Thin and slender white legs hooked around a slender waist as a pair of arms wrapped around shoulders. Strands of dark blue hair stuck onto Seele’s sweaty upper back as Bronya tightened her arms around Seele’s shoulders.
“Seele…! Ah…!” Bronya closed her eyes as she tightened her legs wrapped around Seele’s thighs. The gentle rubs, and strokes of long fingers inside her sent her over the edge as her waist shook as she came. “Seele…”
Bronya hooked her arm around Seele’s neck as she gently brought herself up to meet those lips in a chaste kiss. Her free hand gently touched Seele’s cheeks as she blinked a few times before falling asleep, looking into those passionate blue eyes.
“Bronya…” That voice, that was usually strict and angry was soft and longing.
“Please stay… Seele…”
Sunlight shone through large windows and thin curtains as the sun rose over Qliport Fort. Gray eyes opened groggily as she dragged her body to turn around and felt her heart sink at the empty and clean space next to her.
Without thinking much about it, Bronya extended her hand onto the large space next to her, brushing her palm over the soft bed before clutching the sheets on her bare shoulders as she tugged it over her head, laying on her side as she curled into fetal position. Alone.
She woke up alone in her spacious bed and spacious room once again after a night of passion. She slowly got up from her position, sitting up on bed as the sheets slowly shifted barely covering her naked body. Bronya pushed her knees up towards her as she hugged her legs and settled her head onto her knees as she turned to the window.
Was their relationship built upon only onto the prospect of loneliness? Was it only an exchange of passion, and nothing else?
Bronya closed her eyes as tears escaped from her eyes, trickling down her cheeks. Her soft gray hair cascaded down her back as she hugged her legs tighter, as the morning after a loving and fiery night once again, turned into cold morning even with the sunshine shining bright.
It was always like that.
Even though their first meeting was not on the best terms, their growing attraction for each other quickly turned into reliance, trust, and love… Or so that was what the young Supreme Guardian thought, or wished for. Their reliance and trust turned into nights of burning passion, but every time the night has ended, and a new day has started; Bronya would wake up alone in her cold and lonely bed.
Was it love? They never exchanged words of love. It was just the both them of gravitating towards each other, and one thing led to another. There was something about how those amethyst eyes looked at her with so much yearning. Was it love? Is it love?
Or was it just simple attraction at work?
Bronya wanted to believe that their attraction was more than that, but it has been months since it started. There was never a chance to ask the question, or say the words, because it was as if the morning was a thing of reset. Everything starts at zero, and when they reach ninety-nine, it restarts again.
“Lady Bronya?” One of the maids helped in dressing her curled her long hair and turned to look at her. “Is there something troubling you?”
“Ah… No. It’s all right.” Bronya gave her a small smile. The maid put a hand over her mouth as if signaling that she has something to tell Bronya in secret. “What is it?” She asked in a small voice.
The maid walked towards her and whispered into Bronya’s ears. “The last few months, I’ve been finding kiss marks all over your body that you may have not been aware of, Lady Bronya.”
Unable to hide her own secret, her face betrayed her expression as she turned red from neck to face. It has never occurred to her. All this time she only worried about the morning after that it has never occurred to her to check.
“They are on your back, neck, and collarbone today. Sometimes there would be only one, or two. Sometimes it would be several. They’re always hidden by your clothes so we never told you but… It seems that you’re worried by something today, and I thought it may help.” The maid smiled at her weakly before turning to the head maid, Sonya, who had just called for her to leave.
“Th- Thank you.” Bronya turned to the maid who had just bowed at her before leaving her in her room alone, once again. A few minutes into the silence, without a word, she suddenly covered her face with both of her hands in embarrassment.
It has never occurred to her that Seele would leave marks… She never thought that there wouldn’t be any as to Seele always left in the morning without saying a word, nor a note.
If it was nothing but a mere body relationship, then… why?
~*
“Ahchoo!” Seele wiped her nose as she looked left and right to check if there was anyone who could have heard or seen her sneeze.
“What are you worked up about?” A familiar low voice spoke from directly behind her and Seele almost jumped.
“Nat! Don’t surprise me like that… Wear a bell or something.” Seele sighed as Natasha only laughed at her.
“What’s wrong? Missing the young supreme guardian?” Natasha looked at her fondly. “It has been about three days since you’ve gone back up there. I’m sorry our hands are tied here…”
“Wh- What? N- Not at all! Well… Maybe… A little.” Seele rubbed the bridge of her nose before turning onto Natasha. “There’s nothing we can do. We need some hands here, and besides, if she sends me a message that she needed me, I’ll go.”
“Or maybe it’s her warmth that you miss?” Natasha give her a teasing look as Seele stammered. “I’m your doctor, do you think I won’t see the scratches on your back every time you get back from Qlipoth Fort?”
“I… N- No comment!” Seele felt the heat reach her cheeks from her chest as she blushed fully, unable to return Natasha’s teasing gaze. “…I- Is that normal? You know, to miss someone so much even if you’re like, not really family.”
Natasha smiled at Seele. She had watched the girl grow, from the chaotic little girl she was, to becoming a responsible member of the Wildfire. To see her act shy or behave unnaturally around the young supreme guardian, it was a breathe of fresh air. She opened the door to a tent in the Vagrant’s camp as she invited Seele in. “Come sit with me.”
Seele looked around before following Natasha inside the tent and rolled down the cloth door to close behind her for privacy.
“Is something going on?” Natasha immediately asked, sitting in her own wooden chair. She watched Seele sit down on another wooden chair across her, eyeing her every move.
“Hm… I don’t know… It’s just been… I don’t know.” Seele peeked at Natasha before turning away, a blush on her cheeks.
“Are you shy?” Natasha smiled.
“Wh- Why would you ask something…! So obvious… I’ve never felt this away towards someone else before. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, things were just…” Seele opened her hands waving it as if she was trying to say something more profound, but couldn’t find her words.
“Se–“
“AAAHH!”
Natasha chuckled as Seele stood up hitting her head onto the roofing of the tent.
“I always see you return here every morning… Could it be… You leave after doing it without saying anything?” Natasha raised an eyebrow as Seele turned to her shyly, now crouching at a corner of the tent, with her hands over her head.
“…Mm.”
“…Then we can’t have that.” Natasha was firm with her tone. Seele turned to look at her from her corner of the tent. “Come here, and tell me.”
Seele silently obeyed as she walked back towards the wooden chair and sat in front of Natasha. “…When we wake up, it’s just that, I see her. I see her, how beautiful she is, then… I get scared. Is it really okay for me to wake up beside this young woman? Isn’t there someone else much more fitting in a title or a name for her, than me? Normally I don’t care about her being the supreme guardian, or me, being part of the Wildfire, but in times like those… these thoughts come to me, and for the first time in a while, I get really scared.”
“What do you think she feels when she wakes up and you’re not there?”
Seele’s eyes widened before turning to look down at the ground, the orange light of the heater catching her attention. “…I don’t know.”
“To you, is it just a relationship of just pleasure?” Natasha turned to Seele who only looked at her confused. “…Do you want anyone else to see that kind of Bronya? Do you want me or Oleg to see that kind of Bronya?”
“…I wouldn’t want anyone else to see that Bronya, but me.” Seele’s answer was firm.
“Then I assume, you already know the answer.” Natasha smiled at Seele. “Ah, to think that I would see the day young Seele falls in love.”
“N- Nat!” Seele blushed as Natasha laughed.
“…You know what to do next, right?” Natasha smiled at her.
“…Yeah.” Seele stood up and walked towards the tent’s cloth door. “Nat, thank you.”
“You can do it, Seele.” Natasha watched as a burst of purple butterflies flew into the sky and the cloth door of the tent closed with a flutter.
~*
Bronya stood in front of the large window in her large Qlipoth Fort office. She looked at the silent but bright streets of the Administrative District, phone in her hand, her arms crossed in front of her. She sighed as she clutched her phone. She turned to look at it, staring intently at the screen that said “Seele” and an unsent message in the text message section.
Sensing a presence behind her, Bronya instantly turned around and her vision was suddenly covered by a burst of purple butterflies.
“Bronya.”
“Seele…”
It was like three days worth of worrying and fiery passion brought their lips to each other’s without any other words exchanged. It was one of those times that Bronya thought of how hand and useful it was that Seele was fast, and strong. The speed at how Seele carried Bronya to the fort’s private room could have been a topic of laughter if it weren’t for the seriousness in Seele’s expression, and the longing in those usually calm purple eyes.
If Bronya had wanted to refuse, she would have refused. Seele was always gentle with her, in every touch, in every kiss, in movement. She always asked if it was okay, if it hurt, if she should stop. However, Bronya always just accepted her, all of her. Was today going to be a bit different? Today was the very first time Seele had sought for her on her own.
Was it going to be different? Was there pain waiting for her in hoping?
~*
Bronya opened her eyes, those silver eyes searching as her hand reached for the still warm spot next to her… but only to find no one next to her. She slowly sat up, a brief pain on her abdomen as she pulled the pristine white sheets to her body. Her long gray hair covered her exposed back as she closed her eyes, almost immediately feeling tears escaping her eyes.
“…Was it really just all that, Seele?”
The door to her bedroom suddenly opened as wild purple haired woman suddenly appeared with a tray with a pitcher of water and a glass. “Bronya?”
“S- Seele?” Bronya immediately wiped her tears but without even blinking once there were butterflies and Seele was immediately next to her. “It was– This is…”
“It’s me, isn’t it…?” Seele gently touched Bronya’s wrists and gently brought Bronya’s hand to her lips, gently kissing her fingers. “Bronya… I’m sorry.”
“Eh?” Bronya looked up at her, those sad silver eyes looking at her like she had been thrown away.
“Ah, no, it’s not like that! Agh, how am I going to do this…?” Seele pulled onto her, wrapping her arms around Bronya’s body. “…Bronya, I love you.”
Bronya’s eyes widened as she rested her face onto those soft and comforting arms. Only realizing now that Seele was wearing a shirt and some shorts she’s never seen her wear before, or that her hair was neat and combed, and that she smelled of fresh powder scent, similar to what she usually used.
Oddly, she found the similar scent calming, and that Seele’s warmth always felt so peaceful.
“…It sure is embarrassing saying that out loud without hearing a response to it…” Seele spoke calmly, still clinging tightly onto Bronya’s body.
“…I love you, too, Seele.” Bronya whispered back to her as she nuzzled her face onto Seele’s neck, wrapping her arms around Seele’s back. “However, I can’t help but be curious of… Why are you wearing this…?”
“Ah… I woke up early and…” Seele unwrapped her arms from Bronya, her purple eyes darting around those perfectly curved collarbones, the disheveled sheets barely covering anything before turning away with a blush. “I wanted to find some water for you so I roamed around after putting on my clothes but uh, your maid… Sonya…-san? Saw me and told me she’d wash my clothes, to take a shower and freshen up and… the, water!”
Seele left in a flash, and was back in a flash with glass of water that miraculously didn’t spill on anything. She handed the glass to Bronya with a blush.
“Thank you.” Bronya accepted the water and immediately drank it. She hadn’t even noticed that she was thirsty, but her fatigue was evident. “Seele…”
“As I was saying… I’m sorry. For all the times I left without saying anything.” Seele gently reached for Bronya’s exposed neck, rubbing a thumb over those soft cheeks. “…I’m a coward, and an idiot. Forgive me?”
Bronya placed the glass onto her bed side table, the sheets that were barely covering her slipped down, exposing her waist. Seele turned away with a blush. Bronya turned to look at her and noticed. She pulled back the sheets over to her body as she gently held Seele’s hand.
“…I will forgive you… Only if you stay, from now on.”
“…Of course, I will.”
They smiled at each other, as the warm sunlight rose, shining through glass windows cascading over the shadows of the new couple. For a brighter day.
(More Than You Think/END)
“Seele.”
“Hm?”
“…One of the maids said… You always left kiss marks… Why?”
Seele was silent for a while, but Bronya didn’t say anything and patiently waited for her to answer.
“…I thought I’d leave some that’s the same number of days I’ll be gone for a while.”
“…I see.” Bronya smiled to herself as a short silence engulfed them once again. “Seele.”
“…Hm?”
“…Why did you always leave?”
Seele only stared at her with a light blush on her cheeks before turning away. “…Do I really have to say it?”
“…Please.”
“…The other reasons aside… Hm… I feel like maybe it’s an inappropriate reason to say…”
“…What is inappropriate if we’re… lovers?”
Seele blinked multiple times as she turned to Bronya. “…You sure can say that well…”
“I just thought that it was important to say it now.” Bronya turned to her shyly before leaning her head onto Seele’s shoulders.
“…Every time I see you after I wake up the morning after… It makes me want to feel you again. I thought that such feelings we’re bad and not allowed because–“
Bronya looked up at her, placing a finger over those soft thin lips to stop her from talking. “…I see. The rest, I could kind of picture all ready. I never thought that you could be…”
“Hm?”
“…Concupiscent.”
Seele blinked at her. “…C- Con… What? Y- You sure like your big words…”
Bronya only smiled at her, her lips pursed together as she tried not to laugh.
“What?”
“No. You’re cute, Seele.”
“Wh- What? You’re cuter… Hmm… Maybe cute isn’t the correct word. You’re pretty.”
“Pretty? I see.” Bronya laughed as Seele watched her.
It would be nice, if all I could see from now on is that pretty smile, on your pretty face.
(END)
