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Tally didn’t mind being alone. In fact, it was a nice reprieve every now and then after being joined at the hip with her sisters. She enjoyed her times of solitude.
This was one such time for her, and one she was desperately trying to enjoy. The holiday break had begun and she had, of course, been invited to spend the break with Rae and her dad in the Cession, as well as with Abigail and her family.
She had declined—not that she didn’t appreciate the offer, of course. But after the events of Rae finding out her mother had been alive all this time, she thought it would be better for Rae and her dad to have one on one time where Rae could process and decide whether to share that information with him.
Going to Abigail’s would mean being surrounded by High Atlantics—and while Tally loved Petra, she knew the woman would be trying to set her up with any eligible bachelors since she had given up on Abigail once she found Adil. Petra had sort of taken it upon herself to act as a surrogate mother to her since she and her own mom weren’t really speaking—which Tally appreciated. She really did. But...sometimes it was a bit much and she needed the breathing room.
She could, of course, have gone home for the holiday break. Her mom had never told her she couldn’t come back...but if she went it would just result in an argument when it was time for her to return to base and Tally couldn’t stand to see May look at her the way she did when she first left for Basic.
So she decided to remain on base. One of the few soldiers to do so, including the officers. The Fort operated with a skeleton crew during this time of year. Only the necessary positions were required to remain, and most of those had nowhere to go as well.
A fort inhabited by orphans.
Tally sighed as she stared up at the ceiling from her bed. It was only the second day of break and she was already at a loss of what to do with herself. She already utilized having the TV all to herself. The common area was notoriously rambunctious when everyone was there—but now it was so quiet you could hear a mouse fart.
Tally chuckled to herself before she stretched. She wondered then what the General did for the holidays...
The thought caused a frown to appear on her face.
Things between them were tense—to put it mildly. She hadn’t seen Alder since Nicte’s execution.
What a mess things have been between them since she first stormed into Alder’s office demanding answers—since she all but accused the General of treason. She knew that she had no right to demand those answers from Alder...but she was just so tired and so frustrated. She had been suffering after seeing those memories...
Memories that Alder had to suffer with every day.
Tally groaned. She had been stupid and acted rashly. She hadn’t paused to think before she acted, and in doing so she had effectively pushed away the woman that she had been pining over for ages.
She knew nothing would happen between them...but the way Alder had tossed her aside after declaring their connection done, had stung more than she thought was possible. Then after the attack on Alder, when she thought there might be a possibility for reconciliation, Alder had referred to Raelle as an asset...not as a person or fellow witch but as a weapon...and Tally was certain that was what Alder thought of them as...herself included—she would never be to Alder what she wished she was.
Still, her mind couldn’t help but continue to drift to the General. Does she go somewhere off base with the biddies to celebrate the holidays? Does she spend it with Anacostia? With Witchfather?
The last thought caused Tally’s gut to twist. She was sure that wasn’t the case, but it still filled her with the biting sting of jealousy.
Her eyes drifted to the window. She could see the clumps of snow falling outside in a lazy pattern. It would be a white Yule, and she couldn’t help but wish that things were different between her and Alder...maybe they could’ve spent time together over the break.
She groaned aloud at her own thoughts. Alder wouldn’t want to spend time with her—she didn’t even want to be near her, actually.
Tally had only caught glimpses of Alder since everything, and she was pretty sure that the General was actively avoiding her. That also hurt. It was her own fault though; she brought it on herself after all.
She stood and walked to the window to peer out onto the grounds and see how much snow had begun to lay. She guessed they had at least half an inch so far. The sight of fresh snow on the grounds and the trees made her wish she had a plate of fresh cookies and a cup of hot chocolate.
An idea struck then and she quickly grabbed her winter coat and boots. She shucked the items on and took off from the dorms. With everyone gone from base, she was free to use the kitchens and decided that if she wanted cookies, she would make them.
The kitchens were dark when she arrived. She flicked the lights on and headed over to the cupboards and fridge, gathering all of the ingredients that she would need.
She started humming to herself as she prepped everything—grabbing bowls and utensils and preheating the oven.
By the time she started mixing the wet mixture she was so engrossed she never heard the door open, or the footsteps that had approached.
“Craven?”
Tally’s head snapped up as a surprised squeal left her—hands knocking the small bowl of flour that she had prepped toward the floor. She tried to catch it but only succeeded in sending it upwards and into her face.
She coughed as the bowl hit the floor—eyes blinking rapidly to take in the flour that was now coating her clothes, and she assumed her face.
Her eyes drifted to the intruder—none other than General Alder, who was looking...
Alder laughed then—a belly aching, loud laugh that reverberated off the walls of the kitchen. Tally was certain she had never heard such a beautiful sound. She knew Alder laughed—that she had a wicked sense of humor—though she never experienced herself. Memories of moments had filled her in the biddy link when they were connected and they were memories that Tally secretly cherished even though they were experienced by others.
But this one, this memory, Tally was ever so grateful she was experiencing it herself even if it was at her expense.
“You scared me!” Tally defended, a blush coating her cheeks—hidden by the flour that dusted her. She tried to brush it from her clothes, a frown on her face.
“I apologize,” Alder breathed out between her laughs. She approached then, an amused twinkle in her eyes as she took in the sight before her.
She hadn’t seen the cadet since Nicte’s execution, and truthfully she had been avoiding her—licking her wounds in private and attempting to sort out the mess in her head.
She hated that Tally had seen her memories, hated that the cadet had barged in with a complete disregard for protocol and demanded answers of her, hated that she wanted to provide those answers and be truthful, hated that she was a coward and couldn’t bring herself to say anything other than their connection was over and done—hated that it was another lie.
There was no escaping Tally Craven—and she truly didn’t want to. She had feelings for the cadet—feelings that had only grown since they hadn’t seen each other in weeks. She had decided to seek the Knower out when she had received the list of all soldiers remaining on base for the holidays. She had assumed Tally would be off base, but was pleasantly surprised to see otherwise.
Her biddies had urged her to seek her out the first day of break, but she wanted to wait...in part because she was nervous. She was worried that Tally would be angry with her and cross—making it difficult for her to speak truthfully instead of reacting defensively.
She had felt a tingle go up her spine when she was sitting in her office—a distinct feeling when her wards were tripped. She had immediately released a subvocal seed, allowing the Work to pull her mind’s eye to the source of the disturbance. She had only been slightly surprised when she viewed Tally through the Work, in the kitchens gathering items.
She had released it and stood, ignoring the looks of her biddies and Harley’s poorly concealed joy that flooded the connection—grabbing her coat and leaving her office behind in favor of Tally.
When she saw her in the kitchen, humming happily to herself and oblivious to Sarah’s arrival, her heart had swelled with affection and longing at seeing such an easy display.
Seeing the flour end up all on the floor and most of Tally’s body had been too much to resist. She couldn’t have controlled her amusement if she had tried. She was too...too Tally.
She moved to a drawer near the redhead and fished out a clean cloth. Her hand gently grasped Tally’s chin, holding her steady as she set to brushing the flour from her face.
“What are you doing here for break? I had thought you would go with Collar or Bellweather,” she inquired, still carefully brushing the flour from her.
Tally swallowed harshly, forcing herself to not cry at the gentle way she was being touched—along with the sight of Alder and her actually speaking to her. Maybe she wasn’t mad anymore.
“I didn’t want to intrude on Rae and Edwin’s time together...not with everything that happened last time...” Tally murmured.
Alder hummed. “If it helps ease your mind about her safety, I had two details placed on her this time.”
“Because she’s an asset,” Tally stated, voice flat. She internally cursed her own inability to keep her frustration at bay. The reminder of their conversation after the attack on the General played in her mind.
Alder’s brow furrowed as blue eyes locked on brown. “Yes and no. Yes, she is an asset. She is one of the most powerful witches I have met, even she doesn’t know the extent of her abilities.” She wiped the last bit of flour from where it covered one of the Knower’s dimples. “I also placed an extra detail on her because I do not want anything bad to befall her—because she is one of my daughters.” Sarah sat the cloth down on the counter, eyes breaking their hold on Tally’s as she spoke again, “And she is your sister…”
Tally blinked in surprise. Alder couldn’t possibly mean she had partly done it just because she was her sister. She wanted to ask why but she bit her tongue. Instead, she smiled softly and gave a tiny nod.
“Thank you,” she breathed out.
Alder finally returned her gaze to meet Tally’s eyes, nodding briefly before she looked at the mess near the Knower. “And why not Bellweather’s? Surely you would prefer to be making a mess out of her kitchen.”
Tally released a laugh, ending in a slight snort that had her briefly mortified—but the twitch of Alder’s upper lip in her amusement instantly did away with it.
“I love Abigail, and I adore Petra,” Tally replied honestly, “but since Petra has basically adopted me like another daughter she would just be hounding me with potential suitors since Abigail is off the market, and I definitely don’t want that.”
Alder scoffed at that, nose scrunching slightly in her distaste. “As if anyone Petra could find for you would actually be worthy.”
Tally felt warmth spread through her body—a rush of power zipping up and down her spine at Alder’s words. She was about to say something in return, but then Alder’s attention finally seemed to fall on what she had been trying to do.
“What were you going to bake?”
Tally blinked a few times before she realized she hadn’t responded. “Oh!” she breathed, eyes turning to gaze at her ingredients. “I was about to make chocolate chip cookies.”
“I see.”
“Would you like to join me?” Tally asked carefully. She hoped that she had kept her hopeful tone to a minimum. “I mean, of course, I wouldn’t expect you to or anything just if you would like to join me I’d like the company, it gets pretty lonely on base...do you and the biddies stay here? Oh Goddess, the biddies! Do they ever get to go home or see their families? Wait what were you doing here in the kitchens to begin with—” she was spared from her continued rambling when Alder’s chuckle cut her off.
“Breathe, Craven,” Alder urged with a small smile. “I would like to join you. To answer your other questions, the biddies do get to see their families. Their loved ones are flown in every year to see them at the holidays; they’re arriving tomorrow morning actually. They look forward to it each season. As for why I came down here...I felt my warding trip and wanted to investigate,” she told her.
Her tongue sat heavily in her mouth with the half-truth she gave. She wanted to speak with Tally, to clear the air with her and hopefully be able to move forward, even if it wasn’t in the way Alder wished.
Tally blinked in surprise. She had hoped but had never thought that Alder would actually want to join her.
“Unless you don’t wish me to join you after all?” Alder inquired after seeing the visible surprise, and near nervousness on her face.
Her hand shot out to touch Alder’s arm. “No I do!” Tally defended. Her eyes flickered to where she had grabbed Alder’s arm—ready to pull back as if burned.
“Then I will stay,” Alder assured, placing her hand overtop Tally’s and offering her a gentle smile.
“I thought...” Tally started to say, but cut herself off at the last moment and shook her head—eyes cast to the ground.
Alder ducked her head slightly to catch Tally’s gaze. “You thought what?”
Tally sucked in a breath. “I thought you were avoiding me.”
Alder hummed—deciding that this was her moment to be honest. “I was...”
Tally bit her lip, willing herself to not start crying. Goddess what was wrong with her?
“But it was because I was a coward. I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me anymore than you already were.”
Tally looked up sharply—disbelief colored her features as she searched the genuine expression on Alder’s face.
“You didn’t want me to be disappointed in you?”
Alder smiled softly. “Tally,” she began, enjoying the way the redhead blushed lightly when she said her name, “you are one of the few people who are brutally honest with me...one of the few I allow to be. Your honesty has never come from a place of disgust for me , but with my actions and the results. You aren’t honest for the sake of being honest. You are honest because you believe in the best in everyone and believe that it will make a positive difference in the end.”
Tally nodded, agreeing with everything Alder had deduced. She did believe in the best in others...especially Alder.
“Yes, you put me on too high a pedestal and when I didn’t live up to the idea of me in your head—it was disappointing for you.” Alder sighed. “But your honesty is something I value, as is your challenging nature. Because it isn’t out of disrespect, it is...in fact, out of respect that you do it. You want me to continue to be better in my decisions and thoughts of the consequences.”
Tally blinked twice, feeling the hot welling of tears gathering in her eyes.
“You are...outside of my biddies...the only other person that wants to understand me,” Alder explained gently. She wiped the tears from Tally’s face that had succeeded in falling, and cupped her cheeks. “And I am grateful that you want to. So I am sorry for avoiding you, and for acting like a child.”
Tally’s lip quivered. She couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with everything that Alder had told her.
“Thank you,” she whispered. It was all she could manage to get past her lips—her voice sounded strained to her own ears. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry for how I went about everything. I should never have barged in and accused you and then even after everything that happened with Nicte...I’m so sorry, General.”
Alder smiled and stroked her thumb over a dimple. “Thank you for your apology. Never stop questioning me, Tally Craven. Challenge me. But...please don’t make it a habit in the middle of the night to do so?” Alder chuckled.
Tally grinned then, laughing wetly. “I’ll make an appointment.”
“Doing things by the book, Craven?” Alder teased. “Let’s not shoot too high.”
Tally rolled her eyes before she giggled at Alder’s joking tone—something she was not accustomed to.
“Now,” Alder began, leaving a parting stroke to Tally’s cheek, “let’s make these cookies you were attempting to create before you dropped all your flour.”
“You scared me!” Tally huffed as she grabbed the discarded bowl.
“You’re a soldier, you should always be prepared,” Alder replied offhandedly before she glanced at the recipe and filled a cup with flour. “It’s hardly my fault you were so distracted.”
She added the flour to the bowl before taking it from Tally’s hands. She grabbed the other dry ingredients and began the process of measuring and combining them.
Tally scoffed. “Please, it is entirely your fault.”
“And how have you come to that conclusion?” Alder teased before handing over the completed bowl to Tally to mix with the wet ingredients.
Tally rolled her eyes. “Because I was thinking about—” she caught herself.
Alder hummed knowingly and handed over a spatula for Tally to use to mix the batter. “About?”
“I...”
“It’s okay, Tally,” Alder murmured next to her, eyes trained on the task Tally was completing—clearly using it to help her work through her nerves. “You don’t have to say if you’re too nervous to.”
Tally sighed and sat the mixture down. She pushed it away from her and took a deep breath before looking at Alder.
“I missed you.” Her eyes were locked on blue, intently watching for any emotion that might go through them. “I was thinking about you and how I hated that we were fighting...and I just... missed you.”
Alder’s lip quirked up. “Fighting? Is that what we were doing?”
Tally could see the teasing nature of the comment—written in the words and all over Alder’s normally steeled face.
She huffed. “Ugh you’re impossible.”
A loud laugh echoed in the kitchen, and Tally was grateful that this one involved less flour.
“Perhaps.” Alder stepped closer, standing shoulder to shoulder with the cadet. “If it helps...I missed you as well...and I also hated that we were fighting.”
“We sound like a couple,” the Knower blurted out. Tally’s eyes widened in mortification and she once again cursed her big mouth. She was about to backpedal on her statement—attempt to reword it or explain what she actually meant.
“Indeed,” Alder replied with a light chuckle. “However, while I have no experience in relationships, I believe couples usually make up after a fight with a kiss.”
Tally could feel her entire body flush at Alder’s words. She was confused. Was she implying that they should kiss or was she just commenting?
It was then that Tally realized she was staring at Alder with wide eyes—focusing on the bright blue before her; eyes that were taking her in and patiently waiting for her to say something. She felt no pressure in Alder’s gaze, merely a silent query.
Tally swallowed. “Yeah. I think so.”
Another hum.
Tally looked away, back down at the mixture in the bowl. She was certain she was going to die of embarrassment or blushing, if such a thing was even possible. She grabbed the chocolate chips and dumped them into the mixture.
It was then that she felt the warm pressure of a hand on her hip—a silent gesture to capture her attention. As if Tally wasn’t painfully aware of Alder’s presence next to her.
Then soft lips pressed against her cheek as the hand on her hip lightly caressed her through her fabric.
“Then I’m sorry, darling, and I’m glad that we are no longer fighting.”
A whoosh of air left Tally’s lungs.
Darling.
Warmth spread from her head to her toes and she knew her cheeks had to have darkened considerably at that term of endearment, let alone the rest of Alder’s words.
She felt her lips spread in a grin—offering Alder a beaming smile after the General pulled back to regard her.
Alder had hoped that her meaning was not lost on the cadet, and judging by the smile on her face she had managed to assuage any worries Tally might have.
She said nothing, instead grabbing some of the mixture and beginning to roll the dough into balls. Tally followed suit, both women working in comfortable silence together before sliding the first completed tray into the oven and finishing the others.
Tally set the timer for the first batch—suddenly nervous now that there was nothing for her to do with her hands while she and Alder just waited.
“I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable,” Alder murmured.
Tally realized then that she hadn’t moved from her spot near the oven for at least a minute, standing in silence while her thoughts ran wild.
She spun around—floored by the open and vulnerable expression on the General’s face. She looked...nervous.
“Goddess, no,” Tally answered quickly. She took a few steps toward Alder, stopping when she was an arm’s length away. “I just...I suppose I’m a bit confused about where we are at and where to go from here, General.”
Alder still looked nervous—even as she shifted to a more prepared stance, like she was about to go into battle.
“For starters, you can call me Sarah when we are alone...if you would like,” Alder stated, a slight lilt in her voice from her nerves. “There’s no need for such formalities.”
Tally reached out then, deciding to be bold. She took Al— Sarah’s hands in her own. “This isn’t a battle.”
Alder sighed, feeling her muscles relax at the slight assurance. Her posture became less rigid. Then Tally Craven stepped in so closely that the tips of her boots nudged her own.
They were close enough that they shared the air, and could see the flecks of gold in Tally’s eyes.
“I just...want to know what it is that you want—where you want to go from here?” Tally posed, thumbs rubbing circles on the backs of Alder’s hands. “Because I know what I would want, but I have no idea where you’re at.”
Alder’s head tilted to the side. “You have no idea where I’m at?” she murmured. She pulled Tally in close and reclaimed one of her own hands, raising it to cup Tally’s cheek as her forehead fell to rest against Tally’s. She relished in the soft intake of breath from the Knower. “It is the Yuletide season which unfortunately stops for no one. I should be in my office finishing the mound of paperwork that is on my desk, yet I want to be here with you instead. I have missed you quite desperately these past weeks. Seeing your name on the sheet of those residing on base for the break gave me hope that perhaps we could spend it together...I want to court you, Tally.”
Tally sucked in a breath at the declaration. “Sarah,” she whispered, breath ghosting over Sarah’s lips.
Alder smiled against her at the usage of her name. “Yes, darling?”
Tally released a whimper and moved her forehead from Sarah’s, instead wrapping her arms around the taller woman and pulling her into a full body hug. She tucked her face into Sarah’s neck, inhaling the scent that was uniquely her and basking in the feel of Alder against her.
The General was only momentarily surprised. She quickly returned the embrace—one hand threading through Tally’s hair to cradle her head against her neck.
“I’m not saying you have to answer now,” Sarah began carefully. She turned her head and pressed her nose to Tally’s hair, inhaling her sweet shampoo and sighing softly. “But when you have thought about it, let me know if that is something you want as well. If not, that is okay and I am happy for us to just be friends.”
Tally scoffed against Alder’s neck, pulling back immediately to look the General in the eye but still remain close. “This is more than I hoped for...and knowing you want more than just friendship with me is...” she released a breath and laughed to herself—eyes filling with tears again, “it’s everything, Sarah. Of course I want you to court me. I want to court you too. I want...”
The hand that was in Tally’s hair lightly scratched against her scalp while the other around her body rubbed her back soothingly as she got choked up by her own emotions.
“Shhh,” Alder soothed. “I understand.”
Tally shook her head, almost desperately as her brown eyes pleaded with Alder. “I just feel overwhelmed.”
“Tally, darling,” said Sarah, gently, carefully. “I understand.”
Tally nodded. She could see it in the shimmering blue orbs before her that Sarah was equally overwhelmed. She wondered if her skin also itched—if her throat felt so tight that she might suffocate if she didn’t find a way to soothe it soon.
She needn’t wonder long—almost as if Sarah could read her mind, the General wrapped her up so fully in her arms that there was no space between them and pressed their foreheads together so tightly their noses rested to the sides of each other—lips just a brush away.
But Alder didn’t seek them out. She was content to remain like this for as long as Tally needed. Truthfully, she also needed to remain like this—to take in the feeling of her in her arms as if she was made to be there.
They were interrupted by the timer on the oven—both women turning to look at it.
“I completely forgot we were baking,” Tally said with a light laugh as she reluctantly moved away from Sarah to take the first two sheets of cookies out. She walked with them to the counter, setting them down as Sarah placed the remaining two sheets into the oven.
“I didn’t ask...” Alder began as she set the timer and turned around to look at Tally. “Why did you decide to make cookies?”
Tally grinned before snapping her fingers as the reminder of why she began the adventure of cookie baking struck her. She moved to the cupboards and pulled out a pot before beginning to gather the other items she needed.
“I was in the dorm and I saw the snow and I just got this craving for chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate,” she explained as she set to work. She paused after a moment. “I have no idea how to make hot chocolate from scratch though.” A sheepish grin graced her face.
Alder was leaning against the counter top, arms crossed, and a soft expression on her face as she watched Tally zip around the kitchen and explain.
“I believe I can be of assistance here,” Alder quipped, pushing off the counter and beginning to prep the items Tally had gathered. “I recently learned how to make hot chocolate from scratch.”
Tally blinked at her. “You did? Why? Did you need to procrastinate paperwork that badly?”
Alder laughed. “No, although it was a welcome reprieve from it.” She combined her dry ingredients in a small bowl off to the side while she boiled a small cup of water. “I actually learned for you.”
Tally’s breath caught. “What?”
She could’ve sworn there was a blush coating Alder’s cheeks.
“I remember from the link that you have quite the sweet tooth, and one of the things you love in the winter is hot chocolate. I’ve never had a reason to really indulge in it before—until Harley, none of the biddies were set on the drink. Harley had this recipe and made me make it for them the other week to make sure I got it correct.”
Tally snorted with laughter at that. “Of course it was Harley. She’s trouble.”
“Don’t I know it,” Alder mumbled in reply. “I seem to have a penchant for wayward soldiers as of late.” She glanced at Tally out of the corner of her eye with a smirk on her lips.
“Hey!” came the immediate defense.
Alder’s water had finished boiling and she mixed in the dry ingredients, combining them before adding in her milk and stirring the mixture continuously.
“I wanted to make it for you as a peace offering.”
Tally could feel her cheeks heat up with the statement. It was beyond her wildest dreams that Alder felt the same way—let alone that she had wanted to do something so sweet for her.
“I’m both surprised and not surprised that you can be so sweet.”
Alder hummed before removing the pot from the heat and setting it to the side. She dumped in her vanilla as she spoke, “I’m not, usually. But apparently all it takes is the right person to bring that side out. I’ve always been a romantic—at least I believed that if there was someone I felt strongly for, I would be a fan of romance. But, I spent so many decades leading our Army and fighting that I had long given up on such things...”
She stirred in the vanilla and then grabbed the cream—filling two mugs with some cream before topping it off with the hot chocolate mixture.
“I have no experience in the romance department of course.” She moved to the fridge and pulled out a can of whipped cream. “But I think I just need some practice.” She sprayed a healthy dollop on each before sprinkling some cinnamon on the top.
She took both mugs in hand and passed one to Tally.
Tally could feel the heat in her cheeks at the casual way Sarah explained how she would practice for Tally. It made her want to swoon on the spot—instead she took a sip of the hot chocolate, moaning appreciatively at the taste. Sarah had nailed it.
When she returned her gaze to the General, she took note of the darkened eyes that were hungrily watching her.
“Adequate?” Alder asked carefully. Despite the rush at hearing Tally moan, she was nervous about the drink.
“It’s perfect, Sarah,” Tally assured with a soft smile. Her cheeks tinted pink as she continued, “this is the sweetest thing someone has done for me.”
Alder blinked at that. “Having hot chocolate prepared for you is the sweetest thing someone has done?”
Tally shrugged before taking another sip—stamping down the urge to moan again at the taste.
“Well that won’t do,” Alder murmured more to herself. She glanced at the oven, seeing that the timer was about to go off. She moved to it and as the timer beeped, she pulled out the last two sheets and sat them on the counter to cool.
She turned the oven off and moved back to Tally—gently taking the mug from her hands to set on the counter. Her hands rose to cup Tally’s face, drawing wide brown eyes to her blue.
“If this was the sweetest thing someone has done for you, I will simply have to do more,” she said softly. “You deserve everything and more, darling—and if it is alright with you I would be honored to be the one to give you that.”
Tally could feel tears well in her eyes as a smile overtook her face. She felt like she was on cloud nine—and equally thrilled and worried by it. Thrilled because it was General Sarah Alder who was saying such sweet things to her; worried because what if it was all a dream.
“What is it, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart . Goddess, Tally thought she might actually swoon.
“I’m so worried I’m dreaming right now,” she answered honestly with a chuckle.
Alder grinned before leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss to Tally’s cheek—enjoying the way it heated against her lips.
“I assure you, you are not dreaming. This is very real, Tally,” she assured as her hands slid down to rest on Tally’s waist. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Don’t stop touching me?” she requested before she could think better of it.
“As you wish,” came the immediate agreement. “Though I think we could gather up these treats and move to my office? I know it isn’t an ideal date, but we could continue this in front of a fireplace on a couch.”
“Are you kidding?” Tally asked with a wide smile. “That’s literally perfect.”
Alder merely arched an eyebrow.
“I don’t need huge romantic gestures or fancy dates,” Tally explained as another blush creeped up her neck to her cheeks. “Just spending time with you is more than enough.”
Alder hummed. She understood what Tally meant completely—of course, she still wanted to do more for the cadet than just spend time in her office.
“I understand.” Alder smiled softly. “However, if it is alright with you, I would still like to plan dates and do things for you. If it’s ever too much though, let me know.”
Tally nodded quickly at that—absolutely thrilled. This was going to be the best break ever.
“What has you so happy?” Alder inquired with a knowing grin.
Tally rolled her eyes. “Like you don’t know.”
“I am many things, my darling, but a mind reader is not one of them.”
“This is going to be the best break.” Tally leaned in closer to Sarah, resting her forehead against the older woman’s. “Just this morning I was disappointed that things with us were strained…and now here we are. It’s amazing and wonderful and just…” she trailed off, unable to put it into words.
“I understand,” Sarah assured. “I feel the same way.”
Comfortable silence encased them then for a few moments before Sarah spoke once more.
“Would you like to spend time together tomorrow as well?”
Tally nodded instantly, earning a chuckle from the older woman.
“I have an idea that I think you might enjoy.”
“I can’t wait,” Tally breathed out happily—eyes staring into ocean blue.
“Neither can I.”