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[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

Nobody talked to the kid with the dreads.

Nobody knew if he'd been held back with the jocks, or if he'd just hit the world's worst growth spurt, but the long, lanky highblood seemed to top everyone else in stature, even the select little clique of seadwellers, all of whom had taken to muttering about him indiscreetly. Of course, it didn't help his image that he wandered the halls with the dazed expression of the perpetually baked. He'd already been forced to stop painting his face by the faculty to keep from distracting others in his classes. As if that was really what everyone was focusing on.

He was intelligent, even brilliant according to some of the instructors, but that didn't count for anything when none of his homework was turned in, either coming up missing or simply forgotten, or occasionally doodled on. He never took notes and rarely remembered to bring his textbooks. The only class he did well in, for that matter, was his visual arts elective and even then, he rarely stayed on task, often speeding through the lessons then slinking away to one of the broken-down loveseats what were used for the occasional sit-in model for life drawing sessions.

He was a flake, and ninety percent of the time, he was alone.

Fourth block Gym was never something that he participated in. He simply stayed long enough to be counted there for role call, then slipped out easily to settle down behind the gymnasium where the security guards never went, sitting on the ground in the shade in his gym clothes and packing a bowl out of sight where the smoke would be whipped away by the breeze.

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[princeofmelodrama]

Eridan gave a graceful little bow of his head to the applause, chuckling silently before he took the glass of water and the pills, downing the latter with the former, and finishing off the entire bunch of seawater in one go. "Still need to keep workin' on this. Don't let it keep you from gettin' a hold a your moirail. You got a phone? I can lend you mine, if you'd like." He nodded to his backpack, where his cell was, and then turned to point out the land line phone with his eyes. "I'm willin' to bet that after all the drama a the past few days, it'd be nice to hear from you." He certainly would be worried if his moirail went out to do something dangerous, only to up and disappear for a couple days with no word.

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

Gamzee chewed at his lower lip as he looked over at the phone, shaking his head some. "Karkat's not really all that big on talking on the phone," he explained then sat back, glancing at the husktop, wishing that he'd thought to pick up his own before hiding out here. His phone had been damaged in the same altercation that had left him with the slowly healing scars across his face and he obviously hadn't been able to replace it yet. He gestured toward the computer vaguely without reaching for it. "He's always online at least..."

[princeofmelodrama]

Eridan raised an eyebrow, and then sighed, leaning down to turn off his music program and sign out of trollian to get it to the login screen, before turning the husktop around to face Gamzee. He was wary of anybody even touching his computer other than himself, but it was important to him to have Gamzee touch base with someone who seemed to be the only other person other than him who gave a damn.

He leaned down across the back of the couch to give a kiss to Gamzee, and went to grab his actual sheet music and metronome instead.

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

At the sigh Gamzee started to withdraw, willing to forgo the computer if Eridan was that uncomfortable with it. At the kiss he frowned softly, reaching out to turn the husktop around gingerly and sign back into trollian, blinking then smiling faintly as immediately a window popped up. Apparently Karkat had been waiting to see him come back online.

The explanation was short and to the point, letting his moirail know where he was, and more importantly, that he was safe, at least for the time being. He let him know that he wouldn't be on very long given that he was on a borrowed system then finally promised that he would come back and visit as soon as he knew he could. He didn't spend much time elaborating on what he was doing at the Ampora estate in the first place, promising that he would explain later. Karkat wasn't satisfied with that but seemed to accept it when Gamzee signed back off and returned the husktop to the other side of the table, crawling back up onto the couch.

[princeofmelodrama]

Eridan raised both brows at Gamzee's hesitation and swift discussion as he continued to practice, but once he played through a song, he slipped back up and took a seat on the back of the sofa, and ran a hand over Gamzee's shoulder. "You don't gotta take how I react personally," he murmured, holding his viola and bow against his leg. "I'm not a gentle person. You should know that by now. I'm sorry." He looked up at a knock to his door and walked over to see what it was. They were being told that dinner was prepared, and that they had the choice of eating with his father, or eating here. After a moment of thought, weighing the decision, he bade the maid to bring it up for them. He closed the door after she departed and rubbed his face.

"Listen, Gam, you gotta understand that no matter how callous I'm actin', it isn't on account a anythin' you've done. You hold aloft the moon to me, all right? I'm tryin' to get better at showin' that sorta thing. I don't want you to think a me as cold." He set his viola on a stand and carefully placed the bow beside it, before he walked over and settled down to pull himself up into a slight ball on the corner of the couch once more, tense and pouty.

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

Gamzee sat at the other end of the couch with his hands together between his knees, his feet propped up on the edge of it. He looked down at the borrowed pajama pants and picked some at a ball of fuzz with a soft frown. "Never thought you were," he said quietly without looking back around. "I shouldn'a said anything, just made the phone call. Don't really matter how I get back to 'im as long as I do it at all, right?" He offered a small, crooked little smile then went back to contemplating his own knees, his fingertips tapping on them somewhat nervously.

[princeofmelodrama]

Eridan's mental state deteriorated rather quickly at seeing how he'd affected Gamzee, and he curled up closer onto himself, his jaw set and his brow furrowed sadly. He did it again, he wound up saying, and doing something that managed to fuck everything up. He was certain what he'd done was on par with whatever other mental abuse that Gamzee often had, and he shook his head. Gamzee shouldn't have even thought to be around him. Eridan would only fuck him up even more. On the surface, sure, shit was completely fine, everything he did was well intentioned and polished, but it hid an ugly underbelly that only served to hurt. He couldn't fucking believe himself just then.

Eridan didn't say a word, just looking out before him as he contemplated frantically, trying to find some way to salvage this, to make things better. And the more he panicked, the harder it became to focus and find a good solution.

"I'm sorry," he finally whispered. "I fucked up. It's not your fault, you didn't do anythin' wrong, I was a fuckin' tool again, an' I fuckin' know it." That alone was something that rarely, if ever, left his lips.

"Please stop worryin' it's you."

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

The alarming change only served to make him frown more, crawling back across the couch and wrapping his arms around Eridan's shoulders, pulling him over and holding onto him tightly. He pressed his nose against Eridan's temple, shaking his head. "Stop that. You didn't do anything," he murmured against the other's cheek. "Not a motherfuckin' thing." He laid his hand on the other side of Eridan's face to turn it back toward him, kissing the corner of his lips then up across his cheekbones.

[princeofmelodrama]

With a tension in his whole body, and the cold still serving to make him even more miserable feeling, Eridan was trembling again, but it wasn't out of excitement, but rather in sheer nervousness that he'd fucked everything up and he'd have to find some way to rebuild from a wasteland. He clung immediately to Gamzee once the highblood's arms were wrapped around him and he shook his head, "no, I fuckin' did," he argued, "shouldn't even talk to you like that, shouldn't talk to you at all," he said, jaw clenched. "Don't." He didn't even know what he was protesting as his face was smothered in kisses, and he tried desperately to find a center of calm, something that didn't suddenly look like a dark and terrible thing. He focused himself on the warmth of Gamzee's arms and how he clearly wasn't as fucked up as he had originally thought, but the look that Gamzee had on his face returned to his mind and Eridan clenched his eyes tight.

"You're way too fuckin' good," he said, his whispered tone still frayed and sharp as he finally found a modicum of space to breathe, "too damn good for me, too good for everybody. Don't see why you gotta be so fuckin' nice."

He had to pull himself together. This wouldn't stand. This attitude was unbecoming. Unfit. Not suited for royal decorum. Eridan focused on breathing and laid his head against Gamzee's shoulder.

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

Gamzee just shushed him and ran his fingers through the hair at the side of Eridan's head, scratching at it gently as he laid his cheek against the top of the other's head. He rocked slowly on the spot with his hand resting against the side of Eridan's face, murmuring quiet assurances that he hadn't done anything wrong. It was perfectly reasonable to be less than willing to let someone else use his computer for any reason. Not only that, he hadn't even thought that his reaction had been that obvious to begin with. He leaned back some and laid his hands on either side of Eridan's face, turning him back around to look him in the face.

"I mean it, you gotta stop this. You didn't do shit wrong. I'm ok, ok? I promise."

[princeofmelodrama]

It didn't take long after nodding to what Gamzee said for Eridan to finally calm down and look Gamzee in the eyes, murmuring, "I'm sorry, I don't... I don't usually get like that 'round others, don't know what came over me." He usually waited until everyone else was out of range to see or hear him to flip out like that. "Must be this stupid cold, fuckin' messin' with me. Probably got a fever, too, dunno." He excused and pulled a blanket over himself as he felt chilly suddenly. The blanket wound up over Gamzee too, and he continued to lean against the highblood.

"S'definitely the cold. Probably some nerves. Never had anyone actually feel flushed for me before, never had a lotta this shit happen before. Must be all a this comin' in at once," he said with a firm nod. "Just overwhelmed me. That's all." That said, he looked up at Gamzee with a faint smile. "We should find somethin' to do before anythin' else threatens to kick my ass down the stairs again."

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

"Yeah, definitely the cold. Ain't feelin' yourself," Gamzee agreed quietly, smiling to himself as he kissed Eridan's temple again then sat back, finally letting him go now that he'd calmed down. He continued to run his fingers through Eridan's hair after finally settling back down at his side, looking back out of the window at the drizzle still hitting the windowpane. There was a lot to think about now and his fate wasn't even sealed yet, but he felt good about all of this. He would be able to keep out of the line of fire, at least for a little while. Though more than that, he wanted to keep Eridan as far away from it as it could manage without leaving him behind entirely.

When the maid finally returned with their plates, he was still there wedged against Eridan's side acting as a comfort without being invasive, taking the plates with his free hand and giving the girl a toothy but altogether very sweet smile. He scooted down onto the floor in front of the table to eat there, poking a bit at the fish that Dualscar had had grilled for him so that at least he could have a warm meal. He ran a hand over Eridan's leg, offering him a softer smile then dug into the salad at the side wordlessly.

[princeofmelodrama]

As he slipped down to join Gamzee, he smiled fondly, leaning over to press a kiss to Gamzee's neck before he set into his own meal. "Mm, have you even ever met my brother? I know we avoided him yesterday, but I just hate his friends. He's kinda an idiot, but he's really great to keep me from feelin' too bogged down in shit. Kinda like he's psychic about when I'm gettin' too far into my own fuckin' brain, mindfuckin' everything. An' he's... the worst at actin' his status." It was refreshing, actually. Kind of a pain at social functions, but Eridan had nothing to do with Cronus when they went out to social functions. He stuck close by his father and listened to the politics and gossip.

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

Gamzee thought about that for a few seconds, then shook his head. "Nah, never met 'im. Kurloz likes tellin' me about his friends though. 'bout Tuna and Meulin, mentioned Cronus before. That was before he started stayin' home. Didn't really think much of 'im, but I guess he didn't know 'im as well as you do."

[princeofmelodrama]

"... Tuna." That got a deadpan from Eridan, pointing at what just so happened to be tuna on his plate, and he flaked some meat off with his fork, poking it into his mouth with a shake of his head. "Cro's talked about Kurloz, though. Says he's the scariest motherfuckin' guy, told me that he's pretty sure the guy has spooky mind-garbling powers an' I told him, so? Better than havin' greasy hair an' bein' a peepin' tom. Got him to shut up extremely fast." He smirked and looked up at Gamzee with a smile. "I'd like to meet Kurloz one day, an' since you're probably gonna be around a lot now, you're likely to run into Cro. If he hits on you, hit on him back in the most awkward possible way. That'll get him outta your face."

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

"Aw come on man, Kurloz ain't scary. He's a good guy. Nobody talks to 'im because of the whole sewin' his mouth shut thing. He didn't even make those holes himself, he had the piercings beforehand. Just put the string through 'em." Shaking his head, Gamzee took another bite of his fish. "As for the whole brain powers thing, yeah he does have those. But all he uses 'em for is talkin' to me and Tuna. Psii don't let Tuna come over anymore though."

[princeofmelodrama]

"Oh, yeah, he said somethin' about that, an' Vriska's sister told us all about that shit at length, too," nodded Eridan with a smile. "I think that's noble a him, actually. Cro thinks it's spooky, an' I'm pretty sure Aranea doesn't think very highly a it, but... his reasons are noble." He looked down at his salad and picked at it, more evenly spreading the toppings, before setting into it.

Eridan had once pondered asking Gamzee about the religious beliefs that he and the other subjugglators had, but worried that asking would come of as condescending, no matter how curious he was about it. He was stoutly atheist, himself, but the essence of faith was intriguing to him. He continued eating quietly and then chuckled. "Don't see why nobody would talk to him. He'd be the best listener."

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

"It's because'a that look he gets when he listens," Gamzee shrugged. "Like he's really listening. Dissectin' every motherfuckin' word you say and pickin' it apart. He's fuckin' smart, man. One'a the smartest motherfuckers I ever met. Mostly when people talk, they just want someone to listen. Not to understand. Like, they think that's what they want, but really they just want to be able to talk and then forget about it, y'know?" Shaking his head, Gamzee finished off his meal then finally tossed the cold medication into his mouth, swallowing the pills down with a couple of gulps of water then sitting back against the front of the couch. "He's helped me through a fuckin' lot. Even before he went and fucked up his tongue he's been a good brother."

[princeofmelodrama]

Eridan's brows arched at that. Gamzee was right; lots of the time, people don't like speaking to someone who would really listen. He'd find it disconcerting to say the least, after the way the one person he always confided in always seemed to not quite listen at all, that's for sure. He smiled at that, then. "Sounds like a real good guy, then," Eridan said with a nod.

"I give Cro a lotta shit, but he's there for me when I need him, in his own way. He knows better than to start pryin' an' askin' questions I don't want to answer, or don't even have answers to. Just pulls me outta my comfort zone an' puts me into a place to really take a good look at things from a completely different perspective. He might be crazy, though, just a little. But he's the good, harmless kinda crazy." He took his own meds and swallowed them down with a swallow of water. "People get fucked up about him though, like he's a serious fuckin' threat to 'em. He comes on too strong. Doesn't know how to deal with people. You know how I said back when I was killin' those rumors about us that if I made moves at everyone I found attractive, I'd alienate a whole lotta people? That's one'a the things he's pretty well known for doin'." He sighed and shook his head. "He's still really good, though. Deep thinkin', real introspective. Amazing guitarist, too!"

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

"Then maybe one'a these days, he'll find someone that sees that instead'a the human greaser shit he's so fond of." Smiling faintly, Gamzee pulled himself back up onto the couch and curled up there beside Eridan again, his chin propped up on his knee. "Sometimes that's all anyone needs. Someone that ain't just lookin' at the outside shit. Might make him slow down on gettin' up in peoples' space."

[princeofmelodrama]

"I think he does that solely for attention," Eridan said as he slunk back up beside Gamzee, sighing quietly. If he wasn't so sore, he'd feel the impulse to go for a swim, as he'd been far too stagnant for far too long. "I'm sure he enjoys the aesthetic, but that humankin bullshit's just that." He trailed his fingers gently over Gamzee's chest and sighed. "You want to watch a movie or somethin'?"

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

"You know I've seen shit about humans dressin' up like us and doin' all that shit like he does," Gamzee pointed out then shook his head, wrapping an arm around Eridan's shoulders and pulling him close. "Movie's good with me. If you wanna do somethin' else I'm not gonna say no to that either, y'know."

[princeofmelodrama]

"No less fucked up no matter which one'a the species is doin' it," Eridan amended, before sneaking a quick kiss to Gamzee's lips, brow arching. "Somethin' else?" He put his arms around Gamzee's waist. "An' what else would you like to do?"

[cookinglikeamotherfucker]

Gamzee's brow arched up at that and he nudged his forehead against Eridan's. "Well, you did say movie 'or somethin'," he pointed out with a small smirk, but other than that he made no move in either direction. He wouldn't say no to whatever else Eridan might have in mind, but he wasn't going to make a move himself either. "Just figured you had other ideas."

[princeofmelodrama]

"Yeah, like TV. We could watch TV." He shrugged like the 'or something' was completely obvious, but now that it was brought into question, it was clear Gamzee was going to get called to task for calling it out. "So since you're the one so invested in this or somethin' that we may or may not even do, what is it you want to do? I feel like I've been yankin' you around all over the fuckin' place lately, figure I might as well extend some courtesy an' see what you'd like to do."