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

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar blinks in surprise. Some have described them as fearless, but he doesn’t feel that way now.

“I guess so,” they say quietly, even if that’s not what they want to say at all.

They don’t want to share Kent. They don’t want others seeing Kent they way he is right now, vulnerable and bear. That’s…this is theirs, and only theirs.

[videointhenoise]

"You guess so?"

He reaches down and takes their hand again, finding it close. "You wanna talk about it now?"

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar finds their bravery as they look at Kent again, studying his face with four wide eyes. They frown and move closer, pulling their hand away in order to touch his cheek.

“I’m not that kind of Hearthian. I don’t go bed-hopping.”

[videointhenoise]

"Yeah, I know you haven't been. But we haven't actually talked about it. If we're- if this is something we want, then I just want you, Felds."

He turns towards them.

"I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you."

[getfeldsparred]

Kent says the words and Feldspar stares a little harder. He loves them. He loves them.

And Feldspar…well.

Feldspar’s pretty sure they love him too. Not just pretty sure, but really sure.

They lean forward and kiss him fiercely, pulling back after a long moment. “I only want you. You’re…you’re the most amazing discovery I’ve ever made, I claimed you from the start.”

[videointhenoise]

Kent basks in the kiss, then smiles and leans back again. "Yeah," he agrees. "But uh - you haven't put a flag in me yet so..."

He turns on his side towards them and puts an arm around them.

[getfeldsparred]

“I mean, if that’s something you’re into,” they grin, sliding their arm around Kent’s waist. “You know me, I’m willing to try anything once.”

Including this.

Feldspar leans their forehead against his and exhales quietly. “Hatchlings are gonna tell everyone about us.”

[videointhenoise]

Kent snorts. "They've been telling everyone about us for weeks," he points out. "Didn't you hear the rumors? Ever since you took me back to Brittle Hollow, they've been talking about nothing else."

[getfeldsparred]

What!?

“No!” Feldspar says, sitting up quickly. “Those little…for weeks? I’m going to thrown them all up a tree. I’m usually in outer space, how’s starting a rumor about me fair!”

[videointhenoise]

Kent laughs, staying still. "You're an easy target, I'm afraid," he tells them with a straight face. "But if you throw them up a tree, you have to find a way to get them down."

[getfeldsparred]

“No I do not.” They flop down indignantly, pulling at the blankets at Kent’s feet to cover them both up. “They can stay up there and rot for all I care. They get no more stories from me.”

[videointhenoise]

Kent wraps an arm around them again when they settle back down, and he kisses him sweetly. "Oh you're not the one who stays behind to listen to them."

[getfeldsparred]

“Wait until they figure out how to use the radio,” they mutter, tipping their head lazily against Kent’s. They can’t help it, he’s just so warm and inviting.

And tomorrow they’ll wake up next to him too, and that makes something in his belly feel just as warm.

[videointhenoise]

Kent nods. "Then you'll be in trouble," he murmurs before he closes his eyes.

"I'm going to sleep," he tells them. "So if you want to sneak away, now's your chance."

[getfeldsparred]

“Sounds good,” Feldspar says, snuggling even closer to Kent. They have no plans to leave or sneak away, so Kent will just have to deal with the pilot’s grip throughout the night.

[videointhenoise]

Its not like that night on the moon. This time, Kent happily snuggles up tight against them and holds them close until he falls asleep.

And when he wakes up, warm and comfortable, the next morning, they're still there.

He turns over and kisses their shoulder, almost without thinking.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar’s still fast asleep, comfortable in Kent’s bed and making up for days of only fretful naps in their pilot chair. They only sleep this hard after a trip into space, and even then not this long or this soundly.

They exhale in their sleep at the feeling of the lips on their shoulder, but don’t wake.

[videointhenoise]

Kent doesn't move for the moment, simply letting them sleep until he realizes that he promised Hornfels that he'd meet them early to try and catch the Ash Twins.

He pulls himself away and gives them another soft kiss. "Hey. I gotta go to the observatory," he murmurs against their cheek. "Don't move my rugs."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar’s awake enough to turn and get the kissed pressed to the corner of their lips. “Mmmnf.”

They wake a little while later recalling a fuzzy conversation with Kent about rugs. Hm. Better to probably not move them.

They get dressed and decide to sneak out the window at the back of the cabin so no one can see them leaving in the middle of the morning. Thankfully everyone seems preoccupied, and they head up to the observatory to help Gossan sort through the artifacts.

[videointhenoise]

Kent's already up there with the others, letting them go through the little pictures and the Braille lettering.

"Well, we want you to enjoy it too!" Gossan is telling Kent when they see Feldspar walk in. "So you teach us the dot letters and we'll put them on the labels."

"You don't have to go through all of that for one person," Kent argues back.

[getfeldsparred]

“You’re not one person,” Feldspar chimes in from the winding stairwell. “You’re a member of Outer Wilds Venture.”

Hornfels laughs and snaps their fingers. “That’s exactly.”

Gossan is just staring at Feldspar, a veeeeery big grin on their face. …hatchlings. Damn it.

“Hey, Felds. Have a good night’s rest?”

They decide that they’re not going to rise to the bait. “Uh huh. I’m always tired coming back from space.”

[videointhenoise]

Kent turns his head towards the sound of the voice and he can't help the stupid grin that's on his face. He doesn't even realize that anyone can notice it.

The others absolutely do.

"You must have done a lot of work out there," Hornfels adds with a grin.

Kent sighs. "They've been doing this all morning."

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar doesn’t even realize they’re mirroring the exact smile on their face until they lock eyes with Gossan and watch their eyes narrowing knowingly.

“That’s because they think they’re clever, but they’re not.”

They walk up the rest of the stairs and sit down on the stump that Hornfels is turning into a model of the solar system.

[videointhenoise]

"They're clever, but they're also annoying," Kent points out with a laugh. "I'm going upstairs to catch the Ash Twins. I think I can start to put things on different frequencies now," he muses, taking hold of the railing and walking up.

Gossan and Hornfels are left.

And they stare at Feldspar.

And stare.

[getfeldsparred]

Feldspar blatantly watches Kent head up the ramp, then turns and stares right back at Hornfels and Gossan.

And they stare. And stare.

And they grin and jump to their feet. “I’m going to find Slate! See ya.”