Chapter Text
“Damn, Rina. You really got into that.” Pearl commented, once Marina typed ‘end’ into the doc. “I didn’t think you’d go that hard.”
Marina shrugged. “You were right. That did add some good fluff opportunities.” She bit the inside of her mouth. She wouldn’t admit it to her face, but a small part of her liked the idea of Pearl protecting her like that. The same way she loved when someone got the jump on her during a match, and Pearl would run in at the last moment to save her, twirl one of her dullies around her finger like it was nothing while sending a wink at her before running off again to continue the match– Alright. That was enough of that.
“Yeah, but I didn’t realize you were gonna get that into it.” Pearl looked up from the laptop at Marina. “Just for the record, I would beat up a buncha wasps for you, if that’s what it came to.”
Marina snorted. “They were hornets, actually.”
Pearl rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Here, gimme the laptop, I got some ideas.” She pulled the laptop in front of her. “See, they’re cute and all, but we need to make these worms more us, you feel? I got some ideas on how to give Pearl worm some angst.”
Marina raised an eyebrow. “Be my guest.”
Pearl + Marina Feb 14 12024
Pearl stayed with Marina for hours that morning, never leaving her side until the venom's paralysis had left her system, and Marina had fallen asleep.
She searched her entire garden that day. Checking every rock, every crevice, making sure there were no more of those damn hornets anywhere near her home.
When she was positive she’d killed the only ones that had made their way onto her turf, she buried their bodies deep beneath the earth. Four ugly insects, minimal nutritional value. Plus, she didn’t want Marina to see them lying around. She didn’t want to scare her.
Even though the paralysis had worn off, the venom had done its damage. While Marina could move her muscles, every squirm was agony. An agony Pearl was all too familiar with.
For the next few days, Pearl spent the majority of her time in her nest with her injured partner. The time she wasn’t right there by Marina’s side, she was out catching her food, bringing her flowers full of nectar for Marina to drink. Double checking every hornet hot spot in her garden to make sure they didn’t even think about coming back.
“I think I’ll be able to move without pain in another day or two.” Marina informed her one afternoon a few days after the attack.
“Good to hear.” Pearl hummed. She lay by Marina’s side, gently cleaning bits of dirt from her purple and teal fur. Taking extra care while grooming the fur near her sting wound. Just another little way of showing her affection. “I knew you’d heal just fine. You’re so strong, fightin’ that venom off so fast.”
“Thanks, Pearlie.” Pearl didn’t miss the blush that peppered her purple face. “I’m doing so well because you take such good care of me.”
“Hey now, it’s the least I could do for you.” Pearl replied. “You’ll be out on your own again in no time.” She hoped Marina would come back on her own accord once she could move without pain.
They lay silent for some time, before Marina spoke up again. “Hey, Pearlie, is it alright if I ask you something?”
“Course, sunshine, you can ask me anything you want.” Pearl answered.
“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way or anything,” Marina continued. “And I don’t mean to pry, I’ve just been thinking about you a lot.” She sighed. “You took on an entire hornets nest on your own. And I know you’re strong, a lot stronger than any other worm I’ve ever met, but still. Even small hornet nests have over a hundred workers. I just– how did you do that all on your own?”
Pearl paused. Marina didn’t sound suspicious, she just sounded curious. “...It wasn’t really a nest, you know? Just the leftovers from when the humans gassed their main colony.” She said, attempting to side step the question.
“I guess I get that, but still. I won’t make you answer if it brings back bad memories for you, I’m just wondering.” Marina gave her such an easy way out. Such a small and easy lie, but Pearl could never bring herself to lie to Marina. She didn’t deserve that.
Pearl took a deep breath. “Ah, it’s, well–” She paused. “Now, I’ve never told anyone this, it’s still kind of weird for me to think about myself. And I know it’s gonna sound a little hard to believe, but I promise I’d never lie to you.”
“Oh, Pearl, you don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.” Marina hurried, picking up her head to look Pearl in the eyes. She looked concerned, more concerned than she always did, at least. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable– you don’t own me anything.”
Oh, but I do. “No, no. I want to tell you. I want to share this with you, it’s just gonna be difficult to explain.
“Ever since I was barely an inch long, I’ve had this– ability? I don’t know what else to call it. I thought it was normal, I didn’t spend much time around other worms, so I just figured it was something everyworm could do. It wasn’t until my first fight over this dinky little veggie garden that I realized it wasn’t.
“I can do this thing. It’s like a scream, but different. Much, much louder. It hurts a lot to do, so I only ever use it if I absolutely have too, and that day, I did. I was losing’, losing really bad. And the worm I was fightin’ wasn’t gonna let me run away, nah, he wanted to kill me then and there.
“I didn’t have a choice– so I used it. I shouted so loud, he was flung backwards. And he didn’t get back up.” She paused, reliving that fuzzy memory. “And when I finally had the courage to go check on him, there was blood leakin’ out of his ears.
”I blew his brain up, Rina. He didn’t stand a chance– And he won. He deserved to keep that garden, and I cheated. I left that place as soon as I got my voice back. It felt dirty, stayin’ in a garden I didn’t earn.
“I swore to myself that day, I’d never use it in a fight with another worm like that. If I wanted to pick a fight, I’d fight on even footing. If another stronger worm came along to take my garden, and they won, then I won’t use it.”
Pearl finished, shaking her head. “You don’t have to believe me. I know it’s a lot, but it’s the truth. I’ve only used it two other times. Once, when I got cornered by a house cat, and then again, to take out most of the hornets.”
Marina didn’t speak for a moment, waiting until she was sure Pearl had finished. “Pearl– I believe you. I know you’d never lie to me.” She paused. “And I don’t think you were cheating. I know that probably doesn’t mean anything to you, but I want you to know that.”
Pearl laughed softly. “Thanks, sunshine. That means a lot to me, actually.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me, Pearl. I understand what it’s like to have a secret about yourself, but just know, I’ll never judge you for something you did as an inchworm.” Marina assured.
“It’s kinda funny.” Pearl added. “After that day, I kind of found this weird need to prove myself. If only to myself, I guess. I needed to prove that I wasn’t just strong because of this unfair advantage. I started pickin’ fights I didn’t think I could win. I started goin’ after bigger and badder worms, makin’ my way up. I almost died a few times, but I think it hardened me, you know? Made me who I am now. I didn’t stop till I got to the top. I finally settled here because I felt I’d proven that I deserved what I had.”
Marina nodded. “I’m not exaggerating when I say you’re the strongest worm I’ve ever met. Sonic scream or not, I’ll always stay by your side.”
Pearl smiled. “Aw, you’re makin’ me blush.” It felt good to get that off her chest. Getting it out in the open like that. “It feels good not havin’ any secrets with you. You’re so sweet to me.” She leaned over, affectionately nuzzling gentle worm kisses against Marina’s cheek.
And Marina reveled in that affection. Pearl had just shared such a raw and vulnerable secret with her because she trusted Marina.
Marina happily reciprocated Pearl’s affection, coiling her fluffy length around Pearl’s warmth. She was a few inches bigger than Pearl, despite them being roughly the same age. She enveloped the smaller worm, holding her close like a promise.
Pearl had just shared such a big secret with her– Marina wanted to share something with her, too. Not to even any scores, or because she felt she had to, but because she wanted Pearl to know.
There was no way Pearl would see any less of her once she knew… Pearl didn’t seem like that kind of worm. Pearl was the kind to judge someworm for how they acted, not how they were born or where they came from.
“You shared something so special with me today, I feel like I should confess something, too.” Marina said.
“Oh, no, Rina, You don’t gotta do that for me. I didn’t tell you all that to get you to do anything for me.” Pearl answered quickly, sounding concerned.
Marina shook her head. “I want to tell you this, Pearl. I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while”
Pearl nodded. “As long as you really want to, I’m all ears.”
Marina paused before beginning. “I’m not, ah, I’m really from around here. And I don’t mean I come from a different neighborhood. I mean I’m from really far away.”
Marina paused. “How much do you know about humans?”
Pearl furrowed her brow. “Not much, honestly.” She admitted. “I know they’re the ones who make these gardens in the first place. I know they can drive worms out of their gardens if they don’t get along with us, so I pretty much just avoid them as much as possible.”
Marina nodded. “Most of that is true, yes. They’re… complicated. They can do things I can’t even begin to understand.” She took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
“My old garden, it was really nothing special. I never had the same drive most worms had for a big grand place like you have. I lived in the little pot garden that was owned by this older human. She knew I was there, no other worms really wanted to take it from me, and those who did were very young and easy to fight off.
“I had somewhat of an understanding with the woman who owned my garden. I kept out the locusts, and she left me alone. It got to a point where she’d sit out there for hours, and eventually, I let her see me.
“She never tried to touch me or anything, she kind of just looked at me until I got spooked. It was nice, you know? I felt weirdly safe. I think I trusted her a little too much, after a while.”
“You let one of them see you?” Pearl interrupted. “And she didn’t try to get rid of you?”
Marina nodded. “Like I said, I was never destructive. I don’t think she minded enough to try and get rid of me, since I was older. Younger worms can be a lot worse to deal with. Pick your poison kind of thing.”
“But to get back to what I was saying,” Marina continued. “I don’t know exactly what happened, or why she did what she did. She brought another human into the garden, she was younger, maybe her child or something. I was scared, of course, so I hid in my nest I’d made in one of her pots. Then I felt it move. She was picking up my pots. I don’t know if either of them realized I was in there, or if they cared, but they loaded me into this– thing.”
“They took me far, far away. We didn’t stop moving for days, until they eventually took me out and put me down in your garden. This place– everything is different. The plants, the smells, I don’t know how far away I came from. Pearl, I don’t even know if we’re the same species. I didn’t know how to tell you– I don’t– I didn’t know if you’d still want me to stay with you, if you knew there was a chance I was something else.” Marina stopped. She could feel her five hearts begin racing. She worried for a moment if it was a bad idea to confess this– maybe Pearl would kick her out. If not for possibly being a different kind of worm than her, then for lying about it.
Maybe Pearl would kill her. Marina was possibly an invasive species, after all. Maybe Pearl would see it as protecting her garden, see it as protecting other worms from a possibly dangerous invader.
“If you don’t want me to stay with you anymore, I understand. You don’t have to fight me, I’ll just go.” Marina said, ducking her head away.
“Marina–” Pearl’s voice was soft, comforting. Nothing like the anger Marina had been afraid for. “I’m not blind.”
Marina turned her head back. “Huh?”
Pearl raised an eyebrow. “I kind of had a hunch you from somewhere pretty far away.”
“...And you still wanted to be with me?” Marina asked, a bit surprised.
Pearl laughed. “Course I did. Mainra, I like you for you. Yeah, maybe we’re slightly different, but we’re still both worms, you dig? You’re a bit bigger than me, and yeah your fur’s a little thicker, but that’s not what matters to me.”
“Pearlie–” Marina felt tears begin to well in her worm eyes. Pearl didn’t care– of course she didn’t, because Pearl was wonderful, and amazing, and Marina was so incredibly lucky that of all the gardens in the world, she’d been placed in this one. “Thank you, Pearl. You don’t understand how much that means to me. I was so worried you’d be mad at me.”
“Why would I be mad at you? You couldn’t help what happened to you. Shell, that must have been so scary, goin’ through all that.” Pearl nudged Marina’s face lovingly. “This is your garden now, too sweetheart. And there’s no worm I’d rather share it with.”
Marina swallowed. “You were right. I does feel better to get all that out in the open.” She laughed a little. “Thank you for being so understanding, Pearlie. You’re so kind to me.”
Pearl smiled. “I can say the same for you. You’re my worm and only, Rina. Always will be.”
~~~
“You ok there Rina?” Pearl asked, placing a hand on Marina’s shoulder.
“...Yeah, I’m alright.” Marina answered, whipping her eye. “Just, that last bit kind of brought up a lot of memories from when you found out about where I came from.” She exhaled, laughing at herself a little. “You really were so kind to me about it, and I really was scared about what you’d think of me.”
“Oh, Rina, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up all that for you again.” Pearl soothed.
“No, no. It was my idea to add it in,” Marina hurried. “I’m just– I don’t know, I’m just remembering how sweet you really are. I really do love you, Pearlie.”
Pearl smiled, wrapping an arm around Marina’s shoulder. “I love you too, you sap. You’re my worm and only.”
Marina laughed. “Thank’s, Pearlie. You’re my worm and only, too.”