Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Warm… Miorine was warm. A bit too warm, even. 

Her eyes slowly cracked open, pale lids slightly sticky from sleep. She took a little bit to readjust to the waking world. It was too dark to see much of anything, so Miorine attempted to roll over and switch on the little lamp Suletta had put next to her futon.

Her hand didn't reach the lamp, nor was she able to roll over, because something, or rather someone, was holding her close, like some sort of plushie. Ah, that was right. She'd fallen asleep with Suletta, in Suletta’s bed, after they'd… made out. Passionately.

Fuck. I can't believe that happened. Miorine blushed and froze, hoping Suletta hadn't been woken by her movements. The girl in question was resting her chin on the top of Miorine's head, snoring softly. Her embrace was comforting, bringing a sense of safety and warmth that Miorine hadn't felt upon waking up for as long as she could remember.

“ Mmmm …” Suletta made a hum in her sleep and promptly tightened her hold on the other girl, soft but densely muscled arms wrapping around her torso like a vice. It only got worse when she shifted and rolled half on top of her. It would've been cute if Miorine wasn't considerably shorter and thinner than her and was thus getting the life squeezed out of her.

“S-Suletta- Ow!” Miorine hissed, trying to wriggle out of Suletta’s unconscious beartrap hug. She managed to get one arm free, and tugged on one of Suletta's ears, though not too hard. “Wake up, you lug!”

Suletta’s eyes shot open, deep blue visible even in the darkness. “Hmm…? Oh- sorry!” She yawned wide, letting go completely and scooting away, clearly embarrassed. Miorine felt the loss of warmth immediately, and couldn't help but pout. 

“I didn't say you could let go.” She mumbled under her breath, half hoping Suletta would hear her. Judging by the mischievous grin Miorine could just barely make out on the redhead’s face, she had.

The soft lamp next to the bed flicked on, and strong arms wrapped around her again, pulling her close. Suletta’s chin returned to the crown of her head, nuzzling gently. “Mmm. So that's how it is, Miss Miorine?” She hummed.

“Stop calling me that, I told you to drop the ‘Miss’.” Miorine complained, twisting slightly so she could lean back and look Suletta in the eyes.

Said eyes crinkled playfully, and the metalworker giggled. “But that's so haaaard.” Suletta whined.

“It quite literally isn't. It's one less word.”

Suletta furrowed her brow. “Yes, but that's how I always refer to others. It's respectful.” She said, and smiled at her. “I did say I'd try last night, though, so I will do my best, Miorine.” 

A different kind of warmth spread through Miorine’s chest when Suletta said her name like that, but it quickly sputtered out when she remembered what had lead to this situation in the first place. “...Speaking of last night,” Miorine averted her gaze. “Are you… okay?”

A long, warm finger brushed her cheek, returning Miorine’s eyes to the woman holding her. “Okay with what?” Suletta questioned. “The fight I had with your old bodyguard? The kissing?”

“No- I mean, yes, we can talk about the kissing after,” Miorine's face flushed and she paused for a moment, “I meant the fighting. It was…”

“Scary?” Suletta finished for her, her cerulean eyes hardened.

“Duh! You were bleeding so much! What kind of fighting style was that?!”

Suletta rubbed one of the bandages lining her arms. “I- I…”

“You what? It looked like you were trying to throw your life away. Fuckin’ explain, now.” Miorine snapped, pulling away from Suletta’s arms slightly to get a better look at the redhead. 

“I… I don't use it often. It's my own style. A ‘dance’, focusing on speed and constant pressure over defensive stances.” Suletta clenched and unclenched her calloused, scarred fingers, inspecting them intently. “I can withstand a few glancing blows and dodge the rest, if it means ending the fight quickly.” 

Miorine gawked at her, clearly not amused. “That's reckless as hell, Suletta.”

“I-I know. I know. It's gotten me into trouble just as often as it has saved me, or others.” Suletta groaned, and massaged her temples. “I haven't resorted to it in a long time. Haven't needed to. That's why I got so hurt, I was out of practice.” She explained, and looked back at the girl in bed next to her, who still had a deeply concerned frown plastered on her pale face.

“I think it's stupid. Don't do it again.” Miorine huffed, eyeing the bandages she'd had to meticulously place all over Suletta’s tanned arms. 

Suletta chuckled dejectedly, and pulled Miorine back in close. When Miorine snuggled in closer, she placed her chin back on the crown of her head and sighed contentedly. “I… I can't say it won't happen again, but… th-thanks for caring about m-me. I can be a bit of a handful, haha…” She stumbled over her words, clearly a little emotional. Miorine wasn't satisfied with that answer, but it was a start. Good thing Suletta was… admittedly very cute, or her stubbornness would be annoying.

“It's… not a problem, dummy.” Miorine replied, glad Suletta couldn't see her face at that moment, red as it was. Her voice lowered to little more than a whisper. “Can't help it at this point…” She mumbled under her breath, knowing full well Suletta could hear her.

She could feel the smile widen on Suletta’s face from the spot where her head and Suletta’s chin met. 

“I c-care about you too, Miorine. A lot.” Suletta said. “To be honest… I only resorted to it to keep you safe. I was certain that, uh, Sabina, was here to take you away or kill you.” She admitted, wrapping both of her bandaged arms around the smaller woman and holding her tight. “I promised that I would protect you, and I don't break promises, even if it puts my own life at risk.”

Miorine tensed for a moment, surprised that Suletta genuinely cared that much. “I… Thank you, Suletta. Just… I'd rather you be alive, okay?” 

At that, Suletta giggled. “That, I can also promise. I don't go down easy.” Her silent laughter carried on for a few moments longer, vibrating through the girl in her arms. “Though, only on one condition.” Suletta grinned, leaning sideways so Miorine could see her face. 

Miorine raised a silver eyebrow. “Oh? On what condition?” She asked, a small smile creeping up her lips. 

“On the condition that I get to keep having a pretty lady like you patch up my wounds.” Suletta answered clearly, blue eyes twinkling mischievously.

“HAH?!” Miorine's eyes widened, and now she was the one stuttering. “Wh-what are you- idiot!” She flicked Suletta on the forehead, embarrassment dusting her features.

“I was just teasing, sorry,” Suletta placed a chaste kiss on Miorine’s forehead, which made her face light up like a bonfire, “but I wasn't lying. Thank you for taking care of my injuries. You did a good job.”

“You kissed me…” Miorine said, more of a statement than a question. She brought a shaky finger to the spot Suletta had kissed, an unsure look on her face.

“W-we should probably talk about th-that, huh?” The cute stutter had returned to Suletta’s voice. “We d-did do that last night.” She said, and brushed aside some loose strands of silver hair away from Miorine’s platinum eyes. “I-I liked it. I think you did too, but tell me how you're feeling in case I'm wrong.”

Miorine answered with a quick kiss of her own, just below Suletta’s jawline, which caused her eyes to widen in surprise. “...I did.” She admitted, burying her face into the crook of Suletta's neck to hide her glowing red features.

Suletta glanced over at the alarm clock. Despite how late they'd slept, they still had another hour before Suletta had to open up shop (and teach Miorine how to run the front desk). She snaked a hand up the back of Miorine’s pajama shirt, and began rubbing gentle circles between her shoulder blades in a way that sent an excited shiver down her spine. “ Mmm . Do you want to kiss more?”

Words suddenly failed Miorine, and she could only give an uncharacteristically shy nod into Suletta’s collarbone before the taller, stronger woman pulled her back and tilted her head upwards at the chin with a gentle but strong finger to be face to face.

Their initial kiss was much more chaste this time, Suletta’s lips slightly chapped from dehydration. When she noticed, she wet her lips with her tongue and gave Miorine another kiss on the lips. Then, on the tip of her nose. Miorine couldn't help but let out a giggle, which was cut short when Suletta suddenly hooked an arm under her legs, pulled Miorine fully onto her lap and began leaving lingering kisses to her cheeks and jawline.

“Suletta-!”

“Tell me if you want me to stop.” Suletta said, voice low and rich. Her blue eyes were now dark, pupils dilating hungrily as she went lower, pulling her lips across Miorine's slender neck. After receiving a look like that , there was no way Miorine wanted to her to stop. She'd never tell her to, and Suletta seemed to know that.

“Keep going.” Miorine ordered, trying to pretend some semblance of dominance over the situation despite being completely at the mercy of Suletta.

She got a sudden nip on the side of her neck in response, drawing out a surprised yelp that morphed into a low moan when Suletta locked her lips onto the same spot, sucking a bruise into her pale skin. Heat rushed down her body, settling at her core, and she knew she was done for already.

Suletta groaned huskily and sucked more hickies into her neck and collarbone, pulling the collar of her pajama top to the side to get better access to her pale shoulder. Each kiss burned white hot into her flesh, and Miorine couldn't get enough of it.

“You're very pretty, Miorine.” Suletta's fang-like teeth grazed the already marred skin on her neck, sending a wave of want through her body. “Even when I had only ever seen you on the news, I thought you were stunning. Never did I imagine I'd get to meet you, let alone have you all to myself.” Before Miorine could bluster out a response to that statement, those fangs bit down hard into the soft flesh of her shoulder, and her vision went white with pain-induced-pleasure. Blood hadn't been drawn, but Suletta had made sure to leave a pretty mark nonetheless.

“ Fuck. Suletta~!” She moaned her name, and brought her right hand to Suletta’s soft cheek, brushing the whiskery tattoos there with the backs of her nails. “That- that felt really good.”

“I'm not done.” Suletta husked, and a calloused hand snuck its way up the front of her shirt, stopping just before one of her breasts. The hesitation was a question, asking if she could continue. Despite the way she was talking, Suletta still wanted to make sure Miorine consented to each step, which made the shorter girl's heart fill with appreciation. Miorine wanted this, and she wanted it badly, but she had one question to ask first.

“Your injuries…?”

“Still stinging, but I am feeling much better than last night. I heal quickly, fortunately. Thank you for taking care of me.” Suletta smiled softly, giving a gentle smooch to Miorine's cheek, which for some reason made her face burn even brighter than the rough treatment Suletta had just given her neck. Those hungry eyes flared up once more, boring into her flesh. “Now let me take care of you.”

Suletta’s palm wrapped around her left breast, giving a soft squeeze while she brought Miorine’s mouth back up to meet her own. She ran her tongue around Miorine’s soft lips; her rough-skinned thumb finding a rapidly hardening nipple, rolling it gently as the woman in her arms let out a muffled moan down her throat. 

“C-can I t-take this off?” Suletta pulled away and asked, tugging at the hem of Miorine’s dark blue pajama shirt. The stutter was there, for a moment, but Suletta's demeanor showed a focused confidence in spite of her voice.

The white-haired girl could only nod in response, still recovering her breath after Suletta stole it with her lips. Carefully, as to not rip it, Suletta pulled the shirt over Miorine’s head and outstretched arms, revealing her soft, pale torso and pert breasts. Miorine almost hid them with her hands on instinct, but stopped when she saw the look of pure adoration on Suletta’s face.

“You're really pretty.” Suletta murmured again, both of her larger hands wrapped around a breast each, holding them and teasing her nipples with the warm pads of her thumbs, which drew out more moans and breathy utterances of Suletta’s name out of Miorine’s mouth. She was still being gentle, reverent, but something new from deep within Miorine wanted that to change.

“Y-you don't need to be so- ahhh- careful.” Miorine struggled to speak, and Suletta just laughed; a mirthful giggle that made Miorine a little cross. “What?!”

“I don't know, Miorine…” Suletta took a nipple between her thumb and forefinger, pinching just hard enough to make Miorine shudder. “You seem to be enjoying this plenty as is.”

Miorine felt immediate loss as both of Suletta’s hands left her breasts, and for a moment worried if she'd said the wrong thing, messed things up again, but Suletta proved her wrong nearly immediately. She used that easy strength of hers to pick up and turn Miorine around, which made her stomach do an excited flip, and a rush of want clench in her groin. She placed her in a similar position to last night, smaller legs wrapped around her squishy but sturdy hips. “But if you say so…” 

That was all the warning Miorine got before Suletta pulled her into an open-mouthed kiss, hot tongue slipping into her mouth easily and pushing against her own, easily securing dominance over the other girl’s mouth. A hand found its way back to her chest, fondling and squeezing a small, perky breast hard. The sudden roughness surprised her, not truly expecting it from Suletta despite asking for it.

Her surprise was furthered when another hand wrapped around her upper leg, massaging fingers into silken pajama pants and sliding upwards, stopping just before the warm bulge in between her thighs. She was asking for permission once more. Mouth currently preoccupied by Suletta’s ravenous tongue, Miorine gave her approval by jutting her hips forwards, pressing her growing erection into Suletta’s waiting hand. She wanted this so badly that it hurt, it pained her to have any distance between her and her new lover.

Suletta ran her thumb across the tip of Miorine’s sensitive head through her clothes, drawing a needy whine out of the girl in her lap. The sound clearly spurred her on, because she quickly hooked a finger on the hem of the pajama pants and tugged them down, revealing cute white panties that were the last piece of clothing between her and Suletta's grasp. She pulled them aside too, letting Miorine’s chubby, half-hard cock spring free and come to rest in her open hand. Both pairs of clothes were tossed aside, coming to rest on the carpeted floor of Suletta’s room.

Miorine’s breath halted as she felt the warmth of Suletta’s fingers finally touch that erogenous part of her. Precum was already beading at the tip, and Suletta thumbed the fluid along her cockhead, drawing a shuddering groan from Miorine.

Suletta’s cerulean eyes were brimming with equal parts awe and hunger as she stared down at the rapidly hardening dick in her hand. She ran a thumb through the messy white curls of Miorine’s precum soaked bush reverently.

“So cute…” Suletta murmured, wrapping her fingers around the shaft and giving an experimental, slow pump. Her roughness from moments before had waned, and her bright blue eyes flicked up to Miorine’s face expectantly, which was flushed crimson. 

Miorine scowled poutily when she noticed her waiting. “Don't say that! Just- just do it, dummy.” 

Suletta pulled her into an open-mouthed kiss as she began slowly pumping up and down Miorine’s shaft, capturing her sudden moans in her mouth as she pulled the foreskin over the head, spreading clear pre between her fingers and using it as lubricant. Miorine shuddered, mind going blissfully numb as Suletta started doing quick jerking motions, increasing in speed slowly until she settled at a steady pace that left no room for Miorine to think.

“You're doing so good for me, Miorine.” Suletta groaned, breaking the kiss and nibbling at Miorine’s pale earlobe while the shorter girl struggled to catch her breath, panting and drooling slightly. To have Suletta’s strong, warm fingers wrapped around her most sensitive spot, made her feel small and safe and so, so good , and those words she'd just uttered sent a surge of searing want through her whole body.

She felt a familiar tightening at the back of her shaft and in her balls as Suletta picked up the pace, but she didn't want to cum yet. She needed more first; more of Suletta’s touch, Suletta’s want, Suletta’s love.

“S-Suletta. Don't let me-”

The taller girl's eyes widened, and she grinned wolfishly as she released the leaky cock from her hand, denying her orgasm. The loss of touch made Miorine ache, but she wasn't left waiting for long. With sudden speed that forced the air out of Miorine’s lungs, Suletta flipped them both around and pushed her onto her back, into the soft pillows. She climbed over top of her, pressing more kisses and hickies into her neck and onto her collarbone. Her lips traveled downwards, kissing and nibbling over the swell of her breasts and stopping at a light pink nipple. She wrapped her lips around it and sucked wetly, drawing breathy moans and whimpers out of the girl beneath her as she flicked her tongue across the hardened nipple and teased it with her teeth. 

A calloused hand reached to her other breast, squeezing and pinching and lavishing it with attention. After what must have been only a minute, but felt like forever, Suletta swapped breasts, kissing and gently biting the pert flesh while grabbing the previous one with her other hand and repeating the motions.

“You're so perfect.” Suletta husked, leaning back slightly to take in the squirming form of the woman beneath her. Miorine’s silver hair was splayed out in all directions on the pillow beneath her head, and her platinum eyes were rimmed with pretty tears as she breathed heavily while taking in Suletta’s all-encompassing earthy scent. Pale skin, once unmarred and pure, marked up and claimed by Suletta’s teeth and tongue while displaying a deep blush that went part way down her chest. Suletta's voice caught in her throat at the beautiful sight. “So, so perfect.”

Suletta's blue eyes were impossibly dark, dilating with ravenous hunger and want as she loomed over top of her. She had gone to bed without her usual headband or ponytail; her long, fiery red hair falling down her back and shoulders like roiling lava, wild and untamed. Her warm brown skin, glowing with a sheen of sweat, so beautiful on the strong, soft arms placed on either side of Miorine’s head. Suletta’s full, puffy lips were wet with saliva, and she smiled, her somewhat pudgy cheeks and round fluffy eyebrows making Miorine’s heart swoon with how cute the taller girl was. She wished that Suletta would take off her shirt, so she could see and touch those full breasts, but her mind was too hazed to tell her.

Miorine shuddered, unable to find any words at all. Nobody had ever looked at her like that, talked to her like that before. It was an alien feeling, to be treated with respect and kindness and lust like this. To be desired in this way.

Miorine’s transness had always ended up being an issue in previous relationships, sexual or non-sexual, romantic or just platonic. The men, especially, had taken issue with that part of her. Suletta didn't make her feel that way. When Suletta had found out, she was understanding and willing to learn. She had helped her get back on her medication without even needing to be asked. When they'd had that compromising situation in Suletta's workshop, she hadn’t reacted with disgust, but flustered embarrassment. 

That was why, when Suletta began pressing kisses down her abdomen and across her soft tummy, stopping just below her navel while staring up at her, deep blue eyes asking another question; she crooned happily, and nodded.

The red-haired beauty backed up and ran her calloused hands reverently down Miorine’s sides, making her shudder with anticipation. They landed on her hips, and held her in place for a moment as Suletta gazed at the throbbing member in front of her lips. 

“Are you alright with this?” Suletta asked, hot breath flowing over Miorine’s sensitive glans in a way that sent electricity jolting through her core. Miorine had had her dick touched before, but nobody had ever given her a blowjob. For a moment, she felt anxious, wondering if it would even feel good after so many years on hormones. She’d already made her decision, though. She knew what she wanted.

“Please, Suletta. Take me.” 

Suletta smiled, and stuck out her thick pink tongue, licking slow stripes up the underside of Miorine’s chubby cock, tasting the buildup of precum and taking in the heady scent of Miorine’s want. Suletta let out a soft moan as the salty fluid touched her taste buds, blue eyes still locked with her lover's. 

She wrapped those plush lips around the tip of her penis, and probed her tongue around the slit in her cockhead, drawing a shuddering gasp out of Miorine. She slowly took two inches of Miorine inside her mouth, wrapping her in wet heat. The shorter girl moaned and almost bucked her hips at the new sensation, but Suletta's strong grasp held her firmly in place.

Releasing the cock from her mouth, Suletta licked her lips and spoke. “You taste so good, Mio-Mio. Give me more.” She didn't give Miorine time to respond to the lewd statement or embarrassing new nickname before going back down, taking five inches of her in at once. Suletta moaned around her dick, and the moist heat and tightness of her mouth was so pleasurable that it caused Miorine to unexpectedly thrust her hips forward.

The tip of Miorine’s cock suddenly pressed up against the back of Suletta's throat, enveloping it in a tight seal that drew a sharp gasp and whimpers of Suletta’s name out of Miorine’s mouth. It felt incredible, much better than her own hands, or the few toys that Miorine had dared to use. Suletta’s azure eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't pull back, instead humming contentedly around Miorine's dick. 

“Nnngh- Fuck .” Miorine cursed, grabbing a handful of Suletta’s thick hair in one of her hands as her tongue curled around the underside of her shaft. Suletta began bobbing her head, sliding the twitching meat in and out of her mouth with surprising ease, stimulating every part of Miorine’s dick with her tongue and her throat. “You're so good at this- fuck, Suletta!”

Suletta came up with a wet pop, spit and precum bridging a thick string between her lips and Miorine's tip. She grinned sheepishly while catching her breath. “I- I may or may not have had some practice, ehehe.” She admitted, nuzzling her tanned nose into Miorine’s precum-soaked bush and drawing in a happy, shaky breath. “First time doing it with a girl, though.”

“S-same, kinda.” Miorine said, thinking of her first sorta-girlfriend, Yushura, for a moment. She wondered, briefly, how the girl was doing nowadays, but quickly discarded the thought. This was definitely not the time for that. “I was with a girl for a bit, years ago, but we never did anything like this… I've never gone this far with anyone.”

Suletta hummed and nodded in understanding. “Thank you for trusting me, Mio-Mio~ .” She cooed, repeating her new nickname for Miorine.

The nickname was cheesy and embarrassing, but it was so like Suletta to give her one. “Don't call me that, idiot…” Miorine grumbled, face flushed as she averted her silver gaze. It was clear that Suletta didn't buy her pretend annoyance, because she just smiled and climbed back over top of Miorine, bringing herself in for a sloppy kiss. 

Miorine gasped, surprised that she could taste herself on Suletta’s tongue. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was strange, and somehow a little exciting, to taste her own fluids regardless. Had she really leaked that much precum? The thought made her moan into Suletta’s mouth, who swallowed the noise greedily.

The look of hunger in Suletta’s eyes had renewed itself, and it seemed like she couldn't wait any longer. She grabbed her hips and dove back down, taking Miorine in once more and wrapping her in wet heat. 

The shorter woman let out a cry of pleasure, throwing her pale legs around Suletta’s shoulders. The erogenous zones on her milky inner thighs ended up tickled by unruly red hair, and she clamped them shut around Suletta’s head instinctively. 

The redhead gave a muffled whine in response, taking her dick all the way to the back of her throat and holding it there while rolling her skillful tongue along the shaft. She looked up at Miorine from between the girl's thighs, deep blue eyes watering slightly, but still brimming full of lust, desire and love . The sight of Suletta; big, strong, gentle and often intimidating Suletta, deepthroating her cock with an expression of total adoration on her soft brown face, was the hottest thing Miorine had ever seen. A wave of searing want coursed through her core. She needed to cum, badly.

“Suletta-,” Miorine clenched her thighs even tighter, “ Suletta .” She groaned, rutting her hips into the taller woman's mouth, seeking more friction. She immediately stopped, as she realized what she had just done. Suletta was currently locked between her legs, and despite being aware that the girl was more than strong enough to put a stop to anything she didn't want, Miorine still needed to ask first. Suletta had done the same for her, and she wanted Suletta to trust her.

“Can I- Can I…?” She stumbled over her words, her voice hitching heavily.

Suletta, in all her charm, simply gave a dorky thumbs up and relaxed her throat. That was all the permission Miorine needed to pull in Suletta’s head by her gorgeous fluffy hair and begin thrusting her hips upward into the warm tightness of Suletta’s throat. It felt so impossibly good, and especially after nearly orgasming earlier from Suletta’s gentle hands alone, Miorine knew she wouldn't last long. 

She increased her pace, roughly fucking Suletta’s throat while the redhead made delicious wet sounds around her dick. “I'm c-close, Suletta!” Miorine’s voice dripped with lust, feeling her impending release building deep in her core. Suletta's strong hands imprinted themselves on her hips as she felt Miorine’s thrusts begin to lose rhythm, moments away from orgasm.

With a throaty sob, Miorine gave one last thrust into Suletta’s mouth, holding her down by her hair on her cock as she found her release. Her cock twitched as she spilled out into Suletta, red hot cum coating the inside of her mouth and shooting down her tight throat in uncontrolled spurts. Her orgasm lasted for nearly a minute, and when she was finally done, Suletta rose up and dragged the twitching shaft out of her mouth with a wet pop, gagging slightly.

She pointedly licked her chops and swallowed the remainder of Miorine’s clear spend, breathing heavily. The heavy blush on her face was likely in part from lack of breath, but Suletta didn't complain. Instead, she grinned wide and kissed Miorine again, giggling giddily while making the shorter woman taste the intoxicating mixture of saliva and semen. 

“That was very good, Mio-Mio.” Suletta hummed contentedly into her jaw, wrapping her arms around Miorine’s midriff and pulling her close. “Let's go get cleaned up, okay?”

The soft cotton of her shirt reminded Miorine that she hadn't touched Suletta pretty much at all, and felt sudden shame. 

“But- I haven't touched you yet…” Miorine said, running a jittery hand through Suletta’s hair.  

Suletta blushed, and smiled gently. “W-we don't have time for th-that right now, unfortunately.” She muttered. It seemed that she, too, had forgotten about her own needs in the rush to make Miorine feel good. “That's okay, though.”

She kissed Miorine one more time, and whispered in her ear, voice low. “You can pay me back tonight.”

Miorine, after taking a few minutes to recover her energy, decided to shower after Suletta, still coasting off the afterglow of having sex. She still wished she'd gotten to return the favour, but she could do that later. 

In the minutes between waiting for Suletta to finish showering, and her own turn, Miorine finally got a good look at Suletta’s bedroom.

Unlike the rest of the apartment, it was much more decorated, and had a fair bit more furniture. It was just as clean, though. Suletta’s queen sized bed ( How did she even get that in here?) was in one corner of the room, taking up a significant amount of the space. Next to it, her dresser, dark lacquered and made of thick wood, was holding up an similarly well made shelving unit that housed numerous action figures in various poses. Miorine's eyes widened when she noticed there was an abundance of custom Gundam models and anime characters, and couldn't help but be surprised. Suletta hadn't ever said anything about liking model building or anime, but Miorine realized with a pang in her heart that she hadn't even asked. A mistake to rectify, then.

The wall next to her bed, beside the shuttered window, was plastered with posters. Most things Miorine didn't recognize, but she did know a few, including a few anime posters. The rest were band posters for indie music groups she'd never heard of in her life. Except for one, which had a logo that matched one of the band shirts Nika had given her.

On the wall opposite the foot of the bed, a decently sized, out of date television was plugged up to a few gaming consoles Miorine hadn't seen since she was a kid. She spotted an original PlayStation, a purple GameCube and even a Super Nintendo, along with a few games in the glass cabinet underneath. It seemed Suletta didn't use them often, considering the dust building up on their plastic shells and the lack of a proper game collection.

She remembered, then, that with the loss of her phone and leaving her computer behind, she hadn't played any video games at all. It had been a bit of an addiction, but when your life was a constant hell, they were a good distraction. Besides, anyone who said she wasn't allowed to have fun could ‘go fuck themselves’. Especially her father.

Her fingers itched to try out Suletta’s consoles, especially after spotting a copy of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night behind the glass. Maybe she would let her? She'd have to ask later. The noise of the shower turning off reminded her that it was her turn to get clean, now.

By the time she was out of the shower and dressed in something plain from Nika’s hand-me-downs, Suletta was already in the kitchen making breakfast. The enticing smell of scrambled eggs and waffles drew her to the kitchenette, where the metalworker was humming that same catchy tune she always did under her breath.

Her beautiful red hair was back up in her usual ponytail and headband, and she had a cooking apron on over one of her many white undershirts. The bandages on her forearms were the only ones visible, but seeing them still made Miorine's heart clench.

“Hey, Mio-Mio.” Suletta grinned as Miorine approached, tossing scrambled eggs around in a cast-iron pan with a green-tipped rubber spatula. 

Miorine grimaced, annoyed. “I said to not call me that.”

“But… it's cute!” Suletta pouted.

“It's stupid, is what it is.” Miorine grumbled, face colouring in embarrassment. 

Suletta sidled over to her and wrapped a free hand over her shoulder. “You like it~,” She grinned, “Don't try to deny it.”

“Fine, fine. Just- don't call me that all the time, okay? I’d rather be Miss Miorine again…”

“I'll keep it to the bedroom, then, Miorine.” Suletta said nonchalantly, and flipped open the electric waffle iron on the counter to reveal two perfectly square, thick and fluffy buttermilk waffles. She deposited them on a plate, and poured more batter into the iron. 

She didn't notice Miorine’s face light on fire, not until the shorter woman faked a cough to get her attention.

“What?” Suletta smirked, a teasing lilt still in her tone. 

“You're a fuckin’ flirt…” Miorine muttered, keeping her platinum eyes trained on the tiled floor of the kitchenette. She had wanted to say something else, but uncertainty stopped her in her tracks. Thoughts raced through her flustered mind, ones she was more than a little unsure of.

What were they, Suletta and her? Just roommates? Only friends? Lovers? Something… else?

Do I even want that? Does she?

Suletta didn't say anything for a moment, humming as she continued tending to the eggs, which were now tinged with a light golden brown. “Hmm. I'm just me.” She responded cheerily.

“I suppose that's true.” Miorine laughed. A warmth filled her chest, and she realized, then, that she might actually be truly smitten with her kidnapper-turned-roommate. Still, the thought made her anxious. She didn't want to throw what she had with Suletta now away, even after their sexual intimacy earlier.

Suletta, not realizing Miorine’s inner turmoil, suddenly pressed a soft kiss onto Miorine’s pale forehead, and hummed happily. Before Miorine could respond with more than an embarrassing squeak, Suletta pulled back, tanned face flushed. “I should finish making breakfast!” 

“...That you should. I won't be eating burnt eggs.”

“R-right!” Suletta forced her focus back on the food, and Miorine stared, mesmerized, at her soft, blushing features.

Damnit. I am totally whipped.

As usual, breakfast was excellent, the maple syrup coated waffles and cheesy scrambled eggs made even better due to the Suletta and Miorine deciding, without words, to sit next to each other for breakfast this time. 

To be able to lean up against Suletta’s side while they both ate in content silence, was something Miorine never thought she'd be able to experience. It was domestic, and she felt a strange feeling in the back of her mind that she wanted more.

Before long, the pair were fed and dressed for the day. Miorine was given a light cloth apron to wear, which, along with her facemask and black baseball cap, made her look like some sort of horror movie villain. She didn't mind, though, as long as it kept her identity hidden. It took Miorine until they were halfway down the stairs for her to remember that she was Suletta’s employee now. A bit of a strange circumstance, considering Suletta’s head had been between her legs earlier, but life since meeting Suletta had been full of surprises. Not always nice ones, granted, but surprises nonetheless.

A bit before Nika was due to arrive for her shift, Suletta had sat her down at the front desk and explained how to run her shop. Miorine knew how to run the till and card reader, of course, and most of what she was told was quite standard, if a bit basic. She learned how Suletta liked booking repairs and metalworking commissions for clients, as well as how to answer any simple questions they might have (and to come get her or Nika if necessary). 

As it turned out, Suletta kept everything from client details to price listings written down in a few battered notebooks, which Miorine thought was quite inefficient. A computer would work much better, and Suletta even had a laptop upstairs, old as it was. Did she even have a website? The business major and former CEO in her itched to do something about it, and pay Suletta back for her kindness and hospitality.

She was about to say something about Suletta’s poor business practices, when the bell on the door chimed and Nika walked in, completely unaware of the mess she had caused last night.

“Good morning!” Nika called, hefting a backpack over her shoulder and walking over to deposit it by the counter. She stopped when she noticed that Suletta and Miorine hadn't responded, and were staring at her with mixed expressions.

“...What?”

“Miss Nika.” Suletta smiled, but not in the warm way she had smiled at Miorine just before Nika walked in. Instead, it was laced with disappointment and more than a bit of anger.

“Did I do something- Oh! Your arms, are you okay?” Nika exclaimed, dropping her backpack when she noticed the bandages covering Suletta’s tanned arms. 

Suletta narrowed her eyes, and breathed in deep. “Someone broke in through the back door last night.” She said, eyes trained on Nika's worried expression. “They attacked me, and I had to fight them off.”

Nika nodded apprehensively, flicking her eyes to an upper corner of the room, where a security camera was attached. “Shit. Did the cameras I installed not work? I'm sorry, I'll get them replaced as soon as I can-”

“Nika Nanaura.” Suletta, the former yakuza boss, lowered her voice just an octave. It was enough to make the raven-haired mechanic halt mid-sentence, eyes widened with shock. 

“Yes, Boss…?” 

“Would you happen to know a ‘Sabina’, by any chance?” Suletta asked, voice demure and polite despite the intimidating aura she was projecting. 

Nika gulped, and nodded. “...Purple hair, tall, with golden eyes?” She answered hesitantly, a horrified realization crossing her features. “Wait, are you saying-?”

“I'm saying that you got drunk and told someone from Grassley Defense Systems about Miorine, and almost got me, and potentially her, killed.” Suletta growled, standing up straight now. Miorine shuddered, despite not being the target of Suletta’s wrath. “You're very lucky it ended up being a misunderstanding, and she wasn't one of the people out for Miorine’s life. Sabina was her old bodyguard, and thought she was in danger, so she came to ‘rescue’ her. When Miorine stopped me, I was mere moments away from killing her.”

Eyes downcast in shame, Nika shook her head affirmatively. “Yes, Boss. I apologize.” Remorse shook her voice, and she gave Miorine an apologetic glance. Suletta frowned, and sat back down.

“It's just Suletta, remember? This isn't like you, Miss Nika. What happened?” Suletta asked, retiring the intimidating yakuza facade in an instant. She smiled gently, placing a hand on Nika’s shoulder. Nika stiffened at the touch, but relaxed when she saw Suletta’s face.

Nika thought back, for a moment. “I was stressed, so I had more drinks at Earth House than usual. Sabina is, uh, a friend of mine, so we got to talking. She frequents the place, too. I don't remember much else because it was last week and I was plastered, I'm sorry, Suletta.”

Suletta sighed heavily, and nodded. “Alright. Thank you for being honest. Just don't mention Miorine to anyone again, okay? It's not safe for her. Sabina told us that Grassley has people looking for her right now.”

“Of course. I'm sorry for causing you trouble. I'll be tight-lipped in the future.” Nika’s light blue eyes flicked to Miorine, who was currently almost pressed up against Suletta behind the desk. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. “I couldn't help but notice that you've stopped using ‘Miss’ with Miorine, Suletta. Something going on there I don't know about?”

The metalworker's face lit up red as she sputtered. “I- We, uh-!” 

Miorine came in for the rescue. “I asked her to just use my name. I don't like honorifics, and getting called ‘Miss’ all the time was annoying.” She said, gently nudging Suletta in the ribs to get her to stop blabbering. What she had said was true, but the actual reasoning for it was left unspoken, as she wasn't particularly interested in informing Nika of what had taken place last night, and especially not this morning. 

Nika just smirked and nodded. “I see.” She said, a lilt to her voice that said she knew there was more to the story, but she didn’t press it.

Suletta decided then to get up and grab her leather work apron from the workshop, and in the few moments that Miorine and Nika were alone, the raven-haired mechanic pointedly tugged at the collar of her shirt while staring at her. Miorine blinked repeatedly for a moment, confused.

What is she… Wait, shit!

A pink blush immediately rose to Miorine’s pale cheeks, and she pulled the collar of her own shirt up to hide the evidence of the very prominent hickies Suletta had left all over her neck. Thankfully, Nika didn’t say anything about them, but the smirk on her face told Miorine full well what she thought.

The Witch from Mercury opened its doors for the day soon after that. Miorine got comfortable in the comfy retro stool that made her short height far less obvious behind the tall glass desk, and got used to the workings of the cash register for a bit while waiting for a customer to arrive. 

Despite how inefficient of a tool Miorine thought it was, Suletta’s ruffled little notebooks were at least usable, since the girl had very fine handwriting and an orderly system for everything that went in them, which she approved of. The dark red one was the most important, since it was used to write down client details.

It didn't take long for it to see some use, too, as a client arrived requesting that his truck be inspected for brake issues, and the next wanted her microwave fixed. Each customer that came in was more than a little surprised to see a new face behind the counter, but they were mostly friendly, considering Miorine was putting her well-practiced professionalism and years of talking to businessmen and irritable customers to use. Suletta and Nika popping in and out of the garage area to assist also helped, and she was grateful for that.

Nobody recognized her, thanks to the facemask, but a few did ask for her name, to which she just responded with ‘Mio’. It was embarrassing, but she would rather not have random people calling her Notrette. She shouldn't have used it when she first met Nika either, but to be fair, she was panicking at the time.

By the time it was lunch, Miorine had successfully set up five vehicle repair jobs, a few of which needed to be appointments, and the rest were done immediately. A few people had purchased some refurbished appliances, and one had even bought one of Suletta's well crafted steak knives. The metalworker had to come back and help for that one, as she needed to get the product out of the locked cabinet, and show Miorine the price listing for it in the little blue notebook.

It seemed that a majority of people were here for the repairs half of ‘The Witch from Mercury Metalworks Automotive and General Repair’ , but Miorine admired Suletta’s dedication to keeping her craft on display regardless, especially since a non-negligible amount of it was weaponry, and far less of it was utensils or tools.

Suletta fed all three of them a filling meal of cold-cut chicken sandwiches with havarti cheese and pickles for lunch, which Miorine enjoyed quite a lot. They got back to work after that, and before Miorine had even noticed, the day was nearly over.

She'd realized a few things during her first day working for Suletta, and the most prominent was that she had no idea how she and Nika managed to do all of those repairs by themselves. They looked exhausted and dirty by the time it was a quarter past six, and smelled like it too. Miorine was again thankful for the facemask, since the stench of car oil and grease was far worse than when she had come down to hang out a few times before.

The other big thing she realized was how easy this was, in comparison to running her old company. Being a CEO was generally a laid back, easy job by design, but Miorine had put her all into running the medical technology firm she had built from the ground up without her father's help, and that meant she knew what it was like to do the dirty work. Mostly, anyway, she wasn’t much for physical labour.

It was almost boring, sitting behind the counter and writing down people's contact details in a little notebook and selling appliances for hours, but she wasn't about to complain. Miorine wanted less stress in her life, and despite how chaotic things had been lately, she was fine with it.

It hurt to think about the company. It wasn't hers anymore, since her stupid father had forcibly transferred ownership of it to Guel Jeturk. Hopefully it would be in good hands. As much as she hated Guel, he wasn’t stupid, and she doubted he would fire or replace the talented staff she'd left behind. 

Miorine yawned, crossing her pale legs on the stool and waiting as Suletta finished up a final repair in the garage. Nika had gone home already, so it was just the two of them now.

“Yo, Princess!”

Or not. 

Chuchu trudged through the front entrance of the shop, leaning an arm on the glass counter when she reached it. “Where's Red?” She asked abruptly, looking around for the redhead. 

“In the garage. Do you want me to get her?” Miorine replied, frowning slightly. She still wasn't much of a fan of the pom-pom head, but she'd been at least tolerable every time they'd met since Chuchu had attempted to stab her to death. Still, she knew it would be best to be careful when talking to her.

“Nah, I can wait.” Chuchu said, idly playing with a loose thread on her oversized pink sweater. She turned back to Miorine with an odd expression on her face. “You're wearing one of Suletta's old aprons. Did she actually hire you?”

Miorine nodded curtly, and remembered that it was fine to pull down her facemask now. She let out a sigh of relief at the regained freedom of breath, and took a swig of water from the glass Suletta had given her earlier. Chuchu’s eyes raked over her in a way that felt like she was being scanned by an x-ray, and she had to stop herself from jolting instinctively under the scrutiny. Hopefully her shirt collar was high enough…

“Huh. ‘Bout time she hired someone for the desk. Girl's always trying to do everything on her lonesome.” Chuchu said, after a few moments. “Say, Nika texted me to tell me what happened yesterday…” She trailed off, still eyeing Miorine, who stepped back slightly, apprehensive.

“And…?”

“Did Red pull that stupid stunt of hers again?” Chuchu glanced over to the door that led to the garage, from which the muffled sound of a screwdriver fired off in short bursts.

Miorine nodded slowly, following her gaze. “Do you mean- like-?”

“When she gets in a fight and acts like a goddamned berserker.” Ending her sentence for her, Chuchu frowned, her eyes narrowed in concern.

“Yes, she did.” Miorine responded, sighing. “She was covered in wounds, and almost fainted. Thank fuck none of the cuts were too deep, or I'd've had to do emergency stitches.” 

“Y’patched her up? Didn’t expect that from you, Princess.” Chuchu jeered, her pink eyes mocking.

Miorine scowled, her white eyebrows forming a thin line. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin’.” Chuchu smirked in a way that sent fumes rising to Miorine’s head.

“You're an asshole, y'know that?” Miorine glared, crossing her arms. 

Laughter was Chuchu's response, which did not help the throbbing vein in her temple. “Yeah, I know.”

Chuchu leaned forward, over the counter, causing Miorine to lean as far back as she could without falling off the stool. 

“Chill, I won't bite.” The edge in her voice said otherwise. “Though that seems to be what you're into.” Chuchu swiped out a hand and roughly pulled aside Miorine’s shirt collar, revealing the purpling bruises underneath.

“Those are fuckin’ hickies, and I know it wasn't Nika who gave them to you.” Chuchu glared, sending an unwelcome shiver down Miorine’s spine.

The silver-haired woman attempted to tear her shirt collar out of Chuchu's grasp, who just went stone faced and tightened her grip.

“So what? It's none of your business who gave me these.” Miorine snarled, her heart roughly beating in her throat.

The pink-haired tattoo artist simply laughed. “It is my business, Princess.” She scoffed. “If you hurt Suletta…” 

“Who said it was Suletta?”

Chuchu abruptly tugged Miorine closer, almost off of the stool. “I'm not stupid. I've seen how you two look at each other.” She said, and her voice dropped low. “If you break Suletta’s heart, I'll kill you .” She warned, the threat in her tone very real.

Miorine's throat went dry, and she finally pulled herself away from Chuchu, slapping her hand away with as much force as she could muster.

The air grew cold as they stared each other down, Miorine breathing rapidly while Chuchu nursed her stinging fingers with her other hand.

Thankfully, Suletta soon poked her head through the door, cutting through the tension like a sunbeam.

“Ah! Miss Chuchu! I thought I heard your voice.” Suletta grinned, brushing grime off of her apron with her also grime-coated gloves, which didn’t accomplish much.

Suletta, for the briefest of moments, gave Miorine a worried glance. It seemed like she’d heard at least part of what Chuchu had been saying, the pink-haired former yakuza wasn't soft spoken in the slightest.

“Hey, Red. You good?” Chuchu asked, eyes drawn to the waterproof bandages on Suletta’s bare arms.

The metalworker beamed, rubbing one of the bigger ones absentmindedly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Miorine did a perfect job tending to me.” She responded pointedly while sending a thankful nod in Miorine's direction.

“...That's good.” Chuchu said. “Suletta, you need to stop doing that stupid heroics shit, it's gonna get you killed.” 

The red-haired woman gulped and scratched the back of her scalp. “Hah… I know, but-.”

“But what?! You give everyone a fuckin’ heart attack every time you do it. Stop being reckless, Red, I swear. You're not an idiot, so don't throw your life away!” Chuchu, despite being only a mite taller than Miorine, almost appeared to be the tallest person in the room, seething with rage as she now was. Her pink pom-poms bounced when she stood on the tips of her shoes. “Do you have any idea how much fuckin’ trouble we'd all be in if you ended up in the hospital?! We're criminals, damnit!”

“But…”

Suletta paled under Chuchu's intense gaze, and fidgeted, unable to find a response as Chuchu continued to lay into her. Miorine thought back to how Suletta had acted towards Nika earlier, when she was scolding her, and her behaviour over the last week. Something abruptly clicked in her mind.

Suletta doesn't stand up for herself. Every time she's been assertive or angry, it's been because someone else was in danger or hurt. 

“Knock it off, Pom-Pom head.” Miorine interrupted Chuchu's tirade. “I already talked to her about this!”

Chuchu turned her ire towards Miorine. “ You did?” She spat, giving her a disdainful look. “Can't believe Miss pretty Rembran princess thinks her input matters more than the person who has known Suletta for over half of her life! Why would she listen to you?!” 

“Shut your trap, idiot! She didn't listen! I'm trying to tell you to lay off because Suletta is clearly upset!” Miorine hissed, gesturing at the redhead, who had shrunk in on herself, and seemed close to tears.

That got Chuchu to pause. Her face fell. “Fuckin’ hell. Fine. Fine! ” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her oversized pink sweater and growled. “If you don't need me anymore, Suletta, then I'll just go!” She yelled, and stomped off to the front door of the store.

“M-Miss Chuchu! P-please wait!” Suletta scrambled forward, grabbing onto the hood of Chuchu's sweater. “Please…”

Chuchu's steps faltered, and she stood there, immoving. She took in a deep, unsteady breath, and looked back over her shoulder. “I'm sorry. Damnit. I-I just need time to cool down, alright? I didn't mean it, what I said.”

With that, she loosened Suletta's grasp and walked out the glass door, her pink figure quickly disappearing out of sight.

Suletta stared after her, and let out a choked sigh. “Chuchu…”

Suletta brushed a buildup of tears from her soft cheeks, and continued closing up shop without saying a word. Miorine watched, unsure of what to say, or if she should say anything at all.

Right before Suletta locked the front door, her phone rang. Her face fell, and she answered the call with a dejected expression.

“Hello? Yes, Eri. I'm working on it. I'll have them ready for you to pick up by the 26th.”

A pause. Suletta frowned as she listened to whoever was on the other end of the line.

“No, nothing's new here. Business is going fine. …No, I don't know anything about that. Alright. I need to close up shop now, have a good night.”

She hung up, and sighed heavily.

What was that about?

Once the shop was securely closed for the night, Miorine followed Suletta up the stairs, and once her foot was inside the apartment proper, Suletta turned around and pulled her into a sudden hug.

“Suletta?” 

“Sorry- Just… needed that.” Suletta mumbled, and attempted to pull back, but Miorine locked her arms around her waist.

Miorine knew she wasn't good at this, but she had to try. “...Are you okay?” She asked, carefully watching Suletta’s expression. The metalworker's deep blue eyes closed, and she let out an affirming grunt.

“I… I'm fine. Thank you for helping me, Miorine.” Suletta said, laying her forehead on Miorine’s for a moment. “Miss Chuchu… really cares about me. Miss Nika, too. We were very close, before I- Nevermind. I think she'll come around.”

Bringing a thin hand up to brush fluffy red bangs out of Suletta’s eyes, Miorine inclined her head in a slight nod. “I think she will. I’ll admit, she did have a point. I just… disliked how she was talking to you.”

Suletta grimaced, and sighed. “Y-yeah. She did. She can just be a bit… What's the saying? Ah, ‘tough love,’ I think.” The taller woman effortlessly pulled Miorine's arms away from her torso, but kept hold of her hand as she pulled her along to the kitchenette. “I just can't promise it won't happen again. There are… certain people out there, who are more than a match for me if I don't fight like that. I just need get back into practice.” She said, and reached up into one of the cupboards one-handed, still grasping Miorine’s with the other. 

She pulled out two bowls of instant ramen that Miorine had requested she buy just in case she needed to eat while Suletta was asleep or busy. It seemed she wasn't in the mood for making a proper meal. Miorine couldn't blame her. The sound of water boiling in the electric kettle soon filled the apartment. Miorine felt the sudden urge to find a pack of cigarettes while she was waiting, but Suletta's insistence over the past week that she not smoke anymore was surprisingly convincing. 

Once their stomachs were full of warm broth and noodles, Suletta decided to shower quickly and go to bed. Without hesitation, Miorine followed her to her room instead of retiring to her futon in the living area. It just felt right, and Suletta didn't complain. Rather, she just hummed and pulled Miorine into the bed with her the moment she entered the room.

Miorine found herself tucked under the covers, with Suletta's arm wrapped around her shoulders, as the taller girl scrolled through her chunky black phone. Miorine tried not to peek, she really did, but it was hard not to notice that Suletta had been checking off things on some sort of list. The list she'd been squealing about last week, maybe?

“Suletta?”

Cerulean eyes glanced down from the phone screen, the light reflected within. “Yes, Mio-Mio?”

Oh… When she said she'd keep that nickname to the bedroom… she might've meant that literally.

“What's that?” Miorine pointed at the phone screen.

Suletta’s face coloured slightly. “O-oh. This is my to-do list.” She handed her phone to Miorine, a slight hesitancy in her actions. “It's… a bit embarrassing, but… I made it after I left Shin Sei.”

Miorine read, and her platinum eyes widened.

‘Suletta’s Normal Life To-Do List’. What the hell?

Not many of the items were checked off, and those that were, made her heart sink. The items that were were all very basic, from ‘hanging out with friends’, to ‘have a roommate’ and even ‘give someone a nickname’. So that was why Suletta had started calling her ‘Mio-Mio’...

Miorine had known that, as a former yakuza, Suletta’s life wasn't exactly usual, but these things weren't something even a hardened criminal were exempt from. Hell, they were mostly things you'd expect even a high schooler to have done already.

One item on the list, that was yet to be checked off, caught Miorine’s eye. Her heart clenched.

‘Go on a date with someone I like’. She’s never…?

“Suletta?”

“Hmm?”

“What the hell kind of life did you live before this?”

Suletta blinked. “Oh.” She cleared her throat. “I-I think it’s about time I told you about all that, h-huh?”

Miorine nodded, and handed Suletta’s phone back to her. “Yes, you did say you'd tell me, but I don't want you to rush it if you're uncomfortable.” She said, tucking herself further into the crook of Suletta's arm.

“It's fine. I don't mind, you deserve to know. Though, please understand that you may think less of me once I tell you.” Suletta scratched her chin, and put her phone down on the bedside table. She thought for a moment, and sighed deeply. “Maybe I should just start from the beginning…”

“I was born into an already fractured family, along with my twin sister. The Shin Sei Clan was new, a splinter off of a former, destroyed group. That group was called Vanadis, and it directly opposed the upcoming takeover of the city's local government. Delling Rembran was the one who orchestrated it all, because he wanted to be mayor. My mother, the leader of the clan, raised my sister and I to be the perfect successors to her, in case she died.” 

“My early life was… not the best. I never knew my father, he died before I was born, when Vanadis was routed.” Suletta absentmindedly played with a lock of her vibrant red hair, a nervous habit Miorine had noticed. “Mother took good care of us, but she had high expectations. I was to train in martial and weapon arts, do perfectly in school, and never get too close with anyone outside of Shin Sei. Miss Chuchu was my first friend, and I only met her when I was thirteen after her fathers joined the clan.”

“Eventually, I went to college, and met two people. Miss Nika, who also became a part of the clan, and- and Mr. E-Elan, who was the first person outside of the clan I tried to befriend. We got… quite close. Eventually, we decided to try going on a date, a few weeks later, when we were both free. We both led busy lives, and he was to be a successful businessman.”

Miorine frowned, taking note of Suletta’s stutter when she mentioned this ‘Elan’ guy. What had happened between them? She let Suletta continue, intrigued.

“Ericht, my sister, was always my better when it came to the things our mother taught us. She took it all very seriously. Mother always trusted her with anything important before me, and she knew our purpose far before I did.”

Miorine shuffled, drawing Suletta’s attention. “Your purpose?”

“What our mother was preparing us to do. We were to become an elite pair of killers. Assassins, I guess. Ericht took to it quickly, but I was hesitant. A few days before my date with Mr. Elan, I was given my first target. My first kill. An ‘Emil Ceres’, a high ranking Benerit Group member. My sister gave me the information, and tagged along to make sure it got done. We were to catch him unawares in an alley, while he struck up a ‘deal’ with a plant my mother had placed. Ericht dealt with his guards, while I snuck in behind him.”

Ceres- wait a fucking second-!

“I killed him quickly, quietly, as practiced. He felt no pain. At first, I felt nothing, but then- then I saw his face. He had Mr. Elan's face.”

“Fuck, wait, Suletta.” Miorine interrupted, mind racing. “You're talking about Elan Ceres? From Peil Technologies? But he's alive-!”

“H-he is, and isn't. Not the same Elan. Emil was his real n-name. He donned his older brother's name, the true Elan Ceres, to confuse political enemies and protect him from assassination attempts. Emil, the Mr. Elan I knew, was e-expendable.” Suletta choked on her words, pausing for a moment to catch herself. Tears were flowing unbidden down her tanned face now. “My mother punished me for befriending someone in the Benerit Group by using me to kill him, and my sister was the one who told her about him. I had trusted her to keep my friendship with him a secret. She did not. It was my fault, for thinking that she would.”

Miorine's jaw clenched. “What the fuck?! That's vile! What kind of family does that?! How in the hell is that your fault?”

Suletta didn't respond, and just kept talking, almost feverishly fast. “I was so, so very angry, once I realized it really was him that I had killed. He… never showed up to our date. But I didn't say anything. I just kept silent, and continued my obedience. I finished my training, and became a stronger fighter than anyone else in the clan. I was third in command, right next to Ericht. I organized mass crime, led those in the clan beneath me to control our sectors in the city, and I killed more and more important Benerit Group members for Mother. I was cruel, exacting. I had to be, or I'd lose focus of my goal. My entire existence for those few years was fueled entirely by rage. Miss Nika and Miss Chuchu are still afraid of me because of those days, and I feel sick every time I'm forced to remind them.”

The red-haired girl pointed towards the slightly ajar bedroom door, into the hallway. “The white steel broadsword, on the weapon rack on the wall. Its name is Calibarn. My final test in my training before I was considered a proper successor, was to forge it. Mother and sister each have their own. Lfrith, the original blade, and the one my sister made for her own final test, Aerial. As soon as it was finished, I was ready.”

Ready for what…? Why is she telling me about a sword? No… that can't be it, right?

“I challenged my own sister to a duel for first in line to succeed my mother as the leader of Shin Sei. But I didn't want to lead. I've never wanted to. I grew disillusioned the moment Mr. Elan died by my hands.” Suletta clenched her tanned fist, face contorting with anger, but it was pointed inwards. “I broke the rules of the duel, secretly bringing along Calibarn, and I used it in a stupid attempt to try to avenge Mr. Elan. With my sister and mother in the same room, alone, I declared my intentions, and tried to k-kill them both. I spilled Ericht's blood with Calibarn that night, but I failed to get the revenge I wanted. Mother incapacitated me with a taser before I could kill my sister. She had known the whole time that I was going to try something. She's always been highly observant.”

Miorine's eyes widened, shocked. Suletta noticed her horrified expression, and just smiled sadly. “Yeah. I know. I was given a choice by my mother. Be demoted to the lowest dregs of the clan, or be banished from it. I chose the latter, though I deserved worse punishment. The only reason I wasn't immediately killed is because I was my mother's daughter. Miss Chuchu and Miss Nika left with me, and I was allowed to live, separate from the clan, so long as I was branded with the markings of a traitor so nobody who knew what they meant would trust me, and that I continued to give to the clan in some way. That was all… over six years ago.” 

Suletta’s face softened, and she gave Miorine a remorseful smile. The tears dripping from her azure eyes hadn't stopped, and Miorine had never seen her so sad. Her heart felt like it was about to crack in half.

“...I love my family, and I'm thankful for what my mother taught me, and the mercy she gave me after my mistakes, but I'm glad I don't live that life anymore. I was a terrible person. I still am, despite doing my best to change. I vowed that I'd never try to get revenge with violence for anything ever again, and I began my new life; with a new last name, and a fake history. I ran, and gained one.”

Stunned into silence, Miorine could only stare at Suletta in horror, open mouthed.

The redhead averted her gaze, a look on her face that Miorine knew all too well. Self-loathing. “I warned you that you would think less of me when I told you…”

Shaken out of her daze, Miorine brought her hand up to Suletta’s tear-stained cheek and turned her head back towards her own. “No… I don’t. I just- fuck. It was just a lot to take in.” She breathed in deep. “Suletta… I don’t know your mother, obviously, but she sounds like a real piece of shit.”

Suletta chuckled darkly at that. “I don't know. I used to idolize her. She has a way with words, and a commanding presence. I understand her reasons for being how she is, I just couldn’t be a part of it anymore.”

“...I can relate to that. My father is a real asshole, but I know the death of my mother affected him heavily.” Miorine sighed, and settled back into Suletta’s arms.

“The person on the phone earlier… that was your sister, wasn’t it?” Miorine asked, resting her chin on Suletta’s chest. She could feel her heartbeat, and it increased in tempo at her question.

“Y-yes. That was Ericht. She comes here to pick up orders for Shin Sei sometimes.” Suletta replied. “We… try to get along. She does, at least. It’s… hard to look at her and not think about what I did.”

“What orders?” Miorine had a guess as to what, but she had to ask anyway.

“Blades and tools, mostly. It’s a part of the deal to keep my freedom, as well as Nika and Chuchu’s. To repay the clan in some way, that is.”

“Do you even get paid for it?”

“...No. I do get given the materials to do it for free, though, and there’s always some extra, so I don’t need to buy metals for my own projects too often.” Suletta stretched her arms up high, bringing Miorine’s head up with her chest. “It’s more than I deserve, so I’m not going to complain.”

Miorine frowned at that. Annoyed, she did what Suletta had done with her a few times now, and pulled her face towards her by a single slender finger under her chin. “I think you deserve a lot more than what you've gotten, and I don't want to hear otherwise.” 

Suletta gulped. “W-what do you mean by that?”

“You called yourself a terrible person. I don't think you are at all.” Miorine asserted, pressing that same finger into Suletta’s soft, tattooed cheek.

“The very first thing I did when I met you was kill people and kidnap you. What's not terrible about that?” Suletta scowled, averting her eyes again.

“No, the very first thing you did when you met me, was save my life and clean my wounds. Also, I killed one of them too, remember? Still trying not to think about that, to be honest, but I'm sure as fuck happy to be alive.” Miorine retorted, hoping her words would get across. They did not.

Suletta just grunted and closed her eyes, avoiding Miorine’s piercing gaze. “I'm sure I could have solved that without murdering them.” She muttered. “It comes too easily to me, the act of killing. I was born to do it, it's in my blood.” 

“Stop being an idiot, Suletta! If you were a terrible person, you wouldn't have friends who care about you, and you wouldn't have offered to house and protect me.” Miorine snapped. 

Suletta seethed in response, gritting her teeth. “They're scared of me, remember?! I'm just trying to get by with the freedom I was given. Whether or not others think I'm a garbage person doesn't matter anyways. The damage has already been done, I'll always be a murderer. I know what I am.”

That did it. Miorine couldn't stand this self-depreciative talk any longer. Especially not coming from this girl; the beautiful, kind, strong woman Miorine had finally admitted to herself she'd fallen for. A sudden hard flick of Miorine’s fingernails connected with Suletta's forehead. The redhead recoiled, surprised and confused. 

“Wh-what was that for?!” Suletta yelped, massaging her stinging forehead. 

“Now you're calling yourself garbage?! Where is this coming from?!” Miorine got up on her knees and leaned over Suletta. She grabbed the collar of Suletta’s shirt and tugged, silver eyes burning angrily. “Explain it to me, now!”

Suletta, shocked by Miorine's sudden rage, cowered beneath the smaller girl. For once, Miorine actually felt taller than the redhead. “I-I… I don't know…”

“Yes you do! Don't give me that shit!” Miorine hissed.

Tears abruptly returned to Suletta’s eyes. Guilt immediately clawed at Miorine’s stomach, and she remembered that she'd just called out Chuchu for this exact behaviour. She wanted Suletta to feel better, and yelling at her would not help. Miorine took a deep breath and fell back, releasing the red haired girl from her grasp. 

“Suletta? Please, listen to me.” Miorine softened her voice. “You're- you're a good person, Suletta. You need to think of the present, not the past. All those people you introduced me to, they appreciate you! You've done so much good!”

Tears continued to stream down Suletta's face. “B-but I've done far more h-harm, and hurt so many p-people!” She stammered, as her azure eyes scrunched up in pain. “E-every night, when I go to b-bed, I s-s-see their faces. I see M-Mr. E-Elan's face, cold and unmoving because of me, and I r-remember all the people I've scared and hurt and k-killed.”

Miorine snapped her fingers to get the crying girl's attention, but kept her expression soft. “Yes, you've done all that, but you were born a literal fucking crime lord's daughter. The way you were raised isn't your fault! I’ve only known you for a short time, and yet even I can see how much you're trying to change, how much you have changed.” She insisted, tearing up slightly herself.

Suletta was full on sobbing now, salty tears pouring down her face. “You sh-should be scared of me t-too! I considered killing y-you when we met, when I figured out it was you! I'm bloodthirsty!”

“And yet you didn't.” Miorine brought a pale thumb to Suletta’s cheek, wiping away tears. “You didn't, and then swore to protect me, to keep me safe. That's not what a bloodthirsty murderer does, those are the actions of- of a knight.” She said, gently tucking a loose strand of Suletta’s fiery hair behind her ear. 

Suletta stilled, sobbing abruptly halted. “A kn-knight?” 

“Yes. A knight.” Knight felt like the right word, to describe the brave, chivalrous redhead. “You've been nothing but good to me since we met. You're kind, sweet, caring and oh so fucking stubborn.” Miorine smiled, wiping more tears from tanned skin. “Everyone in your life thinks so too, I know it.”

The former businesswoman wrapped her arms around the former yakuza, pulling her in for a tight hug. “You're wonderful, Suletta. You're the nicest person I've ever met, and I-I… I like you a lot.” She admitted, hiding the pink tinge on her cheeks in Suletta’s unruly hair.

Suletta blinked, stunned. “Y-you do?” She stammered. 

“Yes, dummy. I wouldn't let just anyone give me head.” Miorine chuckled, and Suletta reluctantly joined her. She returned the hug, and sighed shakily. The pair lay there for a while, basking in each other's warmth in silence. Suletta’s heartbeat, which Miorine could feel where their chests met, slowed, and eventually calmed. The softness of Suletta’s arms and her comforting heat washed over Miorine, and she felt her own heart rate quicken. 

“I-I’m sorry, Miorine. I wish I wasn't such a mess.” Suletta said, resting her chin on the silver-haired girl's shoulder. 

Miorine gave her a squeeze. “If you're a mess, I am too. I'm not exactly free of sins either, remember?” She said, “I ran away from it all, just like you did. Now… now we're both here.” 

“I s-suppose that's true.” Suletta admitted. “I think- I think I'm glad to be here, with you.” 

“Me too. Do you believe me yet? That you're a good person?”

Suletta smiled sadly. “...No, I can't. N-not yet at least. I'll try my best, to live up to how you see me.”

Miorine pulled back, leaning over the redhead again, but this time with a much softer expression. An idea formed in her mind, of how she could convince Suletta that what she said was true. “Hmph. Stubborn idiot. If you don't believe me, then let me show you.” 

Suletta blinked away residual tears, ocean deep eyes unsure of her intent. “Huh? Show me what?”

Miorine smirked, and did what she’d been thinking about doing all day, pressing her lips into Suletta’s own. Surprised, Suletta fell back a bit at first, but the moment Miorine’s tongue sought entrance, sliding along her upper lip, she relaxed and leant into the kiss. Suletta's lips tasted like salty tears, but that was fine.

The earthy, seductive scent of Suletta dug into Miorine’s mind as she pushed her tongue into the redhead’s mouth and pressed against the warm, tense muscle inside. Suletta let out a throaty hum down Miorine’s throat, wrapping her arms around Miorine as the shorter girl moved to straddle her lap. Heat shot through Miorine as she felt Suletta’s hands land on the small of her back.

They parted, for a moment, already panting slightly after only a minute of kissing. Miorine locked eyes with Suletta, and saw burning desire flowing through those azure pools. “I want to show you how much you mean to me, Suletta.” Miorine brought her hands to rest on Suletta’s broad shoulders, squeezing gently. “Can I touch you?”

Suletta responded by briefly kissing Miorine again, and pulling back to throw off her teal pajama top. She wasn't wearing a bra underneath, and her large, full breasts fell into view. The angular circuit-like tattoos on her copper skin branched out from her sternum and across her breasts, and Miorine found herself staring unabashedly, awestruck by the sight for a second time.

“You're so beautiful, Suletta.” Miorine whispered, as if it was a secret between only them. She brought a pale hand up, but faltered. Despite remembering, vividly, what Suletta had done to her, she had no idea how to touch her in return. Miorine had watched enough porn before to have a basic idea of what she might be expected to do, but she still felt entirely incompetent. When Suletta inclined her head in an imploring manner, Miorine reluctantly admitted her worries. “I- I said I've been with a woman before… but I sorta lied. We never went beyond kissing. I… don't know what to do, I'm sorry.” 

Suletta smiled gently, and grasped Miorine’s smaller hand with her own. “Let me teach you, then.” She brought Miorine’s thin fingers to her left breast, pressing them into her soft flesh. 

Miorine gave a gentle squeeze after a nod of encouragement from Suletta. She felt Suletta’s nipple rapidly harden under her palm, and she shuddered at the sensation. Miorine brought her other hand up, and wrapped her fingers around her right breast, and heat began to pool in her stomach when Suletta let out a soft moan in response. 

“Use your thumbs, Mio-Mio.” Suletta said, red dusting her cheeks. She released Miorine’s right hand and returned her calloused digits to the smaller girl’s back, snaking up her dark blue pajama top. Of course, Miorine already knew that was something she should do, but she was uncertain of how much pressure to use, or what would feel good. She tentatively ran her thumbs across the dark brown buds, drawing more muted moans out of Suletta. Miorine felt her core clench with desire. She wanted to hear more. 

“That feels good, Mio-Mio. Keep going.”

Miorine rolled Suletta’s nipples between her fingers and pinched lightly, relishing in the contented rumble that rose from the redhead’s throat. She massaged her thin fingers into Suletta’s tits, leaning forward and capturing her plush lips in a desperate kiss. Red curls fell around Miorine's shoulders, mixing with her straight white hair.

“Mmmhh!” Suletta groaned, bringing her hands down to cup Miorine’s petite butt and squeezing. Miorine let out a squeak muffled by Suletta’s mouth, squishing harder in return.

Gaining confidence, Miorine broke the kiss and scooted backwards, silver eyes focused on her goal. After a confirming glance upwards at the other woman, Miorine wrapped her lips around one of Suletta's nipples and began to suck. 

Miorine moaned, savouring Suletta’s taste on her tongue as she eagerly suckled and licked. Long fingers weaved themselves through her silver hair and massaged her scalp, pressing her further into Suletta’s warm, round breasts. 

“That's right, Miorine.” Suletta cooed, burgeoning desire clear in her voice. “You're doing so good for me.”

Flushing pink at Suletta’s praise, Miorine swapped breasts; giving it her full attention and teasing the sensitive nipple between her teeth. Suletta squeezed her ass roughly with one hand, and Miorine couldn't help but rut her hips into Suletta’s clothed thigh. She was hard, and leaking precum already, but her thoughts right now were focused purely on touching Suletta.

Panting, Miorine brought herself back up and did what she'd been wanting to do since Suletta had done it herself, bringing her mouth to her lover's neck and nibbling marks into her soft brown skin.

To her surprise, Suletta moaned loudly, clearly excited at the thought of having her flesh claimed by Miorine's teeth. Spurred on by the sound, Miorine bit down harder, sucking hickies and leaving beautiful bite marks on Suletta’s lower neck and collarbone. The taste and smell of Suletta overwhelmed her senses, and Miorine had never felt hungrier. She played with Suletta's breasts all the while, teasing her nipples and squeezing her supple skin with unpracticed hands. It seemed Suletta enjoyed it anyway, though.

“M-Mio-Mio,” Suletta groaned huskily into her ear, her hot breath making her shudder, “I need you to touch me.”

Miorine halted, blushing furiously. She knew, without being specified, what Suletta meant, but her lingering uncertainty was enough to ask for confirmation.

“You want me to…?”

Suletta grabbed her thin wrist, pulling her into a short but ravenous kiss that made Miorine ache with want. She brought her mouth to Miorine’s ear, and whispered. “I want you inside me, Mio-Mio.” She said, gently nibbling at Miorine’s earlobe. Searing hot waves abruptly shot through Miorine’s body and flared up in her core.

Fuck, that's the hottest thing anyone's ever said to me!

“Oh?” Suletta grinned.

“Shit, did I say that out loud?!” Miorine yelped, embarrassed.

Suletta giggled. “Ehehe, yes. I'm glad you did.” She said, and then reached her other hand down to her teal pajama pants and slowly pulled them down until they were at her knees. 

Miorine gulped, taking in the sight of Suletta's cute pink panties, which were clearly soaked through already. 

“You're wet.” Miorine assessed clinically, drawing another giggle from Suletta. Miorine flushed, embarrassed by her own stilted reaction.

“Yes, I am. You did this.” She kissed Miorine roughly, greedily stealing her air. “Need you, Mio-Mio. Let me show you how I like it.”

The redhead brought Miorine’s fingers down between her thighs, using them to pull the hem of her panties down and slowly revealing her leaking core. Wild, fluffy bush, the same vibrant red as her hair, framed Suletta’s arousal. Her breath hitched, capturing the image of Suletta's pussy with greedy eyes. 

Miorine moaned when her fingers came into contact with Suletta's wetness, the taller girl guiding her pale fingertips to her pretty pink folds. 

Suletta let out a shaky breath, and began teaching Miorine how to pleasure her. 

“Y-yes, like that.” Suletta let out a low moan, voice shaking but confidence still going strong. “Keep rubbing me like that, put your thumb there and- Ah!” 

Miorine did as she was told, sliding her fingers through Suletta’s folds, and rubbing circles into her clit with the pad of her thumb as it emerged fully from its hood, bright pink and erect. Suletta’s slick quickly coated her hand, and Miorine swore she could get drunk off the heady smell alone. 

“Put your f-finger in, Mio-Mio. I need you inside me.” Suletta said, guiding Miorine’s pointer finger to her entrance. Cautiously, carefully, Miorine slid her finger inside Suletta’s pussy, and both women quivered simultaneously. Her finger was soon enveloped completely by Suletta. The scalding-hot tightness of Suletta’s insides was unlike anything she'd felt before, and Miorine gasped as the redhead’s slick walls clenched and fluttered around her.

“G-Good.” Suletta husked, voice dripping with arousal. “Now start moving.” 

Miorine began slowly pumping her finger in and out of Suletta, reveling in the way Suletta twitched and writhed around her. Suletta kissed her deeply, leaving her a little dizzy with the intensity of it. Saliva strung between their lips when they parted. 

“A-another, and go faster.” 

Miorine sunk a second finger inside Suletta’s folds and sped up the pace, thrusting faster and feeding on the keening noise that escaped Suletta’s throat. She was suddenly very glad she'd decided to cut her nails short.

The redhead laced her warm calloused fingers with Miorine’s free hand, caressing and squeezing whenever a jolt of pleasure rocked her body.

“That's it, that's it- Yes, good girl, Miorine~!” Suletta rutted her hips down onto Miorine’s fingers, sinking them even deeper inside as she sought more pleasure.

Hah?!

Miorine yelped, burying her face in Suletta’s bruised neck to hide her glowing features, as she abruptly realized something new about herself.

“I-idiot. Why'd you say that?!” She whined, but didn't stop thrusting her fingers into Suletta’s tight insides.

Suletta squeezed her hand and giggled shakily through the pleasure. “Oh- Did you like that, Mio-Mio?” She teased, kissing the top of her head. “You're such a g-good girl . Add another finger, p-please.”

A third finger joined the first two, and Suletta sighed happily as Miorine filled her up even more. Miorine continued dutifully fucking her digits into Suletta’s sopping core, despite the tighter squeeze making it a little more difficult. Her thumb rubbed tight circles onto the girl's sensitive clit, drawing out throaty moans, and Miorine realized then that making Suletta feel good was the single most fulfilling thing she'd ever done.

“Mio-Mio,” Suletta let out a desperate whine, “C-curl your fingers like- ah! I'm c-close! Don't stop!”

Suletta wrapped both arms around Miorine and pulled her in tight, into a sloppy, wet kiss. Miorine curled the tips of her fingers deep inside Suletta, as the taller girl writhed around her. With a choked sob that Miorine greedily swallowed, Suletta came hard. Miorine was left breathless as she watched and felt Suletta's hot spend spill out onto her hand and soak into the covers. The redhead’s walls tightened almost painfully as she rode out the remainder of her orgasm, holding Miorine close and breathing heavy, contented sighs. 

“Ahhh- Mio-Mio… That was so good.” Suletta cooed, nuzzling her tanned face into Miorine’s cheek and covering her in rapid smooches. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” 

The platinum-haired girl pulled her fingers out of Suletta, face burning bright red as she weathered an onslaught of kisses. “I'm glad. I was worried I wouldn't do well…” 

“You did great, Miorine.” Suletta assured her, caressing her back. “If it wasn't so late, I'd be up for more. I… I think I really needed that.” 

Miorine was still feeling the heat herself, but making Suletta cum once was more than enough for tonight. “Y-yeah. That's alright, I'm tired anyways. We, uh, should get cleaned up.” She said, wiping her fingers off on the sheets. She tried to extricate herself from Suletta’s lap, but was met with a tightened embrace.

“No. You're staying right here!” Suletta said, an adorable pout on her face, and simply shucked off what remained of her clothes, leaving her entirely nude. She rolled to the side, bringing Miorine with her and pulling the covers over them both in one motion. “We can shower and replace the sheets in the morning.”

Light laughter escaped Miorine’s throat, and she surrendered herself to her fate. “Fine. Not my fault if you wake up feeling all gross and sticky.” She stuck out her tongue teasingly. 

“Ehehe. I'll be fine.” Suletta chuckled, and closed her eyes. “Let's get some sleep, Mio-Mio.”

Miorine nodded, and attempted to let herself drift off in Suletta’s embrace. After about five minutes, she realized something was bothering her.

“...Suletta?”

“Yes, Miorine?”

“What are we?” She asked, bringing up the question that had been on her mind since morning, and if she was being honest with herself, a bit before that as well.

Suletta hummed, lost in thought. “We're whatever we want to be.” She replied, opening her blue eyes and looking down at the girl in her arms with an expression of adoration.

Miorine wasn't satisfied with that answer. “I-... I think I want to be with you.” 

A warm hand caressed the back of her head. “I want that too. M-maybe we could be… g-girlfriends?” Suletta stammered, clearly a little nervous. 

A joy unlike anything Miorine had experienced in years rushed to her heart. “Yes! I mean- Yeah, I think we could.”

“Girlfriends it is, then!” Suletta decided excitedly, nuzzling into Miorine’s pale face and grinning happily. “Ahh, I'm so glad you're here, Miorine.”

“I'm glad you're here too, Suletta.” Miorine smiled, and kissed Suletta’s pudgy cheek. She closed her eyes, feeling exhaustion finally catching up with her. She, once again, attempted to drift off to sleep, and this time her mind was content.

“Shit!”  

Miorine bolted back awake, shocked.

What the fuck? Did Suletta just swear?!

“Hah?! What's wrong?!” She asked, and followed Suletta’s gaze to the bedside table. The very same pill bottles Suletta had picked up for herself when they'd gone to get Miorine’s HRT were lined up next to a glass of water, with a few pills clearly set out to be taken beside it. 

“I forgot to take my antidepressants this morning!” Suletta cried. Miorine blinked, registering that yes, one of the bottles did indeed say “antidepressants” on it. She wasn't entirely surprised, but still.

Seriously? Well, that explains some things.

“...You're a total dork. I'll remind you in the morning, okay? I think it was my fault you forgot, anyway.”

“Okay, thank you. Good night, Miorine.” Suletta said, settling back down.

“Good night.” Miorine replied, smiling softly.

Suletta pressed one more quick kiss to her forehead. “I love you.” She murmured. 

Miorine felt a happy tear trail down her cheek. She nestled herself into her now-girlfriend's warm body, and closed her eyes once again. Whatever challenges life threw at her, she knew in her soul that she wanted the red-haired metalworker by her side for it all.

“...I love you too, Suletta.”