Somewhere Out There (Tsukino Akume, Drama/Romance)
Because I promised Challon something fluffy, and she needed it. So.
Not quite what it was supposed to be, but that seems to happen when I write her things. ^.^;;
Title/: Somewhere Out There
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Relationship/: Cassie/Ashley
Rating/: K
Warnings/: Fluff? Zhane being a dork? None, really.
Disclaimer/: Nope, don't own 'em. Don't even own the song. -Sadface-
Summary/: Ashley misses their friends. Cassie does her best to make her feel better.
Author's Notes/: Ashley's flashback scene was blatantly stolen from challon86's lovely fic, Under The Stars. Here's a slightly belated fluffy story for your birthday, Challon. I hope it meets your approval. ♥
The sound of footsteps wasn't a surprise. She'd been expecting company for awhile now. Not the guys - they tended to leave her to herself when she wanted to be alone. But being alone didn't always mean being by herself, and only one person had ever gotten that.
She felt herself being lifted slightly, resettling into a warm lap. She shifted a little, making herself comfortable, and a hand reached up to play with her hair. She sighed quietly, content.
They sat in silence for awhile as she stared up at the stars. They didn't need to talk, because there was nothing to say. Being in the company of someone who understood what she was feeling was all she needed. It didn't make it better, didn't make the sadness or loneliness go away, but it helped.
She watched the stars shining down, admiring how bright they looked tonight. The beach had always been her favorite place to stargaze as much as it was for finding solitude, for many reasons. Her eyes found on one star in particular, taking in the ones around it.
~“At home we have names for different star groupings,” Andros' soft voice broke through the serene atmosphere, but didn't disturb it.
“Constellations? That's what we call them here. We have them too. Most of them are named for their shape, or named after people.” She shook her head and laughed. “Carlos pointed out several of them to me last year, but I couldn't find most of them.”
She spotted the Big Dipper on the horizon, just starting to rise over the ocean, and tapped Andros on the leg before she pointed. “You see those stars over there?” She glanced back to see him nod, and continued, “That one's the Big Dipper--though I think it's supposed to be a bear, if I remember right. I've never been able to see the bear.”
“I see it,” he replied.
Ashley turned toward him. "What constellations do you know?"
"I don't know any of the ones in this galaxy," he admitted, glancing up at the stars.~
She tried to smile at the memory, but tears pricked her eyes instead.
"Hey." The voice was soft, barely breaking the quiet. The hand moved from her hair to brush her cheek. "What are you thinking about?"
"Andros," she admitted reluctantly. "Zhane, and Karone. I just ... I miss them," she confessed.
It had been months since they had returned to KO-35 to help rebuild the colony. She'd known - well, they'd all known - that the team wouldn't be able to stay together forever. Not because they didn't want to, but just because space was too big. There were too many places they all were needed.
Staying together, all of them, had been a beautiful dream. And the time all seven of them had had together was wonderful. She wouldn't give it up for anything. But that didn't change the fact that nothing lasted forever.
The hand moved back to her hair, brushing it away from her face. "Me, too. We all miss them, Ash."
"I know," she whispered, feeling guilty. She hadn't meant to imply that anyone else missed them less than she did. "I just ... "
There was a long pause, and suddenly the other girl began to shift slightly. " ... Cassie?" she asked, glancing up curiously.
She got a slightly sheepish look in return. "Sorry. My legs are falling asleep."
The laugh that escaped caught her by surprise, but it was worth it to see Cassie grin down at her. "Sorry. I didn't realize I was that heavy," she teased, sitting up.
"You don't have to move," Cassie protested, reaching for her.
She smiled, shaking her head slightly. "I have a better idea," she promised. "One that won't put anyone's legs to sleep," she added with a wink. She got a light shove as she turned around, scooting to sit back to back. She resettled with a content sigh, leaning her head back on Cassie's shoulder. "Much better," she murmured, reaching back to entwine their fingers.
Cassie squeezed her hand gently in response.
Her eyes went back to the sky, searching across the sea of stars for the group in particular that was the closest to KO-35 she would be able to see from Earth. It wasn't much: just a tiny, faint cluster. And even then it wasn't *actually* KO-35 itself. But it made her feel just a little closer to the others.
"Somewhere out there ... " she whispered, remembering one of her favorite movies as a little girl.
"Hmm? Ash?" Cassie asked, turning slightly to glance back at her.
"Like the song," she explained. "From An American Tail? Somewhere out there, we're sleeping under the same big sky?"
Cassie still looked confused, so she tried to remember the words. "Somewhere out there, beneath the pale moonlight ... " she sang softly. She winced, knowing she was horribly out of key, but continued on. "Someone's thinking of me, and loving me tonight ... "
Cassie's eyes lit up in sudden understanding. "Ooh, wait." She reached around, grabbing her guitar from where she'd apparently left it, just out of reach. Ashley hadn't even realized she'd brought it with her.
She watched, fascinated, as Cassie adjusted herself with the guitar in her lap. She wanted to watch her play, loving the expression the other girl always had when she played her guitar or sang, but that would have meant turning around, and she was too comfortable where she was. She contented herself with admiring the stars again, listening as Cassie fingered a few notes before finding the right cord.
It wasn't exactly the right tune, but the original song hadn't been on guitar anyway. It was enough to make her smile, leaning a little closer. "Somewhere out there, someone's saying a prayer," Cassie sang, continuing the song. "That we'll find one another, in that big somewhere out there. And even though I know very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing, on the same bright star ... "
"And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome, lullaby ... It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky ... " She trailed off, swallowing hard as she stared at the constellation. "It's an awfully big sky," she said softly as the music slowed and stopped. "Sometimes it seems like it's too big."
"That's because you're thinking of it the wrong way," Cassie argued, nudging her gently with an elbow. "Think about it. In all of space, the seven of us just *happened* to meet up and become friends. What are the chances of that?"
"Pretty small," she admitted with a reluctant smile.
"Infinitesimal," Cassie affirmed. "But we still did. And if space is that big, why can we still travel across it in a few hours?"
"Because we have a spaceship with hyper-rush capability?"
Cassie made a face, elbowing her again, but they were both grinning. "Maybe space isn't *that* big," Ashley conceded.
"Isn't that big? It took us a whole *two hours* to get here! Did you have any idea how bored I was?"
Her eyes shot wide, and she sat up, spinning around. "Zhane?!"
He grinned down at them, Andros just behind him with a warm smile and Karone leaning against her brother's shoulder and giggling. "Well?" Zhane demanded, holding his arms out expectantly. "Don't I get a hug after coming *allll* this way?"
She lurched to her feet, throwing her arms around him tight enough to make him choke slightly. "I missed you!" she gushed, releasing him and spinning around to catch Andros and Karone up in hugs as well. "What are you all doing here?"
"We might have gotten the news that we were missed, and maybe we should come visit," Andros told her, his smile bordering on a smirk as he kissed her cheek.
"What? You - " Her eyes widened in understanding, and she turned to glare playfully at Cassie, hands on her hips. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"And ruin the surprise?" Cassie teased back, grinning.
"You ... oooh ... " she huffed, shaking her head. But she couldn't keep it up, and her mock-scowl melted into a smile as she threw her arms around Cassie. "Thank you," she whispered, squeezing.
Cassie smiled warmly, hugging her just as tight. "It was worth it to see you smile again," she promised, resting her forehead against Ashley's.
It was the most natural thing in the world to kiss her then, enjoying the warmth of arms around her, soft lips against hers, and the friends she loved behind them. Maybe the world wasn't perfect, but right here, right now, with the people she loved most and the girl who had made it happen, it was as close to as she could ask for.
"Hey! I want a kiss too!" she heard Zhane protest, and she pulled back, laughing as she leaned her head against Cassie's shoulder.
Cassie's arm came up around her, squeezing gently. "Get your own girlfriend," she shot back. "This one's mine."
"But I like her too!" Zhane whined, and she could picture the pout he was making without even turning to look.
"I claimed her first," Cassie retorted, and she laughed again, grinning as she heard Andros join in.
"Shouldn't we go find Carlos and T.J.?" Karone spoke up, a smile in her voice.
"Do you think they'll kiss me?" Zhane asked, sounding thoughtful.
Andros snorted, and Ashley buried her face against Cassie's neck to muffle her laughter. "I can't wait to see you try," he retorted.
"I'll record it for you," Karone offered.
Ashley laughed against her hand as she finally stepped back, beaming at them all. Karone smiled warmly while Andros shook his head and Zhane tried to protest that he was an attractive guy, and why *wouldn't* anyone want to kiss him? Cassie's hand caught hers again, squeezing lightly, and she glanced at her with a smile as they started to walk along the beach back toward the hidden place they usually used for teleporting.
The rest of the words to the song came to mind, and she found herself humming, her smile widening, as Andros and Zhane shoved each other playfully while Karone laughed at them, and Cassie walked beside her, moving closer to wrap an arm around her waist as she carried her guitar in her free hand.
Somewhere out there
If love can see us through
Then we'll be together, somewhere out there
Out where dreams, come true
Not quite what it was supposed to be, but that seems to happen when I write her things. ^.^;;
Title/: Somewhere Out There
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Relationship/: Cassie/Ashley
Rating/: K
Warnings/: Fluff? Zhane being a dork? None, really.
Disclaimer/: Nope, don't own 'em. Don't even own the song. -Sadface-
Summary/: Ashley misses their friends. Cassie does her best to make her feel better.
Author's Notes/: Ashley's flashback scene was blatantly stolen from challon86's lovely fic, Under The Stars. Here's a slightly belated fluffy story for your birthday, Challon. I hope it meets your approval. ♥
The sound of footsteps wasn't a surprise. She'd been expecting company for awhile now. Not the guys - they tended to leave her to herself when she wanted to be alone. But being alone didn't always mean being by herself, and only one person had ever gotten that.
She felt herself being lifted slightly, resettling into a warm lap. She shifted a little, making herself comfortable, and a hand reached up to play with her hair. She sighed quietly, content.
They sat in silence for awhile as she stared up at the stars. They didn't need to talk, because there was nothing to say. Being in the company of someone who understood what she was feeling was all she needed. It didn't make it better, didn't make the sadness or loneliness go away, but it helped.
She watched the stars shining down, admiring how bright they looked tonight. The beach had always been her favorite place to stargaze as much as it was for finding solitude, for many reasons. Her eyes found on one star in particular, taking in the ones around it.
~“At home we have names for different star groupings,” Andros' soft voice broke through the serene atmosphere, but didn't disturb it.
“Constellations? That's what we call them here. We have them too. Most of them are named for their shape, or named after people.” She shook her head and laughed. “Carlos pointed out several of them to me last year, but I couldn't find most of them.”
She spotted the Big Dipper on the horizon, just starting to rise over the ocean, and tapped Andros on the leg before she pointed. “You see those stars over there?” She glanced back to see him nod, and continued, “That one's the Big Dipper--though I think it's supposed to be a bear, if I remember right. I've never been able to see the bear.”
“I see it,” he replied.
Ashley turned toward him. "What constellations do you know?"
"I don't know any of the ones in this galaxy," he admitted, glancing up at the stars.~
She tried to smile at the memory, but tears pricked her eyes instead.
"Hey." The voice was soft, barely breaking the quiet. The hand moved from her hair to brush her cheek. "What are you thinking about?"
"Andros," she admitted reluctantly. "Zhane, and Karone. I just ... I miss them," she confessed.
It had been months since they had returned to KO-35 to help rebuild the colony. She'd known - well, they'd all known - that the team wouldn't be able to stay together forever. Not because they didn't want to, but just because space was too big. There were too many places they all were needed.
Staying together, all of them, had been a beautiful dream. And the time all seven of them had had together was wonderful. She wouldn't give it up for anything. But that didn't change the fact that nothing lasted forever.
The hand moved back to her hair, brushing it away from her face. "Me, too. We all miss them, Ash."
"I know," she whispered, feeling guilty. She hadn't meant to imply that anyone else missed them less than she did. "I just ... "
There was a long pause, and suddenly the other girl began to shift slightly. " ... Cassie?" she asked, glancing up curiously.
She got a slightly sheepish look in return. "Sorry. My legs are falling asleep."
The laugh that escaped caught her by surprise, but it was worth it to see Cassie grin down at her. "Sorry. I didn't realize I was that heavy," she teased, sitting up.
"You don't have to move," Cassie protested, reaching for her.
She smiled, shaking her head slightly. "I have a better idea," she promised. "One that won't put anyone's legs to sleep," she added with a wink. She got a light shove as she turned around, scooting to sit back to back. She resettled with a content sigh, leaning her head back on Cassie's shoulder. "Much better," she murmured, reaching back to entwine their fingers.
Cassie squeezed her hand gently in response.
Her eyes went back to the sky, searching across the sea of stars for the group in particular that was the closest to KO-35 she would be able to see from Earth. It wasn't much: just a tiny, faint cluster. And even then it wasn't *actually* KO-35 itself. But it made her feel just a little closer to the others.
"Somewhere out there ... " she whispered, remembering one of her favorite movies as a little girl.
"Hmm? Ash?" Cassie asked, turning slightly to glance back at her.
"Like the song," she explained. "From An American Tail? Somewhere out there, we're sleeping under the same big sky?"
Cassie still looked confused, so she tried to remember the words. "Somewhere out there, beneath the pale moonlight ... " she sang softly. She winced, knowing she was horribly out of key, but continued on. "Someone's thinking of me, and loving me tonight ... "
Cassie's eyes lit up in sudden understanding. "Ooh, wait." She reached around, grabbing her guitar from where she'd apparently left it, just out of reach. Ashley hadn't even realized she'd brought it with her.
She watched, fascinated, as Cassie adjusted herself with the guitar in her lap. She wanted to watch her play, loving the expression the other girl always had when she played her guitar or sang, but that would have meant turning around, and she was too comfortable where she was. She contented herself with admiring the stars again, listening as Cassie fingered a few notes before finding the right cord.
It wasn't exactly the right tune, but the original song hadn't been on guitar anyway. It was enough to make her smile, leaning a little closer. "Somewhere out there, someone's saying a prayer," Cassie sang, continuing the song. "That we'll find one another, in that big somewhere out there. And even though I know very far apart we are, it helps to think we might be wishing, on the same bright star ... "
"And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome, lullaby ... It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky ... " She trailed off, swallowing hard as she stared at the constellation. "It's an awfully big sky," she said softly as the music slowed and stopped. "Sometimes it seems like it's too big."
"That's because you're thinking of it the wrong way," Cassie argued, nudging her gently with an elbow. "Think about it. In all of space, the seven of us just *happened* to meet up and become friends. What are the chances of that?"
"Pretty small," she admitted with a reluctant smile.
"Infinitesimal," Cassie affirmed. "But we still did. And if space is that big, why can we still travel across it in a few hours?"
"Because we have a spaceship with hyper-rush capability?"
Cassie made a face, elbowing her again, but they were both grinning. "Maybe space isn't *that* big," Ashley conceded.
"Isn't that big? It took us a whole *two hours* to get here! Did you have any idea how bored I was?"
Her eyes shot wide, and she sat up, spinning around. "Zhane?!"
He grinned down at them, Andros just behind him with a warm smile and Karone leaning against her brother's shoulder and giggling. "Well?" Zhane demanded, holding his arms out expectantly. "Don't I get a hug after coming *allll* this way?"
She lurched to her feet, throwing her arms around him tight enough to make him choke slightly. "I missed you!" she gushed, releasing him and spinning around to catch Andros and Karone up in hugs as well. "What are you all doing here?"
"We might have gotten the news that we were missed, and maybe we should come visit," Andros told her, his smile bordering on a smirk as he kissed her cheek.
"What? You - " Her eyes widened in understanding, and she turned to glare playfully at Cassie, hands on her hips. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"And ruin the surprise?" Cassie teased back, grinning.
"You ... oooh ... " she huffed, shaking her head. But she couldn't keep it up, and her mock-scowl melted into a smile as she threw her arms around Cassie. "Thank you," she whispered, squeezing.
Cassie smiled warmly, hugging her just as tight. "It was worth it to see you smile again," she promised, resting her forehead against Ashley's.
It was the most natural thing in the world to kiss her then, enjoying the warmth of arms around her, soft lips against hers, and the friends she loved behind them. Maybe the world wasn't perfect, but right here, right now, with the people she loved most and the girl who had made it happen, it was as close to as she could ask for.
"Hey! I want a kiss too!" she heard Zhane protest, and she pulled back, laughing as she leaned her head against Cassie's shoulder.
Cassie's arm came up around her, squeezing gently. "Get your own girlfriend," she shot back. "This one's mine."
"But I like her too!" Zhane whined, and she could picture the pout he was making without even turning to look.
"I claimed her first," Cassie retorted, and she laughed again, grinning as she heard Andros join in.
"Shouldn't we go find Carlos and T.J.?" Karone spoke up, a smile in her voice.
"Do you think they'll kiss me?" Zhane asked, sounding thoughtful.
Andros snorted, and Ashley buried her face against Cassie's neck to muffle her laughter. "I can't wait to see you try," he retorted.
"I'll record it for you," Karone offered.
Ashley laughed against her hand as she finally stepped back, beaming at them all. Karone smiled warmly while Andros shook his head and Zhane tried to protest that he was an attractive guy, and why *wouldn't* anyone want to kiss him? Cassie's hand caught hers again, squeezing lightly, and she glanced at her with a smile as they started to walk along the beach back toward the hidden place they usually used for teleporting.
The rest of the words to the song came to mind, and she found herself humming, her smile widening, as Andros and Zhane shoved each other playfully while Karone laughed at them, and Cassie walked beside her, moving closer to wrap an arm around her waist as she carried her guitar in her free hand.
Somewhere out there
If love can see us through
Then we'll be together, somewhere out there
Out where dreams, come true