(Untitled)

[heterochromiia]

who ; Sollux Captor & Aradia Megido [and Camille later]
what ; sads and dates and missile toes
where ; WHATEVER ZONE CAMILLES CAFE IS IN I FUCKIN FORGET
when ; after Feferi's arrival
warning(s) ; sads. cutes. teenaged makeouts.

Comments

WALKING IN THE SNOW

[heterochromiia]

[ Sollux waits by the teleporter, smelling his breath mist on the air, hoping that Aradia will come. She will, right?

He doesn't notice the little sprig of mistletoe hovering above him. He's got more important things on his mind than just the decorations. ]

[destinist]

[Of course, Aradia had seen Feferi post to the network. All she really knows about is whatever relationship they'd seemed to have back in the Veil- she doesn't know a thing that might've happened when Feferi was on Sacrosanct before. Still, she's feeling fairly awkward and a little bit strange, so when Sollux messages her she thinks she knows why. She doesn't consider, not even for a moment, not showing up. Any time spent with Sollux is precious to her, even if time is without many limits for her.]

AA: of course we can
AA: ill be there right away
AA: ouo
AA: that looks even stupider
AA: <3

[She shows up not long afterwards, dressed for the weather, appearing through the teleporter with a bright smile despite everything. She doesn't really know anything about what kind of effect the mistletoe is giving off, having not experienced it yet, so it also goes unnoticed. Why would she be looking at decorations, anyway?

She offers Sollux a small smile, hands clasped in front of her.]

Hello!

[heterochromiia]

[ Sollux smiles back, but his vascular pump isn't really in it. Feferi has come back. Feferi. Just when he'd started to forgive himself for everything that happened, just when he'd decided maybe it was okay to try again with Aradia-

God, he's the worst person in the world.

He reaches out, takes Aradia's hands in his and squeezes them. ]

...I'm glad you're here.

[destinist]

I'm glad to see you too. [She's certainly not oblivious to the mood in the air, and her smile drops a little- she had been trying to keep things light, but maybe that'll be harder than she thought.]

Um, what's up? What would you like to do today? You can decide where we walk. [She's trying to be tactful about it- obviously he's got some things he needs to tell her, or maybe he'd rather keep quiet about them. It's an invitation he can take either way.]

[heterochromiia]

[ Sollux is quiet for a bit- then he hugs her close, presses his face against her shoulder. ]

I just want to be- around you, I guess. Don't wanna be alone and...love you, AA.

[ He sighs softly, lets her go- but he takes her gloved hand in his, meandering down the street. ]

It's just. It's hard? Having FF back. A lot happened.

[destinist]

You know I would spend every minute with you if you could tolerate it. [Aradia's cheeks tinge slightly when he says that, and she murmurs:] Love you, too. [She's happy to hear that, of course, but the mood is so strained her shoulders have slumped a little. She steps neatly through the snow, flicking it away from landing on her wings by fluttering them now and then.

That's right. She doesn't really know anything about Feferi's prior stay here, aside from the fact that Sollux was here for quite a while with her.]

...A lot? [She just decides to prompt him gently. She's curious, and her lack of foresight or god tier/sprite pseudo-omniscience gets a little bit frustrating here.]

[heterochromiia]

I. We were together, I think you know about that? She was one of the first people who saw me after- [ gestures at his roboparts. ] And then one day she just...disappeared.

Our house burned down, a while later. I couldn't even save any of her things. Not even her fishtank.

[ His hand squeezes Aradia. He wants to hug her again, but he just did, so wouldn't it be awkward? ]

[destinist]

[She hooks her arm through his and keeps their hands linked together. She only nods at his words, looking subdued.]

Um... Yes. I know you were. [It's awkward and a little bit painful for her to talk about that- it's not even a matter of jealousy. It's a bittersweet thing. All she'd wanted was for Sollux to be happy, and if that had involved moving on, then so be it. But things are a lot more complicated now.]

[heterochromiia]

So of course- when I finally think maybe I can be happy still. When I've maybe forgiven myself a little for what happened.

I'm glad she's here. I am. She didn't deserve to die, it's nice here. It just hurts. Being reminded that I couldn't help her, y'know.

[ He sighs softly. ]

I love her a lot, but I failed her. I don't deserve her. And even if it weren't for that...

[ Gently raises Aradia's hand to his mouth and kisses it. ]

I hope she understands. I mean, I wouldn't leave you. I'm with you because I want to be. And anyway I'm not that much of a jerk.

[ He......might have tears in his eyes though. ]

[destinist]

[That does not go unnoticed. Aradia stops, her boots crunching in the snow, and pulls him back to halt his walking, too. Her small hands lift to touch his cheeks- she wipes the tears away, tenderly.]

Sollux...

[They've both shouldered so much misery together; nothing would make her more content than to let it all go. She hates to see him feeling torn in two like this- she's always hated to see him struggle with anything.

In a way, Aradia feels selfish. She knows it isn't her place to pretend like she's like the rest of them now. Her true place now is at the dream bubbles. Being alive again, having Sollux- it seems like a lot to ask for, and yet she's frightened that it might all go away. That she might blink and realize that she's still dead or still a cold metal shell. She's barely become acclimated to being alive again, after all.]

You didn't fail her. And I know she must love you, too. [Even as a robot, she had not failed to notice that; like everything else, she had analyzed it and processed it and stored it in her memory

[heterochromiia]

Hey, hey.

[ Sollux hugs her tight. ]

I'm happy with you, okay? That's why I asked you out in the first place.

[ snuffles softly. oh gosh he's all sad but he's happy she's here and also she looks so kissable? NO SOLLUX THIS IS TOO AWKWARD A MOMENT FOR SMOOCHES change the subject!! ]

....If you want to explore together sometime, I'd, um. I'd be good with that.

[destinist]

[She presses her cheek to his shoulder.]

I know, I just... I never want to see you sad ever again, Sollux.

[She suddenly wants to kiss him too, but, wow, awkward urge! Aradia mentally chastises herself for even considering such a thing right now. The timing is terrible. She's supposed to be good at timing!!]

If you wouldn't find it boring, I'd like that very much. But don't change the subject... [She gives a weak little smile. She knows this must be hard to talk about, so if he really wants to discuss something else, they can.]

[heterochromiia]

I'm not bored with you. Never bored with you. I came to help on all those archaeological digs, right?

I can't promise I'll never be sad, but...I'll try to be happy, okay? Because if it makes you happy, then I'm happy too.

[ Yeah, okay, he can't resist this. He's still a little teary, but he leans in and presses a kiss to her lips. God he wants to make out with her so much but she's never done it before WHAT IF SHE DOESN'T LIKE IT AAAA so he keeps it chaste and pulls back a little. ]

[destinist]

I know. I know it's silly, but if even for a second I could just make you-

[AAAAAAAAAAAAA OKAY WOW that was sudden. Not that she's complaining. She's still feeling a little bit sad and faintly uncomfortable with the whole situation- she hates feeling like she doesn't know what to do- but oh, wow, she has just realized how much she'd been aching for him to just kiss her. Well, okay, that's a thing she wouldn't mind at pretty much any time, but the thought isn't anywhere near as prominent as it is now.

So when he tries to pull back, Aradia winds up hooking her hands together behind his neck and pulling him back in. THERE IS NO ESCAPE, SOLLUX.]