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A Golden Cosmos of Silver Stardust

Summary:

There were three things Rain knew for certain:

The first was that Kay had taken the compound promised to heal her body; to fix the fatal injuries issued by the very beings that had killed their family.

The second was that she'd watched Kay die at the hands of an unborn child twisted and birthed into a wretched creature;

And the third was that after all was said and done, she sought to preserve Kay’s body long enough to bury her in a place that would always see the sun.

So, when Rain found herself once again peering into the dark eyes of the woman she thought dead and gone, she quickly realized that she was no longer as certain as she once had been.

 

Or, Kay suffers the consequences of having taken the compound.

 

Note: I'm still updating the tags!
... And also the title lmao
... Maybe the summary too

Notes:

Please Enjoy!

Chapter 1: We Meet Again

Summary:

Rain wakes to see another day.

Notes:

Also, in case you're curious, here's the playlist I was listening to while I wrote this chapter. Both links will take you to the same progression of songs, just on different platforms:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7yQna62e2SGG0R5B4mwNJv?si=sLRXTk98QHezpk3GhQi-DA&pi=9_NOI8SZQwyCk

https://youtu.be/aUG--f5qZjo?feature=shared

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Being woken from Cryo was… an uncomfortable process, Rain had quickly discovered as she squinted against the jolt of sound and light that had so drastically flooded her senses. Before she could do much to adjust, the pod slid open with a hiss, exposing her to the stale, recycled air within the Corbelan, the new atmosphere feeling thick and stuffy. To make it worse, the cooler temperatures beyond the bounds of her cocoon-like sleeping chamber stole the warmth from her body, causing the muscles in her shoulders and along her spine to tense. 

“Oh thank god.” A familiar voice said, the nature of it intoned with obvious and potent relief.

Frowning, Rain carefully forced herself upright, her stiff joints voicing their protest by threatening to cramp up and cause pain. “What?” She tried, but the word barely had any strength. Before making another attempt, however, she swallowed, her throat stinging with dryness.

“Rain… I didn't think you were going to wake up…” 

Alarmed at who exactly the voice belonged to, Rain’s eyes frantically moved about their sockets to take in every edge that bound her range of vision. It was only when she turned her entire body that she was able to put a face to the voice.

Memories immediately began flooding back to her; broken, warped memories that would require her to sit with them to determine what was true and false. Instead, all she could do was stare at the familiar face of the young woman before her who was, most significantly, supposed to be dead.

“... Kay?” she whispered, uncertain of whether or not coming out of Cryosleep included auditory and visual hallucinations as side effects. Even still, the person across from her looked so real… she had to be real.

“Yeah, it's me.” There was a hint of haunted sadness that made its way into her expression; a distance brought on by having experienced too much in the short stretch of years her life had entailed.

Slowly glancing over the figure claiming to be her friend, Rain noticed the frostbitten fingers curled around the edge of her Cryopod. She then let her gaze travel upwards, following Kay's arm to her shoulders, chest, neck, then back to her face before gently reaching out with intentions to touch.

“Is it okay if I…?” Rain asked as she stopped inches from Kay's cheek. A nod was her only consent, but it was enough and soon, the palm of her hand met soft, warm skin. 

Alive. 

Kay was alive.

Tears welled and her vision blurred as she stared into eyes of dark brown. “How did you… I thought…”

What appeared to be regret had Kay pulling away, casting her gaze to the side and off to the floor. With her hand now empty, Rain withdrew, studying her friend. A single, inky black tear ran down Kay's face, leaving behind a soot colored trail as it ran to her chin and fell to the ground.

Alarm filled Rain's chest as she stiffened, mind racing through the possibilities and implications of what the nature of that tear could mean for her friend. “What's happened?” she whispered, sitting as still as stone, barely breathing. 

“I don't know.” Kay answered, voice breaking on her second word. Her gaze remained fixed on the floor, a newfound intensity in them that had Rain leaning over to see for herself what the other woman was looking at. 

“It's been nine years though.” Kay continued quietly as she took a step back from the pod, now watching Rain react to the mass of dark, fleshy, slime-covered… substance that had since adhered to the wall and floor, seeping into every crack and crevice it could sink itself into. It looked like a chrysalis; its stiff, pod-like outer shell split open as though something had emerged from within. 

“Have you been inside that this whole time?” Rain asked, voice shaking as the weight of horror filled her stomach, causing it to churn. Her gaze returned to Kay, this time observing her with more scrutiny than before, although her mind was still fog-laden and swollen from Cryosleep.

Kay reached up and wiped her cheeks to clean them, the hard, determined set of her expression cementing her resolve to not let her emotions get the better of her. Regardless, she glanced down at her hand and suppressed a wince at what she saw.

“Yes.” She answered weakly, unable to meet Rain’s gaze with her own. “It… woke me up fifteen hours ago.” 

“And… how are you?”

“Fine.” Kay shrugged. It was a bad lie, but knowing her friend, Rain saw no reason in pushing the matter further so she changed it altogether.

“How much longer do we have before we get to Yvaga?” she asked, taking note of the air of exhaustion and illness that seemed to linger within the other woman's eyes. Looking deeper into the details, she noticed the somewhat unkempt nature of Kay's hair, a dampness clinging to it as though she'd been swimming, sweating, or bathing. If she were to have let herself linger on the efforts, no further observation would help ease her already worried, racing heart, so she stopped herself almost as quickly as she'd begun. 

“Two weeks.” Kay answered with melancholy. “I…” she began, but stopped to gather herself, pausing to regain her resolve. “I woke you up to ask what you wanted to do with me.” 

“What?” Rain blurted, brows furrowing heavily. “Wh- what do you mean, ‘ do with you’? ” 

Finally, Kay looked over at her, brown orbs meeting blue ones, and Rain felt her heart stop and fall directly into her stomach. “I don't think I'm human anymore.” She said as she held out her hand, resting her wrist on the edge of the open Cryopod, exposing darkened, shriveled patches of dead skin on every digit except for her index. “I was frost bitten up to my elbows and knees. I couldn't get up… couldn't move when I was pushed from the pod, but after a few hours…” her sentence petered off, unfinished and confused. 

“You're healing yourself…” Rain whispered as she carefully touched the palm of Kay's hand, allowing her fingers to gently traverse the expanse while avoiding the currently nonliving parts of her. “This is exactly what the scientists were trying to achieve, Kay.”

“I-I know.” Her voice cracked and she looked away, drawing into herself as she pulled the sleeves of the oversized shirt she wore down past her wrist to conceal her hand. It was different from the one Rain had last seen her in, and under it, Kay seemed… thin ; like she hadn't had the sufficient levels of nutrients in her system to sustain a nine-year long, genuine hibernation. Her body seemed to have resorted to eating itself to supply what was needed in an effort to prolong her survival. “What do I do? I mean… if they find out- the officials on Yvaga… I'll never be free. You'll be incarcerated, maybe killed, and Andy-” her voice broke as tears overwhelmed her, black streaks that painted her cheeks with dark tracks reminiscent of the fine strokes of a paintbrush. 

Rain was already leaning over the edge of her Cryopod, reaching for her friend who looked understandably panicked and afraid. Despite her mixed hesitations, Kay stepped forward and allowed herself to sink into the embrace offered to her, needing something so human after nearly a day of inhuman and strange experiences. 

“It's gonna be alright.” Rain whispered with comfort in mind, trying to sound as confident as possible while she held the other woman tightly around her ribs. “We'll get it figured out. We have two weeks to work with before we're approached or before we approach the planet itself.” She felt Kay pull back and she let her go. “Do we have rations and water that'll last two weeks?”

Kay shrugged. “Yeah… I've already checked.”

Rain nodded then looked at her friend more pointedly. “Have you eaten anything since waking up?” 

Just as she'd suspected, Kay shook her head. “I've been too worked up to eat anything. You should though. Oh, and if you want, the ship has collected enough ice for the showers. I took one earlier.” She sniffed as she wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt, adding to the plethora of recently added dark stains of the same nature.

Offering a smile, Rain did her best to make it seem easy despite everything that now weighed on her. “Please tell me there's a ‘hot water’ option.”

With a small smile and a watery huff of laughter, Kay nodded. “Yeah there is. Do you need help getting out of there?”

Rain leaned forward and looked over the side, assessing the drop. While it wasn't far, she knew her limbs would need time to acclimate after so long of remaining inactive. “Uh… maybe?” She said, moving slowly to resituate herself, preparing to sit upon the edge. Her arms felt shaky and weak and it had her wondering if her muscles had atrophied to any degree while she slept.

Before she could consider her options, Kay’s hands had come to fall against her ribs, holding her with a firm, preparatory grip. Rain didn't protest, leaning in to the assistance with a nod. Initially, she had planned to slide to the floor, using gravity as her aid, although instead she was lifted and set upon the ground in a feat of easy physical strength in a way she'd never seen from Kay. Her shock was something she wouldn't have been able to hide no matter how hard she tried, the expression on full display despite her efforts.

Looking sheepish, a brief but nervous smile formed upon Kay's lips as she shrugged. “How do you feel?” She asked, intent on changing the subject. “Y'know, now that you're vertical.” 

Rain winced against the sudden flare of pain in her skull as her heart raced to push blood through her system. Consequently, she leaned back against the pods behind her to wait for the growing migraine and dizziness to pass. When it was mentioned that coming out of Cryosleep was like dealing with a hangover, now more than ever did that feel like an underwhelming assessment. Despite this, however, Rain couldn't summon a better descriptor. “Like I just spent two whole days drinking nothing but the hardest stuff anyone could find.” 

Kay's smile morphed into something more sympathetic, a familiar warmth in her eyes that thankfully hadn't been snuffed out by worsening circumstances.

“Are you gonna get sick? I've heard that's also common after coming out of Cryo.”

“Trying not to.” Rain said through a controlled sigh, her voice a murmur as she was rapidly coming to regret having been so quick to leave the Cryopod before she'd been able to fully understand the condition her body was in. Sitting up and talking was definitely easier and less painful than whatever she was doing now. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing pattern, hoping to reassemble some small amount of harmony between the systems within her.

Closing the distance that separated them, Kay once again took Rain under the arms and helped lower her to the hard, metal floors below. “I want you to stay here. I found some meds earlier that might help.” 

“I'll go with you. I just need a moment.” Rain said quickly as she shifted slightly to support her head with her palms, propping her elbows against her knees which were pulled up to her chest. Regardless of her physical discomforts, they paled in comparison to remaining alone and sitting beside remnants of the byproducts facilitated by something relating to the species that had killed nearly all of her friends. It didn't matter whether this particular circumstance was meant to protect Kay during their nine-year venture or not, it still made Rain uneasy.

“No, you stay here. Just rest.” There was a hint of uncertainty in Kay's tone and while Rain noticed, she didn't comment on it. She felt the hands around her lift and return upon her shoulders, the weight of them a warm comfort that vanished sooner than she'd hoped when the taller of them rose to her full height. “I'll be right back.”

Before she could stop herself, Rain reached out, catching her wrist. “Wait…” she said quietly, a pleading note contained within the word. Her eyes found Kay’s the moment she turned around. “I want to go with you. A lot of bad things happened in this room and I don't really want to be alone.” She admitted openly, damning the consequences even though she had already pulled away.

An understanding look passed over Kay's features; a softening born from the earlier curiosity, and she nodded. 

“Help me up?” Rain asked, shy and appearing half-joking even though she meant it.

“Of course.” At that and without furthering the exchange of conversation, Kay bent into a low crouch, her arms moving to encircle her friend, only she didn't stop where Rain thought she would. Instead, she hooked her elbow under Rain's knees, then lifted her as easily as a father would his newborn child. 

“Wait, wait, what're you doing?” Rain asked with alarm as her body left the floor. 

“Taking you with me.” Kay offered a smile and it helped ease the worries that had begun to swirl in Rain's chest. “You said you wanted to go.” 

“I meant like-!” Headache flaring at the effort to complain, Rain stopped, a wince twisting her features.

“Dude, just rest.” Kay said pointedly through a subdued chuckle, then sighed as she turned to begin heading further into the ship. “I might've come from that pod; that thing , but I'm still me. At least for now. Y'know, in case you wondered.” 

Reluctantly giving in, Rain forced herself to relax, her head coming to rest upon her friend's shoulder. She closed her eyes, focusing on the rhythm and sway of Kay's stride. “Fine, but I owe you one.” she said, settling into the embrace. “And it doesn't bother me. I'm just glad you're alive.” 

A blanket of melancholy fell over the duo while they considered the uncertain future that lay before them, the words that had been the last to fall driving in the weight of the dangers they now faced. Kay didn't respond either, appearing unsure of how she should respond and Rain, following her intuition, didn't push for it, knowing it was far too soon to be discussing such heavy topics. 

Instead of allowing herself to fall victim to her harshest thoughts, Rain chose to focus on the strong, steady rhythm of the heart which beat just under her ear and relished the knowledge that one of the closest people she had was alive… 

Even if the exact nature of such a survival was still a mystery. 

Notes:

Thank you for reading, my friends! There's more to come :)

Chapter 2: You're Human, I'm Not

Summary:

Kay contemplates the future while Rain works to feel better.

Notes:

My friends! A new chapter is here! Forever and always, I hope that you enjoy :)

Also! Here's the song I was listening to while I wrote this chapter, in case you were at all curious:

"Why Did You Do It" by Izzamuzzic and TRAKEA

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

As she sat upon the pilot's seat within the cockpit, Kay drew in a deep, steadying breath as she slowly turned her hand and wrist so her palm was facing the ceiling. Through the small windshield, the light of Yvaga's central star reflected off of newly healed flesh, and in the lone silence, she let her eyes rake across the shiny, blemishless patches, scrutinizing the state of her fingers. The dead, frostbitten sections stood out amongst fresh, pinkened skin, but those were quickly disappearing; regenerating and healing with time. Beneath it all though, down closer to her bone, blackened veins pulsed with the ichor of what used to be her blood, forever changed by her desperate decision to take the compound in hopes of saving her life.

She was wrong to do that.

She could see it now. 

While generally healthy, her body would never be the same; permanently altered by the experimental substance. How exactly it had changed her, she wasn't entirely sure, although the anticipation of the unknown left her tense and feeling unsafe. Despite having not been awake for long, she could tell those new developments were still an evolving thing. Slowly, she was becoming what the compound was designing her into and that thought alone stoked the deepest sense of anxiety she'd ever known. 

Brushing her contemplation aside, Kay let her fingers curl into fists and she buried them under the blanket she had draped over her shoulders. She didn't want to look at them anymore, and by extension, herself, for how long would it be before she began to morph into one of those… things; before she was more animal than person? How long would it take her to become the predator instead of the prey? 

Those thoughts and many more like it brought upon her the harsh reality that she was wholly alone in her current predicament. She had nobody to share the experience with; nobody to talk to or ask guidance towards what she should expect. She was the first of her kind and most likely the first to survive the injection. She was, in all intents and purposes, an anomaly.

Kay sighed to herself, allowing her gaze to grow distant as she stared out into the faraway light of such a beautiful celestial body; Aranovum, the star was named, or so the ship's database told her. When broken down, the etymology roughly meant ‘an esoteric or unusual altar’, which, as someone who grew up in a place that saw not even a scrap of daylight, it made sense to her. For thousands of years, humanity associated Earth’s sun with worship or religious practice. Why would this instance be any different? She only wondered what was so different about this star that it made its way into the naming process. 

Suddenly, the hiss of a pressure door touched her ears and she flinched, the sound feeling louder than she'd expected and causing her heart to take up a rib-hammering rhythm deep within her chest. 

“Oh, fuck.” she heard Rain whisper to herself as she stepped out into the open from within the shallow depths of the steamy bathroom. It caused Kay to swivel around in her chair with all the more haste, her eyes immediately locating her friend.

“What's wrong?” she asked cautiously, standing slowly, her senses heightening towards Rain’s wellbeing.

With an almost violent shiver, the young woman waved a dismissive hand against the inquiry, but the heavy exhale that left her lungs had the cold air around it condensing into a thick cloud. As Kay began her approach, she noticed the steam rising from every inch of her friend's exposed flesh and it was then that she realized the ship’s internal temperature was much lower than she'd perceived. Dressed in nothing but the cleanest pair of clothes they could find, there was no way Rain would be able to stay warm in a shirt whose sleeves had been cut off and a pair of shorts that were much too big for her. The whole point of insisting she take a shower was to help her feel better after coming out of Cryo; that the warm water and soap would aid her both physically and psychologically as she continued to adjust to the ramifications of the Long Sleep.

In one smooth motion, Kay ducked under the doorway adjoining the cockpit and sleeping quarters and pulled the blanket from her shoulders. The cooler temperatures didn't do much to bother her, but it wasn't something she immediately noticed either, her attention intense upon the task at hand. Soon, she had closed the distance between them, removing the damp towel Rain had wrapped around her without a word. She quickly replaced it with her blanket, hoping to negate as much heat loss as possible.

“I didn't realize the temperature dropped.” Rain said through clenched teeth to keep them from chattering. “You didn't leave a door open, did you?” she said, a smile forming on her lips despite her discomforts. 

Too enthralled by the sudden and intense urge to protect and fix, Kay failed to take Rain's joke into consideration but the consequences of doing so didn't seem to be much of a bother. In the end, she wasn't sure how to respond, but she did the best she could, keeping her hands busy by adjusting and readjusting the plush fabric around the woman standing before her. “I… I didn't realize it either… the temperature.” With a gaze that couldn't stay in one place, she knew her demeanor came across as distracted and swimming with a cacophony of thoughts and ideas. “There's more in the sleeping quarters.” She added gently, then gestured after realizing she hadn't specified what she was referring to. “Blankets, I mean.”  

Rain’s expression relaxed slightly and that shift alone helped to break the situation’s growing tension. “How are you not cold?” She asked as casually as possible, her posture becoming less stiff as the blanket helped to protect her against the icy temperatures. It was already warm from Kay’s body heat and the feeling had her tugging on the edges to pull it closer than it already was.

Frowning, Kay pursed her lips in something akin to deep concentration while she tried coming up with an answer. “I’m chilly.” She said simply. “But it's not- it doesn't feel like the air in here is below fifty or sixty degrees Fahrenheit to me.” 

At that, Kay watched as Rain’s eyebrows rose with surprise and she shrugged, feeling sheepish. Absently, she gave in to the impulse that told her to rub at her neck, her left hand closing in around the now old injection site. “Uh, it's… it's probably… y'know?”

Watching with an almost concerned intensity, Rain tracked every one of Kay's movements, but ultimately nodded. “The compound…” 

“Yeah.” Kay swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and forced a smile. “Uh, c'mon. Blankets are this way.” She said, changing the subject while she allowed her hand to fall back to her side. She pointed to the only bed the ship was equipped with and the recessed storage below and above it.

“Hey, hold on.” Rain said, reaching to catch her friend by the wrist before she could walk further into the ship’s sleeping quarters. “Are you doing okay?”

The question caused the atmosphere around them to grow thick as time seemed to slow. Kay paused, staring at her friend, the nature of the inquiry having taken her off guard. Debating on whether or not to tell the truth, she inevitably settled for what she saw as the in-between. “Something like that.” She said noncommittally, but then relented. “I don't know what it's doing to me or what it's going to do to me, but physically I feel fine right now, so…” she shrugged again, this time trying to hide the newly exposed tender vulnerabilities she had towards her predicament. “There's just a lot of unknowns.” 

Rain nodded, gaze growing soft. Her touch lightened upon the wrist she held a moment before she let her hand slide lower. Her grip briefly tightened around Kay's fingers before it was gone altogether. “Tell me how I can help.” She said gently, eyes appearing more like shadows than the blue that they were.

Kay almost stiffened at the part of her that reveled in the intensity with which Rain spoke to her, but just as she always did, she pushed those feelings back, knowing they weren't reciprocated. Blinking as she forced her gaze elsewhere, she stepped away, putting distance between them. “I don't know if you can.” She whispered, closing her eyes. 

“I can try.” 

“Rain-” 

Kay .” 

Her name was spoken so tersely that Kay almost flinched. “I can't ask you to put yourself in danger.” She said, drawing herself up to look directly at Rain. “If I was able to survive long enough inside the airlock to get myself to move through the suit room, the corridor, and into the cargo bay…” she shook her head. “If I can survive out there,” with a hand extended behind her, gesturing to the nothingness beyond the main windshield, Kay took a shaky breath. “I'm not safe to be around . ” 

A rough shiver had caused Rain’s jaw to clack shut and she braced herself against it, leaving an angry look in its wake. “And I won't let you punish yourself for something you can't do anything about.” she said, releasing a sharp, foggy breath before drawing in another. “So you took the compound. Whatever . You're alive and well enough to talk with me now; that's all that matters. You're not going to hurt me.” 

“I don't want to risk it, Rain. End of story.” Kay said, a note of frustration burning every word. 

“And that doesn't answer my question.” Rain replied sharply, the silence falling around them like the soot-blackened snow that fell from the sky above their homeworld. 

They stared at each other, waiting for someone's will to break, but it never came. Instead, Kay just frowned and with a huff, started in the direction of the bed, passing Rain and crossing the distance it took to reach the storage panels. 

“What do you want from me?” Kay asked as she knelt, eyes fixed on her new task of searching for more blankets. 

Rain looked up from her bare feet, still fuming, although she took a deep breath in, hoping to still her emotions enough to think with a clearer mind. “ From you?” She raised an eyebrow. “No, for you.” with careful steps, she approached the bed and sat, tucking her legs in close so she could cover as much of herself with her blanket as she could. “I abandoned you after I left Tyler. I'm not going to do that again. You mean too much to me.” 

Kay’s hands stilled over the bin she was searching through. There wasn't anything she needed inside, but she’d kept looking to keep herself looking busy. “What do you mean? You two broke up. It's normal to go separate ways.”

Rain was silent for a moment, chewing on her words and working them to determine how best to respond. “I was going through some things that I needed distance for.” She said slowly. “But your family has always been there for me; you have always been there for me.” Her jaw shook, but it wasn't from the cold. “I didn't speak to you for half a rotation, Kay. I cut ties. Fri-” she stopped, hesitated, sighed, then continued. “Friends don't do that.” 

Kay looked up, searching Rain’s features for a long while. “To be fair, I could've reached out too, but I didn't because I knew your break with Tyler was a tough one. I wanted to give you the space you needed and I know it's not easy seeing anyone related to an ex after something like that.” she said as she closed the storage unit to then open the one next to it. “Even though all of us are a found-family situation.”

“That's not my point though.” Rain said, her voice a touch sharper than intended, so she made a point to soften it. “We've always been there for each other and I left. I want to make that up to you and I was almost too late.” She spoke to her lap, head bowed while she studied the texture of the fabric. “That's why you were in the airlock. I was going to bury you on Yvaga… y'know, so you could see the sun. I thought I'd lost you…” her voice broke and she looked over at her friend, who stood, another blanket in hand. With deliberate movements, Kay sat beside Rain, a few inches separating them as she unfolded the thick square of cloth.

“You came when Tyler contacted you and I'll be the first to admit that I hadn't expected you to do that, but I was relieved you did. After all that time spent away… I missed you.” She said with honesty as she draped the blanket across Rain’s front, making sure it was tucked well enough around her to not let any warmth escape. “If I hadn't survived, I would've died feeling content knowing that I got to see you and everyone back together one last time. Things just weren't the same without you around.” She offered a smile as she reached up to run her fingers through Rain's still-damp hair. “If you want to help, let me have the distance I need to protect you while I figure out what I am. Okay?” 

Rain sighed, her gaze begging for a different request, but she eventually nodded. “Fine.” 

“Good. Now let me go find the temperature control before you freeze your ass off. Navarro and Tyler were the ones handling the acquisition of this ship, so I'm not familiar with it or how it operates. For now, stay here and get warm.”

Rain nodded, taking her eyes off of Kay for a moment while she contemplated her next line of questioning. “We have pressure suits downstairs. If push comes to shove, we could always wear those.” 

“Oh, true.” Kay said, straightening. “Now don't go anywhere. I'll be back.”

With a small smile, Rain hummed, watching her friend as she left the room.

Notes:

I'm worried these chapters are getting too wordy, but I love explaining things 😭

Anyways, now that the ball is rolling, hopefully the next chapter will come out soon, but it does take me a while to write these and that sucks. I have a lot more story to tell as we begin to explore the compound's side effects and the impact that will have on the dynamic between Rain and Kay. Stay tuned, my friends! There's more to come.

As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!

Chapter 3: Devastation, Regeneration, Transformation

Summary:

Rain wakes from sleep and Kay has a problem.

Notes:

Uh, gross things ahead, so... watch out :)

Please enjoy, as always!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Corbelan IV had an automated twenty-four hour day-night cycle when human activity was detected within its interiors. That being said, ship dark came much sooner than they'd expected, the lights dimming and shifting into a hue of dark red after the feminine, mechanical voice announced the end of the diurnal period. 

Luckily for Kay, she'd already been up for quite some time and thus, settling in was much easier for her. Rain, on the other hand, struggled for hours before sleep finally came, and it didn't help that Kay had insisted on spending the night within the cargo bay. 

After the eight-hour period had passed, the ship's lights slowly morphed back into their almost searing incandescence, ending the nocturnal period and starting the sequence anew. The announcement that ship day was upon them came an hour or two after the interior had begun to brighten and shift into the warm but dull sun-like illumination they all knew. 

When Rain finally managed to get herself out of bed, she quickly realized that Kay was already up, moving about and busying herself with a nondescript task or two.

“Hey.” Her friend said with a smile wide enough to show a series of straight, upper teeth. Despite the paleness, Kay looked well and healthy, but the realization was almost an afterthought considering the drowsiness that pervaded her mind.

A quiet groan left her as she tried rubbing the sleep from her eyes, then stopped to blink a few times. Regardless of having managed to fix the ship's internal temperature so that it was more comfortable, Rain still groped for a blanket to pull over her bare shoulders. “Hey.” She answered, voice groggy.

“Still not a morning person, huh?” Kay said, sounding like she was in a good mood. 

“No.” Rain sighed as she braced herself to stand. “How'd you sleep?” She asked, getting to her feet. Kay was standing just beyond the pressure door that separated the sleeping quarters and the cockpit, causing her to have to lean over to meet Rain’s gaze.

“Mmh, it is what it is.” she said with a slight shrug, her tone staying light.

The answer had Rain's countenance folding into a frown as she leaned against the sides of the cubby-like nook the bed was recessed into. “What do you mean? Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah, I'm fine, I just feel very stiff this morning. My bruxism is back too and that kinda makes my jaw hurt from the pressure.” she said as her gaze lowered to return to whatever she was occupied with on the other side of the wall. “How about you? You looked like you were sleeping pretty good.” 

Rain didn't answer right away, instead pushing herself to trundle into the cockpit, running her hands through her hair in hopes of taming it. With the heaviness of incoordination, she all but dropped down into the pilot's seat once she was near enough. “It took me a while to go to sleep, but it wasn't bad. Remind me again why you didn't want to sleep up here.” She requested, still frowning.

“Ah! Here we go.” Kay grinned as she pulled two foil-wrapped packages from within the storage panel. She turned and tossed one to Rain, who just barely caught it as she was in the process of a yawn. “And I didn't want to risk infecting the upstairs with the alien… shit. Y'know, like the pod I woke up in? It's gross.” Her expression then momentarily dropped into something more serious, even though it was brief. “And like we talked about before, you know I don't want to accidentally hurt you either.” 

The dour expression stayed carved into Rain's features, but she took a moment to examine the item that was all but thrown in her direction. Her countenance relaxed when she read the label, surprised to see that there was a flavor listed. Usually, ration bars were a bitter or sour mix of vitamins or other forms of nutrients meant to keep the body functioning, and they were never flavored to taste a certain way. This one, on the other hand, was labeled as ‘Grape’.

“Understood and… did you infect the downstairs?” Rain asked without tact, still too asleep for thinking of a more delicate reply. She looked back up to catch her friend moving to settle into the copilot's seat adjacent to her own. While she was content to continue the conversation as it was, she still made her efforts to return to her normal, not-so-groggy self, even if it was slow-going.

Kay huffed. “No, thank fuck.” She said as she ripped open the package. “I woke up and everything felt more normal than I have in a long time; thought maybe I'd savor it while it lasts.” 

Remaining silent, Rain simply nodded. Through her mental fog and despite the explanation, she couldn't wholly understand Kay’s good mood, especially when compared to all the loss they'd suffered in tandem with the concerns surrounding having taken the Z-01 compound. “Where'd you even sleep?” she requested instead, wanting to keep the peace. She made it a point to remain mindful of the newfound and seemingly directionless anxiety that had begun gnawing at her, the instinct having served her well in the past.

“In one of the pods. Gotta admit, it's not too uncomfortable.” Kay said as she took a bite of the ration bar, but she flinched, features quickly twisting as though she'd bitten down into a foreign object that wasn't supposed to be inside her food. With haste she pulled back, carefully removing all contents from within her mouth. 

It took her two whole seconds to react to the sight that lay before her, and it took Rain even longer. Before anyone could say anything, Kay dropped the ration bar and scrambled out of the chair, falling backwards and landing hard upon the steel grating that was the cockpit floor. She cried out, but the pain didn't stop her from pinning herself up against the wall behind her.

Rain watched, eyes wide as they flicked between the discarded stick of food and the woman that now lay panting on the floor, a terrified; horrified expression haunting her. Slowly, Rain stood, then knelt and picked up what Kay had dropped faster than she would a venomous creature, the object familiar and harmless in her hand. 

“Don't touch it.” Kay said through a wince despite the fact that Rain was already holding the offending ration bar. Her words sounded thick and slurred, but there wasn't much urgency painted within, so Rain chose to compromise on the matter and touch only the wrapper.

A tense silence passed between them as Rain looked over the sharp, white protrusions embedded in the soft yet dense nutrient material; a line of teeth, both upper and lower set in the same delicate order they'd inhabited within Kay's gums. It was then that she understood why such a strong reaction had come from her friend, and as Rain studied the nature of what she held, the anxiety that gnawed at her only worsened. 

Carefully, she looked over at the woman across from her as the weight of the matter began seeping in. Setting her hands free by tenderly placing their occupant back on the floor, Rain crossed the short distance between herself and Kay, her gaze worried and full of concern. 

“What just happened?” She asked quietly as she settled herself down, her knee only inches from the woman across from her. 

“Uh…” Kay replied, her gaze never leaving the ration bar sitting so innocently on the floor several feet from her. After a beat, she slowly reached up and into her mouth to feel the consequent holes, disbelief and shock quickly dominating the more subtle lines of her features. All of her back teeth on the right side were gone, dark ichor pooling in the craters left behind by the now vacant crowns and roots. She let her fingers drift over the freshly created sockets, pressing down into the soft flesh where a molar used to be. She felt a hard, uneven lump hidden beneath her gums, but she couldn't be certain if it was bone or something else entirely. 

Moving further away from her now missing molars and bicuspids, she turned her attention to her lower canines and incisors, careful of their potential instability. Spurred by the quiet influence she'd come to know as her own intuition, she wrapped her thumb and forefinger around her right, lower cuspid and pulled . With little to no resistance, the tooth came out, covered in the blackened matter which seemed to serve as her blood. What shocked her the most though, was the lack of pain. The only sensation remaining was the gentle suction of her gums against the tooth itself, and that alone was enough to cause her to cringe.

“They're dead…” Kay whispered as she let the single tooth drop into her palm, the paleness of it seeming too stark against the black slime that now coated her fingers. “My teeth are falling out…” she said, a harsh tremor shaking the words as they escaped.

All Rain could do was stare, feeling the charged panic in the air about to snap. The rapidness of everything going on around them felt too familiar; too close to seemingly recent experiences. She remembered the synthetic who requested she gather the compound and take it to safety, and she remembered how he manipulated them all into doing what he wanted; into doing what was best for the company. Anger flared in her stomach and chest, bringing a hot flush to her cheeks as she then thought about the black liquid in the laboratory's massive central tank. Whatever Kay had in her was a direct relative to those things , those monsters. 

Those aliens. 

With silence, Rain reached over and pressed a trembling hand to Kay’s cheek, gently guiding her to look over, their gaze meeting with little effort. “I think it's best to not leave them in.” She said with as much calm as she could manage. “If your body is rejecting them, they need to come out.” 

“W-why…?” Kay all but squeaked, her eyes having grown massive under the torrential movement of emotions that were passing through her in that very moment.

Rain shook her head. “The compound you took is a genetic reduction of the monsters we found aboard the Renaissance. The beginning of their life cycle is not slow.” She explained as clearly and plainly as possible. “If your teeth are dead and falling out, there's a reason behind it.”

What color remained seemed to drain from Kay's face, her eyes appearing strained and bloodshot with shadowy vessels. 

“Stay here. I'm gonna go grab some gloves from one of the med kits-” Rain started, but was interrupted.

“But what if-” To her tongue, the newly unfamiliar landscape within Kay's mouth caused speech to become difficult and the rest of the sentence ended up too slurred for comprehension.

Taking a deep breath in, Rain tentatively placed a hand over Kay's chest, reaching for her heartbeat. To feel that its pulse was fast and strong brought her enormous relief because if her friend was deteriorating, at least her heart was still strong. That alone gave them time; time they'd need should Kay begin to decline.

“It would've burned a hole in the floor by now… if it was acid.” Rain said a touch distantly, answering the mangled question after managing to piece enough of it together. “The gloves are in case it's toxic to me- your blood, I mean.” She explained, then relented some of the hold she kept on her emotions. “Let me do this.” The words sounded like a plea.

Clenching what teeth she had left, Kay nodded, inky tears brimming the edge of her lower eyelids as distress overpowered her composure. The morning had been going so well… 

Rising to her feet to then start towards the sleeping quarters, the young scavenger deepened her stride in hopes of reaching her destination quickly without causing alarm. Thankfully, she knew exactly where the medical kits were kept stashed throughout the ship, and there was one mounted to the wall above the work surface next to the bed. She pulled it down and began rummaging through it the moment its bottom made contact with the flat surface, her fast hands and now sharpened ability to think assisting her. She was thankful the grogginess of sleep had long since faded out of her existence, otherwise she worried she wouldn't be able to react in the ways she should.

Upon returning to Kay's side, Rain pulled the rubbery white gloves down over her hands, then stilled, her eyes squarely on Kay. “Weird day so far, huh?” She cracked a smile and it broke the tension around them for a moment. Softening, Rain let her eyes wander for a moment, taking in everything she dared before her own heart began to ache with what would only be a what if. “Everything will be alright, okay? I'll make sure of it.” she said quietly, hoping her voice didn't betray her thoughts.

After a moment of contemplation, Kay broke away from their linked gazes and relented with a sigh. Her shoulders sank with the heavy exhale, defeat prominent in her demeanor, but it was clear she understood what needed to happen. “Okay.” She whispered with a nod. 

Rain gave her an apologetic twist of her lips before reaching out, her gloved hands soon making contact with Kay's jaw. “Will you hold them for me? Your teeth, I mean.” She asked and an affirmative hum was her only reply before she noticed the moment when large, brown eyes slid shut. 

Hesitantly opening her mouth, Kay allowed Rain the access she needed, and before long, the careful process of removing each and every tooth had begun. 

Notes:

Would you believe it that I almost named this chapter "The Tooth Fairy" or "Backyard Dentist" but since neither fit the tone of the story, I decided to forgo both? Anyways, you guys, I've been thoroughly enjoying reading through your comments, they make me so happy, thank you! It's so delightful to know this story is being enjoyed by so many of you :)

Like always, thank you for reading and there's more to come in the near future!

Chapter 4: Instinct and Intuition

Summary:

Kay chances upon a few discoveries and Rain makes a confession

Notes:

Chapter Four has arrived! Late, because I was on vacation and didn't have much time or desire to write, but it has arrived nonetheless.

Before we begin though, I'd like to offer an extra special thanks to my dearest friend, Lillybug. She's helped me immensely with this story but also and most significantly, with this chapter. I often struggle to understand physical intimacy, body language, and social cues and over the course of these past weeks, she's helped me work through this learning curve. I can only hope my writing does justice to her advice and guidance. Once more, my dude, thank you!

Now, as always and forever, please enjoy this next installment :)

Chapter Text

The thick dryness in her mouth was the first thing Kay noticed as she slowly roused from sleep and the further she came into wakefulness, the faster she realized her mouth wasn't closed.

“What the fuck?” She grumbled as she worked to sit up, the words muffled and incoherent. A frown creased her brow and after managing to swing her legs over the side of the bed in the ship's sleeping quarters, she reached up to feel the foreign objects she knew were crammed between her jaws. 

“Oh, hey, wait-” Rain's familiar voice said from somewhere to her right and she paused to look over to see her friend crossing the distance, the same scanner Navarro had brought onto the Corbelan dangling from her grip.

Without thought, Kay absently began to pull the soft, damp fabric from her mouth, although a heavy pressure on the sides of her face caused her to stop. She reached for the culprit and soon realized an elastic bandage had been wrapped around her head to keep her mouth from hanging open. By that point though, Rain was before her, kneeling on the floor and carefully guiding her hands away from her face.

“Let me.” the other woman said gently, dark blue eyes catching her off guard. Kay couldn't help but stare into them, confused and concerned, yet also… 

No… she shouldn't even consider the rest of that thought.

“What happened?” She tried to ask instead, but decided her efforts weren't well met when her words ended up yet again distorted by the material packed into her mouth. She forced herself to look away, startled and shocked by the wild and intrusive inclinations her mind had suddenly been urging her towards. They had her on the brink of reaching out to brush a knuckle against Rain's cheek; encouraging her to run her fingers through Rain's unbound hair; to pull her closer…

But that would be… wrong. Not right. Inappropriate.

“We decided to bandage your mouth up so you could sleep.” Rain answered, her hands tightening around Kay’s a brief moment before they vanished. “And I insisted you stay up here.” 

Irrationally frustrated by the loss of touch, Kay huffed, unable to contain it. She made sure to keep herself in check though as she wasn't sure where such driven thoughts were coming from and the last thing she wanted to do was make Rain uncomfortable or to hurt her in any way. To better hide such an emotional response, she reached up to feel the damp fabric which kept her mouth from fully closing, hoping to reshift the focus.

“Can I take this out?” She attempted, already knowing the answer as Rain pulled back and knelt fully, now standing on her knees. There was a gentle smile forming in her lips and Kay wondered why. Was she laughing at her?

“Oh, yeah. It was just a temporary precaution to keep you from bleeding and from choking on it if it was bad enough.” Rain replied as she reached up to undo the elastic bandage, her hands warm and calloused against Kay's skin. 

As the bandage came off, something in Kay’s chest and stomach settled and grew comfortable as she relished the closeness. For as long as she could remember, she'd been harboring more than friendly feelings for the woman across from her, but this new and seemingly worsening infatuation wasn't by her own design or accord and that alone was terrifying.

A hand on her thigh ripped her from her thoughts so abruptly that she flinched, her jaw closing down on the thick wad of nonwoven fabric. The reaction caused Rain to hesitate, worry and concern coloring the emotions displayed on her features as she pulled her hand away.

“I'm fine.” Kay answered quickly, grimaced, then removed the gauze from between her… teeth? 

Teeth.

“I'm fine…” she repeated, although this time her voice shook as she reached up to feel the inside of her mouth.

Rain's hand returned to rest upon Kay's knee a moment before she stood, where she then leaned to the left to grab something off of the shelf. Coming back, she turned and sat, taking her own place upon the bed. “Here,” she said, shifting closer to the woman beside her. “In case you want to look.”

Kay glanced over, transfixed and softening at the warmth in those dark blue eyes she used to know so well. She nodded and held out a hand to accept the small, square mirror Rain had presented to her, waiting as long as she could before having to tear herself away from her captivity. Once it was within her grasp, she held the mirror by its edges to then position its reflective surface in her own direction. Looking through it, Kay immediately noticed that while her new set of teeth were generally the same shape, size, and orientated in the same manner as her previous set, they were also significantly… different . It seemed as though each bluish-white tooth had been shattered then reassembled with lead, leaving an incredibly fine web of metallic crack-like patterns in the otherwise unnaturally bright material. Kay couldn't help herself as she reached in to feel them once again, her curiosity too great to ignore.

“They're not so different from your other ones.” Rain said gently, her voice like velvet to Kay's ears. “And they're a lot stronger too; the material, I mean. At least, that's what the scanner said. I… sort of kept an eye on them the few times I changed your gauze. I wanted to make sure I wasn't hurting you.” she looked sheepish, glancing down as she began to fiddle with her empty hands.

“You…” Kay began as she once again turned to face the woman beside her. “How long have I been asleep?”

Rain shrugged. “About thirteen hours. Maybe fourteen at this point. I was more worried about you than the time though. It took a while for the bleeding to slow down.”  

“Thirteen hours…” Kay said distantly, her hands slowly falling to eventually settle in her lap. She almost had to keep her jaw from hanging open in shock while she focused on processing the information recently given to her. “Please tell me you wore gloves…”

“The first time, I did.” Rain answered. “The ship has a medical system, so I sent a sample through and according to the results, your blood is chemically sterile. Apparently, I could use it to clean wounds if I wanted to.” She reached over and carefully threaded her fingers between Kay's, her grip tightening. “So no, no gloves. I did wash my hands though.” She smiled, a short huff of laughter escaping her and the sound helped break the tension that had been building in Kay's chest. “Whatever the compound is doing to you, I think it's making you stronger, or at least more resistant to injury or illness. I mean… why else would your blood essentially have become an antiseptic?” 

Kay grew silent then as she thought about Rain's words, her gaze falling to look upon their joined hands. The erratic rhythm of her heart seemed to have stabilized and she felt significantly calmer. The sensation of security and solidity once again washed over her and she closed her eyes to the world. Finally giving in to the incessant encouragement to do so, she leaned over to rest her head upon Rain’s shoulder, taking comfort in the contact. 

“I don't know what's happening to me, Rain…” she whispered. “I don't know what I'm going to become…” 

“It can't change you much more than it already has.” Rain said as she shifted closer, her scent filling Kay's lungs with satisfying intensity. “I don't know much about genetics, but I know you're not- you're not malleable. It can't do much with something that is already very established.”

“You mean like…” Kay stiffened as her chest tightened against her lungs while she tried her best to make the mention as painless as possible. “My son?” she asked eventually, settling for something as neutral as she could think of, preferring not to acknowledge the thing he had become.

“More or less… I mean, he changed because the compound told his genetics to change; it had that influence because he was only a few months old. You're twenty-six…” Rain's voice faded. “Thirty-five now, I guess, but that's not the point. You're not… under development.”

“What if that doesn't stop it from changing me into whatever it wants?” Kay asked, pulling away to look at her friend, feeling panic beginning to rise up and clog her throat. “What if it makes me into something horrific? What if my existence makes it impossible for you to make it to Yvaga- what if I kill you? I couldn't-” 

“Kay.” Rain said firmly, pulling away completely to face her head on, repositioning her hand so the new angle was easier on their wrists. “It's not going to do that. If for whatever reason it starts doing something weird, we'll cross that bridge when we get there, but for now, you're fine; healthy and in one piece. That's all that matters.”

The warmth of Rain’s palm was significant as it came to press flat against Kay's cheek, but it was nothing compared to the moment when their foreheads met in a promise. “If there are more changes to come, they won't bother me so long as you're fine in the end. I'm still gonna be right here, ready to help in any way I can, okay?” 

Kay felt her guard begin to drop, quickly becoming ready and willing to believe anything Rain told her. The mixture of scent and warmth and closeness would have her on her knees in an instant if she was asked, and she knew that even though the propensity was still a strange one, it was also something she wouldn't fight.

At least not this time. 

With slow movements, Kay drew herself up, allowing her arms to fully encircle the circumference of Rain's rib cage while she buried her face in an adjoining shoulder. The fullness of the embrace had every nerve in her body humming with content despite her concerns over the concept of why. It felt too right; made her feel too complete to worry over, so for the time being, she wouldn't so long as it didn't hurt her friend. After all, the way she was perceiving things now could be something that faded with time; temporary and insubstantial. There wasn't a point in voicing her concerns to anyone and that included her own company.

“Okay.” She replied, remembering belatedly that she needed to do so, although her thoughts quickly turned to mush the second she felt gentle fingers begin carding through her hair.

“Good.” Rain said and Kay could hear a faint smile in her words, or maybe it was just her imagination…

Unwilling to allow the embrace to last for too long, Kay fought with herself to break away. Eventually and with some effort, she did so as smoothly and inconspicuously as she could manage despite the wince that resulted from the loss of closeness. 

“Thank you, Rain,” She began quietly, keeping her gaze low, hoping her emotions weren't so easily deciphered that way. “But I can't ask you to do something like that, not when this situation is so unpredictable; not when it can potentially hurt you.” 

“Kay,” Rain’s voice had taken on a warning tone this time. “Stop. I've made this decision on my own and I accept the risks. I'm helping, alright?”

Studying the woman across from her, Kay released a long sigh through her nose as she relented, pursing her lips in frustration. 

“C'mere.” Rain said instead of waiting for her friend to reply. She gestured as she pushed herself back, pulling her legs up over the edge of the bed. “You still look tired and I'm getting sleepy too.”

Growing wide-eyed, Kay could only stare, the offer sending both heat and frost through her as she worked on forming an answer. More than half of her was being pulled in Rain's direction, yet the remainder claimed that acting upon the urge would be detrimental.

Then again, it was an invitation. How detrimental could it be?

Carefully, Kay began to move, twisting so she could lay down next to Rain, who had already stretched out with her back pressed against the far wall. There were more blankets on the bed than she remembered, but it wasn't long before she was buried under them. 

“I think the last time we took a nap together was on Navarro's couch.” Rain said casually, a positive note making its way into her voice as she began to adjust her position to better suit the both of them.

“Shit, that was like, forever ago.” Kay replied, ignoring the ache in her chest when faced with the reality of why. She instead inched closer, absently seeking the warmth and physical contact Rain could provide. 

“It was.” The other woman answered, easily opening her embrace. “Can I ask you something?”

Kay let her eyes slide shut the moment her head was resting against Rain’s arm and shoulder, basking in the closeness. Despite it though, she couldn't help but crave more and that greed made her feel guilty. “Yeah, always.” 

The air left Rain's lungs in a heavy sigh, her arms shifting to fold around the woman in her arms. She let her head rest against Kay's, feeling driven by anxiety to tighten the embrace. “What happened… after?”

“Mmh, what do you mean?” 

Pausing, Rain took the moment to contemplate her choice of words, the silence expanding in all directions between them. “After I left… after Tyler.” 

Surprised, Kay almost found herself straightening. “Oh.” 

“Is it… too much to ask?” 

“No, no, I just wasn't expecting it.” Kay smiled, feeling more comfortable now that the more primitive aspects of her mind had been satisfied by the close proximity she was sharing with Rain. “Uh… Tyler was distant for a long time. He didn't want to talk about it and I can't say I blame him. I think he’d fallen pretty hard for you, but he wasn't ever angry with you or the situation- at least, not that I could see. He never told me why you two broke up and I didn't ask. At that point though, I'd decided he needed space, so I left him to it.” The subtle way the muscles in Rain's body moved and shifted let Kay know she was growing apprehensive, so she tried to keep her answer as brief as possible. 

“And… and what about you?”

A frown crinkled Kay's brow. “What about me?”

“Were you angry with me for leaving?” Rain asked quietly, her heart reaching for its next beat with harder strokes.

“For a very brief time, I was.” Kay answered honestly. “But then I realized I didn't know the whole story, so I couldn't be angry. Plus Tyler told me not to be upset with you and that the things that happened were out of everyone's control. I convinced myself that the company had spirited you off to another part of the colony or something; that they hadn't given you time for goodbyes. Despite that though, I knew it wasn't true and I didn't want to ask him why you disappeared. He seemed too… I dunno. It just didn't seem like the right thing to do at the time.” Turning slightly, she let her arm drape over Rain's side, holding her waist for a moment before pulling back, curling further against her chest. “Things started… falling apart after that. Tyler was distant, you were gone, Navarro was assigned more hours, and soon it was just me and Bjorn. It was really lonely for a long time without everyone together.” She looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rain’s expression, but found herself unable. “Can I ask you something?” 

“Mhm.”

“Why did…” she started, then hesitated a moment, questioning whether allowing herself to continue was a good idea or not. Ultimately, she chose to put voice to her curiosities. “Why did you and Tyler break up?”

Rain tensed, then relaxed, the effort seeming forced, the rhythm in her chest sounding rife with apprehension, but after the release of a full breath, she answered. “I, uh… I was falling for someone else and I couldn't lie to him… or to myself. That would've been too fucked up.”

Despite her surprise, Kay tried to remain casual, but something about the way the reply was worded struck her as odd and unexpected. It had felt… incomplete; like Rain was hiding something.

“And what about the guy? The one you had feelings for, I mean.”

With words riddled with discomfort, Rain shook her head. “Nothing. I couldn't do that to Tyler. Not after everything, even if he understood.” She began uneasily, her voice sounding pained now. “There was a lot more to it than just developing feelings for someone else. I still haven't really come to terms with the things I had to admit to him, I just knew I couldn't- shouldn't hide it from him any longer.” she shrugged with her unoccupied shoulder, trying to seem casual despite appearing anything but. “Everything else aside, I don't think she returned the feelings anyways. So far as I know, she only dates men.”

And at that, Kay pulled away, her gaze finally meeting Rain's in an intense moment that had them both on edge. She could almost feel the panic radiating from her friend, the tremors in her body; in her bones and in her being. Softening, Kay reached up to wipe away the tears that had begun to fall from guilt-ridden cerulean eyes.

“Oh, Rain…” she whispered. “Why didn't you say anything?”

Momentarily unable to reply, a multitude of emotions flickered across Rain's countenance before she could even begin to articulate the first word bound to the first effort. “Why would I? What good would it have done aside from… make things worse?”

Kay frowned in sympathy, allowing her fingers to run through her friend's unbound hair. “The knowledge would've helped us support both you and Tyler. Things might've been easier on you both, then.”

With a very tired expression, Rain let her head lean forward again, her forehead meeting Kay's as she closed her eyes. “The situation and position I was in took a heavy toll on both of us. It wouldn't have gone over well if everyone else knew; it would've just made things more painful.”

“I understand.” Kay whispered solemnly. “The triggers for grief would've been more available if all of us were constantly expressing our regrets and sorrows.” She inhaled deeply, taking in Rain's scent, the warmth of satisfaction and completeness washing over her again. “This doesn't change anything, y'know. You still mean the world to me and you always will.” 

A soft smile was Rain's initial reply, her arms tightening around her friend's back and shoulders. “Thank you for being here and… for letting me talk about this.” She said quietly, the words falling awkwardly as though she wasn't sure what else to say. “It means a lot to me, y'know.”

Kay found herself smiling at the sentiment; at the fact that Rain felt safe enough with her to discuss something she was clearly very private about. “Of course and always. That's what friends are for.” She said confidently, although the latter half of her statement didn't feel like the words themselves could wholly define what she wanted to say. “It does make me curious though,” she continued, lightening her tone to alter the atmosphere into something more playful. “Who was it that caught your eye?

The bark of laughter that came from Rain felt like the breakage of tension. The theory was further backed by the way her muscles seemed to finally relax, the undercurrent of stiffness leaking away as she settled. “It doesn't matter anymore.” She said, smiling, the expression in her eyes revealing a better, lighter mood. 

“Aw, c'mon, lemme guess,” Kay teased as she studied Rain’s features, trying to glean anything she could. “Was it… Lucia Svitkona?” 

“In Botanicals?” The other woman frowned incredulously, holding back a smile.

“Yeah, why not?”

“Then no.”

Kay balked. “What? Dude, she's cute! And she's your same height. You two would be adorable together.”

A hot flush crept across Rain's cheeks and up to her ears, causing them to pinken.

“Oh, was I right?” Kay asked with a wide grin that faded into something she hoped didn't look too much like admiration toward the way Rain smiled.

“No- no, sorry.” The reply was quieter than expected, but then again, there was a softening in Rain's eyes that Kay hadn't expected. “Maybe in time… I'm still… uneasy about it all. I'm not sure where to take my next step. I know it's been months but… it's all starting to come back. The longer I've been out of Cryosleep…” her voice faded into nothingness.

“Hey… you don't have to worry about it, I was just curious. All I want you to do now is take the time you need. I'll always be here for you though. Please don't forget that.” Kay said gently, feeling so much closer than the physical contact they presently shared.

“I won't. Thank you, Kay.” Rain hummed, pulling herself closer.

“Always.” she sighed contentedly, allowing her eyes to slip closed again as she worked to savor the moment; to be mindful and focused on all that was happening in the present. Determined, she refused to worry about what could be and thought only of what existed here and now, surrounded by Rain; her grounding anchor; her rock and her pillar of light… 

Just as she always had been.  

Allowing her body to relax, Kay eventually drifted off to the strong rhythm of the heart belonging to the one woman she knew she couldn't help but love.

Chapter 5: The Nature of Dominance and Submission

Summary:

Rain tries to make breakfast from powdered rations.

Notes:

Please enjoy my very first attempt at writing anything close to physically intimate. I'm also apologizing in advance and asking for your forgiveness now because I'm not confident in my abilities to write stuff like this :)

Also, thank you to everyone who did for leaving such wonderful comments. They've truly made my day and I feel horrible that I'm just now seeing them. I tend to get very caught up with writing that I neglect to check on the story as it exists. I'm gonna do all I can to reply to them as soon as possible, but I really want to make it a point upon how appreciative I am of them. They're keeping me going :)

One more thing! While I have been diligently working on this fic, I'm also in the process of drafting up a follow-up fic for this story too. I'm not sure how long it'll be just yet but as of right now, I'm aiming for it to be a bit of a peaceful, slightly angsty slice of life sort of thing. It should be lots of fun!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Under the bright lights of the Corbelan's small kitchen counter, Rain stared down into the bowl she'd gathered. Shifting her weight forward, she dug her palms into what used to be a sterile-colored work surface, allowing her fingers to dance along a random pattern she barely gave any thought to. 

“C'mon…” she whispered, her voice barely audible in the silence. She was remaining mindful of Kay, who was presently curled up under nearly every blanket they could find, still asleep and deeply at that.  

When the contents within the dish remained unmoving after several more minutes of intense surveillance, Rain had to fight with herself to not chuck it against something. If she couldn't get these rations to rehydrate, both she and Kay would starve. 

Well, if they had to, they’d just eat the powder, but according to the warning labels on the package, that supposedly wasn't exactly safe or healthy. Regardless, Rain preferred to follow the directions anyways.

Despite being wrapped up in her thoughts, the sound of shifting caught her attention and she turned to find the bundle of blankets beginning to move. The sight instantly dug her out of her previous mood and she found it in herself to relax.

“What are you frustrated about?” Kay mumbled, a slight slur to her words as she slowly made her way out of sleep, pushing herself upright with a yawn.

“I can't get this to rehydrate.” Rain sighed as she leaned back to watch her friend unearth herself. 

“Have you tried heating it?” Kay asked while rubbing an eye, her shoulder now supporting all of her weight as she leaned heavily against the padded wall of the sleeping bunk. 

At that, Rain frowned. “...no.” her answer was slow and hesitant while she considered the suggestion. “I haven't.”

Why didn't she think of that? The instructions didn't say anything about adding heat, but that didn't mean much.

“Alright, I'll be there in a sec’.” Kay said she carefully removed herself from bed, taking her time as she allowed her body to adjust.

In the meantime, Rain turned her attention back to the task at hand, glancing around the small alcove for something that could suffice for what Kay had suggested. Instead, all she found was the scratched and damaged surface of what used to be the mirror polished cabinet doors directly across from her. She could still see her reflection, although it wasn't as clear as it might've been.

On nearly silent feet, Kay appeared behind her, expression still sleepy but pleasantly amused. “Good morning.” she said quietly as instead of coming to stand next to her friend, she wrapped her arms around Rain’s waist, holding her close.

A soft hiss of surprise escaped her at the sudden fullness of contact, her eyes growing wide as she felt one of Kay's hands come to press flat against her abdomen and the other as it curved around her ribs. Her initial reaction didn't seem to phase the other woman however, and the whole situation wasn't something she knew how to interpret.

“Uh… good morning?” she said slowly, trying to keep her breathing in check as the embrace she'd found herself in tightened ever so slightly. Even still, her hands were now gripping the edge of the counter and it wasn't for balance.

Inhaling deeply, Kay then sighed as she leaned over to rest her chin upon her friend's shoulder, dark brown eyes slipping closed.

“Are you… okay?” Rain asked, quickly becoming acutely aware of how little she had on. While a tank top and shorts were perfectly sufficient in covering her, she couldn't help but feel… exposed. 

“Mhm.” Kay hummed, a comfortable and contented sound. “I just… felt like I needed a hug, I think.” her voice cracked slightly and as though returning to herself, her eyes popped open, pupils quickly shrinking under the bright lights. Her expression changed too and a clarity that wasn't there before seemed to wash over her. Reflexively, her grip loosened and she began to pull away. “I’m making you uncomfortable…”

“N-no, you're not, it's okay.” Rain said, her words tumbling out and feeling rushed. “I just wasn't expecting you to do that- hug me, I mean. I'm just… surprised, that's all.” she stammered, almost beginning to ramble. Despite the internal chaos, she managed to raise her arm enough to allow her right hand and arm to cover the one already draped across her abdomen. “I can't really hug you back though. This is the best I can do.” She tried to laugh though the result was only somewhat of a flustered huff. 

“You're sure?” Kay asked, appearing skeptical. “That it's okay, I mean.”

“Yeah, of course.” Rain answered too quickly, realizing only after the fact that she didn't sound very convincing. In an effort to prove herself, she took a risk and slowly leaned back into Kay's chest, easing into it so as to not upset the tender balance between them. Once she'd relaxed entirely though, she realized that what existed around her wasn't as fragile as she'd expected. The relief encouraged a gentle sigh to involuntarily escape from between her lips as she settled further into the embrace and the moment she felt the cautious tightening of the arms that surrounded her, her eyes nearly instantly slipped closed. 

Now blind to the world, Rain couldn't help but focus on the feel of the cool hands planted around her body. She told herself that such an automatic reaction was due to the simple human need for physical contact, although she knew that the insistence was but a thinly veiled excuse.

As though in tandem with the thoughts and emotions that had suddenly become akin to a plague, Rain noticed a slight tremor run the length of Kay's body. Soon after, a low, short hum came from deep within her friend's chest and it was something that had her stiffening in a way that never came close to being even so much as a relative of potential danger.

“Are you alright?” Kay asked, her voice a strained whisper as her hands tightened around Rain's being, unusually sharp nails pressing into recently exposed flesh that sent a shiver through Rain's next inhale. 

“Y-yeah.” clenching her teeth, the young scavenger hoped she didn't sound so… so...

Stop. Exhale.

“I'm alright.” She insisted, though despite her efforts, her voice was wound tighter than a winch cable and it showed. Unable to ignore the tension that had already begun to pool in her lower abdomen, she squirmed slightly, simultaneously feeling too hot and too cold. 

“Good.” Kay said, a hint of darkness in her tone that Rain had never heard before. In fact, it almost made her sound completely unfamiliar, like a hidden aspect of her personality was emerging from a buried place. 

“Breathe.” 

Clenching her teeth, Rain gave in and let her head fall back against Kay's shoulder, the command settling itself between her ears as it called for her to obey. 

And she did.  

Of course she did, even if it caused her grip to tighten around the edge of the kitchen counter. The intensity of the situation was causing the legs she stood upon to grow weak anyways.

“I wish I could be closer to you.” Kay sighed as she buried her face in the pocket of Rain’s neck, her fingers curling over slightly to emphasize her point. “But I know that I shouldn't get any closer.” 

As Rain listened, the strain and change in her friend's voice triggered a wave of concern to wash over her despite the urge to cling to every word. It was at that moment she realized this wasn't a person she knew; not completely, at least. Even through the fog of… whatever it was that clouded her mind, there was something about Kay that just didn't seem right. 

With her features pinched into a frown, Rain took a deep breath in and tried to speak as clearly and calmly as possible. “Are you in control?” She asked, an uneasiness creeping up on her over the idea that the woman holding her had become something other. 

“No.” There was a change in Kay's voice, a fragile, pleading note, but it was familiar and that familiarity gave her hope.

Carefully, Rain separated herself from the arms that held her just enough to turn so she could face her friend head-on. 

“I'm scaring you.” Kay admitted softly; guiltily. She'd kept her eyes closed and head low, but at least her arms stayed draped around the woman before her. 

Feeling more clear-headed now, Rain shook her head. “Not yet, but I'm a little more than just worried about you.” her reply came as she reached to guide Kay's chin up. “Tell me what you're going through.” 

Veiled by her hair and bangs, Kay allowed herself to be led by Rain's hand. With a hard, nervous set to her jaw, she opened her eyes as she slowly raised her head, using the short span to collect herself.

“Holy shit.” Rain whispered abruptly, taking a step back but was stopped short when her spine hit the counter behind her, causing her to straighten. A flash of memory struck her; a glimpse of the creature that had been born as a result of the compound itself; of its dark, pitch-like and glossy eyes that watched her every move.

Kay's arms were still around her, holding her loosely although now she appeared just as startled as Rain felt. “What's happened?” she asked softly, sounding more normal than she had since waking. 

“Your eyes… they're black.” Rain supplied, although the new change in her friend's voice had her feeling less on edge.

“What?” Kay asked, a tremor running through the weakly spoken question. She pulled her arms back, allowing her palms to rest upon Rain's hips.

With the gentlest touch she could manage and with slow, cautious movements, Rain reached back out, her right hand soon landing upon Kay's cheek. The skin beneath her touch was smooth, but she could feel the tension in the small muscles that existed just under the surface as the look of worry only grew more intense. 

In an instant, the situation had grown stranger still as, upon brushing her thumb under Kay's eye, the darkness began to shift. As though pulled by an unseen force, the sticky, slime-like film that once covered each eye appeared to crawl back into her, vanishing within the depths of her pupil like living black oil down a drain. 

“Your… eyes.” Rain said slowly, hesitating, unsure of what she'd just witnessed. “They were… colorless a second ago, but- but…” her determination to finish the sentence petered off and before she could catch herself, she stepped forward and wrapped her friend in a crushing hug. 

Surprised but still confused, Kay straightened. Despite her initial reaction, she wasted no time contributing to the embrace. 

“You need to tell me when you're starting to feel out of control, okay? Whatever that means for you, you need to let me know.” She breathed, burying her face in Kay's shoulder as relief washed over her. Those eyes haunted her dreams- her nightmares.

"t's… I don't know how to explain it in a way that would make sense.” Kay said distantly. “But I would rather call it… an unbalancing than a loss of control. My emotions and thoughts have a strong influence and instinct, if you could even call it that, has whatever's left. It's so invasive.” Her arms tightened around her friend, a desperation in the way she moved. “I'm so sorry, Rain…”

A subtle pang of disappointment stuck inside her mind as she absorbed what had just been told to her. Regardless of the apparent reality, she wanted Kay's hands to have been on her because it was something that Kay wanted too. She wanted the touch; that closeness…

But it wasn't real. Not in the ways she wanted it to be.

“It's okay.” She said quietly. “I'm just glad you're… still here. Still you.” 

“I'm gonna have to learn how to manage it… whatever it is. I don't want it to hurt you.” Kay said, relenting. “I'd never forgive myself if I hurt you.” 

A small huff of laughter that held no actual humor squeezed itself from Rain's lungs and she let go. “You'd have to do a lot to hurt me, Kay. I'm pretty tough.” She said with mock confidence. “Except for when it comes to trying to make this work, I have no idea what's wrong with it.” She continued, gesturing behind her and to the bowl of mushy yet still deactivated and dehydrated rations. 

At that, Kay laughed; a breakage of tension as the heavier subjects were suddenly left behind. “Don't worry. Now let me show you how magical the utensil dryer is.” 

“I'm all ears.” Rain replied with positivity, slowly relaxing as she was finally able to wear an easier smile.

Notes:

Okay, I hope that wasn't too bad lmao

Thank you guys for reading and I'll see you again soon! I have lots planned :)

Chapter 6: The Monarch

Summary:

To resist is to cause pain; a compromise is to ease the suffering.

Notes:

Ah, my friends, it's been too long!
There are a lot of moving parts to this chapter that needed tending to, and it took me a while to get everything sorted. I'll be brutally honest with you all: I'm not as satisfied with this chapter as I have been with the others, but I've already burned through thirteen different versions and I'm exhausted so I've done the best I could muster with this one. I may also be putting more pressure on myself, which will always skew a personal perspective. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this next installment!

Happy belated Halloween, my friends!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Alone in the suit-up deck, Kay had finally managed to find a sliver of solitude. While she wasn't proud of it, she'd slipped away soon after Rain had excused herself to shower, both of them having already eaten breakfast and eager to feel some semblance of normalcy. The quiet meal had been awkward and somewhat embarrassing for Kay and she wondered if her friend felt the same way. Her behavior in the ship's small kitchen had been inexcusable and her guilt for having made Rain uncomfortable was more than enough to make her squirm.

When all was said and done, she hadn't stuck around to talk about any of it nor did she want to; at least not now. She needed time to think, to breathe, and to be with herself so that she could understand. Rain deserved a proper explanation and Kay needed to figure herself out in order to keep dangerous things from happening. She'd already broken one of her most major rules of precaution by staying upstairs while she slept and she didn't want to do something so risky again.

Hanging her head, Kay let the air out of her lungs in a heavy sigh, the sound breaking the silence like a rock through glass. 

At least she'd left a note to let Rain know where she'd gone. Part of her hoped to be searched for, the emotions that setting could provide held the potential to bring a decent atmosphere for an honest conversation, but for now she was content in her solitude. 

Allowing her eyes to wander in an effort to bring herself back to the present, she glanced down at her hands and at the sleeves that covered her arms and wrists. In the strange dull light that came from somewhere above her in the alcove she'd taken up residence, she immediately noticed that her dark veins stood out with far more prominence than she was ever used to. Growing curious, she reached for the cuff of her shirt and pulled it upwards to expose her left forearm, rolling the cloth up just above her elbow to keep it from sliding down. 

“Holy fuck.” She whispered, the air rushing from her lungs at the sight she beheld. With the tip of her right index finger, she traced the uneven and sporadic network of vessels, their arrangement appearing entirely altered compared to what had been there prior to having taken the injection. The familiar pattern she'd been born with was now gone, only to be replaced by some strange, disorganized, and tangled web-like mess.

Furthering her assessment, her gaze traveled up her arm, finding that the same abnormal vascular patterning continued on as she lifted her sleeve ever higher. A dreadfully uneasy feeling began clawing at the pit of her stomach just before her heart lurched, the singular beat feeling heavy against her ribs and overly loud in her ears. She cringed at the uncomfortable sensation, her right hand instantly leaving its previous occupation to lay flat against her chest. 

The silence quickly crept back in, her heart remaining still as stone beneath her hand and before long, a foreign and unusual sense of tranquility washed back over her, telling her to relax. The impression instead left her disturbed, the nature of it feeling too close to that which had convinced her to keep Rain as near to her as she could; a necessity rather than a personal desire.

The sudden memory of the way Rain felt beneath her hands passed through her mind unbidden and it had her growing hot. Kay recoiled, pressing her back into the wall behind her, quickly realizing that once again, she was losing control.

Get out of my head.” She growled, her voice taking on a bizarre cadence she didn't entirely recognize. As though in retaliation, an obsessive pull towards the hand that had rested upon Rain's bare abdomen manifested and Kay saw her features twist in disgust as though through the eye of another. 

“You will not hurt her.” While the intonation remained foreign, the threat was her own. 

Creation, strengthen, destruction, domination-

“Stop!” Kay bellowed into the silence, her chest beginning to burn from the inside out as she rose to her feet. 

Submit, comply, provide, travail for her–

The fiery stinging quickly spread to her neck and shoulders, seeming to focus on the now recessed scar where the compound had been injected. The pain was tormentous and with a strangled sound, an incoherent, wordless scream rattled out from somewhere within her. Despite the physical and mental exertion on Kay's behalf, the altered fragment of her mind remained calm and determined, cutting past her emotions with ease.

Nourish, protect, support–

Every muscle in her body slowly began to thicken as though flexed, reacting to her internal war as though preparing for danger. Soon, the conflict had become too involved and her knees gave way due to the lack of instruction from her mind. She collapsed, her body forgetting the command to stay upright and with all of her weight, she fell forward, her head colliding with the metal grating that was the deck floor. Her weakened hands blindly clawed at her neck and ears as the foreign influence tightened its grip on her, the burning radiating in her upper half finally reaching into her mind.

The Monarch, The Monarch, The Monarch… 

A familiar scent reached her then; slicing through the mental onslaught as though it were a sliver of obsidian. The vibration of heavy, urgent footsteps rattled the flooring too, although that realization came much later. A warm hand was upon her shoulder, the abruptness of the gesture causing the air to almost shimmer as the pain slowly began to fade. 

“Shit, you're bleeding…” the familiar voice evoked relief and absently, Kay's body began to relax into the floor although she remained curled on her side. 

“Kay, what happened?” The inquiry was more akin to a demand rather than a question and the words were bubbling out of her before she could stop them.

“You're not safe–” as though in retaliation, the sharp pain that had seemed to ease upon recognizing Rain's presence flared to life again with increased vigor and she squirmed.

“I'm staying where I am because you don't look like you're safe either.” The words were firm and demanding and Kay felt the altered fragment of her mind immediately relinquish its hold; a submission.

“Stubborn.” Kay huffed with accusation. The nature of her voice had finally assumed something closer to normalcy and as a result, Rain's tension-braking chuckle touched her ears. Deep within her, the foreign consciousness seemed to purr at the sound, pleased by it. 

“Mister Finch used to call me that too.” Rain replied, her hand moving up to brush a strand of hair from where it stuck to the fresh wound on Kay's forehead. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“I'm fine…” she mumbled, then worked to slowly unfurl her legs, suddenly feeling extremely sore and exhausted. Rain moved around her the moment it was understood that she was trying to get up, helping where possible. 

“The bench.” Rain said as she tucked herself under her friend's arm and against her side, helping Kay stand once she was ready. Together, they fixed their aim upon the alcove despite not having to travel far, although the balancing act they were both a part of was laborious enough.

Once seated, Kay leaned back against the wall, weak from the earlier hostilities. She still felt on edge, leaving her paranoid and jumpy.

“Fuck, that looks bad.” Rain said to herself as her attention was already on Kay's wound.

“It doesn't hurt.” She replied quietly, watching the dark blue eyes that worried over her. If she was honest with herself, she hadn't realized she'd been injured. 

Rain simply pursed her lips before standing from her crouched position. Her expression was clearly skeptical although she didn't say anything to question the claim. Reaching up, she unlatched the large plastic case which contained everything relating to first aid and brought it to the floor where she opened it.

“Is it too soon to ask what happened?” Rain said gently as she dug through the medical supplies. Kay watched her with mild interest, although her attention was fixed upon her friend's features rather than anything else. 

After taking a moment to think the question through, Kay shook her head. “Rain, I–” her voice broke off, its frayed edges causing discomfort. 

“You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.” Rain replied in that same soft tone. Her eyes lifted to Kay's and she offered a slight smile before turning back to rip open a package containing an absorbent pad.

“I need to tell you though… it… this involves you too.” Kay sighed, her senses humming with warmth when her friend drew up to dab at the thick black streaks of ichor which had since coated the entire left side of her face. 

“Me? Why me?” Rain asked casually as she unfolded the cloth pad to access a fresher side. 

“I don't know yet.” Kay answered, although the sudden shock of pain that lanced her static heart had her wincing right before it beat only once. “But I can guess.” The discomfort started to ease and she shifted restlessly, knowing the fractured aspect of her mind had retaliated against her lie, withdrawing its attack after she’d made amends. “I came down here to try figuring it out.” 

Rain pulled away to cast the soiled pad aside, only to open two more. She pressed one to Kay's forehead, the pad covering the oozing wound. “Are you strong enough to keep pressure on this?” She asked as she used her free hand to continue her cleaning process. “I didn't realize the gash was still open and bleeding.” 

“Yeah, I can do that.” Kay said as she reached up to do as Rain asked. “Uh, but to answer you though…” She continued quietly, feeling awkward and uncertain about her footing. “I need to tell you about that.”

“I'm all ears.” Rain said as she worked to finish cleaning the mess that had come from Kay's injured forehead. 

“Don't freak out, okay? This is gonna sound… so weird.”

“Hey, anything involving Xenomorph stuff is always gonna sound weird.” Rain smiled, but Kay frowned. 

“Xenomorph stuff?”

“Uh, the synthetic who… helped guide us through the Renaissance called the aliens that attacked us ‘Xenomorphs’. He also told us that the compound is like a condensed version of their genetic code and that it was formulated to make humans more… sturdy.” She reached up and brushed her thumb against Kay's cheek, a sudden melancholy gripping her. “It was supposed to be safe.” 

“It was my choice to take it, Rain. Don't blame yourself.” Kay said firmly, but softened, leaning into the palm that partially cupped her jaw. “And that explains a lot, actually.” She sighed. “Whatever my mind is splitting into is very… primal, I think. It does what it does because instinct tells it to.” A weak, apologetic smile touched her lips but nothing more, her features remaining strained and somewhat pinched. “I have my humanity still intact, but it's being altered in a way that feels… totally foreign.” She frowned and closed her eyes, reluctant to explain the rest. “Do you remember when you were working in the apiculture wing back in the colony and you were telling me all about the social hierarchy of bees?” 

Surprised by the turn in conversation, Rain reacted but didn't mention it. She instead nodded, humming her answer. 

“It… it feels like that. Like how a bee just kinda knows what to do based on how it's programmed, or, how it's born, I guess.” Kay looked down at her lap and pushed a wrinkle from one of her pant legs. “The thing that's inside of me listens to you. It considers your hierarchical status a lot higher than its own and its only purpose is to give you what you need.” She felt her face grow hot. “Like before breakfast… that had something to do with all of this.” Her features twisted and dark tears welled in her eyes. “I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable… never meant to hurt you.”

At that, Rain's expression grew slack with something unreadable, her dark gaze growing intense. 

Fear immediately began to build in Kay's chest and she absently pulled the cloth pad from her head, hands dropping to her lap. Shame and embarrassment suddenly overwhelmed her and she dipped her chin slightly, unable to look at her friend any longer.

“That sounds like slavery…” Rain whispered, concern evident in her voice.

A small smile touched Kay's lips and she shook her head. “Not to me… human me, at least. I wouldn’t mind. You already mean a lot to me.” Her smile grew sad, her features relaxing slightly into something melancholic. “If this isn't something you're comfortable with though, I'm confident that all you'd have to do is say so. Hierarchy, remember?” 

“Kay, what validates me as being… above anyone? It makes no sense–”

“You saved my life and by extension brought the compound and I together. Regardless of how I feel about it, that's how the other half of me sees it.” she said as she pushed another wrinkle from her trousers. 

Rain frowned at that, clearly confused yet accepting it for what it was for the time being, although Kay could sense a conversation about it in the future. “Still, I'd never want you to be stuck doing something you weren't happy with. I'd never want you to see me as worth more either, that's not… that's not right. If anything, I'd rather you see us as equals. You don't owe me anything, Kay. There's no debt to pay.” 

“It's not debt, that much I know.” She corrected, shrugging slightly. “It's reverence; admiration, partly from the Xenomorph and… partly from me too. I think that liking you is the one thing we agree on.” Kay offered a more genuine smile. “I mean, who wouldn't like you?”

“Kay…” Rain began, then sighed. “What can I do to make this easier on you, then?” 

A sheepish look manifested and she felt her eyes soften. “Nothing at all. Normalcy is best.” She said as confidently as she could, although judging by the look Rain was giving her, she knew it wouldn't fly. 

“Tell me, Kay. It won't bother me, I promise.” 

“But what if it does?” Kay asked gently although truthfully. 

“Then we'll talk about it, but it can't be that bad, can it?”

Yeah… I mean… it's kind of embarrassing.” 

A smirk formed on Rain's features before she turned away to begin packing the first aid kit away. “Blame the Xeno, then.” 

Kay groaned softly, unable to avoid it any longer and lying was bound to bring her discomfort. She leaned her head back against the wall to watch her friend. “Fine. Things are easier when you're nearby.” She said vaguely although the admission had brought Rain's gaze up to hers again.

“You mean like, close in proximity or in physical touch?” 

“Either… but the second is preferable. I don't want to–”

“–make me uncomfortable, I know.” Rain smiled as she reached up to lay a hand over the knotted ball Kay's fingers had found themselves locked into. “I don't mind physical contact. At least, not with you.” She stated simply, then pulled back as she resumed repacking the first aid case, folding the latches over to lock it shut.

“But you'll tell me if I do something you don't like, right?” Kay said as she reached up to feel her forehead, absently searching for the injury. When nothing was there to feel except smooth, blemishless skin, she recoiled slightly. Despite the discovery, she couldn't find it in herself to be surprised. She'd suffered through worse events in recent times. 

“Of course.” Rain replied as she tucked the first aid kit away. “Now c'mon. Let's go back upstairs where it's warmer. You look exhausted and I'd like you to try to sleep.” 

Kay rolled her eyes but obeyed with a nod, slowly sliding to the edge of the bench before trying to stand on shaky legs. Rain was at her side instantly, helping her up.

“I'd like you to eat something too. I think that healing you did took a lot out of you.”

“Okay, Mom.” Kay huffed a laugh, feeling lighter now that she and Rain were able to talk a little bit about everything that was going on.

With careful steps, the two of them made their way through the ship and back up into the living quarters, temporarily leaving the darkness and distress behind in favor of normalcy. 

Notes:

As always, thank you for reading! There's more that's to come :)

Chapter 7: A Message

Summary:

The Corbelan receives an important message.

Notes:

Ahoy and good day to you fine folks!

I know it's been a bit since I've posted and I know this is a short chapter, but fear not! There's a lot more to come, it's just taken me a long time to figure out the pacing and stuff. Well, that and the second season of Arcane is out and that right there deals in emotional damage, I love it, it's so good. Anyways, please enjoy this lil chapter here!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

A soft spoken alarm rang out from somewhere within the cockpit and it had Rain almost tripping over her own feet to get to it. While she was unfamiliar with the sound or what it could mean, her first instinct was to consider it an emergency. Once she'd all but thrown herself into the small space though, she quickly realized the root of the problem:

The ship had received a message from a yet unknown origin.

“What the fuck…” she whispered upon observing the little green envelope pictured dead center on every one of the few screens that surrounded the copilot's dashboard. “Uh… okay… okay, where do I…?” Her voice petered off as she began to search for a button or switch that would allow her to accept and read the message. Whatever emotions that had been running through her in that moment were quickly replaced by frustration as she apparently wasn't able to find what she was looking for. It didn't help that the mechanical beeping remained persistent, her heart beginning to race in her chest as her eyes searched as quickly as they dared lest she miss something.

“Hey, are you gonna shut that off?” Kay's voice reached her from around the corner. It was muffled, but loud and clear enough to cause Rain to flinch.

“I don't know how to!” She complained, turning in hopes of seeing her friend. “Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a techie. I don't understand what any of these buttons do!” 

Slowly, Kay stepped into the cockpit, towel in hand as she focused on drying her freshly washed hair. “I’m messing with you.” She said more gently now, a slight smile on her features. “What's wrong with it?”

“The ship says it's received some kind of message and I'm trying to access it, but I'm worried about doing something wrong and deleting it.” Rain answered truthfully as the other woman joined her. 

“Alright, let me see here, I have to remember how to do this.” Kay hummed absently as she tossed the towel across the back of the seat that was fixed to the floor before the dashboard. When she drew closer, Rain couldn't help but notice the clean scent that lingered on her skin and in her hair. 

“It's from an external source, that's for sure.” Kay said as she made her way through a series of buttons that caused the process to seem overly complicated already. “Hm, here.” With a slight flourish, she tapped the last key and suddenly all three screens blinked. In the same instant, the alarm grew silent and Rain felt herself relax slightly… until her mind registered the straight lines of text that filled every display.

“Oh my god…” 

The simple sentence was enough to capture all of Rain's attention and she looked over with growing concern as something akin to horror had washed over Kay's features.

“Rain, they've sent their navy after us.”

Eyes widening, the prospect had her just as shocked as her friend looked. 

“What?”

As though tearing her eyes away was a painful process, Kay met Rain's gaze with disbelief. “Are you not reading this?” she said as she gestured vaguely to the information laid out for them. 

Hesitating, a frown slowly creased Rain's features. “Not yet. I… needed a second to let my eyes adjust.” She said, knowing it was a terrible excuse. “What's happened?”

“This was sent less than a week ago, but the distance was accounted for in the timing of the message actually getting to us. Yvaga has ordered a fleet of ships to come out here to… to intercept the Corbelan before we can get anywhere near their colony. By the time we receive this message, it'll only be a matter of a day or two before they get to us…” Kay gestured to the screens and Rain finally allowed her gaze to shift over to the light green letters that decorated each display. 

“This is what I meant when I pulled you from Cryo. I'm changing in ways I can't predict and if these people aren't what we hope them to be, both of us could get executed or worse.” Kay stressed, a note of desperation coating her tongue. “I'm mostly in control now; I'm still mostly human, but what happens when that changes? What happens when-”

“Hey.” Rain said quietly, turning her whole body to face her friend head-on. “Stop that. The compound had plenty of time to change you while you were asleep for nine years, but it didn't.” She spoke calmly, pressing as much confidence into her words as she could manage. With a gentle touch, she reached out and pressed her hand flat against Kay's cheek, guiding her over so their gazes could meet. “The changes you've been through during these last few cycles have been more internal than external. To me, it looks like the Xeno is really only getting used to you and vice versa.”

“But that doesn't mean anything, Rain… they're sending a convoy; military. They must know something.”

“Or it's simply a precaution. We went up to that Weyland-Yutani station thinking we could just get the Cryopods and leave. This ship has ‘Weyland-Yutani’ written all over it too and with how widespread the company is, I'd put money on it being this colony's main threat. I wouldn't be surprised if they greet us with fire and force.” Rain said, hoping to be the voice of a more balanced perspective despite being just as worried as Kay looked. Allowing her hand to slide upwards, she let her fingers comb through her friend's damp hair, her eyes wandering and taking in all she could in that moment. 

“And at this point, I think you'd be capable of posing a significant threat to them too if they chose to use excessive force. You're a lot stronger now, whether you know it or not.” Rain hummed, her fist closing around the hair at the base of Kay's neck, pulling slightly before her grip loosened and fell to her friend's shoulder. She glanced down at the small, recessed mark where the injection had been made and at the blackened veins that crawled outwards from its center. 

A small shiver ran the length of Kay's spine, leaving her standing unnaturally still in its wake. “I'd be okay with that as long as I could use it to keep you safe.” she said in a low tone, the unusual cadence Rain recognized having returned, but this time she understood. 

“And I won't let you prioritize my life over yours.” She said as she let her thumb drift over the almost charred skin that had been injured when the compound had entered Kay's bloodstream. “That's not how this works and that's not how this is going to work.”

As it once was fixed to the lower half of Rain's face, Kay’s attention shifted upwards, their gazes meeting like the smoothness of a key in its designated lock. “Then what do you believe, Monarch?” she said darkly, the black, shadowy ichor crawling out from the depths of her pupils to once again swallow the whole of her eyes. 

Rain tried not to flinch or back away, drawing upon all she had within her to remember that the person before her was only a different facet of her friend; a quirk brought on by the compound itself. “That self-sacrifice is never an answer; not when it comes to us.” 

“Things are more simple if it stays so black and white, though. It's easier to follow your lead.” Kay said with an eerie calmness, her void-like eyes softening with perhaps a pleading note. 

“Kay…” Rain sighed, her gaze falling away as frustration flirted with her. “I care about you too much to see you throw your life away. I'm not worth it and they aren't either.”

The effort of a low, hollow rumble tightened the muscles in Kay's neck; the very inhuman sound causing the hair on Rain's arms to stand on end. “To me, you are.” She growled, stepping closer as though to intimidate, but the moment Rain felt something brush lightly against her stomach, she leaned back and looked down, only to find Kay's hand reaching out yet awaiting permission.

With widened eyes, she glanced back up to find her friend watching her with acuity; standing on the edge of the blade that was the anticipation for her command. In a voice that came from deep within her chest, Rain answered:

“Touch where you need to; however you need to…” 

And her words were obeyed.

Closing what little distance that remained between them, Kay let her right hand press flat against Rain's abdomen before sliding up under her shirt to rest upon her hip. She almost had to stifle a gasp at how cold the touch was, but the concept was completely forgotten when her lips were caught in a bruising kiss that only pulled them closer. 

“You're okay with this?” Kay asked when they broke, her grip tightening ever so slightly.

A breathy chuckle escaped as a nod was Rain's initial attempt at a reply, but soon she found her voice. “More than you'd want to know.” 

There was a shift in Kay; her gaze growing softer as her eyes slowly returned to their usual white and brown. “Show me?” she asked, sounding almost hopeful. There was a playfulness in her now despite the weight of recent developments. It was something so very… human, Rain decided as she let her hand once again caress Kay's cheek.

“I don't have much experience with this sort of thing.” she admitted despite knowing her own expression was full of want; she just hoped she wasn't too transparent with how strong that desire truly was.

“Never worry.” Kay smiled as she leaned in and pressed her forehead to Rain's, holding the back of her skull with a gentle touch. “All that matters is if you're comfortable.” 

With a smile as she studied the woman across from her, Rain looked on with all the adoration she'd kept silent for years.  

“Then kiss me.”

Notes:

Down bad for each other smh 😂