#im also not sure i think this would be canon wwww its speculative

[hirokiyuu]

SolNem 42

42. Chasing butterflies

"Apparently some humans used to do this with like, nets or whatever, I've seen it in vids," comes Sol's voice, as Nem edges closer and closer to the edge of the Garrison. "I'd kinda like to try it that way, it seems like it'd be fun! Probably easier than this, y'know?"

Nem peeks around the corner and there they are: Sol and the alien motherfucker trying to steal her whole goddamn life, smiling at each other without a care in the world. Her girlfriend's hair's down and loose and tangled, and as she runs around chasing some dumb bugs, Symbiosis is sitting in the grass and watching with a smile warm on his face. "You're acquitting yourself quite well, though."

"Ehh," says Sol, sticking her tongue out, and Nem has only one single moment to feel a familiar flush of anger at their obvious familiarity with each other before she adds, "Nem would be way better."

The anger dies in her chest. Sol continues on, oblivious: "She's always been way better than me at anything athletic or whatever, y'know? Like when we were kids, she'd always kick my ass at sportsball pretty much every time we played."

That makes the alien smile a little, eyes staring into some middle distance, like he's imagining it--like he's thinking about human children, the most vulnerable kind of humans in the world, and somehow that brings a smile to his face--but the smile fades soon enough into something a stupider person would call pensive. "I do hope..." he says, slowly, "...that my presence in your life hasn't...."

"Aw, bud," says Sol, before giving up on her latest bug and sitting down right beside him, close enough that if he wanted he could reach out and snap her fucking neck. "I know things with Nem aren't... I mean, they're not... they're not great, but...."

Sol has to visibly swallow at that, which makes Nem feel like shit even though none of this is her own damn fault. Just that stupid alien's. Still, any guilt dries up the moment Sol leans over to put her head on the alien's shoulder easily, like she's done it a thousand times. "You're one of my best friends too, y'know? I would've gone totally crazy when that stupid war started without you."

And that makes the stupid fucking alien look so fucking fond and warm and bright that Nem wants to march straight over, punch him in the face, and then drag Sol away by the wrist. That's her girlfriend, she thinks, her fucking girlfriend, not his, and he shouldn't be looking at her girlfriend like--

It takes her a second, to recognize the cadence of her thoughts, and as she does she feels sick. No. No. She's not going to be like that, not when she only just escaped it herself, and not towards the very person who saw herself standing in the jaws of some horrid beast and pulled her away before they could come down on her neck; she won't be that beast herself, she won't, she won't--

Her eyes meet the alien's, staring over in surprise. The blood drains from her face; with no care for whether anyone else saw her spying like a lunatic, she turns and bolts.