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The gauntlet runner, as nice as it was, was cramped. It barely had room for the usual party, let alone anyone else. And that was with multiple party members forgoing a bed capsule for alternative sleeping arrangements.
So, when Will and the others were tasked with transporting a skilled healer to a remote village days away, it meant that someone had to give up their bed. Naturally, everyone volunteered. Hulkenberg was insistent, saying she had slept without a bed plenty during her travels and was more than happy to do so again. Neuras even offered to sleep in the cockpit. But finally, Will put his foot down.
“I’ll do it. I can sleep in the lounge on one of the sofas.” To counter the inevitable protests, he added, “As Captain, that’s final.”
The healer in question apologized and bowed to Will before making herself comfortable in his small capsule. The beds were tiny, barely big enough to contain the taller members of the party, but they served their purpose. It certainly beat braving the elements each and every night.
Eupha approached Will as he prepared the sofa.
“Captain, are you sure you will be able to sleep here?” Her eyes shone with concern for the young man.
He smiled back at her. “Of course. It’s important that our healer arrives well-rested to take care of the villagers, you know.”
Well, that didn’t answer my question!
“Will, I understand that you make lots of sacrifices for us. It is not necessary to lie to me about the challenges you might face.” She took his hand. It still sent shockwaves through her body, reminding her of their handshake on the deck of the gauntlet runner and the promise they made to each other. “Let us find a solution to this. We need our Captain in his top shape as well.”
Will smiled his sweet smile, eyes closed in a content grin. “Thank you, Eupha.” His hand closed around hers. “But I promise I’ll be ok.”
Eupha decided to back off for the time being. If Will insisted he’d be alright, then she’d trust him. So, she returned to her own bed and laid down for the night.
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Eupha awoke in the middle of the night. Something was wrong with the magla flow within the gauntlet runner. She knew there would be oddities with the healer replacing the comforting feel of Will’s steady supply of powerful magla, but what she felt was distressing, like the magla itself was disturbed. Its source tracked away from the bed capsules, towards the back of the runner. It didn’t feel malicious, just… not quite right.
She tried to ignore it. Being able to see magla so clearly had caused her some trouble in her youth. Meditation usually helped, but something about this displaced aura worried Eupha. Her gut told her to investigate. She climbed out of her bed and headed to the back, where she found the off-putting magla concentrated on the lounge… and on Will.
Eupha approached the Captain’s makeshift bed with apprehension. He may not have complained about his sleeping arrangements, but it was easy to see it wasn’t entirely comfortable. The young man was shivering, the cold nights of the Tradian desert permeating even the insulated gauntlet runner. There wasn’t even a blanket to spare, somehow. The priestess was sure that upon their return to Grand Trad, priority number one would be ensuring that they were prepared for situations like this.
She sat down at the end of the couch near Will’s feet. After a bit of hesitation, she placed her hand on his leg, hoping to provide at least a slight bit of comfort to him. His shivering calmed briefly, the young man beginning to fall into a restless sleep. He twisted and turned, groaning uncomfortably on the cushions. It broke Eupha’s heart. Will already carried such hardship. His mission to kill Louis was more than enough to break a weaker man, and yet the Captain still found time for each and every one of his followers plus the requests of various citizens around the country.
Suddenly, he jolted awake. His eyes darted wildly around the room before settling on Eupha, her hand still resting on his leg.
“Eupha? What are you doing up at this time of night?” He whispered.
“I could tell you were not sleeping right, Will,” she responded. “The magla, it… it did not feel right.”
Will sat upright and shivered a bit. “It’s cold in here,” he chuckled. “Maybe I should turn on a lamp.”
His laugh slowed as Eupha gave him a serious look. “Will, please. I can tell you cannot sleep in this place.” Her face reddened. “I care about you, Will. It worries me that you would not share your burdens with me.”
Will’s face soon matched Eupha’s, the pair of teenagers blushing on the sofa, neither able to say anything.
“Eupha, I…” Will trailed off. “Hah, I don’t know what to say…” He steeled himself and looked her in the eyes. “I suppose… there’s just no way to fix this. Someone has to give up their bed, and this is really the only other place to sleep…” His gaze shifted away, then back to Eupha.
Suddenly, an idea hit Eupha. Her blush only deepened at the realization, but it would solve their current problem. Well, she would be lying if she said she did not also want to experience it anyway, but first and foremost it was a solution!
“Um, Will… I might have a way… to fix the problem…” Eupha hesitantly put forth. Will had never seen her flush so deeply, her cheeks rivaling Hulkenberg’s hair for reddest thing on the runner. “Perhaps… You could share my bed with me?” She immediately looked away. “Ah, please forget that I said that! Oh, this is so embarrassing…” Eupha whined.
Luckily for her, Will was also blushing bright scarlet at the proposal. Finally, he speaks. “I would like that a lot, Eupha.”
It would be cramped. They would basically be pressed up against each other. The bed capsules were certainly not designed for more than one person. And yet, that didn’t really sound like a problem to either of them.
Will had been wondering exactly what he and Eupha were, exactly, since their talk on the deck a week or so ago. He didn’t consider himself to be much of an expert on romance (it was one topic his novel avoided), but he was pretty sure that he and Eupha were some kind of couple now. It seemed he would get his answer now.
But he knew he adored Eupha. Since she came into his life mere months ago she quickly became the one whose company and comfort he sought. Her gentle laugh, intense determination, and deep care for everyone in Euchronia made spending time with her nothing but joyful. Even stopping that corrupted priest was worth it - the smile on Eupha’s face when Ovi was reunited with her mother outshone even the sun in the sky.
Despite their outward hesitations, neither Will nor Eupha had any reservations when it came time to climb into bed together. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that they were eager to experience the warmth of the other for what would hopefully be the first time of a lifetime of doing so.
“Please, after you,” Will said with a joking bow. Eupha giggled and graciously accepted Will’s hand to help her into the capsule. Once inside, she leaned against the wall to give Will as much room as possible to maneuver in. They could figure out the exact arrangement once the privacy curtain was safely drawn.
With the pair safely inside and alone together, it was time to actually lay down.
“Go ahead,” Will gestured. “Make yourself comfortable and I’ll work around you.”
Eupha frowned adorably and decided to take action. She grabbed Will around his waist, and before her mind could override her heart, pulled him down with her and the two fell to the bed with a gentle thump. Eupha buried her head with a soft whimper into Will’s chest to avoid letting him see her burning-red face.
Will gasped in surprise and tensed up. “Are you sure this is alright?”
Eupha only pressed her face in more. Finally, Will relented. Eupha could feel his muscles relax and he placed a hand in her hair. His gentle pets allowed Eupha to calm down as well. She pulled her head back and looked him directly in the eyes.
“Will… I desire to be close with you. When it is just us… when propriety matters not… you need not worry yourself with what would be considered ‘alright,’” Eupha softly explained. “I have never known such strength of emotion for another person. It is not unpleasant, but rather something I deeply wish to explore more of… with you.”
“Eupha…” Will replied, stroking her hair. “I feel the same way. I want to be with you.” He began to lean closer, shifting his palm to her silky cheek. She mirrored his motion, one hand moving to latch itself in Will’s hair, the other wrapped around his waist to hold him tighter.
The young couple inched ever closer together, staring into the other’s eyes. Eupha opened her mouth to say something, but before a sound could form, Will’s lips crashed into hers. The priestess quickly melted into the kiss, concerned only with experiencing the passion of her partner’s affections.
His warmth was like nothing Eupha had ever known. Her heart had been set ablaze by this man and she needed, more than anything before, to let him know. Her body acted on its own, pulling Will ever closer still. He responded in kind, deepening the kiss and provoking a light moan out of Eupha. That only egged Will on. He slowly rotated to place himself on top of Eupha, kissing her all the while.
The two stared at each other. Panting, strands of hair displaced, the two focused solely on each other. Will leaned down and whispered directly into Eupha’s ear.
“I want to see you like this every night, Eupha. You were right,” he declared with a low, husky tone. “When there’s no one watching, when it’s just us, I want to see all of you. Everything.” He looked Eupha dead in the eyes, memorizing the way her purple irises still managed to shine as bright as any star in the night sky. “I’ve never been all that religious, but I have to believe in the divine if someone such as you blesses the world with her presence.”
Eupha’s heart soared. To hear these emotions from Will was to allow herself to let the feelings she had been attempting to keep under control fully sweep her away.
Will looked away hesitantly. “You know, being the queen will bring lots of pressure…”
Eupha immediately wrapped him into a kiss. “That matters not. All I require is you. I know together, we can outlast any challenges that may be thrown at us.”
The two finally settled down to actually sleep. Eupha was resting comfortably on Will’s shoulder, her body wrapped around his.
As they drifted off to sleep, Eupha pecked the cheek of her paramour.
“Rest well, my darling.”