#solula

It had been a long week, a long month even, but finally, Solar felt like he could breathe. He got Jack back. Jack was home and safe now, and Solar was never going to let his baby go again.

So, here they sat, peacefully on the downstairs couch, Solar softly rubbing behind Jacks head as the smaller fiddled with the TV remote. Jack flipped between at least three different streaming platforms before deciding on Disney+ and turning on Bluey, a show Dazzle introduced him to, that he then introduced his dad to.

When the two first started watching it together, Solar hadn't expected for it to grow on him, but here he was, watching the "Rain" episode, smiling softly as he imagined playing in the rain with Jack the way Chili did with Bluey. Next time it rains, he thought...

"Chili is my favorite," Nebula piped up out of nowhere, startling Solar. She always showed up when he least expected it.

"Mother!" Jack chimed in exitedly, jumping from Solar's lap towards Nebula, tightly hugging her. Nebula panicked from a moment at this, but after a moment of hesitation and receiving a soft nod of approval from Solar, she carefully wrapped her arms around Jack as well.

"You kind of scared me again, Nebula," Solar spoke with a lighthearted tone and smile.

"I apologize," Nebula acknowledged in her usual near-monotone voice. "I'm still trying to figure out how to make a non-startling appearance," she continued, now sitting down and releasing her loose hold on Jack as he slipped away to the floor and began pulling out his coloring supplies from under the coffee table.

"It's alright, I don't mind much," Solar reassured, giving Jack a certain dad look that asked "are you okay just coloring while we talk?" to which Jack gave a smile and thumbs up, getting back to picking out a coloring sheet.

So, as night slowly approached, the sun beginning to disappear beyond the horizon, Nebula and Solar rambled together for at least 30 minutes, sharing different things about space and Earth life and one another's interests, whilst Jack laid on his stomach on the floor, contently kicking his feet and coloring, only interupting once or twice to show Solar and Nebula his finished coloring sheets, though he was definitely tuckering out after the whole day of rescue and reunion.

Jack had been fighting sleep for a while, his hands growing ever-so-slightly slower with each passing moment as he colored, his blinks lengthening per each one. Solar and Nebula had clearly noticed, sharing an amused glance as Jack stubbornly tried to finish one last page. But it was only a few minutes more before his crayon slipped from his fingers, leaving his third coloring sheet of the night only half finished. His breathing evened out, and he was out cold, sprawled across the rug, expression softer than Solar had seen from Jack in a while.

With practiced ease, Solar slid off the couch and carefully scooped Jack up into his arms. The smaller barely stirred, only curling closer against Solar as he was carried upstairs. Nebula followed silently, observing the way Solar moved with such care, making sure Jack wasn’t jostled too much.

Reaching Jack’s room, Solar carefully laid him down in his bed, adjusting the blankets and tucking them around him. Jack groggily reached for his plushies, and Solar made sure all of his favorites were within reach and accounted for. He lingered for a moment, gently adjusting Jacks hat out of his face. Nebula stood in the doorway, watching.

Once the two were back downstairs, they settled onto the couch again. The quiet stretched, seemingly endlessly, between them for a short moment before Nebula finally spoke.

“I am not opposed to it.”

Solar blinked confusedly. “Huh?”

“The… mother thing,” she clarified. “Jack calls me Mother. I do not dislike it.”

Solar exhaled softly, his faceplate forming a small smile, something, in all honesty, Nebula had never seen from him before. “Neither do I.”

Nebula tilted her head slightly, studying him. “What does this mean?”

Solar hesitated, metal fingers tapping idly against his knee. “Well… do you want to be a sort of parental figure to him? Maybe even…” He trailed off, then took a breath, gathering every last possible ounce of his confidence. “I mean… a partner to me?”

Nebula was quiet for a few seconds, her expression unreadable, as per usual. Then, she nodded. “I’d enjoy that. Very thoroughly, actually...”

Solar let out a small chuckle and a sigh of relief, the tension leaving his shoulders. “I would too.”

Nebula shifted slightly before leaning against him, resting her head comfortably on his shoulder. Solar stilled for a second, then, ever so slowly, let his head rest atop hers.

“Who’s your favorite?” Nebula asked suddenly.

Solar raised an eyebrow, lost. “What?”

“Your favorite character,” she elaborated.

Solar let out a quiet laugh. “I like Socks.”

Nebula hummed in understanding. “Good choice.”

Their voices grew softer as the conversation drifted into nothingness, their exhaustion from the long day catching up with them. Before either of them realized it, they had both dozed off right there on the couch, still leaning into each other.