Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The empty silence of the void around him should be familiar by now. It isn’t the first time he’s been left alone or the last.

Earth laid glumly in his orbit as he waited for…Who was he waiting for? Luna. Right, as he waited for Luna. He told him that he was meeting up at moon club for a few hours, and would send Mars to keep him on his axis, but he hasn’t come yet. Earth’s learned not to get his hopes up anymore. Now he just had to patiently wait for Luna to come back, if he came back. But it’s okay, he can wait. Just him and his thoughts. Together. Alone. What could go wrong?

Earth sighed as he sat up crossing his arms. He turned his attention towards the asteroid belt wishing to see Luna exit from it. He missed seeing everyone else.

Ever since they’d recovered him from the asteroid belt they’ve all been acting weird. Like nothing happened and everything was “normal”. After he’d woken up in his orbit no one brought up what had happened. No one talked about it. No one even asked him if HE was okay. Only fusing over his Earthlings. Matter-of-fact, everyone seemed to be avoiding him somewhat, even Luna.

I mean, it’s not like Earth tried either. He didn’t want to talk about it as much as they didn’t. Instead of trying to be all happy-go-lucky like he normally would have, he just didn’t have the energy for it. He didn’t have the motivation, let alone the drive to care anymore.

After getting lost in the Kuiper belt, his voice had been pretty wrecked. It hurt to talk at first, so he didn’t try. It’s gotten better over the last few weeks, but he didn’t tell anyone. Honestly, it was better this way. Anytime he opened his mouth it caused problems. He opened his mouth and insulted Titan, causing a whole moon uprising. He opened his mouth and caused his friends to start fighting. He opened his mouth and made Luna upset. Even when he tries to open his mouth and ask a question, it ends in everyone being upset and annoyed. Everything that comes out of his mouth is always something stupid or incompetent. It always ends up in him being alone or abandoned, so why speak at all? But obviously that doesn’t work either, so maybe it’s just him.

Everything's just been so different. He knows things now. Things that he wished he’d never questioned, but, I mean, he got my answers didn’t he? That’s what he wanted, right? Theia and Proto gave him what he was looking for, it just wasn't what he expected.

He was just so tired of it all. I mean, what’s the point of trying to be anything else when the only purpose he has is to sustain life. Life. It’s always about his life. Everything has to revolve around them right. Life. Life. LIFE. He’s just a trashed floating rock, whose only purpose is to harbor the dream of every other celestial body. It’s the only reason he ever got any attention. The only reasons others treated him ‘special’. The only reason anyone ever cared about him. Not because of him, because of his life.

Let’s be real, it’s the only reason that they came for him anyways. Who’d care about him without it? Certainly not them, that’s for sure.

Earth silently curled in on himself away from the sun. He felt a slight shiver run up his spine. Every once in a while, he’ll get these shivers randomly even though he isn't cold. Side effects of being in the Kuiper belt for so long, I suppose. Tears threatened to spill as he quietly laid there. He just didn’t know what to do anymore.

“Pouting like a baby. Figures,” a voice scoffed from behind him. Earth whipped his head behind him to see who it was, but he didn’t need to because he already knew.

“Typical Earth. Always acting like the victim,” another voice joined in.

Earth sat up from his spot and wiped his tears with his sleeve. Behind him stood the hollow, glowing forms of Mars, Venus, and Mercury. Mhhh, Mercury’s a new one.

“No wonder no one wants to talk to you, let alone be near you,” Venus shoved at Earth’s chest causing him to stumble back.

Earth grimaced and backed away a bit. His “friends” circled in on him. Like a group of orcas surrounding their prey. Earth had kept eye contact with all of them. Not letting his eyes wander away. Indicating that he knew they weren’t real. He couldn’t show fear. Not now. They wanted him to break. That’s why they were here.

“What no snarky come backs or comments, no justification? You're not even going to try to defend yourself?” Mercury let out an exaggerated laugh.

“Come on Earth, this is pathetic, even for you,” Mars commented. His smile widening.

They were drawing in closer, and it was making Earth very uncomfortable. They seemed to notice as Mars tried to reach for his shoulder.

Earth immediately shrugged it off and stepped away. His face was filled with disgust and pain. He couldn’t do physical touch anymore. It reminded him too much of the collision. When someone touched him he could practically feel the heat and pain of Proto-Earth and Theia's collision. But at the same time he craved it. He missed it so much, it hurt, but he just can't do it right now. Not now.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like us touching you?” Mercury poked his fingers at Earth’s sides, laughing. Earth felt a shiver take over his body. He was shaking, drawing in on himself more. Earth’s eyes widened. They shouldn’t be able to do that.

“Fuck off,” Earth signed, or more so stuck up his middle finger. He scrunched his face and continued backing away, showing his obvious discomfort. Then shot a glare at the hallucinations.

Mars directly approached Earth head on. A huge grin spread across his face as he grabbed Earth’s chin to make him look. “Oh, now that’s not a very kind thing to say, Earthy,” Mars teased as he twirled a strand of Earth’s hair. Earth’s face contorted into one of pure frustration. He slapped the hallucinations hand away.

“Don’t touch me,” Earth angrily signed, but he didn’t need to say it because it was written all over him. It was more of a warning to them that they better back the fuck off. Earth took a step forward, trying to get them to back away, but the hallucination of Venus obviously didn’t get the hint as the other two hallucinations stepped away. Taken aback by Earth’s response, not used to him fighting back, but they still kept their forced fake smiles. Grinning wider in frustration.

“Earth,” Venus drawled, “you know I don’t understand sign language,” he smirked. Suddenly without warning he snatched Earth's wrists away from him and held them tight around his hands. Earth tried to wriggle them free, but it was no use. Earth was full on shaking at this point by how much this scared him. Then Venus stared directly into Earth’s terrified eyes. “You’re a big boy, Earth, use your words,” Venus teased. His smile widened even more at seeing how petrified Earth looked.

“Pathetic”

“Can’t even use your words.”

“Nobody wants to be friends with a loser who can’t even SPEAK properly.”

“…”

Please let go.

Let go.

LET GO.

“I said ‘DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!’” Earth yanked his arms away and retreated backwards away from the hallucinations. The Venus hallucination stumbled back with the others. Almost looking scared?

Earth’s body wracked as he held his wrists tight to his chest. His breaths were sharp and hollow as he tried to breathe, he was too overwhelmed by the situation. He closed his eyes for what felt like only a second, and the hallucinations were gone. Replaced with a confused and concerned Venus.

VENUS????

Earth immediately froze. Eyes locked on Venus, the real Venus. Venus looked taken aback by his sudden outburst, but was still here. Why was he still here? He should’ve left by now. In fact, he shouldn’t even be here at all.

“Earth?” Venus took a hesitant step forward as he tried to reach for Earth. In response, Earth took another shaky step back.

“V-V-Venus, I-” Earth immediately realized what he was doing, and covered his mouth with his hands in pure horror. Shaking his head. He spoke. That wasn’t supposed to happen.

Chapter Text

Lately things have been pretty quiet around the Solar System, ever since the whole everyone leaving fiasco. Venus can’t blame anyone though; it'd only been a few weeks since then, and even he’s still a bit wracked up, but by now things typically would have gone back to normal.

Right about now they’d all be playing space poker or solarcards like they used to. Him and Mercury would probably be fighting about how he cheated (because he does). Mars would be trying to calm things down and totally failing, while Earth would be laughing his ass off watching the whole ordeal. Venus hates to admit it but he misses their company.

You know, it’s been a while since they’ve all talked or really since he’s talked to any of them. I mean, he’s talked to Mercury maybe a few times since then, but no one else really. Mars has mostly been keeping to himself, and it’s not easy to talk to him when the Sun has 24/7 surveillance on everyone. At least he could talk to Earth, if he ever saw the planet again that is. He’s been more MIA than Mars at this point! Honestly, it’s really unlike the Earth. Usually he’d be trying to get into some sort of shenanigans with Mars, but he hasn’t seen the duo together in a while.

With that thought in mind, he turned his attention towards Earth’s orbit, hoping to see the green and blue celestial, but he wasn't there.

“Mhh, weird. Probably orbiting on the other side of the sun right now,” Venus reassured himself. He’s fine. It’s the Earth after all. (FORESHADOWING WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?)

Turning his attention over to Mars’s orbit. There the orange planet mindlessly floated near the Asteroid belt, gaze locked onto to stars knows what. Beside him, his pebbles for moons ran circles around him. Jeez, how does he do it with those two?

As Venus watched the orange celestial, he noticed something approaching. Not something, someone. Venus squinted his eyes as he watched from the distance. At first he thought it was Mercury, but now he’s noticing the dark splotches of grey on the celestial and realizes it’s Earth’s moon. But what business does he have in Mars’s orbit?

Venus knew it had been easier for the moons to sneak away from their host planets, but how’d Earth’s moon, of all moons, get away from their planet without the sun noticing? Does Earth know he left? Did he let him leave?

In the distance he could see Mars and Earth’s moon whispering about something. Earth’s moon had a strained look on his face as he spoke quickly to Mars. The planet in turn looked unsure about whatever the moon's proposal was, but still gave a hesitant nod in agreement. Earth’s moon looked relieved at that, and turned towards the asteroid belt, taking Phobos and Deimos with him.

Once the three moons left, Mars raised a hand to his head looking like he regretted whatever he just agreed to. Maybe it wasn’t Venus’s business, but he was about to make it.

Venus peeked over at the Sun just to be sure that he wasn’t looking. Luckily for him, he was busy having what seemed to be an ecstatic conversation with Mercury, although for Mercury not so much. Hopefully, they’d stay like that for a while. Stealthily Venus crept away from his orbit and made a head straight for Mars. The smaller planet had been lost in thought when Venus had snuck up on him.

Caught off guard, Mars practically jumped out of his clothes when he saw Venus. “W-Venus!? Don’t scare me like that dude,” Mars sighed, absentmindedly turning back towards the Asteroid belt.

“My bad,” Venus apologized, “but-why…why are you looking at me like that?” Mars' mouth was hung wide open like someone had just told him the most absurd thing right now.

“Are you okay?” He gave Venus an honest to god concerned look.

“Yeah…why wouldn’t I be?” Venus raised a skeptical eyebrow at the orange planet.

“I don’t know, maybe the fact that you just apologized!” He raised his hands up in mock surprise.

“Yeah, I’m trying to become a changed planet, or whatever, not the point!” Venus folded his arms and tried not to look too embarrassed, while Mars gave him a soft smile and tried to hide it behind his hand.

“Stop smiling!” *Sigh* “Look, the reason I snuck over here is because I want to know what you and Earth’s-”

“Luna,” Mars interrupted.

“Er-what you and Luna were talking about,” Venus finished.

Mars got this distant look on his face. “Why do you need to know?” He snapped.

“Be-because I’m worried about you and Earth,” Venus admitted, then quickly looked away. He didn't want to admit it, but he was worried for the two. Even if he wasn’t always the greatest friend in the past, maybe he could start being a better friend now. I mean, look at him and Mercury. Things aren’t great, but he’s trying to make it better.

“I…honestly didn’t know you cared,” Mars gave him a guilty look.

“What? I’m not that careless of a planet, am I?” He gave Mars a small punch to the shoulder, and he chuckled. He was trying not to smile, but failing. “So, what was that whole talk with Luna about?”

“He just came over to get Phobos and Deimos for a moon club meeting,” Mars answered simply.

“And?” Venus pressed. He knew that wasn’t all it was about.

Mars started fidgeting with his fingers. “Luna also asked if I could go…see Earth,” he finished.

“That’s all?” Venus’ face twisted in confusion.

“I don’t know man, it’s just been a while since I’ve spoken to him, and he knows about Proto and Theia now…” His gaze shifted back over to the Asteroid belt.

Venus tensed at the mention of Proto and Theia. After the battle of planet X and Jupiter’s exile, things have been tense between the rocky planets. No one wanted to talk about what happened, especially Venus. It’s just so frustrating because everything he tried to bury deep inside him was starting to bubble back up, and Earth had questions. Questions Venus had no interest in answering, but, even though he didn't want to answer his questions, doesn’t mean he didn’t care about the planet's well-being.

“What are you thinking about?” Venus walked up to stand beside Mars.

“I’m just thinking about…about when we brought Earth back from the Kuiper belt. He was cold and unconscious. Saturn ended up carrying him back, and Luna stayed by his side the whole time, but I-I didn’t know what to do, so I just hung back. I mean, what could I have done. I feel like such a shitty best friend right now because I’m the reason he was like that.” Mars had this look on his face that was a mixture of guilt, pain, frustration, and so much more. It honestly pained Venus to see him like this. Calm and collected Mars. Mars the smartest of the Rockies. Mars, who always knew what to do, slowly falling apart.

“Mars, it’s not your fault Earth went to the Kuiper belt,” Venus tried to reason.

“Well I was part of the reason,” Mars snapped back. “He asked me to help him. He said it himself, he was going crazy, and I just brushed it off like it was nothing.” His shoulders dropped and he took a shaky breath in. “There was just so much going on, and I didn’t think-”

“None of us did,” Venus countered. “Mars you weren’t the only one who shut him down. I did too. I was part of the reason too. I-I could have stopped him from leaving. Hell, I let him leave! I thought he was just going back to his orbit, but-but I could have stopped him!” Venus turned his back on the celestial, “If I’d just answered his stupid questions none of this would have happened. If I hadn't been so…jealous of Proto and Theia, maybe they’d still be here...” Venus’s words hung heavy in the air(?). A silence overtaking the two planets. Suddenly Venus felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Venus, I didn’t know you felt that way.” Venus looked back to see Mars giving him an apologetic look.

“Well, when you’ve spent so long pushing everyone away, no one really knows you anymore,” he let out a lame chuckle.

“Hey,” he shook his shoulder, “it’s not your fault either though you know that, right? Do we both feel guilty for what happened to Earth, sure. Could we have tried harder, yeah. I have to admit we were both assholes to him when he needed us and-”

“Your point is?”

Mars cleared his throat, “The point is: you can’t bet yourself up over it. What happened, happened. The best we can do is be there for the Earth now,” Mars took Venus’s hands in his.

“I thought I was the one who was supposed to be trying to give you support,” Venus smiled at the smaller celestial.

“Key word: TRY,” Mars joked and Venus laughed.

“Maybe TRY taking your own advice for a change, yeah?” Venus playfully punched his shoulder.

Mars tackled Venus to the ground and they began mock wrestling on the floor, before they got up. The celestials stood there in silence as they both watched the stars beyond the Asteroid belt.

“So, do you want to head over to Earth? Maybe we can play spacepoker like old times,” he offered.

“I’m still a little nervous about seeing him,” Mars admitted.” You go ahead though, I’ll catch up in a little later.”

“Alright then. See ya Mars,” Venus turned to leave before Mars grabbed his hand.

“Hey, that wasn’t your fault, okay? What happened with Theia and Proto. They wanted to be together. You did the right thing,” Mars gave him a sympathetic look before letting his hand go.

“It’s not on you either, just so you know,” Venus told him, Mars gave him a doubtful look. “It’s not.” Then he flew off to find the Earth.

_______________________________________________________________

The trip to get to Earth was already annoying as it was, but having to take a whole alternate route just to avoid being caught by the sun. Currently Earth was orbiting on the whole other side of the freaking sun, so it took Venus forever to finally reach him.

In the distance he could see the blue and green dot of Earth, however as he approached close to the celestial, Venus began to notice how off he looked.

The life filled planet had heavy purple bags under his eyes. His hair looked all messy, compared to the neat way he’d always keep it, and all the celestial had on was a plain hoodie with shorts and his signature fingerless black gloves. But the weirdest part was the way he was flailing his hands as he stepped forward? What was he doing?

Venus floated closer to the planet, but he still hadn’t noticed him. He tried to call out to the planet as said planet deliberately ignored him and stared at the empty space in front of him.

“Earth,” Venus tried calling out his name again, taking a step in front of the planet to get his attention, but it was like Earth was seeing through him somehow. The Earth’s eyes were unfocused and shaky as he stared at Venus. It was like he was seeing something else.

He tried waving his hand in Earth’s face. “Hello? Can you hear me? Earth?” Venus began to internally panic. What’s wrong with him? He’s not responding to his name, and obviously he can't see me. Shit! What do I do?!

Suddenly an idea sparked his mind, maybe if he can feel me it’ll bring him back to the present. With slight hesitation, Venus took Earth’s hands in his own. It got a reaction out of him, just not the one he’d hoped for.

Immediately upon contact the planet began to shake as he tried to yank his hands free, but Venus wouldn’t let him.

“Please, Earth, you need to talk to me,” he begged. “Say something!” Venus met eyes with Earth’s heterochromatic ones. His pupils contracted and Venus could see the pure terror in his eyes as they both silently stood there.

Then Earth broke the silence.

“I said ‘DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!’” He yanked his arms out of Venus’s grasp and both planets stumbled back.

That most certainly caught the red and yellow celestial off guard. Venus was standing parallel to Earth, where he was taking shaky breaths as he held his wrists tight to his chest. For a moment the life filled celestial closed his eyes, and when he opened them back up he looked at Venus. Actually looked at him, and Venus could see the immediate terror in his eyes.

“Earth?” He took a hesitant step forward, trying to comfort the planet, but Earth quickly took a step back. It’s almost like he’s scared of Venus.

“V-V-Venus, I-” His hands immediately flew to his mouth. Earth’s voice was quiet and timid when he spoke. A huge difference from the loud rambunctious planet he was. Even after the moon revolution, he mellowed out, but never…never this.

“Please Earth, you need to calm down.” Venus tried. He was careful to keep his distance. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”
Earth shook his head. He was still violently shaking, but at least he could hear Venus. That was a step forward.

“Earth, you need to tell me what that was because it sure as hell wasn’t nothing,” Venus pressed.

Still no response. The planet of life only stared at him.

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to help you if you won't talk to me.” The irritation evident in his voice. Venus was getting slightly frustrated that Earth was giving him the silent treatment. He wants to help, but he can’t help if he doesn’t know what’s going on.

“What if I don’t want your help?” A voice croaked.

“What?” That caught Venus’s attention.

“You heard me,” Earth said.

OH. So the one time he wants to help, to try and be a good friend, he gets denied. Earth wants to have an attitude with him. Of course. Of fucking course. No matter what Venus does, nothing matters because he's just the damn screw up. He’s in this mess because he cared, and THAT is exactly the reason why he stopped caring.

“Helios forbid I try to be a good fucking friend, but of course you don’t want it. I try to offer my help to you, but you deny me. Yeah, you just use me when you need to and then toss me to the side when you don’t. Typical,” he spat. Throwing his hands in the air.

“Fuck you did it again,” Earth muttered, face palming himself. Then he just started laughing. LAUGHING. It sounded so unnatural and forced. Venus’s face contorted into one of immediate concern.

“Earth I didn’t-”

“But you did and you should have,” Earth folded his hands across his chest and hugged himself. “This is exactly why I should just stop speaking.”

“Stop what?” Did he hear that right? “What do you-?”

“VENUSSSSSSSS!!!!” Shit. Sol. “GET BACK TO YOUR ORBIT! NOW!” Sol released a wave, a force that would pull Venus back.

“You should go.”

“No. I’m not leaving until-” Venus was being forcibly pulled back to his orbit. He tried to fight against it, but it was no use.

“Goodbye Venus.” Earth turned his back to Venus.

Venus tried to get another word in, but it was too late. He was already nearing his orbit.

“Don’t let me catch you out of your orbit again. Okay, Venus?” Sol gave him one of his signature smiles.

“But Sol-” Venus tried to argue.

“GOOD!” Sol shouted, leaving no room for argument.

Venus sat in his orbit for a moment thinking about everything that had just happened.

“What the fuck just happened?”