Our father went in, hugging a paper bag with one arm. He stood by the door for a while, taking a look of what's around him, before walking to the small table beside my bed to place the bag he was carrying.
"Can you take care of yourself?" He sat on the edge of my bed and turned his head to look at me.
"What do you think am I? A teenager?" I muffled under the sheets, emphasizing my annoyed tone.
"Sollux, you are my son and I'm worried." I continued staring at the wall as he placed his huge hands on my hair and brushed them.
"Please stop the drama, dad." I narrowed my brows. "I'm twenty two. I have a job and-." Shit! My job. Oh my god. I forgot to inform them about my absence!
I stood up and grabbed my phone from the floor. I immediately dialled Terezi's number but given the fact that she wasn't answering, I texted her instead.
"What's the problem?" Mituna looked at me with confused eyes.
"I forgot to inform them about my condition, and I was absent for two days!"
"That's alright. I'm pretty sure your restaurant's manager would allow it." My father said calmly. "Back to the topic, Sollux. I was asking you if you can take care of yourself..."
"Of course I can. I'm almost fully recovered anyway."
"Good. Then we can take our leave tonight."
"What? I thought you'd be here for days?"
"I can't, but your brother can."
OH HELL NO. No way. No fucking way.
"I can't. I have a date with Latula tonight." He giggled. "You have your roommate to help you anyway." He then looked at me and gave me that irritating smirk again.
Shut up.
"Just... shut up." But I couldn't be more thankful. This apartment couldn't even handle one Captor and one Vantas, so how would you expect it to handle two Captors? It will just worsen the situation between me and Karkat.
...
"Hey." A gentle voice called him. Tavros turned his head to follow the sound and saw Vriska leaning on the wall with her usual shirt and jeans on. So she changed her attire huh? Well, I'm not saying that he was disappointed, but... ARGH! I don't know! Tavros doesn't know what to feel. Vriska looks good whether she's tomboyish or too fucking girly. Womanly. But the image of Gamzee crossed his mind. Not because of the thought that he might be falling for Vriska, which he isn't, but because of what his boyfriend told him yesterday. Gamzee's father is a big scary man. He was known to handle his people with an iron fist... not to mention, Gamzee's scared of him. It makes him a little worried just by thinking what he wanted to tell his son.
Please don't let it be about their relationship.
All Tavros can do is hope that the Grand master of the Makara family wouldn't disagree with his son's romantic life. They had a hard time making him accept their relationship, and he doesn't know what to do once they get rejected again.
But he already agreed right?
There's nothing to worry about, man.
He felt a light tap on his shoulders.
"God, you were day dreaming again. I hate that."
"What do you want, Vriska?" Tavros avoided eye contact. He was pretty sure he's a little teary from the thoughts that clouded his mind a while ago.
The woman sat beside him and leaned her head on his shoulders as she gazed at wide green field sprinkled with rainbow dust. "You have taken a liking to my garden, am I right?" she giggled.
"You grew them?"
"Only the blue roses." She pointed her index finger to where her roses are. They were pretty. Tavros compared them to the sea, gleaming in joy every time the rays of the sun hit them. "Kanaya was responsible for almost everything."
"So she likes gardening?"
Vriska crooked her lips. "She likes anything colorful. Fashion and all that. She's actually a famous designer in Italy and France."
"Snap. She's so damn popular. She also looks nice. Her face was very calm the moment I looked at her."
"So you like her? I'll call Gamzee." The woman teased.
"Shut up." Again, the thought of Gamzee invaded him. God. It's too hard.
"Hey, do you still see John around?" He was struck. He never expected that topic to come directly from Vriska.
"Uhh... no. Not really." The man shook his head sideways and raised a brow.
"That's too bad."
"Are you alright?" Tavros stared at the woman with questioning eyes.
"Duh. Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She answered as she fixed her locks behind her ear. What the heck? She's acting too girly again.
"I just... didn't expect those words to come out of your lips." He snagged his shoulders a little and stretched his legs, feeling the comfortable grass touch his skin.
"I moved on." She grinned. "I don't see the point in being all so sad over it. It's not like me. It's not like Vriska Serket. I'm cooler than that—a lot cooler." She ran her fingers through the soft greens and looked at the man. "He looks cute with Dave anyway."
Tavros snickered. It's kinda funny how John and he, Vriska's past interest, were both dating the same gender. Guess she's not too lucky in finding a straight man, huh?
The two enjoyed the view and bonded like they always did before... except, it's more peaceful right now.
...
They said time flies fast when you're enjoying yourself. I checked the clock and was pretty surprised it's already six pm. My father and brother left a few minutes ago. Mituna and I spent the day by playing with my xbox. He can be a little greedy bitch sometimes. We were to take turns, but he kept on saying that he's the expert so he gets to play the longest. But I was pretty happy, nonetheless. Having to bond with my family again after so many years temporarily removes the depressing feeling I had.
I mashed my fingers on the controller's buttons as I munch on the chips I recently opened. He's gonna be home soon... but I don't care. I was here first. He can't just command me to get my ass off the couch so he can watch his shitty movies.
I picked my phone up just in time to receive a new message... from Mister Ampora fucking gay guy who wears a shit tons of accessories more than his girlfriend.
caligulasAquarium [CA] began pestering twinArmageddons [TA]
CA: hey i really need to talk to you
TA: what ii2 iit?
CA: i mean in person
TA: we 2cheduled thii2 already right? On Thur2day, Eriidan. Thur2day.
CA: cant it be tonight? Or tomorrow?
TA: lol no. II need to recover iin ca2e II have 2ome fuckiing bodyguard2 waiitiing to beat the living 2hiit out of me.
CA: i told you sollux i just wwanted to talk to you normally
CA: your ex boyfriends been scarin me
TA: what diid he 2ay anyway?
CA: i forgot
CA: it wwas yesterday
CA: i wwont bother checkin again unless i plan on not sleepin tonight.
CA: i cant even look at our chat history
TA: lmao. Good for you.
CA: shut up okay
CA: ill ask my drivver to pick you up tonight
TA: what the fuck man?
CA: wwe wwill meet at the park.
caligulasAquarium [CA] ceased pestering twinArmageddons [TA]
I slapped my forehead and sank myself into the couch. Should I escape now? Well if I want to live, I should be running right now. But I fucking can't because I'm also curious about what he's gonna say... if it's true that he only wanted to talk.
...
Karkat walked his way home. It's hard to get a bus during rush hour. They were always full and you're forced to sit with someone you don't even want to see. There were times when the one beside him just annoyed the ever loving spark in him. She nagged and nagged. She keeps on talking to him like some old lady who has nothing better to do. It's alright to ask. Karkat sees nothing wrong with it, unless you ask the same fucking thing after every minute. Then there was a high school student he sat beside just last week. He keeps on playing with his gadget, moving his arms and body along with his toy. The sound was fucking bullshit too. Then last, were a group of girls at the very end of the bus. They were too noisy. Blabbing about boys, about their boyfriends and all that. Karkat was on the verge of shouting and slapping each one of them, but he can control his anger.
He can.
He reached the doorstep to their apartment. The door wasn't locked.
He took a deep breath inside his scarf and entered. Here we go again...
He was greeted by nothing, which didn't really feel weird...
That was until he saw the console on the floor, looking like someone played with it just now. The cables were still attached to the television too.
There were no signs of Sollux. He's probably in his bed, laying his lazy body while chatting with Feferi.
Karkat decided not to check for he knew it will start another agitated session between them. But he can't stop thinking that maybe Sollux wasn't in his room...
Never mind. He'll check later.
He placed his bag on the floor and untangled his scarf around his neck, tilting his head upwards. He moved to the kitchen to eat some leftover pizza, not even questioning where it's from because it's obvious that the dickhead Sollux won't buy it.
Silence took over Karkat. It was nice... but it didn't feel right. It's like something's missing. He wanted someone to shout at and someone who'll shout back, not in a hurtful way though. He sat on the chair and bowed his head on the table.
Damn. He missed the way Sollux would just randomly tease him.
He's not used to the calmness the night gave him. It's dead. It's aggravating. It's unbearable. It's burning him. Nights like this would usually be brought out with a bang. They are either playing games or simply doping around. Sometimes they would just have some fun with Tav.
But they're both gone.
It was five minutes after eight pm. He opened his eyes and realised he napped for a while. He rubbed his eyes and went upstairs, but for some unexplainable reasons, his feet led him to his old room—Sollux's room.
He opened the door carefully and peeked from the slight gap between the huge wooden plank and the concrete wall.
There was no one inside.
Maybe he's in the bathroom? But he passed by the bathroom a while ago and he's pretty sure no one's there.
Karkat freaked out.
He ran to the other room and, like the other, he saw everything in place but Sollux.
"Shit!" he cursed loudly and dialled Gamzee's number on his phone.
There's no answer. He was near to panicking.
terminallyCapricious [TC] began pestering carcinoGenetecist [CG]
TC: yO. cAn'T mOtHeRfUcKiNg AnSwEr My PhOnE. i'M wItH mY dAd.
CG: IS SOLLUX WITH YOU?!
TC: No MaN. wHy?
CG: HE ISN'T HERE, DUMBDUMB. WHY WOULD I ASK IF HE'S SLACKING HIS ASS IN FRONT OF ME?
TC: MotHeRfUcK, cAlM bRo. WhY dOn'T yOu ChEcK fOr ClUeS? :o)
CG: WHAT DO YOU THINK AM I, YOU PIECE OF SHIT? A DETECTIVE?
CG: /GLARES
CG: OH WAIT. HE LEFT HIS PHONE.
TC: HoNk. :o)
TC: SeE, I tOlD yOu, MoThErFuCk.
CG: FUCKING SODA IN A CAN I JUST DRANK WITH SOME HOLY MACKAREL TUNA!
CG: I KNOW WHERE HE IS.
CG: OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD.
CG: I'M OFF.
TC: WaIt brO
TC: I nEeD tO tElL yOu SoMeThInG.
TC: I'vE tAlKeD tO SoLlUx sOmE mOtHeRfUcKiNg DaYs AgO.
TC: I'lL mAke It QuIcK. mY oLd MaN's WaItInG.
CG: I AM ALSO WAITING.
CG: OH GOD. HURRY UP YOU LANKY CLOWN.
...
I stepped out of the car carefully. My hands were held by gentle hands, supporting me to the nearby bench. After sitting down, the lady who helped me went away, then a familiar shadow appeared.
"What the hell do you want?"
"Stay away from Fef."
"Didn't Gamzee clear it out for you?" I stretched my arms behind me. "I think I'm not in love with her."
Well, okay. I was in love with her.
But that was a long time ago...
"Something else bothers me now, Eridan. Send me home."
"No." He gazed at me with inflamed eyes. I looked back at him, freezing his burns with my cold glare.
"So that's the eyes they were talking about?" He scoffed and crossed his arms. "No wonder you were such a loser. You got rejected by many because of those."
Oh no. You don't fucking mess with Sollux Captor.
"Why don't you try removing them? They might ease your pain."
"Shut up."
I almost cracked. I wanted to punch his liver out of his body. I wanted to, but dammit. I can't. I can't move a muscle.
What he said was true.
It's because of these eyes, I was separated from the rest of the world. If not because of my mother, I would have them operated... but she liked them and it was the only thing that reminds me of her.
"Too bad, society can't accept something as cool as that." He laughed. The sound rang through my ears. I gripped my shirt tightly and kept on thinking to myself that hurting him won't do anything good. In my condition, I might even miss. "Are your eyes beautiful?"
"No fucking idea." I answered in a wicked tone. My eyes were calm and half-lidded... but the color was dead.
"Then let me tell you something." he walked around with hands on his back and his ring covered fingers were entwined.
"I have no time for your bullshit. If you're gonna hate on my eyes, then be it. I couldn't care less. I'm used to it. If you're not sending me home, then I'll walk myself." I stood up slowly and started taking steps. I felt a hand grab my shoulders. I turned around with narrowed eyebrows and was face to face with a smirk.
Eridan cocked his head and tightened his fist. I thought he was going to punch me. But then, what he did was worse.
"Your eyes are fucking ugly. They're abnormal. They are eyes not of a human, but of a monster."
I curled my fists then uncurled them again. You really had me this time, bitch. No one fucking messes with Sollux Captor and his eyes. I started breathing heavily, preventing myself to start a commotion.
"I bet your mother thought of sending you to the orphanage or just letting you rot in the streets." He cackled.
I glared at him, the roughest, the sharpest I can. It's the only thing I could do.
NOBODY TALKS SHIT ABOUT MY MOTHER. NOBODY.
Then, I heard rushing foot steps. I turned around and saw Karkat running... His eyes were blazing and in a matter of seconds, I wasn't able to follow what happened.
Eridan fell on the ground, crimson liquid dripping from his lips. He wiped them away and fixed his shirt. "You fuckin shit." He mumbled.
Karkat grabbed him by the collar and stared directly at his eyes.
To be honest, I was scared. It was the first time I saw him like that. His wide eyes were narrowed. Eyebrows were mashing against each other. His teeth were gritted tightly and his clenched fists were shaking.
The three of us were struck by silence. Eridan's bodyguards were sent away a while ago so there was no one to help him. There were few pedestrians too... No one even bothered interrupting us... But most of all...
...I was speechless.
"HIS EYES ARE FUCKING BEAUTIFUL."
My eyes widened and my heart raced. Then, I remembered what my mother told me...
I don't know what the shit rainbow dust is.
I just think it's a green field with tons of flowers... And flowers have different colors... Like rainbows.
*facepalm combo x2*
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