stellar bouquet: tessember 2021
read ch 1 on ao3!
Summary: A collection of one shots featuring Tess, who also goes by Space, experiencing all kinds of things in the inherently vast universe. Loki, Avengers and Infinity gang are not the main focus—they'll come in and out as I please. Will be combining hard and regular mode prompt lists together.
Chapter One: Space
Summary: A surprise for Tess.
you can also read the fic under the cut!
“How much longer?” Tess murmurs, lowering her eyelashes and trying not to flinch at the bright glare of Reality’s camera. Repetitive clicks sound, and Tess remains still and posed, feet gliding over water.
“Don’t talk,” is what Reality says, crouched in front of her with their large camera. It’s so large it covers their face so only their long red curls are visible, bouncing as they take shots from different angles of Space.
Space, who stands over a lake, one hand on a hip jutted out (one of Reality's numerous poses), modelling in Reality and Soul’s recently made dress. It’s a dark, flowing gown coloured in night’s colours; blue, black and purple being some of them, and it's embroidered with sparkling jewels that appear rather stellar on the dark background. “And if you keep asking that, it’ll feel much longer,” Reality continues, coming towards her to adjust the gown for the umpteenth time. “Move your chin up a little. Don’t hunch and don't flutter your eyelashes like that, please.”
Tess scowls at the multitude of instructions. Someone's feeling especially bossy tonight. “Like what?”
“Like you’re about to sleep,” says Reality, tucking a few folds of her gown in a way that highlights a few of the larger jewels they embroidered. “And remove that scowl off your face.” At Space’s indignant look, they sigh, face slipping into a tired but determined expression as they move back to their camera. “Just one last set, Tess. And then you can relax all you want — I promise.”
“No more weird poses, though,” Tess agrees with a low sigh.
Reality nods, moves back into position, making an effort to fix the camera at another angle.
They sigh internally.
What Tess doesn’t know (but Reality does), is that this is all a vivid effort to distract Tess from wondering what’s going inside their house or wandering into there.
And stumbling into the chaotic environment they must have created, Reality thinks internally, eyes squinting at the camera's screen. Tess looks great, and Reality has enough photos already, and they can sympathise with Tess's tiredness and lack of enthusiasm for another set, but this is all for good. It will pay off.
Hopefully.
Reality laughs in mind, as the camera clicks, thinking of the frenzied state Time, Loki and Power must be in, as they arrange Tess’s gifts, prepare the halls, cook the dinner, bake the multi-layered cake, clean Time’s room, et cetera et cetera. There were a ton of things that had to be done in such a short time and while Soul and Mind had the ability to remain calm in almost every situation, the same could not be said of the rest of them. Which is why Reality, being exceptionally clever (or so they liked to think), had taken the first opportunity to be the one to distract Tess.
“Are we done yet?” comes another whine from Tess, and they almost regret taking this job. Almost.
Ten minutes and fifteen similar questions later when Reality says, “Yes,” Tess's eyes almost bulge from her sockets.
“Really?” she asks, her limbs tired in a way she isn't used to.
Reality gives her a sardonic look. “Really.”
“Oh, yes.” Tess whoops. “Finally!”
“Careful,” Reality says, watching Tess do somersaults in the gown itself with a fond look. “Don't tear that. And I didn't realise you disliked my company that much,” they remark, assembling their camera, not really hurt.
“Oh, no, it's not about you, Alit,” Tess turns to smile at them. She looks a little weary. “It's just been a long day.”
“I see,” Reality says. They flash a smile at Tess, white teeth sparkling, contrasting against their red lips.
The two walk back side-by-side on the stone pathway leading to their large house, Tess holding the trails of her gown and Reality their camera. “You did agree to do a hundred poses.”
A pained look flashes over her face. “Urgh, hundred. I regretted that already. It felt like a thousand. Some of them were weird, though. Like the one on the tree...” She frowns pensively.
“I was just experimenting,” Reality says quickly, not wanting Tess to suspect something. “It looked much better in my head.”
Tess nods slowly. “Hmm. I want to see those photographs though. You owe me big time.”
“Noted,” Reality says wryly.
“Like seriously,” Tess insists. “If I didn't know better, I'd say this whole thing was a scheme.” Reality stills. “An evil plot. Or like, a plot which is not really evil. Like the ones Thor reads about in those papers.” She waves her hand around. “Just a way to get me. Most of the time it's about a lost bet or a dare. Did you lose a bet with someone?”
At Reality's frozen expression, them not knowing what to say, Space laughs. “Relax. I'm just kidding. I know you wouldn't trick me.” She smiles.
“Of course,” Reality laughs nervously.
They stop at the door, Reality's hand on the knob. “Are you prepared?”
“For what?”
The door swings open.
“SURPRISE!”
Tess's eyes turn wide at the well-dressed ensemble gathered—only her family, but as they are in a cluster with arms spread wide they sure do look like a crowd. “Wow,” she breathes at them, at Soul dressed in golden, arm tucked in Loki's, dressed in an appealing silver. Mind's hair is in a frizz, Time's clad in red, Power has an attractive solid combination of purple and silver and the decorations—silver hangings, silky floating balloons, planet-like balls hanging off the ceiling, threaded sparkling stars—oh squeezed starry skies they're wonderful.
And, she sees, awestricken, as they usher her into the hall, a giant, multi-layered (four layers? five? dear universe she can only guess) sitting on the middle of the table, sparkling blue and white and silver and green. It looks like chaos incarnated into a food and she bets it tastes like that as well.
(“Who made it?” she'll ask later, pieces of cake all over her nose and mouth. “I'll kiss them on the lips,” she manages to say clearly even with her mouth full, and Loki's cheeks turn an interesting shade of red.)
“All of this, for me?” she says now, hushed, voice raspy in awe and wonder and as her heart overflows with love.
They nod, and Tess's eyes glimmer, because this is just, so exciting and kind of them, what a turn of the day, she's had a bad day and they noticed, of course they did; she sees the amount of effort they put into the surprise, the decorated halls and the lovely dinner and the beautiful dress she's wearing and this just uplifts her mood, makes her forget of all the problems in the universe—it's exactly what she needs.
She stands up from her seat, her vision filmy yet immediately noticing the looks of worry shared between them and she can almost read their thoughts—what if Space didn't like it, what if it wasn't up to her tastes, they should have done harder—
“Aww, you guys,” she wipes a tear, and her heart will surely burst any moment now, ”Group hug!”
Squeezing all of them with her long arms, her cheeks aching with her smile and their mushed faces, she declares, “I love you all so much,” and tears stream down her cheeks at their answering chorus, bright and wonderful: “And so do we, Tess.”
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