Work Text:
In many ways, Suletta Mercury and Miorine Rembran met in the cockpit of Aerial. It wasn’t the first time they had interacted, nor was it even the most memorable event of that day, but it marked a pivotal, defining point in the lives of both young women, and arguably was where the pair’s relationship truly began.
So in many ways it only made sense that it would be Aerial’s cockpit where another pivotal, defining moment of the two’s relationship took place, though not one either had necessarily planned on.
Hoped for… now that was a different story.
Miorine Rembran didn’t consider herself someone with weak nerves. She woke up every day with the weight of more expectations than anyone truly understood on her back, and still pushed on. She had faced down her father in front of an unknowably large crowd, and stood her ground before finally, truly making forward progress. She had even stolen the mobile suit she currently rode in and faced down a renowned dueling champion with little more than righteous anger and desperation.
So why, why was it that she was filled with such exhilaration and terror at a situation where she knew she was safe?
Well, she had always had problems with not being in control. You didn’t need to be one of the overpriced and stuffy psychologists her father had cycled her through to tell that. That, and it turned out nerves of steel have a way of softening when inertial forces make it feel like said nerves have been pushed into one’s toes. But she was Miorine Rembran, heir to the Benerit Group, leader and founding member of GUND-ARM Inc., accomplished-
“Oh, Miss Miorine, you’ll love this!”
-she was going to die here.
The red-haired girl in the pilot’s chair threw the suit into a dizzying maneuver that Miorine probably would have been able to name from the ground but it turned out that, once inside, any knowledge she once held on the displays and readouts swirling around her head was lost in exchange for a very visceral understanding of just how powerful each of the thrusters on the giant suit was, and- which direction is the ground again?
That question quickly became answered as the ground dominated the viewport, the mech briefly hanging in the air before the boosters dotting the frame opened to their full aperture, sending them hurtling towards the ground at a terrifying pace. Miorine was personally of the opinion that gravity was more than sufficient and her companion really didn’t NEED to add to the forces pulling them down, but that opinion was drowned out by the weightlessness overtaking her and the screaming that had begun filling the cockpit. In what felt like several moments after they were due to hit the ground the tanned hands of the pilot deftly pulled them back until they were parallel to the ground, soaring across the terrain as if a single misdirected control wouldn’t turn them into a breakfast entree. Looking out the left-hand panel of the canopy, Miorine dimly noted that Aerial’s fingers danced mere millimeters over the side of a rise, the detritus kicked up glittering like stars.
As she gasped for air to fill her oddly drained lungs, the pale-haired bride realized the screaming had been coming from her. That explained some things. Seeing the controls get pulled in, a new feeling of terror overtook Miorine and she screeched a single word that brought the world to a grinding halt.
“SULETTA!”
A panicked warbling emitted from her fiancé’s lips as the powerful legs of Aerial dug into the terrain, rocks and dirt being kicked up as a thunderous rumble came over the cockpit. After some truly impressive skid marks the rumble finally settled into a near-silence punctuated only by a gentle whimper and the panting of of Miorine trying to catch her breath. Realizing she may have been too harsh, Miorine tried to speak up.
“Suletta-“
“I’m sorry, Miss Miorine!” Her voice was trembling, and while Miorine couldn’t see her face at the moment she could imagine that the redhead’s face was rapidly changing to match her hair color.
“Suletta, it’s-“
“It’s just, you asked me to show you around Aerial, and I got so excited because-“
She was babbling now. No doubt the nervous pilot had managed to catch herself in a spiral, convinced she had irrevocably broken some facet of their relationship. It was unfortunately the opposite of the intended effect, as Miorine had asked Suletta to walk her around the precious suit in hopes that some of the self-assuredness Suletta only displayed in matters connected to Aerial could strengthen the relationship between the pair.
“And, you know, then you asked if I could show you what it was like being in Aerial during a fight, and I-“
That was true. While loath to admit it, Miorine felt significantly indebted to her fiancé. She had faithfully defended their bond with seemingly little gain and a lot of heavy lifting, and Miorine had… watched. Watched as the timid Mercurian time and again performed feats far beyond anything Miorine was capable of, feats that sometimes defied logic. Her only previous experience being inside Aerial with Suletta at the helm had been equal parts brief and exhilarating, and perhaps if she better understood what her groom experienced every time she protected their bond she would feel less guilty watching from behind a screen. And maybe, just maybe, she would feel a little more in control.
“I know it sounds really weird but I wanted to show off, which is silly because it’s not like anything I could do could impress you, Miss Miorine, but the thing is, I just, ah, between you and Aerial, two of my most important people were- oh, no…”
-and wasn’t that interesting?
Unclasping herself from the makeshift harness Earth house had thrown together for the excursion, she shuffled in place until she was more or less face-to-face with Suletta, albeit a head or so shorter and constrained by a cockpit most certainly not designed for two occupants. Suletta had been reduced to worried murmuring, trembling eyes so transfixed on her own fiddling fingers that she didn’t seem to register Miorine clumsily moving close enough to clasp the anxiety-ridden girl’s hands between her own, the action eliciting a startled chirp as Suletta jerked her head away, eyes clenched shut.
“Suletta, I’m not upset with you.”
The redhead’s eyes opened a crack. “You… you’re not?” Miorine sighed loudly before directing a gentle glare towards her groom.
“No, Suletta, I am not.”
The pilot’s eyes opened a little wider. “But… you screamed-”
Miorine sighed again. “Suletta, I screamed because I was scared.” Seeing the girl’s eyes shoot fully open in shock Miorine lunged forward, enveloping Suletta’s mouth with her hand before she could voice an apology. Now haphazardly sprawled over her groom’s lap with muffled protests vibrating against her palm, a distant part of her brain noted that Suletta had very soft lips for someone whose care routine seemed to begin with “fall out of bed” and end at “wear clothes”, with bathing and hygiene falling somewhere in the intermediary. Pulling herself into a slightly less uncouth position, Miorine continued.
“I was scared because I was overwhelmed. Because even though I thought I had prepared myself, I still couldn’t handle something that you manage to make easy. And…” The heiress bit her lip, the words on her tongue seeming to try and force their way back down her throat. “...and because I didn’t trust you enough. To release control.” Giving a stern glare into Suletta’s trembling eyes, her next words were firm and absolute. “And if you even think about apologizing for that, Suletta Mercury, I will have you pruning the tomatoes until my next birthday. Now,” she paused, her eyes still locked to the pilot’s, “can I remove my hand without you trying to beg forgiveness for something you haven’t done wrong?”
Suletta nodded hurriedly, taking a deep breath as soon as her mouth was free. “Miss Miorine, I-”
The white-haired girl’s head swiveled, fire in her eyes. “Ehhhh?”
“I wasn’t going to apologize!” Miorine’s eyes narrowed, and when the redhead continued it was with a much softer, meeker tone. “I wasn’t…”
Her bride sighed, her eyes softening. “Then I suppose you may continue.”
“Um…” Suletta’s face was flushed as she looked down at her headstrong companion. “Can we maybe, um…” Miorine looked down, seeming to remember that she was on Suletta’s lap.
“Ah, I suppose this isn’t very comfortable for you. Here, let’s get your harness off.” Removing the witch from the buckles and straps securing her to the seat, the shorter girl huffed with a self-satisfied look on her face before readjusting and planting herself square on the pilot’s lap.
If there had been any dogs in the remote vicinity, the noise that came out Suletta’s mouth would have driven them into a furor.
“Miss Miorine-” Her lap’s new occupant thrust her head upward, interrupting Suletta with a gentle bop . “Ah.”
“Please, this cockpit was hardly made for two and your lap is more than spacious enough.” Miorine wiggled in place, seemingly unaware of the blush that had long since enveloped Suletta’s face and now seemed to be taking on a hue similar to that of her hair. “And don’t call me ‘Miss Miorine’. It makes it seem like you think I’m better than you.”
Suletta twirled her fingers around each other, struggling to get her words out. “But… Miss-” Miorine once again gently struck the timid girl with her head, her intention clear. “M-Miorine, you are better than me. You’re smart, you’re talented, you saved Aerial, you stood up to your father, you-” A third strike from the pale-haired girl silenced her once more, and a long silence hung in the air.
“...Suletta,” Miorine finally spoke, her voice uncharacteristically shaky. “For almost all of my life, my peers have held me on a pedestal, or worse, seen me as a prize to be won. My father was someone I could never appease, approval I could never get.” She curled up slightly, and Suletta found her arms unconsciously gently wrapping around her. “Nothing about you has been what I expected. Every time I thought I understood you you proved me wrong, and every time I came back more impressed. Suletta, you say I’m better than you, but to me I can only see you from behind.”
“Miorine, I-” Suletta found herself shushed again, this time by a dainty finger placed gingerly upon her lips. Miorine seemed to be trembling now, but from their current position Suletta couldn’t see her face to make out any sort of expression. Not quite understanding why, Suletta began gently stroking her bride’s hair, feeling the unusually vulnerable girl seem to soften beneath her touch.
“I wanted you to show me Aerial today because I wanted to see more of the Suletta Mercury that shows the confidence deserving of such an amazing person. I asked you to show me what it was like to fly her because I wanted to know what you went through every time you fought for me . And without even thinking, you showed me…” She curled up tightly, moving deeper into Suletta’s embrace. “You showed me just how small a person I really am. Just how much I rely on you. How much I don’t deserve you. Because even with all of that, I still couldn’t trust you enough to let you be in control.”
Suletta kept gently stroking Miorine, who had now nestled herself fully into the taller girl’s chest. When she finally opened her mouth she spoke with surprising clarity for someone usually so nervous. “Miorine, I’ve never thought there was anything… special about what I did. I’m just a girl from Mercury in over her head. Aerial is my partner, but if you take her away, I’m… I’m nothing. I might have Aerial on my side, I might be able to win duels, but… Miorine, you can make things actually happen. ” Lowering her head she embraced Miorine with her whole body, distantly taking note that Miorine’s hair had a vague but distinct aroma of a citrus she couldn’t quite place.
“Suletta?” Miorine said, finally, voice muffled.
“Yeah?”
“You’re my bride, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And you aren’t going to change that?”
“Yeah.”
Miorine pushed herself up, willing herself to look directly into the other girl’s eyes and trying to ignore the fact that tears almost certainly rimmed her own. Suletta had an almost motherly look in her eyes that Miorine found herself quite drawn into. “Suletta?”
“Yeah?”
“You said I’m brave, right?”
Suletta nodded hurriedly, some of her trademark anxiety returning. “One of the bravest people I know.”
Taking a deep breath, the shorter girl seemed to steel herself. “Suletta, I’m not nervous from the flight anymore.” The pilot cocked her head to the side, confused.
“Okay?” Taking Suletta’s hand in her own, Miorine guided it towards her chest, allowing the redhead to feel her heart pounding within it.
“The first time we were in here, when you won the duel against Guel, when you became my groom, you said something to me.” She paused, seeing confusion still etched on her companion’s face. “Something that made me realize that you don’t keep going because you aren’t scared, but in spite of it.”
Suletta opened her mouth slightly, slight understanding sparking in her eyes. “If you move forward, gain two?”
Miorine nodded, pulling Suletta’s hand tighter into her chest and, by consequence, herself closer to the other girl. “I’m nervous, Suletta.”
“I can feel that.”
“But not about the flight.”
“No.”
The white-haired girl leaned closer once more, their voices now barely more than whispers. A blush was once again spreading across Suletta’s face, but despite her own heart pounding in her chest, she felt remarkably calm. “Were you nervous when you fought Guel?” Suletta nodded, almost imperceptibly.
“Mhm.”
“But you didn’t run away. Because if you move back, you’ll gain one, but-”
Suletta nodded again, this time with more confidence. “If you move forward, you gain two.”
“Suletta?” Miorine whispered, their faces practically touching.
“Yes, Miorine?”
“You’re my groom, right?”
Suletta tried to nod, but only succeeded in touching her forehead to the shorter girl’s. “Of course, Miorine.” Miorine took one last breath in, eyes still locked with the witch’s.
“Then I’m going to move forward.”
And then their lips were connected, the two wrapped in a strange embrace with their hearts bridged by the other's hands. Suletta, miraculously, didn’t exclaim or make any of her trademark noises, merely melting into the kiss and finding her loose hand slid among her partner’s hair. Miorine, in turn, used her free hand to slide into the small of Suletta’s back, pulling herself into the redhead until her legs flanked either side of her. Finally breaking apart for air, the pair looked into each other’s increasingly dilated pupils.
“Miorine?”
“Yes, Suletta?”
“What are we doing?”
A smirk slid up the sides of Miorine’s mouth, some of her signature confidence returning. “We’re kissing, you dolt.” Suletta’s face flashed red.
“I-I-I-I know that much! I meant… why…”
The grin on Miorine’s mouth grew wider. “Well, I quite enjoy it.” Suletta’s head retreated into her shoulders.
“...Kissing?” Miorine scoffed.
“Kissing you.” Suletta let out a relieved sigh, her muscles loosening again. “I think I may be more fond of you than I initially realized.” The smile on her face took on a wicked twist. “And you are quite good.”
Eliciting more startled warbling from the redhead, Suletta let out a melodic, jingling laugh before planting another quick kiss on Suletta’s lips, silencing her. After the once again broke apart, Suletta looked at her bride, twirling her one free hand around a strand of hair. “Ummm, Miorine, can we… do something?”
Looking at her curiously, Miorine responded. “Kiss more?” The tanned girl’s face flushed a deeper red.
“No! Ah, well, yes, but, I mean, can… can I shut Aerial down? I know it’s silly but she’s family and it’s awkward and-” Miorine was laughing again. “Miorine…”
“Of course it’s okay, Suletta.” The lights and canopy windows dimmed around them, leaving the pair in a soft, dim light, and silence only broken by the two’s breathing and pounding hearts. When Miorine spoke again, there was a husky quality to her voice that Suletta was quite certain hadn’t been there before. “Besides… I can think of a few more things we can do in the dark.” The breath Suletta drew in could have cut glass, but there wasn’t a trace of fear in what she said next.
“As you wish.”
Neither of the cockpit’s occupants could have said how much time had passed before the lights flickered back on, the comforting noises of the mobile suit starting up surrounding them. Miorine, somehow looking remarkably well put together, had already begun strapping herself into the makeshift second harness as Suletta once again zipped up her pilot coveralls, though Miorine found great satisfaction in noting that the deep blush covering her new lover’s face spread onto her chest. Her gaze lingering, Suletta jumped a little when she noticed she was being watched.
“Ah, don’t worry Miorine, I’ll go slow on the way back.”
Miorine shook her head, a comfortable smile on her face. “Actually, I was wondering if you could fly me around some more.” The red-haired girl cocked her head, concern in her voice.
“Are you sure? You don’t need to impress me, Miorine.” The shorter girl nodded, confident.
“It’s not about impressing you, Suletta. I want to… confirm I’ve changed. After all, I have three things I didn’t have before.”
Suletta looked absolutely bewildered now, visibly counting on her fingers. “Experience, pride, and…?”
The smile that spread across Miorine’s face was one Suletta could have fallen into.
“Trust.”