How about Rutile/Padpa for "‘Will you stop stroking my hair and whispering ‘my precious’?!”"
lol of course the old popular ones will be back! lmao this wasn’t fluffy at all!
Did anyone say idiotic fluff prompts?
‘Will you stop stroking my hair and whispering ‘my precious’?!”
______________
ah....today just wasn’t their day rutile thought. dragging the box’s top off they laid on their knees as they petted the sleeping gem’s hair. another nabbing occurred, another two gems gone, it was so...unfortunate, but yet they felt...relieved that the gem they petted wasn’t the one gone; selfish maybe, but they couldn’t help but think that.
“my...precious.” they whispered under their breath, their mind wandering as they mumbled it more, even when chizzling one of the spare piece’s from the two gems to be just enough for one of padpa’s holes they barely noticed their repeating phrase.
placing them in they watched and petted them more, their precious, precious partner, gem...friend...more-
‘Will you stop stroking my hair and whispering ‘my precious’?!” their eyes opened widely as they found themself staring at those red eyes. “it’s...kinda weird after a while ruti.”
“...ah...yes, apologies.” they replied. “just....i might be...not doing well.”
“...another one?”
“two technically.” padpa sighed as they laid there. “at this point, i dunno if i wanna get up.”
‘please don’t’ was in rutile’s mind as they smiled. “these ones probably won’t last for long, so it’s alright.” they replied as padpa laid there. “...do i, wanna ask who?” rutile looked to the blue and red colored gems in their chest, petting them as their eyes closed slowly. “....i’m...sorry...ruby and sapphire.” they mumbled as padpa’s lost consciousness; gently they took the two pieces out.
“let me take you two back now; thank you though for letting me try your inclusions.”
I know that I have 50 thousand ideas on my plate atm but...
Au where Pad is a really famous musician and they get into an accident and Rutile is their doctor/surgeons. And when Pad leaves the hospital, they keep going back to the hospital to persuade Rutile to date them until the agree to go out with them.
baby’s first rutipads/first rocks fic in general, for colette. i had been wanting to rocks for a while but couldn’t quite figure out how to go about it; thank you for giving me the opportunity! (prayer hands emoji)
cries in corundum
It is four hundred years before there’s corundum on the beach again.
The chunks of sapphire are half-buried along the margin where the sea breaks against the shore—almost as though the waves had uncovered them for Rutile to find, white-skirted morning tide gently shifting the sand around to reveal the edges of uncut stone beneath. Lying quiet against each other in the basket they are pale yellow as sunshine, translucent where the light glances off them, and somehow warm to touch even with gloved fingers.
Rutile thinks about that warmth the whole way home; how it must come, as all warmth does, from the sun overhead. They don’t allow themselves to linger over the question of whether this, too, is what hope feels like. Instead they hold the basket close to their side as they walk, trying not to start at the way the stones knock and click against one another with every step—corundum, after all, is second only to diamond in its toughness, and unlikely to shatter on impact.
(Never mind that Rutile also knows that the hardness of corundum isn’t something they take comfort in, when it’s not the shattering they’re afraid of, most of the time.)
Curiously, the warmth remains even after Rutile passes out of the sun and into the shadowy, familiar dimness of their workroom, with its stacked boxes and corked vials and straight, orderly shelves. It is there when they shed their gloves and take up chisel and mallet, chipping and carving, shaping the pieces according to a set of measurements culled completely from memory. It waits behind them as they continue about their work.
When they finish cutting, they cross the room to where Padparadscha waits dreaming. They are, as they always have been under Rutile’s care, fully dressed and meticulously powdered, hair arranged over their body in gleaming curls, as if it’s imperative that they be ready to wake at a moment’s notice. And the warmth is there, too, in Padparadscha’s box.
(Never mind the centuries that pass between one waking and the next. Rutile is careful to maintain a record of the time, and of each operation. That is to say, each failure, each not-quite-failure, the intervals between them accounted for down to the day. They do not know if it’s hope that keeps them at the work. The work itself is all they need to know.)
When Rutile assembles Padparadscha, they go without gloves. There’s no need to measure, almost no need to look, because Rutile is certain where the holes in Padparadscha’s body are. A round, near-perfect circular cavity over the stomach, two big bean-shapes on either side of the chest, an oblong on the left shoulder, every crevice and every gap so familiar they need no more than their bare fingers to put the pieces together, tracing their way by touch.
But not so familiar, Rutile thinks, that their breath has ceased to catch when the pieces fit. After that there is nothing to do but hold that breath and wait.
Once every few hundred years, they will find corundum on the beach again. And when the pieces fit, and Padparadscha opens their eyes, the first thing they always do is take Rutile’s hands—small, slender, tired hands—and kiss them, lips to every knuckle and fingertip and inch of palm. Padparadscha’s kisses are things that chime and peal and glitter in the light, as if to say with the music of them that touch is something to stay awake for, that it fades last when everything else is gone.
So warm. I love these hands.
Each time, Rutile will look down and think about time, and about history—about what it might have meant once to have a body made of water and gas and soft pliant flesh, that was so fragile touching it with dirty hands could kill it, that needed more than the sun to live.
Rutile, how long has it been?
And each time, Rutile will remember what hands can do, and return to work.
the finale nobody asked for! or well..maybe one or two people idk nobody’s asked. but anyways consider this the conclusion i’ve been wanting to write for a while but never got to till now. for anyone needing links take these 2:
first
second
and here’s links for the bad end i ended up making:
bad end first
bad end second
otherwise enjoy the fic. takes place four months after the second fic. lets begin!
_____________
“beryl i can’t concentrate with the clapping.” rutile mumbled as they stared at the red head currently clapping, whilst quietly was enough to make noise for the student. “i can’t help iiit it’s my present your opening!!!”
“i don’t wanna tear the paper.”
“why? when were you this insistant in not ripping paper?”
“since ruti cried over ripping dia’s.” padpa interjected as rutile blushed lightly, gaining giggles from the others sitting around them. “i-it was just...very pretty that’s all!!”
“not like i minded.” dia tried to comfort as ruti looked back at them. “and i wasn’t crying i had an eyelash stuck!” padpa raised a brow. “in both eyes?”
“save the snark for your funeral.” they mumbled as they slowly took the wrapping off, using their enlarged stomach as a bit of a table for the light box to sit on. using their pocket knife they opened it revealing multiple tiny outfits.
“man it’s like a pinata.” yellow joked as rutile and padpa looked em over. “like em!? i couldn’t decide on what would be good so i went with all of em!!!” red stated excitedly as the array of rainbow colored outfits were examined by the two.
“yeah their real cute.” padpa stated as ruti nodded, looking away lightly gaining the red head’s attention. “do you have an eyelash in both eyes again ruti~?”
“sh-shut!”
------------------
as the two waved their goodbye’s to the babyshower party rutile took their seat on their dorm room bed with a sigh. “exhausted parent to be?~” they glared at yellow as they started taking down the streamers. “well sitting around with the size of a watermelon inside you IS exhausting.”
“daaawww hey now be nice to my kid.” padpa retorted to the brunette as they laid their head lightly on their stomach. “you just like this because my stomach’s now become your new pillow.”
“well YEAH your thighs are outta business for now.” padpa replied, gaining a light smack of a card from the other. “don’t you have a dorm to go back to?”
“you sure?” they asked, lifting the card lightly. “mean, it’s getting close so-”
“i’m sure if anything happens you’ll be notified alright?” rutile stated giving a light pet to padpa. “heh alright alright, i guess so.” lifting their head they grabbed the spare party favor and hat from rutile’s desk giving it a blow. “godparent yellow take care of these two alright?”
“ai ai!!”
“oh god no don’t put our child in their care.”
“so meeeaaan rutiiiile!!!”
================
walking down the unfamiliar beach padpa looked to the sky. no birds, kites, no nothing. just beetles passing by. walking to the shore they looked outward. nothing but waves pushing forward and back, till they noticed something shiny a little bit ahead of them. within a dozen steps they crouched down seeing something bright and orange red nestled in the sand. petting it lightly it was some sort of...crystal? what was it? they were never good with this stuff. ruby? a beryl? the cream colored stripes looked familiar. like-
“cairnel-”
“PADPA WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!”
padpa screamed as they felt the assault of a pillow getting smacked in their face and falling over to the other side of their bed. “geez your such a deep sleeper c’mon!!” looking up they could see through the nightlight of their window a distressed yellow holding a pillow and panting.
“this is the mos-” they watched as the blonde rushed to their side and gripped their wrist to quickly walk with them out of their room. “-t weirdest way to wa-HEY HEY what’s the rush?!”
“RUTI IS THE RUSH!!!” and just at that they let go as both started sprinting. “i TRIED calling you and then ruti just threw pillows at me to go get you you sloth!!”
“well that explains the pillow but still!!!”
as both rushed through the hall of slowly waking up students coming out of their dorms. slamming the door open padpa looked to the now disheveled sitting up lightly rutile panting and curling up a bit with a nervous zircon sitting closeby with their phone in hand.
“a-ambulance says they’ll be here-” they stuttered as yellow patted em lightly. “good zirc good good ya can go back to bed now.” yellow quickly ushered the younger out, closing the door as rutile gave a gutteral growl, causing the red head to rush to their side.
“and you said it’d be fine for me to go to my dorm huh-” they started only to get interrupted with a firm squeeze of their hand giving a hiss. “shut.” rutile growled as they panted lightly.
“okay so, hot water right?” yellow asked as they rushed to the shared bathroom. “and towels right ruti???”
“that’s...the basics yes!” they exclaimed as they squeezed padpa’s hand again. “geez where did the strength come from!?” padpa asked as rutile gave a hum. “gee, probably AFTER six or so weeks!?”
“okay okay smarty pants.”
“how’re you this calm??” padpa shrugged. “honestly? i’m still half awake maybe that’s why?”
“god, i wish i was in your shoes.” rutile hissed as yellow came back with a salad sized bowl of water and towel over their shoulder. “same man.” as they replied the sound of ambulance alarms blaring caused the three to sigh in relief while the hallway was soon filled with shouts and talk and running from the noise.
___________________
opening their eyes padpa stretched and yawned as they sat up in the hospital chair. looking around they could see people coming and going the hall, yellow sleeping in their chair aswell and looking to the light of the delivery room still being on. geez how long has it been? the smell of scrambled eggs passing by on a plate signaled breakfast time they guessed.
staring at the light padpa sighed lightly as their now more concience mind ran through all that happened. waking up by a pillow, nearly having their hand broken during the ride here. these nine months flashed as fast as what happened just some hours ago.
the light went out. padpa nudged yellow till they cracked their eyes open. “think ruti’s done.” padpa told them as yellow yawned and a doctor coming out. “is the fath-”
“yeah i’m here.” padpa raised their hand passing by the doctor. “r-right-” they heard and walking into the room. already they could see the little bundled blanket in ruti’s arms, those golden orbs looking to them a bit bloodshot from crying and hair a disheveled mess with a similarly disheveled smile at them.
they felt things colliding inside of them, like a roof that just got too tired of holding up all the attic stuff as padpa fell to their knees, holding their mouth as they laid their head on the floor. their ears muffled out concerned questions and statements as they hiccuped tears to fall on the floor from the re-assuring back pets of yellow’s.
it felt like forever for their mind to get out of this clutter of brainspace. this was real, this wasn’t a dream, they really were here, the kid was theirs, ruti was theirs, their in college, their parents, their PARENTS!
slowly getting up they could hear and feel yellow holding their arm to steady them as they walked to the bed. almost as if they knew their body would give in they flopped on the bed close to ruti’s waist, arms laying on it to help steady themself.
“...p-padpa?”
“sorry. tired. processing.”
“...ah, okay.” they felt those delicate hands pet their soft hair, nuzzling to it lightly. as they heard the muffled conversation between them and yellow one thing padpa could hear clearly was the sound of small light sleeping and an occasional noise of breathing. as if it was their gasoline padpa moved to gain enough strength to lean up a bit and look to the bundle in rutile’s arms.
so small, so squishy looking. petting their cheek the little one’s eyes opened staring at padpa with an eyecolor lighter then their own. they smiled lightly. “you...got your troublemaker side from me huh?”
“i can concur.” rutile stated as padpa chuckled lightly. “speaking of though, what’s a name good for a troublemaker?” rutile asked as padpa hummed. “didn’t we have that talk?”
“yes but you knocked out halfway through it.”
“eheh, yeaaah. hmmm.” they hummed, the familiar imagery of the beach and shiny gem flashing through them. “...uhm..what’s that one gem thingy called? cairn-something?” they asked, getting confused stares.
“we’re not naming them after cairngorm.” rutile stated as yellow giggled. “eheh yeah no i mean, like, cairneel-neel uhm-”
“nelian? cairnelian?” yellow asked as padpa clicked their tongue. “that!” they replied, causing the baby to make some rather unimpressed whimpers. “s-sorry eheh but yeah. how’s that ruti?”
as rutile rocked the little one lightly they smirked and nodded. “i think, you listen better when sleeping.” padpa tilted their head as rutile giggled. “i like it yes.” the bushy red head smiled at that. “alright. welcome little cairnelian hehe.”
.........................
“hmmmm,” rutile hummed as they tapped their pencil on their notebook. the sound of light snoring coming from the red head laying on their side.
“no luck?” they looked to see yellow smiling at them. “more lack there of with sleeping beauty here.” they grumbled lightly tapping their pencil eraser onto the others head gaining a snore as yellow chuckled.
“well doesn’t help so many of the ideas are boring.” rutile huffed as yellow sat next to them. “c’mon ya gotta have something cool! like uh, maybe like a gem?”
“gem? ...yellow we’re not hippies.” rutile pouted as yellow giggled. “ey i’m just saying. something like cairnelian might work right?” rutile looked to their sleeping partner as they gave a nudge to yellow. “maybe but i wanna keep other options open.”
“kaaaay. well, if ya want any ideas i’m the best godparent at it!” they stated as they popped their earbuds into their ears. once distracted rutile sighed. “cairnelian huh?” they mumbled, looking to padpa again. their pencil quickly scratched onto the paper the name and moved to give them a pet on the head. “wonder what you’d think of the name cairnelian huh?”
