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"I heard that Jester decided to send you Fontaine as well." Hearing Capitano's voice in her lab in the middle of the night was unexpected. Not because of the late hour, no- everyone knew that many meetings would gather in late hours in Zapolyarny Palace. It was common for everyone in Snezhnaya to be able to see daylight for only a few hours in winter. Working hours could not be said to be very important since all you see when you look out the window, whether it is morning or not, is the polar night. "I suppose Her Highness couldn't trust enough Arlechhino's short temper to accomplish the mission without flaws."
She would have laughed at these words if she hadn't been grumpy because she was going to the country where she had left years ago. Instead, she huffed and returned to collect essential devices she would need while working at Fontaine. "I thought you would be in Natlan, Captain." She turned her head and saw the tall figure leaning against the door, watching intently at her actions.
"Jester called me back when I reached the border. He found some evidence that the Bough Keeper is taking action against the Abyss. We had to make sure his schemes wouldn't affect ours." She could have sworn he was frowning under his mask.
"That man is working hard for a dead country that won't appreciate his actions," she said sarcastically. "utterly risible."
We're not that different either.
He hummed as if he heard what was on her mind. "About Fontaine... I was surprised that Her Highness would send you on a field mission."
"Just because I can't walk properly doesn't mean I am useless, Captain." She knew he didn't mean it that way, but it was fun to see him ashamed of the misunderstanding.
"It's not that!" His voice was louder. "What I mean is she always prefers to follow your research closely, just like how she prefers Jester beside her."
He approached her calmly while speaking. Just for a second, she realized how tall the captain was. Mostly, she was unaware of the size difference between her and the captain. It felt strange to be this short around him, as she often navigated the palace with the help of her robot.
She felt her cheeks redden for no reason.
"It was merely a joke, don't mind that," she assured. "So, I don't think our almighty captain came here to chitchat all of a sudden." No one would come if they didn't have something to ask of Sandrone.
"Don't be so cruel, Lady Marionette. In the worst-case scenario, I thought that you would offer some tea. It was tiring to come here after all."
She could hear the tease in his voice.
She pushed her wheelchair back, taking strength from the table. "What is the best scenario then?" Realizing that he should approach from her gesture, the captain knelt in front of the wheelchair and equalized their height. "I am curious about what our almighty captain thinks."
She could see little bloodstains on his mask this closely. Apparently, he tried to clean it after what devilish work he had done. It wasn't enough. It took some time for him to answer. She couldn't see his eyes but she could feel that he was eyeing her face. Sandrone wasn't at her best, it was the middle of the night for Tsaritsa's sake, not like she minded it.
"People say that I am a people-pleaser, Miss Sandrone. So, the best-case scenario is up to your wishes." Sandrone's hands slowly settled on his broad shoulders as he spoke. He could see the mischief in her eyes. He hoped the situation didn't turn out to be too different from what he had expected. Needless to say, he didn't like being experimented on.
Without taking her eyes off him, Sandrone defiantly moved her hands to his mask. He tilted his face. With his gesture, she pulled his mask up to his nose. She could see some of the horrible scars and black veins(?) that probably covered his entire face. Didn't make him less attractive, she thought. Rather these scars were like medals to honor his past.
Her heart raced even more and she was sure he could hear it.
Finally, she took his cheeks and kissed his lips. It was soft at the beginning, but as time goes by they became more careless and desperate. Without thinking the only thing that was alive at that moment were beating hearts and silent murmurs. Her hands still clung to his mask she could feel his arms wrapped around her.
At some point, the Capitano pulled back for a breath. "That was... something." he muttered.
Before she could tease him, he lifted her from her wheelchair and placed her on the newly tidied table. "Before you go, I guess we should discuss some business matters, Miss Sandrone."
"What a responsible Captain to his subordinates. I hope you don't talk about serious matters with others like that, too. You and Dottore seemed to have a lot to discuss lately.
A few grunts were all that was heard before the captain kissed the woman.