Can you guys believe it? Homestuck's been updated! So excited! Unfortunatly, that will mean the end of our comic soon. However, this fic will last quite a while longer so we've got something to look forward to! c;
This chapter is my longest yet in this fic! And it's a fun one!
Nepeta awoke the next morning to her alarm. She rolled over and turned it off, then went to check on Equius. The couch was empty, and the blanket and sheet were folded on the armrest semi-neatly with the pillow on top.
"Oh Equius." Nepeta sighed. She couldn't help but smile. He never did listen to her.
She got ready for work and fed Pounce. She made sure she wasn't forgetting anything before she left, and then departed. This morning she wasn't feeling as awake or energetic as she usually is, so she decided to stop by a little coffee house a few blocks from her apartment building.
She had never visited this coffee house before, so she felt a little nervous before going in but got over it pretty quickly upon seeing the cashier.
"I've told you. We only serve your artificial pumpkin coffee in the fall season." Terezi said, giving the first costumer in a long line an irritable look.
"But it's August, that's close enough right? Last time I was here they started serving it in July! They just didn't put up any of the ads until September!" The customer said.
Terezi blinked slowly before answering with an abrupt "No they didn't."
"I swear...why can't you just give me my drink?"
Terezi groaned and banged her head on the counter.
Nepeta couldn't help but giggle and decided now would be a good time to intervene.
"Terezi! Hey!" She called as she ran up to the counter.
Terezi shot up at the sound of the familiar voice. "Nepeta! Is that you?"
The two long-departed friends embraced. "It's been soo long! I missed you so much!" Nepeta couldn't help but get a little misty-eyed. "How did that law school thing go for you?"
"Positively horrid. I've decided to wait until I'm actually eligible for college before I become a student there this time," Terezi said, finishing off with her famous cackle.
"That might not be a bad idea!" Nepeta said while giggling. They then pulled apart to discover that they were both teary-eyed.
"Your eyes!" Nepeta gasped, noticing a dramatic change in her old friend's appearance.
"Yeah, I got surgery to repair them. I have to wear glasses now, but I've forgotten how wonderful colors look and how beautiful my friends are!"
"Awe! I'm so happy for you!"
"Excuse me, but I'm still waiting to get my drink," the customer said.
"Sorry, shop's closed, come back when you aren't an idiot," Terezi said, not paying much attention to him.
"We really need to get lunch together sometime!" Nepeta said.
"Agreed. I missed you wayy to much! How about tomorrow?"
"Okay! Can you give me your number? I'll text you tonight."
What was supposed to be just a two-minute long trip turned into a ten-minute long trip, and made Nepeta late for work. The girls chatted through the entire process of Nepta ordering a coffee and a large amount of time afterwards. Only when Nepeta checked the time did they stop talking, and said their goodbyes.
Work for Nepeta was uneventful until she and Kanaya's usual small chat turned into an important conversation.
"Oh! Before I forget Nepeta, here's something I thought you might want to take a look at," Kanaya said, running to the break room to get her purse. There weren't enough employees to worry about theft if you left your purse or wallet back there. She came back with at first glance just appeared to be a large index card.
Nepeta took it and read the headline out loud.
"Kanaya Maryam and Rose Lalonde invite you to celebrate the bond of matrimony- OH my goodness Kanaya!"
Nepeta tackle hugged Kanaya. "I'm so happy for you two this is so exciting!"
Kanya laughed and returned the hug. Nepeta violently rocked Kanaya back and forth as they both laughed uncontrollably. They parted, and continued laughing for a minute more.
When they both regained their breath, Kanaya continued. "Anyways, we both want to have a big ceremony. Naturally not having a groom, there are no groomsmen. Instead, we're going to allow our bridesmaids choose who they want to be partnered with in the wedding party. Rose and I will confirm, as we're not going to let random people just hop on because they want to. But anyways, the reason being for me telling you all this is because we were wondering if you'd like to be one of our bridesmaids?"
Nepeta practically screamed. It was only just a squeal though, but still loud and ear drum-shattering. "Yes yes yes yes yes!" Nepeta grabbed Kanaya's wrists as she jumped up and down. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! I'm so excited! This is pawsitively wonderful!"
Kanaya giggled beside herself as she watched Nepeta nearly lose her mind with excitement. She and Rose had been dating for a very long while now, and they knew there was no one else for them. They were perfect together in every way, and were eager to finalize it. Kanaya was even more ecstatic to have such a supportive friend as Nepeta, who didn't even question their love-as it should be.
"When's the wedding?" Nepeta asked, now firmly on her feet but gripping ever tighter on Kanaya's wrists.
"If you'd bothered to read the invitation you'd know," Kanaya said jokingly.
Amidst her excitement, Nepeta had dropped the invitation on the floor. As soon as she bent down to pick it up and let go of Kanaya's wrists, Kanaya threw her hands behind her back to not allow them to be tortured again.
"It's in six months. A March wedding, a little odd I know. Rose was all for the symbolic meaning it held. Spring is the start of new life, and despite our entire lives surrounding each other these past couple years, Rose believes this wedding will be the start of a new life for us. It's whatever to me, but if she's happy then who cares, you know?"
Kanaya was rambling a bit, but it was all she'd been thinking about lately. Rose wanted to keep it as much as a secret as possible until the invitations were out. Now that Nepeta knew she felt relieved to be able to talk about it openly. Nepeta didn't mind her ramblings, though. As a matter of fact, she thought it made the whole event that much more special. Nepeta loved romance and everything to do with it. And Kanaya x Rose had been her "One True Pair" for ages. Now that it was confirmed, she was brimming with excitement, joy, jolly, cheer, warmth and basically all of the above and more. Hearing Kanaya go on and on about even the tiniest detail just proved that they were the truest of true pairs. Possibly. Her sights were starting to move towards herself and Eridan; but those types of ships didn't really count, did they?
"So basically give me a ring within a few weeks once you've decided who your groomsman will be. I'll run it by Rose and it'll all be set!" Kanaya said, beaming.
"Oh! I most certainly will! And I've already got my number one bachelor in mind!" Nepeta said, her heart racing ever faster.
"Is that so? You and Karkat will be cute together," Kanaya said with a wink. "There's no way Rose could deny that."
Nepeta's smile faded in an instant. Her eyes were vacant, and she blinked once, very slowly, just to make sure that's what she'd just heard.
"Karkat and I have been very good friends, as you already knew. I was secretly wishing you'd pick him. Although there is Terezi to worry about, I am positive she'll find a substitute. I couldn't imagine my big day without him!" Kanaya beamed.
Thoughts began to race at thousand miles in her mind. They jumped between Karkat, Eridan, Feferi, Kanaya, and Terezi. For starters, she was really trying to get over Karkat. It wouldn't be easy, but this certainly wouldn't make it any less difficult. She was still somewhat friends with Feferi...at least, she somewhat hoped she was. If Karkat and Feferi were in any sort of relationship, that would make things incredibly messy. Now Eridan and Terezi...was she really going to deny Eridan this? To show him that she liked him in return? And Terezi...she didn't quite know the status on their relationship. What if Terezi has strong feelings for Karkat as she once had? How would that affect their newly-requited relationship? And lastly her poor Kanaya...I was secretly wishing you'd pick him...I couldn't imagine my big day without him.
Realizing she'd been silent for too long, Nepeta recalled her abilities from the high school drama club and put on a face of disbelief, as well as a hint of jest. "How'd you know? You know me too well Kanaya!"
Kanaya, although noted of her extended silence, smirked. "I'm just glad you didn't pick Ampora is all it comes down to, I guess."
Nepeta's heart sank but her smile grew wider. "Well, I am very happy for you two. I am confident this wedding will be purrrrfect in every way pawsible."
Kanaya beamed at her.
A little while later, Nepeta was in her car heading back to her apartment. What was she going to do about this huge mess she'd gotten herself into? She knew she couldn't go with Karkat, but she didn't know how she wasn't going to now. She would probably talk to Terezi about it over lunch tomorrow, but then if Terezi went with Karkat, would she be able to go with Eridan? Kanaya obviously doesn't like him, and disapproves of their relationship. She imagined Rose didn't like him all that much either, considering those two share practically the same thoughts.
Nepeta was completely zoned out in her thoughts, and was barely focusing on driving. Equius never let her drive when he was with her for this reason. He also said she needed to work on her multi-tasking skills, which she quickly replied with a 'I'm very skilled at multiple tasks, thank you very much.' She hadn't realized what he had meant by that at the time, of course.
As her thoughts wandered further and further astray, the road did as well. Suddenly while thinking of what kind of cake they would serve at their wedding, and hoping dearly it wouldn't be red velvet, she saw the rear end of a Prius approaching faster and faster. She slammed on her breaks as hard as she could, but her car wasn't the best, and took longer than it should have to stop. She heard the crush of metal, and her car lurched to a stop. Her head whip lashed and slammed into the seat. The airbag didn't deploy, which she would be thankful for later-nursing an already awful headache.
The driver of the Prius stormed out. He was a round man wearing a dress shirt, tie, and jeans. Nepeta wasn't known for her fashion sense but this guy certainly had none whatsoever.
"My new car!" he exclaimed, and put his hands to his head. If he had any hair, he would be pulling it out, she decided.
"Sorry!" Nepeta said, getting out of her car. "I'm really sorry!"
"Sorry! I'm full well expecting more than a damned sorry asshole!"
She snarled and folded her arms. "Well fuck you too asshole!"
"This is a new car! I just got this a week ago! I don't have insurance!"
Nepeta placed her hands on her hips in the sassiest way possible. "I hate to be the one to break the news, pal, but this car ain't new. Last I checked the year was 2014, not 2008."
He gritted his teeth at her. "You whore! Why don't you occupy that mouth with something you're more used to than talkin' to me, eh?!"
Nepeta was speechless. She just stared at him, mouth agape, with a look of horror, anger and bewilderment.
She heard footsteps run up behind her. "Is everything okay here?" She heard Equius's strong voice ask. They had the same shift, so she should have known he would have made an appearance.
"Thank God someone who isn't a complete idiot! She just rear ended me! And now she's being a complete bitch!" The man exclaimed, pointing his finger at Nepeta all the while.
Nepeta was used to being insulted. She was used to throwing back sassier insults. But with the adrenaline from the wreck and a complete stranger becoming so quickly cross, she was close to breaking down.
Suddenly, the light from the sun was gone and Nepeta was sent into darkness. She looked up to see Equius standing protectively in front of her, casting his massive shadow over her. His hand was held out behind him, and she latched onto it firmly. Feeling comforted by his presence, she stepped out behind him, but only slightly.
"How dare you call her such a revolting name! How dare you insult her! You don't even know her! I do not know the circumstances of the wreck, but I do know that it was a mistake! She had no intentions of getting into this accident; I know this for a fact!" Equius said. As he spoke, his hand tightened and pulled Nepeta closer.
The man was in complete shock. "I...she just...!"
"I will give you my number, and the three of us can meet to discuss insurance. You will, from this day forth, never speak to her again," Equius stated.
Nepeta had known him basically her entire life. He rarely acted out so quickly, but she was thankful for his protection. Even so, the rate at which he spoke out against him and even so harshly, it scared her a little. She was thankful she wasn't on the bald man's side. Equius was tall, obviously well built, and had one of the deepest voices Nepeta's ever heard.
Equius stood his ground. He knew that the man wouldn't act out against them, and most certainly not Nepeta, but he could feel her trembling behind him. She was scared. And if he hadn't stepped in when he did...fear gripped his heart at the thought.
He let go of Nepeta's hand and walked over to the man to give him his number. Meanwhile, Nepeta looked at the damage inflicted on their cars. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be from the noise it had made, but still looked expensive.
"Nepeta?"
She turned around to see Eridan, who looked frightened beyond measure. He quickly pulled her into his arms, and she felt a wave of pain rush to her head.
"Ow, ow," she said, stepping back. She put a hand to her head, and felt something wet. She pulled back her hand to discover blood on her fingers.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed, throwing her hand to her head again. And then she remembered Eridan, and pulled him into a brief hug, which he returned. She pulled away and pointed to an open wound on her head. "Is it bad?" she asked, biting her lip.
Eridan looked down at her, and his heart skipped a little. Despite the blood on her forehead, she looked exceptionally cute from this angle. He briefly recalled Feferi looking the same way, eyes wide, face a little flushed, and that adorable lip bite that just made the entire look.
"Here," he said quietly. He slowly pulled her hand away from her forehead to examine the wound. He leaned in closer, and she could feel his breaths on her head. Her heart started racing and she felt a lump in her throat. She didn't know what excited her more, the wreck or Eridan's presence alone.
"It's not bad. It's going to need more than a band aid, but you'll live," Eridan said, letting go of her hand and standing up straight again. He thrust his hands into his pant pockets. "What happened here?"
Nepeta sighed. "It's silly. It was a dumb mistake on my part. I was distracted and didn't hit the brakes in time."
"No one got hurt right? How's the driver of the other car?"
"Equius is dealing with him. Trust me, the driver is just fine."
At this moment Equius walked over to Nepeta. "Eridan. I am...surprised...to see you here."
Eridan nodded, but the look on his face implied that he was a little conflicted at seeing Equius too. He turned back to Nepeta. "But otherwise, you're fine-right?" He asked.
Nepeta thought for a moment. She had been so busied that she hadn't noticed the injury on her head, but otherwise she felt fine. "I'm okay. Just a little shaken up is all." She wrapped her arms around herself.
"Nepeta, the man is calling the authorities. We are going to try to deal with everything tonight, so that means you'll have to stay out here a little late, okay?" Equius said kindly.
Nepeta looked frightened. "The cops? I'm not in trouble am I...? I didn't mean to-"
Equius placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nepeta, you're not in trouble. They just need to talk to you. Make sure you weren't drunk or trying to hit him. The paramedics are going to take a look at you too just to make sure you're not seriously injured. You're not in trouble, okay?"
Nepeta nodded and looked up at Eridan. A deep scowl was etched into his face. "Well. I'll be going now, I'm not needed here."
Nepeta's heart sank. "Wait!" She ran to him and latched onto his arm. She nearly pulled the two of them down onto the street, but he regained himself and glanced at her.
"Please stay I really want you here...can you just stay for a little while?" Nepeta begged.
He looked down at her with a mixed expression of hurt and sympathy. She stared back at him with those big, brilliant eyes from earlier. He could've sworn they were glistening with a hint of tears. He felt like a third wheel watching them, and that was something he vowed to himself to never stand for. But the look in her eyes nearly implied that she didn't just want him here, but needed him. "...okay, I'll stay."
She wrapped his arms around his torso, and for the third time in five minutes, they hugged. This time though, she held onto him tightly-as tight as she could-and he couldn't help but feel pained for her as he hugged her back. She practically radiated fear that he could sense by just being in her presence.
They pulled away, and it was Equius's turn to scowl. His was not nearly as prominent as Eridan's but he still felt the same-perhaps, a little less intense.
"Um...not trying to be rude, but why are you here?" Nepeta asked Eridan.
"I was wondering the same thing," Equius said, folding his arms. This stance just emphasized his muscled figure, and was quite intimidating to Eridan.
"I texted you a few times and you didn't reply, so I decided to stop by your work and...check on you. I saw the wreck, I hoped it wasn't you, but I'm just glad you're ok now."
"You were going to come and check on me because I didn't answer your texts?" Nepeta asked, her face and tone unreadable.
Eridan unconsciously searched her expression for the smallest hint of amusement or happiness, his anxieties rising that she would think bad of him, that he was obsessive or something like that. "Well, I mean...I was close s-so I thought-"
"That was really...nice of you," Nepeta said, cutting him off. A light blush crossed her face and she smiled at him.
He sighed and smiled bashfully in return. "I better go park my car somewhere...I just pulled over and put my hazards on because I didn't know I was staying...I'll be right back." He ran off with a quick wave.
Nepeta smiled lightly and waved back.
Equius watched him leave with mixed feelings. Nothing was going to happen between him and Nepeta, he knew that. They were too close, and he was now dating Aradia. But he couldn't help but feel a little heartbroken at the scene that had just played before him. He had always viewed Nepeta as his little sister, in one way or another. Perhaps these feelings of heartbreak were not because he felt attraction to her, but that someone else did. He noticed the way she had looked at Eridan...he couldn't deny her from seeing him. But he couldn't just let her go...she could get hurt. And if she became involved with him...he wouldn't be the most important man in her life anymore. His voice would always come second. She would never belong to him. She would belong to someone else, far away from his protection.
Nepeta sensed his sadness and grabbed his hand. She didn't look at him, she just looked at her feet, smiling slightly at the ground with a look he hadn't seen often on her face. A look of love. He looked down at his feet too and gently squeezed her hand. She squeezed his in return and that was enough. While she may not be his, she would still be there. It was enough.