Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first thing Sollux noticed when he awoke was his skull-splitting headache. The second thing he noticed was a warm head of black and purple hair resting serenely on his chest. His bare chest.

Crap.

A quick check under the covers revealed that Sollux was, in fact, completely naked, as was the other guy on the couch. Said other guy was lying completely on top of the troll, with one hand on Sollux’s collarbone and the other pressed up against his mouth. He was sucking his thumb.

Double crap.

Okay, Sollux, calm down now. He had only just slept with a guy who he wasn’t even going out with due to the fact that he had been completely intoxicated and now had no memory whatsoever of the event.

Triple crap.

Or maybe that was a good thing, actually. Maybe he didn’t want to remember a night spent thrusting into his worst frienemy. At least, Sollux assumed that he had been the one on top. Well, the other guy was the one physically on top right now, but Sollux had to have been the one doing the thrusting.

Hadn’t he?

Wasting no more time pondering questions he couldn’t recall the answers to, and avoiding further accumulations of craps, Sollux quickly shook the sleeping boy awake.

“One more minute, seahorsedad.”

“ED! ED, thi2 i2 2eriou2. You have to wake up right now!”

Eridan stirred slightly, then slowly opened his eyes. And opened them wider and wider. Sollux could feel the gulp slip down the seadweller’s throat. “W-well…” Eridan and Sollux made eye contact and held it for several moments before Sollux looked away.

“Well…” A brief pause enveloped the room. “You’re not a…I mean…” Sollux was afraid to ask the question on the tip of his mind, but gulped and plowed on. “Are you a virgin?”

“W-well, not anymore, I guess.” Eridan sat up and looked down at his hands, a deep purple blush forming on his face.

They both started to speak at once, but stopped abruptly. “Uh, you go fir2t.”

“W-well, I w-was just thinkin’ that…maybe it w-wasn’t so bad, you know-w, that of all the trolls in the w-world, I lost my wirginity to you…” Eridan raised his gaze back to Sollux. He stared intently at the other troll, who quickly averted his eyes.

“Yeah, I don’t know about that… Do you even remember what happened?”

“Er, no, but I’m sure it w-was fantastic!” Eridan flopped back down on Sollux’s chest which earned a “wumph” from the yellow-blood. “I bet you’re fantastic at, you know-w, pailin’.”

Sollux opened his mouth to speak, but instead sucked in his breath through his lips.

“I mean, it’s a kind a…aw-wkw-ward w-way to get together, and I’d rather that I had not been w-wasted w-when w-we did it our first time, but it’s just great to know that you like me ba-ack!” He was practically singing by the end of the sentence.

“Yeah, well, look, ED… I’m glad that you don’t regret la2t night, but…I do. I mean, it wa2 a mi2take, a drunken mi2take, and I’m 2orry, but…I don’t feel that way about you.” Sollux grimaced at the look of utter despair that overcame Eridan’s face.

“Oh, okay, my bad…I’ll leawe you alone forewer now-w…” Eridan slowly raised himself from the couch and picked his clothes up from the floor. He pulled them on, then solemnly trudged toward the front door. Pulling the door shut behind him, Eridan faced the bitter cold. Sollux only realized later that Eridan’s car was at Terezi’s house, almost a mile away.

~*~*~*~*~

Sollux stared at the same two lines of code at which he had been staring for the last hour. Without warning, he dropped his face onto his hands, crackles of psionic energy coming off of his unbrushed hair. It was the right thing to do, he knew it was the right thing to do, but yet he could not bear to do it.

Unwillingly, Sollux willed the phone to his hands. Eridan’s number was programmed in his cell, previously unused. But now, Sollux called the number. The phone rang several times before going to voicemail. Sollux sighed, hanging up immediately. He didn’t fucking know what to leave in a message! He didn’t even know what to say to Eridan if he had picked up.

Suddenly, a thought struck Sollux hard, like a bolt of lightning. What if Eridan had really meant what he had said and was going to leave him alone forever? What if he never had a chance to make it up to Eridan, and was left with these feelings of guilt for the rest of eternity? Sollux shuddered. Eridan had done some pretty stupid things in the past, but…

But actually, it wouldn’t be all that stupid to cut off all contact with Sollux. Sollux had hurt him pretty badly, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized his wrong in letting Eridan leave his hive.

Thank God! Flight of the Bumblebee filled the room as Sollux’s phone vibrated. “Hey.”

“Sol. You, uh, called?”

“Yeah, I, uh, I might have been a bit too har2h on you…”

“W-wait – w-what?”

“I think…I think… I mean, if you really like me, I could give you a chance.”

“A w-what?”

Sollux bit back the unforgiving language that immediately came to mind. “I mean, I gue22 what I’m a2king i2... do you want to go out with me?”

“W-what? W-why?” Eridan’s voice sounded uncertain, maybe even suspicious.

“Dude! I am giving you a chance to be with the gloriou2ne22 that i2 me. Take it or leave it.”

“I’ll leawe it. I don’t need your pity date.”

Sollux slowly let out a puff of breath. “2top being 2o 2tubborn! I am trying to be a re2pon2ible per2on and make up for taking away your virginity! But if you in2i2t, I gue22 I’m done here.” Sollux was about to hang up when, unsurprisingly, Eridan stopped him.

“W-wait! I…okay. If you are so dead set on goin’ out w-with me, I guess w-we can…”

Sollux sighed audibly. “Whatever, ED. When 2hould I pick you up?”

~*~*~*~*~

“W-where are w-we goin’?” Eridan whined for the umpteenth time.

“You’ll 2ee when we get there,” Sollux informed tightly, also for the umpteenth time.

Sollux switched on the left turn signal and made the turn, but kept the signal on.

“Sol, you left your turn signal on…” Eridan “helpfully” informed his date.

“Ye2, I know. There’2 a rea2on for that.”

“But the only thing to the left a here is a carw-wash…”

Instead of answering him, Sollux made the left, and the next thing Eridan knew, the car was being sprayed with soapy water.

“W-way to do your chores in the middle a our date!”

“No, no, man. You don’t under2tand. Thi2 i2 our date!”

“W-wait! W-what? W-what kind a date is this?!”

“You like water, right?”

“Um…I guess.”

“2o I thought you’d feel comfortable in your natural habitat.”

“Hey! You’re stereotypin’ me! Just ‘cuz I’m a seadw-weller –”

“2hut up! I’m paying for it, aren’t I?”

“Okay, okay, fine. So, uh, how-w are you?”

“Okay, I gue22. 2till a bit 2hocked from thi2 morning.” Sollux shuddered slightly.

Eridan put a comforting hand over Sollux’s. He squeezed gently, lovingly. Sollux let him…for few seconds. Then, he used his other hand to peel Eridan’s off, and held onto the wheel. As the trolls at the end of the carwash toweled off the car, Eridan pouted, but stayed silent.

“2o, I gue22 that’2 it. Date over.”

“W-what?! That w-wasn’t ewen a proper date!”

“Well, then what do you 2ugge2t we do?”

“W-well, w-we could go to a restaurant…”

“It’2 ten am. What meal happen2 at ten am?”

“Uh…w-we could go to a café…”

The car was stopped at a red light, and Sollux used the opportunity to stare intently into Eridan’s eyes. Eridan shivered. “Would that make you happy?”

“Uh…yeah?”

“Then, okay. We can go to Trollbuck2.” He made a u-turn and headed to the café.

At Trollbucks, the first thing Sollux said was, “Ooh, free wifi!” Then, he plopped down at a table and took out his laptop.

“Uh…do you w-want me to get you a coffee?”

“Here’2 ten buck2. Buy your2elf 2omething nice. Get me a tea with extra honey.”

“O-kay. W-what kind a tea?”

“Mmm.”

“I said, w-what kind a tea do you w-want?”

“Anything. Don’t care.” Sollux was hunched over his laptop, coding away.

When Eridan returned with their drinks, Sollux didn’t even acknowledge his presence.

“Here’s your tea…”

“Mmm.”

“Soooool!”

“Ye2?”

“You’re terrible at datin’!”

“Mmm.”

“Sooooooool! W-what do I need to do to get you to look at me?! Should I take off my shirt and flex my muscles?”

“Mmm.”

“I’ll do it! I’ll really do it!”

“Go ahead.”

“I’m doin’ it! I’m takin’ off my shirt!”

Sollux glanced up for a second. “No, you’re not.” Then, he returned to his coding.

“Ha ha! You looked at me!”

“Mmm.”

“Sooool!”

Sollux sighed, saving his work and shutting his laptop. “Ye2, 2ugarplum?” He took a noisy sip of his tea.

“Sugarplum?!”

“Yeah, that’2 you.” Sollux shot his date a half-grin, and all was forgiven.

They stared into each other’s eyes in a comfortable silence, sipping their drinks. Eridan was the one to break that silence.

“Happy Tw-welfth Perigee, Sol.”

“What? Oh, 2hit, you’re right… Happy Twelfth Perigee, ED.”

Eridan chuckled lightly. “Did you really forget that last night w-was Tw-welfth Perigee’s Ewe? W-what did you think the party at Ter’s w-was for?”

Sollux immediately shut off completely. “We do not 2peak of that party.”

“W-why not? It w-was a good party. Sure, w-we got a little drunk – okay, maybe a lot drunk – and it ended rather badly – I still don’t know-w how-w you managed to driwe us to your hiwe in one piece – but I had fun. You know-w, before it got all serious.”

“We e2pecially do not 2peak of what happened after the party.” Sollux actually ground his teeth together.

“Oh, uh, sorry, Sol.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re 2orry… Jeez, I ju2t…I ju2t need a little alone time, okay?”

“Oh, okay.” Eridan shrank in his seat. He had not been aware that what he had said had been so very wrong.

And with that, Sollux grabbed his laptop and stormed out of the café, leaving Eridan stranded and alone for the second time that day.

Chapter Text

Knock knock knock!

Sollux groaned and made no move to answer the door. The knocking continued. “Coming! Coming!” Sollux half-yelled half-grumbled. He swung open the door and was met with a fishy face decorated with a wide grin. Sollux sighed, making a conscious decision not to slam the door in his face.

“Guess w-whaaat?”

“What.” Sollux tried his best to put as little feeling as possible into his response.

“Okay, it’s a little late, but I got you a Tw-welfth Perigee present!” Eridan’s smile widened, if that was even possible, as he brought his hand from behind his back, revealing a small, wrapped package.

“Oh. Well, I didn’t get you anything.”

“That’s okay. I figured you w-wouldn’t.”

Eridan carefully placed the present into Sollux’s hands. He waited. Nothing happened.

“W-well, aren’t you gonna open it?”

“I gue22.” Sollux unwrapped the flat object slowly and deliberately. When the contents were revealed, he held the thing by one corner, as if it had an infectious disease.

“Do you like it?”

“Uh, an air fre2hener. Um…you 2houldn’t have.”

“But I did! I figured your car could use one. It smelled pretty bad w-when I w-was in it yesterday. Oh, and it’s honey scented. Your faworite!”

“Oh, um, thank2? Uh, don’t know whether to be happy or in2ulted.”

“So, w-while I’m here…”

“Ye2?”

“W-why don’t I stay a w-while?”

“You are 2o rude! Fir2t you in2ult my car, then you invite your2elf over!”

“W-well, I did come all this w-way to see you and all…”

“And did I a2k you to come? No!”

Eridan blinked, confused. “You’re sayin’ you don’t w-want to spend time w-with me?”

“Ye2, that is preci2ely what I’m 2aying.” Now it was time to slam the door in Eridan’s face. Sollux stepped out of the doorway, preparing for maximum slammage, but Eridan followed him inside. “Ugh, ju2t go away, fi2h breath.”

“Did someone get up on the w-wrong side of the recuperacoon today?”

“2hut up, ED!”

“I’ll take that as a yes!”

Sollux sighed. “Fine, whatever, come in, 2ee if I care.”

Sollux shut the door after Eridan, then went back to his computer desk in his respiteblock. Eridan paused uncertainly for a few moments before following and sitting cross-legged on the floor. He silently stared at the other troll. And Sollux was okay with that. He could stare all he wanted so long as he didn’t try to distract him from his task.

This peaceful arrangement, however, did not last long.

“Sooool…”

The troll in question ignored Eridan’s annoying whine.

“Sol, I’m bored.”

This time, Sollux deigned the boy with a response. “Then leave.”

“Sooooool! But I w-wanna be w-with you!”

The sound of keys being pressed down and the occasional clicking of the mouse could be heard resonating in the otherwise silent room.

“Sol, I…I really like you. I hawe for a w-while now-w.” Eridan drew in a faltering breath. “I thought w-when you said you w-would giwe me a chance, you really meant it. But I see now-w that you w-were probably just sayin’ it to make me shut up.”

The computer sounds continued, and the room was otherwise silent to the point where Eridan began to doubt that Sollux had even been listening. Finally, Sollux sighed and rested his elbow on his desk and his head on his hand.

“If I recall correctly, I wa2 the one who called you with the 2ole purpo2e of giving you a chance. And I meant it. Now, I’m bu2y today, but tomorrow I’ll take you 2omewhere nice. Nicer than Trollbuck2. Maybe 2ome re2taurant, treat you to dinner.”

“Oh, Sol, that w-would be lowely! Absolutely lowely!” Eridan, caught up in the excitement of the moment, attempted to wrap his arms around Sollux. However, Sollux caught the other troll’s wrists and pushed him away.

“2ee you tomorrow, ED.”

“Can’t I at least giwe you a peck on the cheek to show the depths a my gratitude?”

“Don’t pu2h your luck.”

“W-well, then let me just say thanks. Thanks a lot from the bottom a my bloodpusher.”

Sollux smiled and nodded his head toward the door. As he returned to his coding, he was surprised to find himself distracted by feelings of anticipation and even excitement for the following day.

Chapter Text

Sollux arrived at Eridan’s hive at exactly six oh five pm. He beeped twice, and Eridan emerged soon after, almost as if he were just sitting there, waiting for Sollux to come. Eridan hopped into the passenger’s seat, careful not to rumple his fancy-shmancy tuxedo.

“W-wow-w, Sol, you’re actually w-wearin’ a tie! And a shirt w-with a collar and ewerything!”

“Ye2, wow, I can look nice when I want to. 2hocker.”

“You almost look as nice as me!”

Sollux glanced over at Eridan, raking his eyes quickly over the other troll’s clothes. “What are you even wearing? You look like a goth or 2omething.”

“Don’t you know-w w-what a tuxedo is? And just because it’s black doesn’t mean it’s all gothic and depressin’.”

“Or cour2e I know what a tuxedo i2! What do you think I am, 2tupid?!” Sollux paused, considering whether or not he should say the next part aloud. He decided in favor of vocalizing his thoughts. “I ju2t didn’t know what one looked like…”

“One w-what?”

“A tuxedo!”

“This is your first time seein’ a tux? You poor, poor boy. But don’t get the w-wrong impression now-w. They don’t look this hot on eweryone. Just me.” Eridan winked behind his hipster glasses.

“You don’t look hot. At all.” Eridan pouted, but remained silent. And that was that.

Eridan half expected Sollux to go to the drive thru at TrollDonalds, but instead, Sollux pulled into the parking lot of an actually fancy restaurant. So fancy, in fact, that Eridan was a bit concerned.

“Are you sure you can afford to take me here? I could pay, if you w-want.”

“No! 2hut up! I’m not poor! I can treat my own mate2prit to dinner.”

“Oh? So w-we’re matesprits now-w?” Eridan didn’t even try to hide the excitement in his voice.

“What? No. Did I 2ay that? Mu2t have been a 2lip of the tongue. But anyway, I’m paying and that’2 final.”

“I’ll pay for half. W-we could split it.”

Sollux sighed, a bit relieved. “If you’re 2o dead 2et on paying, then fine, we can 2plit the bill.” Sollux strode toward the door, motioning for Eridan to follow. Eridan happily complied.

However, he was not so happy when the troll at the front of the restaurant informed them that all the tables were taken…for the next several hours.

“Sol! Didn’t you make a reserwation?”

“Wa2 I 2uppo2ed to?”

Eridan facepalmed. “W-what are w-we goin’ to do now-w?”

Sollux turned around and started to leave. When he saw that Eridan was looking around the restaurant with longing instead of following, he went back and dragged the seadweller by the fancy-shmancy sleeve. Once in the car, Sollux spoke thoughtfully.

“We could alway2 ju2t go to TrollDonald2.”

Eridan sniffed. “But I’m all dressed up, Sol!”

Sollux sighed. “Or I could drop you off at your hive…”

“You know-w, TrollDonalds is sounding pretty good right about now-w!”

Sollux rolled his eyes, not that one could tell, but did not kick Eridan out of his car. It seemed as if they were making some progress.

At TrollDonalds, Sollux refused to go to the drive thru. He wanted a proper dinner date. His logic was that if they were going to do this at all, they might as well do it right.

“Sooool! I’m in a tux! This is embarrassin’!”

“Quiet down, you. I’m making my order.”

Sollux ordered the biggest hamburger they had while Eridan curled his lip and got a salad. The cashier did not comment nor care about their attire. Sollux paid for both of their meals.

They made their way to a table in the back of the fast food joint, as per Eridan’s whines.

“2o, a 2alad, huh? Do you ever eat anything? You’re 2o 2kinny. You anorexic or 2omething?”

“At least I’m not fat, unlike some people at this table…”

“Hey! I’m plea2antly chubby! There’2 more of me to love!”

“I w-was kiddin’, Sol. You’re not fat. At all. You’re normal w-weight and I’m thin, is all.”

Sollux smacked his lips, then noticed that he was doing so, and closed his mouth mid-chew. “You never an2wered my que2tion. You anorexic?”

Eridan looked down silently, using his fork to play with his food.

“Oh, God. You are, aren’t you?” The face Sollux was making was highly unattractive. His mouth hung open, exposing bits of chewed up hamburger.

Eridan sat straighter, determined. “I’m just on a diet. A wery strict diet. I’m not anorexic.”

Now it was Sollux’s turn to bury his face in his hand. “Whatever. Like I even care.”

 They ate in silence. When they were done, Eridan got up to throw away their trash. Sollux followed him, then dragged the edge of his sleeve to the parking lot.

“I’m taking you home.”

Eridan pouted. “Can’t w-we spend a little more time together? Just a bit?”

“No.”

“W-was it somethin’ I said?”

“Ye2,” Sollux stated bluntly.

“W-why do I alw-ways driwe you aw-way w-with ewerything I say? Aw-walys, alw-ways, alw-ways!”

“Becau2e you’re being you. And you are not 2omeone I would like to 2pend exce22ive amount2 of time with.”

“Yeah, w-well, w-we’ll see about that w-when I’m through w-with you!”

“Whatever, ED. Whatever.”

Chapter Text

Sollux scanned over his code. Why wasn’t it working? Had he left off a semicolon or forgotten to close a bracket? Coding could be so frustrating sometimes!

Suddenly, his computer pinged, informing him that he had a new message on Trollian. “Thi2 better be from KK…” he muttered.

It wasn’t. It was Eridan asking if he was busy. Sollux pretended he didn’t see the flamboyant purple text and went on with his coding. Trollian made the pinging sound again and again, and Sollux didn’t even bother checking the messages. Eventually, the noises stopped. Sollux relaxed a bit, getting more into his coding. However, for once, hearing his favorite song made him sneer.

“Hello.”

“Hey, Sol! Just w-wondering w-what you’re doin’ today!”

Sollux took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Look, ED. Ju2t becau2e we went on a date or two doe2n’t mean we’re mate2prit2.”

“But…but you called us matesprits yesterday!”

“That wa2 an accident.”

“Yeah, okay, but doesn’t the fact that you accidentally said it mean that deep dow-wn, you really w-want it to be true?”

“No.” Deep, calming breaths, Sollux. “Look, ED, I would find you much more attractive if you weren’t 2o de2perate and needy. Ju2t…give me 2ome 2pace. If I want to 2ee you, I’ll call. Okay?”

“…Okay…”

“Good boy.” Without waiting for a reply, Sollux hung up and returned to his coding. He didn’t think of Eridan for the rest of the day.

At least, he tried not to. Little pangs of want affected him when he least expected them.