An Ampora doesn't cry [Homestuck]

Chapter 1

His fingers have been tapping the desk for long minutes, too long minutes, a sign of his annoyance, of his patience being tormented. His eyes are riveted on his computer screen, his dark eyebrows betray his rumbling anger.

He reads for the umpteenth time the conversation posted on the private chat.

From Feferi: Your goal was to make friends, not to make fun of mine! I was stupid, I naively believed that you would be able to behave, to make an effort, but you remain only a narcissistic and obnoxious moron!

From Eridan: What's wrong with pointing out our condition? The hierarchy is like that. We are above the rest, no matter what you say. It's normal that the inferior people obey us.

From Feferi: In friendship there is no hierarchy, there is no master or absolute obedience! In my group, we try to stick to what people are for their qualities and faults, not for their fucking rank!

From Eridan: This is the kind of stuff that will be your downfall. Feferi, you're smart, you're bold, you're daring. Don't ruin it by making friends with people of lower rank. They will only take advantage of you, and you have nothing to gain from them.

From Feferi: I don't even know why I keep trying. You don't listen, you don't care, you're so sure you're right that you're deaf to my arguments.

From Feferi: Fuck you Eridan, I don't want anything more to do with you.

- This contact has blocked you, you can't send him any more messages or receive any from him -

Eridan runs a hand over his face. His eyes are burning. Because of too many screens? He takes a breath, calms the tears that are just waiting to come out.

He looks again at the screen, reviews his contacts.

Vriska blocked him. Kanaya also. Equius, Tavros, Terezi, Nepeta, Sollux...

He has only 11 contacts on the only social network he deigned to have. 11 contacts that ended up blocking him, over the last few weeks, ending with Feferi who cracked a few hours earlier, in the evening.

And there Eridan is, frozen in front of his screen, in the middle of the night, on the eve of a school day.

" ... Fuck."

Silence answers his insult. He grits his teeth, sweeps the desk, sends his keyboard flying and it goes exploding against the floor.

"FUCK!"

A few keys flew, littering the floor without him giving a shit. He'll buy a keyboard again, it won't be the first, let alone the last.

And his feelings prevent him from worrying about any hardware anyway.

Where did he screw up? He knows. Of course he knows. Feferi was everything to him, since childhood they were always together. Their families are affluent, had many collaborations, and Eridan naturally grew close to the girl.

It seemed normal to him that they were friends. They were of the same social class, they had only advantages to get closer, and Eridan could already see himself marrying her. Not for love, although he cared about her, but for profit.

They had been separated in high school. Eridan heard from her by phone, and that was enough for him. Even though he missed her, even though he had never managed to make any other friends - the other nobles were content with politeness and never went any further - even though Eridan felt the loneliness lacerating his heart... he had consoled himself by thinking of seeing her again. Seeing Feferi again, staying with her.

They had met again at the university last year. But Feferi wasn't like him. She was sociable, kind, funny.

She had made a lot of friends, from all walks of life. They were a group of about ten people, and the girl had invited him to join them.