Work Text:
"Alright..." Kit muttered as their ship touched down in the hangar of the Farcade's main cruiser. She didn't want to get off. She just wanted to fly out into the void and... fade away, but she couldn't. There were others who needed her and relied on her, and so after powering down the ship, she stood and walked past the others to disembark first. "Let's go see Dusk."
Flappers and Gobbles both stuck close to Kit while Kaboodle took his usual spot on her back. The small group moved through the sparsely crowded halls of the ship, and Kit chewed her lip as they got closer and closer to the main deck.
"We're so fucked." Kaboodle said, causing Kit to groan. "We just lost another planet when we were only supposed to be doing recon. Dusk is gonna rip us a new one."
"W-we'll be fine. We were doing our job right, and then the Syntax showed up. We tried... we tried, and we lost." Kit said as she stopped in front of the entrance to the main deck.
"We'll be ok," Gobbles said as he patted Kit's arm. "I'm sure he'll understand. We weren't prepared for the sudden attack."
"Yeah..." Kit muttered before entering the main deck. As she approached the commander's chair, she cleared her throat. "Um... Hi Dusk. We're back..."
Dusk's fingers tapped away at his armrest before stopping as a sigh escaped his lips. "You're back later than I expected... what happened?"
"We um. This is Flappers." Kit said, motioning to the dolphin. "We were going to do recon, but then the Syntax showed up and-"
"And you lost the planet," Dusk said as he stared out the viewport at the stars dotting the darkness. "Did you even attempt to contact us for reinforcements?"
"N-no... I- well, things were moving so fast and-"
"And your feelings got in the way," Dusk said as he stood towering over Kit and the others.
Kit swallowed as she braced herself for the lecture she was about to get for her latest failure.
___________________________________________________________________
Lulu hummed softly to herself as she walked by the hangers, a ball of yellow catching her attention. The Nimble sat repairing itself as Lulu smiled and picked up her pace. She started looking around for Kit, but instead she found Kaboodle song with Gobbles and a newcomer. "Hey Kaboodle, where's Kit?"
"She's in her room," Kaboodle said as he sat on Gobble's head. "She got chewed out hard by Dusk after we lost another planet. She said she wanted to be alone."
"Thanks..." Lulu said as she waved before walking off as she worried her nails. Kit had been struggling a lot ever since joining, and while Lulu thought she was making strides, this latest failure was probably hitting her hard.
Lulu picked up her pace and quickly found herself in front of Kit's door. After taking a breath, she knocked and spoke softly. "Kit... It's me. Can I come in?"
After a lack of an answer, she slowly opened the door and peered in. Her heart broke as she saw Kit curled in on herself tightly. Soft sniffles and whines filled the room. Lulu sighed and walked in, closing the door softly behind her.
As she closed the distance with measured soft steps, she mulled over all the turmoil they had been through and how strong Kit had been. Everyone recruited to the Farcade struggled to adjust in their own ways, but Kit threw herself into the fray almost immediately. It was a foolhardy and reckless thing, but Dusk had greenlit it. Lulu couldn't help but wonder whether he was regretting that decision now.
The bed creaked as she climbed on slowly, waiting for any sign from Kit about whether she was welcome or not. After nothing came from her, Lulu lay down, scooting closer. A gentle kiss pressed against the back of Kit's neck as Lulu wrapped her arms around her.
Kit continued to sniffle, but as she let Lulu embrace her, it subsided slowly before stopping. As the two lay in the silence, Lulu felt Kit sag as the tension left her body. With a sigh of relief, Lulu closed her eyes and let her mind drift off. After some time asleep, it'll be easier to deal with whatever happened.
____________________________________________________________________
Kit blinked slowly, her body stirring as consciousness came back to her. She was wrapped in the warmth of Lulu's arms. Just as she began to stir the arms around her tightened, and a soft voice brushed over her ears. "Go back to sleep."
Kit hummed softly as her eyes closed slowly and she let sleep take her again. More rest sounded nice, especially if she could stay here, wrapped in this warmth.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been out, but when she awoke again, Kit felt refreshed, though not entirely in the realm of better. Her head was clearer, and while Dusk's words still hurt, she could process them a bit better. He was harsh but fair. She'd messed up too much and needed to get her priorities straight. Every planet lost was countless lives they'd never be able to get back.
Arms tightened around her, and Lulu spoke softly. "I can hear your brain grinding away. Quiet it down and let's just relax. You're not on a mission. You don't have one coming up. For now, you're just here with me."
"Y-yeah... I'll try," Kit whispered as she relaxed into the embrace and let her mind clear. Her worries will still be there waiting for her, but for now, they can wait. For now, she would listen to Lulu and just let her mind go blank.
After some time, Kit's legs twitched, and she grumbled, causing Lulu to sigh. "Can you not just lie here for like ten minutes?"
"...No," Kit muttered as she opened her eyes. "Sorry."
"It's ok," Lulu said as she started to sit up. "How about we watch a movie or something? Maybe get a bit to eat."
"That sounds good," Kit mumbled as she pulled herself up and wiped her eyes. "Sorry, by the way, for all this."
"It's ok... was Dusk really that mad?"
"Yeah. He chewed me out hard, but I can't say it was uncalled for." Kit said as they scooted to the edge of the bed.
"Well, I'm sure things will work out," Lulu said as she hopped to her feet and flashed a smile. "Go pick a movie. I'll be back with food."
"Yes, ma'am," Kit said, giving a mock salute. As Lulu hid her mouth with her hand, a soft giggle escaped her lips. Kit couldn't help but smile as her heart felt lighter.
"I'm not an instructor anymore, stop that," Lulu said, swatting playfully at Kit's arm.
"Understood, ma'am." Kit snapped again, causing Lulu to groan and walk off as Kit chuckled softly.
A few minutes later, a movie was playing, Kit and Lulu leaned on each other as they picked at movie-viewing-appropriate food and simply relaxed. The problems could wait and would wait. Others in Farcade could keep the various game worlds safe in the meantime.