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The day began the same as the day before. Spooner woke gently to the sun streaming through the rafters of an old barn. Astra snored beside her, looking just as immaculate in sleep as she did after getting ready (not that Spooner would tell her). Spooner rolled off of the prickly hay, the blanket she laid down as a protective layer for her and Astra now wrapped around Astra. She ran her fingers through her hair, dragging out pieces of hay, rock, and other gunk she didn’t care to investigate.
She woke Astra with a gentle shake of the shoulder and a soft whisper of, “it’s time to get up.” She received a groan in response. Spooner reached out to brush her hair from her face and just barely stopped herself. She shook Astra again, this time with a little less love and a little more vigor. Astra bolted up, metaphorical and physical fire in her eyes that faded just a little when they locked with Spooner’s.
“I swear to God, Spooner. Let me sleep.”
“We really need to get going if we don’t want the rest of the team to die.”
Astra growled, but the fire in her eyes reduced and she let Spooner pull her to standing. She took in the barn in the daylight with an eyebrow cocked and a hand on her hip.
“Where’s Gideon?”
Spooner, who was crossing the barn towards the doors, paused.
“Gideon?” She called.
“Check the hay loft. I’ll look outside.” Astra’s voice was firm and clear, and Spooner saw no reason to dispute her instructions.
Spooner climbed the ladder. She loved hiding in the hayloft when she was a kid. At first glance, Spooner saw nothing, but as she started going down the ladder, she spotted a pair of shoes peeking out from behind a haystack. There Gideon laid, lying flat on her back with her eyes closed and body rigid.
“Astra! She’s up here!” Spooner rushed over to the unconscious Gideon and shook her shoulder with urgency. Astra was quickly at Gideon’s other side, grabbing her hand and squeezing hard. Gideon didn’t respond.
“Gideon?” Astra’s words were spoken with a gentleness (almost a pain) that Spooner didn’t like. But it worked. Gideon sat up.
She looked Astra straight in the eyes, said, “Ah! Captain Cruz-Logue. Sorry for causing you and your wife concern. How may I help you today?” then immediately flopped back down.
“Gideon!” Spooner exclaimed at the same time as Astra screeched, “WIFE?”
“Gideon. Please wake up.”
“What the fuck does she mean, wife?”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Did she get us confused for Sara and Ava?”
“Astra, please.”
“Also in what world would I let your name go first?”
“Maybe we did it alphabetically.”
“As if.”
“Gideon!”
Gideon had sprung up, startling Astra and Spooner out of their respective funks.
“Gideon, are you okay?”
“Spooner! Sorry for the distress.” Spooner and Astra each took an elbow, helping Gideon to her feet. “I think one of my functions short-circuited.”
“Which function?” Astra’s snark was palpable.
“Time organization, I believe. The part of my system that separates its present knowledge from its future or past knowledge.” Gideon brushed off her dress and began descending the ladder.
“You called me ‘Captain Cruz-Logue.’ What the fuck happens?” Gideon ignored her and continued her descent. “Gideon?” Astra huffed in frustration.
“I have to say. It’s a little offensive that you're this upset at the prospect of marrying me.” Spooner’s tone poured sarcasm, but her voice wavered a little on the word “marrying”. She flopped down on the hay bale and pulled a map out of her pocket.
“Well yeah. You’re my best friend. People don’t marry their best friend.” Spooner couldn’t explain the twang in her chest. Astra came and sat beside her and bumped their shoulders together. “Besides. I don’t see the point in marrying anyone. Romantic relationships in general, really.”
Spooner raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want someone to come home to everyday? Someone who makes your heart flutter every time she looks at you? Someone who’s literally always there for you, no matter what?”
Astra laughed. “Well I have all of that in a best friend.”
Spooner’s first thought: what the fuck. Spooner’s second thought: Oh my God she’s in love with me. Spooner’s third thought: Oh my God I’m in love with her.
Spooner craned her neck up, and caught Astra’s lips with hers. Her lips were soft and smooth and warm and gone too soon. She stayed still as Astra looked her in the eyes with a studied expression. She pushed her embarrassment, her instinct to run, down as she watched the gears turn in Astra’s head. And then she watched as Astra’s lips rushed towards hers.
The second kiss was more enthusiastic, with more force and love behind it then the first. Their lips moved in unison as Spooner’s hands reached up to hold Astra’s cheeks. One of Astra’s hands found purchase in Spooner’s hair, the other wrapped around Spooner’s back. Fire rushed under Spooner’s skin, a grin suppressed only by the fact her lips were busy.
The hand around Spooner’s back pulled her up to straddle Astra’s waist. Spooner’s body pressed against Astra, and every bone in her body resisted the urge to push the taller woman down into the hay behind them. Astra’s hands roamed, looking for any skin they could find.
“Spooner? Astra? Are you coming?” Gideon’s voice was like a (much needed) bucket of cold water. They sprang apart, Spooner falling on the ground and Astra falling into the stack of hay. They breathed heavily, looking at each other with wild eyes and swollen lips.
“We… should… go.” Astra managed to get three words out in between her heaving chest. Spooner couldn’t get out one, instead nodding and remorsefully breaking her eye contact with Astra to stand.
As Spooner stepped on the first prong of the ladder, Astra stopped her with a hand on hers. She smiled softly and tilted her chin upwards, and pressed a sweet kiss to Spooner’s mouth. “One for the road.”
“Please stop kissing so we can get a move on, Capt-,” Gideon shut her mouth tightly. “I think my time organizational skills are still a little broken.”