Chapter Eight: Jolly Holidays
Aradia's hand somehow still felt cold despite Equius gripping it almost uncomfortably firmly. He was warm, heat and blush visible on both his knuckles and his cheeks. Aradia could sense that her boyfriend (she guessed?) was flustered.
"Equius?" she asked, voice almost at a whisper.
Beads of sweat trickled down his face. "I… would like you to have dinner at my home and meet my father and brother. I have informed Miss Peixes that we will be late in attending her holiday part due to this arrangement."
Aradia pursed her lips, drawing her hand away from Equius's, but he closed hers between both of his hands, holding tightly. Aradia closed her eyes for a moment. "Is that okay?" Equius asked. A few more seconds passed before Aradia answered.
"Yes. I'm okay with it."
Damara wiped tears away as she finished applying her eyeliner. Every moment she looked in the mirror, she saw what she imagined others would see, heard the rumors and whispers that she just knew were floating around the school, even if she didn't actually hear them, thanks to Cronus's fat mouth.
It's that slut. Heard she slept with CRONUS, of all people. Japanese HARLOT. Dropped out of school.
The worst part of it was, Damara was choosing to face all that again. Her voice faltered as she traipsed up the stairs from the basement.
"Mama…" she said, entering the kitchen. Hana looked up at her, bringing full attention from the stove to her daughter. "I want to go back to school."
Aradia looked at herself. She was well aware Equius was… suffice to say, more well off than her own family, and had put in as much effort as she could make herself with such little motivation. A simple grey cotton dress and a deep burgundy cardigan with her hair pulled back into a loose, messy bun. She sat on her bed, staring at nothing. Whispers rattled around in her head.
Aradia you don't need him. You don't want him, even. You have to be honest with him and yourself.
"You don't know what I need. You're not even here," Aradia murmured to the air. The voice was quiet.
Aradia jumped in place at the loud sound of her doorbell. She pulled her shoes on as the sound of her father's grumbles hit her.
"No, no, no, nonono," she murmured to herself, racing to beat Daniel to the front door. Before she was even at the stairwell, the door was open, Daniel Droog face-to-face with the nervously wide grin of Equius Zahhak. The towering boy stood in the doorway, clutching a single, wilting flower in his tight grip. Aradia approached quietly, standing behind her tense father.
"H-hello, Mr. Droog," Equius stammered. Daniel sneered a bit as the boy thrust the flower towards Aradia.
"Oh, thanks," she said quietly. "I'll go… put this in some water." Aradia turned into the kitchen and poured some water into a thin glass vase, listening in as her father gave Equius the third degree.
"So, Mister Zahhak, what exactly are your intentions with my daughter?"
"I… I'm not sure I know what you mean. I have no intention to harm Miss Droog, and I would never disrespect her in anyway. Uh, Sir."
"Where you two headed tonight?
"I have, er, asked her to attend dinner at my home to properly meet my father and brother, and then she and I will be joining the rest of our friends at Miss Peixes's home for her annual holiday party."
"Her story better match what you just told me, to the letter, Mister Zahhak, and if it don't, it'll be your head."
"Dad!" Aradia called, reappearing near the door. "That's enough," she whispered to him. Daniel grumbled as Aradia shit the door behind herself. Equius took her hand, as he did, his hand clammy as he led the girl to the chauffeured car waiting outside the house. "Sorry about him," Aradia murmured. Equius glanced over at her, deep blue eyes peering at her, fixated from behind broken glasses.
"Hmm?"
"My dad. He's… overbearing."
"Oh."
They climbed into the backseat of the car, and once they were buckled in, Equius said only two words to the driver.
"Aurthour, home."
The car rattled along, a thick silence settling between the 'couple', Aradia's hand still in Equius's, resting on the small amount of seat between them. Aradia felt tense. Even after nearly two months, she knew very little about Equius Zahhak. And here she was, in the back of his car, driven by a man whose face she'd never seen, going to his house to meet strangers.
The house was even more grand than Aradia had imagined. Equius opened her car door and helped her out, and the two were followed into the house by Aurthour. There were a handful of framed pictures, but in each the family looked very solemn. The one that stood out was the one of Equius giving a small smile to the camera from a hockey arena, a couple of teeth obviously missing.
"I didn't know you played hockey, Equius," Aradia said. Equius glanced over.
"Yes, I lost a few teeth to the game. However, I much prefer dancing. Hockey was taken up in order to satiate my father."
Darius L. Zahhak, from what little Aradia knew about him, was a stern man with a prestigious position on the school board. He'd been sighted on campus, but never with a smile. Somehow that image perfectly matched with someone who would push his child into sports. Aradia was surprised, however, that Equius danced. There was so much she didn't know about him.
Dinner that evening was one of the most awkward experiences of her entire life. The table was set by Aurthour and a couple other nameless people. Aradia sat between Equius and his father, and across from his strange brother Horuss, who was quite the opposite of Darius in the sense that his face was never seen without a smile. There was very little conversation apart from introductions, and the plates were whisked away instantly once empty. Aradia stood stiffly at the table, anxious to leave for Feferi's party.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Zahhak; Horuss." Both of the gentlemen nodded after her and Equius as the pair left the room. Equius glanced at his watch.
"Perfect timing," he murmured. "Aurthour, please get the car ready."
Before Aradia had even realized Aurthour was in the room, he disappeared once again, bringing the car around to the front of the house. Equius led the way out the front door, as was typical, toting Aradia behind him.
It was, once again, a quiet ride, though without even the touch of the others' hand present. Equius glared out the window, fidgeting with his glasses. Aradia watched, fixated on him. She wondered how the cracks in his glasses hadn't just caused them to shatter.
"Equius?" she murmured, "why do you keep wearing those broken old things?"
"Ah… sentimentality, I suppose."
"But… isn't it hard to see through all the cracks?"
"I… don't actually need them to see. The cracks are aesthetic."
"I'm not sure I get it…"
Equius sighed. "My brother and I are very intrigued by robotics and technology of that nature. When I was younger, I wore glasses very similar to these, though without the cracks. One day Horuss and I were working on adapting the motor of a motorized scooter to see if we could make it hover. A sprocket was loose, however, and hit me square in the face, shattering my glasses completely. I no longer wear glasses out of necessity; my father bought me prescription contacts some time ago. I did find these at a joke shop not too long ago, and wear them to show my brother that even if we are not particularly close anymore, I do value the time we spent together when we were younger."
"Oh," Aradia murmured. It seemed things in the Zahhak household were more strained than Aradia originally expected, but at the very least she was getting to know Equius a bit better.
They arrived at Feferi's house, a literal mansion, and it was evident there was a party going on, even if it wasn't a raging house party. There was a fair amount of noise, even from the outside, as the two approached the front door. Equius knocked on the door, despite a piece of paper reading 'Come on in!' written hastily taped on the door.
"Equius, just open the door," Aradia murmured.
"But… that would be rude. I was told to always mind my manners, and that includes waiting for your host to answer the door."
Aradia shook her head and let herself into Feferi's house, Equius faltering but following her anyway. With an upwards glance, Aradia noticed that as usual, Feferi had strung up several bunches of mistletoe in somewhat unexpected places. She made her way into the main living room, where all the furniture had been moved aside to make room for something of a dance floor. Tons of holiday cookies were on the counter, along with favorite party snacks like chips and soda and other unhealthy things. Feferi, who had been pouring herself a soda, looked up at Aradia and immediately rushed at her, resulting in a tight hug.
"Aradia! Oh my goodness, we haven't hung out in so long! What's going on with you? How are things with Equius? You have to tell me everything!" Feferi gushed.
"Uh, yeah, we'll catch up," Aradia murmured, having been caught off guard. Equius came in behind her, bidding hello to Feferi before a loud, excited cry interrupted.
"Equiuuussss!" Nepeta was rushing down the hall, basically pouncing onto Equius before beginning to pull him down the hall.
"Er- Nepeta…! Ah, my apologies, I'll be back shortly," he murmured to Aradia and Feferi.
"We have a lot of talking to do, mister," Nepeta said sternly as the two left the room. Aradia shrugged, shooting a forced smile at Feferi.
Equius was gone for most of the evening, but Aradia didn't find herself bothered by it. She did, however, find herself bothered by Vriska, who spent the majority of the night bullying Tavros until he went skulking into the backyard, and then agitating Aradia. It used to be easy to ignore Vriska, but Aradia felt nearly ready to explode already, following the poor treatment of Tavros, who she easily considered her best friend. Still, she knew Vriska was only looking for the satisfaction of getting a reaction.
"So, Aradia, how're things with Sweaty McGee? Saw you in the neighborhood earlier," Vriska drawled.
"That's right, you two are neighbors…." Aradia murmured.
"Yeah, how did it feel seeing a nice house for once?"
"Are you referring to yours? Because if that's the case, I don't think I have an answer."
"What's wrong with my house?!" The blonde grit her teeth, anger billowing.
"What's wrong with mine?"
"Isn't your family dirt fucking poor?"
"I wouldn't say that," Aradia responded, pushing every emotion away to keep a cool demeanor.
"What?! God, don't you feel anything anymore? I just- ugh, I fucking hate you! Go find your stupid stinky boyfriend!"
"I think I will, actually, your company is pretty unpleasant, come to think of it."
Without another word, Aradia turned and walked down the hallway, exiting with Vriska's frustrated, angry shout behind her.
"Equius?" she murmured, coming into the main entrance of the house. She didn't find him, but instead saw Sollux and Feferi kissing underneath the mistletoe.
