Kent/Feldspar

[videointhenoise]

"Just once more," they had said when Ellie's team petitioned for it. She was busy with Palmer, falling in love with science while he fell in love with God, and Kent was left to pick up the pieces. He wanted another damn go at it. The Machine had a pricetag in the billions; it was begging to be used again.

But they wouldn't let Ellie go. They wouldn't let just anyone go. They wanted someone who knew how it worked, who had been there from the beginning, but someone who isn't completely taken in by Ellie's words.

That leads them to a dozen people and they end up with Kent. He's blind, but that's not what decides it. They claim that he wouldn't hallucinate the way Ellie did. That he has a unique perspective.

And, he's already proven himself steady and loyal.

He experiences it all the way that Ellie does, but something goes wrong on the other end. Maybe another terrorist attack. Maybe not. All he knows is that he's in the sphere and then, suddenly, he's floating, unable to find his footing until a great crash and he slams into the bottom of the machine.

He groans, pulling his helmet on with a grunt and a wince.

"Fuck this," he mutters, finding the edge of the sphere with his hands. There was a door there somewhere. He just - has to find it.

Comments

[videointhenoise]

"Because you raised them. Because you love them."

He breathes out.

[getfeldsparred]

“I do.”

Their vision starts to blur around the edges. Damn it, they’re crying again.

“Do…they still love me?”

[videointhenoise]

"Of course they do," he says and he pulls them into another embrace. "What a stupid question."

He knows it isn't. It just...is.

[getfeldsparred]

Is a stupid question really? Lapis was young when they disappeared, and knowing what they probably did about their crash landing how could they not feel abandoned?

“Do you still love me?”

They don’t feel like that’s a stupid question either.

[videointhenoise]

He doesn't hesitate.

"Every moment of every day," he responds, breathless with the thought that Feldspar might have doubted it.

"I never moved on from you. I never wanted to. It has always been you. I feel like...like my whole damn life

[getfeldsparred]

They feel like they’ve been punched in the gut. Never moved on, never stopped loving them even though they disappeared for years without a trace. They’d felt like they’d been in stasis all this time, but time kept moving on for Kent and Lapis.

“All this time…all this time and you don’t hate me.”

[videointhenoise]

"No," he answers softly. "But you've had years and years to convince yourself that you did," he says hesitantly.

[getfeldsparred]

Well of course they hate themselves. Hard not to after spending years doing nothing but reflecting.

“Maybe,” they say quietly, “but what else was I going to do? All I had were my own thoughts.”

[videointhenoise]

"I know," he answers and his voice is soft. Gentle. "I know that you - have been through so much. But we're together now. And I'm not leaving you."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar exhales slowly, leaning forward until their forehead touches his shoulder. They stay like that for a minute.

They don’t know who they are anymore or their place with the other Hearthians, but it might not matter in this place. Nothing like that will matter.

They pick their head up. “Will you kiss me?”

[videointhenoise]

"Yeah," he breathes, and muscle memory leads him down to kiss them, slow and sweet and gentle.

[getfeldsparred]

Their lips are cold and still as Kent leans down to touch them together, unsure if the kiss will wake them up and let them feel again like they were hoping. It takes a second and then Feldspar gasps against his mouth and deepens the kiss.

[videointhenoise]

Kent cups their face as they kiss, his hands slowly dangling down their back.

[getfeldsparred]

They move their arms to drape over his shoulders, still broad and strong where their limbs had shriveled to nothing, turning their head slightly to interlock their lips better. Kent’s nose brushes against their heavily-scarred cheek and they shudder.

[videointhenoise]

Kent breathes them in and then pulls away, resting his forehead against their neck. "I'm so happy you're here."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar brings a shaky hand to the back of Kent’s neck. His hair smells good, like it always did.

“Where is here anyway?” They thought the sun exploded.

[videointhenoise]

He smiles. "Your hatchling found this place. They call it the Stranger. It's an entire world on a spaceship. When youre ready, you should come and see."

[getfeldsparred]

It still feels weird to claim Lapis as their own after being apart for so long. They aren’t sure that Lapis still loves them like a parent, but they are so damn proud of them.

“The Stranger. Spooky.”

[videointhenoise]

"There's apparently some other part of this place. I don't know. But the outside is apparently very...normal. Green grass, tall trees. There's a seed bank along with everything we brought."

Not that he knows for himself.

[getfeldsparred]

Another part? That means something else to discover, and Feldspar immediately perks up. An indoor forest and a hidden world, maybe?

“I can’t wait to see it all.”

[videointhenoise]

"Whenever you're ready," he reminds them, squeezing their hand. "Do you want to walk outside now? Just to see it? I'll be right there with you."

[getfeldsparred]

They let out a shaky breath. Outside is where everyone else was too, not just a cool spaceship to explore. But they can’t hide forever, can they?

“Yeah,” they nod, pulling back from him. I’ll need your help though, I’m not steady on my feet and I don’t….”

They frown. They don’t want the others to see them that way.

[videointhenoise]

"It's alright. Put your arm around me. It'll look like you're just guiding me," he explains because he knows. He can't see his love, but he knows what he needs.

He also does need to be guided.

[getfeldsparred]

They feel the relief wash over them. That’ll do perfectly, but of course Kent would understand.

“Let me get dressed. Gneiss left some clothes for me at the foot of the bed.”

It’s a slow process, but a necessary one. The have to look somewhat put together, at least enough that they don’t look so frail. Gossan, Hornfels, and Slate would worry about them no matter what, but they can’t let the others see how fragile and weak they are now.

“I’m ready. Help me up?”

[videointhenoise]

Kent helps them dress as best he can, so when they're ready to get up, he's right by their side. He slides an arm around them. "The beings who were here before were huge," he grumbles. "These cots and chairs are way too big."