I would like to thank KittyUK for everything that she has done for/with this story. And I would like it mentioned that the flashbacks were written specifically for her, upon her request...so I'm going to go ahead and dedicate this to her... ;)
This is my first Lazytown story, and I am very pleased to finally present it.
Let me know what you think!
The Non-Elf
Chapter 1: Nothing Is Forever
He snuggled against the bright orange armchair; his mind slipping into the most vivid of dreams. Sleep was easy to come by when there were no distractions. It had been a good year and a half since the annoying children, now just as annoying young adults, packed up and left for college, leaving Robbie a very happy man in the solitude of the quietsome town.
He shifted in his sleep, completely sated, completely happy.
---
She had the window seat; and though no one else rode the train, she clung close to the sill. She tried to forget about the knot in her stomach. Although she was excited to see her home again, to see him, she knew that an early return meant a lot of unwanted questions.
The fainting spells were occurring more frequently, though, and she found it hard to keep up in class. It was only for the best that she took a semester off, far away from the stress of it all.
---
Sportacus eyed the moon with a yawn. The long hours past his usual 8:08 were hard on his body, but it never felt right to stay overnight.
He called down the ladder of the airship and climbed up it with a hurried pace. Even in the darkness, he could see the emptiness of its hull; he sat on the edge of the stark white bed and tried to remember when it used to feel like home.
---
The train didn't go as far as Lazytown, but dropped her off instead just outside its limits. She welcomed the chance to stretch her legs, but it was a fairly mundane walk, with nothing but fields of grass and crudely paved pathways along the way. She walked quickly in the darkness, though she knew there was no one else around.
She could feel her heart begin to race, to call for the familiar buildings of her childhood. For just a moment, she closed her eyes and focused on that feeling, on the wild beating of her heart. It was the same feeling she had when she thought of him. His eyes. His face. His poise. She needed to get closer, faster. She took another step, then another, quickening each one until she ran, her legs taking flight.
---
Something tugged at his heart. Something strong. He looked down at his crystal, but it was still. He jumped up off the bed and called for the door, looking through his telescope for some sign of trouble.
The glow of the moon was not enough light to really tell what he was looking at, or if it was even real, but he thought he caught a glint of pink running full speed toward the town. Putting his telescope away, he back-flipped to the control seat and pedaled the airship to where she was.
He held his breath as he leapt from the door to the grass below. It was entirely possible that he was imagining the whole thing; his tired eyes longing for something they had been denied for a year and a half.
He landed on his feet, but was immediately hit by a great force.
---
Stephanie tackled him as soon as he was in reach. She knew she had surprised him, even before she looked up to see him smiling in delight. She held him for a moment in a long overdue hug before releasing him.
"I just knew you'd come," she said.
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you at school?" he asked.
"Oh, I decided to take a semester off, is all. I missed Lazytown too much," she said, hoping he wouldn't dig further.
He seemed satisfied with her answer.
"Let me take you home," he said, pointing to his airship.
She looked up at the oversized balloon in awe, but had a much better idea in mind.
"Why don't you walk me home," she said.
Sportacus glanced at the direction of the town. His face wore a mixture of confusion and interest, his shoulders folding up in a shrug.
"It's a cold night," he said, "but I'm sure we can handle it if it's what you really want."
"I do," she said as she led the way.
---
Robbie woke, cold and alone. Unbearably alone.
He rubbed his eyes and wiggled out a stretch. It seemed that the blue elf wasn't in the mood to cuddle, since he had opted, yet again, for an early getaway.
Robbie slipped off the armchair and lazily made his way across the lair. His periscope whirled up to the night air, immediately catching sight of what looked like Sporta-whatever walking excitedly next to Pinkie.
"What?!" he yelled. "Pinkie?"
He scratched his forehead and looked back into the periscope.
"Did I miss something?" he asked himself.
It was dark outside, but not enough to hide that striking pink hair. He watched for awhile: the way that Sportacus idolized her, even without ever touching her, and the way she was just as equally smitten. It made him gag.
"Don't even lay a finger on him, Barbie," he said. "I'm watching you."
But he couldn't. It boiled his blood too much to watch. He didn't know what she was doing home so early, but he was finally getting somewhere with Sportacus, and she was going to ruin everything.
---
She knew her feet would hurt in the morning, but it was worth the time spent alone with him. He was his usual hyper self, even at such a late hour, never letting go of his smile. She found herself sucked into his energy, and was surprised when they arrived at her uncle's house so quickly.
They stood together, unwilling to say goodnight. She fiddled with her dress, having nothing better to do, and having run out of things to say.
"I'm glad you're home," he said. "We've missed you."
"We?" she asked.
He laughed lightly.
"I know I can't be the only one."
She blushed. It felt just like a dream. She never wanted it to end.
She had always liked him, of course, but for completely different reasons than she did now. Now she could see what she always missed before, what made him unforgettable and irreplaceable, and it was excruciating not to have.
---
Sportacus watched as Stephanie went inside. Seeing her was just what he needed to cheer him up, but he was concerned that there was a deeper, more sinister, reason for her returning so early. He flipped and ran back to his airship, which still hovered over the outskirts of town, and flew it back in.
There was nothing he could do for her that night, however, and he was growing weary by the hour. Taking out his telescope, he aimed it as Stephanie's window, which was lit up for the first time in over a year. He smiled, despite himself, hopping into his bed and curling up under the covers, welcoming the warmth of sleep.