His Life Continues

  Mar didn’t even have time to freak out over Grapevine’s sudden arrival before she tackled him. Lifting him up a bit in a spinning hug. 

  “Floran know you’ve been keeping track of the solstices! How old are ya now?”

  Took a moment for Mar to stutter out an answer, he was still processing all of this.

  “…22 isssh… Floran thinksss?“

  Grapevine continued to hold Mar up, “You soooooo OOOOLLLLDDDDD!”

  He squirmed, not in an upset way, “You’re older then Floran!” He kicked a bit, almost giggling now. Joined by a warm laugh from the S.A.I.L. After a few more seconds, Grapevine set Mar down.

  “Thisss arrived ssshorterly after Floran did.” She held out a card.

  Mar held it.
  -from: Joe-

  “…Floran will read it later. Why’re you here? Sssar let you visssit? HOW DID YOU GET TO FLORAN'SSS SSSHIP?”

  Did he have to be worried about angry pirates? Was this like a sort of… warning? A warning before angry pirates stormed the ship?

  “Floran wrote down the code, don’t worry. Floran ain’t gonna be leading an ambusssh, jussst sssnuck away to give you sssome company on a day meant for ssmiless!”

  She pat his head. Ruffling Mar’s petals. Making the smaller Floran smile again.

  His day only got better after that. Flint stayed on call as long as he could, Grapevine stayed till she got a call. And Mar sat on the bed now. Eyeing the card from Joe.

  He finally opened it.

  It read more like an apology note then a birthday card. But it still brought tears springing to his eyes. He had to keep rubbing them away, but some still dropped to the covers he sat on.

  “…Floran needed to sssee that… thank you…”

  Joe wasn’t here to thank.

  But her blocky, easy to read letters were… kind. Gentle. And lifting guilt off his shoulders. And gave him a bit of an update on the world. Not one he wanted, but needed.

  He put the card away in the ship’s locker. Flopping back on the bed. Tired now from all the talking with Grapevine and Flint, and the good cry. 

  “…Floran will take a quick nap,” he whispered softly, “then sset the ssship down to check it over. It wasss left alone for a while… outssside might need sssome work.”

  He bundled under the covers.

<><><>

  He woke feeling watched. He stayed very still. Pretending to still be sleeping. And after a bit longer. He moved a bit, peeking out from under the blanket, getting a look at the thing that watched him.

  “ssshhhhhh-!”

  He hissed covering his mouth, all the motion and sound caused what little he could see of Rose to leave. He stayed under the covers for a long while. Shaking now. Hands still clamped over his mouth.

  Only getting up after the ship was deathly quiet for a long time, and even then, he went to grab his spear. Setting it beside the navigator’s chair. And with hands that didn’t seem to want to listen, he guided the ship down to a planet. Not caring what sort it was. 

  He just wanted to get repairs done.

  The planet was of the desert sort, a scan from S.A.I.L. said it was… mostly empty on half of the planet. Just sand. So Mar went to land there, this was his first landing after all.

  It went… well. Surprisingly.

  Seems the practice with Ushi and all the work with cars seemed to help… The landing gear had dug into the sand a bit, but it was still a pretty good. So he opens the hanger doors and gets a few of the tools he thought he might need. 

  Humming as he hopped out of the ship and began looking over the hull. Asking S.A.I.L. to do a scan, wondering if it could check faster then him. That answer was yes.

  -Hull damage along port
  -Support beam damage along port
  -Recommended repair methods… 

  It listed the supplies and tools needed to properly fix it. Supplies and tools he had. So he got started.

  Metal working tools felt clumsy in his hands, but he knew how to use them. Another thing he could thank Ushi for. They had made sure he would be able to live out in space since they have planned on taking him with them.

  He talked to himself the whole time. The sun quietly beating down on his shoulders, and it felt nice.

  At first.

  He wanted to get this done in one go. And the sun began to turn from nice to irritating. The warmth from the metal work wasn’t helping either. Spots swam in front of his eyes as a headache found it’s way to his skull, but it was mild enough for him to keep working.

  Surely the sun would set? He squinted at the horizon, and watched the sun hover just over the flat dunes… And he turned back to his work. Prying back broken metal to fix the busted beam.

  The ship puffed out warm steam constantly, keeping the inside cool. But it stung. His grip was faltering on the tools. Hand shaking as he continued to warm up. The sun stayed on the horizon.

  “…jussst a bit more? Sssail… how much work hasss been completed?”

  -…Only 40% of the damage has been repaired.
  -Heat advisory. Body temp is exceeding regular temperatures. 

  “…Oh.” Mar huffed… heart fluttering… hard? He didn’t know. But he kept working, sun to his back. The S.A.I.L. kept dinging, bu Mar ignored the notification. Eventually muting it, the beep made the headache spike. The sun never left. Warming his shoulders till he could feel himself wilting….

  wait…

  everything was shifting… he took small gasping breaths but that didn’t help. Stumbling a bit, why was he moving?

  Everything goes horizontal and fuzzy.
  The dark spots cover his vision, and the sand burned.

<><><>

  He jerked up. Knocking a light blanket off and looking around, eyes darting around a dimly lit cave. It was sort of cool down here… But a soft blue light was on the other side of the…

  Flint gave a small wave.

  “You!”

  Mar stood, shakily, and Flint rushed over to make sure it didn’t fall over.

  “‘Ey now… take it easy. Ya took a bit of’a fall, overheated yerself, ya did.”

  Mar leaned against Flint. “Sssorry…”

  Flint moved to set Mar back down, “Dun gotta be apologetic, little flower. Not te me any way. You need ta take care of yerself al’ight?”

  “…Floran… jusst wanted to finissh fixing the sship in one go.” Even sitting. He still leaned against Flint. Happy to have found a friendly face, particularly this one. Though, the friendly face looked worse for the wear.

  “…did sssomething happen?”

  Flint had started somewhat of a lecture about working in the heat and the direct sunlight. Telling Mar off about the dangers of it when the Floran’s question came.

  “Hey now, we ain’t talkin’ ‘bout my troubles.”

  “Yesss we are.”

  “Nah, we talkin’ about the dangers of stayin’ out in the direct sun while workin’ with metal and not drinking water or restin’ in te shade.”

  Mar huffed… He… he already knew all that. He had just sort of ignored it at the time. “And that’sss… that’ss done. Floran iss asssking about what happened? You look ssscuffed up?”

  “Yain’t gonna let that go?” There was a soft hiss, but it was known to be a sigh, “Got a bit roughed runnin’ from some locals. Dun worr’ ‘bout it though. Ol’ Flint ran far ‘n fast. Tey ain’t catchin’ me.”

  They both settle quietly, accepting that neither wanted to accept the lectures of the other. Mar must’ve dozed off cause he was lying down again when he woke up. He sat up slowly this time, he could hear the sounds of a static filled stereo and a static humming.

  He carefully got up and went outside, his ship… was right next to the cave… it had not been there before… But there it was now, with a perky looking Novakid repairing it.

  “…How’d you move the ssship?”

  Flint startled, and went to turn the stereo off, “Yer S.A.I.L. still recognizes me as a friendly. Let me get on in and move it jus a wee bit closer te here.” He leaned against the ship, “And been workin’ repairs while ya napped. But is starttin’ ta get warm again. And I should’n be out much longer.”

  Mar nodded, “Floran’sss turn to work on the ssship.”

  “An’ I’ll be keepin’ an eye on ye, so ya dun faint again.”

  Mar nodded. He picked up the tools, and examined the work Flint had done, Bolts the Novakid had worked on were slightly tighter, the beam was fully repaired though.

  Mar smiled… that had been a part he’d have struggled with. And now that was done. The work that needed to be done on the ship was almost done now. Just the last of the hull work was left.

  And so the two swap back and forth with the last of the work. Flint had some iced tea with him that he let Mar sip at whenever both felt it was needed. Finishing not long after the sun hit the horizon again. Both head into the ship and flop on Mar’s bed. A messy, overly soft cot like thing.

  Flint stares at the ceiling.

  “Weren’t paying mind earlier, bu’ these here flowers look nice.”

  “They reminded Floran of you.”

  Mar looked at the flowers for a moment, soft blues and whites, blue was difficult to come by but white was plentiful in flowers. He turned his head, and looked at Flint.

  “Floran lovesss thesse flowersss.” Almost, almost as much as he ached to care for the being they were to remind him of.

  Flint laughed, “Might flattered, little bloom. If I ‘ad a ship to keep things on, i’d ‘ave gott’n somethin’ ta remind me of ya.”

  Mar turned his face the other way, was he bothered or flustered by such a comment? Few had said things like that. Wanting to be reminded of him. He felt a small twist in his stomach and chest.

  At first he had felt like Flint would be… a sort of Ushi like figure… but the comparison no longer fit. Flint watched the Floran grow seemingly flustered, his own head tilting. Wondering why Mar seemed flustered.

  “You… you misssed Floran?”

  Flints laugh sparked a stronger twist in the vines twisting and blooming in Mar’s heart. His hands go and place themselves over his chest. This wasn’t like Ushi… not fully. It was different.

  “Course I did! Ye were good te me, and ‘m thankful for that.” He paused. Recalling how often he had wanted to call the Floran, just to hear the soft lisp… “got fond of ya… Always talkin’ ‘bout flowers and such, helpin’ folks best ye can, yer laughin’…”

  Maybe he should stop. The sound of longing was a bit heavy. The want of Mar’s company.

  Mar was quiet.

  “Floran knowsss it’sss… dangerousss, but you can visssit more.”

  “I kin try.”

  It’s quiet.
  They stare at flowers and flickering lights.

  The quiet stretched out, and the two kept glancing at each other. Growing. Was this uncomfortable? Neither felt uncomfortable, mostly both felt like something was meant to be said, but neither were saying it.

  Mar was getting somewhat tired by this point, the day’s work catching up to him. But he couldn’t sleep. Not with this… fluttering tightness in his chest. Winding around his lungs and throat. What would Ushi say he should do?

  …His hand edged closer to Flint’s.

  Ushi would say, ‘Take their hand. Hold it and say how you feel.’

  Flint’s hand was warm in his. Oddly rough, strange for a Novakid. It was… nice though. A comfort.

  “Floran…” Holding the Novakid’s hand didn’t make the vines in his chest calm down. “Isss it ok for Floran to do thisss?”

  Flint hadn’t reacted yet.
  Or so Mar thought. But he noticed the glow growing.

  That side of the bed had brightened.
  And a hand gripped Mar’s in return.

  “I t’ink it’s fine.”

  The twisting vines around his heart loosened and then tightened and he felt his chest be tight. Finally he looked back to the Novakid, seeing the bright swirling lights and patterns within the being.

  Something he had come to understand as Flint’s way of smiling.

  He was smiling too now… hand held softly now. He understood the vines twisting in his chest, Ushi would have called them butterflies, and he had felt these vines many times before.

  Never like this though.
  Never felt them creep to his heart and throat. And to his bones and fingertips.

  “Flint..?”

  The glow flickered, brightening as the Novakid turned his head, “Aye?” 

  “…Floran thinkss Floran likess you.”

  The glow brightened more somehow, and Mar had to put a hand in front of his eyes, or risk seeing spots.

  Flint’s voice crackled with a sort of quiet excitement, “I. I dun know how ta reply. I’ma honored?”

  He searched for words, keeping a hold of Mar’s hand. “Pretti’ sure I like ye too.”

  Both sides of the bed were glowing. One side literally one metaphorically. Mar was smiling, and stayed smiling even as he dozed off. And Flint couldn’t doze off for a long time. Just marveling at the hand in his.

  It had always pulled him out of trouble. And now he was holding it in a different fashion. One he’d have to be careful with. The light dimmed as he did start to doze off.

  Sleeping. A slight hiss and buzz of gentle snores. Both worn down from working on the ship, and both tired from processing this situation.

  Even as they slept, their fingers were still delicately twined together.

  Mar dozed peacefully. Which wasn’t a thing that happened often. He was sure, as he stretched a bit and yawned, that such warmth had been a dream. But as he moved, a grip on his hand tightened just a little.

  …Flint really was right there. The glowing hand held in his.

  Mar’s free hand moved over his chest, and gripped at his top. Fiddling with the fabric. The green material was worn and thin under his fingers, and grounded him for a moment. Rolled a bit to watch the Novakid… who was still softly buzzing and dozing.

  Mar smiled softly…
  It wasn’t some sort of dream or heat-induced hallucination.

  Flint woke after a bit. Stretching and popping something? Maybe it was the outer shell stretching and becoming unstiff.

  “Mornin,’ Sunflower.”

  “Floran issn’t sssuure it’sss morning, but good morning to you too!” He couldn’t keep the soft happiness from his voice. He’d missed waking up with a greeting from Flint.

  There had just been.. so much that he had missed. He’d missed everything. And he hadn’t even fully known he had been missing Flint till now.

  The two wake up slowly and give the ship a final check over. Before standing at the helm.

  Carefully… Mar takes Flint’s hand to hold. “…Floran guesssesss you’ll have to go away?”

  “Still got some nasty folks up ‘n chasin’ me. Dun want ta get ya hurt again.”

  Mar gripped Flint’s hand… He had just started holding it… He didn’t want Flint to leave again. He didn’t want to be alone. Not again. It was so hard for him to find beings he could trust.

  “Vissit Floran more often… Pleasse?”

  And with Flint making that promise, he left. Mar gets the ship back to space, and once more. Drifts alone through space. Though, not every day.

  Flint kept his promise.