In the following weeks, Eridan rarely ever left Sollux's side. The house often rang with their mingled laughter as they grew more at ease with each other. For Sollux, every moment with Eridan was another where he wasn't in pain, where he could feel like there was something more to life than mourning. For Eridan, it was a chance to feel natural, accepted, by someone outside his own family for the first time in his life. Together, they struggled on through Sollux's grueling recovery. Eridan helped Sollux in every way possible, never leaving him when he had sudden flashes of depression or relapses into memory and helping to retrain his stiff and bady bruised muscles to function. Feferi would often laugh at the two of them as they stumbled first through the living room, and then up and down the stairs as Sollux grew stronger. And with every second, minute, hour, day that went by, the two boys grew closer and closer.

At last came the day. Eridan was sitting across from Sollux in the living room, two identical mugs of coffee steaming, forgotten, on the tables next to them. They had just completed another test-walk. Sollux had managed to maneuver through the entirety of the house and then around the block without ever stumbling or leaning on Eridan. After the excitement faded and Feferi had stopped bubbling exuberantly and gone off to find something at the store worthy of a celebration dinner that night, Eridan sighed. Sollux looked impishly at him, but Eridan's face was filled with dismay. At Sollux inquisitive gaze, he turned away, eyes trained on the floor.

"What'th wrong?"

Eridan swallowed and turned to face Sollux. "Well..." He coughed, losing his confidence.

"What ith it, ED?"

Eridan paused. "You're healin'. No, you're healed. So...you'll be able to go home."

Sollux froze. "Oh. Oh, yeah, I gueth tho..." Regret blatantly tainted his words and his features. "I wouldn't want to burden you any longer than I have to." He smiled weakly.

Eridan nodded. His face was unreadable, but his breathing was irregular.

Sollux forced himself to continue. "I gueth...Feferi took the car?"

Eridan finally managed to respond. "I've got a car, too."

"Oh..." Sollux took a deep breath. "Do you think you could...?"

"Drive you over there?" Eridan finished, defeated. "Yeah." He leaned forward, pushing himself up.

"No, wait!" Sollux cried desperately. "I...I can wait until after dinner, can't I?"

Eridan nodded mechanically, his mind clearly elsewhere as he settled into the chair again. "Sol..." he whispered.

"What, ED?"

Eridan paused, then shook his head. "Nothin'." The sound of a car outside alerted them that Feferi had returned. The engine sounds cut out, and a few moments later Feferi came in, arms waited down by plastic shopping bags.

"Have you two even moved?" she accused, grinning. Before either of them could answer she flounced into the kitchen.

Dinner that night was awkward, although Feferi hardly noticed. She smiled and talked of every little thing, her job and the food and how happy she was for Sollux. Sollux smiled and nodded as she spoke, but his mind was on Eridan. Across the table, Eridan was holding up admirably, poking weakly at his food and occasionally managing to eat some of it.

What will I do without him? Sollux mind questioned.

Oh, come on. It's not like we'll never see each other again, the other part snapped.

You know that's not what I meant. What will you do when he's no longer only a few feet away? When he's miles and miles away every day and you are still not recovered enough to drive? When you don't see him sitting in that chair with his sketchbook every night as you fall asleep?

Shut up. I can...I can handle it. I don't want to bother them, and besides they probably want their house back. I'm just taking up space.

Too soon, Eridan was getting up and grabbing a set of keys from the counter. Feferi looked at him quizzically. "What'cha doin'?"

Eridan turned to her, face calm and composed. Sollux wondered if she could see the tears hidden just beneath the surface like he could. "Sollux is...well, recovered. So he doesn't need to be here anymore."

Feferi physically fell farther into her chair. "Oh. Oh." Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Well...I suppose you're right." She turned to Sollux, trying to remain upbeat. "You're probably excited to be back where you know, huh? Somewhere familiar...excuse me." She stood, the chair falling over behind her as she walked just a little too quickly out of the room. Upstairs, a door slammed.

Sollux slowly stood. "We should go."

Eridan nodded. "I guess we should."

The ride was silent, awkward. The ominous quiet was broken only as Sollux gave directions to the apartment. The street life outside rushed by, and Sollux paid it no mind. He was consumed by how lonely his life would be without Eridan. He found himself saying, "Thith ith it." Three traitorous words that made him wish he had lied, said he couldn't remember the way back.

With a shaking hand, Sollux unlocked the door to the apartment. Robotically, he stepped inside. Eridan followed. The small apartment was cold. It felt empty, as if no one had ever lived here. As if nothing happy had ever happened here or would ever happen here again.

"I'd better go," Eridan whispered behind him.

His mind screamed at him. If you don't stop him now, you will never have a chance. Emotion overwhelmed Sollux, and he fell to the ground. Unexpected tears discovered themselves and fell swiftly to the floor.

Eridan instantly found himself again, coming out of his carefully constructed shell and kneeling beside Sollux. "Sol?"

Sollux's hands reached up to cup Eridan's face. "Please don't leave..."

Eridan stared at him. "What?"

Sollux continued in a single breath. "I won't survive without you. Internally, I mean. I'll be broken and even though we'll still see each other sometimes I won't be able to handle it. Please don't leave me here alone." Eridan didn't move, and Sollux took the opportunity to move one hand behind Eridan's head. "Please..." Sollux drew Eridan toward him, and Eridan did nothing to stop him as Sollux kissed him. It began gently, but an increasing sense of urgency gripped Sollux. I have to make him know how much he means to me. Carefully he forced Eridan's lips open with his own. Eridan leaned back, and Sollux obligingly pressed forward until they lay on the floor. Sollux didn't relent, kissing him all the more fiercely. Eridan's arms encircled him, pulling him impossibly closer, one hand on the back of Sollux's head. They lay for what seemed like forever, each only hoping that the moment would never end.

At last, however, as all things must, it did. Eridan pulled back, and Sollux buried his face in Eridan's chest, curling himself up into a ball. "Please?" he whimpered again brokenly. Sollux felt Eridan's hand stroke his hair.

"I'll never leave you for as long as you want me, Sol."

"Oh, ED..." Words could not express the incredible joy that swept through Sollux.

"And I'm sure I speak for Fef too when I say that our house will always be open to you. We were both pretty lonely before you showed up, and now you're practically one of the family. So...will you come back with me?"

Sollux lifted his head to stare directly into Eridan's sea-blue eyes. They seemed impossibly deep, and in that instant he felt as though he were falling into them forever and ever, drowning in them. And for once, he didn't want to save himself from the sea.

Feferi was nowhere to be found when they entered the house. Eridan smiled and signalled for Sollux to be quiet. "Sis?" Eridan called into the house. No response. Carefully, the two boys ascended the stairs and approached the be-glittered door that was Feferi's. "Fef? Are you in there?"

He was met with furious sobs. "How could you let him leave?" she moaned. "He was the first person that was ever just my friend without there being anything in it for him. And now he's gone..." she trailed off.

Eridan replied, trying to contain his overwhelming happiness. "Well, I don't know. Maybe you should come out here, and things might get better."

"Nothing can ever get better."

"Get out here, Fef. That's an order. I won't have you mopin' around in your room all night. And besides, did it ever occur to you I might need someone to talk to? I was the one in love with him, you know." Eridan put a specifically fake look of self-pity on his face, then smirked at Sollux, who couldn't help a small giggle.

Feferi stopped crying. "Did you just giggle?" she asked, rage tinting her voice.

"No! How dare you accuse me of that?" Eridan tried to sound indignant, but ended up bursting into laughter halfway through the sentence. Feferi's door flew open.

"ERIDAN AMPORA HOW COULD YOU BE SO UN–" Feferi stopped mid-rant, eyes locked on Sollux.

"Hey, FF," he said, grinning.

"Sollux!" She practically threw herself onto him, hugging him tightly. "Never leave again! That was absolutely awful! And Eridan, get over here." Eridan obliged, and as they all embraced, Sollux knew nothing would ever be wrong with the world again. In the back of his mind, he could see Aradia smiling at him. You made the right decision, Sollux.

I know, Aradia. I know.