No Man's Sky WiP: Coltland x Reader
"So... you want me to help you steal an entire spaceship and travel to god-knows-where in search of a dead man?" Colt repeated your haphazard plan doubtfully, and highly paraphrased.
"You don't know he's dead," you snapped defensively, "By my calculations he should have enough food to keep him alive still. And when you say it like that, it sounds impossible."
"Because it is impossible," Colt mumbled softly, tracking raindrops down the windshield with only his eyes. "He went back for that alien." Colt had never watched Grace's video logs. According to Stratt's letter, he had sent every package back unopened before he went rogue. If it wasn't for Jody, you doubt you would've found him at all. But everyone on Earth knew the story of Ryland Grace by now, the teacher who saved the stars and then saved his alien friend and sacrificed a life back home forever. He's heard the tale of his brother choosing to save an alien over coming home over and over again, surely. All over every news channel.
But that was Grace. And after watching the logs, you thought Rocky was amazing. You wouldn't have left him to die that horrible, painful death either.
"Rocky," you corrected snottily.
"He's probably dead by now. He chose an alien--"
"--Over coming home." He turned his deep blue gaze on you and for a brief second, a pang of grief stabbed at your chest. He looked so much like Grace it hurt, even if he was rougher and scruffier. Colt's voice softened a bit, like he was trying to lessen the blow you'd already been dealt. "You know that, right? He made his choice. And it wasn't us."
You two regarded one another carefully. Years of hate and distaste thrummed between you like an active bomb, just waiting for one of you to press the button and blow everything to hell. You've both done it before. You were both ready for it.
But... he was the last bit of Grace you had left. And you were his. It was a tentative relationship built on eggshells and thin glass over the course of the last hour, and each of you were carrying a sledgehammer.
He was broken after Grace had been thrown into space, hopeless and helpless against it. You remembered Colt leaving the office Stratt had summoned you to in a bloody mess, lucky that Stratt ordered he be kept out of jail. You realized he hadn't come much farther than that in the 5 years since. Broken, indeed.
So were you. He'd left you alone after learning Grace's fate, left you to process and grieve without a word of goodbye. Without anyone to lean on and share the grief, you'd put the burden on your mother as you'd lived with her again before finally getting work again, and you acted like a robot at the factory; paying both your bills and your mother's with an empty spirit and no drive, only the incessant lingering of Grace's sacrifice hanging over you. Until this crazy, horrific, insane idea of yours, that is, a year ago when the beetles returned to Earth and Stratt gave you full access to the video logs.
Grace is still alive out there. You're certain of it. Or, you're not, but you know Grace, and you know the odds. If anyone could survive out there-- even against his will-- it would be Grace.
The world was chilly and devoid of life and color without him. Earth felt like a dead planet as it tried to recover from the events in the Sahara and Antarctica (and the dying sun) as smog filled the skies and pollution made it almost impossible to see the dying stars. Your boyfriend was out there somewhere, and you couldn't even see the star he was at. By now, you're sure he was leaving it to get Rocky to Erid, if he was able to save him. You'd lost all hope and all reason to stay on Earth.
But in Grace's final log to you that Stratt had sent, his words still rang in your head: "Live for me."
So you will. Quite literally giving up your entire life to go get him and bring him home, even if it meant you'd be the only one alive on a ship full of robots. Even if Colt wouldn't help you. Even if Grace was already dead (he wasn't, he can't be), and even if he didn't want to come home.
You pulled up in front of Colt's motel, parking near the door to his room. Paint peeled off of old walls, and you're pretty sure the group of people beside you were engaged in suspicious activities from the way they scattered. A grimace scrunched up your face at the sight of the decrepit place. "You've been living here? When you've got all those royalties?"
"You act like I'm some big movie star," Colt scoffed, pushing open his door before the car fully stopped. "Most of it stays in the bank, anyway." Ah, yes. Good. He hadn't spent his last dime, the second biggest reason you needed his help in the first place. The first was that he's literally the only person you knew who might be up for the makeshift rescue mission; Jody already gave you a very firm no, called you a few choice words, and hesitantly wished you luck. When you reached out for Stratt, her number went cold. Probably still on the run, you assumed.
Tickets for the starliner were impossibly expensive, far too much for a science teacher from a small town turned factory worker. A famous stuntman, though...
He started to step out of the car until you lunged across the center console, snatching his jacket in your fist. He probably could've just easily pulled out of your grip, but he froze.
"The Saving Grace leaves port on the 16th of May next year on her maiden voyage. Everyone's going to be on edge, waiting for something to go wrong. It'll be the perfect time. Ticket sales open at midnight tonight. If you don't help me buy them, I'll find another way." You shoved the USB stick full of Grace's video logs for Colt and the napkin with your phone number in his pocket before he could resist. You wanted to watch them yourself, but it felt like intruding on a highly private moment. You could never bring yourself to do it. "Just watch these, will you? For Grace. Not for me. I'll be at the Hyatt across the street. Room 325. If you make up your mind, call me. Or just show up, I don't care. I'll be there till noon tomorrow."
Colt didn't say anything at first. He stayed where he was for a minute, hand stuck in his pocket like he was going to take what you'd put there and throw it back at you. A muscle ticked in his jaw; another thing Grace didn't do. They were very different if you looked past the surface level, but it was said surface level that tore your heart to shreds every time you looked at him. "We'll never even make it to the ship."
"If you help me, and we actually buy the damn tickets, we'll already be on board before they realize what we're doing." You let go of his jacket.
Colt turned to look at you over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes. "You want me to give everything up for a suicide mission and a dead man on the hopes that your plan works."
You chewed your lip, drumming your fingers on the steering wheel as you mulled over a good response. "...To be fair, Colt, I think we've both pretty much given up on everything else, anyway."
Colt said nothing in response. He stayed utterly still for a moment before he abruptly got up and slammed your door before storming into his motel room. He didn't glance back once, and threw the door close so hard it rattled his windows.
You sighed, puffing air into your cheeks and letting your head fall back against the seat. To no one, you begrudgingly mumbled, "Whelp... That went well."
What did you think? Do you guys want a full fic of this, or is it too outlandish? Let me know!
Current Taglist: @goth-rine @httpsjetzt @qardasngan @sailingthestarlessseas @podinahui @chudsterthe14th @dyanasaur @noodlestheexplorer @verco @vengoaver @leighsartworks216 @sjm-77 @nerdyenoughtounderstand @aria-writer @introvertathome @meatonfork @anduntilitdoes @gh0st-in-green-c0nverse @soupiemeowmeow @athenannann @rockylandphm @scoliobean @risakawamori
