Your name is Eridan Ampora, and you've spent the past five hours hanging out with a girl you never thought you'd have red feelings for. She is currently sitting next to you on your couch, in your hive, with one of your shirts on, and a blanket draped over her body. Her hair is set from you teaching her how to swim moments ago and she just can't get enough of the calm-flavoured-popcorn you made for her to eat while you both watched Indiana Jones. Your day has been quite exciting, from going out to dinner, to teaching her how to swim, to being shown around a cave. She would be staying the night with you as well, but also leaving in the morning. You have fourteen hours left to make your move.

You think she noticed you weren't watching the movie, because she glances over at you. You make a fake smile and she continues to watch her idol on the tv, her eyes lighting up at the sight of him. You think you'd like to experience that too, to have her eyes light up whenever she seen you. The movie is almost over and you two will soon need to figure out sleeping arrangements. She is aware that there is no other place for her to sleep but the couch, but you're willing to sleep there yourself if it'll make her happy enough to come back another time. You're lonely a lot, and this is the first time you've had company in a really long time.

"Hey are you okay?" she asks, putting the bowl on the floor and facing you. She's sitting with one leg up, the other crossed, her hands on the couch holding her up. She squints through the darkness to try and see your face- you've been looking down at the floor thinking for a long time now.

"Eridan, are you crying?" she asks, concerned of course. You look away from her, slipping deeper into your dark hole of loneliness. It's a touchy thing for you, you never even noticed the purple tears running down your own cheeks.

"Eridan what's wrong?" she asks. You thought you felt her put her hand on yours but it's not there. You shrug, gulping down air hard as you breath in.

"It's just so lonely all the time here," you whisper, "it's nothin, I'm fine."

But you're lying to yourself. You know very well that it's not fine, but you're too full of yourself to even admit that. India Jones will soon be over and you'll be going to sleep, soon to be lonely again.

"But I'm here right now, you shouldn't be lonely…" and she's right. You shouldn't be, you have no reason to be. You had a good day with her and you should be very proud about that. You haven't smiled or laughed in a really long time, but she'd changed that today.

"Aradia I…" you can't take it anymore. You turn your head around and lean yourself forward until your lips touch hers. They're round and plump, but small, and taste like strawberries. Your hand is pressed lightly against her chubby little face, your fingertips touching parts of her tangled hair. She doesn't pull away from you, but she seems shocked. Frozen almost. The kiss only lasts a few seconds, and then break apart. You hug Aradia and start blubbering like the baby you really are. She's still not moving that much, but she stiffly moves her arms to your back and holds you close. As far as you can tell she's still looking forward with wide eyes and her mouth open in a dazed stare. You cry for a few minutes before she finally stops and really hugs you back, burying her face into the side of your cape.

Your name is Eridan Ampora and you've seen Aradia again for your first time in months. She's laughing at one of Sollux's stupid bee jokes, the way she laughed with you that one day. It hits you hard in the heart when you remember that day, and see her now talking to Sollux, talking to everyone, but not to you. You never left your hive again after that day, you barely talked to anyone after that day. Nothing happened that day- nothing big anyways. You kissed her, and you fell asleep while crying in her shoulder, and when you woke up in the morning, she was gone. Out of the corner of her eyes she looks at you, and immediately stops laughing. Her mouth closes, then opens, and she says something to Sollux. He gives you a dirty look but nods at her, and watches as she walks over to you. She's shorter than you so you have to look down at her. She doesn't say anything to you, just takes a black piece of cloth out from her back pocket. She holds it in front of you- it's your shirt. She puts it in your hands and you stare at it for a moment. When you look back up her lips touch yours for a second, and then she hugs you the way you'd hugged her that one night. You hug her back and look into the distance the way she did, you understand how she felt. But Sollux is still standing in the distance, and you can see the pain in his eyes. You just stole his best friend the way he'd stolen yours. Aradia is whispering to you but you don't notice it. You just remember watching Sollux the same way he was watching you now when he'd first kissed Feferi, right in front of you.