Chapter Text
By the time they return to the floating island, the sun's already set. Ryley trips a few times trying to navigate the island in the darkness. By the time they finally reach the base set in the middle, exhaustion made itself intensely known.
He collapses in his bed, and almost subconsciously starts to listen around him.
Would his hearing return to normal? He doesn't think it's changed at all yet. He wonders if it would be weird to him, after how long he's been able to hear his own heartbeat without even trying.
He doesn't really focus on any words. He hears mumbling, and he thinks Roman is discussing something with someone Ryley can't bother to discern.
Worries start to plague his mind once again, and Ryley pushes it away.
It can wait.
When he awakes, either the sun hasn't risen, or has already set again. He's not quite sure.
He feels tired still, and his stomach churns with a familiar nauseous feeling. Ryley thinks he should eat something. The thought of actually trying to digest something makes him more nauseous, and he decides to procrastinate it for just a bit.
He thinks everyone else is still sleeping. He can hear breathing from throughout the habitat, slow enough that it could almost worry Ryley. He listens for another long moment, and drags himself out of the bed.
Something's missing.
As he's about to climb down the ladder, he glances back to the other bed in the room. Avery was still sleeping, too.
Ryley stares at him, a strange feeling washing over him. He feels… sad? Why would he be sad? Avery was fine - they all were. Why did he feel so miserable?
Maybe it was sickness. Maybe it was the Kharra messing with his head.
It occurs to him how weird it was to be staring at someone sleeping, and he shakes his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. His chest still ached - which was just unfair, everything was going alright for once and he can't stop feeling like trash? - and he began descending the ladder.
The leaves the habitat after briefly checking his theory about everyone sleeping - Jochi the only one awake, yet lying in bed typing away at his PDA. He murmurs a greeting to Ryley as he passes. Ryley notes Roman sleeping beside him, and the tight feeling his chest goes away for a few moments.
It's lighter outside than the windows seemed to reflect, but still dark enough that Ryley can't see where he's going very well.
He listens for a single heartbeat. He follows the thumping.
Ryley ends up near the abandoned Degasi habitat. A few cave crawlers were huddled together underneath a desk, apparently sleeping. Ryley had never seen any creatures sleeping before, that it seems weird to imagine others doing the same, despite how surely they must.
He turns his attention away, and approaches a figure.
"You're up early," Bart comments.
"So are you," Ryley replies. "Did you sleep at all?"
Bart shrugs. "A little. Couldn't stay asleep very well."
Ryley glances back at the Degasi habitat. This wasn't the first time any of them had seen Bart here. Ryley wonders how much time he spent here before the Aurora showed up.
"Roman plans to start building your rocket once everyone is feeling better." Bart says.
Of course, Ryley thinks. His heart sinks. That wouldn't be very long, would it? Not long enough.
"Isn't that a good thing?" He asks, trying to convince himself it was more than genuinely asking Bart.
Bart turns his head away to look at him. "Well, it isn't a bad thing, I suppose."
"Then why do you sound upset?"
Bart stares at him silently for a moment, then turns his head back towards the destroyed base.
"I'm not going."
And Ryley had already assumed that, so why does it feel like such a shock to actually hear?
"I want to look after the leviathan's young; she wanted me to help them for so long, I feel like I should take care of them," Bart continues, "Returning to Mongolian space means I'd be expected to take over Torgal Corp if it's still running. And that just sounds… exhausting. I'd rather stay here."
It's perfectly reasonable - Ryley understands. Maybe he understands too much.
"I don't think I'm leaving, either."
Bart pauses and turns to look at him again. "What? Really?"
Ryley contemplates it for a second. He still feels torn on the choice. But a tug in his chest makes him nod.
"I still want to explore this planet - and Alterra won't let us just live our lives after this. I don't want to find out what they'll do to us,"
Ryley pauses.
"Plus, I already assumed you'd stay, and I didn't want you to be alone again."
The words leave his mouth without Ryley really intending them to, and his face flushes. He's grateful that it's dark out still.
Bart seems caught off guard by the comment, and Ryley hears his heart skip a beat.
There's a brief silence, and then Bart moves on. "Everybody else is okay with that?"
"I, uh… haven't told anyone else yet." Ryley winces. "They probably won't be. I don't know. Ozzy and Danby will be upset."
He contemplates over whether anyone else would care that much. Would they? Ryley almost wants them to be upset over it, just so he knows he means something to them. On the other hand, their lives would be easier if they just left and forgot about him.
His chest aches at the mere thought.
"Have you told anyone?" Ryley asks, to try to ignore the distressing ideas forming in his skull. Bart shakes his head.
"I'm not sure any of them would care much, with everything I've put you all through," Bart sighs.
"I care," Ryley replies, seeking to comfort him. "I'm sure Jochi cares, too."
"Of course he'll care. He's also the one person I don't have any clue on how to tell. He's spent the last decade thinking I was dead, and once he learns I'm still alive I make the decision to most likely never see him again?" Bart sighs. "I've made him deal with enough as is."
Ryley isn't quite sure how to respond, so he stays quiet for a moment.
"It'll turn out fine," He finally murmurs. Bart doesn't reply.
A few days pass and nothing much happens.
Ryley can finally eat without throwing up afterwards. Avery seems more awake than he had been. Bart was actually sticking around despite all the other certainly more important things he could be doing.
The hatchlings were also around the island most of the time. They disappeared for a while sometimes, but there's not much any of them could do to keep them nearby forever.
They weren't as good as their parent yet, but they were also learning to talk. Most of the time the telepathic messages were utterly incomprehensible. Sometimes just short one or two word comments.
Ryley wonders how they're learning at all, but he doesn't think they have the vocabulary to answer him yet.
At this rate, he's sure he'll get his answer eventually, though.
Ryley still hadn't told anyone else his plan to stay. He doesn't think Bart has, either. He knows putting it off isn't going to make it any better, or easier. But anytime he finds an opportunity, he feels guilty.
He hasn't done anything wrong. Nobody would be mad at him or Bart for staying. Yet he still feels an overwhelming sense of panic whenever he tries to get the words out. They get stuck in his throat and he ends up admitting nothing at all.
He'll have to say something eventually, he knows. They'll build the Neptune rocket and then he'll be forced to tell them, even if it's last second.
Procrastinating it feels easier than actually saying anything at all though, so he keeps hesitating. Over and over.
Another week passes, and with the frequent enzyme the young leviathans produced, they were healing quickly. The entire planet was, Ryley noticed the few times he left the island just for the fun of it.
The creatures all seemed oddly docile, similar to within the leviathan's aquarium. They weren't friendly , exactly, stalkers would still snap at him if he got too close, but they weren't chasing after him anymore. They weren't attacking the seamoth.
This time he returns to the island, and it feels off. He isn't sure why at first, until he notes the silence. Usually someone was talking, or typing, or fabricating, or something. Someone was always doing something. Now, at a time he knows not everyone could be sleeping, he hears nothing more than heartbeats and breathing.
Later, he discovers Bart was gone. Usually that wouldn't be so concerning; he often left the island anyways. But the disappearance tagged with the eerie silence worries him.
He goes to the observatory, only because he knew Avery was there.
Avery murmurs a greeting, only half-heartedly. Nervousness worms its way in Ryley's stomach.
"Is something going on? Everyone's acting weird," Ryley asks, his eyes flickering between Avery and the young leviathans swimming happily outside. At least they seemed normal.
"They're probably upset about Bart," Avery answers, a strange bitterness in his voice. "He told us he's staying here."
Uh oh.
"Well- he's been here a long time. It makes sense he wouldn't want to give it up, right?"
Avery seems to ponder the answer, then sighs. "He told you before any of us, didn't he?"
Ryley pauses, then nods. "Yeah. Only because I asked him, though, I think."
Avery turns his head to gaze at Ryley. "You're staying with him." It ends up sounding more like a statement than a question.
It startles Ryley, how quickly he figured it out. But he's had a strange ability to do that lately, so maybe it shouldn't surprise him.
Ryley shrugs. "Well… yeah."
"You really think we're just going to leave the two of you here?"
"Why not? We want to stay."
"After everything that's happened here, most people won't want to send anyone else back. You might not ever get the chance to leave again."
"Alterra will send someone if they think they have a chance of making money off this planet,"
"Would you be staying if Bart wasn't?"
It doesn't sound like an accusation, but the words repeat in Ryley's head like it were. He likes this planet - he wants to stay for it, too.
"Yes," Ryley replies, confidence in his choice growing. His chest still aches a bit as he answers, but he knows he wants to stay.
Avery watches him for a moment, then sighs. "I'm not going to change your mind, am I?"
Ryley smiles. "Doubt it."
They're both silent for a moment, and then Avery turns his gaze back to the leviathans. "Alright. Everyone else is gonna argue with you about this, fair warning,"
"Of course they will," Ryley agrees, and yeah, he sees it now. None of them will want him or Bart to stay behind.
Ryley sees Avery's mouth open, as if he was about to say something, but then he closes it without a word. Ryley almost asks him what it was, but decides not to. Maybe he'll ask him about it later.
He decides to look for Bart.
Ryley finds him surprisingly still on the island, pacing back and forth between two trees.
"That went horribly," Bart mutters when he spots Ryley. Ryley chuckles.
"Sure does look like it,"
"I think they might just drag us with them instead of letting us stay."
"Avery told me he was fine with it,"
Bart scoffs. "He was acting like I told him I killed his dog. I've never seen someone look so betrayed, and all I said was that I wanted to stay, not that I even would!"
Ryley blinks. "He didn't seem that upset to me. And you are staying, they probably knew what you meant."
Bart rolls his eyes, then eyes Ryley mischievously. "Well, he's always being nice to you. Of course he's going along with it to make you happy."
Ryley coughs. "Wh- he's not always being nice to me. And he's nice to everyone!"
"Oh? You haven't noticed that he definitely dotes on you?"
Ryley's face flushes. "He probably was just thinking it over by the time I talked to him and calmed down. I mean- you're also nice all the time, so whatever you're implying-"
Bart grins. "You're reacting an awful lot to an innocent implication."
Ryley shoves him.
Another day passes, and they've constructed the launch pad for the rocket.
Even so, nobody really seems excited anymore. Ryley can only guess why.
Nobody other than Avery and Bart knew he planned on staying too yet. Ryley didn't want to hear the silence again, didn't want to hear arguing. He'd rather they assume he's leaving with them right now.
He spots Roman staring at the launch pad, soon after they built it. He looks distressed, and tired. Ryley hasn't seen or heard him sleeping lately.
Ryley decides to approach him.
"Hey," He softly calls out. Roman turns his head towards him for a moment, then looks away again.
"If it's not important, I'd rather be left alone."
Ryley takes another step forward. "Why? Are you okay?"
"I said go away." Roman snaps. Ryley stubbornly stays where he was.
"Is this about Bart staying?"
Roman sighs. "No. And it doesn't concern you either way."
"I'm just trying to be helpful," Ryley says.
Roman groans. "Bart isn't the only one staying. That's what I'm concerned about. Happy?"
Ryley blinks. He was staying, but he hadn't told Roman that yet. "Who?"
Roman fidgets with his hands. "Jochi said he's not leaving without Bart, and Emily just doesn't want to return to Alterra."
Ryley contemplates. "What do you think?"
Roman glares at him. "I think the safest option is to return to Alterra space and make sure nobody ever returns to this planet." Roman pauses for a moment, and his gaze softens. "I also… really don't want to leave either of them behind."
"Then don't."
Roman frowns.
"I'm staying, too," Ryley continues. "Alterra can go without us. If you don't want to leave them then… don't."
Roman stares at him for a long moment, then turns his gaze momentarily back towards the launch pad.
"I'll think about it," He murmurs.
Ryley isn't sure who wants to leave and who doesn't anymore. No one seems to talk about it, and yet their progress on the Neptune rocket has considerably slowed. Ryley hasn't seen anyone working towards the next materials they need for a while.
They built on a few more rooms for the habitat. Bart had a bed in one.
Ryley stops thinking about it over and over, because he's not about to complain about any of it.
And when the sun starts setting again, they're all outside. Danby and Ozzy were playing with the leviathans. Another group of fish crowded around them - hatched from eggs Bart had found lying around. They were almost as affectionate as the baby leviathans. Ryley taught them to give high-fives.
Ryley glances over to the launch pad again, nothing built upon it yet.
A fuzzy feeling arises in his chest, when it finally occurs to him that none of them planned to leave anymore.
They were fine here.
He looks around the patch of sand. He wonders if they had always thought about staying. He wonders if they decided to just to stay together. He wonders if maybe it was a mix of the two.
He spots Bart and Avery, sitting just out of reach of the waves. Ryley hasn't been paying attention to what they were talking about. He stands up from where he had been sitting, and approaches them.
They both greet him, and Bart continues happily talking about crabsnakes. Ryley can't remember ever seeing one before. They don't sound too dangerous - maybe he should try to investigate them further.
After voicing that idea, Avery makes it very clear how bad of an idea it really was, and Ryley laughs.
Maybe it was a bad idea, but they've made worse decisions.
They've also made much better ones. He's made much better ones.
He stares at Bart, still excitedly blabbering about the snakes. When his gaze turns away for a moment, Avery shares a look with Ryley.
His stomach flutters.
If it means he spends more time with them - Ryley would gladly choose to stay over and over.
He hasn't gotten over the sound of their laughs yet.
He doesn't ever plan to.