Work Text:
Marina settled in her arm chair beside one of their floor to ceiling windows. It had been raining for most of the morning, with the forecast speculating it would drag on late into the evening. Really, Marina couldn’t be happier.
She loved everything about the rain. The smell, the sound of raindrops against glass, the comfortable atmosphere, it was one of her favorite things about the surface.
The rain, combined with a rare free schedule, made today the perfect day to get work done. She leaned back in her chair, pulling open her laptop. She could make a dent in her mountain of an inbox, or make some progress on her newest project: Memvers 2. Oh, and she really needed to polish the product of her and Pearl’s last late night brainstorm session.
She was just opening her inbox when a thought struck her. I wonder how my worms are doing.
Two years ago, in a storm of creative motivation, she and Pearl had written a four chapter story about themselves as worms. It had turned into a joke for a while, before eventually being mostly forgotten. Marina had given it thought from time to time, wondering how this alternate version of herself would react to her own life events.
I wonder if my worms would enjoy the rain…
She exited out of her inbox, opening a clean word document.
~~~
February 23th, 12026
Somewhere deep within the largest garden in Calamari county, two worms were sleeping. Rain gently pelted the leaves that crisscrossed above their nest, leaving the earth around them soft and wet while they rested, warm and dry in their home.
Marina awoke slowly, yawning as she tried to place the new smell that clung to the air. She lifted her head, sleepily inspecting the roof of their nest when it dawned on her. Rain. She couldn’t remember the last time it had rained. The land outside of Pearl’s garden was dry, and it seemed to rain much less than wherever she came from.
She carefully untangled herself from her still sleeping partner, moving to the mouth of their nest and poking her head outside. Their nest was hidden in the thick of a pricker bush, and even that was nestled in the shade of a wide, low hanging tree. The rain filtered through in infrequent blobs, leaving the decomposing leaves beneath her only damp despite the downpour.
She retreated back into her nest, settling back around Pearl’s soft warmth. Marina enjoyed the rain, though Pearl never hid her disdain for it. Marina’s thick waterproof fur made traversing the soggy landscape easier than the worms native to this area.
Pearl breathed in deeply, sighing as she opened her golden eyes. Marina nudged her head affectionately. “Good morning, Pearlie.”
Pearl looked upwards, and then towards the mouth of the nest, just as Marina had a few minutes before. “Mornin’, sunshine.”
“It’s raining today ♪” Marina informed her in a sing-song tone.
Pearl wiggled away from her, poking her head outside the nest. “So it is.” She said after a moment. She ducked back into the nest, and Marina giggled as she noticed the fat waterdrop that had landed directly on top of Pearl’s head.
“Don’t be grumpy!” Marina laughed as Pearl frowned. “I think you look cute with your fur damp.”
The smaller worm shook out her head dry, curling around Marina. “Well, you won’t be seein’ much of it. I’m not goin’ out there till the sun's out.”
She reciprocated Pearl’s embraces, tangling herself around the smaller worm as she nuzzled her face. Her fur was lighter than Marina’s, built to resist heat rather than insulate against the elements like Marina’s. Marina shed a lot more than Pearl, her purple and teal hairs littering the nest. Pearl said she didn’t mind, and that it made the nest feel more like home.
“Really?” Marina asked. “You’re not gonna go outside with me today?”
Pearl lifted her head. “You were planning on going out in that?”
Marina did whatever the worm equivalent of a shrug was. “Well, we’re going to get hungry eventually. And I like the rain.”
Pearl’s brow creased slightly. “True. I just, you know, I’d worry about you going off in the storm alone.”
Marina nuzzled her face again, wrapping her tail tighter around the smaller worm. “What? You worried I’m gonna get blown away?” She liked that Pearl worried about her. And, in turn, Marina worried about Pearl. She liked having someworm who cared enough about her to worry, and vice versa.
Pearl relaxed, leaning against Marina’s fur. “Nah, you’re too smart for that. I can’t help but worry about you sometimes.”
Marina knew that feeling. A challenger had come to try and claim Pearl’s garden twice in the time Marina had been living there. It was terrifying and impressive at the same time, watching her partner fight the adversary off. Marina was a non confrontational worm with little experience fighting off fully grown competitors, even if they were smaller than her. So, she opted to stay hidden nearby, just in case Pearl’s fight went sour.
But what was even worse than the challengers was when another worm tried to come and take her Pearl from her. Even with Marina’s scent plastered all over the garden, it somehow wasn’t enough to deter a possible suitor. He was a horrible shade of green, with sly eyes and a kind of self absorption Marina couldn’t stand. As non confrontational as she was, Marina nearly leapt at him before Pearl had the chance to explain she was taken.
Her fur puffed with rage just thinking about it. Pearl was hers. How could he not smell that? Did he really think he could just wiggling into their garden and take Pearl away from her?
“Wow, Rina, chill!” Pearl laughed. “What’s got you all worked up?”
Marina blinked, forcing her fur to flatten as she returned to the present. “Sorry. I was just remembering when that other worm tried hitting on you.”
Pearl snorted. “That was so long ago! You know I’m not goin’ anywhere, right?”
It felt pretty recent, but time is weird when you’re a worm. Marina had been fuming by the time he’d left. She’d had to dunk herself in the pond to cool off, her blood was pumping so fast.
“I know.” Marina assured. “And neither am I.”
“I’ve never seen you so angry.” Pearl grinned. “Your fur was puffed up until sundown.”
Marina remembered having an awful time falling asleep that night. She’d spent the entire night curled up tightly around Pearl, as though her love might slip away if she let go. “Well, you’d be angry too if someworm came into your garden and tried to take me away, wouldn't you?”
Pearl looked like she was thinking for a moment before she shuttered. The smaller worms fur prickled, and Marina felt an odd satisfaction. “I’d be furious. Losin’ you is my worst fear.”
“Well, it’s never going to happen.” Marina affirmed, ducking her head to nudge Pearl’s chin. “You’ve got me forever.”
“Aw, you’re sweet.” Pearl said, resting her head on the nest floor. “You’ve always got me, too.”
The gentle sound of worm purring filled the nest, mixing with the distant patters of rain. Marina rested her head beside Pearl’s, closing her eyes. Everything felt perfect. She had a safe, beautiful garden and a partner who loved her. What more could a worm ask for?
Pearl often felt too good to be true. She was strong, gorgeous, loyal, kind, funny, the list went on. And she loved Marina, and Marina loved her back. Pearl felt like a dream she was about to wake up from at any moment.
Marina wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, snuggled up together as the rain outside wore on. Long enough that the sounds of Pearl’s soft snoring began mixing with her purrs. Long enough that Marina felt her stomach begin to growl.
She nudged Pearl’s face. “Pearlie, I’m gonna go find us something to eat.”
Pearl lifted her head. “By yourself?”
She ducked her head. She was hungry, and though Pearl would’ve admit it, Marina knew she must be hungry, too. “I do better in the rain than you. And most predators don’t go out in the rain, either. I’ll be safe, I promise.”
Pearl still looked worried. “If anything happens, call for me, and I’ll find you.”
Marina nodded. She knew that was true. The few times she’d run into trouble, Pearl had been by her side in a flash. “I know you will.”
She shivered as she abandoned Pearl’s warmth, wiggling up to the nest’s exit. She poked her head out, checking to make sure she couldn’t smell any danger.
The coast was clear, and she cautiously made her way out of the nest. Rain drops began pelting her fur as she left the safety of the pricker bush, and a strong gust of wind nearly rolled her over. Maybe she would be blown away…
The stone path was littered with earth worms; slimy little things trying to escape the flooded earth. Easy to catch, though they were soggy and disgusting in the rain like this. She could find something better.
Marina made her way into the cover of another tree a few bushes down, rooting through the fallen leaves. They were wet, and the mud clung thickly to her fur. Normally, she wouldn’t make this much noise while hunting. Bugs were loud, and she could hear them easily if she was quiet. But they had all taken refuge in the rain, and the wind made listening and waiting almost impossible.
She wiggled over to the other side of the tree, jumping as something green lunged at her. It was a large female praying mantis that had just made the worst decision of its life.
It was fast, but Marina was faster, pouncing on it before it could get away. She sunk her teeth into it as it struggled, twisting into a death role with its arm still in her mouth. Her venom wasn’t nearly as potent as Pearl’s, but her grip was stronger, and she held fast until the green insect stopped jerking.
She adjusted her grip, pulling it as she made her way back to the nest. Marina took care not to drag it across the stone path, even though that was the fastest route. The wind was stronger on the path, and the flowers and bushes gave her some protection.
The wind grew stronger, and Marina closed her eyes as a flurry of water drops was blown down on her from a nearby branch. Even though her fur was mostly waterproof, she could feel the rain seeping into her undercoat.
The wind hit her again, and this time she was rolled backwards, barely getting her worm footing before she collided with a sharp rock.
While the wind had been at her back on the way out, now it was fighting for dear life to blow her away. Marina gritted her teeth. The mantis was slipping through her jaws, and she was beginning to doubt whether she could make it back with the food intact.
The wind sent her tumbling backwards once again, and she felt wet mud pour over her fur as she landed in the middle of a puddle. She fought to pull herself free, but moving made her sink even deeper.
Rain pelted her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. She was so tired, and her muscles were starting to ache. She cried out, attempting to signal to Pearl she needed help, but the small noise she managed to make was grabbed and tossed aside by the wind. She strained her neck up, but she couldn’t wiggle herself free from the mud puddle. The water was beginning to pool around her as she collapsed with exhaustion.
She tried calling out one more time as another cascade of droplets was blown into her face. She coughed, closing her burning eyes against the storm.
Sometime grabbed the back of her neck, yanking her out of the thick mud she’d been trapped in. Her eyes flew open, blinking as another droplet splashed into her face. “Pearl? W-what are you doing out here?”
“Looking for you!” Pearl had to shout over the wind. “I heard the storm getting worse, and you’d been gone for so long, I decided to come looking for you!”
“It’s a good thing you did.” Marina said shakily. The mud made her feel heavy as she pulled herself into a patch of yellow flowers.
Pearl pulled the mantis out of the mud, dragging it behind her as she followed Marina. “Are you alright? You looked like you were unconscious.”
Marina coughed water out of her nose, shivering. “I’m f-fine. Just got a little stuck.”
Pearl began picking bits of mud from Marina’s fur as the rain helped wash her clean. “I should’ve gone with you.”
Marina shook her head. “It wasn’t so bad when I left. I wouldn’t have gone out if I knew it’d get this bad.”
Pearl looked around. Their nest wasn’t too far away, and Marina could see a clearish path if they cut through the stone path.
“Are you ok to move?” Pearl asked. “I can carry you back if you’re hurt.”
Marina shook her head. “I’m alright, just a little sore.” She stretched her tail, wincing.
Pearl nodded “Here, you go ahead, I’ll carry the bug.” She took the mantis in her mouth, starting towards the path.
Marina grabbed its other arm. “It’ll be easier if we carry it together.”
Pearl didn’t fight her on that, and they made their way towards the sanctuary of the pricker bush.
The wind whistled in her ears, and Marina ducked her head. Leaning against each other, it was easier to keep upright. Pearl’s eyes were narrowed, her thin fur clinging close to her body. Just a little further…
Marina nearly collapsed as they made it past the barrier of thorns, panting as she pulled herself into the nest. Their nest was warm and so, so dry. It was dark, and sturdy, and safe.
Pearl rolled onto her back as she pulled the mantis through the entryway. She was breathing heavily, and Marina winced. “You alright?”
Marina nodded. “Just tired. Are you…?”
Pearl groaned. “More or less.” She was soaked to the bone–or whatever worms have–white and pink fur drenched and soaking into the leafy floor of the nest. She shook herself off, spraying Marina with tiny water pellets.
“Sorry.” Marina said again.
“Don’t be, it’s not your fault the storm picked up so fast.” Pearl said. “And besides, you managed to catch this.”
The mantis sat in a soggy heap on the nest floor, right by the exit where Pearl had dropped it. It was a little muddy, but they were worms, so that didn’t really matter.
Pearl ripped it in half, nudging the abdomen towards her. “Here, you take the good part.”
Marina shook her head, tearing off its middle two legs and pushing them towards Pearl. “That’s hardly even.”
Pearl pushed the legs away with her tail. “You’re the one who caught it, you get the good bits. I’m not that hungry, anyways.”
Marina frowned. “I wouldn’t have gotten it back if it wasn’t for you.”
Pearl sighed. “Stop being modest. You need it more than I do.”
As if to prove she was done with the argument, Pearl bit into one of its arms. Marina knew she wasn’t winning. Pearl was too sweet for her own good.
“Good on you for finding this.” Pearl said after a moment. “I haven’t seen a mantis around here in a while.”
Marina laughed a little. “It found me, actually. It lunged at me while I was digging around in the leaves.”
Pearl exhaled. “We’ve gotta check that area out more often. Maybe it had babies.”
Pearl curled around her as she finished, wordlessly picking little bits of dirt and mud from her purple coat. Marina rested her head on the ground, allowing her to continue.
“I’m glad you’re safe.” Pearl said after a minute. “I was really worried about you, sunshine.”
Marina curled her tail. “I’m glad you came looking for me. I don’t think I ever thanked you for that.”
Pearl moved towards the back of her neck, and Marina felt herself begin to purr again. “Don’t. I told you I’d come find you if you called for me.”
“Huh?” Marina had to stop herself from lifting her head. “I didn’t think you heard that.”
Pearl exhaled, blowing warm air against Marina’s fur. “So I wasn’t makin’ that up. When the rain got bad, I thought I heard you yell for me, but I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it or not.”
“You were that worried about me?” Marina purred louder as her fur puffed.
Pearl nuzzled her face. “I couldn’t stop pacing. When I heard the storm start gettin’ worse, I decided to see if I could see you from the bush. I thought I heard you calling for me, so I went to go get you.”
It was like Pearl could sense when she needed help. Marina lifted her head, tangling her tail with Pearl’s. She rubbed worm-kisses against Pearl's face, and Pearl began purring with her. “You’re always there when I need you.”
She began working her way through Pearl’s fur. It was messy and snarled from the wind, and caked with mud. Pearl relaxed, allowing her to continue as she purred.
After she was satisfied with her work, Marina settled down, spooning the smaller worm in her tail as she nuzzled more worm-kisses against her forehead. Pearl reciprocated, twisting so they could rub their foreheads together.
Marina giggled as she pulled away. She’d left little bits of purple fur in Pearl’s coat. “I love you, Pearlie.”
Pearl’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. “I love you too, sunshine.”
They laid back down, and Marina felt herself beginning to drift off to the sounds of purring and distant rain.
…
“Rina, you up?”
Marina blinked as Pearl nudged her face. “Wha–huh?”
Pearl poked her again. “The rain stopped!”
She yawned with a stretch. The air smelled fresh and clean, but she no longer heard the distant patters of rain. Pearl pulled away, wiggling towards the mouth of the nest and beckoning for Marina to follow.
Sunlight glittered as it shown through the dripping leaves. Marina followed Pearl into the light, blinking as her eyes adjusted.
“It’s always so pretty after it rains…” Pearl said, making her way through the carpet of damp leaves.
“Not as pretty as you.” Marina sighed. Nothing and no one would ever compare to her Pearl.
The sun was lazily drifting across the sky, and Marina guessed they still had a while until sundown. The stone path was still littered with earth worms, and she wrinkled her nose. They made their way through the garden, taking note of any newly fallen branches or knocked over statues.
“The garden-keepers will probably come through soon.” Pearl observed. The humans who maintained this garden knew about Pearl, but they had made an effort to keep Marina hidden, just in case they didn’t want two worms in their garden for whatever reason.
Marina noticed a shallow puddle of water that had pooled in one of the path stones. The puddle was clear, and free of any disgusting earth worms. She wiggled over to it, rolling in the clean water as she tried to get any left over dirt out of her fur.
Pearl wiggled onto the stone, but didn’t follow her into the water.
Marina lifted her head, shaking out her coat. “Come join me!” She called, splashing the puddle with her tail. “The water’s warm!”
Pearl shook her head. “Nah, I’ve been wet enough today. You have fun though.”
Marina frowned. “Pearlie, you’ve still got dirt in your fur. Stop being lame and get in the puddle.”
“Yeah? You wanna come over here and make me?” Pearl challenged, puffing up her fur playfully.
Marina grinned. “Oh, I think I will.” She leapt out of the puddle, curling around Pearl and attempting to push her into the water with her head.
Pearl was lightning fast, moving out of the way before Marina could touch her, and the larger worm stumbled. “You’re gonna have to try a little harder than that.” Pearl teased.
Marina shook her tail, spraying bits of water over Pearl, and the smaller worm shielded her eyes, giving Marina a window to attack again. She knocked into Pearl, this time pushing her back a ways, closer to the puddle.
Pearl made a surprised noise, but instead of trying to get away, she coiled around Marina’s neck, squeezing. No where near tight enough to restrict her breathing, but just enough to pin the larger worm down. “I thought you were above playing dirty!”
Marina huffed. She’d watched Pearl fight for real enough to know her greatest strengths were her speed and her venom, and there was no way Pearl would ever use her venom on Marina. She’d also play-fought with her partner enough to know Pearl was strong, but Marina was larger, and heavier, and Pearl wasn’t used to fighting worms like her.
Marina puffed out her fur, shaking until Pearl loosened her grip enough for Marina to wiggle free. Pearl adjusted as though she expected her to try and get away, giving Marina the opportunity to twist around, curling around the smaller worm and pinning her against the stone with her full body weight.
Pearl wriggled for a moment before accepting defeat. Without the threat of her venom, there wasn’t much Pearl could do to get her off.
“I win.” Marina teased, nuzzling worm-kisses against Pearl’s head.
Pearl laughed as Marina got off her, not fighting as Marina pushed her into the puddle. The water instantly soaked the smaller worm's fur, leaving her coat heavy and droopy. “You happy now?”
“Very.” Marina giggled. Pearl always looked so cute when she was all soggy. Pearl ducked her head under the water, picking the remaining dirt from her coat until she was clean.
Pearl shivered as she pulled herself out of the puddle. Her fur clung to her body in clumps, making her look even smaller than before. “Let's go find somewhere warm to dry off.”
They made their way over to the central pond, wiggling their way up to their favorite sunning rock. It jutted out over the water, with cattails and water fauna blocking them from predators and humans.
The rain must have stopped recently, as there were still pockets of water caught in the cracks and crevices of the rock, but the sun had warmed it to a comfortable temperature. Pearl sighed as she rolled onto her back, spreading out under the sun.
Marina followed suit, settling on her side next to Pearl. The warmth of the rock seeped through her damp fur, making her shutter.
“I always like how it smells after it rains.” Marina sighed.
Pearl lazily opened her golden yellow eyes. “I know you do, sunshi
~~~
“Marinaaa!”
Marina nearly leapt out of her chair. “Pearlie!” Marina exclaimed, whipping around to frown at her grinning wife. “You scared me half to death!”
Pearl leaned over the back of her chair. “Sorry, Rina, I didn’t realize you were so focused. I got you something!” She set a take out bag in Marina’s lap. “I stopped at that new sandwich place while I was out.”
Marina smiled. “Thank you, I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“I know.” Pearl walked around the side of the chair, sitting on one of its plush arms. “What’cha workin’ on?”
Marina felt her face flush. “I was, um, you remember that story we wrote a few years ago? Where we were worms?”
Pearl’s eyebrows raised. “Yeah? Wait, are you writing a sequel? Lemme see!”
Marina hesitated before handing the laptop to Pearl. “Alright, you promise you won’t make fun of it?” It was a silly question, of course. Pearl never made fun of her work.
“Of course I won’t, you should know me better.” Pearl took the computer, scrolling quickly to the top.
It took Pearl a surprisingly short amount of time to reach the bottom. Marina always forgot what a lightning fast reader she was. It was astounding she managed to absorb anything she read, but she never seemed to miss any details.
“Damn, Rina, you wrote all this just now?” Pearl said as she reached the end, handing the laptop back to Marina.
Marina nodded. “I just got thinking, what with all the rain. Do you like it?”
Pearl slid off the arm of the chair, squishing herself into the chair beside Marina. She was still damp from the rain, her skin cold against Marina’s. “Of course I like it, I’ve been waiting for the sequel for years!”
Marina smiled, hooking an arm around Pearl’s shoulder. She pressed a kiss against the side of her head. “Thanks, Pearlie.”
“You’ve gotta have a little more faith in your worm self, you know.” Pearl added. “Let her save me from a hawk or something.”
“Maybe you can write about that in the next instalment.” Marina joked.
“Maybe I will.” Pearl said, and Marina could already feel her brain working.
“As long as you let me read it when you’re done.”