't it?" replied Aradia.
"How so?" Terezi responded.
"Um, because we're not a couple," answered Aradia, "And with this situat–"
"But why aren't you?" Terezi asked, "Why aren't you two a couple?"
"What do you mean?"
"You two are having a baby together. Don't you think you should spend some time together and do a bunch of stuff soon to be parents do?" Terezi asked, "I know you're not raising them, but shouldn't you two at lease live in the same building?" The two were silent.
"Ha! Sol? with Ar?" Eridan laughed, "I know you're blind Ter so ill cut you some slack. But honestly Sol ain't a looker. I don't see him datin anyone."
"Who's the one who was engaged to a supermodel?" Sollux reminded.
"Who's the one who got dumped by his fiancé and is now an immature and revolting loser?"
"Oh I'm immature?!"
"Hey! Order!" Terezi yelled. The two glared at each other and then broke it off. "Back to the original topic, I think it would be easier if you two moved in together. You two definitely feel comfortable around each other. And bedsides it's not like you haven't lived together before," summarized Terezi.
"But I have a job," reminded Aradia.
"It's not like his apartment is too far from the museum," stated Terezi.
"It's like 20 minutes," informed Sollux.
"Do you just want me out so you and your new boyfriend can have it to yourselves?" Aradia smirked, giggling a bit, "Hmmm?"
"I-It's not 100% because of that…" Terezi replied. Aradia chuckled.
"I'll be right back," said Sollux heading to the bathroom.
"Yeah and I'm just gonna…go," said Eridan gathering up his books and getting out of there before he was involved with anything.
"If not you can always count on Equi–"
"Oh hell no," interrupted Aradia. The two laughed. "I recently broke up with that guy—actually he broke up with me. Why would I want to go crawling back?"
"I was joking," said Terezi, "but I bet he had that body tho–"
"Oh yeah he had the body," she giggled, "But I wouldn't go through that again."
Sollux exited the bathroom. He passed through the kitchen and stopped when he heard giggling. Are they talking about me? I can only imagine what aa tells her friends about me. He stood behind the wall and eavesdropped.
"He's got a better body than you can imagine on him."
"Oh wow."
Really? Sollux thought. He smiled in satasfaction.
"Yeah, I wouldn't date him though."
Yeah i…wait what?
"Not even if all those lies you told him were true?"
Lies? What lies? What is she lying to me about? Liking me? Me being the father? No it's not that. She wouldn't purposely cause all that trouble.
"No. He's always unexplainably angry at something and kind of a bigot actually."
Well excuse me for having a disorder. I thought you knew me well enough.
"And that he must be so gross all covered in–"
"I know!"
Okay. Not surprised. I can acknowledge that I'm an ugly motherfucker. I can take that.
"Yeah. You're right. He's not your type."
"But I really feel bad. About well, everything. All the stuff I put him through. All the lies…"
"It's not worth doing that again."
"Yeah…"
"Oh I see you eying up you know who! You're not that guilty."
"Who…HIM?…is it that obvious?"
"Yes. Yes it is."
"Shhhh!"
Is that what she really thinks of me? Maybe she's talking about someone else. No. It makes too much sense. Who else would she be talking about? He felt a tide of emotions rush over him. He had to leave. He stepped out of the kitchen.
"And he's so much better than…Sollux…" Aradia suddenly stopped, "How…much did you hear?"
"I heard enough," he choked. Aradia blushed a bit.
"So…you heard what I said…about how I feel about you," a smile began to perk at her cheeks.
"I heard everything I needed to. And I understand enough," he choked, "I-I'm just going to go. I'll get out of your hair. No need to feel bad."
"What are you–" Sollux dashed out the door before she could finish.
"What the hell was that about?" Terezi questioned. Aradia shrugged with a very confused look on her face.
When he got outside Sollux began to swell in frustration and anger. His face began to burn. You idiot! You blew it! she doesn't even like you much less feel anything like that! Ugh! I'm so dumb! What felt like a warm drop of rain hit Sollux's cheek as he walked to his car. He looked up at the partially cloudy skies. It's not raining. Wait…fuck me this is just getting worse isn't it? He wiped his face. Come on. Suck it up! You're so pathetic! Why am I even upset? I figured this was going to happen. Why do I feel so disappointed? I've been shot down so many times before. How is now different? He blinked away tears before driving out of sight from the house. Well, what now?
Karkat sat back and nodded as he listened to his guest's story. He nodded along connecting and empathizing with him.
"Yeah, liking someone who doesn't like you back sucks," he connected, "It hurts a lot. It's okay to feel that way."
"Thank you," replied Tavros, "For um, doing this for me."
"I'm the fucking master of unrequited feelings my friend," he answered, "No thanks is needed."
"I just–" there was a knock on the door. Karkats mood soured. He stomped towards the door.
"Whoever is at this door can go to hell," he grumbled. The opened the door and greeted the person with an unfriendly scowl.
"You picked a really bad time to come here," he snarled
"You were wrong."
"I…wait…huh?"
"You were wrong."
"Sollux you really picked a bad time to come. Unless you're talking about unrequited feelings just get the fuck out of here." Sollux was frozen in surprise.
"That's actually exactly why I'm here…" It was Karkat's turn to be surprised. He changed to a welcoming gesture.
"Welcome to the club."
"He's not answering," Aradia said, "I don't know what's wrong. Unless he doesn't like me back."
"Aradia, it's pretty fucking obvious that he likes you back," replied Terezi, "He's probably overreacting again to a huge piece of news he can't handle." Terezi's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID. "I'll be right back." She slid into another room before pressing the answer button.
"Hello."
What the wet bag of horse shit to the face is going on?
"I don't know!"
Sollux is over here talking about how he overheard Aradia would never date him and what she thinks about him.
"We never talked about that at all!"
What could have you said that may have pissed him off?
"Let's see…I can try to remember. First we started talking about Aradia moving in with Sollux and then she replied that it would be awkward since they're not a couple. And I asked why aren't you?"
Hmmm
"Then Eridan interrupted and the two fought. Then…Shit what happened next? I think Sollux went to the bathroom and we started talking about Equius. Then we began to start the topic of Aradia's huge crush on Sollux and that's when he left."
Hmmm
"I don't know what the fuck his deal is."
Hmmm
"What the fuck Is the 'hmmm' about?"
It's funny. The same thing is happening to them as what happened to us. Don't you find it funny that he's the one who's heart got broken?
"Karkat we promised we wouldn't fight anymore. We PROMISED we wouldn't do shit like this anymore! We made an agreement that our main goal is getting Aradia and Sollux together because they're too dumb to do it themselves! So fuck you!"
…you're right. I'm sorry.
"Back on topic."
Well That's not what he told me.
"Well what did he tell you?"
He told me that you were talking about how Aradia would never date him and how she feels bad for him and how she likes someone else. That I'll I paid attention to anyways.
"Wait…agh! We were talking about Equius! That wasn't about him! Thank God. It's just a misunderstanding. It can easily be fixed."
Okay. I can talk to him. I can fix this and everything will finally come together.
"Yes."
…Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
"Yes…wait, no. What are you thinking?"
This could finally be the day we accomplish this mission. Think about it. She'll be like oh I'm so sorry and he's going to say I'm sorry I was dumb and then they'll confess how they've felt for the past 16 years and shit and then they'll kiss and make up and we…what will we do?
"Celebrate of course! Have some fun, do some stuff, go to Turkey."
Turkey?
"I don't know…we could talk about it after this plan comes together."
Alright. I got to do my part. Talk to you later.
Karkat clicked off his phone. He then went to execute the plan. He went to Sollux who was talking to Tavros.
"Okay this was all a misunderstanding," he summarized.
"Hmm?"
"I talked to Terezi about what happened and–"
"Let me guess, she told you what you wanted to hear?" Sollux replied sullenly.
"Sollux–"
"If you're willing to believe anything you hear, I think I'll go home and cope with this myself," he replied.
"Hey! I'm telling the truth! Aradia likes you asshole! She wants to be with you just as much as you want the same!" Karkat yelled, "Damn you two are both idiots!" Sollux ignored him heading for the door. "Get back here!"
"Make me!"
"Um maybe you should just…"
"Shut up Tavros!" both snapped. Tavros shrunk in his chair, just watching shit happen. I guess it would be best if i didn't get involved.
"Alright I know you're weird, but can you not eat directly from the can of olives?" Terezi requested.
"You're not going to eat them," replied Aradia.
"You don't know that!" she replied, "I could want to put them on my pizza. Or maybe I would like to put them on my fingers and pretend I'm an alien."
"Alright here," Aradia offered the can of black olives.
"No thanks, I don't like olives," she replied. Suddenly, there was s knock on the door.
"I bet you that's Sollux," said Terezi going to answer.
"Alright how much money?" Aradia asked. Terezi ignored her and answered the door. An out of breath Karkat was at the door. Aradia peeked at the guest from around the corner of the kitchen. "Yeah…how much money again?"
"What are you doing here?" Terezi asked.
"Bad…it got bad…" he breathed.
"What?"
"He didn't believe me…he's being an overdramatic shitface," he replied.
"Damn it! What do we do?" Terezi said. She then turned to Aradia. "Aradia, he's your crush. He thinks you don't like him because of a misunderstanding. He needs to hear it from you."
"Hmm…"
"Knowing our luck he'll think she's lying too if she just tells him," he predicted.
"Hmm…I think I have an idea!" Aradia schemed.
"Really? Well tell us!" Karkat yelled anxiously.
"Huddle up," she ordered.
"…but no one else is here," replied Terezi.
"Just do it!" The two complied. Aradia then elaborated her plan.
"What the flying gift wrapped pile of horse shit?! That's so stupid!" Karkat reacted.
"Yes, but it will work," replied Aradia.
"No fucking way! It's too cheesy and weird!"
"Karkat, it's Aradia. Did you expect something not weird?" Terezi retorted, "And unless you have a better idea." Karkat looked for an argument and another plan, but he knew all his plans would end in the same failure. He sighed.
"Fine. But I'm not going to be involved."
"Alright. Then you call John, Jade, and Nepeta," she instructed, "If this doesn't work, I don't know what will."
Sollux was sitting on his couch doing a thing he does to take his mind off of things: playing video games. Not just any video game. Pokemon Omega Ruby. He had played Sapphire when the original version was out. The effects were so cool on a 3DS. He was at Mossdeep City when he heard something outside his door. It sounded like…music? A piano actually. Playing the beginning of a sickening familiar tune. Sollux knew this song. Aradia loved this kind of music, and Sollux secretly hated it. He waited for the crappy lyrics to start.
"How do I,
Get through one night without you?
If I had to live without you,
What kind of life would that be?"
Sollux froze the moment the lyrics came. This wasn't a pre recorded song. The voice was different. And far too familiar.
"Oh, and I...
I need you in my arms, need you to hold,
You're my world, my heart, my soul,
If you ever leave…"
It couldn't be…no fucking way. What is going on? He flipped shut the 3DS and went to his door.
"Baby you would take away everything good in my life."
Sollux got to the door and slowly began to open it. What he saw on the other side was far beyond his expectations.
"Without you…"
In front of him was the most cheesiest, weirdest thing he had ever seen. There was a band in the hallway of the apartment complex. Drums, bass, guitar, everything! And he recognized everyone in the band. Jade was the bassist, John was on keys and back up vocals, Nepeta was the guitarist, what looked like John's daughter was on drums, and the lead singer was none other than Aradia. He was frozen in "wtf is this"ness.
"There'd be no sun in my sky,
There would be no love in my life,
There'd be no world left for me.
Oh And I,
Baby I don't know what I would do,
I'd be lost if I lost you,
If you ever leave,
Baby you would take away everything real in my life," she sang. Casey had an epic drum solo leading into the next part. Sollux felt a bit embarrassed, but was still mesmerized by the weirdness.
"This is stupid," grumbled Karkat, farther down the hall with Terezi.
"Yeah right!" she replied
"And tell me now,
How do I live without you?
I want to know,
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go,
How do I ever, ever survive?" Aradia then gestured to John. "John Egbert on guitar, ladies and gentlemen!" John then began to do an epic air guitar solo. "Yeah! Play that shit! Mm! I hear ya! I hear you in here, in my heart," she just closed her eyes and listened, "So good on my eardrums. Yeah! You got that telecaster twang! twangin into my soul!" Sollux double face palmed. Behind his hands, he hid a wide grin. "Alright now let's bring it back here now. I need something a little slower. Casey, take us there." Casey began setting the new vibe. "Bring it back! Alright! Come on now!"
Nepeta then began the actual guitar solo. Sollux was cracking up so much, peeking out through his hands.
"And tell me now,
How do I live without you,
I want to know,
How do I breathe without you?
If you ever go,
How do I ever, ever survive?"
The song finally finished and went out with a fade. Aradia looked up at Sollux. Sollux was silent. He then began chuckling.
"You are such a dork," he laughed.
"But I'm your dork," she replied, "I mean, if you want…"
"…that's okay with me," he smiled. Aradia then locked him in a great hug. The hallway was filled with a synchronized "awwwwww".
"Oh my God…" Everyone turned to the other side of the hall where Dave Strider stood. Well he couldn't really stand because he was still on crutches. "Finally!" Dave shouted raising his arms in over dramatization. He then lost his balance and fell on his face, causing the hallway to fill with laughter.