From Afar|Eridan Ampora x Reader

- au -

Eridan grinned at you from afar. No matter what day or time it was, you always managed to make him smile. Your overall personality was just so... alluring. He didn't understand why you kept his mood happy whenever you were around. Maybe it was because... no, he can't. That's not something Eridan would go to yet. He's six solar sweeps, for fuck's sake. Not.. yet...

A year later and Eridan still has a habit of smiling at you, especially whenever you'd approach him and talk about how wonderful your day was, or when you'd ask him about what happened in his before you'd notice that smile, before Eridan would immediately hide it with a scowl and be adamant about denying it. He'd never tell, but it was you and only you who caused him to smile like that. Then again, there was a possibility that... Ampora. Get a hold of yourself. Eridan was starting to get irked with all the thoughts that had been struggling to convince him that dude, [Name]'s the one. He barely smiled, and yet here he was; ocassionally smiling at [Name].

It could wait another 'year', he told himself. And it did. The feelings never disappeared. You seemed to talk with him a lot, and he liked that. Eridan didn't want you to leave and go back to Kanaya's hive where you stayed with Rose and the Virgo, and whenever you did have to go, he'd always keep up an attitude that was saying yeah, whatever but no, he still had this gut feeling that you were the person he wanted to be in the Matespritship quadrant. He could always get her this Quadrants' Day. Cronus would help him.

This Quadrants' Day, Eridan fiddled with his wand a bit before putting it in his pocket. It was the day he finally, finally overcame whatever it is that prohibited him from saying it these last two 'years'. Cronus did help him with some; he was dressed decently (as decent as Cronus would try to make him wear; his brother could be so vexing sometimes) and had a few [favorite flowers] in hand. He rushed towards Kanaya's hive, excitement and anxiety building up in him. What if you reject him? What if you don't like him? What if-

'Breathe, Eridan. Remember what Cronus told you. Living with what-ifs is a boring, boring, overly cautious life.' And he entered Kanaya's hive, Rose greeting him with a curt nod before returning to her knitting, but there seemed to be something... off. She seemed to have an expression of pity on her face as soon as she saw the flowers. Did she know? She was a Seer, as her friends would call her, but Eridan didn't know what she was predicting. Although he had a caliginous crush on her, it soon faded, and he felt nothing towards her anymore.

"Um... [Name]?"

You had heard your name be called, and you had stolen a glance, finding that it was Eridan. "Hey, Eridan!" you said cheerfully, grinning widely. "Are those flowers for Rose? I knew you had a thing for her, didn't you?"

Eridan laughed nervously. "Er- actually-"

"[Name], babe? Who are you- oh, heyo, Eridan!" John's voice resonated into the air, and he wrapped an arm around you as you laughed. "I hope you're okay with your moirail being my... girlfriend."

Everything seemed to crumble to pieces.

"Oh, yeah, I'm happy for you." He kept up his attitude, only smirking instead of frowning this time. "Nothin's a problem, [Name]. Nothin'. I was supposed to give these flowwers to you, moirail, because it's Quadrant's Day. I have to go, though, I still need to see Feferi. See you, [Name]."

He went out of Kanaya's hive, back to his own, and began to silently cry violet tears that made him despise his own weakness.

Be brave enough to tell someone what you feel.
Or be brave enough to see them with someone else.