The following week arrives quickly, and Eridan is proud to reveal, for the first time, his apartment. He took the initiative to invite the three idiots -yes, he insists on calling them that- using the excuse that "Since Gamzee is going to move in, we might as well take a look to see how he's going to settle in. And by the way, the other two can come so they'll know where to crash now."
Sollux remains dumbfounded, as do Gamzee and Karkat.
" ... An apartment big enough for two, you say? Damn it Eridan, you could house the whole gang, this isn't an apartment, it's a castle!"
Eridan answers them with a big smile. Well, he admits it, he was very modest when talking about his home. His apartment takes up a whole floor of the building, one would almost believe in a real house! The entrance hall leads directly to the large living room, which is itself connected to the kitchen. American style kitchen, beware! There is only a counter to separate the two rooms, giving a large open space. The living room has a large couch located in front of a flat screen TV, and Karkat is the first to get outraged:
"Holy shit, you have a curved TV?! You're kidding!"
The smallest one leaves to rave about the screen, while Gamzee quietly goes to open the doors. There are no corridors, the living room is the place to go from one room to another. Gamzee just takes a quick look: an office, Eridan's bedroom, a bathroom - gosh, there's a shower AND a bath? - as well as a laundry room...
" ... Wow bro, this is so cool!" comments Gamzee, his eyes sparkling, even if he doesn't seem that surprised. He must have lived in this kind of place before his parents kicked him out.
Sollux and Karkat don't know where to look anymore. It's not only the luxury of the apartment that disturbs them, but also the impeccable cleanliness. The living room is so... pure, devoid of personal belongings. You'd think no one lives there, that it's just a picture in a design magazine.
Sollux looks at Eridan, searching for the right words before asking:
"...isn't this...too big, for one person?"
In other words: didn't you feel fucking lonely the whole time?
Eridan gets embarrassed, pouts, looks away and shrugs:
"Better too much than not enough, right?"
In other words: Yes, but now I'm not alone anymore.
This makes Sollux smile, and he decides to relax and make himself at home. He goes to join Karkat near the TV:
"I brought my switch. Shall we connect it to the screen? It can be really good.
- Oh yeah ! A mario party ! Karkat is delighted.
- No, more like Mario Kart.
- In your dreams, you killed the game! There's no fun in playing when all you do is win!
- Winning? I don't win. I DEFUND you."
Sollux approaches a mocking face and Karkat blushes with shame:
"YOU'LL SEE, IT'S ME WHO'LL DEFEAT YOU!"
Eridan holds back a laugh, deciding to let them settle in while he joins Gamzee in... shit, where did he go? He glances around the other rooms, only to find him in his own room, collapsed on his bed.
Eridan clears his throat, hoping his embarrassment isn't too obvious. Other than Feferi, no one has ever been in here, let alone a handsome guy who has ever touched him a little too intimately.
"Gamzee?"
The respondent, who was staring at the ceiling, straightens up on his elbows and smiles at him::
"Hey bro~ Sorry, your bed looked so comfortable, I couldn't resist~"
Eridan shrugs, continues to look at him in silence, before hesitating:
" ... Are you alright? What were you thinking about?
- How lucky I am to be here! Eheh, this is great, too great!"
The taller one grabs him, pulls him to fall on top of him. Eridan lets out a squeak, turns crimson. Shit, he definitely can't get used to this kind of gesture.
"You're the best Eridan, frankly the best bro of all time!
- Pff... obviously, yes."
Eridan tries to keep his head up, to swallow his embarrassment, but it's hard to stay calm when someone is hugging you like that, on your bed, in your room, and then comes to kiss you on the cheek, then on the edge of the lips... and on the mouth...
"S-Stop!" exclaims the host, placing his hand over Gamzee's mouth.
The taller man blinks in surprise, and Eridan bites his tongue before looking away:
" ... L-Listen... it's not that I don't like it, but there... no. Not there, not like that, not here.
- ... Like this? Here?
- ... I... both of us... In my room... it's..."
Gamzee stares at him again, trying to figure out what he means, and Eridan holds back from calling him names for causing him such embarrassment. Damn it, does he really have to explain it like that, out loud?!
Eridan desperately flees his gaze, and feeling his breath against his palm doesn't help.
"...This is...too intimate..."
Gamzee finally seems to understand, as his eyes widen slightly. But instead of stopping, he grabs Eridan's wrist to take it off his mouth, and offers a mischievous smile:
"You want to close the door? The bros won't bother us~"
Eridan jumps to his feet and his expression is one of laughter. He winces under the panic, the embarrassment, the intense embarrassment that clutches his heart and makes him want to run away:
"NO!!!"
He has lost control of his voice, his scream echoes throughout the apartment. That's the problem with having a big space: the echo is too good. He and Gamzee stare at each other, one dead of shame, the other stunned. Eridan takes off, rushes towards the exit, crosses the living room to the kitchen. Gamzee follows him, his big legs allow him to catch up easily although he does not dare to touch him:
"Hey, Eri, was that a joke?
- Your jokes are shit!
- Well, maybe it was not completely a joke...?
- It gets better and better!
- You know I'd never force you to do anything, right?"
Eridan didn't answer. The memory of the amphitheater comes back to him, but he refrains from bringing it up. It would be too mean to accuse him of having forced him at that moment, knowing that Eridan somewhat indulged and enjoyed the treatment. But damn... !
" ... You're fucking boring." he said, sulkily, as he walked around the counter and focused on making a hot drink, just to keep his hands busy and not have to look at the others.
That doesn't stop Gamzee from coming and sticking to his back and hugging him shyly, with the attitude of the one who made a mistake and is trying to be forgiven:
"Sorry... are you mad at me?"
Eridan glances at him, tenses at his puppy dog look, finally growling as he refocuses on his drink:
"...no. It's not that.
- What is it then...?"
Karkat looks at them from across the counter:
"He's embarrassed, you idiot! You can see he's not used to it!"
Gamzee pouts:
"Is that true Eri? Are you embarrassed?
- N-No, I'm not embarrassed! I'm just...I... Argh, yes, I'm embarrassed! There, happy?"
Eridan gets out of his grip and goes to lean against the worktop, his drink in his hands. Karkat rolls his eyes and looks at Gamzee:
"You have to take it easy, idiot. Not everyone is comfortable with physical contact.
- Like you?
- I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH IT!"
It' s Karkat who is now crimson, and Gamzee laughs. He goes around to join the smaller one, leans over, winks at him:
"Well go ahead, show me~"
Karkat swears, comes to kiss him, but with such vehemence that their teeth clash, and the noise makes Eridan wince, as well as Karkat, while Gamzee blinks and finally explodes with laughter:
"Ahah, too violent little bro !~
- S-Shut up!!!"
Gamzee pats his head, amused, then walks away to join Sollux on the couch. Karkat seems to be the one pouting now. He joins Eridan in the kitchen, hands in the pockets:
"Tch, how boring..."
Eridan hides his smile and just shakes his head. He then proposes:
"Do you want to drink something?
- ... Mm... water, for now."
The host nods and serves him a glass. Karkat grabs it, takes a small sip, before setting the container back down on the counter without seeming to care more than that. He looks at Eridan hesitantly, seems to want to say something but finally remains silent.
" ... Is something wrong?" asks the one with glasses.
Karkat twiddles his fingers, eyes glued to the ground, wincing as he desperately searches for words. And obviously, being unable to speak, to explain himself, frustrates him enormously, makes him blush with shame. He just seems to want to run away, but is tugged by his ego, which is pushing him to face up, trying to get him to talk.
"I..."
Eridan isn't sure how to help him. So he remains silent, attentive, patient. What could the smaller one have to reveal, that it seems so hard to talk about?
"FUCK!" swears Karkat, who gets angry at himself, at the words that still don't come out.
He stamps his foot, opens and closes his mouth several times. Eridan feels bad for him, guesses how humiliated he must feel to give such a show. But even if he would like to reassure him and to take him in his arms, he is afraid that it doesn't help, that it embarrasses his comrade only more.
But Karkat suddenly grabs his hand, squeezes it hard, shaking, before closing his eyes, taking a breath, and unpacking in one go:
"CanIkissYou?!"
He almost screamed, and now he remains frozen, eyes closed, waiting for his answer like an ordeal.
Eridan blinks, bewildered:
" ... Kiss me?" he repeats, fearing to have misunderstood.
Karkat empourpre, nods sharply the head without daring to repeat himself. Eridan remains silent, taken by surprise, he clearly didn't expect such a request.
Suddenly, Karkat lets him go, moves back, as if he had been burned:
"No, No forget it, forget it, it was shit, forget it!"
He goes to leave the kitchen but Eridan holds him by the hand, sensing that something is wrong, that Karkat is no longer just nervous but downright panicked.
"But no, I was just surprised!
- Rah, no, leave it the fuck alone! I shouldn't have asked, I don't even know what I was expecting! I'm not Gamzee or Sollux, I don't even know why I'm trying!"
Eridan widens his eyes, before frowning and pulling him up, forcing him to face him, to look at him:
"But you don't have to look like them to kiss me!
- Of course I do! I'm not... I don't have the same ease or the same fucking way of turning the head! Look at this, in front of them you lose control, in front of me you talk to me like I'm a kid!"
Karkat releases his hands and brings them back against him, crossing his arms, shoulders hunched, closing in on himself as he looks down feverishly:
"You all do this... always treating me like I'm a fucking kid! They don't even give me a chance to be ..."
But he pauses, bites his lip, so hard that Eridan already perceives a little reddish liquid appearing. He understands that this isn't just a problem with him, but a problem with Gamzee and Sollux of which he has no knowledge. Although... he suspects, deep down, the nature of the problem.
"...I'm borrowing the bathroom from you." growls Karkat before leaving the kitchen...only to blush when he sees his two lovers staring at him from the couch. Shit, yeah, it's true that this fucking apartment doesn't have the concept of "private space."
Gamzee straightens up, concerned:
" ... Karka..."
But the smaller one ignores him, slams the bathroom door behind him. He doesn't seem so much to be mad at the others but rather at himself.
Sollux grimaces and leaves the couch, moves closer to the shower room, knocks gently:
" ... Karkat, open please."
Silence. Sollux insists:
" Can I come in? Only me? ... If there's a problem, I'd rather we talk about it."
A click. Sollux opens the door and rushes into the bathroom, taking care to close it behind him.
Eridan leaves the kitchen in turn to get a visual on Gamzee but is surprised not to see him. He walks around the couch, only to realize that he has curled up on it after pulling his hood down over his head. He looks so small and vulnerable in this position, Eridan feels his heart clench. He gets closer, sits down beside him, comes to rub his arm gently.
"...I'm such a fucking bad friend, aren't I...?" asks Gamzee piteously, hiding under his hood.
- ... No. You're just clumsy, like anyone else."
Gamzee shakes his head:
"... no... no, I'm such a jerk, I do nonsense... I do nonsense for my parents, nonsense for my buddies, nonsense for my boyfriends... I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm like this..."
Eridan would have cried about it. But it's not his place to be comforted now. He resumes a hard air, grabs the hood of the other without warning to pull it abruptly, revealing the defeated face of Gamzee. This last is startled, looks at him, the wet eyes, before remaining bewildered when he sees Eridan approaching and taking him a kiss. A long, voracious kiss, an experimental kiss too. Eridan has never done this, but he doesn't fancy a simple brush. No, he tries to devour his mouth, and this while pushing him back against the pillows.
Soon, the host finds himself astride his guest, breaks the kiss, breathless. Gamzee remains mute, breathes as fast as he does, and the situation seems so incredible. The taller man doesn't believe he's ever experienced this, no one has ever managed to just...submit him?
"F-Fuck bro..."
Eridan glares at him, and his voice becomes implacable:
"Apologize again for being yourself, and I'll slap you, is that clear?
- ... but...
- You're not an idiot, or a freak, or whatever the hell you've been told! You screwed up, it happens, but don't feel sorry for yourself for hours either!"
Because Eridan knows all too well that feeling of being the most laughable being in the universe, that feeling of shame and loneliness that makes you want to hide in a corner and never come out again. And there's no way he's going to let his loved ones experience the same thing.
Gamzee's laughter returns, more tender, more cheerful:
"Ahah... you're really... really the best."
Eridan relaxes a bit, finally laughing back:
"Yeah... Yeah, I know."
They take some time to calm down, before Eridan stands up, letting Gamzee straighten up. He goes back for his hot drink and takes the opportunity to bring one back to his comrade. They then sit down, one beside the other, in the sofa, waiting patiently for the two others to come back.
After about twenty minutes, Sollux is the first one to show up, very quickly followed by a Karkat with an elusive and slightly red look. Eridan and Gamzee hold back any comment but understand that he has probably cried.
Yet the smaller one stands in front of them, although he doesn't look directly at them:
" ... I'm sorry. I..."
He hesitates again, but this time he takes a breath, and suddenly glares at Gamzee:
"I WANT YOU TO LET ME DOMINATE! IT BORES ME TO BE ALWAYS PASSIVE! "
His face took again a beautiful red tint, but Eridan holds him in respect to be so honest on a subject which he considers so embarrassing. Gamzee, for his part, blinks before tilting his head, confused:
" ... Okay, yes.
- ... Seriously? You accept so easily? Karkat is astonished.
- We never tried, so yeah I'll try. Sorry little bro, I didn't think you were serious about it. I thought this 'want to dominate' thing was some kind of role-play where I had to submit you.
- BUT ARE YOU SERIOUS? I ASK YOU A MILLION TIMES!
- Yeah, every time we were in bed, so I thought it was a game?
- FUCK IT, I JUST HAD TO ASK YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONVERSATION LIKE THAT? BUT HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO FIND THE OPPORTUNITY! IT'S FUCKING EMBARRASSING!"
Karkat plunges his face in his hands while howling of rage. Eridan realizes that Sollux, remained in the background, stifles a laugh behind his hand. He keeps himself from laughing, sympathizing with the poor Karkat who is dying of shame.
Gamzee opens his arms:
"Do you want to try now little bro?
- Wh- BUT NOT!
- Just a kiss?"
Karkat cusses, grunts, looks everywhere but at the other three boys. He finally gets closer to Gamzee:
"...If you mess with me, I'll take you apart..." he threatens.
He climbs onto the sofa, settles between the legs of the taller boy, puts his hands on his cheeks and looks at him shyly, seeming to gauge the situation, thinking about how he's going to handle it. Gamzee keeps his smile, curious and patient, while Eridan observes them from the corner of his eye with the embarrassing feeling of being a stalker.
Karkat finally comes to put his lips, much more lightly than the previous time, letting their mouths move one against the other. Without moving away he moves his head a little, changes the angle, presses harder while pushing Gamzee against the back of the sofa, coming to stick his body all against his. He comes to nibble the lower lip, licks it with the end of his tongue, and the bigger one shudders while opening gently his mouth. Karkat embraces his shoulders, deepens the kiss, slides his tongue against his sister in a hot sigh.
Eridan tears himself from his contemplation, the burning face. He fixes an invisible point, trying to ignore the movements of the couple, the wet noises which invade the room. Shit... Shit, they really don't know the term "privacy", do they?
He is startled when Sollux enters his field of vision, and he guesses at once that he has an idea behind the head. Difficult to ignore the one with the two colors of eyes when this one approaches you and that, in spite of his glasses, you feel his glance piercing your being. Eridan swallows, moves back by reflex against the back of the sofa. Sollux approaches an amused smile, takes him quietly his cup of the hands to put it back on the table, before climbing on the sofa and stuck it there.
"Relax..." he whispers.
He brings his face closer to his, and Eridan almost perceives a laugh when he asks:
"Can I kiss you?"
Even when Sollux whispers, his voice remains mesmerizing. Eridan struggles not to look away, especially fearing that the other two will continue kissing. My god, what is this situation? That appears normal to them, to them three, to kiss each other like that, in the middle of the living room? He raises his glasses feverishly, bites his lip, finishes by nodding gently.
Sollux loses his smile, becomes more serious while he puts his hands against the file, on both sides of the head of Eridan. He mimics Karkat and begins with a tender, patient kiss, to begin the contact, to feel their lips brush against each other, to caress.
"...open your mouth..." he whispers, and Eridan shudders and complies.
When he feels Sollux's tongue between his lips, he closes his eyes tightly and holds his breath. He thinks he hears the other laughing again, but he is too embarrassed to get angry right away. He is nervous, too nervous. The tongue brushes against his, wringing out a squeak, and Eridan opens his eyes in surprise, in a flinch that causes Sollux to back away.
"... uh... are you okay? " questions the one with the vairons eyes, a little worried to be gone too far.
Eridan hides his red face behind his arm :
"No! No, you irritate me, moron!"
Sollux finds his smile, takes his hand, obliges him to show his ashamed and shy expression. He comes back to kiss him, without begging the authorization this time. A muffled moan is perceptible, difficult to say who pushed it. Eridan wriggles, closes his eyes, the heat rising to his head. The tongue of Sollux returns to titillate his, their burning breaths mingle, and in this flow of sensation, Ampora seeks to what to hold on. He claws the sofa, but startles when he feels a hand taking his, intertwining their fingers. He half-opens his eyes, only to glance at it, to realize that it is Gamzee's hand.
But Sollux prevents him from thinking about it and pushes him to close his eyes, intensifying the kiss, tearing him another unspeakable noise. Shit ... He feels the hands leaving the file to settle on his shoulders, come to untie his scarf, exposed his neck to the free air. A shiver seizes him, followed by a weak whimper when the fingers come to caress his nape.
Sollux moves aside, and Eridan takes advantage of it to catch his breath. At least he thought he had the time, but he reopens his eyes abruptly as a groan, very strong, very real, escapes him and resounds in the living room. Sollux, that bastard... ! At what moment did he slip his face in his neck, did he have the audacity to come to put his lips there, to suck his skin?
Humiliated, Eridan tries to push him away with his free hand, the other still imprisoned by Gamzee's.
"Wh- Sto-StopAH!"
He finds himself unable to articulate, his throat is devoured, snatched up by greedy lips, pressed. Nibbled by teasing teeth, he squeals, twists, arches. Each corner of his skin seems to burn him, as marked by the least contact.
"S-SOL-UGH!"
He hiccups, his vision blurred, taken by a fever that he does not explain. He looks for air painfully, his heart beats too much, he hears almost only that. That and his indecent moans, those obscene noises he tries to keep quiet, in vain.
Is it good? He doesn't know, he doesn't understand, it's close to the sensations that Gamzee made him feel, he feels himself going just as crazy, and yet his intimacy is not touched, there is only his neck that is taken by assault. Is this normal? Is it normal to be in such a state for this, to moan like he does, to have this feeling of losing your mind?
The pleasure is being choked by the panic that grips his throat, by the apprehension of what is happening and what is coming next, what attitude he should have... what attitude is he supposed to have?
"S-STOP!"
Beyond the scream, it's the sob that petrifies Sollux and causes him to sit up, to look at Eridan.
Eridan who can't take it anymore, who gasps for air as he can. His skin is hot, his neck marked by hickeys and bites - not very deep, but still. Eridan, who doesn't even stare at him, but on the contrary flees eye contact, pulls himself out of Gamzee's hand to wipe his face, to try to dry the tears that have escaped him. He sniffs, feels ashamed to almost cry for that, does everything to regain his calm.
The silence strikes him. He realizes that he had to interrupt the other two, and guilt tightens his stomach. He didn't want to spoil the moment, he only wanted to slow down Sollux, to calm down the game. He doesn't dare say anything, doesn't even manage to apologize as the "sorry" itches his lips. But the silence that lingers scares him, he still doesn't dare to look at the others. Did he piss them off? Are they mad at him?
" ... Sorry, I scared you..." Sollux whispers softly to him.
Feverishly, Eridan looks at him out of the corner of his eye, and a wave of relief washes over him when he doesn't blame him for stopping him. But pride obliges, the Ampora bites his lip and crosses his arms, haughty:
"No! But we had said 'kiss', just 'kiss'!" he scolds, and this in spite of his glance still shining of tears, in spite of the traces that it left on his cheeks.
Sollux grimaces by observing him, doesn't believe for a moment in this false anger. He dares to stretch out his hand towards him again, Eridan tenses up but lets him put his hand on his cheek and caresses him gently with his thumb.
" Yes, excuse me, I rushed. Is that okay?"
Eridan hesitates, looks away, passes a hand over his eyes to wipe away the last of his tears.
" ... Yes.
- And the truth?
- But it's okay I tell you!
- Tell me again, looking me in the eyes."
Eridan gets annoyed, looks at him again, but swallows when he sees Sollux taking off his glasses, plunging vairish pupils into his own. It's unfair...it's really unfair, how can he answer with that penetrating look on him?
" ... I..."
Eridan purses his lips, and no matter how hard he struggles, he finally lowers his gaze. He tries to hide his weakness by taking off his glasses in turn, only to pretend to clean them, as he searches for his words, searches for a way to not humiliate himself further:
"...I just didn't expect you to do that, that's all. It's just surprise.
- Did I hurt you?
- Wh- But no, but it's not that!
- Fear then?
- No, no I wasn't scared!"
Sollux grabs one of his wrists, Eridan is startled and raises his head, and this time yes, this time it is well of the anger which starts to seize him and which pushes him to throw a black glance to his interlocutor:
" Let me go!
- Eridan, it's okay to be afraid, especially about this kind of thing.
- I am NOT afraid!
- You're shaking.
- NO! I'M NOT SHAKING!
- You're screaming.
- BECAUSE YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF!"
Eridan doesn't know with what strength he manages to straighten up, to push Sollux and make him fall from the sofa. Sollux who doesn't hide his astonishment by ending up with his ass on the floor, while Eridan stands up mad with anger:
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO THROW OUT THE OBVIOUS, I DON'T NEED YOU TO PATRONIZE ME, I DON'T NEED YOU TO MAKE FUN OF ME!"
Sollux frowns:
"What?! But I'm not making fun of you!"
And as he straightens up, he spits with deep annoyance:
"Stop being paranoid, shit!
- Paranoid?! No, but it's getting better and better! You're the first one to say I need to find the right partner, then you jump down my throat and I'm not even allowed to take it wrong?
- I didn't jump down your throat! And you should have stopped me earlier if it bothered you so much!
- I tried to push you away, you didn't want to hear it!!!
- Because you were moaning! You liked it, didn't you?!
- BUT I DON'T KNOW! I NEVER FELT THAT WAY BEFORE!
- I THOUGHT GAMZEE HAD ALREADY TOUCHED YOU?!
- THAT'S NOT THE POINT!
- YES OF COURSE! WHEN IT'S GAMZEE IT'S OK, WHEN IT'S ME I CAN GO FUCK MYSELF!
- THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID!"
They are silent, only to catch their breath, their voices hoarse from yelling, but they continue to stare at each other. It's up to the one who will start again first, the one who will dare to break this brief moment of calm, the one who will provoke new hostilities...
But they are preceded by Karkat who interposes himself between them:
"Guys, seriously, calm down!"
And for it to be him who orders this, it is that they have to go. They break the visual exchange to observe the smaller one, only a few seconds, before Eridan turns away with a pest, putting a hand on his neck, hiding the marks on his skin. He makes about face and gains the bathroom, his steps clattering dryly on the ground, sign that his anger isn't appeased.
Karkat blows a blow, reassured that that doesn't start a fight... but it is Gamzee who makes the blow of grace by observing Sollux:
"Damn, he's the only one to make you scream so much."
Sollux chokes, blushes - of anger or embarrassment? - and retorts a magnificent "SHUT UP!"
Karkat rolls his eyes and gives him a blow of elbow:
"He's not wrong. First time I see you lose patience so quickly.
- Tch, I didn't ask you anything.
- Don't pout, Captor, and go apologize instead. Problems are best solved by talking, as you so aptly put it."
Sollux doesn't miss the mockery in the smaller boy's voice, though the latter is serious. He grumbles, massages the nape of his neck, before blowing and going in the direction of the bathroom, not without forgetting to put back his glasses. To believe that he is going to spend his evening in this room...
He knocks, but contrary to previously he opens without waiting for an answer, to fall on Eridan who stands in front of the mirror and who seems to disinfect some bites. There is a blank, the Ampora observes it in the mirror before simply ignoring it, frowned. Sollux enters and closes the door behind him, but the uneasiness is present. If he knows how to calm the game with Karkat, it is more difficult in front of Eridan.
"... I really thought you liked it." ends up saying Sollux, hands in pockets, without letting him out of sight.
The host grunts, continues to pat the slight wounds of his cotton, before taking out some cream and spreading a dab of it on his neck :
"... fuck you.
- I'm trying to have a conversation here. Can you be more open?
- To say what? To yell at you again that I DON'T KNOW? I don't know if I liked it, if I hated it, if you fucking hurt me and I want to do it again! I don't know, Gamzee drove me as crazy as you did, and if you must know I ended up crying in his arms! There, happy?
- ... But... Fucking happy about what?! I don't understand you, what's the problem exactly ? Are you angry with us ? Because we forced you ?
- No way! You didn't.. RAH!"
Eridan turns to him, annoyed:
"Forget it, get out, go back with the others, I'll join you!
- NO! Are you mad because you don't know what you feel? You always have to try new things, it's like with the motorcycle, you have to...
- I'M TIRED OF EMBARRASSING MYSELF!"
Sollux opens his eyes wide:
"...huh?"
Eridan nervously runs a hand through his hair:
"I'm tired of humiliating myself with every single thing I do, every single thing that happens! I'm sick of crying in front of you, saying stupid shit in front of you, freaking out over nothing, ruining the moment, just... shit, just shit, that's it! When I tell you that 'it's ok' can't you just accept it without questioning, without insisting and trying to do a fucking psychoanalysis? No because I have a shrink for that! Or I'll ask Lalonde, trust me that girl doesn't need a certificate to give you a full analysis!"
Sollux stares at him without a word, then massages his temples as he takes it all in:
"...no but...Damn it, Eridan Ampora, what's keeping me from hitting you?
- Wha...
- How do you expect me not to ask questions when you pushed me back to the edge of the tears? I forced you to the point of crying, and you want me to turn a blind eye to that? But who do you think I am, how can you expect me not to care if you cry? There is no humiliation! If anyone is humiliated it's me, me and my fucking guilt!"
Eridan further:
"Ok, I pushed you away too hard, but you were going too fast! That doesn't mean you should blame yourself, damn it! I don't need to be mothered at the drop of a hat!
- How should I know?! We've only been together for a week, let me learn to find the fucking balance, a relationship doesn't just work like that, at the snap of a finger!"
The tube of cream falls on the ground, surprises Sollux who is astonished, throwing a glance on the ground before looking again at Eridan who has the bewildered face.
"What? What?" he panics, fearing to have said a new bullshit which will start again a violent argument.
- ... We' re a couple?"
Eridan's voice was stunned. Sollux remained blissful.
" ... Huh?
- ... What?"
They looked at each other for a long time, equally confused.
" ... Eridan... We're... Yeah, we're together... ? No ?
- B-but I don't know, You tell me!
- What do you mean I have to tell you?! You should know!
- But how?! Well, kissing and touching me all the time doesn't mean we're a couple!
- Are you kidding me?! Do you let anyone touch you like that?!
- Of course not !! Only you!!!"
Eridan becomes flushed, brings a hand to his mouth as he looks away, suddenly more shy:
"B-But, it's just that... that I don't know, there was no... I never imagined... me, with you? It's...It's unthinkable."
Sollux frowns, takes a step forward:
"And why?
- But... But because it's me? I know you said you liked me, okay, but... Shit, look at me! Can you see yourself having a relationship with ME? A REAL relationship?
- Of course!
- I'm not talking about friendship or sex friend or..."
Sollux grabs his face, forces him to look at him:
"Eridan! I'm talking about being in a romantic relationship! Not just fucking!
- B-But...
- You, with me, Karkat and Gamzee! We all three agree, so..."
Sollux hesitates, bites his tongue:
" ... would you agree? You've already experimented a little... We thought you were already... okay?
- ... Honestly? I haven't thought about it at all...
- I mean, really... ? You let yourself be kissed without thinking?"
Eridan pouts, giving him a light flick on the forehead:
"Fuck you, it's hard to resist you..."
This time it wrings a smile from Sollux:
"Really? Why?
- Fuck you!
- We are irresistible?
- Damn it, Sol!
- Oh yes, sorry, you don't like my 'psychoanalysis' sessions ~ "
Eridan disengages with embarrassment to give him a blow in the shoulder, whereas that with the eyes vairons sneers. Annoyed, the Ampora picked up the tube of cream which he hastens to arrange, before passing his comrade to leave the bathroom. Sollux follows him with a smile in the corners:
" Come on Eri, say it! Say that you love us too~
- Rah, shut up!
- I won't let you go!
- I'm going to kill you Captor!"
Karkat and Gamzee see them return and exchange a look, holding back their relieved laughter. It's good to see that they've calmed down and are going to have a quiet evening again.