Chapter Text
It's bizarre, to look at someone so familiar yet so different. It is Suletta, obviously, the same unruly red hair, the same warm blue eyes, the same dopey smile; Miorine has no doubts that it's Suletta. But, she doesn't look like Miorine's Suletta. The scars across her cheeks tell of a story Miorine doesn't know, and she just looks... Older. Different. Changed. Not in a bad way, but in a way that makes Miorine's brain stutter, like when you walk into a familiar place and all the furniture has been moved.
Miorine leans against the doorframe, and she crosses her arms over her chest. She's doing her best to stare down the familiar-yet-unfamiliar stranger, who's the same height as Suletta and thus towering far above her.
"Explain the situation to me again." Miorine says, her brow furrowing and a pout on her lips. Not-Suletta blinks, and she's still smiling, but she's starting to look a bit weary.
"Like I said, I don't know the specifics..." she reaches up to rub the back of her neck, and she laughs nervously "But, there was an accident involving experimental technology so I um... Exchanged places with my younger self."
Miorine does her best to keep her expression neutral.
"Time travel is impossible according to the laws of physics."
"Okay, I can see why you'd think that, but-" Not-Suletta points at herself "I'm here anyway, aren't I?"
"And..." Miorine has to stop herself from saying 'my Suletta', so she pauses as she thinks of how to put it "The you from this time period, is now in the future- How many years exactly?"
"Um... About three and a half."
"So... You're twenty-year-old Suletta."
Suletta lights up, and Miorine feels her resolve crumble. That sure is the same stupid grin she's come to expect from Suletta.
"Yeah!"
"And, if you're here at Asticassia..."
"Then, the 17-year old me is... At my house." Suletta's grin turns awkward and she looks around, anxiety evident in her eyes "Can you let me in before anyone else sees me? This is really hard to explain, and I don't know what I'd do if it was anyone besides you..."
Miorine feels her insides churn with an uneasy feeling, but... At the same time, it's Suletta. It might not be her Suletta, not as she knows her, exactly, but all her little mannerisms, the way she speaks, her stupid smile...
Miorine walks back and she opens the door wider to let her in. Future-Suletta lets out a relieved sigh, and she's quick to walk inside, even with the crutch. Miorine lets her eyes linger on her, then shuts the door and locks it for good measure.
It's all very nostalgic, Suletta thinks. She hasn't been in this room in... Well, over three years, of course. There wasn't much reason to return to Asticassia after what happened, and much less to Miorine's room specifically. Part of her wants to ask Miorine if they can go see the greenhouse; after it was destroyed so unceremoniously. Suletta always felt like it was a loose end she could never tie. Going back to it, with Miorine, taking care of the plants together again... Suletta still spent time with Miorine gardening, of course, but it was with her Miorine, in their home garden, back on Earth. Being able to see the greenhouse again, it would be like opening a door right into her most cherished memories.
But, looking at how Baby-Miorine is sitting in front of her, absolutely fuming, Suletta wisely decides to keep that thought to herself. The last thing she needs is to fuel her suspicions.
"I know this is a lot, Miorine-" Suletta clears her throat "Miss Miorine. But, I dunno how to prove it's real. It was an accident, so I wasn't prepared to come back either..."
Miorine stares her down more, and the look on her face is so familiar Suletta has to hold back a grin. Her thin brows are furrowed, and she's pouting slightly, but her cheeks are puffing out. She's annoyed, yes, but...
She's so cute, Suletta thinks, and a nervous smile spreads across her lips.
"Why did you come here?" Miorine asks, and she shifts slightly, her arms crossing over her chest again. She's still on guard, the suspicion not entirely cleared "Why me, specifically?"
Suletta hesitates, and she tries to keep herself relaxed. She doesn't want to look guilty, after all, but this is... A lot to go into.
After all, how do you tell someone you're her future wife? The timeline is early enough that neither of them had quite accepted their engagement as anything more than a useful compromise. Suletta is kinda worried how Miorine would take it, but... Well, honesty is the best policy, isn't it?
"Because you're the one I trust the most." Suletta smiles, soft and relaxed "Besides, it means I don't have to talk to anyone else... I can't really go to the dorms without having to explain the situation to the entire earth house."
Miorine's expression remains neutral, but Suletta can easily notice the small tells. The way her lips quirk slightly, the softening of her gaze. She believes her, which is a relief, because Suletta isn't sure what she'd do if she got kicked out and had to spend the night trying to play hide and seek with the campus guards.
"So, how do we fix it?" Miorine asks, and she folds her hands on the table. Suletta hesitates.
"We just wait for it to fix itself. It should really only take a day or so."
Miorine purses her lips, then sighs. She stares down Suletta again, then gets up and walks around her, inspecting her from every angle. Suletta lets herself be stared at. It's a lot for anyone to deal with, she knows. After a few minutes of this, Miorine kneels down next to Suletta instead. She's staring into her eyes, and Suletta just smiles softly.
"Did we get married, after all?" Miorine asks. The smile on Suletta's face grows.
"Of course. I was- I am your groom."
Miorine's expression shifts slightly, becomes softer, she avoids looking directly into Suletta's eyes.
"So, you never lost?"
For a moment, Suletta thinks back to her final duel, and she hesitates. Nothing good can come out of telling the younger Miorine, someone who hasn't gone through Plant Quetta, someone who hasn't even realized her feelings for Suletta, about what transpired then.
"No." Suletta smiles "I never lost."
"Hmm..." Miorine is feigning disinterest, but her cheeks are ever so slightly red and she's avoiding her gaze. Suletta can't help but grin. She's so cute. She's so unbearably cute. Her wife, the Miorine from three years in the future, she's cute as well, of course, but younger Miorine is adorable. It's been a while since she's seen Miorine like this, and it fills her heart with an overwhelming nostalgia and warmth.
After a moment of silence, Miorine looks back at her, and she raises her hand to point at Suletta's cheeks. She's hesitant, her brow furrowed again and her jaw tense. Suletta already knows what she's going to ask, but she waits for her to say it out loud.
"Those scars..." Miorine pauses, and she glances over at the crutch, left by the door "They're permet scars. From piloting a Gundam, right?"
Suletta looks at her with the utmost softness, and she leans slightly towards her. Miorine pulls back with a pout.
"Yes."
"Not the Aerial?"
Suletta's heart skips a beat, and she realizes that the Aerial, the original Aerial, it must still be at the hangars at this moment in the timeline. Like the greenhouse, she wants to see it so badly, but she tamps it down.
"No." Suletta's smile falters slightly, but she forces herself to stay relaxed. Miorine is trying to look cool, again, but it's so obvious she's struggling with something. Back then, Suletta never knew what Miorine was thinking, but now, she might as well have been wearing her heart on her sleeve, because Suletta can read her so easily. Miorine hasn't said anything yet, and she's avoiding looking back up at her.
"For me?"
"Huh?" Suletta pauses, her eyebrows raising slightly as she tries to understand the question.
"Did you get hurt fighting for me?" Miorine mutters, and she visibly shrinks, concern and shame on her face. Suletta feels warmth spreading from her chest to the tips of her limbs, her heart soaring with love for her wife, even before she was her wife.
"No, Miss Miorine." Suletta, instinctively, reaches to touch Miorine's cheek "It wasn't your fault."
Miorine looks back at her, relief evident in her eyes, before she gets that pouty expression on her face again. She reaches up and smacks Suletta's hand away.
"Just because we're married in the future, don't think you can get so familiar with me." she grumbles.
Suletta laughs, which just makes Miorine look even more annoyed. She's so pouty and cute, it just makes Suletta laugh harder, her cheeks going warm and flushed. Instinct takes over, and Miorine reaches up to bap Suletta on the forehead, which doesn't make her look any less cute. Suletta just trails off into giggles, but, looking at Miorine's expression, her cheeks puffed out and her brows furrowed... Suletta reaches over again and pinches her cheek, eliciting an offended gasp out of Miorine.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" Suletta's own giggling interrupts her "But, you're just so cute, I can't help it."
"You-" Miorine pouts even harder and gives her a little push "I'm not your wife, you idiot!"
"Oh, that's been a while..." Suletta rests her elbow on the table, and she props her chin on her knuckles. She's still grinning at Miorine, and it's obvious Miorine is getting increasingly flustered, her cheeks red and her gaze flickering everywhere but back at Suletta. "You used to call me an idiot all the time, huh..."
Miorine, flustered as she is, avoids looking directly at Suletta, but she glances in her general direction.
"I stopped calling you an idiot?"
"Well, no." Suletta grins "I think it's reserved for special occasions."
Miorine lets out a frustrated noise, and she crosses her arms over her chest. Suletta really wants to reach over and pinch her cute cheeks again, but she knows it's cruel to tease her like this. Miorine will be honest with her feelings, eventually. Suletta doesn't need to push her.
After a moment of silence, Miorine stands up and walks over to where she keeps the kettle, her back turned to Suletta. Suletta takes the time to really look over her, that familiar silhouette that's ever so slightly different. Hmm, maybe she should ask her Miorine if she's interested in growing out her hair again...
"Do you want tea?" Miorine asks, breaking Suletta out of her daydreams.
"Oh. Yes, please." Suletta smiles even when Miorine isn't looking at her, and she relaxes against the table, resting her arms on it.
Miorine is quiet while she makes the tea, and Suletta can tell she's sulking. Maybe she did tease her a bit too much. Miorine is more sensitive than she'd ever admit, and this whole situation must be disquieting. Suletta wants to know what Miorine is thinking, exactly, but she knows she'll just get yelled at if she asks, so, instead, she waits for Miorine to give her a hint.
"You're very calm." Miorine mutters, almost a whisper, as she pours the water into the mugs. Suletta hums in thought, and she reaches up to scratch her jaw.
"I guess, compared to how I was back then-" she laughs gently "I must come off as really composed, yeah. But I have no reason to be nervous, after all. I'm with you."
Miorine slams the drawer shut. She's holding up a spoon, and Suletta can tell her ears are red even from where she's sitting. Suletta feels like she's stuck in the same train of thought over and over again; Miorine really is the cutest. She wants to pinch her cheeks more, she wants to brush her hair away from her face, and she wants to-
She shouldn't. It would be unfair, wouldn't it, to force her affection on this younger, icier Miorine who won't even admit to herself what she wants.
Miorine turns around, and she daintily sets both mugs on the table. She's removed the tea bags already, and she goes back to get sugar for Suletta. Suletta grabs the sugar shaker, then pauses. This was a thing too, back then, she remembers having tea in Miorine's room and always having sugar but...
"Oh, I forgot." Suletta smiles "You got the sugar for me."
"Obviously, you were whining about it last time you were here-" Miorine realizes and her cheeks go red again. For Miorine, it only happened a few weeks ago, at most, but, for Suletta, it's been years. Miorine, who drinks her tea unsweetened, went out and bought sugar specifically for Suletta.
"It was a really kind gesture." Suletta's smile goes soft and gentle as she stirs the sugar into the warm drink. Just the steam emanating from it is enough to make her feel cozy "I didn't appreciate it enough at the time."
"Shut up." Miorine mumbles, and she stares down into her own drink like she wants to die. Suletta is trying to keep herself from staring, but she can't. She just wants to look at Miorine, this younger Miorine who's so guarded, but on her way to realizing her own feelings. She doesn't look too different from Suletta's wife, but her eyes are a bit sharper, she holds herself like she can't afford to open up. Suletta thinks back through the years, she tries to keep her timeline straight in her memories, and then she reaches over to touch Miorine's cheek again. Miorine is startled, and she stares up at her with a pout, but she doesn't move away.
"And thank you, for what you did at the incubation party." Suletta smile grows, her eyes squinting with love "I never thanked you enough, back then. We had a lot going on, with the company..."
Miorine looks away, and she frowns, but she leans her head into Suletta's hand. Her expression softens, accepting the small gesture of affection. At once, Suletta is overcome with the knowledge of everything that's yet to come for the two of them, and how much Miorine will really come to love her. And Suletta feels a deep sadness for this young girl, who will hurt both herself and Suletta trying to save her, and who will go through so much trying to do the right thing only to have it blow up in her face due to the actions of the adults around them.
And so, Suletta leans over, and she kisses Miorine, who freezes in surprise. But, after a moment of hesitation, Miorine melts into the kiss, her eyes fluttering close and her hand reaching out to set on Suletta's collarbone gently. Suletta doesn't go too far, she keeps the kiss chaste, but loving and filled with everything she feels for Miorine, the Miorine of her present, and this Miorine from the past, who's yet to know how bad things can really get.
It's a little selfish, maybe, Suletta thinks, but she's always been a selfish person.
They pull apart after minutes, too long maybe, and Miorine is red all over and breathing heavily. Suletta wants to kiss her again, but she's starting to feel a bit guilty about it.
"Are you okay?" she asks, her voice gentle.
"I love you." Miorine says.
Suletta laughs, and she relaxes. She reaches up to stroke Miorine's cheeks again, now with both hands, and she brushes her hair away from her face. Miorine looks up at her, shy and unsure, and it takes all of Suletta's self control to stop herself from kissing her again.
"I know." Suletta sighs, her chest bursting with emotion "I love you too- The you in front of me, and the you in the future and... I know the me from now loves you as well."
Miorine closes her eyes, and she leans into her touch. But, after a moment, she gets too self-conscious about it, and she pushes Suletta away with a pout. Suletta lets her, and the smile never leaves her face.
"Are you stupid or something?" Miorine grumbles, and she reaches up to rub her cheeks as if she could wipe the blushing away "We're not dating or-"
"You're my bride." Suletta relaxes back against the table, and she just enjoys watching Miorine so flustered.
"I know. But we've never..." Miorine trails off with a grumble, and she looks everywhere but at Suletta "We haven't even gone on a date. A real date."
"You'll go on plenty of dates in the future. Don't worry."
"I'm not-" Miorine turns back to Suletta, her eyes sharp again, and she reaches over and flicks her forehead. Suletta just laughs in response. "Finish your tea before it gets cold."
Suletta grins, and she grabs the mug with both hands. Miorine turns away and she sips from her own mug, but it's obvious she's still flustered. Both of them are silent for a while, just enjoying their drinks, and- Well, Miorine is probably trying to process what just happened.
"Can you tell me more?" Miorine mumbles, and she keeps her back to Suletta, unwilling to look at her. Suletta pauses, unsure of what to say. She tips the mug up to get the last little sip of tea, then sets it down on the table.
"I can't give you specifics about your future. Well, about things that are going to happen. It's already pretty risky, to be here in the first place but..."
"You can tell me we're getting married, but you can't tell me how we'll get there." Miorine says. It's not a question; she's quick on the uptake as usual.
"No." Suletta frowns, and she traces her fingers along the table. It hurts her, that she can't tell Miorine about everything that will happen, but there are some things you just have to live through. Some things shape who you are as a person.
"But we'll end up together?" Miorine asks, her voice unusually gentle "You promise?"
Suletta glances back at her. Miorine is still turned away, her shoulders up and guarded, and her arms loose around herself.
"I promise."
Miorine finally looks back at her, a slight pout on her lips, but she looks trustful enough. After a moment of deliberation, Suletta reaches over to pat her head, which just makes Miorine pout even more.
"I promise." Suletta repeats
"I heard you." Miorine mumbles. Then, she sighs and gets up. "Don't think I'm going to be up all night with you just because you're my future wife. I have class in the morning."
"Oh, I didn't realize how late it is." Suletta hums "Time travel really messes with your perception of time, huh."
Miorine makes a face like she can't believe the situation she's in.
"You want a pillow or something?" she huffs "If you move the table, you'll have plenty of space to lie down."
Suletta stares at her blankly, and then the penny drops.
"You're gonna make me sleep on the floor?!" she gawks at her "I'm your wife!"
"You're not my wife yet." Miorine huffs and crosses her arms over her chest, then pointedly looks away. Suletta stammers for a second, before looking down at herself.
"If I sleep on the floor tonight, I don't know if I'll be able to walk in the morning... You know... " She glances over at the crutch by the door, then at Miorine, and she witnesses her resolve crumbling. Miorine looks back at her, and she's pouting again, and Suletta has to keep herself from smiling.
"Fine, whatever." Miorine rolls her eyes and she disappears into the bathroom without another word. Suletta sighs. It takes her a moment to get back to her feet on her own, but she manages, and then she sits on the bed and glances around the room. It really is nostalgic. She lets herself be lost in reminiscing for a moment, a faint smile on her lips.
Miorine comes out in her pajamas, and she hesitates when she sees Suletta. Suletta blinks, looking up at her as if asking a question. Miorine, whatever she's thinking about, can't bring herself to say it, so she just turns off the lights and shuffles past Suletta to lay down, facing the wall, and she gets all wrapped up in the blankets. Suletta hums, and she reaches up to undo her ponytail, then lays down as well, not bothering to cover up. Silence settles in the room, and it's not uncomfortable.
"Do you, um..." Miorine's voice is small, almost afraid as she curls up just that bit tighter "Are we happy?"
Suletta, staring up at the once-familiar ceiling, smiles easily.
"Yeah. We're the happiest we've ever been."
Miorine is quiet for so long, that Suletta assumes she just fell asleep. But, eventually, she stirs, and she rolls over to look at her. Suletta meets her eyes, with utmost love.
"I'm glad." Miorine says. "It's easy to believe. That I would be happy with you."
Suletta grins, and she reaches up to touch Miorine's cheek again. Miorine leans into her hand, her eyes closing. They let the silence take over for a moment, until Suletta breathes out softly, and she strokes Miorine's cheek as featherlight as possible.
"It's easy to love you." Suletta says, and, for once, Miorine believes that too.