AN: So, anyone who follows me on Twitter has probably gleaned two things about me. And possibly five or six more. But the two things relative to this update is 1) That I really, really like The Really Loud House. The stigmas people hold toward live-action adaptations of cartoons are understandable, but holly undeserved in this case. TRLH is a fantastically funny, and heartfelt adaptation of the cartoon, which is recognizably The Loud House as we know it, but it also does its own thing, and pulls it off more often than not. If you haven't yet given it a watch, I would highly recommend you at least try it out.

And 2) I really, REALLY like Heart and Soul, an episode of the aforementioned show. TRLH in general has a surprising amount of Lunacoln fuel in it, and Heart and Soul is sort of the apex of that. Even removed from that context, it's a beautiful episode, and one it's easily the one I've rewatched the most. So much so that I found myself wanting to write...something, even tangentially related to it, but it was difficult to think of something that wasn't just straight up redoing the part that made me want to write in the first place.

Then, as so many stories start, I got to talking to Hero about my problem, and this chapter started taking shape. Including an idea he gave me permission to use, but that I stole anyway, because that's how I roll.

Next thing I'm planning on writing will be Stupor related, though it won't be a new chapter of Stupor. It'll make sense later.

"DID YOU FIND IT?"

Triton winced as the ship around him shook violently in response to the thunderous voice coming from overhead.

"Not yet!" He called back, addressing the large pair of eyes that were peering through the craft's bubble-dome exterior.

"O-OKAY. JUST...LEMME KNOW WHEN YOU DO. I'LL BE HERE. WAITING."

Doing his best to hide the amused smirk that was creeping onto his face, the space cowboy waved behind him as he traveled deeper into his ship. He knew, without looking back, that the eyes would still be there, waiting for him.

Planet DeLola was supposed to have been a quick pit stop on his way back to his home planet. Had it not been for that bit of happenstance that had led to his engine failing as he was passing through, he likely wouldn't have stopped by at all. It was but one planet among innumerable others, no more or less inviting than any other. And yet, in spite of all that, here he remained, long after his ship had been made flight capable again, literally cooling its jets as he continued to linger long after the adventure that had brought him here in the first place had concluded.

Granted, it wasn't as though he was being rushed out the door. The DeLolians had continued to welcome him with open arms, even after the delay in his departure had grown so long that he'd stopped bothering to make excuses for it. The days turned into weeks, time passing all too quickly, given how much he was enjoying himself. He'd explore the swamps with Ribbon, finding all sorts of strange, wonderful, and occasionally terrifying things. Tricksy was forever roping him into one sports competition or another. There was that lovely mermaid who was always inviting him over to visit, though never while her boy(bear?) friend was around, for whatever reason. The princess herself had been extremely welcoming, routinely lavishing him with foods far too fine for his simple palate and always making a point to remind him that a room had been set aside for his use whenever he needed it. He'd suspected she was taking pity on him, seeing as how even at the best of times, he was little more than a vagrant. Once she'd even offered him a large gold ring, seemingly apropos of nothing. It had been extremely difficult to refuse the gift, especially when she retired to her chambers shortly afterward, without first instructing the guards to unlock the gates for him. He'd been forced to discretely make his own exit using some bed sheets, a ball of twine, and the fire escape that had conveniently been installed just outside his room.

And then, of course, there was the Rock God. His...well, he wasn't sure if there was a word for what they were.

Patron deity seemed to be a decent starting point. After all, the only reason he was able to live so comfortably out here in the wilderness was because the goddess provided for him. But he didn't exactly pray to her, or anything like that. Generally speaking, he'd ask her for something when he needed it, and if she felt like it, she'd give it to him. There wasn't anything particularly mystical or miraculous about the process (aside from her ability to create something from literally nothing, which raised some worrying questions about his understanding of how reality was supposed to work). Sometimes she'd give him stuff he didn't even ask for. Nice things. Which, while he was no expert on religion, seemed to run contrary to everything he knew about the concept.

And then, of course, there were the innumerable nights when they'd watch the sun go down together, him resting in her lap, or perhaps atop her shoulder, slowly being lulled into restfulness by the rhythm of her heartbeat or the soft caress of her surprisingly gentle hands. Inevitably their eyes would meet and he'd be lost, mesmerized by her gaze. The next he knew it'd be morning. She'd be slumbering peacefully beneath him, around him, her hands clasping him tightly, protectively cradling him against her body, warding off the morning chill with the warmth of her divine flesh. And he'd silently add another tally to his mental count of space trousers that had been annihilated by the goddess' exuberance. When she finally woke, the goddess would smile down at him, and coyly ask if he'd enjoyed his private show.

He'd laughed, every time. He couldn't help it, it was solid wordplay.

Triton knew what you called that sort of relationship between mortals. It was love. Plainly, obviously, irrevocably, and unequivocally. He knew it in his heart, and it was reaffirmed every time he saw her. Heard her voice, sniffed her fragrance. There was no point in running from it, it simply was.

Whatever she might call it, that was the mystery. But despite their vast differences, both figurative and literal, the more time he spent with her, the more similarities he found. Often surprising, but never unpleasant.

He hoped, sincerely so, that this was one of those things.

One Hour Earlier

"LOOK," said the Rock God out of the blue. "WE'VE BEEN LIVING TOGETHER FOR A WHILE NOW, RIGHT?"

"We have," He'd said, neutrally. Triton had refrained from pointing out that their current living situation had been entirely her doing.

After settling into the early stages of their routine, Triton had been adamant about not overstepping his bounds. Partly because it was, generally speaking, the polite thing to do, but also, in no small part, because he'd seen just how accurate the goddess could be with her lightning, and he'd had no desire to test his mettle against that particular ordinance. To that end, he tried to avoid overstaying his welcome. His days were spent in the Rock God's clearing with her if there wasn't something more pressing that needed his attention. If there was, he'd find time to make it up to her. But unless she insisted upon his staying, the space cowboy would take his leave before the evening grew too late, and would mosey back over to the field where he'd left his ship. For a time this had become the new normal. It seemed natural that a goddess probably had enough on her plate to deal with without an inquisitive mortal constantly being underfoot, and he had presumed that she would appreciate having the discretion of suffering his presence, or not. It had certainly seemed so, for a time, and Triton, at least, had been satisfied.

Then came the night. The hour was growing long, and the messages he'd been getting all evening had been...mixed. While things had started normal enough (at least, by their standards), the goddess grew increasingly sullen as the night went on. Attempts to suss out what the problem might be were met with narrow looks and pursed lips. Eventually, Triton had concluded that he must be the problem. And, not wanting to overstay his welcome, he'd climbed to his feet, doffed his hat, and bid the Rock God a good night. He didn't receive a response, but he could feel her gaze upon him as he strolled away, down the winding path that would take him to his ship. Sleep had not come readily that night. That face she'd made when he had announced his departure had stuck with him, and he'd tossed and turned in his bed for what seemed like hours, trying to decipher its meaning. He knew for a fact, however, that sleep had eventually claimed him. Because otherwise, it wouldn't have made much sense when he was jerked back into wakefulness as the ship around him began to lurch violently from side to side. Logically speaking, one thing had to follow the other.

As the walls of his small cabin began to undulate around him, Triton sprang to his feet and dashed to the cockpit, his mind racing as fast as his feet. The possibilities had seemed innumerable. A breach in his engine, an alien invasion. A different alien invasion. But upon arriving at his destination, he was surprised to find that what appeared to be the source of the disturbance, was that his ship was...flying. This wasn't alarming in and of itself, it was a spaceship, after all. But even his aging craft, with all its quirks and idiosyncrasies, typically didn't fly within an atmosphere while the engines remained dormant. And yet, he could see, quite clearly through the dome of the cockpit that his craft was silently gliding through the air. It was a marvel to behold.

As was the amount of time it took him to figure out what was actually going on. Embarrassingly so. Fortunately, a finger nearly the size of his head eventually slid down over the dome, partially blocking his view. A gasp of comprehension, followed by a flush of embarrassment, which thankfully no one was around to see, and Triton had deduced what was transpiring. With little else to do, he sat down in his pilot's seat and waited. Fortunately, it wasn't for very long. For him, the trip between the field and the clearing took only a brisk walk, and the legs that now propelled his journey were far more capable than his were. After what couldn't have been more than a few minutes, they'd arrived. Without saying anything, the Rock God gently placed his ship upon the ground, kicked off her boots, removed her helmet, climbed atop her cloud, and laid herself down to rest. Triton waited a little longer, but seeing no indication of further activity from the goddess, shrugged, and returned to his own bed, slumber coming significantly easier than it had previously. The next morning he'd dressed himself and exited his ship, finding the goddess expertly handling a skillet over a crackling fire. Seeing him approach, she'd greeted him nonchalantly and passed him a Triton-sized plate of breakfast. She never mentioned the miraculous and sudden relocation of his ship to her clearing, and Triton, drawing upon wisdom that seemed to be ingrained into his very bones, chose to do the same.

He had not slept in his own bed since then.

"YOU'VE GOT THAT LOOK ON YOUR FACE. THE ONE THAT USUALLY MEANS YOU'RE DOING THAT EXPO-WHATEVER STUFF."

"Exposition," Triton muttered, clearing his thoughts with an emphatic shake of his head. "And...sorry. Just kinda got lost in thought."

"I KNOW."

Her smile was gentle, but Triton winced anyway. His instincts told him that this was A Moment, and he should really be paying more attention.

"I WAS JUST...SAYING," The divine brunette took a quick intake of breath, one which caused her upper body to move in ways that threatened to send Triton spiraling down another thought-hole. "SINCE WE'RE...TOGETHER, I'D LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU A LITTLE BETTER."

"Oh." Said Triton, pursing his lips thoughtfully. "I thought we knew each other pretty well. I mean, we spend a lo—a perfectly normal amount of time together."

"WE DO," She said, nodding in agreement. "AND I LIKE WHAT I KNOW. TRUST ME. IF I DIDN'T—"

She snapped her fingers, causing a streak of lightning to leap from her palm, before dissipating harmlessly into the air.

"—YOU'D KNOW." She concluded, favoring him with a warm smile. It was the kind that went all the way up to her eyes. Normally that'd be comforting, extremely so, but the lingering smell of burning ozone made the entire performance just a tad more concerning than she'd probably intended.

"...Noted," Triton said, nodding emphatically. "So...what, then?"

"I THOUGHT...WE COULD TALK ABOUT MUSIC."

A delicate pause ensued as Triton weighed several potential responses. More specifically, how lightning-proof each of them might be.

"I-I MEAN…!" The goddess' face flushed red with embarrassment. "OBVIOUSLY WE TALK ABOUT MUSIC ALL THE TIME. BUT WE TALK ABOUT MY MUSIC. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR MUSIC."

"Um…" Came Triton's reply. Again, striving to avoid pointing out the obvious.

"NOT YOUR...YOUR MUSIC, I-I MEAN…" The goddess puffed out her cheeks and exhaled sharply. Triton politely waited for her to compose herself, nonchalantly placing one hand atop his hat, holding it fast against the sudden gust of wind that ensued.

"LOOK. MUSIC IS MY THING, RIGHT? IT'S IN MY NAME. IT'S MY DOMAIN. IT'S LITERALLY IN MY JOB DESCRIPTION."

"It is."

"AND I KNOW YOU LIKE MY STUFF." She continued, her chest puffing out ever so slightly. "BUT...I THOUGHT IT'D BE NICE TO KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED. I MEAN, WHAT OTHER STUFF YOU LIKED."

He hesitated. "Well, I don't really know what I can tell you. Music is music, right? That's what you're always saying? It's the language of the universe, the one that we all speak. Right?"

"I DO," She said, reaching down and brushing one finger against his cheek affectionately. "BUT...WELL, YOU'RE THE ONLY MORTAL THAT I'VE EVER FOUND...INTERESTING. AND IT'D MEAN A LOT IF I COULD GET SOME INSIGHT ON WHAT YOU DUG. LIKE, WHAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF YOU LISTEN TO BACK ON YOUR PLANET? WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOU ROCK?"

"I'm...not sure if I really have anything like...that…" He said, frowning in concentration. "Though,I guess...maybe there's this one song—"

KRACKADOOOOUM!

"COULD YOU MAYBE HUM A FEW BARS?" Asked the goddess, suddenly holding her guitar, vestiges of the lightning that gave birth to it still crackling along its strings.

"I don't think I could do it justice, like that." Said Triton, stroking his chin. "Though, I think I might be able to play a little of it. If I had the right instrument, I mean."

!MUOOOODKCARK

"COOL, COOL," She said, nodding as her guitar exploded back into nonexistence. Then she cracked her knuckles, clearly eager to get things rolling. "JUST TELL ME WHATCHA NEED AND I'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN."

"A-alright," Triton replied, steeling himself against the flash of anxiety that wracked his body. He didn't wake up this morning expecting to have to perform for an immortal, impossibly skilled manifestation of music. How hard could it be?

"Any chance you could do a piano?"

"...A WHAT?" She asked, one eyebrow raised quizzically.

"A...piano." He said, holding up his hands and pantomiming playing the instrument in question. "You know. Keys...and strings. A piano?"

"DUDE, YOU'RE SAYING WORDS, BUT I'M NOT PICKING UP WHAT YOU'RE LAYING DOWN." Her eyes suddenly widened. "UNLESS…"

KRACKADOOUM?

"TA-DAH!" She shouted, gesturing at the instrument that now filled her hand. Which was, in hindsight, the first clue that something had gone wrong. It certainly had keys. And strings. But….

"That's a keytar." He deadpanned.

"SO...NNNNNNOOOOOOOT A PIANO?"

"A ha!" Announced the space cowboy to himself, as he withdrew a small, flat, rectangular device from hi space trunk. He nodded in satisfaction, spun around on one heel, and began heading back toward the cockpit—

THOOM THOOM THOOM

—Only to stumble as a sound that was suspiciously similar to the one made by giant, booted feet frantically fleeing the scene resounded throughout the craft, immediately followed by an earthquake that was almost certainly localized. Long used to such disturbances, Triton shifted his weight as best he could, and slammed his airborne heel to the ground, stabilizing himself. The quaking was over as quickly as it started, and once he was satisfied that it was safe to do so, he resumed his trip to the cockpit, disengaged the hatch, and climbed out through the space previously occupied by the dome as it swung open.

He was thoroughly unsurprised to find the Rock God, lounging on her cloud a short distance away, her manner very clearly meant to be nonchalant.

"SUP," She said, nodding in his direction, as she appeared only just to take notice of him. "YOU FIND THE THING?"

"I did," He called back, sliding down the side of his ship, and starting toward the goddess. He hadn't been in any particular hurry, one of the things you quickly learned when living with a differently-sized roommate was that keeping up with them was more trouble than it was worth, if not outright impossible. It was almost always better to simply take things at your own speed.

He said nothing as the cloud began drifting towards him, and by the time the goddess's hand dropped down from the sky and gently scooped him up he was fully consumed by the effort of trying to control the grin that threatened to explode onto his face, only barely managing to master himself as she deposited him in his usual spot on her right shoulder.

"SO...WHAZZAT?" She asked, craning her neck to see past his own, comparatively diminutive form, at the even smaller device.

"Space pad," He said, thumbing the activation button, and internally breathing a sigh of relief as the screen lit up.

"WHAT'S IT DO?"

"Lots of stuff. But one of its main functions is letting me connect to the Galactic Information Network, which lets me access all kinds of information and media."

The Rock God frowned in concentration. "ANY CHANCE YOU COULD...EXPLAIN IT...LIKE I WAS MORTAL?"

"In theory, it puts a vast repository of information at my fingertips that I could use to do all kinds of productive stuff." He explained. "But mostly we use it to look up, and send funny pictures to our friends. Oh, here we go."

"WEIRD THAT YOU GUYS NEED A MACHINE FOR THAT" The goddess muttered, as she squinted down at the device. Apparently finding some difficulty, she gestured with one hand, causing a stylish pair of glasses to burst into existence onto her face, their gold metallic frame inscribed with tiny lightning bolts and music notes.

"ALRIGHT," She said, "WHAT AM I LOOKING AT."

"This, is a piano." He said, holding up the tablet for her perusal.

"OOOOH," She said, nodding slowly. "A PIANO. MAN, I WISH YOU'D JUST SAID THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE."

"I did."

"WELL...IT SOUNDS WEIRD WHEN YOU SAY IT." She replied, dismissing her glasses with a snap of her fingers.

"I'll bet."

"ALRIGHT," She muttered, cracking her knuckles. "ONE PIANO...COMING...UP!"

A gesture, this time with both hands, and a blinding flash of light illuminated the clearly. When Triton's vision returned to him, there, right in front of them, sat a beautiful, black enameled, grand piano.

...one so large, he wasn't entirely certain that even the princess' castle could house it.

"...HUH." Said the Rock God, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "APPARENTLY THIS WAS...A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT THAN I THOUGHT IT'D BE."

"It's fine," Triton chuckled as he slid down the gentle slope of her arm, and coming to rest right atop the keyboard.

"I...think," He mused, as he stood up and found himself atop a piano key so large that he could comfortably fit both of his feet on it. "I think I might be able to work with this."

Triton stomped on the key experimentally, noting that doing so would make it move, but not enough to actually produce a sound. Deciding to modify his approach, he crouched down, jumped straight up into the air, and landed—

BOOOOOOM

—producing a nice, clear tone.

"...Yeah," He said, nodding to himself. "This might work."

"THEN PLAY ON, DUDE"

A few more jumps, and he was able to find the proper starting point. Then a few minutes more of practicing the art of sliding from key to key without producing unwanted sounds. And then, he was ready.

"Alright," He said, glancing back at the goddess, who was staring intently at him. "Bear with me for a bit, this is a little complicated. There's two parts to this song, and the first part goes like...this."

With a short hop into the air, he began to play.

BUM BA…DA DA...BUM BA...DA DA...BUM BA...DA DA...BUM BA..DA...DA..

"Hang on," He said, slightly winded as he jogged back to his starting point. "Think I'm getting the hang of this. Let me try again."

BUM BA DA DA, BUM BA DADA, BUM BA DA DA, BUM BA DA DA

His legs were starting to burn a little, but already he was working out the routine. Exactly how much energy he needed to expend on each key, the minute movements that made it easier to shift from one note to the next. As he finished the second round, he kicked off the key he was on, and slid himself sideways, ending up just close enough that he was able to start a third time, losing almost none of his momentum. The more he played in this strange style, the more natural it began to feel. By the sixth time through, he was able to nearly play the entire loop seamlessly.

"A-alright," He said, panting slightly as he neared the end of the verse. "Think I've got a g-good enough handle on this. So, then there's this second part, a-and it goes—"

BUM...BUM...BUM

Triton started in surprise as tones resounded from the instrument without his input. Then he noticed the large hand resting atop the keyboard only a short distance away. Craning his neck upward still, he saw the Rock God, her face scrunched up in concentration as she hesitantly continued playing.

BA DA...BA DA...BA DA...DA DA DA…

"W-WHY'D YOU STOP?" She asked softly, her head lilting to the side as she looked at him.

"I...just…" He gestured, straining to articulate his thoughts.

"How?" Was the only suggestion his brain could supply, fighting off both surprise and fatigue as it tried to process this odd turn of events.

"W-WHY ARE YOU SURPRISED?" She scoffed, puffing her chest out. "I AM THE ROCK GOD, AFTER ALL."

"So you...know...this song?" He asked.

"WELL..NOT...AS SUCH," She replied, deflating ever so slightly.

"Then...how?"

"IT'S KIND OF HARD TO EXPLAIN, BUT..I CAN HEAR THE SONG...IN YOUR HEART. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S...REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU."

Uncertain how to respond, Triton scratched the back of his head, bashfully. He made to speak, but he was distracted, briefly taken aback by the faint, rosy hue that now adorned the goddess' cheeks.

"Do...you...want to try it...together?" He asked, hesitantly.

"YES!" She exclaimed her eyes alighting with delight. "I-I MEAN, IF YOU'RE NOT TOO TIRED FROM ALL THAT."

"I think I can manage", He said, chuckling slightly as he returned to his starting position. Seeing that brunette's hands were poised atop the keyboard, he took a deep breath—

—and jumped.

He couldn't say how long they were there, two distinct melodies entwining into a single harmony, but though his lungs and legs burned, begging for mercy, something drove him to keep playing. And each time the song threatened to reach its end, he dug a little deeper and found just enough energy to start again. The words to the song coming unbidden as he played on.

Heart and soul. I fell in love with you, heart and soul.

The way a fool would do, madly.

Because you held me tight

And stole a kiss, in the night...