Chapter Text
Don’t get it wrong: Pearl loves her drone body. It’s everything she didn’t know she wanted—compact, weaponized, capable of flying as high as her heart wants—but there’s no replacing the sensation of Marina’s skin under her hands, the soft press of her cheek against Marina’s shoulder, the ability to wrap her arms all the way around and never let go.
That’s exactly what happens, when they finish that final climb in that elevator after Eight puts Overlorder down and wake in their bodies. Their real bodies, in the real world, in the mansion, in Marina’s office. Pearl barely has time to recognize Eight as she yanks off the helmet before her attention is captured by Marina, slowly picking her big, beautiful head up off the table. The wood grain is imprinted on her face, Pearl manages to process, before she’s flying across the room and throwing herself at the love of her life.
Marina cries out in surprise, but it quickly morphs to that beautiful, chiming laugh of hers as she catches Pearl in her arms. They wind around Pearl’s back, holding tight, while Pearl returns the favor, laughing so hard she might cry, because she’s desperately wanted nothing more than to have exactly this. Marina, real, with flesh and give and those big eyes, breathing against her chest. It’s enough to make the last few days seem like a distant nightmare, at least for a moment.
There will be more to come. Eight is blinking at them with a confused, devastated look on her face, as she processes everything, and they’ll have to find Acht wherever they are, but, just now, all Pearl wants is to enjoy the restoration of her body and all that entails.
Marina presses their foreheads together, closing her eyes as she does the same, reorienting back in the present, and Pearl feels one of her hands curl up in her shirt, balling it up in her fist. “You’re real,” Marina mutters in Octarian.
“Always and forever, baby,” Pearl returns, already turning her head up, so that she says it right into Marina’s mouth as they kiss.