Chapter Text
“I can’t believe your mom just broke us out.”
Abigail glanced over at Raelle, looking quietly triumphant. “Me neither.” She looked down at her hand, intertwined with Adil’s. He smiled softly at her.
“Petra Bellweather just directly violated the will of the President of the United States. To save us.” Tally’s eyes were wide.
“And don’t forget me,” Nicte added, sending a mischievous smile Tally’s way. While everyone else had chosen seats in the back of the bus, she’d sat a few seats ahead, on her own. This was the first thing she’d said in the fifteen minutes or so since they’d escaped in the very bus meant to bring them to trial in D.C.
Tally looked ruffled, as did Abigail. Nicte responded, but she only addressed Tally. “Hey. Relax. I won’t be forgetting what you did for me anytime soon. And besides,” she grinned, “Who in their right mind could ever let those dimples go to waste?”
Raelle grinned at the exchange. “First Alder, and now Nicte?” she spoke in a low voice. “Uh, oh, type emerging. Dark hair, trouble…” she trailed off in laughter.
Tally looked taken aback. “What? No, I would never –”
“Just as long as you keep your sights off my mom,” Abigail teased. Tally turned a deep shade of red and everyone giggled.
Scylla leaned back against Raelle with a contented sigh, pressing her them both back into the bus window. Raelle automatically wrapped her arms around her, pulling her closer into her. She could scarcely believe it – Scylla was here, in her arms. Finally, they were together. And this time, things were different. She could tell.
“Guess I’m a dodger now, huh?” Raelle quipped. She placed a soft kiss on top of Scylla’s head, nothing that it smelled like home. Not that surprising, she reasoned, since Scylla had just spent the last few weeks in her childhood home.
“I guess so,” Scylla breathed, leaning back to press her face into her girlfriend’s neck. “We all are.”
Raelle chuckled and glanced over her to look at the ragtag group lounged in the bus seats around them. “Something tells me it’s going to take a lot to keep this buncha’ idiots inconspicuous. We never were any good at keeping a low profile.”
“Then it’s a good thing you’ve got me to show you the ropes.” Scylla’s playful tone set butterflies alight in Raelle’s stomach. She leaned forward and craned her neck to close the distance between them, relishing the feel of Scylla’s lips moving against her own. It was uncomfortable, but so worth it. Scylla adjusted to make things a little easier, moving to wrap her arm under Raelle. Raelle’s heart skipped a beat as Scylla embraced her fully, crushing their lips ever closer together. She felt her heart rate accelerating as their kisses grew more intense, their need for each other more desperate. She fisted a hand in Scylla’s hair and bit lightly at her lower lip, delighting in the breathy gasp she released.
“Speaking of ropes…” she whispered into Scylla’s ear. She grinned when she felt Scylla’s hands fisting the material of the shirt on her back in response to the suggestion. Scylla pulled away, just enough to look into Raelle’s eyes, hunger written all over her face.
“That little twin bed in Cerce never sounded so good,” Scylla said finally. Raelle smiled and Scylla broke out into a giggle, collapsing against her chest.
“Think you’ll have any Dodger beds in the Dodger houses we’re going to?” Raelle joked, brushing some stray hair away from Scylla’s face.
“God, I hope so,” Scylla responded. She spoke directly into Raelle’s chest, so her voice was muffled. “I don’t know how much of you holding me and looking at me I can take without… y’know.”
“Yeah, I do,” Raelle laughed. “I mean, it’s been months. And ever since we captured Nicte, well. I’ve been thinking about you a lot.”
Scylla finally lifted her head, pulling her arm out from under Raelle to prop her chin up on her fist. Raelle immediately missed her arm, but she looked cute like that, so she figured she’d let it slide.
“And with that, and then after today, I mean I’m basically your savior. I’ve heard that can be quite sexy.” Scylla did a good job of keeping her delivery deadpan, with only a hint of a smile hinting at the edges of her lips.
“Yeah. Sexy weird. Just like us,” Raelle smiled. She leaned forward and pulled a grinning Scylla up closer to her face by her chin. Scylla was smiling against her lips. She pressed their foreheads together, her hand on the nape of Scylla’s neck. “I know I basically already said this already, but… I am so happy to be with you. I love you, Scylla Ramshorn.”
Scylla sniffled before laughing lightly. “And I love you, Raelle Collar. And I can’t wait to spend –” she paused to punctuate her words with a kiss on Raelle’s cheek, “—every – possible – day – with – you.” Finished, she pulled back and smiled down at her. “Now don’t you go dying or getting kidnapped again any more, you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Raelle grinned.