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The soft hum of the interstellar engines gently rattled the carriages as the train trundled ever forward along the Path of Trailblaze. At this speed, the stars went past like trees along a country road, despite hundred of light years of distance.
Inside the Astral Express, two young souls sat close to one another, watching the stars pass by from the velvet red seats of the main passenger car. March 7th sat in a yellow hoodie, leaning her head against the dark grey hoodie of her girlfriend and fellow Trailblazer, Stelle, trying to stay close and comfortable as they travelled through the stars.
Himeko, one of their seniors, sat on the seats on the opposite side, legs neatly crossed with a thick novel in her hands. She occasionally glanced up at the pair in front of her, checking to make sure they were fine. After the events that had transpired on Jarilo-VI, they had been exhausted and tense, and so Himeko had taken it upon herself to make sure the couple were OK.
"Are you two OK over there?" she called out, loud enough to be heard but not so loud that she would wake March.
Stelle nodded in response, then gave March a small smooch on the top of her head, leading to the archer leaning against her with force, desperate for physical closeness, yet still sleepy in her movements.
"Why don't the two of you head to your room and get some rest?" Welt suggested as he walked past, on his way to assist Pom-Pom with some routine maintenance checks.
March nodded, her head still leaning against her lover's shoulder, yet refused to move. Himeko chuckled at the display of young love, causing Stelle to blush slightly.
"C'mon, March," She says in a soft voice, trying to nudge her gently and get her to move. Stelle isn't met by resistance, per se, but rather a lack of effort and desire to move.
She sighed, then stood up. The lack of Stelle under March's head caused her to flop onto the seats, emitting a squeal as the motion takes her by surprise. She felt at peace as Stelle's toned arms slid under her shoulder blades and her knees, with March wrapping her own arms around Stelle as she was princess carried towards her room.
Himeko chuckled again, hand over her mouth in the way royalty would, as Welt silently observed.
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Stelle gently set her ice princess down onto the soft bed, coloured just like it's owner, then attempted to stand up. She failed, trapped by March's arms wrapped tight around her, and ended up falling onto the bed next to her.
"H-Hey!" She yelped as she toppled over, her girlfriend's only reaction being an even tighter hold, unrelenting and unwilling to let go. She nestled her face into the space between Stelle's chin and chest, burrowing into her hoodie and stealing her warmth.
Stelle quickly adjusted and held her lover close, with an arm around her waist and a hand softly patting her head. Her body was naturally very warm due to the stellaron that lay dormant inside her, and so March, who had a naturally cold body caused by her six-phased ice powers, would do anything to take that warmth.
"Thank you." March murmured, her voice somewhat muffled by the cotton fabric of the hoodie but still audible over the Express's low hum.
"No worries," Stelle replies, assuming March was referring to the carrying.
March guessed this was the case, and clarified; "Not just for carrying and caring for me. For saving me." Her sleepy voice continued.
She was referring to Herta Space Station. And Jarilo-VI. Stelle had saved her life without a second thought in both scenarios, despite the certain death in both cases, and it contributed greatly to March's infatuation. Like a knight in shining armour, just with a baseball bat for a sword.
"It was nothing. After all, what else would I do? Not save the cutest person in the galaxy?"
March felt her face begin to burn up, and thanked the Aeons that her face was already concealed. THEIR intervention was saving her from incessant teasing. THEY didn't, however, cloud Stelle's wise judgement. She opted to stay silent, knowing that March was too exhausted to tease, and chose to hold her even closer.
"Love you..." March speaks into the material of the hoodie, voice trailing of as she tries not to fall asleep.
"Love you too!" Stelle replies, following up with a small kiss to March's forehead. The kiss is met with a pair of lips instead, and the pair of Nameless lock lips for several sweet seconds. March is the one to back down, falling asleep the instant her head resumes it's position against Stelle's shoulder.
And so, the pair lay there, resting as they travelled through the endless bounds of through cosmos. A knight protecting her princess, in a sweet dream of dancing fire and swirling ice.