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“A...proposal?” Dorothy didn’t really know what to make of her visitor’s statement at first, looking up from her newspaper with the slightest bit of intrigue. “From you?”
“You heard me right, Bomber Girl. I’ve got a proposition for you.”
Haken Browning, with one hand firmly placed on the wall he was leaning against earlier, looked her dead in the eye. There was still some mirth to his expression, as serious as it appeared, a smirk rising.
“If it’s anything like your usual proposals, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. Unlike a certain princess you’ve got wrapped around your finger, I have some actual dignity to upkeep. And better taste in men.”
The barb held no actual bite towards Kaguya…she had no issue with her in reality, as air-headed as she tended to be. The usual routine for them whenever the bounty hunter decided to grace Dorothy with his presence, however…her plan was to aim for the heart on occasion, just to see what made him tick.
“Says the girl that has a statue of my dad in this very castle—”
A shame that it never worked very often. Interrupted by a balled-up paper slung directly at his face, it harmlessly bounced off his hat instead as Dorothy sharply turned away. “Well…spit it out then. You’re just wasting my time now.”
Fishing through a pocket in his coat as he walked closer, Haken soon produced a small card. Handing it to her in short order, she noticed the look on his face was genuine in its warmth. Taking the card, a small doodle of the very princess she was jabbing at earlier was drawn on it, next to a handful of impeccably handwritten text.
She glanced up, not saying any more than she needed to. “Kaguya made this, didn’t she?”
“Yup.” A soft laugh rose up, Haken nearly beaming with pride. “What do you think? Cute, isn’t it?”
Analyzing the card further, Dorothy resisted the urge to let a smile form. It was quite adorable, she had to admit, scanning over it a few times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. “She’s…inviting me to a sleepover?”
“Pretty much. She’s got some kind of plan today, although…she didn’t really let me in on the finer details, aside from this.”
Taking another few moments to think about the offer, the card still lightly gripped in her hand, Dorothy sighed. “…Fine. I’ll be there.”
“Oh…?” Another smirk, less condescending and more playful, began to draw her attention…it was surprisingly nice to see, in hindsight. Placing a hand on the counter, Haken's eyes poked out from underneath the brim of his hat, nearly shining. “Decided to step outside the emerald walls, after all?”
“I suppose stepping out of my comfort zone every once in a while would be possible.” Getting to her feet, Dorothy's eyes narrowed, a smug grin painting her face as she crossed her arms. “Keep in mind, however…I’m doing this for Kaguya’s sake, as well as my own. Whatever you were trying to get out of this, I’m afraid you’ll be sorely disappointed!”
Walking around the counter with deliberate steps, Haken let her push on ahead after a regal laugh echoed through the chamber.
“Better than being stuck in a stuffy old castle, huh? I get that…and I’m not, by the way.” Dorothy swore he almost heard her squeak of surprise as an abrupt halt of her pace stopped his own. Haken’s voice dropping low as he eventually came to stand alongside, she tried her damndest to keep her cool as he glanced at her from under the brim of his hat. “Seeing you smile like that was worth the trip out here, y’know?”
“Oh, please.” Refusing to make eye contact with him, Dorothy audibly huffed. Thankful that her slight blush went unnoticed, she strode forward towards the room’s entrance with Haken trailing behind. “…S-Save the sap for your girlfriend, okay? I’m sure she’d appreciate hearing that kind of saccharine drivel more than I would.”
“Heh…whatever you say, Little Mistral. See you at the Zeit, then.”
“O-Of course. I’ll be there later.” Pointed in her response, watching Haken walk out of her room gave her more than a few butterflies in her chest. That idiot and his insipid little nicknames…she really did want to teach him a lesson about calling her that, but her chance evaporated as Haken nonchalantly waved her goodbye. Maybe she’d get the time later, since the meeting place was essentially his home away from home.
Was she…excited about meeting up with him? Her heartbeat slowly steadying after he was long gone from her chambers, the sensation felt alien to her. That certainly couldn’t be the reason…she was doing this for Kaguya, after all, not him.
Right?
The Zeit Krokodil looked as imposing as ever, even after all the years Dorothy hadn’t stepped foot inside the metal beast of a ship aside from recent events. She arrived promptly, a bag containing an extra change of clothes and some reading material clutched in her grasp, not sure of how to approach the situation moving forward. Kaguya did invite her, after all…
Making her way towards the ship’s entrance felt like a monumental task, her steps heavy and deliberate. As if on cue, the very princess that invited her showed up, practically sprinting down the soon-extended walkway to meet her and saving her the trouble of taking the trip alone.
“Dorothy! I’m so glad you could make it!” Grasping her hands, Kaguya’s aqua eyes locked onto hers, warm and genuine.
“While I certainly appreciate you inviting me, I can’t help but wonder why…” she said, trailing off.
“Hm…” Taking a moment to ponder, Dorothy wondered if she was actually thinking about it or not. “Well, I guess I just thought it’d be fun. Something to do on a weekend, you know?”
“Alright then…” Noticing her smile never fade even as she led her onboard, Dorothy felt a semblance of warmth form in her core, tinged with the lingering sense that Kaguya wasn’t being entirely truthful at first. Something to deal with later, she figured, as the Zeit’s harsher lighting forced her eyes to adjust for a moment. Greeted by Lee and Marion with surprise at her arrival, the feeling of nostalgia that washed over her as she walked through the main room was almost palpable.
The night was still a long way away, and Dorothy couldn’t help but be even more acutely aware of every minute ticking by as small preparations for the event ahead happened around her. Whatever haze her mind inhabited, it was rather tough to shake…but why Haken was at the center of her thoughts, she had very little idea.
“Hey, Little Mistral—”
Haken's voice from the hall snapped her out of it, a quick reply on the edge of her tongue locked and loaded. “Did you seriously just call me that again?”
Her blade-like glare did the trick in shutting him up, Kaguya holding back laughter as he stepped a little further into the room. The smirk on his face didn’t seem to fade despite it, though, a sight Dorothy didn’t mind seeing. But…why?
Scanning Haken over, he seemed far more casually dressed than when he was at her castle, the sight of him still clad in his vest and jeans feeling strangely comforting. Emotions jumbled and dizzying in their intensity, blue eyes locked onto hers forced a short pivot just to get away from that stupid smile, standing out more than anything. Strangely magnetic, however much she hated that that was the case, she almost wanted to keep the conversation going; even if all she wanted to throw at him were verbal daggers, it was better than hearing nothing.
“Just…remember what I said about not being here for your sake?”
“I’m guessing you meant it, huh?” Crossing his arms and leaning against the entranceway, his tone gave a joking air to his words. “Bit of a shame, really.”
“Very funny, Haken.” Quickly turning to face him, she jabbed a finger his way without much force behind it. “Don’t think for a second that you’re getting anything out of this.”
Glancing away, she wasn’t certain if the look in his eyes was one of disappointment or not; getting a little too fixed on blue again when she refocused, the playfulness in his tone caught her up to speed. “I’ll try not to get my hopes up, then…”
“I don’t know what the hell you two are doing out here…” Footsteps brought the conversation to a grinding halt, the light thwap of a fan just barely reaching Haken’s head signaling Suzuka’s appearance. Stepping past him with Aschen trailing behind, she didn’t look amused in the slightest as she leaned against the counter near Kaguya. “Just humor me for once and keep the flirting to a minimum tonight, you amateur playboy.”
Recovering in short order, Haken looked nothing but smug. “Not sure if I can keep to that promise, Dancing Princess.”
“Then I’ll just have to keep mine, then,” Kaguya spoke up, sporting a rather mischievous grin. “Remember that cheesy romance movie I found about a week ago? We’re watching that first.”
The brief laughter the room soon held drowned out Dorothy’s thoughts for the moment, the respite well-needed even as the realization dawned on her as slow as time felt in that moment. It certainly explained why she glanced back at Haken every now and then even as the excitement died down, the smile etched on his face seemed to embed itself into her brain…blue eyes painted with his usual confident levity becoming a sight she didn’t want to stop seeing…
Oh. Oh no.
“Psst…Dorothy!”
Hearing her name sharply whispered from the doorway, Dorothy noticed Kaguya motioning for her to follow. Wordlessly excusing herself from the small group of attendees huddled around the couch, she trailed behind as the princess led her into the uninhabited kitchen with the promise of a short chat.
“Okay, Kaguya…what is all this about, exactly?” She asked, pointed and loud enough to be heard over the whir of the microwave nearby.
“What do you mean? The sleepover, or me calling you out here?”
Crossing her arms, Dorothy tried to keep any bubbling annoyance down. “Both.”
“Well, to be honest…I genuinely just wanted to talk to you. We haven’t seen each other much since the Agraddheim incident, and…”
“Hold it,” She said, stopping Kaguya in her tracks just in time as the shrill beep of the timer ringing echoed through the room. Placing a finger on the princess' chest, Dorothy tried not to let the shock show too much; letting incredulity take its place instead, she raised an eyebrow. “You, of all people…wanted to talk to me?”
“Well, yeah. I’ve been trying to keep tabs on a few people lately, what with business back home keeping me too occupied to properly plan something. At least, not until now.” Procuring a freshly-made bag of popcorn and some mugs from a cabinet, she passed the bag over at Dorothy’s prompting. “And besides, I figured inviting you would give you a chance to get out of the castle for a bit, y’know? Haken told me you appreciated the card~”
Going through the motions of prepwork for later along with her, Dorothy sighed. It was a futile effort to try and keep a small smile off her face, remembering the handmade invitation. “It was quite nice…I just didn’t expect you to want me to participate in something like this, that’s all.”
“Aww, it’s okay! There is something I’d want to talk to you about while we’re here, though.” Handing her a warm mug of tea, Kaguya smiled. “I’ll drop the popcorn off with the others and come back then, alright?”
“Eh? I, uh…okay? I kind of wanted to ask you something anyway, so…yeah.” She stammered, unsure as to what she even wanted to discuss and why she was so nervous. She strode into the hall just as Kaguya poked her head out from the rec room’s door; wordlessly leading her to a guest room further down with a smile, Dorothy became acutely aware that her palms were beginning to sweat.
Was there anything she had on her mind to be nervous about? Thinking more about it as she set her mug down on a nightstand in the room, she scanned her surroundings as Kaguya took a seat on a rather comfy chair. She’d been in some of these rooms, sure…the frequent stops the rather large party she’d joined had made at the Zeit to rest almost made it a necessity. Even still, the relative plainness of it all still surprised her, even through the mild familiarity. Letting loose a short cough into her clenched fist to break the lengthy veil of silence, Dorothy sighed after some time.
Better to bring it up rather than letting her thoughts stew any longer. She’d already done that enough back home.
“There is one thing, like I said,” she started, promptly taking a seat on the bed. “Although…I don’t know how you’d react to what I have to say.”
“If it’s something important, I understand why you look so anxious. Especially if it’s about anyone here…whatever secret you might have is safe with me!” Her ever-present cheerfulness relaxing her fraught nerves somewhat, Dorothy looked her dead in the eyes.
“Even if it’s about someone you’re close to?”
Looking at her with an innocent gaze, Kaguya’s expression was impossible to read regardless. She wasn’t angry, was she?
“Haken, right?”
Dorothy's blood ran cold despite the faint red that creeped up on her cheeks, Kaguya’s matter-of-fact delivery leaving her momentarily unable to respond.
“W-Wait. How did you—”
“How did I know?” Adjusting her position in the chair, the princess’ warm grin almost felt disarming. “…Call it a hunch?”
The shock faded just as quickly as it’d arrived, a furrowed brow soon replacing it. “Seriously…you just had a feeling about it?”
Kaguya blinked once, shrugging as she spoke. “…Yes?”
Another sigh, far more exasperated than the two prior, gave Dorothy a few precious moments to get her thoughts in order as she rubbed her temples. Maybe this wouldn’t be so difficult to say after all…but, she felt the need to steel herself regardless.
Facing her confidant and trying her best to show the genuine sympathy she harbored, Dorothy’s voice wavered. “Kaguya, I…I’m sorry.”
“Eh? What are you apologizing for?” Genuinely quizzical, Kaguya stood and made a beeline for a spot next to her.
A sigh rose into the air, one final chance for her to reign in her nerves.
“For…well, catching feelings, I guess. I didn’t expect to even feel this way towards him at all, and yet…I do. I’ve been trying my damndest to stamp them out, but…I guess I wasn’t thorough enough in that regard.” Tears began to bud as she spoke, realizing the pain she was feeling was rooted deep in her chest. Her heart ached from what amounted to pouring her guts out to someone like she had, an acute feeling that she’d never experienced before or wanted to again if she could help it. Her voice little more than a whisper, she dabbed her eyes with a dress sleeve before continuing. “Seeing him at the castle sparked something, and maybe my reasoning for being here isn’t as selfless as I thought. Seeing as you went through all the trouble to invite me here, falling for him is the last thing I’d want to do to you. You’re someone that I would consider a friend, after all.”
“Dorothy…” Kaguya grasped her hand, the princess’ smile remaining warm. “It’s alright…I’m not upset about it! Besides, it sounds like you had a lot to get off your chest, y’know?”
She felt lighter, almost. Taking into consideration Kaguya’s lack of any harsher feelings towards her, the entire spiel felt oddly embarrassing to admit in hindsight. “I guess I did. I’m just surprised you’re not cross with me.”
Looking away sheepishly in response, Kaguya’s cheeks seemed luminescent even in the dimly lit room. “Well…I have been trying to work on that, lately.”
“Working on your jealousy issues is one thing, but…” She shook her head, feeling a little ridiculous about the whole ordeal. “That doesn't mean you have to be okay with me essentially hiding a crush on your boyfriend from the both of you. Who even knows for how long either, I certainly don’t remember when it all started.”
“While you do have a point…” Kaguya started, firmly placing her hands on Dorothy’s shoulders. “Since you went through the trouble of telling me, where would harboring a feeling like that get me in the long run? I don’t hold anything against you for feeling this way, after all…I get why, anyway~”
Glancing away, she let a chuckle slip. “Oh, please…”
“My question to you, though, is…would you want to do anything about it?”
Wait, what? Dorothy's prior brief levity soon morphed into pure shock, so much so that she didn’t know how to even begin a suitable response aside from a dagger-like glare. How could she do anything but, with something so unexpected as that coming out of Kaguya’s mouth?
“Is something wrong?” She blinked once, letting Dorothy know she was being genuine in her usual air-headed way. “Was it…something I said?”
“Not so much that, but the implications of it.” Removing the princess’ firm grip off her shoulders, Dorothy hastily snagged her tea off the nightstand and slammed it back. It wasn’t even that warm anymore, especially compared to her face; almost wishing it was something stronger, she soon set the mug down with some degree of force as she whipped her head back. “…Are you serious?!”
“Eh? I mean…yeah, I guess I am? I wouldn’t be opposed if you’d…y’know…” The fact that Kaguya wasn’t even willing to elaborate made it painfully clear what she meant. She was blushing, too, only driving Dorothy's own embarrassment further.
“Seems like quite the leap to me, but…whatever.” Deciding to drop it for the time being, she got to her feet. “Thank you for at least letting me vent, at any rate.”
“Right! You’re welcome!” Kaguya exclaimed, kicking off the bed and making a beeline for the door to open it. Patting Dorothy on the back as she stepped out into the hall, the smell of popcorn eventually drew them in the direction of the rec room. Stopping just shy of opening the door, she caught the sound of muttering beside her.
“When the first movie ends, I guess I’ll…”
Trailing off and shooting her a smile, Dorothy simply shook her head. Whatever else the night held, she’d just have to prepare for it as best she could. At the very least, enjoying her time outside Esmeralda Castle’s walls started to become a high priority, even though she wasn’t certain as to whether or not she could with Kaguya’s proposal quickly swarming her brain.
Dorothy knew what she meant by it, certainly. Wondering if she even wanted to follow through was another matter entirely.
“Kaguya, are you serious?” Dorothy asked, getting led down the hall once again by a very eager princess as soon as the worst romance movie she’d ever seen wrapped up its credits. “Is this why you asked Haken to follow you after the movie?”
“M…Maybe,” she eventually stammered, quickly realizing she was caught red-handed. “This is the last thing I’m going to do, though, I promise! Whatever happens behind closed doors is entirely up to the both of you, okay?”
Eventually slowing down to stand beside her, never before had a door looked so intimidating as the one before the captain’s quarters. Refusing to make eye contact with her, Dorothy pinched her forehead instead. “You say that.”
With the pressure of hands against her back soon lifted, the light click of metal just a few inches behind brought some strange sense of relief with it; a soft giggle didn’t go unheard, eventually fading away along with light footsteps. Dorothy’s face lit up bright red as the action’s implications sunk in even more, a force-field blossoming to life as a pale, translucent green surrounded the four walls of the chambers.
“…Huh.” Haken spoke up from where he stood against the wall, the faint blush painting his own face coming across as a bit of a surprise. “Guess that little soundproof field Marion was working on boots up, no problem…”
“Don’t tell me…” She muttered, whipping around to face him; the slight shock in his expression caught her off guard for just a second. “Was this part of Kaguya’s little plan all along?”
Haken shrugged, albeit less aloof than she thought he’d be considering the circumstances. “Can’t say I know. She left me out of the loop, but…maybe whatever you talked with her about ended up turning the ol’ gears, so to speak.”
Dorothy sighed, pinching her forehead as exasperation nearly reached its peak. What in the hell was she thinking, locking her in a room with Haken like this? As annoyed as she was, however, thinking back to the conversation she had with the princess earlier…instead of seeing red, her face became the same shade in its place as everything clicked. Her eyes wide, she soon realized that Kaguya might’ve been in her corner after all.
“Just…don’t try anything funny. If this room is really soundproofed like you say…”
Eyes wide for merely a moment, Haken soon visibly relaxed as he leaned against the wall. “Won’t have to worry about a thing, Bomber Girl. The last thing I wanna do is cross any lines, after all. Wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I did something that awful…”
“You may be crass, but…” Sighing again, Dorothy soon relaxed herself. “Even I know you’re not stupid enough to try something that brazen. Assuming Kaguya is to be believed, you’re not that much of a lech.”
Pursed lips showed from under the brim of his hat, only revealing the incredulity on his face as he looked up. “I’m sure if you ask Aschen or Suzuka, you’re bound to get a different answer about that.”
Grateful that the topic of their conversation remained a secret before that point, Dorothy decided that she’d deal with any potential fallout when it came to that. For now… “Bias from either party aside, what exactly did she have in mind for the two of us?”
“Heh…” Pushing off the wall a bit and stepping closer to her, Haken gently grasped her hand. “I have a feeling you’d know a bit more about that than you’re letting on. Can’t say I don’t know anything, though…Kaguya filled me in about this little meet-cute she was planning, so uh…sorry about that.”
“W-Wait…what?” Dorothy stammered, feeling as though a lump of concrete formed in her throat. The look on his face didn’t reveal much aside from possibly being apologetic, leaving her unsure about what level of knowledge he had. Speaking quickly, her gaze turned deathly serious. “How much did she tell you?”
“Just about meeting you here…and an apology about letting it slip. Not much else, although…” Dorothy’s heart nearly slammed into her throat as Haken lifted her hand, planting a light kiss on her fingers. “That cute little blush on your face tells me more than enough.”
She wanted to do something, break free from the spell that she put herself under looking into his eyes like she did. With her heart beginning to pick up in pace, Dorothy barely managed to wrench her gaze away.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” She whispered, catching out of the corner of her vision his eyes widening a bit.
“If you’re not, we can end this little meeting right here,” Haken reassured, expression softening with a kind of sympathy she thought he reserved exclusively for a certain princess and close friends. “Rejoin the party and forget about all this, y’know? I wouldn’t mind either way…”
Glancing back, her annoyance fizzled a bit. “…That’s something I didn’t expect you to say, if I’m being honest.”
Looking almost relieved, Haken sighed with a smile. “You said it yourself, right? If the princess is to be believed, I’m not that much of a lech…at least, I’m hoping.”
Dorothy was still holding his hand, she realized, finding something inviting about it. She almost didn’t want to let go.
“That too. I’d never thought I’d see the day when Haken Browning, living embodiment of ego…” Feeling her face grow warm again as she locked eyes with him, the slight hint of surprise on his face wasn’t what she expected either. “…Would ever doubt himself, especially about matters like this.”
“Heh…guess you’ve got a point there. Lemme ask you something, though.”
Pointed and serious in his tone, the playful smirk that played at Haken’s lips was almost captivating, an indication that he wasn’t going entirely no-nonsense. Hating to admit it, Dorothy couldn’t really deny that there was something there between them; whether it was a clash of ego or some other type of spark, she couldn’t discern.
Everything stopped as a single question left his mouth. “Question is…are you?”
Dorothy worked up the nerve to let go of his hand, letting her now-freed fingers fall limp to her side as her face grew hotter than ever. Something she was denying for quite some time was how she felt towards him…a feeling in her chest she couldn’t exactly place a description on, aching and racing as though lightning struck her core. She wanted to tell him before, the timing never seeming to go in her favor as one event after another got in the way. Kaguya wasn’t one of those reasons any longer, knowing she was on her side in this little endeavor.
Silence lingering between the two of them for a bit longer than she would’ve liked, Dorothy took a step forward. Defiant against her own doubts, she was sick of waiting when the time was perfect for her right there and now. Noticing his eyes widening as she traced her thumb across his cheek, she reveled in the rarity of it all.
“Dorothy…are you okay?” Haken muttered.
He was blushing faintly, on further inspection. She didn’t doubt as to why, his back against the wall in some kind of quiet reverence at how close she’d gotten.
“I think so.” Another smile from him, smaller and painted with some level of eagerness, spurred her on further. “I’m getting awfully sick of being indecisive, honestly, but it looks like I’ve got Kaguya to thank for the support.”
The change in her demeanor shifted his own as well. “Eh…?”
“Certainly the first time I’ve seen you lost for words like this, but…would you mind showing me what drew her to you in the first place?”
His expression softened, vivacious enough to wipe the prior shock clean from his face.
“If we’ve got her blessing, then…sure thing, Bomber Girl.”
The only thing that stopped her momentarily was a pointed laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. Regardless…this was something she wanted, truth be told. Leaning in and beginning to let her eyes slide shut, the wisp of a smile played at her lips. Now or never.
Soft in her approach, the first kiss felt electric and dazzling, her heartbeat picking up its pace as she nearly felt his own begin to race in tandem. Something clicked for them both as emotion surged and swelled over, thoughts scrambled, Haken's hand tangled with hers and his back against the wall as they shared a second. She wanted at least one more, just to make sure Kaguya wasn’t exaggerating, Dorothy’s name no more than a whisper on his lips just before she made another move. The third, drawn out and slow, brought her to nearly press the whole of her body against him as it all picked up in intensity; her free hand snaked its way to the nape of his neck to deepen not only the kiss, but any lingering emotions along with it. Maybe her heart wasn’t as closed off and cold as she once thought, feeling another surge as his hand worked its way down to the small of her back to rest just below her corset.
Damn it all…Dorothy was starting to enjoy his touch, wordlessly yearning for more as her fingers intertwined with his again. Judging from the mere centimeters distance between them before they shared another prolonged kiss, the fact that he drew her in for it must’ve meant something. But still…
What was she doing?
Parting from him, a hand still gently clasping his, Dorothy nearly felt tears form in the corners of her eyes as the electricity began to eventually fade. Warmth felt as if it began to pool in her palms, the only thing she saw before burying her face and her anger was the look of visible worry Haken sent her way.
“I…I can’t believe I just did that, what the hell was I thinking!?” She exclaimed, muffled slightly. All she wanted to do at that moment was disappear, to sink into the earth from sheer embarrassment alone. And yet…
“…Hey, Dorothy.”
Pivoting on a heel just fast enough to catch Haken off guard, Dorothy tried her damndest to bury a rising scowl as well. In hindsight, the only person that deserved that kind of ire was herself; an action so reckless was entirely of her own volition, after all. Taking a breath and crossing her arms, a pout would’ve had to suffice in lieu of cursing herself out. “What do you want?”
“Well…” Pushing off the wall before resigning himself to slide down it, Haken softly cupped her chin in his hand after stepping close. A simple gesture, to be sure, but the proximity they shared again was more than enough to return a bright blush to her cheeks. Stifling a laugh, he smiled. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”
Without missing a beat, Dorothy pursed her lips. “Take a step back.”
“Oh, uh…sure.” Without another word, he did as she asked, stepping back once more to make sure he gave her the space she needed. “Everything alright, or do you need a minute?”
Apparently she really did, opting to sit on the bed near them and unceremoniously flop down on her back.
His bed.
Unable to stifle her blush anymore, Dorothy decided to just put up with it for the time being. Arms spread wide, a heavy sigh floated up into the air as her feelings slowly began to untangle themselves from the massive knot that took up residence in her brain.
“I never expected this to happen, you know,” she finally whispered, feeling tears sting the corners of her eyes. Noticing Haken take a seat on the floor, he seemed rather committed to giving her a moment to breathe. Awfully kind of him. “If I did, I probably would’ve been able to prepare myself a little more.”
“Mentally, or physi—” Barely seeing a glare shot at him from where he sat, Haken waved his hand dismissively, cutting himself short. “Heh…sorry.”
Closing her eyes, the budding tears seemed to stop. “…Whatever.”
The few moments of silence between them felt as though they stretched for hours before Haken spoke up again.
“Dorothy…you sure there’s nothing you want to talk about? I figure, hell…the least I could do is help you be a little more comfortable with all this, if you’d wanna keep going.”
Slowly sitting up, she glanced away. The blush remained steadfast, clueing in to what exactly was on her mind to the only other person in the room. The memory of that short embrace replayed over and over again, the redness on her face refusing to fade.
She wanted to, the desire to just be close to him again becoming almost unbearably strong…but how the hell would she go about saying it?
“H…Haken?” She whispered, cursing herself out for being so timid about the matter. Maybe it was pride.
Noticing him glance her way, she felt the corners of her mouth lift a little. “Hm? You okay?”
Draping an arm over her eyes, Dorothy lightly patted a spot next to her on the bed lieu of words. Hearing him take his seat soon after, she let a sigh loose into the air.
Resting her hands on her chest, she felt her heartbeat begin to quicken again with the proximity. Staring up at the ceiling, Dorothy tried her hardest to not let tears sting her eyes again. “My head’s swarming right now, but…I don’t even know what to say.”
Noticing him look her way for a moment, blue eyes soon turned the other direction. She almost didn’t want him to stop looking at her, the desire nearly making her sick with how fervently it bloomed.
“Need some time to get your thoughts in order?” He softly asked.
“I’m just trying to figure out what I really want out of this.” Working up the nerve to sit up and face him, green eyes focused steel-like onto blue. “Not any kind of long-term relationship, I suppose, but…”
Haken smiled, a bit mischievous, with the full knowledge of what kind of reaction his words would provoke. “A one-night stand, then?”
Hanging her head, an all-too uncommon feeling of shame washed over her. “I wish there was literally any better way to describe it, honestly.”
“One that’s princess-approved, no less…” Haken muttered to himself, earning him a pinched cheek. “Ah, hey!”
Hand eventually coming to rest at her side, Dorothy couldn’t fight tears anymore even if she wanted to. He was the last person who she wanted to witness her cry in front of, especially like this.
Looking sympathetically her way, she could’ve sworn it was genuine from tone alone. “Hey, Dorothy…”
“What do you want, you—eh?”
Interrupted mid-sentence by an unexpected embrace, Haken pulled her close to give the opportunity for her to rest her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry about all that…didn’t mean to tease you to the point of tears, after all.”
“…It’s fine.” Returning the hug in due time, Dorothy felt her heart begin to race again. Now or never, right? “One thing, though.”
“Hm? What’s up?” With the pressure blossoming in her chest, the last thing Dorothy expected herself to do was to essentially pin him against the bed, undoing her corset and setting it aside with a soon-freed hand. Letting a quiet whistle slip, the fact his face was as crimson as it was didn’t go unnoticed. “Consider me impressed. You really want to do this, huh?”
“I…” Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she didn’t want to stop looking at him; that almost lovestruck expression…it was captivating. “I think I do, actually.”
Dorothy swore the tension in the room became palpable as Haken pulled her a bit closer, whispering against her neck. “Anything other than an enthusiastic yes…”
The nature of his remark almost pushed her over the edge, his breath against her skin sending a visible shiver up her spine. He knew what he was doing, if the playful glint in his eyes was any clearer of an indication to her, leaving Dorothy hungry for far more than just simple teasing. Composing herself, her gaze quickly turned ironclad.
“Okay, fine…” Readjusting herself to clasp his hands firmly under hers, she felt more determined than ever to get her point across, even if it meant throwing aside her pride and last shred of dignity to do it. Dignity be damned, though… “I want you, Haken. Right here, right now…I want to do this with you.”
Maybe he thought he'd never get this far with her, not a single snarky word spilling from his mouth in response. The wide-eyed look on his face was one she’d never forget, however.
Smiling brightly, her heart ached. She really did want him, completely and utterly, and the declaration hanging in the air left her on cloud nine. Returning the teasing with a graze of a hand against his vest, the lingering silence left her acutely aware of how loudly her heart hammered in her chest. Lightly tracing her way down his frame, her fingers pausing just above the touch of denim, he looked as though he didn’t want her to stop. “Are you happy now?”
The breathy sigh he gave clued her in that she was indeed having some kind of effect on him. The blush on his face growing stronger was another entirely. “Couldn’t be happier. Well…maybe."
Following his line of sight, Dorothy promptly lifted her hand off his jeans and resumed glaring at him. The lack of any bite behind it, though, he seemed well aware of. “Very funny,” she muttered.
Her face, more red than ever before, confirmed her intentions just as easily as any words ever could. Wiping the last of any tears from her eyes and adjusting herself, a near-elvish grin painted her face.
“We’ll speak of this night like it never happened, though…understand?” Jabbing a finger in his direction, the wisp of a smirk on his lips proved to be rather alluring.
“One and done, huh? I’m fine with that…it wouldn't be my first rodeo.” Sighing, Haken glanced from her hand to her eyes, reveling in the sight of both from the looks of it. “Although, I’m not guaranteeing that Aschen and Suzuka won’t have something to say about our little rendezvous when we meet up with them again.”
“I’m preparing myself for that, I assure you.” Deciding to bite the bullet and put what remained of her pride aside for the evening, Dorothy eventually worked up the nerve to straddle Haken outright. Her face was still beet red, no doubt about it, but the prize for such a bold move was noticing him sport the same shade. “And I assume a certain princess is the exception rather than the rule concerning your more involved relationships?”
"I'm not gonna act like that isn't the case. Although, since we have her blessing and nobody to overhear us…” Pulling her into an embrace and planting a brief kiss against her neck, she pursed her lips shut to not let anything embarrassing slip due to the contact. Murmuring against her skin, it was obvious that he was rather eager himself. “What do you say we get this show on the road, Little Mistral?”
“So long as you stop calling me that nickname specifically…”
Taking the opportunity to kiss him full on the lips, Dorothy grinned after pulling back, working on slipping out of her dress. Seeing Haken watch every move like a hawk proved exhilarating, her heart close to bursting from her chest as the garment eventually got tossed aside. She wouldn’t need it where they were going, that was for certain. Feeling a hand snake up her soon-exposed torso, the warmth and electricity returned in full force with every graze of his fingertips against her skin. She was enjoying this, indeed, a wide smile unable to be kept down.
She wasn’t wearing anything fancy underneath, just a simple set of black lingerie. Wondering if, in hindsight, she did put a bit more effort into her appearance than she first thought, Dorothy froze just as Haken did. They both felt tense, unbearably so, the wide-eyed stare her attire garnered from him proving absolutely priceless.
Wanting to see for herself what lay underneath all those clothes of his own, her hands grazed his chest and worked to undo any buttons in her path, an elvish smile returning in full force. Bold, but desired by them both, especially with his impressed expression spurring her on. Stopping just shy of the final button on his vest, Dorothy locked eyes with Haken. The bullet pendant resting against his chest soon felt cold against her fingertips, the tension buzzing between them in the captain's quarters feeling as though it could power the entire ship.
Regardless of the reason, all Haken did was wordlessly, warmly smile in response to it all, running both hands softly down her body until they rested at her thighs. Arguably better than him saying something that would ruin the moment, but Dorothy strangely found herself missing the distinct timbre of his voice. Gathering the nerve to speak up, she sighed heavily into the air as the silence finally dissipated.
“…I’d love to.”
Whispered lovingly close to his ear, Dorothy felt him shiver a little.
Perfect.
Dorothy’s eyes shot open, white-hot memories permeating her dreams rather vividly beforehand…a feeling she wouldn’t have traded for all the riches in the Endless Frontier, in hindsight. Hitched whispers, soft kisses trailed down her body and unbelievable warmth…the combined sensation of it all remained lodged in her brain, doing her no favors as her face lit up with an equally bright blush.
Wrapped under an admittedly cozy comforter, Dorothy quietly sighed as sunset-dyed light bled through thin black curtains. A picturesque scene to be sure…especially with a fast-asleep bounty hunter curled up next to her, not budging an inch even as she sat up. Settling her gaze on him, the gentle rise and fall of his chest lulled her back into a feeling of peace with her decision. Certainly an experience to remember, the memory’s continued playback brought a flustered smile along with it.
She loved him. Three simple words confirming it once and for all made a familiar sense of heat bubble up in her core. She really did fall for him, head over heels, proving it by…well. The general lack of clothing between them both really hammered that home, didn’t it?
He looked content, at least.
Noticing him stir after a few quiet minutes longer, Dorothy’s scrambled thoughts eventually calmed just as bleary blue eyes focused on her. Glancing back every now and then at whatever bare skin showed underneath the covers proved too difficult an opportunity to turn down. He really was quite the looker, even more so with his tousled hair and a clearly exhausted gaze.
“Yo.” Husky and quiet, she resisted the urge to melt back under the covers again just from the sound of his voice alone. Maybe she really was starting to get why Kaguya felt the way she did for him, the events of the past hour notwithstanding. “Sleep well?”
Feeling a familiar blush begin to creep up on her face, Dorothy glanced away. “As far as I’m aware.”
“Must’ve been tired out, huh?” The smirk on his face, faint as it was, drew her back in just momentarily for a short kiss.
“I distinctly remember the fact that I’d been able to make you end up that way as well, if memory serves.” Whispering nearly against his lips, Dorothy soon backed away and poked him on the forehead, a faint smile creeping up again at the recollection. “Shifting gears somewhat, you sleep like a damn rock. I went to go to the bathroom, having to remove your arm from around my waist before doing so…you didn’t budge once.”
Eyes widening, Haken let a near-inaudible laugh slip as faint red painted his face. Genuine, from the looks of it. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before. And, uh…sorry. Heard I can get a bit…clingy, when I’m out like that.”
“Clingy? No…although, it was surprisingly cute to see you curled up like you were…” Tracing his cheek with her thumb, a warm smile showed through the layers of snark. “Passionate, though…if the time I spent with you beforehand was any indication, that’s something I honestly did not expect from you.”
“Well then…consider me flattered. Happy to be of service, Bomber Girl.”
Fighting the urge to keep her eyes off exposed skin as Haken patted her on the head, Dorothy promptly righted herself after a moment of bliss.
“R-Right. Anyway…”
“Still a bit flustered about all this, huh?” Haken whispered, hearing him stifle a laugh before returning to having his face halfway buried into the pillow. “Don’t blame you, really. If you’d wanna give it another shot, though…”
“Y-You…” Sputtering for a moment, Dorothy soon locked a steely gaze on him. “You really are hopeless, aren’t you? I might take back what I said earlier, you know.”
“Harsh…” He murmured mostly into the pillow as his eyes closed, leaving her to soften her gaze as the realization kicked in that he was particularly exhausted. Speaking methodically, the wisp of a smile on his face started to fade with each word. “I get that a lot, actually…”
Eventually falling quiet, Dorothy fought back a wide grin as it dawned on her that Haken had just crashed entirely, his breathing eventually steadying giving her the final clue she needed.
“Geez…” Deciding to not waste another moment after a short time spent staring at him, Dorothy quietly stepped onto a rather plush rug and gathered her thoughts. Eventually deciding to do the same with her extra clothes in the interim, the sight of Haken, still very much fast asleep, brought a genuinely warm smile to her face. The only other thing on her mind at that moment was the reaction they’d both receive on their return, meeting up with the ship’s guests remaining unavoidable.
Deciding to just suck it up and push through whatever feeling of embarrassment she might’ve harbored, one final look at Haken cemented in her mind that she’d made the right decision. She had Kaguya to thank, certainly, but the experience of it all was well worth the trouble. Whatever else the princess had in store for them tonight, she felt she could find it in her heart to forgive her if subjecting them to more terrible movies was on the list.
Waking up a certain cowboy came first, though, regardless of however much she wanted to stay by his side and just revel in the moment.
Poking her head out from behind the hall, the only person in the main room, much to her surprise, was Marion. Dressed in something that would, hopefully, prevent any comments about her previous activities, she watched in anticipation of what the doctor would do next. Preparing a cup of coffee and sending a simple wave her way as soon as they locked eyes, the sense of embarrassment that flooded Dorothy was thankfully short-lived.
“So…how’d everything go?” Marion asked, not breaking her line of sight even as she held the mug to her lips.
So much for that. Her blush back in full, vivid force, stepping out completely seemed like the far less awkward option to take.
“Sparing the details, it went…quite well.”
“Huh…alright then. Glad to hear that little soundproof field worked like a charm, though. I didn't hear a peep out of that room, which…well.” Taking a prolonged sip of coffee, the pause let the insinuation of her remark sink in quite quickly by comparison. “Considering who, exactly, we’re talking about here…”
Raising an eyebrow, Dorothy wasn’t certain what Marion was more impressed with…even though in hindsight, it seemed crystal clear. “I’m assuming that means you’ll be keeping it in place?”
“Eh, maybe. When I’m not on the ship I don’t give a damn what he gets up to…let’s just say it’ll be useful when I am here.”
She had a point…it was probably for the best that nobody overheard them, any playback of their prior moments together only hammering the fact further. If Marion didn't hear a thing, then apparently that field really did work. Twirling a strand of hair on an outstretched finger, Dorothy couldn’t bear to make eye contact with her. “Good to hear that. I think.”
Taking another sip of her drink, Marion glanced her way from over the rim of the mug. “Seems like we both got what we wanted tonight, though…right?”
She could’ve sworn her entire face was beet-red by that point, the professor’s slight smugness in her tone not doing her any favors. Crossing her arms like the world’s worst shield guarding her heart, nothing could’ve revealed her state of mind any more plainly. “Y…Yes, I suppose we did…”
Hearing a door click shut from the end of the hall clued them both in to who might’ve been approaching, only confirmed when a mess of silver hair poked out from behind the hall’s entrance. A sleepy, inherently playful blue gaze locking onto Dorothy made her heart flutter for what felt like a split second too long, a nonchalant wave only driving the sensation further. The moment of silence before he spoke felt agonizingly lengthy.
“Howdy.”
Returning the gesture arguably just as half-heartedly, the pull she felt to bury her face in Haken’s chest grew too strong to ignore. Doing just that…making her way to him, wrapping her arms across his back wordlessly and pushing Marion’s no-doubt surprised expression out of her mind, Dorothy felt strangely at peace.
“Hey…” she murmured against cotton fabric. Glancing up, the tired but warm look she received struck a chord when it came paired with his arms softly embracing her frame. “Are you doing alright?”
It took a moment for him to respond, a testament to how much energy he might’ve had left. Probably not much. “Hm? Yeah…just drowsy.”
“Seems that way, Captain,” Marion spoke up, earning her an earnest laugh in response. “But regardless of whatever you lovebirds got up to earlier…don’t you have the rest of a movie night to attend?”
“Guess so…” He muttered. Feeling him plant a kiss on the top of her head, Dorothy was certain that pressing against him wouldn’t hide her blush completely, even though it hadn’t faded entirely either. “We’ll get there.”
Marion sighed, a hint of annoyance behind the action nowhere to be heard. “At least you both are decent…doing alright too, from the looks of things.”
“You could say that,” Dorothy muttered, remembering why she was even in the Zeit to begin with. It was nice being held, though, a feeling that she didn’t mind savoring for however long it all lasted.
The calm was heavenly.
The night went on without much issue, after that.
Dorothy followed Haken to the rec room after he planted another brief kiss against her forehead, fighting the urge to drag him back into the hallway out of sight of the Zeit’s inhabitants. Reaching the door with her desires firmly stamped out, one final swift hug and murmured words of thanks against his chest quelled whatever spark might’ve remained. That was it. It was done.
That is, unless she asked Kaguya again…?
The whir of the metal door scattering her train of thought, Dorothy sighed with a smile as Kaguya flagged them both down. Patting the seat next to her, she quickly scrambled for the television remote to pause whatever movie they were playing. Some other cheesy romance flick, no doubt. Feeling the princess lean against her, a whisper tinged with curiosity reached her ear.
“Are you okay?”
It sounded genuine enough…
A moment of silence let her gather some idea of how to go about replying. “Yes…I’m doing fine.”
Simple and to the point, the sight of Aschen and Suzuka sharing incredulous looks didn’t bother Dorothy as much as she thought it would. Maybe Kaguya said something to them earlier about making comments; whatever the case might’ve been, she was grateful regardless.
Feeling Haken’s arm soon draped over her shoulders, Dorothy felt more at ease with everything that had transpired earlier. Curled up under a soft blanket with popcorn and some friends seemed less unbelievable of a situation she could’ve found herself in, now that she was there, and the prior moment of vulnerability she shared with the man next to her was strangely comforting in hindsight.
The slight touch of another hand, small and delicate, caught her attention for a second. Gently resting around her waist, the faint blush of a certain princess to her left didn’t go unnoticed, the movie almost becoming white noise as thoughts began to buzz again.
There really was more to her intentions than she first thought, wasn’t there?