AN: Taking a break from writing MM fics because the 'Wanted' special had me so SHOOK. This story has spoilers, obviously.
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It had only been a short time since the incident that had taken both him and Steven into space, to a place called Homeworld, with no knowledge of whether they'd survive or make it back to earth. If anyone had told him that his life would be irrevocably changed due to an abduction by a tiny blue alien and her giant yellow companion( companions? He'd have to ask Steven about that later) he would have called them nuts and moved on. Now, everything was different.
But in a good way, he mused.
He and Steven were currently relaxing in his bedroom. The younger boy was curled up in the crook of his arm, head resting slightly against Lars' own chest as he mumbled in his sleep. With his free hand, Lars was flipping through a recipe book, trying to decide on what his next dish should be. After Steven had brought him back to life - which was still something he was trying to wrap his own mind around - he had found himself getting hungry much less than usual, to the point where he simply ate food to kill time or sate his boredom.
It's weird, he decided, You'd think that being a pink, undead person with a pocket dimension in your hair would make people think you're a freak. Yet after he had finally gotten back, he'd faced mixed responses from everyone he knew, but none of them were negative. His parents had been supportive as always, falling over themselves to thank Steven for bringing their son back to them, despite not noticing the boy's own discomfort and guilt for being the cause of Lars' kidnapping in the first place. The cool kids had been enthusiastic over his new look, with Buck's response being an immediate comfort.
'So you're like, some kind of cotton candy zombie now? Cool. I guess that makes you an even sweeter dude than you were before,' he'd said. Jenny and Sour Cream had mirrored the sentiment, expressing their delight over his new appearance with zeal.
Lars was still blushing from that encounter.
It had taken a while to get used to his new self. On Homeworld, it had been a blessing, since Steven wasn't able to visit all the time, and every time he did come by, it put everyone at risk. Though, back on earth, all the quirks and changes that came with his (bright pink) body only served to set him further apart from everyone else.
That was his main reason for not visiting Sadie immediately.
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He knew that she was a forgiving person, and despite all his flaws, she had given him chance after chance to prove himself to her. But after running away on the ship the day they had gone into space, he couldn't force himself to face her again. That is, until Steven popped out of his head with Sadie in tow a week or two after his return while he was in the middle of reading. The two of them tumbled to the floor and Lars couldn't stifle a shout of surprise as he fell back, before scrambling off his bed and moving to help them both stand.
Now, most people don't recover immediately after going through a hair portal that started in a lion's mane and ended in someone else's hair.
Sadie was not most people.
The short girl groaned and rubbed her head for a moment before she realized just who was clutching her arm. The moment Sadie's gaze connected with his, her face twisted with rage.
'Lars I cannot believe the utter nerve you have to just avoid me like that! Do you even know how worried I was? How terrified I felt knowing that you might not ever come back?!' She'd scrambled to her feet in an instant and began pounding her fists against his chest. Once, he might have quailed under her strikes, but after his revival, he'd found himself sturdier, more confident in both body and mind.
'Sadie- Sadie calm down!' His attempts at reasoning only served to stoke the flames of her ire even further.
'I will NOT calm down! What if you had died - ' Well, he already had, sort of. ' - or gotten seriously injured? All we had was what Steven told us, and then suddenly you're back and everyone's talking about you except you didn't show up at work and you never came by my house! Were...were you even planning to see me at all? Is it because I left you behind?' Sadie hiccupped softly at the end of her rant and Lars caught her hands in his as his chest was flooded with guilt. He hadn't been avoiding her- well, he had, but not because of anything she'd done.
'Sadie, Sadie no, it's not because of that. I just- gah, Steven why did you have to bring her here?!' he snapped. Steven, who had apparently recovered on his own and taken up refuge on Lars' bed, gave them a thumbs up before going back to looking at his phone. Probably to text Connie about what he did, he thought, before returning his focus to the situation at hand. 'Listen, Sadie-' he threaded a hand through his now pale hair and gave her a look of regret, '-it's not your fault, I've just been distant because- well, look at me! I'm pink! Not even burned-in-the-sun pink! I'm like, actually pink. Most people tend to take that as an open invitation to stare at me when I'm in public. Plus, I don't really need to sleep or eat as much anymore, and if you took me to the doctor and had them check my pulse they'd probably label me as dead because I still kind of am.' At that statement, her eyes widened with surprise.
'I was dead, Sadie, then Steven brought me back somehow, and that's why I'm like this. But, also,' he sighed deeply before running a hand down his face, 'the reason why I was avoiding you is because I'm embarrassed. I'm embarrassed that I ran away when you needed help, and I'm embarrassed that I treated you so badly before, and I'm just-! Embarrassed in general because someone like me doesn't deserve to have someone like you in my life. You're one of my best friends and I took you for granted for so long that I don't know if you should forgive me...' By the end of his spiel he was kneeling on the floor, head bowed.
'I'm sorry for everything, but if you don't want to be around me anymore, I'll understand.' He had been prepared for this outcome ever since he realized the consequences of his actions back on Aquamarine's ship.
He hadn't been prepared to feel Sadie's arms around his shoulders, or the sensation of tears hitting his face as he looked up.
'You idiot…' she sniffled, pulling him closer. Lars' arms automatically went around her as she sank down to the floor as well. 'You're lucky that I know you so well. I don't care if you're pink or purple or blue, you're still the same Lars to me. Apology accepted.'
Lars sighed with relief and relaxed in her embrace. There were a few moments where they simply held each other, with Steven's texting noises being the only sound in the room.
'So...anything else I should know about besides, uh, all this?' Sadie gestured towards him and Lars assumed she was talking about his new skin tone.
Thinking for a moment, he grinned and placed a hand against Sadie's cheek - thumb brushing just below the scar she'd received during their island vacation - before lifting his own fringe to show off the vertical cut over his right eye.
'Look, matching battle scars.'
Sadie's eyes widened once again, then she let out a soft chuckle, which turned into one laugh, then two, and suddenly they were hugging again with her tears soaking into his shirt.
'I'm so glad you're okay.'
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That had been a month ago.
Now he was confident enough to show himself in public at least a few times a week. When not dragging him around Beach City trying to get him accustomed to actual human contact again, Steven had convinced him to make the trip to the somewhat far out 'Universe Barn' as often as possible. He claimed it was to meet up with the Off-Colors so they could help them adjust to life on earth, but Lars knew that it was really Steven's way of making the transition smoother for everyone. Having a familiar face around really did wonders for anxiety.
When he asked about how safe the place was and whether they'd be welcomed, Steven did his best to reassure him.
'Don't worry, Lapis and Pumpkin are great! Plus, Peridot has been wanting some new Barnies after the whole incident with Navy and- well, they'll be taken care of.' In the end, all Lars could do was trust in Steven's own faith in his friends and hope for the best. Thankfully, after a few visits, he got used to the presence of both Lapis-
'Aren't you the chick who stole the ocean?'
'Uh…'
-and Peridot.
'I see that Steven has acquired another follower. Tell me, are there any other humans that come in such a vibrant shade of pink?'
At that point, he'd simply learned to take their comments in a positive light and move on.
The Rutile twins, Rhodonite, Paddy ('Why Paddy?' 'Admit it, Padparadscha is a bit of a mouthful.' ), and Fluorite had adapted to earth living quite nicely. Lars was honestly glad that they were finding happiness on the planet, and every time he saw them simply enjoying themselves - free from worrying about where to hide or whether that day would be their last - his slow-beating heart became lighter in his chest.
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Blinking his eyes, Lars was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt Steven wriggle against his side. The younger teen previously claimed that the position was comfortable, but Lars knew that he chose to sleep that way because it was easier to feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. Looking down, he watched as the other boy stretched and yawned before clutching Lars' arm.
"Laaaarrs…" Steven's voice was still groggy with sleep, and Lars set his book down to cover up his laugh with his hand.
"How was the nap, Little Dude?" he asked. He got a soft hug as an answer and did his best to return the embrace. Steven moved back to he could rub away the drowsiness from his eyes before leaning his head against Lars' shoulder.
"Good," he mumbled, "do you have any ube cake left?" Lars smothered another laugh and reached over to check his place in the book before setting it aside for later.
"Yeah, I just made another yesterday." He had actually made it because he knew Steven was coming over, and he could always rely on him to appreciate his cooking. "Did you want some?"
At this confession, all traces of sleep fled from Steven's face as he leapt to his feet and started for downstairs. "I always want to eat anything you make, Lars!" Then he was gone.
Despite not being tired at all, Lars got up slowly and took his time in reaching the kitchen. As the room came into view, he spotted Steven pulling out two sets of cutlery to go with the plates he had apparently already set. When he finished getting the cake out of the fridge, Steven was sitting at the table, grinning ear to ear.
They spent the rest of the afternoon eating ube cake and looking through recipe books in search of interesting things to bake. As soon as Steven left for home - through the front door, thankfully - Lars returned to his room and lied back on his bed, a content smile on his face.
His new life was a good kind of different, indeed.
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I'll probably write more for this later ! Come scream with me about pink lars on my tumblr ✧eggroyalty✧