Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Earth date: 5/11, A.S. 127

Awareness of the world returned to Sabina as she relaxed the hug she shared with Nika. The winter air was cool on her hands and face and there were birds calling to one another in the trees. And, of course, her fiancée (fiancée!) was a warm and comfortable presence against her. 

"Yes." Nika's affirmation echoed in Sabina's mind. Yes , I love you. Yes , I'll marry you. Yes , I want to spend the rest of my life with you. She briefly tightened her embrace as the thoughts made her emotions swell. She looked down into Nika's brilliant blue eyes, which mirrored her own emotional state. 

"I need to call my dad." Nika said, squeezing her hands on Sabina's back before stepping back and pulling her notebook out of her fleece top as she did so. 

"Do you want me to stay?" Sabina asked, bending down to pick up her gloves and secateurs from the grass. 

"Please. I know he'll be so happy to know you asked like you said you would."

Nika dialled her father's number in three taps, a fourth putting the notebook on speaker mode.

"I said yes!" Nika gabbled, the instant the call connected. Sabina watched her fiancée's joyous face as she spoke, swept up in the second-hand excitement. There was a split-second pause as Nika's father thought about what his daughter had said 'yes' to, then-

"Oh, Nika!" Naji's excited voice boomed through the speakers. "Congratulations!"

"We're going to get married!" Nika's voice was half-laugh, half-sob. Sabina put her arm around Nika's shoulder and gave a squeeze. Her cheeks were starting to hurt from all the smiling she was doing. 

"Wonderful, wonderful." Naji replied, his voice a little thick. "You said Sabina had asked, but-"

A popup appeared, asking for a video connection. 

"- I always hoped this day would come."

Nika confirmed the connection, and the screen displayed Naji's bearded face beaming up at them.

"Look!" Nika rotated her wrist above the camera to show the twinned gems on the silver band. "This is the ring!"

"It's beautiful, darling." Naji replied, speaking with a gentle smile. His eyes flicked over Nika's shoulder to Sabina.

"Thank you Sabina. You've made this old man very happy."

"Thank you, Mr. Hija."

"Ha!" He barked a laugh. "I'm going to be your father-in-law, so you'll have to be less formal. Call me Naji- or perhaps dad?"

Sabina swallowed, suddenly feeling a chill, despite the fact that no cloud had passed over the sun. She put a small smile on her face, half-nodding, half-shrugging. "I'm sure I'll work something out." 

Naji chuckled. "Well, this is fantastic news. I'm going to tell everyone I know! Who else have you told?"

Nika looked over her shoulder at her fiancée. "You're the first." 

Sabina felt another chill as one name in particular crossed her mind.

Naji tapped his chest with his palm. "Ah, You have no idea how pleased that makes me feel. Shall we talk again later this weekend?"

"Please." Nika said. "I'd love to hear about how you're doing."

"I'm so happy for you, Nika." Naji said as he waved. "Have a wonderful day!"

"Thanks, Dad!"

Nika ended the chat and stretched out her newly-ringed left hand, swapping to the notebook's camera and taking a picture. 

"I'm going to send this to the Earth House chat." Nika explained.

Sabina felt her smile become genuine, growing larger. "They're going to be so excited for you."

"Yeah." Nika beamed. "And you'll have to tell your Grassley fellows!"

Sabina knew Nika meant the Renee, Henao, Maisie and Ireesha; the ex-pilots turned bodyguards- but once again another name intruded over thoughts of breaking the news at tea tomorrow.

She felt obligated to go and see Shaddiq.

Chapter Text

Earth date: 5/11, A.S. 127

Earth House group chat

Nika: Ring.img.

I said yes!

Suletta: Hooray!! 🎊💙💜💍

Chuchu: NIKA!!! 🎊🎊🎊

Lilique: I've been waiting for this day for so long! Congratulations! ♥️

Ojelo: :D Hey, congrats Nika!

Martin: I would like to formally congratulate you on your engagement, you must be very pleased!

Nuno: Wow, it finally happened!

Till: I wish you both much happiness together.

Aliya: The ring looks so pretty! ✨

Nika: Aww, thank you all! I'm crying happy tears right now!

Ojelo: Nuno, you owe me a beer- I was right, Sabina was the one to ask!

Nuno: Fine. About time you got a prediction correct anyway

Martin: You BET on who would propose?

Nuno: Why, did you want in?

Aliya: You two! 

Nika: Ojelo and Nuno, both of you owe me.

(But also, that is kinda funny)

Ojelo: Sure- and sorry!

Nika: The next time we all get together, the first round is on you.

Nuno: Yeah, with our apologies

Chuchu: Hahaha 🍺

Aliya: I think that's fair- we should meet up soon, right?

Lilique: We really should, it's been too long!

Suletta: I've just told Miorine and Eri, this is so exciting!! And yes to the meetup!

Till: Most of us work at GUND-ARM, so we can coordinate around that.

Aliya: I could do with an evening away from the farm- but before Spring, otherwise the calving season starts and then it just gets busier from there!

Martin: Everyone check your calendars and put in the chat when you know you're unavailable- and once again, congratulations Nika!

Nika: Will do!

Chapter Text

Earth Date: 06/11, A.S. 127

It was another bright and cold day outside. In the sitting room of the Rembran-Mercury household, Maisie completed her circuit of the low table, having poured pale tea into each of the cups, and sat next to her partner. Sabina was the first to break the mutual silence after they all took their first sip of tea.

"I've proposed to Nika." She said calmly, enjoying the sweet aftertaste.

Renee started speaking half a second later after she had. "Ah, that's some good tea-" Before the news hit her. "Wait, what ?!" There was a clink of porcelain as she set her cup onto its saucer, her eyes wide and staring. Sabina felt the full attention of four sets of eyes on her.

"Oh, Sabina!" Maisie beamed. "That's wonderful!"

"She said yes, I take it?" Ireesha added. 

The pressure of expectant expressions were an intese weight for a split-second- then she nodded. There was a collective sigh of happiness from her companions. Shoulders and spines relaxed as they all settled down.

"Good." Henao nodded. "You've both come a long way."

Sabina paused for a moment. "Yes." She said carefully. For the second time in as many days she felt that clouds-over-sun shiver ran down her spine. 

"How long were you planning this?" Renee asked enthusiastically. "Details, spill them!"

Grateful for a chance to distract herself, Sabina turned slightly in her armchair."I checked with Nika a month ago when we went for a moonwalk- she said yes to the proposition. I gave her the ring yesterday when I was gardening, as a surprise."

"You're such a romantic." Renee sighed. 

"You have 'that' look on your face, by the way." Maisie added.

"The Nika look." Henao confirmed. 

Sabina found that she was indeed smiling softly to herself. That made her smile grow and her face warm with both affection and mild embarassment.

"Are you taking notes, Maisie?" Ireehsa turned to her girlfriend. “We've been together longer than Sabina and Nika, when are you going to propose to me?” 

There was no accusation in her tone, just gentle humour. As Maisie flushed, tongue-tied, her girlfriend muffled her own giggles with a hand over her mouth. Henao and Sabina both smiled at that, whilst Renee chuckled to herself. 

"Iri," Maisie began. "I thought you said you were happy with us dating at the moment."

"I am, Maisie." Ireesha said, cuddling up close on the sofa. "But now Sabina and Nika are going to tie the knot, it's got me thinking about us too."

"Well, it'd be rude to upstage them before they have their wedding."

"I agree."

Renee's eyes lit up. "Oh, it's going to be such a fun event!"

The sheer potential had the four friends chatting excitedly to each other.

"I'll take any excuse to wear a suit." Henao gave Sabina a nod. 

"We can coordinate our dresses!" Maisie shared a grin with Ireesha.

Renee muttered something about 'finding someone' into her teacup.

"Whatever you need help with, Sabina-" Henao said. "Research-"

"Fashion advice." Ireesha smiled.

"Event planning." Renee added, back on form.

"Anything, really." Maise finished. "We're here if you need us."

"Thank you." Sabina said carefully. "I'll keep all that in mind."

Her thought from the previous day returned to her. "I…" She began.

Four sets of eyes- this time concerned- all focused on her, noting the hesitancy trailing from her words.

"Sabina?" Renee asked, cocking her head.

Henao leant forward. "What's on your mind?"

Sabina drew in a breath "I also want to tell Shaddiq."

Ireesha let out a small 'ah' as Maisie frowned. "Do you want some of us to come with you?" 

Sabina pursed her lips, looking at her friends- not one of them needing to ask her reason or question the decision. In fact, they all looked ready to finish their tea and head to the van with her then and there. "No." She said. "I appreciate the offer, but I want to do this alone."

"Not even with Nika?" Renee asked.

Sabina shook her head. "I'll tell her before I go, of course. But she has no reason to see him."

"I think," Ireesha said gently. "That Renee meant as support for you."

"I don't think she'll want to go near a prison again." Sabina noted, looking down at her teacup.

That thought quieted the conversation. It lingered in the air and mixed badly with the fragrant tea until Henao, of all people, broke the silence.

"So, Sabina- you've told us of the successful proposal, but what does the ring look like?"

Sabina gave her a thankful look and set down her cup and saucer, going to the pocket where her notebook was. 

Once I've talked to him, then I can focus on planning our wedding- but for now, I want to enjoy this moment with friends.

Chapter Text

Earth Date: 31/11, A.S. 127

Sabina drew out the chair in the quiet visiting area. Shaddiq sat before her. Despite his hands being cuffed and his drab jumpsuit, he looked casual and relaxed.

"Sabina. It's been a while." He said, his tone just as at ease. It set Sabina's hackles up. The last time they had been near one another was before that failed operation outside Asticassia, when her attempt to assist Shaddiq against the Jeturk heir failed- a highly emotional time. 

"Yes." She said plainly.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" His tone was light, unaccusing. Sabina almost wished it had been. She had kept track of his trial, but had not reached out to him like she had Nika. Yet he appeared to bear no ill will toward her.

So she returned to the script she had memorised. "I wanted to let you know that I'm getting married."

Shaddiq blinked, surprised. "Well, that is nice news. Who's the lucky woman?"

"Nika."

"Oh?" His eyebrows raised as he blinked again. "Our go-between?"

Sabina felt her head tilt back in a half-nod- then she froze. Four years had passed since they had last seen each other, and they had fallen back into old patterns- her deferring to him, letting him lead.

"Nika is far more than that." She said coolly, using her fiancée's name.

"Oh, sorry." He shrugged carelessly. "It's just that's who she was to the both of us back then- someone who was of use to the House, but nothing more."

Sabina clenched her jaw. Being reminded of roles and events five years ago was proving to be a much rawer situation than she had expected.

"Nika." She reminded him. "Her name is Nika."

"Oh, I'm very much aware- I met with her multiple times, after all. She never liked me that much." Shaddiq said lightly. 

"She hated us." Sabina admitted. This was off-script. Badly. 

Shaddiq laughed with rather than at that statement. "Yes. But yet here you are, sharing the news that you're engaged."

"Nika's a good person. She…" Sabina stopped. "I reached out to her after our capture. I said that I was sorry for all that had happened, but…"

"You didn't expect her to reply, did you? It's not hard to guess that you and Nika grew close given the news."

"No, I didn't." Sabina looked down at her hands. "It was unexpected, but very welcome. After-"

The lies, the collaboration, the pressure-

"- everything, it helped me personally."

"You always were one to work tirelessly. I don't get much news, but I assume Miorine's goal is being attained?"

"Yes." Sabina said, closing her eyes. "Her work is building a bridge between Earth and Space."

Without the bloodshed and chaos that your plan would have caused.

"Well, that's why I'm here." Shaddiq said, as if he knew what was on her mind.

Part of me thinks that I should be too. Sabina thought. Consequences.

"I was your right hand-" She began.

"The hand does not move without direction- and it was your idea to invite Nika to join Grassley." Shaddiq offered.

Sabina shook her head. "But I am not just a hand. Besides, that would only have damned her further had the plan played out. It would not have saved me."

"Ah. But at least then you would have had something together?"  

Alternate futures flashed through Sabina's mind for a moment, but she discarded them as best she could. However, one lingered. What if Nika had accepted? Would Shaddiq have also protected her as he did me? Could we have had three more years together, in-person?

"I don't find that as reassuring as you might think." She said deliberatley, forcing the barbed thoughts from her mind.

"Then you've changed, Sabina."

Shaddiq's expression was kind. That made it worse. If he had been angry or upset it would have reassured her, made it easier to write him off as heightened by his failed gamble and subsequent lifelong sentence. But he was not half-manic or fanatical. He seemed at peace- and since she was now struggling with the concept, that just made her feel worse.

"I think it's for the better, too. I made my play and shouldered the blame when it failed, giving you all a second chance." Shaddiq shrugged. "I thought it would be the last time I saw you all, and as such my influence on your futures ended there. I'm sorry, but I can't offer you anything more." A pensive look passed over his face. "Except my congratulations. You always had my back and it's good that someone is at yours."

"Right." Sabina said shortly, more to herself than her old leader.

"I hope you find your equilibrium." Shaddiq said, and once again he was all sympathy and sorrow. 

Sabina hoped so too, since her internal balance was severely out of sorts. Her head spun as she stood from the table, unable to meet Shaddiq's eyes. She was not fully attentive as she began the process of exiting the facility, Shaddiq's final words ringing in her ears. They were accompanied with memories of her fiancée. Nika, bruised and vulnerable before her. Nika's messages, the correspondence saved in the cloud from every digital exchange during her incarceration. Nika, first spotting her at Miorine and Suletta's wedding. Nika, whispering 'I love you.' after their first night together- words from someone who had been released, was accepting her past and now eager to spend her future with someone she loved. 

Someone who was discovering that a part of her conscience had now reawakened.

When Sabina stepped out of the prison building and into the fenced visitor parking complex, she looked up at the sky- blue and scored with scudding clouds- and thought about the freedom it represented.

Do I deserve this?

Chapter Text

Earth Date: 30/11, A.S. 127

The tattoo parlour was small, well-lit, and smelled like the sea and disinfectant. A charmingly old-fashioned but practical bell rang as the door opened, the chiming ringing out into the surprisingly small front section of the shop. A middle-aged woman with red hair and sporting a sleeve of mythological creatures tattooed on one arm looked up from her standing desk. Her grey eyes lit up in recognition.

"Welcome back, Nika." She said. "Though you're not the one here for a consultation."

"That's right." Nika said, tilting her head to indicate Sabina standing next to her. "Lal, Sabina. Sabina, Lal."

Sabina exchanged a quick but telling handshake- Lal had a firm and confident grip that was not overly strong.

"Pleasure. Heard all about you." The proprietor said. "Step into my office."

Sabina was left with a pleasantry on her tongue as Lal released her grip, turned, and walked to the door they had just entered to flip the sign to 'closed'. Just as efficiently, she walked to a door on the opposite side of the room and opened it. All Sabina could do was close her mouth and follow Nika into a larger space. The center of the new room was clear, with a complexly-hinged long chair near one wall and a low padded table at the other. All elements of the furniture and equipment gleamed with painstaking upkeep. The walls were very nearly covered in framed pictures, all black and white and varying in size. Some of the more faded ones were larger, but had been apparently sized down once Lal had done some maths and concluded when she was going to run out of space.

"My portfolio- printed digital stencils from my previous work." Lal said, noticing Sabina's sweeping gaze. "There." She said, pointing with innate confidence.

Sabina followed the gesture and spotted a very familiar rose design in a small frame, picking it out from the ones that were nearby with ease. The sight made her smile.

"Now, how's it healing?" Lal directed this question to Nika.

"No complications. I'm ensuring it's being taken care of too." Nika said happily.

"Your girl's got a good attitude to this." Lal explained, turning to her desk. "I could tell from working with her."

Sabina blinked, feeling a little flushed. It was the first time she had heard someone refer to her partner in such a manner. Miorine and Suletta were more formal, as were her friends. It was true that she was Nika's and vice versa, but for a woman unknown to her to be so casual in recognising what they had… She saw Nika wearing a very smug grin, her eyebrows raised to say 'See, she's great, isn't she?'. Sabina gave a small nod before turning her attention back to the artist.

"She was chattering away about the proposal until I told her that if she kept on, I was going to have a devil of a time keeping to the design if she talked and gestured."

Nika's smile turned sheepish. "Yeah, it turns out I'm not a big fan of seeing needles. Lal put on a playlist which helped me focus on something else and I just looked up at the ceiling. It worked."

Sabina looked up and almost immediately spotted subtle patterns in the ceiling that were probably deliberate in a wandering way for those that needed it.

Lal picked up a tablet and brought up a CG model of a human body. "Now Nika, since you're the one who's been looking at her back, what's the plan?" 

With some familiarity, Nika spun the model and zoomed on the lower torso, selecting a 'pen' icon from the taskbar and sketching a line where Sabina's silvery cicatrix was. 

"The stem of the rose will cover the scar." She gestured. "And the petals will show above." 

"I assume your girl's got it right?" Lal asked, turning to Sabina.

Sabina smiled at Nika, warming to Lal's no-nonsense personality. "She has."

"And the colour will involve blues as well?"

Sabina nodded.

Lal tapped her chin, thinking. "It'll be a challenge to work with the scar tissue- but I'm more than up to it." She announced confidently. "That means it'll be a bigger design than yours, Nika, if your indication is anything to go by."

She took the tablet and tapped away for a full minute before presenting the screen. The design of Nika's tattoo was superimposed over the sketched scar. "This is very quick, but something like this? And yes, I know that the dimensions look a little stretched since Nika's followed the curve of her ribs. I'll re-work the stencil as part of the consultation process."

Sabina nodded. "That's correct. Roses are special to us."

"Roses and getting a design that twins your fiancée's?" Lal nodded approvingly. "It's very cute."

Nika shoulder-bumped her partner with loving gentleness, leading to the couple sharing a glance. Lal's expression lightened further.

"I'm perfectly happy to set a date for the session." Lal said. A few further taps on her screen and a calendar app was open. "Just pick one that works for you and add your contact details so we can swap updates."

Earth Date: 17/12, A.S. 127

Upon seeing the shop sign being set to 'closed', Nika had waved to her fiancée and reversed out of the parking space, leaving them alone as she returned to GUND-ARM, Inc.

"Is Nika not staying?" Lal asked.

Sabina shook her head. "She's going to see her father. He's had some free time recently and things lined up."

"Plus she's not a fan of seeing needles." Lal guessed. "That'd make it more uncomfortable for her to watch, yeah?"

Sabina nodded at the accurate prediction. "I don't blame her."

"We can't help but have personal reactions to stimuli." Lal noted. "Anyway, enough small talk. Before we go any further…" 

Sabina was ushered into the parlour proper after her paperwork had been checked. 

"The table's all set up in the back." Lal said. "Make yourself comfortable."

Sabina rolled her baggy tank top up to her ribs and held it with one hand whilst she used the  other to stabilise her climb onto the padded surface. It was especially cool against her abdominals when she laid on her front- and she felt a different coolness when Lal cleaned and prepared the area around her scar.

Lal introduced a physical copy of the stencil that Sabina had committed to memory since first seeing it a dozen days ago. After confirming its design, Lal stuck it over Sabina's scar- which was a rather useful guide, Lal noted, since placement on areas where it was difficult to see without a mirror usually took more alignment and checking with the client.

Lying on her side and with her head tilted, Sabina watched as Lal filled a classic-looking inking machine with a half-dozen inks of green and blue shades, then applied gloves to unpack a fresh needle. 

"You're choosing quite the complex design." Lal noted. "This will be number one of six needles."

"I know."

"This is also a first for you, so keep breathing normally. Let me know if it becomes uncomfortable or you need to move suddenly- for your safety and the tattoo's outcome."

"I will." Sabina said.

Lal drew up a tall stool and perched on it, her presence close but professional. "Then I'll begin."

The first few minutes were the hardest. The pain and pressure were moderate but also unique, unlike anything Sabina had felt before. She focused on her breathing, trying to divert the sensation in addition to calming her mind.

"You know, there's a certain kind of bond that forms between the artist and client." Lal announced as she worked.

"Really?" Sabina asked, careful to keep her movements as relaxed as possible.

"Yes, especially since I don't accommodate drunk clients making spur-of-the-moment decisions. Bookings only."

"I have a feeling you're working towards a point." Sabina predicted.

"Correct." Lal said. "You're carrying a lot of tension. Relax your back muscles."

Sabia blinked, took notice of her posture- and suddenly her shoulders were half an inch lower than before. "Huh. I hadn't noticed."

"It's common enough for someone getting their first tattoo. But I get the sense there's a lot on those shoulders." Lal lifted the machine from skin for a moment. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sabina chose to verbally sidestep rather than choose one way or the other. "You needed Nika to keep quiet."

"The lower body does not move as much when you're talking." Lal shrugged before resuming. "I'm an outside presence, so whatever you're comfortable with- or we can have the tunes, a podcast, stream some videos…" She trailed off, passing the onus to Sabina.

Sabina considered the request for a long moment. Then she started talking, keeping her summary vague.

"I spoke to someone a little over two weeks back. Someone from my past."

"Uh-huh." Lal said, her tone neutral and audible over the buzz of the machine and the pricking of the needle.

"I was looking for answers and didn't get them. In fact, I came away with more questions."

"Ah."

"It's putting me under a lot of pressure personally. Not to mention that there's our wedding coming up."

"Well, have you talked to Nika about it?"

"No. I said that it was a difficult meeting, and she respected that."

"Hm." Lal was again neutral. Sabina felt a sudden rush of guilt.

"It's not that I don't want to tell her. But she still has trauma from before we were together, linked to that person and-" Sabina breathed. "And I'm a small part of that."

Lal paused the needle, and Sabina felt that the second-long pause was an eternity. "I've spent time with your girl- note my use of that phrase, now- and you. If I had the impression you weren't both in a good place, I would have encouraged Nika to seek help."

Sabina felt her stomach tighten. 

"But I don't have a bad feeling from you two, and I trust my instincts." Lal said casually as the needle resumed. "It wasn't just at the start of the session that Nika was waxing on about you. When we had our consultation and afterwards, she was so eager for you to see it."

Sabina could only summon a half-smile at that, since the knot of worry lingered. She was still focused on the stressful memories. 

"Back then, I wanted to help her." Sabina admitted. "But Nika chose to follow her own path." She let out a bittersweet laugh. "If she hadn't, things could have been so different- better-  between us."

"You can't change what's happened." Lal philosophised. "But you can choose what to do next. Case in point, your tattoo. You collected that scar at some point-"

"I'm a bodyguard." Sabina supplied.

"Right, and you've decided to not only make it into art, but create something deeply personal. Again, that tells me a lot about you- actions speaking louder than words and all that. What do you think you could do next to help make things right?"

"I'm not sure." Sabina said. Lal's intentions with such an open question were good, but her own mind was currently running worst-case scenarios, ones which Sabina did not want to entertain further. As Lal did not say another word, the drone of the machine stretched out into the silence.

"I'd like some music now." Sabina requested. She'd adjusted to the sensation of the machine and it was no longer enough to divert or distract her mind.

"Sure thing. Relax and forget about the time, it's just us and the music here." Lal said, pausing to find a remote somewhere on her person.

Sabina remained still throughout the session, though Lal did make her smile once when she played up on Sabina's piloting/bodyguard background and said that she was 'changing mags' when she swapped needles to start shading.

"If you're this serious about her, then I'm certain it'll work." Lal said as she nodded to Sabina's waist, the finished and treated tattoo now covered by a clear wrap and Sabina's oversized top. "Good luck with your future together."

"Thank you for the work. And the perspective." Sabina said.

Lal shrugged with a small grin. "Don't worry, I won't charge too much extra for it." 

Once Sabina settled her account- and left a tip- she exited the parlour with an aftercare bag. It was a crisp afternoon and the light was starting to dim as the sun made its way to the horizon. 

She toyed with the notebook in her pocket, knowing that Nika was a text away and the sooner she let her know, the sooner she would be picked up. But instead she walked out of the shop and down the pavement on one side of the road. She kept her pace light, so as not to overly stress the fresh tattoo and ended up sitting on a bench by an empty park a few minute's walk away- most people were indoors, keeping warm. The grey cloud-filled sky and winter-bare trees made her feel uneasy, furthering her discomfort.

Sabina felt the prickle of the tattoo on her skin and balled her hands into fists, feeling immensely adrift despite Lal's encouragement and the show of commitment she had gone through. She sat there, watching endless clouds scud across the late afternoon sky as the air grew colder and the sky darker. Even as she texted Nika to say she had finished, she felt unable to move past or act on the conversation she had just had- or rather, her own verbal admission of her culpability, her confliction. Talking about it even in a roundabout way had not loosened the knotted tension. She knew that she was going to be hiding more from Nika when she returned to the parlour to collect her.

Her phone chimed.

Nika: On my way! Tell me all about it on the drive back!

Sabina knew she should be smiling at Nika's eagerness. She had before- it was easy to do so when Nika radiated positivity, even through a message. She tried to move her facial muscles into a pleased expression, but they barely twitched. Instead they trembled. Sabina clenched her jaw and huffed out a pained breath, forcing whatever was threatening to overwhelm her back, out of her focus. When she stood it was not from a sense of resolution, but rather the need to do something physical rather than let herself sit alone with her concerns. Still unwilling to move too quickly, she made each of her steps thud powerfully on the pavement, letting the physical action ground her in the moment even as her swirling thoughts settled on one statement.

What on Earth am I going to do?

Chapter Text

Earth date: 20/12, A.S. 127

“Sabinaa.” Nika’s voice was slightly slurred as it came through Sabina’s notebook speaker. “Hiii.”

“Hi, love. I got your text. How’s your evening been?”

“Good!” Nika’s answer was instant and excited. “Chuchu showed us this amazing bar that makes really good cocktails- the bartender made us all drinks that matched our hair colours!"

Sabina recalled that aside from Chuchu, Nika had gone with Suletta and Lilique.

“Were they nice?” She asked, wondering what flavours would suit each of the four.

“None of us tasted the alcohol.” Nika enthused. “Lilique’s tasted like caramel- it was really nice!”

“And yours?”

“Blueberries!” Nika practically cheered the word. Sabina tilted her head back from the notebook, letting the noise dissipate as she smiled softly. 

“I had a few.” Nika admitted. Sabina heard shushing and chatter in the background, just about recognising Suletta and Lilique’s voices. 

Sabina gave a light-hearted hum. “You mentioned that you’ve settled the tab?”

“Yeah, we’re on water now. We’ve sent texts to all of our girls for pickup.”

“Good." Sabina said, pausing as her mind processed Nika's phrasing. Her for Nika, Miorine for Suletta, Felsi for Chuchu and- "Wait, all our girls? Who’s Lilique seeing?”

“Renee.”

Sabina was speechless for a moment. “Oh? When did that happen?” She had seen her friend and fellow bodyguard a few days before when they had both accompanied Miorine to a function. Renee had asked after Nika, but had given no indication that she had finally broken her streak of short-lived relationships, let alone with someone she had seen as a rival for the affection of… Sabina drew a blank as to his name- she didn’t have time for the identities of Renee’s backup boyfriends, especially not years after the inevitable breakup. 

“Lilique didn’t go into much, but I think it's recent.”

“Wow. I hope it works out.”

“A Grassley and Earth House pairing?” Nika giggled. “I’m sure it will!”

Sabina chuckled at that. It trailed off slightly sad, but Nika didn't notice.

"Anyway, I just wanted to check in with you before I left." Sabina said, covering herself. She rose from her chair, setting aside the paperback she had left on her lap. 

"See you soon, Sab."

"Yeah."

Sabina hung up and walked into the kitchen, taking out a small tumbler and setting it on the counter before she left. Suddenly caught between focusing on her book and the future focus of driving, she stood alone in the kitchen area, lit by a liminal glow from the sitting area light. The hint of fatigue and something more was sitting in her skull, an indistinct itch that she could not shake. Sabina closed her eyes and swallowed, fortifying herself.

Nika needed her. It was a very minor need, but nevertheless someone she could be there for. Someone she could help, even if it was in a minor way.

She reached the bar in good time. There were only a few parking spots taken, which allowed her to pull up right next to the porch seating area- which surprisingly had some occupants braving (or with alcohol-granted 'resistance', ignoring) the cold. Sabina keyed the lock button and made her way to the glass door, the warped pattern obscuring the light and figures within.

The warmth of the heat and atmosphere swept over Sabina's exposed face as she opened the door in a gloved hand. The buzz of conversation from buzzed patrons filtered through her ears as she stepped in and looked for her fiancée. Inevitably, she spotted a bouffant pink hairdo first.

"Nika!" Sabina could just about hear Chuchu speak over the scatter of other conversations. "Your fiancée's here!"

There was a general sense of movement from the booth that Sabina approached as Nika moved between seat, Chuchu and table to extricate herself and stand before her fiancée. Nika's eyes focused on Sabina and she gave a wide smile, humming happily as she took the taller woman in a hug. 

“Saaab.” Her voice was a warm and pleased drawl.

“Nika.” Sabina couldn’t keep a smile from her face as she returned the hug. It was virtually impossible for her not to, Nika was brimming with happiness. A patron squeezed past them, muttering what was either a polite apology or a curse at the people blocking his path.

"Am I the first?" Sabina asked.

Suletta nodded. "Mio-Mio's just leaving, she-"

Suletta was cut off by a cheer from her companions, all of whom raised a finger in a collective and deliberate gesture. "She's with Henao." Suletta finished, slumping as she accepted her situation.

"That'd be another round on you if we hadn't finished!" Chuchu laughed. 

Sabina looked to Nika. "How many times did Suletta use 'the nickname'?"

Nika frowned. "Four- well, five times now."

"Ah." Sabina said, tilting her head. Despite her overcast mood, the cheery nature of seeing four friends enjoying themselves helped distract her. Nika waved goodbye to and walked with Sabina, practically attached at the hip and with one arm still around the taller woman's waist.

"It's cold out." Sabina warned when they reached the door. 

The chill gust only made Nika press further against her fiancée, seeing warmth from Sabina's greatcoat. Nika breathed long plumes of dragon's breath as they walked the short distance to the car. Sabina paused.

“I can’t drive back if you’re hugging me, Nika.” She said gently.

“Oh!” Nika relaxed her arms. She looked up at Sabina with such a sorrowful expression that Sabina felt herself go slightly gooey. She patted Nika’s head, ruffling the short-cut hair before trailing her fingers behind Nika’s ear and around to her jaw, stroking hair and skin just the way Nika liked. She felt Nika relax into the gesture, humming with happiness once again. 

“No need to apologise. There’s no real rush.” Sabina soothed.

“But you waited up for me.” Nika slumped visibly, her mood swinging. “I made you stay awake.”

“Nika.” Sabina said, her tone gentle but firm, encouraging her partner to stand taller by lifting Nika’s chin. “I know how long it’s been since you last saw Chuchu in person. And I know how much your friendship means to you both. I don’t mind that it’s now a Saturday morning, since we can have a lie-in and finally get brunch at that little café you’ve been mentioning. You should not feel bad asking a favour from me."

"I'd do anything for you.” She added under her breath. 

“But what about your morning run?” Nika asked, her eyes slightly less wide, her tone a little less guilty as she focused on Sabina's main statement.

Sabina gave Nika what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’ll go in the afternoon. It’s nice to break from routine every now and again.” She didn't add that it had been a struggle for her to force herself out of bed each morning for the past week, or that she'd given minor consideration to calling in sick as a way to have an excuse to curl up in bed and just lie there. She hadn't, partially out of willpower, but also because she would have worried Nika.

“Really?”

Sabina bent down to kiss Nika’s forehead, reorienting her priorities. “Really. You’ve had a good night, and I want it to end on a positive note. Let’s go home.”

She waited for Nika to buckle herself into her seat before starting the engine. The electric vehicle purred as Sabina drove back, using the satnav to guide her way back through the night-lit city. Unable to stand the silence, she decided to start up a conversation.

“Did you eat anything along with your drinks?” She asked, also looking to gauge Nika’s inebriation. 

“There were doughballs with, about, thirty dip choices?” Nika started to count on her fingers. “Melted cheese, sweet potato, hummus, tomato and garlic…”

With most of her attention on the road, Sabina thought she heard at least fifteen and one or two sounded like repeats. 

“… the focus was on the drinks, though.” Nika finished.

“I know you said that you had a good time.” Sabina said. “But did the other girls too? Nobody had too much?”

“No, we all paced ourselves. Suletta’s got a really high tolerance- but she told us about Miorine not having quite as much!” Sabina heard Nika’s smile as she spoke. 

“I’ve never seen Miorine drunk when I’ve been around her.” She mused. 

“Suletta made us promise not to tell anyone else. Sorry, Sab.”

“The last thing I need is the knowledge of what happens when my boss gets drunk. Again, no need to apologise.” Sabina hit upon an idea to keep Nika talking. "How did the nickname forfeit start?"

It worked like a charm, Nika's regaling helping to provide a pleasant background ramble that kept the part of Sabina's mind not focusing on driving occupied. The roads were quiet, and Sabina made even better time thanks to green lights all the way back to their apartment block. Once they were parked Sabina walked around the back of the vehicle and opened Nika's door for her, triggering the wall lights to increase in luminosity and light the way to the main door.

"So kind of you," Nika commented as she exited. "So chivalrous!"

"That's alright." Sabina replied, turning to walk to the door and dropping a hand into her pocket for the keys- before Nika tugged at her sleeve, getting her attention.

“You’re very pretty.” Nika said, her eyes wide and her tone suddenly serious. During the moment Sabina processed the genuine affection she felt a surge of happiness and wished that it would not fade, but level out to how she had been previously. Yet the emotion guttered like a candle burning out, and she was left with the memory of warmth.

“Thank you. I think you’re very pretty too.” She replied. She didn't need to lie or hide anything when talking about her partner, so that truth was easy to say. "Stay close." She said.

There were two reasons she asked that. The practical reason was to ensure that her inebriated fiancée would make it up the two flights to their door. The personal reason was that she could stave off general malaise if Nika was near- but only so long as she didn't give Nika reason to worry about her, a contradiction that required a stoic mask which she had first needed to wear at Asticassia.

Nika was ready to head towards their nice and soft bed but Sabina steered her to a chair in the kitchen area, letting her sit as she filled the glass she had left out with water.

"You need to keep hydrated, or the hangover's going to be nasty." Sabina reminded her.

Nika accepted Sabina's wisdom, draining the tumbler and its refill of water before sighing and slumping in the chair, apparently ready to fall asleep there and then. Sabina continued to feel vaguely hypocritical as she coaxed Nika to clean her teeth and change for bed, modelling how her partner could take care of herself even as she struggled herself.

“Sab?” Nika mumbled when she nuzzled close under the covers. She radiated warmth and sleepiness, a comfortable combination that made Sabina's heart ache.

“Yes, Nika?”

“Thank you.”

Sabina had heard that phrase from Nika thousands of times. And whilst it had always made her happy before, the sudden and unexpected tumult caused by the proposal made it difficult for her to readily accept the words recently. Her discomfited mind buckled under the load. She was thankful that Nika's inebriated state hadn't picked up upon her masking- or the cracks that were starting to appear in it.

Chapter Text

Earth Date: 22/12, A.S. 127

The news of Masie's proposal to Ireesha was not so much a surprise as an inevitability. The story was a good one- Maisie had bought her now-fiancée a new stuffed toy with a tactically threadbare patch. When Ireesha had politely pointed that out, Maisie had reached inside what was actually a concealed pouch to withdraw the ring, going to one knee as she did so. 

Nika had heard it all from Sabina, who had explained that there had been an immediate invitation for the Grassley girls to have an evening celebration at a restaurant neither of them had heard of. Nika had joked that it was a perfect occasion since it followed after her own night out, and offered Sabina her services as 'chauffeur', dropping her own fiancée off and then heading the short drive back to their apartment.

She took some time to herself, filling Sabina's absence as best she could with an audiobook as she caught up with some chores and then kicked back on the couch, flicking through a polaroid album that showed their trips out- a garden center, a flower show, an escape room. Just as she was considering if a zoo would be a good place to visit, her notebook announced a new message.

Sab💜: We're asking for the tab. Ready for pickup.

Nika: I'll leave shortly, see you soon!

She paused the audiobook and collected her winter overwear from a chair by the door with speed, shrugging on the coat and putting the hat and gloves into each pocket.

Nika was aware that Sabina drank far less since losing a kidney, and given that it was a one-off occasion, she was ready to support her partner back to the car if needed. She was also aware that her fiancée had been pushing herself harder than usual the past weeks, throwing herself into work and wedding planning with a taxing toll. Nika hoped that a night out with friends would be just as fulfilling for Sabina as hers had been. 

She had half-remembered memories of flirting with a very patient Sabina who, as always, had taken care of her to the best of her abilities. Such selflessness encouraged the same in here, hence her offer to do the same by bringing her home.

It was a minor miracle that Maisie and Ireesha had been able to find a last-minute venue so late in December, but Nika thought that it looked nice enough. She resolved to ask Sabina about the restaurant and find out if it was a place that they could visit together in the New Year. She drove down a signed side passage and found a space in a small car park, tugging on the hat and gloves in preparation for the cold. 

Sabina was waiting outside the rear entrance restaurant, bundled up in a long winter coat and scarf. She looked a little lost, the tall woman small against the lights from the tall buildings around them, staring up past the outdoor lights and into the clouded sky.

"Come on then, Sab. Let's get you back." Nika said cheerily. 

Sabina turned like a statue being rotated on a plinth, slow and careful. She looked a little worn out, but still mustered a small smile upon seeing her fiancée.

"Watch your step." Nika advised, reading intoxication from the prior movement and offering her elbow. "There are some icy patches around."

Sabina reached out and took Nika's arm in a light grip, allowing herself to be guided back to the car. Nika opened the passenger side door before she headed to her own seat and started the engine. From the corner of her eye, Nika saw Sabina’s head turned away, her posture relaxed.

"Don't worry, Sab." Nika whispered. "You relax and nap if you need to, I'll get us home safe."

“We’re back! I can’t carry you upsta-” Nika’s lighthearted ploy to wake Sabina up died on her lips as ice-cold concern crystallised on her spine when Sabina turned her head to show her profile. 

Sabina hadn’t been sleeping.

She had been crying. Light from the wall lamp clearly shone through the windscreen onto the lines of tears running down her cheek. Sabina’s jaw was clenched tight, fighting gasping sobs that would have otherwise alerted Nika over the hum of the in-motion car.

“Sab?” Nika’s mind switched into ‘priority mode’, a technique taught to her by Sabina even as her heart lurched. She glanced down at her seatbelt, the separation caused by the car seats. “Let’s get you inside, okay?”

She kept her voice soothing, narrating each step of unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the door, checking that Sabina was doing the same. It was like Sabina was hollow, following each instruction numbly as she fumbled for the apartment entry card, keeping one eye on her partner at all times.

Nika's mind spun as she walked upstairs with a slumped Sabina at her side, watching her partner’s feet in case she tripped in the low night lighting. Sabina hadn’t been drunk or relaxed on the drive back. She had collapsed, sinking into herself. And since her own attention needed to be on the road…

Two flights later and they were at their apartment's door, Nika's mind sharp and alert with concern, turning split-second moments over and over, trying to think about what she could have done differently, tonight and over the past weeks. When she slid her key into the lock, she discarded that spiralling line of enquiry. Right now, Sabina needed her support.

"Sab, let's get you some water." Nika said gently, flicking on the lights as they moved toward the kitchen table. "Did something happen with the others?"

With the brighter lights on, Sabina looked worse than Nika had ever seen. Sabina looked more than exhausted- she looked defeated, with her shoulders slumped and arms dangling purposelessly, her back hunched like she was wounded. Her eyes were red, strained and bloodshot. Yet she had still made next to no sound. Suffering in silence, not so much sitting but subsiding into the chair, shaking her head.

Nika tore off a square of kitchen towel- then three more as she passed them to her partner to wipe her face and nose, two more in her hand as she sat on the other chair. She flinched with surprise when Sabina spoke in a thick voice, before she had decided to ask her fiancée if she wanted to talk again.

“Do I… Do I deserve this?”

“Deserve… what, Sab?” Nika asked cautiously.

“This apartment. Being happy. You.”

Nika sat in stunned silence, mentally reeling from the three statements that hit like physical blows. The digital clock on the oven counted a long minute before she set down the kitchen towels, stood and walked to the sink to fill two mugs from the tap. She wordlessly passed one to Sabina, then returned to her seat. Nika made sure that her thigh brushed Sabina’s in an implied message.

“I’ll start with the last, because that’s the easiest, and leads into the others.” She reached out with her left hand holding it above the table.

“Every time I look at my ring it makes me happy.” She wiggled her fingers to highlight the jewelled band. “Do you deserve me? That’s not your decision to make. It’s mine.” Nika said the last word with gentle resonance, which carried over to her next sentence. 

“You asked me and I said yes. I want to marry you, Sabina. It’s probably going to be the happiest day of my life, and I say probably because I’ve had so many perfect days with you already that it’s hard to compare them all, not to mention what we might share in the future.” She suddenly felt a hint of doubt in her heart, like a drop of ink splattering on a page. “Do you still want to marry me?”

Nika curled her fingers back into her palm as she asked the question, quiet confidence warring with unwelcome wariness. Sabina appeared to have sobered up a little since they met at the restaurant, but Nika was cognizant that alcohol and fatigue could lead to brutal honesty when mixed. Thankfully any concerns she had were allayed when Sabina nodded emphatically- but did not speak.

Nika took a sip of water, collecting herself and taking a moment to feel relieved before she continued. “Then we’ll have so many more days as wives that I know I’ll treasure ahead of us.” 

Sabina gave a quick, weak smile at the statement. Nika waited for a long moment, but her partner remained silent. 

“As for your happiness?” Nika gave Sabina a sad smile. “That I can’t decide for you. I can show you all the love I have, with my words and actions, but you choose what to make of it. I am glad that you’ve told me what’s on your mind, though. This must have been weighing on you for a while, right?”

Another sad smile, but it lingered on Sabina’s face. “Yes.”

Nika saw that word as a victory and refused to let it go untapped. “How long?”

“Since I proposed."

Three words were even better than one, but Nika fought to keep her expression neutral as she took in the news that her partner had been bottling stress up over weeks. “What caused you to get so worked up?”

“A few things.” 

Nika waited, knowing that Sabina would say more- and then her partner started speaking clearly, her shoulders relaxing as she unburdened herself.

“When I started as Shaddiq's second, most of what we did was within Asticassia, school politics. Shaddiq's plan to work with Dawn of Fold was defined but distant- other people in other places. None of us were at Plant Quetta- which was covered up, so all we received were after-action reports from Dawn of Fold. The rumble ring, though…"

Sabina winced.

"I had to compartmentalise a lot then. A student's death, the abduction of the man whose actions gave me the chance for…" She sighed. "Gave me the chance for someone else's dream of a 'better' future. I followed Shaddiq because he was a leader, but also I respected his drive, his ambition. Once I was captured…" Sabina paused again. "I knew I wanted to set things right. I wrote the letter to you, awaited my own trial- then was exempted. I didn't expect that. I'd always known that what we did was a risk, but I had been willing to pay that price."

Sabina's hands balled into fists atop her thighs as she shifted in her seat.

"But then I turned away from what I had done."

The clock counted a little over three minutes before Nika spoke after taking time to gather her thoughts once more.

“You bear too much of the blame, Sab. You were tied to Grassley since childhood, just as I was to Dawn of Fold. We were children used in plans far greater than ourselves, the products of generational trauma- but thanks to Suletta and Miorine, that cycle was broken and we were all granted a second chance. Miorine told me that it was due to Shaddiq that you were found 'not guilty'- and you were not alone in being exempted either, being given a second chance."

"Not guilty can also mean there was insufficient evidence to convict." Sabina closed her eyes and swallowed past a lump of fear in her throat.

"Sabina. I know that this is hard, but I'm going to ask you to be selfish rather than selfless right now." Nika said, tapping the rim of her mug. "I've been in prison. I shared most of what it was like in there with you. It was awful, and I was in what was meant to be a 'decent' facility. That's what I did to make things right. But you're letting events from years ago overwhelm you without recognising what you have done in penance since then- you have not been idle, Sab. You've worked yourself to the point where you've been ordered to take holidays- multiple times- were injured in the line of duty and have given support to Miorine and Suletta as your Principals. That's not to mention the immense help you were to me as a daily form of communication during my sentence, and all we've been through since. You've shown unwavering commitment to making Earth better following a new dream, one that's working. I think that proves you're open to change, you've done so for the better. Recognise that part of yourself and be proud of it."

Nika breathed, in and out.

"And if you do go, then I'm here, without you for… how long?" She asked, her voice straining. "How long, Sab? Falling in love with you over three years was one of the main reasons why prison was bearable. I also had my friends for messages of support, but with you- there was more. Since we've been together, we've spent no more than a few months apart- but then we could message freely, had the chance to meet up outside of our visits if we really wanted to. That all gets restricted if you're locked up."

Nika knew her grip on the mug had tightened as she spoke her fears, seeing understanding narrow Sabina's eyes as her partner took in her perspective. She took a moment to collect herself.

“So, Sab, it's my turn to be selfish- I need you here, with me. We have a loving relationship that I'm so blessed by- like when I get the nightmares, you’re always there to hold me and listen.”

Nika had talked about the ghosts that lingered in her mind during those times. Plant Quetta, and the realisation that all her previous deeds had led to this. Norea- anger, pain, helplessness. Prison with its lack of freedom and the excruciatingly slow passage of time. All marks on her soul that would never fade, but could be quieted by her fiancée's strong and warm embrace. She had meant her words to be grateful and comforting, but they caused a mixed reaction from Sabina.

“I only listen because I know that if I talked, I’d say what I’m saying now.” Sabina admitted.

“ Sab .” Nika’s voice was tinged with reproach, sorrow and affection in equal measure. “Just being there for me is enough to help me sleep again." The fatigue from the long day caught up with her then and she ran a hand over her face. "I think we’re both going to need therapy for this- and if you want your sessions to be private, then they will be. Whatever you need.”

Sabina shook her head. "If you want to be there for me, I will for you."

"Thank you. That'd help." Nika moved and flattened her left palm against her ribs, over where her tattoo was. “Oh, and remember that I planned this without you knowing. So that every time you see it, it's another reminder that I’m yours. That’s how much I want you to be happy.”

Sabina's lips twitched slightly and she shifted her left side, the same side where her own tattoo was, her own reminder to Nika. It was a small movement but Nika had been looking and hoping for such a sign. Two steps forward after one step back. She acknowledged the fact with a smile and then cast her mind back to when she had picked up Sabina.

“Did you talk about your concerns with the other girls tonight?” Nika asked.

Sabina shook her head. “No. I didn’t want to ruin the celebratory atmosphere either, so I put it out of my mind- but then I think that the happiness of the occasion inverted when I was waiting for you to pick me up. Bright lights cast dark shadows.”

“Would you want to?" Nika asked, keeping to a productive line of questioning."I’m sure that you’re not the only one of them who has thought about this topic.”

Sabina’s face took on a pensive cast as she considered Nika’s words. “I think that would help. They've offered support in the past and have their own perspectives." Sabina blinked suddenly. "And, so far as I know, they're in good places now. If I were to re-open old court cases, they could get dragged back into it. I'm not sure that it's my place to waste the chance that Shaddiq gave us."

"Therapy." Nika suggested.

"Therapy." Sabina agreed. "And, as for the wedding- I’m not sure I want a big ceremony. I’d like to celebrate with friends, but…” Sabina gestured to a stack of physical brochures on the table that she had been sent when enquiring about venues. “There’s so much to keep in mind.”

"I did say that wedding planners were an option when we first started discussing the event."

"It's more than that." Sabina winced. "A large event means more planning, more-."

Sensing that Sabina was about to spiral, Nika cut in. “So what if we make it small-scale? The four from Grassley, plus Earth House, Miorine, and my dad. That's about fifteen people?"

Sabina nodded thoughtfully. "That works- and means we don't need to go somewhere big."

Even whilst tired, Nika wanted to spend some time on the idea. “We could get married on the moon? Where you asked if I’d accept your proposal?”

“It’s hard to kiss when we’re in spacesuits.” Sabina noted with a smile that, whilst brief, was longer than either previous one.

“Okay, that’s true." Nika conceded. "But there’s bound to be an officiator’s office on Luna though.”

Sabina shrugged slightly. “I’d like it to be on Earth.”

Nika nodded. “I’d prefer that too, I was just brainstorming. Earth's special to us.”

Sabina bowed her head gratefully. “Please, keep the ideas coming. I’ve been drawing a blank so far.”

Nika shot a glance at the oven clock. “Maybe later? I think we should get some rest.”

Sabina turned in her chair to see just how much time had passed. “Ah.” She nodded. “Yes.”

“Would you like me to brush your hair, or do you want time to yourself?”

“I always find it soothing when you tend to mine. I’d value it even more tonight.” Sabina spoke with a soft tinge to her words, a show of familiar vulnerability in front of her partner. 

“Of course, love.” Nika smiled. 

Now in bed, Nika turned off her light and rolled to lie facing in Sabina’s direction. Her eyes had not yet adjusted to the miniscule glow from the night-lit city that fuzzed around the edge of the curtains, but she knew from the weight and presence on the mattress near her that Sabina was close.

She felt Sabina’s hand brush against her stomach, drawing up carefully over the worn top she wore to bed. There were only flecks of the orange PC design left in a rough outline on the material, plus a few holes and loose threads- but Nika had committed to wearing the sleepwear until it was unfeasible. 

She could tell that Sabina’s hand wasn’t looking to initiate anything- it ran counter to prior events and they were both emotionally drained from the talk. Instead, she felt as Sabina cupped the ribcage over her left-hand side, palming the tattoo through the shirt. 

“Nika.” Sabina’s breath smelt of toothpaste, cooly blowing over her face. “I…” Sabina’s words failed her. Nika felt Sabina flex the muscles of her hand, gently pressing over the blue rose design, letting her actions speak for her. Nika knew what to say.

“Thank you, Sabina. For being vulnerable to me.”

She heard Sabina swallow her emotions. Nika’s heart ached as she learnt forwards, reaching out as she did so to cup Sabina’s face and kiss a tear-streaked cheek, placing her other hand over the one on her ribs.

“Now that you've told me, we’ll work it out. Together.”

Another swallow. Then a wobbly, shaky “Thank you.”

As further sobs racked Sabina’s body, Nika held the woman she loved until Sabina's breathing calmed and steadied- it was not long after that Nika joined her fiancée in the restorative embrace of sleep. Progress would take time- but Nika knew just how valuable time was, and would spend hers on Sabina without question since she knew it would be reciprocated.

Chapter Text

Earth Date: 05/02, A.S. 129

The training room of the gym was so quiet even the subtle sound of bare feet on the mats sounded as loud as a conversation.

Clad in a light robe, Nika stood opposite Sabina, mirroring both her stance and her grip on the staff. She was holding it four-fifths of the way down the wooden shaft in a similar manner to a longsword. It was a familiar weight that she bore, light and smooth.

Because she was looking at the whole of Sabina, she saw the twitch of hip and thigh and knee as her partner moved a leg. Unconsciously she stepped forward into the reach of her opponent. Nika focused her gaze on Sabina's face, looking into keen and watchful yellow eyes. A single strand of hair had come loose from her braided crown and hung down one cheek, away from her eye.

Nika took all this in, knowing Sabina was spotting her own subtleties.They tapped their staffs against each other's once, twice- and began.

The initial strikes were a duel, reminiscent of swordplay given the grip on their weapons- strike, parry, strike in sharp report. After a dozen such passes, Nika loosened her grip on the staff for a split-second, repositioning on the shaft and taking it up like a spear to jab rather than sweep.

She had grown used to the length of the wooden shaft, keeping the location of both ends fixed in her mind, no matter the manner in which she held it. The days of overextending her arms or bumping herself with her own staff were long gone- it was an extension of her.

The same could be said for Sabina- her instructor, her partner, her other half. Nika read each subtle movement of shoulder and waist, and knew that Sabina was doing the same, instantly interpreting and reacting to the on-the-fly choreography. The sharp sounds of wood on wood increased in frequency, each brief meeting of momentum sending a humming jolt down her arms.

Nika pirouetted- a risky move in sparring or combat, but this was neither situation. It was an exchange, a dance. She heard Sabina step backwards and when she completed the turn, she watched Sabina spin her staff through a complex traversal, maintaining its blurred speed and humming sound as she swapped which hand it was in behind her back- then did it in reverse, just as seamlessly. 

They exchanged the slightest of nods at the other's display, took a moment to breathe- and then they surged back together, circling each other as their staffs met and broke with yet more speed than before, moving arms and legs in skillful coordination, the pace never slackening.

Nika felt sweat bead on her body and she delighted in it, along with the feeling of exertion as she felt a light burn in her limbs. There was something special about these particular occasions she shared with Sabina- there were no points or bragging to be won this time, just mutual satisfaction in the skill of herself and her partner.

They moved through the room like waves on a beach, walking the other back to the edge of the delineated area, then allowing themselves to be 'driven' backwards. Push and pull, give and take. An emblematic display for their eyes only.

They were both breathing heavily, sweating more. Nika knew that she would be the one to tire first- but Sabina did too, and today's session was not about endurance. Sabina pulled back and bounced the end of her staff on the mat, a question. Nika nodded, and then they met for the final time, a blurring exchange of blocks- high left, low right, mid, mid, low left, high right- six strikes in half as many seconds.

With aching arms, they broke apart. Sabina's jaw was clenched tight, fierce pride and proud tears shining in her eyes. Her pursed lips gave the smallest of smiles. The butt of her staff thump-thumped against the mat in silent salute.

Nika bowed deeply, expressing her thanks to the woman from whom she was learning so much from. 

Glowing with pride, Sabina nodded to the rack then tilted her head to the door. Nika nodded and together they stowed their weapons, carefully placing the well-used staffs onto the horizontal grips. With her hands free, Nika slipped an arm around Sabina's waist as Sabina's hand rested on her shoulder. They stood together for a moment- then Nika rotated on one leg to make the side hug a full one, in turn being held in Sabina's compassionate embrace. Her Fiancée smelt of exercise and citrus shampoo. Both well-known, both comforting. 

They would need to do cool-down stretches before their shower and taking tea with friends, but for the moment Nika wanted nothing more than Sabina's presence.

Chapter Text

Earth Date: 10/04, A.S. 129

When Henao came down with a fever and Sabina was the only one available for duty at Miorine's side on a Saturday, she had been incredibly apologetic. 

"We're taking the van so they'll pick me up from here." She called, slipping into her dark blue stab-proof jacket and buttoning it up as she exited the bedroom. "It's not a long event but it is a few hours away, I should be back at the usual time."

"That's fine, Sab. I'll find a way to keep myself busy until you're back." Nika replied. Sabina diverted from heading to the door, instead giving her fiancée a quick hug and kiss before turning with a focused look on her face, drawing her notebook from a pocket and flicking through it as she left their apartment.

Once the door shut, Nika thumbed her chin as she turned to the kitchen area, her gaze dropping to the cupboard where the slow cooked had been returned to after the need for winter cooking had given way to early spring and warmer days.

An idea sparked in her mind.

Nika picked up the car keys once she was certain that Sabina was now half an hour away. She drove out of the urban city and into the rural area in their car. The farm shop was one of her favourite places to patronise for special occasions, providing locally-sourced meat, fruit and vegetables.

"Miss Nanaura!" The jovial proprietor greeted her when she reached the counter. It was decently busy, other shoppers looking to collect orders for their Sunday meals. "How can I help you today?"

Nika nodded to him.

"Morning, Andrew. I was wondering if you could help me out. My fiancée's working today, a last-minute change-"

Andrew tutted sympathetically.

"- so I want her to come back to a nice, home cooked meal."

Andrew nodded sagely. "Then you've come to the right place! What's on your list?"

"Two lamb shanks, a variety of vegetables, herbs and seasoning- oh, and an onion ."

"If we can't manage that, I'll eat my hat." Andrew replied, nodding to his battered, wide-brimmed leather hat that rested on the counter. Let's make sure your lady is welcomed home!"

Andrew's hat remained uneaten, and Nika's bag was loaded with the requested items. She moved upstairs with eagerness and an awareness of the time- she needed to prep the food and get the slow cooker out of storage.  

Nika began by setting aside the herbs and seasoning for the last step, then cutting the potatoes, carrots and parsnips into similarly-sized chunks, mixing them in a large tupperware.

After browning the lamb in a frying pan over the hob, Nika began to fill the pot, starting with the shanks by setting them on the flatter end- with the bones pointing up- and then taking fistfuls of the vegetables and letting the chunks fall around the lamb. She returned to the chopping board and cut the onion finely, tipping the tiny cubes into the leftover fat from the lamb. As they sauteed, she collected and added tomato sauce, thickening flour and some wine from her own supplies to make a puree in the pan which she poured over the meat and vegetables before finally sprinkling the herbs and seasoning atop it.

Once the lid was on Nika set the cooker at a low temperature for eight hours. Satisfied with the process, she smiled- then turned to the small mountain of washing up she had generated. She sighed and brushed her forehead, deciding to sort the mess sooner rather than later.

The smell of cooking meat and vegetables diffused throughout the apartment from the kitchen. There was no way to escape it, even by opening all the windows aside from going for a walk.

Having set the table as the last 5 minutes of the timer on her notebook ticked down, Nika was prepared with the oven mittens once she had dismissed the timer icon. She lifted the heavy pot out of the cauldron and onto a heatproof mat. When she cracked the lid slightly, a rush of steam roiled out with the smell of cooked food, making Nika's stomach growl. She had become used to the low-level scent of the slow cooker's contents from the small vent hole in the lid, but now that it was ready and flowing into the room, she was reminded of just how delicious it was.

Nika picked up a serving spoon from where it rested on a plate and touched the jutting bone as she slid the bowl of the spoon between the base of the shank and the vegetables. Heat bloomed on the pads of her fingers as she supported the portion of meat, swiftly setting it onto the plate, humming with anticipation.

"Now we see…"

Nika gently twisted and tugged at the bone, grinning as it rotated and slid out with ease.

"Nice and tender." Nika murmured to herself. The serving spoon was used again for serving the second portion onto the second plate, plus scooping up the slow-cooked vegetables to gently tip onto the plates before finally pouring sauce from the spoon onto the meat. She eyed the clock. 

18:47. Sabina was back any minute- 

Nika heard footsteps on the landing a hundred and twenty seconds later. The sound of a key in a lock was followed by hinges swinging and louder footsteps. Nika allowed herself a self-satisfied smile at just how well things had gone.

"Nika, I'm home!" Sabina called. "And something smells good!"

"Perfect timing, Sab!" Nika replied, knowing her voice would carry the short distance. "Welcome home."

Keys rattled and socks hissed against shoes as Sabina divested herself of accessories. Nika carefully picked up the hot plates and carried them to the table where a jug of water and two glasses sat ready. She set them down on the placemats, nudging the cutlery slightly. 

Sabina appeared from the entryway, her jacket shrugged off and over one arm. She took in Nika, sitting at the laden table.

"Nika…" She said, shaking her head in wonder as her slightly tired expression brightened. 

"Come on, food's getting cold." Nika said, pouring water into the two glasses. "Sit and tell me about your day."

Sabina sat in her chair and picked up her knife and fork. The latter cut through the shank with barely any resistance. Sabina speared the meat and some vegetables onto her fork and blew once on the hot portion before putting it in her mouth. She let out a pleased sigh, her shoulders relaxing and eyes closing as she slowly worked her jaw, savouring the rich textures as they melted on her tongue. She swallowed. 

"I'm going to leave boring conversation until I've fully appreciated this meal." She declared. 

Nika hummed happily as she took her first taste of the lamb, finding it just as wonderful as Sabina had indicated.  

They ate in satisfied silence, clearing their plates aside from leaving swirls of the thick sauce. Nika stood and went to the bread bin, picking two slices of hand-made local bread with the mottled crust that they both liked and passing one to her fiancée. 

"How about now?" Nika asked as she tore the bread in two. 

Sabina took a bite from the sauce-laden half she had in one hand and nodded.

"Well, Miorine was invited to…"

After catching Nika up, Sabina insisted on washing the large cooking pot and lid herself, but Nika insisted that she would be the one to dry it. With the rest of the plates and cutlery in the dishwasher, it was a quick and easy task. Once Nika had placed her tea towel down and set the lid at an angle on the dried pot, Sabina stepped in behind her and kissed the top of her head.

"This was a wonderful surprise. Thank you for doing this for me."

"We both like the meal, so it was no work at all. Aside from the prep and serving, all I had to do was wait for the hours to pass!" Nika said lightly. 

Sabina kissed Nika's head again, nuzzling the short dark hair with her nose.

"Still, the gesture means a lot to me."

"Then thank you, it's appreciated. What do you want to do this evening, before we both have work in the morning?"

Sabina rested her chin lightly on Nika's hair and Nika felt as much as heard Sabina's ponderous hum. "Book club?" Sabina suggested. "We lapsed last weekend, but I do want to talk about chapter eleven."

"Ah, right! Sure, I'll grab the copies from the bedroom. You, Miss been-at-work, go and get comfy on the couch."

Sabina gave Nika's hair one final kiss before she loosened her hug and let Nika head towards the bedroom door, a tender smile on her lips as she watched her fiancée walk away, a thought occuring to her.

"Soon to be a Mrs."

Nika didn't turn around, but did walk with a visible spring in her step, humming a happy tune under her breath.

Chapter Text

Earth Date: 26/04, A.S. 129

Sabina blinked her eyes open, the thought that had pushed through her sleeping mind was now floating on the surface of her thoughts like a leaf on a pond. It was distinct and the only thing currently taking her attention since she was so used to who else was in bed. 

Nika felt like an extension of herself, having settled into one of her regular positions- cuddled close to her right hand side, her breath warm and gentle on the skin of her neck and collar. Her right arm felt a little numb, but that was a price she was willing to pay. 

With her free left hand, she took up her notebook and checked the lock screen clock and was mildly surprised to see that it was well past their usual wake-up time. Since it was a day off for them both they had the luxury of a lie-in.

The thought which had woken her refused to sink back under, but she collected it anyway- all the better to admire the tranquillity of the morning. She was warm. She had no urge to leave the bed. Nika was with her. 

Her mind was at peace.

She returned to the idea of the pond. The water was clear; it was no longer choked with metaphorical weeds. Those were being managed. Their first meeting with a joint therapist a month ago was progressing through a journey, step by step. Slowly, of course- none of their long-term conflicts could be resolved quickly, but help from an expert was tackling that. 

Nika mumbled something unintelligible and rubbed her cheek against Sabina's skin, her lips brushing Sabina's skin. There was a soft sound as she kissed the column of Sabina's neck and asked "Are you awake?"

"I am. Good morning." Sabina replied, tilting her head so that her jaw brushed against Nika's hair. Nika hummed at that, nudging her legs against Sabina's under the light covers as she stretched.

"How did you sleep?" Nika asked.

"Fine, love. I woke up a few minutes ago, I had a thought."

Sabina felt Nika's stretching relax as Nika diverted her full attention onto her fiancée. "Care to share it?" She asked.

"I was thinking about our surnames."

"Yeah?" Nika asked, fingering the fabric of Sabina's cami unconsciously. Her fingers were warm on Sabina's stomach, lazy and directionless, a pleasant breeze rippling on that mental pond. 

"When people marry, they often take one of three options." Sabina began.

"It's too early for a lecture, Sab." Nika teased.

"I'll be short- and there's a reason, I promise." Sabina reassured her. "Either they both take the same surname, hyphenate them, or don't change the family name."

Nika nodded slightly. "Uh-huh." She agreed, waiting for Sabina to continue after a pause. 

"But what if we swap our surnames?" Sabina suggested. "We'll be pledging our lives to each other, and I'd love to take your surname as my own as a gesture of commitment. Not to mention that 'Sa-bi-na Na-nau-ra,'" Sabina stated "ends with an 'a' and has three syllables each."

Rather than give an affirmation or gentle rejection Nika bit her bottom lip thoughtfully as she made her own connections.

"So 'Ni-ka Far-din.'" Her eyes lit up as she emphasized the equally-divided syllables and the shared ending letter "Two then two!" She grinned. "I like it!"

"I'm glad." Sabina said as Nika patted her belly. 

"What do you want to do today?" She asked.

"Well," Sabina winced. "I should probably go for a run before things get too busy outside."

"Make it a quick one." Nika told her. "Because I want to go up to the registry office and notify them of this wonderful idea you've had so that they can get the paperwork in order for our ceremony." She quickly kissed Sabina's cheek and pushed herself up, slipping out of the bed with definite purpose. Sabina flexed her numb right arm to encourage blood flow and sat up, starting to stretch and warm up her muscles as she fell into the first part of her routine. 

Sabina’s edited morning routine, saved to her notebook, reads as follows:

05:00: Turn off alarm, leave bed. Try not to wake Nika.

Addendum: It's fine if you do, Sab.

05:02: Change into running clothes, eat a banana and drink water. Get our coffee mugs out for later.

05:10: Warm-up stretches.

05:15: Begin run.

05:45: Finish run. Cool-down stretches. Coffee.

Addendum: Don't forget the goat's milk in mine!

06:00-06:45: Shower, dress, breakfast. Free time. Nika does my braid.

Addendum: <3

06:45: Morning briefing with girls via video call. Check rota to see who is on duty.

07:00: If not on duty, drive Nika to the station so she can get to G-A.Inc earlier and leave earlier.

Addendum: Unless Miorine's at work, then we can share the drive there and back!

Chapter Text

Earth Date: 23/12, A.S. 128

"Fix release!" Miorine called, leaping back to the relative safety of the patio. In front of her the two teams of three duelists faced off.

Nika, Chuchu and Suletta stood opposite Sabina, Renee and Henao. All six were tense and ready to move, the air charged between them.

Rather than pilot suits, they wore winter coats. Instead of laser munitions, piles of snowballs were set around the arena. But to Miorine's eye the competition would be no less fierce than what she had witnessed at Asticassia. 

She wasn't sure exactly whose idea it was- a friendly debate between Chuchu and Renee a few hours ago had turned into a matter nothing less than a 'duel' could settle. Sabina and Henao had waded in on their fellow's side, and Nika had been keen to support her own friend- with Suletta eagerly pledging her support too. 

The majority of old Earth and Grassley House members had been perfectly happy to encourage both parties, much to the vexation of Miorine- and Martin, the only one who had also taken her side fruitlessly trying to prevent this (friendly) bout. She had planned an excellent afternoon of entertainment. But what the rest of her guests, co-workers, bodyguards (and her wife) wanted to do was spend an hour turning part of the near-pristine snowscape of her garden into a Tactical Testing Center. Mounds of snow had been raised into waist-high barricades within an area designated by a cleared rectangle of snow large enough to park two buses side by side.

Miorine forbade herself from being (too) impressed with the effort- Suletta had asked her to referee with a combination of (infectious) eagerness and (adorable) puppy eyes. And as she was the CEO of GUND-ARM, Inc. it was only right that her seniority be respected.

As she spoke the initiating phrase, the Grassley team broke in one direction, the Earth team the other- looking to gain distance and head to the stashes of ammunition set either in the open or behind the snow walls.

Cheers of support broke out from the spectators, Maisie effectively doing her best to match the much more numerous Earth House members with support from Petra and Lauda- who had arrived during the preparations and thrown their lot in with Renee's side. 

Two of the old Three Branches up against Earth House? Miorine thought. How amusing.

From her vantage point she was able to see most of the arena (Miorine had refused a box to stand on), so she let her analytical mind privately enjoy itself as she tracked the two sides. 

The Grassley group split into individuals. Miorine suspected that Sabina would be coordinating since she was head of her protection detail. Almost immediately, the three were armed and behind their own separate barricades.

Comparably, the Earth trio all moved in the same direction towards Miorine and the patio, Nika and Chuchu behind one snow wall and Suletta taking another.

As soon as Chuchu had two snowballs in hand, she leapt to her feet, calling a war cry- and pinpointing herself for incoming 'fire'. 

Three snowballs soared towards her, each one thrown by one of the Grassley side members. One went wide, Chuchu punched another out of the air- but the third impacted on her shoulder, exploding into powder.

"Chuchu, that's one hit. You have two lives left." Miorine said. Her bodyguards had handed out spare earpieces and throat mics for the occasion, allowing for a degree of tactics between teams and for Miorine's announcements to be heard by all. Without blade antennas there was no easy way to rule a duelist out so a life system had been implemented.

"Damn it!" Chuchu cursed, repositioning herself.

"At least you've got your hair under one hat!" Lilique called. 

Chuchu laughed with the comment, nodding to emphasize her large cap, bulging with her collected 'do. "Good thing headshots are forbidden too!" She called back.

"We're still in this!" Suletta declared.

"Yeah!" Nika agreed.

"Forward!" Chuchu cried. "Keep throwing so they don't get a chance to put their heads up!"

Miorine watched with private satisfaction as her wife and friends managed to keep the Grassley heads down with well-maintained volleys, mixing up the angles so that it was a risk for their opponents to stick their heads above the walls of compacted snow.

It was less risky for Renee to lean out to one side and throw countering shots in the direction the volleys were coming from. That gave Henao and Sabina enough time to make their own moves, the former heading toward Suletta, the latter-

"Come on, Sab. You wouldn't go after me- your fiancée?" Nika asked sweetly as they both dashed closer to one another- with Sabina reaching and crouching behind the only nearby cover seconds before Nika.

"You stepped into the area, Nika." Sabina replied, just as light-hearted. "All's fair in love and war." She said the last word with intent as she slid out from behind the snow wall on her thigh, below where Nika had been aiming, a snowball cocked and ready to throw.

"Sab, wait!" Nika yelped, throwing up her hands.

Sabina paused- and that was time enough for snowballs from Chuchu and Nika to find their marks.

"Nika Nanaura!" Sabina declared in a mix of admiration and laughter and exasperation. "You are wonderfully sneaky."

"All's fair in love and war!" Nika laughed as Sabina launched herself away, Nika's follow-up throw going wide as she doubled over from mirth. A throw from Henao burst on Nika's upper arm, making her duck away too.

"Sabina, last life." Miorine reported. "Nika on two."

Henao was in her element, cool and collected as she bobbed and weaved, dodging two, four, five snowballs from Chuchu- until Renee intervened.

"Two lives down and one life left Chuchu."

"Henao, you're now at two." Miorine added as her wife traded throws- and won, as Henao punched one snowball, blocking her from seeing the follow-up. 

The Grassley team had the advantage of long years of teamwork, but Suletta had a powerful arm, scoring another hit on Renee from the other side of the arena. Nika apparently had a plan of her own too, since she crawled to one side of the snow wall Sabina was hiding behind- then raised herself into a crouch to dart around the corner.

As Nika initiated her gambit, Renee popped up from her own barricade. She cheered as she left a patch of snow on Suletta's coat- but Suletta's Holder prestige kicked in, and she took the hit in stride, sending her own reply whizzing back too fast for Renee to avoid.

"Suletta- two, Renee- out."

With Renee sighing and nodding in acceptance, Henao was the last visible Grassley girl standing. Caught between a pincer of Suletta and Chuchu, not even her skill could hold out- and Chuchu was relentless in her offensive. With a throwing rate comparable to a beam gatling thanks to her cannibalising of a snow wall as ammunition, Henao took three hits in quick succession, but did not go quietly.

"Suletta, now one. Henao- out." Miorine reported.

"Earth House wins!" Suletta cheered, throwing up powdered snow into the air.

"Again!" Chuchu added, pumping her fists in the air- before walking over and sticking out her hand to Renee. "Good game."

"Good game." Renee nodded as they shook hands. Then she paused. "Hang on, we might still be playing, Miorine hasn't called for Sabina."

"And where is Nika?" Chuchu asked. "Nika? Nika!" She called.

A few seconds later, Nika's head appeared from behind the barricade she had moved behind. Her hat and hair were askew but she was wearing a wide grin on her face. Sabina sat up a moment later, her lips parted slightly and with a stunned look on her face from what Miorine was certain had been an impromptu make-out session, especially as Sabina's braid and the back of her coat were dusted with snow.

"I won!" Nika called cheerily. "How did the rest of the game go?"

Miorine rolled her eyes even as a rather flushed Suletta bounded toward her.

"Well done for winning." Miorine told her, restricting her congratulations to a hug and quick kiss on the cheek- at least until they had turned in for the night. "How was the exercise?" She asked.

"I'm great." Suletta was radiating heat and happiness, her whisker-scarred cheeks rosy and her eyes bright. She bobbed her shoulders happily in a little victory dance as she turned to look at the battle-scarred arena. 

Nika was in the process of helping Sabina to her feet- only for the taller woman to lift Nika up and into an over-the-shoulder carry, encouraging peals of laughter to ring out over the garden as the couple exchanged playful teases. The Earth House members saw one of their own being 'kidnapped' and enthusiastically 'rescued' her by pelting Sabina- and Nika- with snowballs until Sabina tripped into a snow wall, collapsing into it with Nika once again atop her, causing more laughter from all involved. 

Miorine covered her mouth to show that she was stern and serious (and not hiding a smile of her own).

"Ah, finally!" Lauda announced, checking his notebook. "My brother's in the taxi and half an hour away."

Upon hearing this Miorine drew her hand down her cheeks, a thought crossing her mind as she revealed her smile.

"What are you thinking, Mio-Mio?" Suletta whispered, a knowing grin on her face.

Unable to hide anything from her wife, Miorine gave Lauda a nod and turned to Suletta.

"That we give our very late guest a 'proper' greeting."

After exiting the taxi, Guel made his way across the driveway toward the front door of the Rembran-Mercury household, a box of chocolates hastily purchased from a Luna-side gift shop in his hands. It had grown dark and there was only light coming from the windows of the house, casting long shadows from the trees and bushes between him and the doorbell.

It came as an immense shock when the front lights surged on and more than a dozen people all burst from behind the foliage, armed with two snowballs and launched them. Not since he had first been subject to GUND-Bits had his defeat been so certain or instant. 

He was thoroughly pelted by the others, left standing with a snow-encrusted coat and pants with bits of melting snow slipping down his collar and pattering from the battered chocolate box.

Miorine Rembran stood in the doorway, having turned on the lights to signal the ambush.  

"So nice of you to join us, Guel." She said with a touch of mirth. "Just in time for some nice, warming mulled wine. You look like you could do with a cup.

They all clustered around the large television in the living room, watching the loading icon intently. The smell of spiced wine was strong, though some had other drinks in hand. Night had fallen outside and the curtains were closed, collecting the audience of eighteen in a cosy environment.

The screen flickered- causing a collective intake of breath- then resolved into both a relieved sigh and showed the interior of a well-stocked tent along with a warmly-dressed young man with light hair and green eyes.

"Ah, good- there were signs to suggest that there was signal here, but you can't be certain." Quint said. "Hello, all."

There was a collective spread of greetings from those assembled. Elan's soul-searching following Quiet Zero had led him to change his name. Unable to separate himself entirely from his past due to the trauma and a sharing face with a well-known businessman, he had chosen a name that was seperate enough, in addition to finding a happy existence documenting and recording nature on Earth as part of an environmental survey team. The original Elan had no cause to visit Earth, and Quint liked privacy, which worked out nicely. 

"How is it near the mountains?" Suletta asked. "What with the signal and all…"

"Oh, it's not so bad." Quint said as his breath plumed. He reached out and tilted his notebook. "I've preferred being out in nature for a long time now. Oh, and the view's nice, too."

There was a collective intake of breath as more of the night sky came into view, revealing a shimmering aurora. Even with a grainy connection, it was a stunning sight.

"The clouds cleared up a few hours earlier. It's my own private show." He said happily. "There's this family of wolves that I'm on lookout for tonight. I have a thermal camera and-" he raised a steaming metal mug "-plenty of hot chocolate, so cheers."

Eighteen glasses were raised in response.

"Are you staying in the area then?" Nika asked. 

"Yes, and if you're wondering I've got enough data to message comfortably- it just depends on if I'm at camp or out surveying the wolves within their territory." He said. "So I'll catch up with any messages when I get them."

"Take care of yourself, Quint." Miorine said. "And enjoy the next few days."

"I will- and you too."

He fielded a few more questions before signing off. The party continued until midnight, aided by a deck of cards and the guests breaking off into a series of games that, unlike the earlier snowball fight, had alliance and friendship groups form and break with

Just before the hour and minute hands met on the wall clock, each of the Grassley bodyguards- who were on a semi-professional duty- in attendance received notebook pings to inform them that new vehicles had approached the gates- taxis home for the Jeturk contingent, half of Earth House plus Maisie, Ireesha and Henao.

Sabina and Nika excused themselves once they had helped tidy up, bidding their friends goodnight and making their way to the residents wing of the Rembran-Mercury house, walking together with a satisfied exhaustion.

"Left or right?" Sabina asked. To the left was the guest section and Nika's usual room. In the opposite direction was hers- reserved for the bodyguards when they stayed over.

"Right- I don't think we've ever shared the bed in my room." Nika mused. "And I'd quite like to wake up in your old bed again."

"It's smaller than the one in our flat." Sabina noted.

"Oh no." Nika said humorously. "We have to cuddle up. Like we usually do."

"Yes, it does make me wonder why we have such a big bed at home sometimes." Sabina laughed, feeling warm from food and drink and company.

"Because we have space to stretch out. Our own space." Nika supplied. "But for tonight, it's nice to revisit memories of pleasant times."

"It is, isn't it?" Sabina replied, hugging her partner close as they made their way to the appropriate door, a festive cheer in their hearts.

They both laughed when they noticed that Miorine- who had promised to deal with guest bags- had placed both of their overnight carry-ons atop Sabina's bed.

"She knew." Nika giggled.

After preparing to turn in, Sabina raised the duvet for Nika to slide under once Nika turned off the wall light. The feel of Nika's soft nightclothes and warm skin were prominent in Sabina's mind- so she embraced her love and let it aid her rest.

Chapter Text

Earth Date: 31/12, A.S. 128

Nika joined her by a window in the corridor. Back in the living room, the party was in full swing. Sabina had given her a nod a few minutes earlier as the large clock on the television counted down the final minutes until the New Year.

Nika set down her flute of champagne next to her partner's on the windowsill and looked out through the panes of glass to the gardens that were lit up with festive electric lights.

"You manage to get out alright?" Sabina asked. "Chuchu was dancing on the table when I left."

Nika grinned. "Lilique and Olejo had joined her." She replied. "I got a good video."

"Well, I hope that they'll be ready for-"

The lights in the garden cut out. The chant of "Five!" could be heard from the living room.

"Four!" In the darkness, Nika felt Sabina's hands rest on her hips.

"Three!" She put her own arms over Sabina's shoulders.

"Two!" Nika went on her tiptoes and their noses brushed.

"One!" There was a number of high-pitched rising whines from outside, and in that split-second pause between the fireworks being launched and detonating, their lips met.

Kissing Sabina was a bit like drinking champagne- it made Nika feel light and warm and bubbly, and she could get drunk on it. She could taste the alcohol on Sabina's lips too, but the kiss was so much better, so much more than that. Nika felt herself lifted off the floor and laughed as Sabina spun her in a gentle circle. She was returned to her feet as fireworks continued to explode outside, bathing their faces in changing hues of light.

"Happy New Year, Sab." She said.

"Happy New Year, love. I have a feeling it's going to be a good one." Sabina replied, leaning in for another kiss.