Work Text:
Your ears are the first one to be awakened. The cacophonous noises. a characteristic sound that was harbored by Slate’s uncessant work, forces those to perk up. Over your shoulders, lies their vest, much bigger than you, it served well the purpose of an improvised blanket. Your scarred face is unmolded from the hardwood bench as you lift your head. Your eyes, still sensitive to the incandescent light that washes over the workshop, searches for the engineer’s figure.
Slate is close. Not enough for reach, but close enough to be recognized through your blurred eyes. They don’t even flinch in the slightest with the creaks in the furniture that indicated you had risen. Surely they simply hadn’t noticed you, and not due to them being resented towards you due to the accident.
The accident. Right. Your nose bridge is definitely numb, your upper lip painted dry with blood, and your right arm is scratching due to the rough bandages that surround it. The majority of that sharp pain that invaded your skin was dissipated with your collapse. You haven’t had time to process anything that happened since you saw the flash coming from the prototype. Though if you were unwell, chances were that the technician's creation was in a much worse state. Still, you must face them. Bravery is not about not having fear – or in this case, being hesitant – it was about facing it, talking to them.
Your approach is simple, though not as smooth as you’d like, as you swayed light headed to your colleague’s direction. You coughed behind them, a sign of your arrival. Seeing they had caught the signal – through the perking of their ears, you take initiative; your arms snake around their shoulders. Through an instant, it seemed as if they would attempt to put you out of action, their flinch dissolves as molasses melting to your embrace.
“Hey” You try to sound warm and cordial, but only your dizziness transpires. “Cooking anything good?” You smile against their ear.
“Ha . No I’m not cooking anything good, no. In fact, I was trying to fix the mess I- we’ve made tonight. “Slate sighs, gaining a dismayed composure” Not that it’s worth enough, I’ll just give up on it, once more!”
“You really mean it? Giving it up?”You lightly rest your head against their neck, a pointless attempt to soothe them.
“Well yeah. I mean, maybe? No? Do you really gotta act like a smartass right now?” The engineer turns to face you. “What do you want from me, Feldspar?”
“I… maybe I don’t want to ever think about you giving up.” You feel yourself losing the ground under your feet as Slate pierces you with their eyes. “I know, you’re tired and well- so am I! These tests haven’t been successful and… well… I’m afraid.”
“...You? Afraid?!” Slate jolts, unwrapping themself from your arms, an incredulous expression accompanying them. The coat falls on the ground. “What are you even afraid of, fishface?”
“Well I-” You feel your cheeks rising with heat. You’ve never let yourself yield to fear, or admit you felt any. In most cases, you could just let the excitement rooted in it carry you through its darkness. But this one, is a different kind of fear. It’s cold, unchanging and out of your reach. It scares you because it doesn’t depend on your will to face it, for it relies on others, on Slate. You whisper, defeated. “I fear you’ll give up on me.” You say, finally. “That you’ll be so disappointed by our failures that… well. You get it, don’tcha? You don’t need me to spell it word for word.”
“Felds…” Slate says, their brows furrowed, until they ease up, a laugh escaping their lips.”You really are a stubborn one, huh? Even for… whatever kind of statement you were trying right there. Nevermind.” Slate gets up, facing you with a stupid lighthearted smile plastered on their face. “I just want you to know, I don’t like this lack of faith you have in me.”
“Oh, c’mon. You’re always talking about giving up- I’m not unreasonable, am I?”
“Well, maybe not, but that still means I have to show you where I stand.” Slate reaches a radio hidden within the mess of their working bench, a familiar song, drowned in white noise. “Plus, we have other hearthians in this project with us. I’m not giving up on them and I’ll never, ever give up on you.”
“Hahah, quit the sweet talk. I didn’t know you could do that, in the first place! Slate gives you a disapproving glance.”Though… I do appreciate it.” You can’t help but give them a crooked smile, to reed your endless gratitude, as you offer them your hand.
“You know” Slate hums. “Maybe we could start saying… ‘re-start’, instead of ‘giving up’. We’ll continue the project either way, right? We already got everyone telling us to give up, so why should we give them reason?” Your fingers interlock as you sway to the music’s rhythm.
“Exactly!” You feel yourself smirking, giddy.”I’m glad you get it, Slate, truly.” You spin with their hand as an axis.
“Glad you think so. Hey, what you meant, about fear. Is it true?” Your pace slows down.”I’m not making fun of you this time, I guarantee you.” Slate half smirks, gaze soft at your direction. “I just couldn’t imagine you having fears at all.”
“Oh, come on, I’m a hearthian just like you! Of course I have fears. I’m not made out of metal even, lazy eye.” Your steps synchronize.
“Oh, but you’d be so much more useful if you were…”
“Shut up, Felds-bot couldn’t share this moment with you, could it? Admit it, you’re happy with the way it is.”
“My function is not to talk about my feelings, I’m meant to build stuff and watch it break, remember?”
“And right now, your function is to stop being a bore and dance with me, remember, Slate-bot? And probably sleep soon.” You chuckle.
“Soon, not now. Try not to be a party pooper, yes?”
“Aight.”
Through laughs and missteps, you two crowded the workshop with the light of reassurance sparkling your eyes. Your attempts at the dance were reckless but humble. You couldn’t care less, however. It was not a performance, a lie you’d tell other hearthians. There was some profound intimacy in the solemn sincerity of your feelings, of their laughter. The warmth that comes from their hands in yours. You feel like you’ve danced for hours, though it’s not enough even as it ends with the both of you panting heavily. Night envelops you both, eternalizing the moment.