VENDETTA - Chapter 5: Heartbeat
17 Dec 2024Aurora Adair-Levine
NOTE: This story contains mature themes and adult content.Previous Chapter
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DATE: 8th of December, 3310 [08:11 UGT]
LOCATION: T.O.C. Solaris Q4V-40N, Luyten 674-15Aurora Adair-Levine
Sol was burning.
As Aurora stared at the holotable set right in the center of the Solaris operations room, she took in the flood of data that was displayed on the holographic galaxy map. Thargoid invasions in several systems around Sol... an entire Titan around Earth. It was... a strange feeling to know that the home of her past life burned. She wasn't happy for it... but she wasn't immensely upset either. Just detached. Everything about the Federation was a sour memory... and her family was safe elsewhere. What more was there to do?
Maybe it was a deserved consequence for humanity's endless hubris and militaristic rhetoric. Billions of innocents died for the machinations of some insane scientist - where was the glory in that? Would we learn from this? Probably not. Salvation did what so many in the superpowers had wanted to do for years... and it predictably backfired - horrifically. What a surprise.
Aurora sighed as she leant her head against her wife, her hands resting over the arm that was wrapped around her. She stood there in pure silence with Isabella while they waited. On top of all this Thargoid bullshit, the squadron had learned that the Azure Star - Isabella's carrier - had been attacked. As for who was behind it... well, that was a no-brainer. It was typical for someone like Tyrese to take advantage of the chaos. They'd been through this before...
That made it a bad time to get involved now... not that Aurora intended for her or Isabella to run off and rescue people from burning starports or fight Thargoids. It'd been a long time since either of them were behind the flight stick for something as serious as this... and what did they owe the galaxy anyway? All the things she'd been through... all the things they'd been through together. It was selfish... but getting involved would be far more detrimental. Especially while they were being hunted by some psycho.
No... it was better off if the squadron handled this. She'd already done everything she could to make sure the squadron had all the money and approval they could need. While TITAN's pure focus was on the Thargoid war... Aurora and Isabella needed to focus on surviving Tyrese. With such a daring attack on the Azure Star... they needed to be careful. Sometimes, you just have to step away and focus on one's self... no matter how difficult that was.
Difficult, it was. Aurora couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. She wondered what it was like on Earth... if the Thargoids had begun raiding major population centers on the surface. What it looked like to stand atop Table Mountain and watch it burn. What would her father think... about everything? About this war? About her? She wondered what he'd say about her being married... about her surviving the EMBER conflict. About her not getting involved in the war. She missed him. She wished he could've met Isabella... but all she could hope for was that he was at peace atop that mountain.
Part of her still carried that resentment for all he'd put her through. The Navy... the squadron. It all made her who she was today... but that didn't stop all those painful memories flooding back. Her pain before joining the squadron... joining TITAN to try start anew. That felt like a lifetime ago... even if it was only three or four years now. Becoming a Commander. Making real friends for the first time in her life. Being apart of something that mattered and helped people. Then all the struggles that followed. How people felt betrayed over some of the things she'd done. The suffering... the loneliness. That desperation to hold on and just matter. All the stupid decisions she made in hindsight.
All the times she cried alone in her room aboard the Solaris. The times she laughed with her friends. The times her heart shattered when they got hurt. The ways they forgot about her... hurt her in ways they couldn't see. Life moved on. And then... Isabella came into her world. Their first night together. That starport hotel. The time they busted those pirates. The resort. Their growing feelings. Proposing to her. Loving her. Hurting with her. In a sea of pain and forgetting what made Aurora who she was... Isabella was there to remind her, to hold her true to who she was. The one constant she had left when her life was an absolute mess... a constant she still had today to keep her going.
Then came the blow-up of her past hitting her and the squadron. Being a fugitive for months. Trying to stop an insane criminal organization that threatened to take everything from her. Balancing her life with the job she was forced to do. All those near-death experiences. The suffocating weight of coming dangerously close to losing Isabella. Of losing everything she cared about to help the squadron... even if most only cared about themselves. No-one else knew what it was like to lay next to the love of your life as your dying body threatened to give up at the last stand. The thought of never seeing her beautiful wife again.
Those flashbacks still haunted her in all their vivid pain. It was easier now... now that they were married. That they had a home together. But nothing took away those permanent scars. There were hundreds of happy moments... but equally as many hurtful, sad, and scary moments. There were still things... people... she had resentment for. Things that bothered her. Memories that stung. Anger she had buried. Decisions, words, and actions she wished she could have changed or done differently. But it was over with and in the past.
Somehow... that made it worse. She could never have the closure of saying what she wanted to say openly.
She could reflect upon all this in silence. Nothing more. No tears or sobbing. She'd healed enough that these memories were frustrating... but not crushing. With all the things she had been through... that one shining light was her wife. Her partner who pulled her through against all odds. The other half of who she was. Her heartbeat. Deep down she knew the only reason she was alive today... the only reason the squadron had won, was because of Isabella. Because Isa was there to drive her. To give her a future she so badly wanted to have... and so they had it. She would do anything for the love of her life. To sit in a home they could truly call theirs... to hold onto that eternal love she had for Isabella. It was all she had in this galaxy. All she really cared about.
That was Aurora's purpose. That's what made stopping Tyrese so important. Aurora knew what it was like to have past actions all come crashing down onto you... she couldn't allow that to happen to her wife. The Thargoid war would just have to wait.
"Commanders, we have the report and video footage from the Azure Star."
Snapped out of her thoughts, Aurora straightened up a bit as she looked over at the figures who entered the briefing room - first spotting Kyle with his typical short brown hair styled into a mohawk, followed by Jaiden not far behind. The two approached the table while the couple still stood there, Isabella's arm remaining around Aurora.
"Okay... can you play it for us?"
"Can do, one sec."
While Kyle plugged a tablet into the holographic table, Jaiden folded his arms and looked over at the duo with a concerned look.
"I hope you two are aware that the footage is going to be... particularly graphic. It wasn't pretty."
"It's okay. You can play it."
With that confirmation, Kyle tapped the tablet and allowed the holographic table to change to a flat display, showing the video player as it began to play video footage from a hallway camera. Aurora and Isabella watched intently as crew and security traversed the hallways... and then she spotted the suspect, before they were even pointed out. Kyle gestured to the screen regardless, pointing towards a man with an opaque Remlok helmet who walked along the pillars as he reached into his jacket.
"There, that's one of the suspects."
Watching the suspect walk along the wall as he attached three small, flat rectangular shapes to the pillars he passed, Aurora already knew where this was going. As the man began to head back the way he came, Aurora saw two CSF soldiers quickly weaving through the crowd. They must've seen him. Kyle sighed and shook his head.
"We're guessing those two Centurion security guards must've noticed him at this point, but... they were too late."
"Oh no..."
The suspect dived behind cover as the soldiers raised their rifles, only for the camera feed to suddenly shake and flicker as the screen was flooded with blinding light. Isabella gasped a bit as the hallway was engulfed in shrapnel and smoke, the feed taking a moment to stabilize again, and a bit longer for the debris and smoke to clear. Bodies littered the hallway in the immediate vicinity of the explosion, the two soldiers laying still as injured members of the crew limped and crawled to safety.
Then... she watched as that same man walked back into frame, taking a look around at the chaos before he was approached by another person, presumably another suspect. They seemed to converse before the second suspect departed... and the primary turned, looked up at the camera... and waved. That move filled Aurora with a sudden rage as she frowned, shaking her head.
"That's definitely Tyrese. Fucking sicko..."
Isabella removed her arm from around Aurora, balling her fist in pure rage over the footage.
"Fuck this guy! I'm sick of him. He's not only a sicko and a criminal but a fucking terrorist! Those people were innocent. He wants me. That fucking bastard. Violet was right... should've killed him then and there three years ago."
Looking over at her wife, Aurora frowned with a sympathetic look as she let her have her outburst. She let out a soft sigh herself as she looked down at the holotable, folding her arms. She idly tapped her fingers on her forearm while she thought for a moment, before she looked up at Jaiden and Kyle.
"How'd they escape?"
Kyle tapped on the tablet, closing the video before bringing up a report from the Azure Star's security team, filled with information about casualties of the attack and the security breach. Aurora skimmed it while Kyle began to speak, taking in the details that popped out to her the most.
"After the attack, Mantis sent over some of our own specialists, and it looks like they used some kind of homemade virus to override the hangar lockdown. Flight control couldn't stop 'em and neither could the carrier's weapons. Looks like they purpose-built a cargo ship to be just fast enough to escape, and still take a few hits."
Aurora brushed a hand back through her dense raven curls as she looked up at Jaiden, frowning.
"How did they even get aboard the carrier? We were supposed to have implemented better security screening."
"We... did, Commander. Tyrese's profile and the profiles of his known associates were broadcast throughout CSF, and any carriers engaging in operations regarding the Thargoid war are already exercising heightened security. But Tyrese seemed to know exactly where to strike. The Azure Star doesn't exactly have the same high level security that the Solaris does, and because the carrier was accepting humanitarian aid to provide to systems attacked by the Thargoids, that was the cover they used. Their ship brought aboard several canisters of water and food cartridges - which have now been discarded for obvious safety reasons."
"Unfortunately, it looks like the CSF security element guarding the hangar didn't do a thorough scan, just a profile scan. And... as mentioned, the Azure Star doesn't have any security screens, so Tyrese and his associate were able to access the inner decks of the carrier with hidden explosives. Unaffilitated pilots or crew accessing the interior of the carrier was supposed to be disallowed under the recently implemented security protocols, but the CSF guards made a mistake."
"One that unfortunately cost the lives of four CSF soldiers and nine crew members, injuring many more. The explosives were filled with a small explosive charge and extra fragmentation, which as we can see, was designed to inflict massive damage in a small space. Two of the CSF casualties were the same security element that screened the crew... hangar footage shows that they were murdered by Tyrese and his team when they returned to the ship."
Aurora sighed heavily, looking down at the report as she read it slowly again.
"... lucky Tyrese, I guess. Slip-ups with the security protocols are unacceptable, we put them in place for a reason. This is a serious situation. He could slip aboard this carrier and get to me, Isabella, or anyone else, if something like this happens again. Pass a message along to Faust that this seriously needs to be hammered into CSF's heads. Every carrier needs to take the proper measures, not just start allowing random people into the carriers."
"Will do. Unfortunately... there's no tracking Tyrese's ships. It was obviously a burner vessel, it's likely drifting through space now and stripped of any useful parts. We're working on tracing information regarding Gage's right hands... at the very least, we can learn more about them even if it doesn't lead us directly towards them."
Isabella sighed with frustration.
"I should've known he'd try to do something like this. My fleet carrier makes sense I guess, if you're a sadistic fuck who enjoys killing innocent people. Should've had better security. And we need Gage. We need to find him and capture him to get to Tyrese."
Aurora looked over at Isabella, extending a gloved palm and gently taking her hand with a soft squeeze. She interlaced their fingers and tried to soothe her wife.
"I know, honey. We just... have no leads, and Tyrese is already a few steps ahead of us. We need to step back and just... let the squadron handle it for now. Handle the Thargoid war... keep the carrier's secure. Tyrese will have to make a move of his own, and that's when we catch him out. Okay?"
She could see the conflict on Isa's face as she evidently wanted to argue about it... but eventually Isa just nodded slowly.
"Yeah. I guess... I just... we need to get to him soon before he hurts more people. Whatever it takes to get this ass wipe..."
She squeezed Isabella's hand, her eyebrows softening with sympathy as she understood how her wife felt - acutely. She just couldn't - wouldn't - simply throw themselves at the problem.
"We will get him. Trust me on that. I'm here for you Isa, just like you were there for me. We'll handle this together, okay...?"
Aurora turned to Jaiden as she held onto Isa's hand firmly, gently rubbing her thumb along the back of her wife's hand in a slow rhythm.
"Jaiden, please - please make sure that these security protocols are drilled into everyone. We can't have a repeat of the Azure Star. And keep me updated on anything you find about Tyrese or the people he's working with. Isabella and I are going to step away from this for now. The squadron needs to help with the Thargoid war and... we need to just... be far out of reach until Tyrese gets desperate and... makes a mistake or something. He'd be an idiot to go directly after the Solaris... and as long as the protocols are followed, we shouldn't have repeats on the other carriers."
"You got it, Commander."
"Thanks..."
Turning to face Isabella, Aurora began to walk away from the holo-table as she tugged at her hand a bit and looked up into her hazel eyes while they traced their steps back out of the ops center. With a soft, cute smile, she spoke to Isa as they approached the door to the briefing room.
"Honey... I know this is all... becoming a lot. But you and me... we're in this together, okay? How about we just... head back to... our ship, hun~...? Head home and check up on Violet again?"
Isabella sighed once more, taking a moment to respond before her eyes moved to Aurora.
"Violet was right. If I'd stopped him three years ago by shooting him then and there then this wouldn't have... happened. We'd be... happy right now or... sorta, besides the Thargoids."
Aurora continued to walk with Isabella as she spoke, listening to her while they made their way back to the hangar. It wasn't a far walk to the lifts, with the duo reaching one just as Isabella finished speaking. Aurora sighed a bit and she tapped the console for the lift, stepping inside and entering in her hangar code before turning to her wife as the doors closed.
"I... I know... honey. But we... can't turn back time. I mean, there's so much shit I wish I could go back and change or... do differently. You... thought at the time that it'd be better to... not stoop to his level, to let him face justice and rot in prison. But... it didn't work that way. That doesn't make it your fault. The Federation fucked up, as per usual. They made this asshole and you just tried to clean it up."
Holding Isa's one hand, Aurora brought her free hand up as she gently cupped Isabella's face in her gloved palm, holding her lovingly as she gazed into her eyes.
"It'll be okay, Isa. Look at me... I'm happy. I'm happy to be with you... to be yours. Happy that I have a shining light even when things are looking a little bleak. But I'll be here with you every step of the way, okay?"
With hazel eyes gazing back into her own, Isabella started to smile softly as they held each other in the lift.
"I know you will love... I know. Let's just... go back to our ship. Need to just... unwind and forget this."
"Okay~..."
Aurora returned the soft smile as the lift slowed to a stop, the doors opening with a ding. She didn't let that distract her though, as Aurora leant in and gently kissed Isa on her soft, full lips. She let that soft, loving smooch linger for a moment before she slowly broke away, taking Isa's hand.
"Come... let's head home."
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DATE: 17th of December, 3310 [09:22 UGT]
LOCATION: The Lakehouse, Undisclosed LocationIsabella Adair-Levine
Sprawled out beneath the sheets as she was lost in sleep, Isabella's mind wandered in a dream state... some random dream about... vampires? It was indistinct, just enjoying blissful rest as she was out cold for the most part. Her chestnut red hair flowed over her pillow, soft light seeping through their dimmed windows and gently caressing her freckled face along with the cool air of their room. The heavy yet cushioned weight of the comforter wrapped her in a cozy warmth, one not too dissimilar to the embrace of her lover.
While her mind explored her silly dream, she subconsciously noted a weight slowly settling on her lowers atop the sheets, noticeable yet not overbearing. She stirred slightly and hummed, feeling a soft poke on her button nose. Groggy eyes opened slightly to see a blurry, frizzled mass above her. Even half-asleep, there was no mistaking that fluffball of dense curls.
"... honeyyyyyy~...?"
Another boop on her soft nose came as Isabella slid a hand up from beneath the comforter, scrunching up her nose and swiping slightly as if to get rid of the disturbance, her eyes slowly opening fully as she gave a lazy smile, focusing on her partner above. As much as she'd like to go back to her weird dream about vampires or something, her focus shifted to those deep blue eyes gazing back at her as Aurora lit up with a smile too.
"Hmm... babe... what... time is it...?"
"It isss... about half 9 in the morning, beautiful. And it's your birthdayyy~... so... time to get up, missy. Come~..."
Isabella felt Aurora's hand move to cup her freckled cheek, a thumb slowly brushing along her cheekbone as she sunk back into the bed, letting out a soft groan.
"Birthday? Oh no. Well... the birthday girl needs her sleep."
"Mm... not if I have anything to say about it~..."
Aurora smiled warmly as she leant in closer, bracing her arms above Isabella. The two exchanged a long gaze for a moment, hazels gazing into blues before Aurora leant in the rest of the way, placing a gentle kiss on Isabella's lips before backing off after a second.
"Did I tire you out last night? Still need extra sleepies~...?"
Coupled with the kiss and mention of last night, Isa felt a burst of euphoria as she felt her cheeks starting to warm, her smile uncontrollable as she shifted beneath the comforter beneath her wife.
"Maaaybe~...."
Aurora giggled again as she played with Isa's flowing hair, before she slid back onto her haunches and began to peel the bedsheets back, taking ahold of her wife's upper arms as she pulled her up to sit.
"Come... I wanna give you your gifts. I already gave you an extra two hours of sleep, hun~..."
Isabella playfully sighed with additional exaggeration as she allowed herself to be pulled up right in bed, a hand coming up to prevent the comforter from falling down and keeping her covered. Momentary chills hit her as the warm seal of the comforter was now broken, letting in the cool air as she gazed at Aurora.
"Gifts you say, huh? What kind of gifts, hmmm?"
"Special gifts for the most special person in my whole life~..."
Sneaking in a quick, gentle peck, Aurora climbed off of her wife and hopped off the bed. Isa took note of her black hoodie, only now getting to see the grey socks and blue camo pants she wore as she skipped around to the end of the bed, squatting down to pick up the gifts she'd hidden out of sight. Lifting them up and beginning to place them on top of the bed, Isa watched as her wife placed down two wrapped rectangular boxes of similar sizes, following with another two gifts of less defined shape... probably clothes or something.
Next, she picked up three much smaller gifts, boxes no bigger than the size of her hand, stacking them on top of the rest of the gifts. She watched all this, seeing how excited Aurora looked and the way she spoke. It made her heart warm as she felt so loved by the woman in front of her. Skipping over to their wardrobe quickly once she was done stacking the seven wrapped gifts, Aurora opened the door to their clothes and picked out a purple t-shirt with a white and orange Cobra Mk3 on the front.
Making her way back to the bed, Aurora began to speak as she handed her wife the shirt, before gesturing to the nightstand next to her bed which had a full cup of orange peachy goodness stood atop a coaster.
"I believe you'll want some clothes before you get into the gifts... aaand... if you're thirsty, I did bring you some juicies~..."
Isa was still pleasanty surprised at all the gifts, admiring the purple wrapping paper that had all sorts of patterns and flower shapes adorning them. She smiled with joy and looked over at Aurora, taking the shirt as she slid it over to cover her torso, letting the comforter rest over her legs.
"Oh my, love. That's... a lot of gifts. Ha. Can... you grab me my pajamas or... anything really~...?"
With an innocent smile, Isabella reached over and grabbed the cup on her nightstand as she took a sip, refreshment hitting her instantly.
"Goshhh... so tired she couldn't even get dressed properly~..."
Aurora gave Isa a wink, before she got up and moved over to the wardrobe again, opening it up and grabbing one of Isa's pajama bottoms. Walking back over, she passed it to her lover and sat down on the bed again, near the gifts.
"I hope you'll like the gifts. I... I know there's... a lot going on lately. And I was planning a bigger get together for your birthday with my mum but... obviously with Sol and... everything..."
She exhaled slowly while Isa placed her cup aside, took the pajama bottoms and slid her bare legs out from under the comforter over the edge of the bed. While Aurora spoke, Isabella took a moment to slide her pajama bottoms on while she listened. Aurora continued while she gazed at her wife, brushing a hand back through her frizzled raven curls.
"... I didn't want any shit to disturb your birthday today. We've... had enough of that in the past and... so I'm not having that today. Even if it's just me and Violet... we're going to throw you a lovely party. I have movies lined up. I'm going to cook an awesome dinner for you. And I'm going to spend this whole day with my beautiful soulmate~..."
Isabella eventually settled and sat down where she was once she'd put on her clothes, picking up her cup again for another sip before she returned it to the nightstand.
"Yeah, I understand, hun. Be nice to just... relax and have fun with family. Sounds like you have the whole day planned, huh? Oh... and... the missing clothes were definitely your fault~..."
Aurora's cheeks began to redden as she just smiled at Isabella with an adorable, playful look. She stifled a giggle as she pushed the gifts a little closer to her wife, before returning to gazing into her eyes.
"They are... but I didn't hear any complaints last night. Only lots of moaning~..."
That comment prompted a laugh from Isa as she felt a simultaneous rush inside of her, before her attention fell onto the gifts that were moved closer to her.
"Come! Your gifts await you, missy."
"Hmm... you hid these well."
Aurora shrugged innocently.
"I am stealthy~..."
Looking over at the pile of gifts, Aurora smiled and reached over for the gifts, grabbing one of the larger rectangular gifts at the bottom and sliding it out from under the pile.
"Okay, let's start with this one."
Isabella took the gift as it was passed to her, feeling that the box wasn't all that heavy... and it sounded like there was a lot of loose pieces inside. Rather than guess what the contents were, she decided to begin peeling off the wrapping and find out instead. The wrapping, while thin and with not many layers, was rather well done, which still surprised Isa. Aurora had a little knack for that, like the gifts she'd wrapped last time.
"You're like... super duper good at wrapping stuff."
Aurora giggled as Isabella began to expose the dark box underneath the purple wrapping, only having to tear through a layer or two before she could expose the gift inside. Pulling the paper aside as she exposed the box, Isa immediately recognized the brand and what it was - Caeli Luxury Assorted Chocolates. This box was a lot bigger and seemed to have a larger selection than the one Aurora previously bought her.
"I decided to get you an even bigger box this time to try... y'know. Slow down you devouring the entire thing like last time~..."
"Definitely going to have to devour it even faster then."
Isa smiled as she placed the box aside, before looking over at her wife.
"Thanks, babe. We can enjoy those together~..."
"Well... you know what they say. Sharing is caring~..."
Aurora smirked as she looked over at the gifts, humming as she seemed to think for a moment before she gestured to the remaining pile.
"Hmm... which one would you like next, hun?"
Isa took in the pile, eyes moving between her options before she settled on the second large box, reaching over for it.
"That one. Wonder what it is, hmmmm..."
"Oooo..."
Aurora grabbed the second large box, taking it out of the pile and passing it to her wife as she smiled warmly. Isa raised a brow, her wonder and excitement rising a little as she saw Aurora start fidgeting with her hands in her lap. Tearing at the wrapping paper and trying to open it as neatly as she could, Isabella unveiled lots of text and details as she began to skim what was printed on the box. Console... touch screen...
"I... passed it to you the wrong way... ha..."
She was interrupted by Aurora reaching over to gently flip the box around the other way, and then it made all sorts of sense. It was a handheld gaming console, one with tactile buttons, ergonomic grip and a touch screen, surprisingly. A device like this wasn't uncommon nowadays, but still an interesting choice given the technology on the market today. Aurora scratched her neck, looking down at the box in Isa's hands as she shrugged slightly.
"After we've been... y'know... playing on our PCs, I figured you'd... prefer something that had actual buttons to press and wasn't all holographic or AR. Uhm. It... it should link to your account on your PC so the whole library of your games should be there. And you can install them locally so you can take it wherever... like if we go exploring. Then you can play games and stuff as well while we're out there..."
With wide eyes, Isabella took in the details of the box, all the advertised features and just the style before she looked up at Aurora.
"Oh wow, hun. That's awesome! Like a mobile PC or something, ha. That's great, babe. Thank you so much."
Placing the box aside, Isa bounded up as she moved in to hug her wife, which Aurora met with equal joy as she rolled forward ont her knees, leaning in to hug her. Eventually, the two parted and sat down close to each other as Aurora continued talking away.
"You... can, yeah. You can customize all the apps... it's like a PDA, just... powerful enough to run games and stuff. And not really designed for a vacuum, like our PDAs, ha... so... don't take this out into space."
"I mean... who knows. It might be able to for a bit before radiation fries it~..."
The two of them laughed as Aurora brushed a hand back through her curly hair, looking at the box. Isabella, on the other hand, gazed at her partner, reflecting on her beauty. She took in those frizzled raven curls, before meeting blue eyes that gazed back at her. The two sat in somewhat awkward silence as they just gazed at each other, before Aurora's cheeks started to redden and she suddenly looked away. Isa could tell she was anxious about the gifts just off her tone and skittish movements as Aurora reached to grab another gift.
"Uh... ha. Okay, uh... let's get another gift for you. There's this one... if I remember right. Or actually... let's do these ones..."
Initially moving to grab a small cube gift, Aurora decided to change to picking up one of the fairly sized, soft looking gifts, passing it over to her wife. Isabella took a moment to calm her racing heart from that intimate gaze they exchanged as she smiled, then giggled before Aurora grabbed another gift.
"You seem a bit anxious, love. It's okay. Any gift from you is appreciated. It's the thought love~..."
"Haa... yeah. I know... I guess I just... want it to be special, y'know? I don't wanna get you the same gifts all the time like... clothes and... chocolates."
Gently placing the gift down in front of Isa, Aurora shrugged as she retracted her hands into her lap, fidgeting a little bit again as she met her wife's eyes.
"It's okay, babe. Clothes I can wear if the others get... dirty. Chocolates, I'll always eat and want more of. You can't go wrong, hun."
Part of Isa's comment got a brow raise and a stifled giggle from Aurora, but no further comment came as Isabella turned and began to unwrap the oddly shapen gift, which she soon revealed to contain multiple articles of clothing. Discarding the wrapper aside, Isa brought out the neatly folded pile of clothing and began to carefully go through them, opening up the shirts and inspecting the gifts. The first one was a cute, fuzzy purple sweater with a lighter purple and orange flower woven in on its front, along with a pair of insulated half-half black and purple winter pants to match.
The third item was a cute purple beanie, while the fourth seemed to just be some purple workout pants. What was most interesting was the final piece of clothing - a long-sleeve purple t-shirt with black sleeves starting from the upper arm, along with a picture of a Cobra along the front. Though... it wasn't a Mk3 like Isa's. It looked a lot more modern and sleek, yet still with that Cobra design language. Actually, it looked exactly like the new design that came out last week.
"I figured since it gets a bit chilly here... you could use some warmer clothes. And while I will always happily wrap you in my arms and warm you up~... I thought these would look super cute on you. And I got you another pair of workout pants so you have options and no longer have to keep steaaaling mineee. Everything is purple too, of course, haha~..."
Isabella laughed softly as she focused on the Cobra shirt, holding it up and taking a good long look at it.
"Oh my god, I love these. Honey... wow... ha... oh my god. And the winter pants. Wow."
Remembering the winter clothing, she placed her new Cobra shirt aside for a moment before reaching over and grabbing the purple beanie. Placing it on her head, she gently fit it on as her red hair flowed down the sides of her head. She looked at Aurora and laughed again.
"I'll have to try on the rest and you can tell me how they look~..."
Aurora giggled with joy as her own excitement bled through.
"Mmmmmm! I knew you'd look super cute in that beanie... oh my gosh. But..."
Gently taking the Cobra shirt from her wife, she looked down at it and frowned.
"Awww man... this isn't a Cobra they printed on this. Maaannnn... orrr... well~..."
Isabella was confused, tilting her head a bit as Aurora handed the shirt back to her. She watched her wife smirk before reaching back to grab a different gift - picking up one of the small cubes.
"Huh? It's... the new one I thought?"
"Yeah... but you don't have one. Or..."
"Oooorrrr~....?"
Handing Isabella the cube, Aurora said nothing more as she reached into her hoodie, grabbing her PDA and tapping away on the screen a bit. Thoroughly intrigued, Isabella began to gently tear the wrapping, exposing the small box inside that she recognized just based off the beautiful pattern etched into the top of the box. It was the same ring box that held their wedding rings, and for a moment it made her mind run wild as to what was inside. But... the only way to find out was to open it as Isa slowly popped the lid.
Exposing the inner padding of the box, Isa's eyes settled on a small digital chip... which took a moment to make sense until Aurora slowly turned her PDA around, showing a picture on it. She looked to see a picture of a Cobra Mk5 taken from a landing pad, hangar lights catching its sleek, brand new hull. Isabella felt a moment of shock as she looked at the picture, and then back at the chip inside the box before it all made sense.
"Holy shit... you... you bought me an entire ship? Oh my god, babe. You... wha... wow, you didn't have to do that, love. Oh my god, haha. The Mk5? Holy shit. That's... unbelievable."
Feeling a rush, she quickly closed the box and suddenly launched forward, wrapping her arms around Aurora before kissing her on her lips. Only a muffled, surprised yelp came as the two suddenly embraced each other, savoring a gentle loving kiss in the quiet of their room as Isabella hugged her wife tightly. Eventually, the two parted and took in deep breaths, with Isa first to apologize as she beamed uncontrollably.
"Ha... sorry. Wow... that's. This is.... oh my, hun. A new ship? I mean... you know my Cobra and how it's my everything ship. I love it but... I mean. This is the upgrade."
Aurora gently took Isa's hands as she nodded, her cheeks rosy from the kiss as she chuckled.
"Yeahhh, haha. I know that Cobra Mk3 of yours means... a l-lot to you... and that you were really interested in the launch of the Mk5... so I set up buying one and the squadron helped me outfit it into a proper explorer. You can still... name it and have it painted and all that... however you like. I just know with... everything going on you haven't really had a chance to do it yourself and so I... I thought you deserved it... that you shouldn't miss out on this because of the mess with the Thargoids and... yeah."
Aurora took in a breath, her emotions evidently getting to her a little as the shimmer in her eyes began to show ever so slightly.
"You know the deal. This is just a... really special gift to the love of my whole universe. I was planning a whole little speech after the gifts but... I... I'm still falling in love with you, Isa. I still get butterflies just looking at you. This gift is for so much... for all the ways you make me feel and... all the other cliché lines but... it's true. Every word. You're an amazing wife and... I'm just so happy to be here to... share today with you again. To have that privilege..."
"Awe, hun. I..."
Isa didn't know what to say to those sweet words, feeling her heart warm. Her love for Aurora reached levels she never knew possible as she gazed at her, admiring her. All that felt right in this moment was to kiss her again - to show her love in the best way she could. They exchanged another gentle peck before Aurora broke away, her eyes starting to water as she cried quietly, sniffling and wiping her face with a choked laugh.
"T-the emotions were... supposed to come... after all the g-gifts... haha~..."
Avoiding eye contact a little as she got really emotional, Aurora sat there with her head down as she sniffled profusely, wiping her eyes.
"I lo... love y-you so m... much~..."
Removing the purple beanie she wore, Isa extended a gentle hand and placed it on Aurora's leg, speaking playfully as she just smiled.
"I love you so much. My kisses make my wife cry~..."
"N-nooo... haha. Just... ugh... you mean s-so much to me~..."
Aurora sniffled and took in a few breaths as she calmed down, letting out a soft, stuffy sigh as she looked over at the gifts, before facing her partner again.
"You mean just as much too, love. It's cute... seeing you happy. Happy tears!"
"Very... very happy tears... haha. Okay... I'm okay now. W-which gift would you like next, hun?"
"Mmm... let's try this one."
Isa grabbed the second soft-looking gift, bringing it over while Aurora watched her open this one up. Pulling paper aside, she exposed the item inside and it soon became clear what the item was. It was a backpack with nice, sleek straps and neat mesh pouches on the side, pretty simple and neat until Isabella turned it around. The full nature of the cute hiking pack became clear as a little feline face was printed onto the back, along with little ears on the top near the main zipper. Aurora giggled as she bit her bottom lip, watching Isa hold up the backpack, flipping it around in her hands slowly to take it all in. Satisfied with taking in all the little details, she giggled and shook her head.
"This is so cute. Oh my god, haha. Bag is always useful. Handy and cute looking~..."
"Yeah! I figured if we go hiking or if we just go out somewhere, like that resort or the nature reserve or wherever... having a nice little backpack for yourself could be useful to carry some stuff or whatever. Plus it makes you even more adorable~..."
"I love it. Honestly. It's cute and, like all my other clothes, it's purple and I love it."
"At this rate, we might be painting the whole house purple, haha~..."
Giggling at the backpack in her hands, Isa eventually placed it aside as she looked at Aurora, and then the last two gifts that sat by her side.
"Hmm... okie dokie. Guess these are the last but not least gifts, hmm?"
Aurora hummed in response as she reached over to grab the second last box-like gifts before she moved to pass it over to her wife. Just as it touched Isabella's hand however, Aurora suddenly gasped quietly and retracted it.
"Oh shit! A-... actually, this one should wait, haha. Uh... I... I think we should open it... later..."
With an innocent smile, Aurora quickly swapped it out for the other remaining gift, before handing her wife the other, smaller box that just fit over her palm.
"Here... open this one instead."
"Why wait? Hmm? What is it? Now you got me all curious~..."
"It's... spicy... haha."
Aurora bit her bottom lip and grinned shamelessly as she watched her wife unwrap the gift she swapped out. Tearing away at the paper, Isa exposed an obvious jewelry box that had a fuzzy yet velvety texture to the outside of the box. Isabella popped the lid open, revealing a shiny purple necklace with a closed, heart-shaped pendant on the end. It was just like the one she got Aurora for her birthday, only with that same purple metallic gradient, like the necklace Aurora got for her ages ago.
"I'm a shameless copycat, I know. But I love the necklace with the heart pendant and the picture that you got for me... and I wanted you to have one too... because I love you, of course..."
"Oh wow. Hun. This is nice."
Trying to open the pendant as it was similar to the one Aurora had, Isa successfully unclipped the two halves and gently opened it to reveal two pictures inside. On one half, a picture of Aurora, Isabella and Violet was present, taken at that time they went to a massive nature reserve. On the other, it was a picture of just Aurora and Isabella, hugging and smiling at the camera. That seemed to have been taken on their wedding day, judging by the endless ocean sprawling across the horizon behind them.
"I figured you might like two pictures in there~..."
Isabella smiled with pure happiness as she observed the pictures, before looking up at Aurora lovingly.
"Awe, babe. That's... amazing. I... I don't even know what else to say, to be honest. Everything you've given has been top notch. This... I love this."
Isabella looked down at it again, remembering their time at the zoo. Seeing all the animals native - and foreign - to the planet they were on. Spending time with Violet and her wife. She couldn't help but keep smiling at the happy memories she had from that trip of theirs, until a reminder popped into her head.
"Oh... where is Violet by the way? She downstairs in her room, I suppose?"
"Oh, I... figured she would want to be spared the inevitable... emotions and crying from... y'know... me mostly, haha. And she's... still a little... mad at my... decision to kind of ground her... I guess. Uh..."
Aurora scratched her neck as she smiled at Isa.
"I said she could go mess around in the Borealis... have a look at the mechanics and stuff. And before you worry, I did make sure the ship wasn't flight capable. Just to... spare us any trouble today. If she got bored though, she probably went back to her room.
Isabella sighed softly as her bright smile faded a bit at the realization of all that was happening around them.
"Yeah. I'm sorry about her. You know she's just... well... upset and everything. It's not personal to you. She loves you."
"I know, yeah. It's okay. She does have every right to be upset with all that's going on but... keeping her safe here is what matters first and foremost. I can handle the little bit of fallout."
Aurora smiled softly as she reached over to cup Isabella's cheek, leaning in to give her a gentle kiss in hopes of restoring her mood. She leant back after a moment, still cupping Isa's cheek as she gazed deeply into her soft hazels.
"I love youuuu~... and I'm glad you enjoyed all your gifts. All for my beautiful, loving wife~..."
Isabella smiled right after the kiss and gazed at Aurora.
"Thank you for the gifts my loving and also beautiful wife. I'm definitely a lucky woman to have you."
Holding each other's hands, Aurora seemed to dare to take this moment a little further as she bit her bottom lip, gazing into Isa's eyes. Without another word, Aurora slowly leant in and mounted her wife as she pushed her down onto the bed, their lips gently contesting and their fingers interlacing firmly. Isa hummed, the move admittedly turning her on as she shifted beneath her partner, letting out a soft moan after a moment as they broke away.
"Hmm... so... what was that last gift? A box full of sexy kisses and love?"
Aurora let out a burst of laughter as she leant above her wife, gazing down at her as her curly hair dangled and she retreated into hummed giggles.
"Hmm... it's... we'll open it later. So... if we wanna stick to the plan for today... we can go get some drinks, see where Violet's at and then watch some movies? Play some games? Unless you want to... deviate a little... right now~..."
Isabella felt a little rush as she watched her wife shoot a wink at her, before promptly climbing off and hopping off the bed. Sitting up, she watched Aurora pick up the final gift and move over to stash it in her own nightstand on the other side of the bed.
"Hmmm... we can stick to the normal schedule, love. Watch a movie. All of us, I guess. If Violet wants to."
"Yeah... I'll go talk to her. How about you go brush your teefies and get all freshened up, hmmm~...?"
Aurora walked back over as she smiled at her wife, reaching over to grab all the discarded wrapping as she began to scrunch it up into one big crumpled ball, leaving Isa's gifts spread out over the bed for now. Compressing the ball together, she stood by the side of the bed and gazed at her partner.
"I can... pack the rest of your gifts away too, unless you wanna... wear anything or whatnot."
"Oh! Yes. I wanna wear these~..."
"Well... you go do that, love. I'll pack the rest of your stuff away."
Taking the pair of workout pants, the long-sleeved shirt and the pendant, Isa removed those from the rest of the pile and allowed Aurora to take the rest of the gifts. She watched her partner begin to gather everything into a neat pile, taking her clothing, backpack and chocolate box over to the wardrobe, leaving it in an open space before she returned and took the authorization chip and handheld console boxes over to the desk with Isabella's PC. Leaving her clothes be for now, Isa rose to her feet and began to head for the exit of the room.
"First, I actually have to go pee and freshen up. I'll be back."
"Oki doki, hun."
Brushing her hair back, Isa quickly skipped out into the hallway of the second floor, passing pictures on the wall - from images of Aurora's old Krait, to an artistic drawing of her own Cobra Mk3 in flight, and even a picture of them having the time of their life on the beach they got married. Isabella smiled to herself as she entered the bathroom, feeling the cold, clean tiles beneath her bare feet as she approached the toilet. Flipping the lid up and having a seat while she quickly did her business, Isa eventually resumed freshening up as she brushed her teeth and fiddled with her flowing hair a bit.
Departing the bathroom, she returned to the bedroom after a few minutes and entered to grab her new clothes. Aurora had presumably gone to find Violet now, leaving Isa to strip and swap her clothes for the new, fitting workout pants and the nice long-sleeve shirt that snugly fit her arms. She hummed to the feel and smell of the new fabric, just happy for the gifts as she thought about Aurora... who didn't take long to enter again as she heard footsteps behind her.
"Oki doki, Violet's coming back from the ship. Clothes fit okay?"
Isa turned to look at Aurora, seeing her lover leaning against the doorframe in that cute black hoodie and blue camo pants of hers. She nodded to her question, fixing her shirt straight and slowly turning on the spot as she showed off the front, before turning her back to Aurora and glancing over her shoulder.
"Yeah, they fit great. How's it look? Hmm? Sooooo~...?"
Aurora took a moment to respond as her eyes went from head to toe, admiring Isabella before she giggled and began to approach her, extending a gentle hand.
"Mmm... makes your butt look super cute, as expected. But when does it not~...?"
Isa just smiled innocently as she turned and took Aurora's hand, the two exchanging a look before she was led out of the bedroom, heading back towards the hallway.
"Let's go watch a nice movie, love. What movie are we watching actually?"
"Some... animated action thing. It's actually apparently a series with a really good story... Violet actually picked it. It doesn't look bad but... eh. We'll see~..."
Isabella felt her fingers interlace with Aurora's, before a gentle peck was placed on her cheek to which she grinned. The two descended the stairs down to the open living room, spotting Violet coming back inside from the sliding door that overlooked the lake. With her hair tied back into a ponytail, she wore normal clothing for once which was a nice change. Isabella almost always saw her wearing a flight suit, which made sense in this day and age. For her personally, after being with Aurora, normal clothing was just so much more preferable to suits.
Violet wore a plain white shirt underneath dark blue denim coveralls tucked into black boots, looking over at Aurora and Isabella as they descended the stairs.
"Violet! There you are."
"Hey. Happy birthday, Isa. Heard you got a bunch of gifts?"
"Yeah. I'm wearing some right now~..."
Isabella, now at the bottom of the stairs, did a twirl as she faced Violet again and giggled.
"Oh! Look."
Approaching Violet, Isa pulled the new necklace she wore out from under her shirt, and opened the heart-shaped pendant to show the pictures within.
"Oh. That's really nice looking. You have all three of us from that trip. That was a lot of fun."
"It was. You were quite the consumer of knowledge, there."
While Isabella showed Violet, Aurora began to walk over to the couch. She grabbed the remote and turned the TV on, watching it slide up and rise out of the floor close to the large window that spanned the one corner of the house, before the screen powered on. Aurora placed the remote down and began to walk over to the kitchen.
"Okay, let's get some drinks and popcorn and then we can watch this show. Want a drink, Violet?"
"Uhhh... sure. Yes please. What is there? Is there pop?"
Isa watched as Aurora gasped, turning to look at her as she pointed an accusing - but obviously playful - finger as she smiled.
"Ohh no, this is your doing! It's sodaaa, not pop! Ugh."
Sighing, Aurora approached the fridge and opened it, perusing the contents as she gestured loosely to the shelves.
"Yes... there is soda. Which one do you want? There's Suvo Orange, Emerald..."
Violet looked at Isabella, confused.
"Isa says pop. I... well then. Isaaa, really?"
"Whaaaat? It's pop. You'd like a Orange pop."
Aurora shook her head.
"No, it's soda. Orange 'pop' sounds... so weird. Orange soda sounds so much better."
Isa laughed as she watched Aurora pick two orange cans out of the fridge and grabbing one of Isa's peach drinks, closing the fridge and moving to grab three glasses from one of their cupboards. She unsealed the cans with a satisfying fizzy 'pop' before pouring them into the glass. When done with that, she grabbed a big bowl from a cupboard and then went to dig in one of their grocery cupboards elsewhere, pulling out a bag of popcorn. Unfolding it and chucking it into the microwave, she put in the time and started it while she turned and put her back against the counter, folding her arms as she looked over at Isa.
She faked a serious look, but Isabella knew she was only playing. Violet observed this showdown as they approached to pick up their drinks.
"Uhhh... I have to agree with Aurora. I... don't think pop sounds right... and now I feel dumb for ever saying it in public."
Isabella began to giggle as she picked up her drink, shrugging.
"It's not dumb. It's normal."
Aurora gazed at her with a look as she glanced at the microwave, before turning back to face Isa.
"My little weirdo~..."
Grabbing her drink, Violet just rolled her eyes and began to walk over to the couch.
"You two are ridiculous."
Isabella shrugged again as she looked over at Aurora, taking a sip of her drink as the two idled in the kitchen for now, waiting for the microwave to finish. Isa just smiled and took another sip before speaking.
"Hmmm... popcorn and movie. Can't go wrong with that kind of date night."
"Uhuh. Not at all..."
Aurora just smiled innocently, but her eyes told another story as they checked her out from head to toe. Special days to celebrate together always carried a certain mood... and Isa didn't mind the attention with the new clothes she wore. She just smiled and continued to sip that sweet peach juice as she watched Aurora turn her attention to the beeping microwave, popping open the door and carefully pulling out the bag by a corner as the popping slowed down. She waited for it to cool off slowly before tugging at the opposite corners, tearing the packet open and lifting it up by the bottom, dumping all the fresh popcorn into the bowl. Once she was done, she pulled out the bin hidden under one of the counters and chucked the bag away, before sliding the bin back into its hidden place and grabbing her bowl and drink. Turning to Isa, she smiled and began to walk over to the couch.
"Right... let's go cuddle and watch this thing."
"Okie dokie. Let's go. Is the movie any good, Violet?"
Approaching the couch, Isabella moved over to sit down in her favorite spot on the L-shaped couch - right in the corner. Violet looked over, sat on the other end of the couch.
"Yeah, it's good. I liked it."
Aurora walked over and placed the popcorn bowl down between the two of them, before putting her drink down on the coffee table near the couch and excitedly making her way over to Isabella. She sat down between her wife's legs and quickly snuggled up as she leant back against her chest, getting comfortable as Isa wrapped her arms around her front. Grabbing the remote, Aurora began to navigate the screen before pressing the play button, putting the remote aside out of the way.
"Okay... well. Let's find out how good it is, hmm?"
With a smile, Isabella let out a soft exhale and sat back as she began to watch the intro roll...
《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《 SIX HOURS LATER 》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》
As the windows began to dim to simulate nightfall and the action on screen continued, the trio had sat there absolutely riveted for a whole six hours, episode after episode. The popcorn bowl was long since empty, though they did stop for a few breaks to get drinks and head to the bathroom if needed. Six hours of story stuff was a lot to take in, the trio seeming rather stunned as the credits finally rolled for the end of the season.
It took a moment, but eventually Aurora hummed and sat up, turning a bit to the side as she looked over at Violet and Isabella.
"... well, I guess that's one way to... end off a season. Can't believe these series and their cliffhangers..."
Isa took a moment to process all they had just watched, having thoroughly enjoyed the deep story and characters of the series. Deciding on a response, she nodded at her wife and looked over at Violet.
"Wow. That was... quite the ride. Honestly. That was a very good pick, Violet."
"Told you it was good. Didn't believe me. Can't judge it by its looks..."
"Think it's, "don't judge a book by its cover," but I understand."
Aurora chuckled a bit.
"Is thereee... a second season?"
Violet nodded.
"Yeah actually. There is, but I haven't seen it yet. Just the first. Been a bit occupied..."
Isabella picked up on a bit of a tone shift... she figured it was everything. Being stuck at home for her own safety wasn't the greatest thing for a rebellious teenager. She frowned, but continued the conversation regardless.
"Well... we can watch that if anyone likes."
Aurora rose up from the couch with a quiet groan as she picked up the popcorn bowl and her empty glass.
"Mm... maybe tomorrow or sometime, hun. I need to give my brain a break. That story was a lot..."
"Good idea. Was a great watch though, Violet. Thanks."
Picking up her glass and Violet's, Isabella followed Aurora to the kitchen. Following a short stretch and a soft moan, Aurora pulled their dishwasher out from under the counter and began to pack the dishes away. Isa passed over the glasses she held and moved over to the kitchen island, leaning back against it. When Aurora was done, she closed the dishwasher and looked over at the teenager, smiling.
"Well... thanks for showing us, Violet. Looking forward to seeing what Season 2 is about, sometime."
Yeah. No problem. Was actually pretty cool to show you guys. Hey, I'll... I'll just be in my room. If you need anything, just call me."
Isa watched Aurora frown a bit, the two observing Violet suddenly depart, heading into the hallway past the stairs as she went towards the guest bedroom of the house.
"Oh. Okay. Uh, if you do wanna mess around with the ship more... feel free. Thanks for... spending time, Violet..."
Aurora was barely able to finish her sentence before the teen had disappeared out of sight, prompting a sigh as she looked over at Isabella. She leant back against the kitchen counter, quiet for a bit before she eventually spoke again.
"... well, that was sudden."
Isa didn't really know what to say, shrugging a bit as she looked over at the hallway.
"I... think she's trying, but... she's a bit overwhelmed."
"Yeah... I know. At least we got to spend some time together as family. Even if it's hard to forget everything happening in the galaxy and... yeah."
Isa looked over to watch Aurora brush a hand back through her frizzled curls, the two gazing at each other.
"How'd you like it? The show. I enjoyed it."
"It was pretty good. I liked the characters, story was really good. Can't believe we binged the whole six hour-long season, haha."
Aurora smiled as she closed the dishwasher, approaching Isabella and standing by her side as she leant against the edge of the kitchen island. Gazing at her, Isabella just smirked playfully.
"Yeah. Imagine all the things we'd have been up to in 6 hours."
Aurora giggled a bit, starting to blush slightly as she raised a hand and brushed back her stray curls, only for them to fall back in place just like they were. Isabella admired her cute partner as Aurora seemed to take a moment to gather up a response.
"... Yeah? Like what?"
"Like... playing a game. Going for a swim. Walking. Chatting maybe... yeah. Stuffs~..."
Her wife laughed again as Isa watched her deep blue eyes avert for a moment, before they established eye contact again. Aurora seemed quite enthusiastic, lit up with a joyful smile and rosy cheeks as she just shrugged, her right hand tapping her leg slightly.
"I mean... there's still hours left in the day... if you want to. I feel like we're playing a game already~..."
"We are~..."
Isabella decided to make her move now as she pushed off the counter, stepping in front of Aurora. Her hands grasped her waist and gently pushed her back into the counter as they met for a passionate kiss. A muffled hum came from Aurora as Isa felt a hand cup the back of her neck, another resting on her shoulder as they held each other close. Their lips slowly contested, bodies pushing together, letting time tick by before Isabella was the first to break away.
She ran her hands down Aurora's sides, squeezing her rear through her camo pants and using that leverage to pull her as close as could be as she gazed into her blue eyes. Isabella was completely in love with everything about her... the gifts, her voice... those beautiful eyes that just gazed back at her all the time. She smiled.
"I love you, Aurora. This birthday has been... perfect. Relaxing and spending time with family. We got to watch something together - all of us."
Aurora's breathing had picked up a bit as she just smiled with joy, still lit up with that innocent blush of hers.
"Mmm... I love you so much too, Isa. Just... so happy I could make today special for you. That... means the universe to me. You mean the universe to me. You're the love of my life and if you found today perfect then... I guess I did my job right, haha. It did kind of suck at first that we couldn't go out like planned but... in hindsight, maybe just having a simple day was better. No flashy places... no crowds of people and no excessive socializing. Just staying and having a good time in our beautiful home~..."
Aurora's hand on the back of Isabella's neck shifted to cup her freckled cheek, the two just lost in each other's eyes. Isa just couldn't find any more words to describe just how much she loved Aurora, and how beautiful she was. One hand on her rear came all the way up to gently play with her fluffy, frizzled curls, letting out a sudden giggle as she just gazed at her.
"Gosh... I'm so lucky~..."
"... heh~..."
She saw her wife bite her bottom lip and blue eyes close slightly as Isa continued to play with her hair for a moment. It only took a few more seconds for it all to escalate as Isabella felt a hand grab at her rear, squeezing and pulling her closer. A playful squeal came from her as she just giggled again and leant in, kissing her wife passionately. Arms wrapped around the other as they enveloped each other in an intimate embrace, kissing away before Isa once again parted.
"Hmmm... so... what was that last gift, love? Hmm?"
"Y-you'll just have to find out. Now... stop talking and just kiss me~..."
Pulling her back into the kiss, Aurora suddenly launched onto Isa as the two stumbled against the kitchen counter. Humming as she shut her eyes, she felt exploring hands slip beneath her long-sleeve shirt, feeling their way up to her chest. Love met desire as the two shifted and hummed, exploring each other with gentle squeezes.
Isa's kisses shifted to Aurora's neck as she bumped her back into the kitchen counter. Her touch got more daring as it ventured lower, a squeeze eliciting a quiet whimper from her partner. The rush of hearing her wife getting excited fuelled the spontaneous moment as the two whispered to each other, kissing soft skin and pushing further.
Her hand slid up, then down once more as it slipped down the front of Aurora's pants, hearing her breathing intensify and feeling her body tremble. A stifled groan came from her wife as her fingers took the lead, slow strokes growing in intensity, her wrist starting to rock as Aurora quivered and buckled, covering her mouth.
Catching herself on the table, Aurora grabbed the edge tightly, shaking legs threatening to collapse as Isa continued. The slight noises couldn't be helped, a whimper escaping her lips which only encouraged Isabella more. She felt her wife's body tense to her touch, letting the minutes lead them to a precipice as their lips met clumsily.
Hearts drummed to a rhythm as she sped up, pulling Aurora against her as she pleasured her, lips exchanging kiss after kiss. Her quiet, now muffled moans became more drawn out as she used one hand to clutch onto Isabella. Aurora's expression said it all as she broke from the kiss, her head leaning back and her brow furrowing.
Her knees buckled completely, Isa's support and the counter behind her being the only thing supporting a quaking Aurora as the kitchen filled with a pleasured squeak, her legs shutting together. Bliss erupted, soft kisses along her neck triggering quiet moans and whimpers as her wife sunk into her a bit, curly hair dangling in her face. Isabella pulled her close, rejoicing to the feel of her and the moment in its entirety... one that was sure to continue as she scooped her lover up into her arms, the two whispering sweet nothings as they moved for the stairs...
《《《《《《《《《《《《《《《 》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》
Aurora landed on the sheets as her wife put her down and crawled atop of her, lips melding and pushing together. Hands grasped at clothes, figures shifting and squirming atop the bed as they pulled layers from each other, scattering them around the room. Soft gasps and louder moans were let free now that they were in the privacy of their own room, the two sharing passionate kisses and pushing bare skin against one another.
They wrapped their arms around each other in a firm embrace, rolling atop the bed before Aurora ended up on top, taking the reins as she cupped Isabella's face. She felt an intense rush as her wife kissed her again, the whole moment shifting as now her beautiful, curly-haired wife was in control. Slow kisses worked their way down her cheek, travelling down her neck. Isabella moaned, looking up at the ceiling as she felt Aurora's kisses walk their way down to her clavicle.
Her chest was squeezed by one of her hands, her lover's mouth moving over one of her breasts. The move made Isa fill the room with a sudden groan of pleasure, her heart pounding in her chest as her legs were pushed open. Seconds felt like minutes as those slow kisses painstakingly worked their way down her body. Isa lifted her head just in time to meet deep blue eyes gazing up from down below, before she watched Aurora move in.
She felt an explosion of ecstasy and pleasure suddenly hit her as her lover got to work, feeling an indescribable burst hit her as an aftershock. Isa cried out as she closed her eyes, squeezing at her own chest as she felt her legs lifted higher. Her breathing could hardly be controlled as she was utterly overwhelmed, daring to look down again as Aurora went down on her - a sight that made her cry out again in pure joy.
Soft hums continued below as Isa squirmed atop the sheets, flooding the room with loving calls and moans. She panted heavily, squeezing her eyes shut again as her legs squirmed and kicked slightly. Her mind fixated on her one and only, a hand coming down to grasp at frizzled raven curls as she squeezed. Every sense seemed to blank as an intense wave rushed over her, Aurora's name resounding through their room as she shifted and shook. Control of her body seemed to just simply slip away into the breeze as her back arched, her legs coming down and her hips pushing forward as she let out a loud, breathy yelp.
Collapsing back as she slowly shifted her legs and felt her head spin, Isabella breathed heavily as she felt the rush come to a blissful end. A fuzzy warmth enveloped her and the cool air of the room caressed against her skin, giving her goosebumps as she let out a satisfied groan, giving her lungs chance to take in proper breaths as she panted heavily and moaned. Soft kisses found their way around her inner thighs before Aurora finally sat up, letting out a soft sigh and wiping her mouth as she scooted up and leant over her partner, straddling her.
Aurora just seemed to admire Isa for a moment while they panted and caught their breath, the two gazing at each other before she finally giggled and spoke.
"Mmm... guess that's one extra gift today~..."
Isabella was still catching her breath for a moment, her mind spinning slowly as she gazed up at her Aurora.
"Y-yeaah... haha. A very sweet gift... but... I'm pretty sure there's still that one left, hmm?"
"Mmmm... you wanna know what it is so badly, don't you~...?"
Aurora giggled sweetly as she brought a hand up to brush through Isabella's flowing, beautiful hair.
"Hm... my love. I know I... said it all already but... I am just... so... so happy to be able to spend today with you. With the love of my life~..."
"Today was perfect, babe. I'm glad we got this chance. And... I do want to know about that gift so badly. You got me all excited and wanting to know~..."
"Good things come to those who wait or... something like that, haha. And I'm still busy checking you out after some amazing sex. Not that I'm done... far from it... but call it an intermission, hmm~..."
Isa giggled and watched as her wife bit her bottom lip playfully, before leaning in and placing a gentle peck on her lips that lasted for a second or two.
"You're so beautiful~..."
Hearing that on a special day like today just hit different for Isabella. She looked at Aurora, lost in her beauty as she explored her figure with her eyes, her hands not far behind as she felt her warmth and her soft, smooth skin. She met ocean blue eyes, thinking about her wife... how lucky she was to have someone like Aurora. To just... hold her and love her like this.
Someone to share good - and sometimes bad - times together. To get through it all. Having a whole home... a whole life... a whole future together. Isa was beyond happy and satisfied, for the first time in her life. Knowing all the things they'd been through together... knowing all that Aurora had been through, everything that led them to now. It made their love all the more powerful. It was everything she wished for.
"I... am... I love you so much. Ha. I... can't find any more words. Just... I'm so happy with you, Aurora~..."
"... me too, hun. You're my whole galaxy. It's... beyond anything I could've imagined. As cheesy as that sounds, haha. But... it's true. I love you~..."
Aurora leant in slowly, pausing as her eyes admired Isabella for a second, before she tilted her head and continued the rest of the way. Their lips met for a soft kiss, slower and more delicate now as they embraced each other. Every kiss was special... but this moment... this was out of this world. As the moment began to intensify again, Isabella let it take her as she was wrapped up in Aurora's arms, kissing and sharing their passion.
She couldn't imagine anything better... anything more special than cuddling, holding her wife, and being so intimate with her with a connection like no other. Her lover. Her best friend. Her soulmate.
Her heartbeat.
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Credit: Written together by CMDRs Radiumio and Maple, imagery created by CMDR Radiumio and story provided by CMDR Maple. Thank you so much for reading!
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