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Sara reached down, lacing her geta into her shin guards, "Ei, Raiden! I'm off to work now!" She called to them from the hall, standing upright and waiting for the familiar sounds of bare feet padding against the cold floors.
The Shogun peeked her head out of the bedroom door, hair loose and still clad only in her long nightgown. She tilted her head to the side, the barest hints of a pout forming on her lips — a familiar look. One Sara only saw when she left their bed in the morning, typically accompanied by a soft groan when Sara slipped her arm out from underneath her head and crawled out of bed, leaving her back cold.
"Will you give me a proper goodbye?" She shifted her weight between her feet, braving the harsh cold floors just to send off her dearest general.
( You need not worry. This body does not react to insignificant changes in temperature. Raiden would always say whenever Sara would wrap her tightly in her haori. And Sara would always catch her pulling it tighter around herself, burying her nose into the fabric.)
Sara stepped closer to her shivering doll, "Of course, my dear." She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she leaned down, hands clutching at Raiden's plush waist, bracing her as she leaned forward on the tips of her toes.
She felt her lips; chapped and cold against her own soft and full ones. The Shogun's hands curled into the fabric of her shirt as her lips fell open — a silent demand. Sara’s cheeks hot as she obeyed, tongue making way into her open mouth, her fingers digging into Raiden's hips.
In Sara's humble opinion, it was a bit too early for this. Perhaps if it were 7 am instead... She wouldn’t deny her Shogun though, especially not when she believed the Shogun's sudden desire before the sun had even come out had more to do with innocently seeking out warmth and closeness than any sort of sudden lust.
Raiden fell back on her heels, pulling away with a fleeting pass of her tongue against her lips. Sara's heart fluttered, briefly wondering if it'd be too late to take the day off now.
Her focus shifted to the adorable crinkle of the Shogun's nose — no, not her Raiden, the way her eyes squeezed together and the way the corner of her lips perked up was too expressive.
Ei.
Ei smiled softly and chuckled, lidded eyes looking up at her filled with gentle mirth. "My, my, where do you two find the energy so early?" Her tongue passed over her lips with purpose, "I do hope you left me some of that tea I taste, Sara." Her hand reached for Sara's, fingers interlocking, tugging her even closer.
"Of course, darling." Her free hand caressed Ei's cheek, her Goddess nuzzling against the warmth of her hand. Sara pressed a kiss against the mole under her eye, grinning against her face. "It's just in the kitchen dear, it should still be hot."
Ei whined softly, adorable as always , "You'll have me freeze?"
Tilting her head down to press her lips directly against Ei's own, feeling her pout against her. "You'll just go back to sleep once I leave if I don't get you out of the room, won't you, Ei?" Sara utterly spoiled her Goddess, breakfast and fresh tea by the bedside most mornings — that was until she had come home early in the afternoon to the sight of her Archon nestled in the sheets, crumbs coating her cheeks as she slept the day away.
( The cold is at fault! The body becomes stiff and heavy, I can barely get out of bed. Almost a good excuse, if not for the fact that Ei always seemed willing to work through the chill of her body whenever Sara offered her a sparring session outdoors. And she certainly never allowed the cold to hold her back when it came to an indoor 'sparring' session.)
Nuzzling against Ei's cheek in apology, she spoke, warm breath tickling Ei's frowning face. "Your slippers are right by the door, and my haori should be on the chair."
Ei squeezed her hand, perking up slightly, "The red one?"
"Yes, my warmest one, it'll protect you on your journey into the kitchen." She teased, nudging Ei's head to the side to press her nose into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent — soft soap from last night's bath, a lingering hint of her perfume, and sakura blossoms, she always smelt like sakura blossoms.
Her Goddess buried a hand into Sara's hair, petting her lightly. "That's my favorite one, the Shogun quite likes it as well."
Sara slowly dragged her face away from the inviting warmth of Ei's neck, "It's certainly well loved." And indeed it was — the crimson red haori that was constantly falling apart at the seams, needing to be restitched after every wash, and it was her most beloved gift from her dual Archons. It was perfect, especially when it came to wrapping up her two smaller loves.
A coo came from deep within Sara's chest as she reminisced, and she begrudgingly pulled away from an amused Ei. "I really must leave now, or I never will."
Ei looked at her with a hint of mischief, as if she was considering the exact words to say to make Sara stay, or at least to have her distracted all day thinking about how she could've stayed home.
A soft sigh from Sara seemed to change Ei's mind, leaning in to give her a chaste kiss to her cheek rather than tease her. "Alright general, but do try and be home early, I haven't much to attend to today."
Sara quirked a brow, "You've made plans?"
"If you consider sharing a warm dinner in bed with your beloved a plan, then yes."
Sara crinkled her nose at the thought of dinner in bed of all things, and why said dinner would be only warm and not hot, but she said nothing, only nodding. "I'll be here, and you may keep the sheets to yourself tonight if I manage to be late."
Her ears were graced with Ei's soft laughter and her waist graced with strong arms wrapping around it. "I'll hold you to that. Now, it's time for you to go isn't it?” She leaned up for one last kiss. “I love you, Sara. Stay safe."
Sara murmured her affection into Ei's hair, melting into her arms until she felt the sudden telltale squeeze of the Shogun.
Never good at managing her own strength, nor had she mastered the ability to voice her emotions, rather than, well, squeezing her affection into Sara. Sara loved it nonetheless, brushing Raiden's bangs back and kissing her forehead. "I love you too, my Shogun." The Shogun squeezed tighter, mumbling something into her chest. If Sara had to guess, it was likely an admission of love the doll was too overwhelmed to say out loud.
She seemed hesitant to let her go as well, content to press herself into Sara's warmth — another tug at her heartstrings. It took a great deal of mental effort to pull herself out of her grasp, "Raiden, I'll be coming home earlier today. I promise."
She looked up at her pitifully, opening her mouth as if to say something before promptly closing it.
"Raiden? Are you alright?" Her heart twisted looking at her. Ei had told her once before that it was just the Shogun's face, that she simply always looked like a lost puppy, and Sara had to agree —- but she knew the doll well, and she could notice the barest hints of upset in her face.
"The cold...it is a painful reminder of your absence, that is all. Do not worry yourself further with me."
Well, Sara couldn't do that, and she came to a resolution in her mind almost instantly.
"You know what? I'll go down to the station and deal with only the important matters, then I'll assign my other tasks to whoever's available. After that I'll return — it won’t take long. Does that sound good to you, my love?" Sara gripped Raiden's shoulders comfortingly, hoping to reassure her that all would be well.
And the Shogun seemed to be very reassured, lips quirked up into an instant smile, a rare but welcome sight that only further convinced Sara that she had made the right choice.
"I believe that would be ideal. Depart now and return to me soon." The Shogun began shooing her out the door, an amused laugh escaping Sara as she was kicked out by the woman nearly wishing she'd stay just a moment ago.
Sara was ushered towards the large palace doors, hallways empty as always — a simple coincidence that Tenshukaku’s guards and servants were never around when it was time for the dual archons to say their goodbyes to their dearest general.
The doors were pushed open and Sara nearly considered turning tailfeather and rushing back inside as the brisk cold air whipped at her face. Snow covered every piece of ground and every tree in the courtyard was weighed down by the weight of crisp white snow on its branches.
A soft sigh fell from her lips as she looked at the stairs, snow encrusted as expected and likely covered in ice as well.
The Shogun noticed her displeasure, pressing her shivering body against Sara’s side as she spoke. “You seem displeased, you need not go if you do not wish to weather the cold. You are hardly properly dressed for the occasion.” She glanced down at Sara’s geta, and back up to her — admittedly thin long sleeved shirt.
She considered it for a moment, just a brief moment , and shook her head. “I must go, you know I am not one for skipping out on work needlessly.” Sara leaned into Raiden’s smaller body. “My outfit has fared me well all these years, I’m sure it’ll last me a few more hours at work.” She flashed her a small smile, hoping to convince not only the puppet but herself as well.
Prior to her relationship with the two women she never complained, never allowed herself to even utter a sigh no matter the weather. But they had coaxed her into voicing her displeasure, and had encouraged her to take days off to rest — a foreign idea to Sara not too long ago. And now here she was, considering staying home in bed with her wives because of a little snow.
Sara squared her shoulders and trudged forward, needing to leave before she spent any more time thinking about how soft she’d gone, and how she didn’t seem to mind much at all.
She encouraged the Shogun back inside as she attempted to follow her down the snow covered stairs with her bare feet, making the slow careful trek down the stairs by herself. Sara sighed as she reached the last step, her breath hanging in the air in front of her. She'd be back soon she told herself, working up one last ounce of motivation to head out.
Sara took the final step off the stairs and turned, raising her arm high and waving at the women watching her from the top of the steps. "Goodbye, my loves! I'll return soon!"
The Shogun raised her hand (she didn't wave, Sara hadn't yet managed to convince her that it was a necessary component of the gesture). "Farewell, my girl!"
Her other hand raised and waved back at her, Ei calling out to her as well. "Have a good day, Sara!"
Sara tore her gaze away from the two women, setting off with her cheeks burning red and her heart warm as she heard the heavy doors closing behind her.
She’d be back soon, just an hour or three, yes, then she’d be back within the arms of her lovers. They’d have a warm cup of tea together, or if Sara was feeling particularly indulgent, she’d have some of the hot chocolate Ei adores. Then they’d bundle themselves in the sheets, Raiden’s legs tangling with hers in an attempt to steal whatever body heat she could. And perhaps she would even fall asleep — in the middle of the afternoon no less, and she’d wake to a gentle hand and voice coaxing her to get up. She wouldn’t, not right away at least, too content to spend a winter afternoon lazing around with her beloveds.
Yes, Sara supposed that would be a lovely way to spend the rest of her day.