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Who would've thought that a wedding could be so exhausting, right?
I mean, I don't think I can speak for other guys on their big day, but my big day, excluding the month-long buildup, was a major wallop on my psyche. I guess that's normal, but for a guy as well off as me (although that wasn't always the case), I would have assumed that my wedding would have been a piece of cake. It was not, even with our hired wedding planner.
Nothing at all bad happened; everything went according to plan, give or take a few hiccups with a few guests and miscommunications here and there. Had me and Krystal had our venue somewhere on Corneria, that would be one thing, but we both made the radical decision to make our vows at the CloudRunner Fortress in Cape Claw. No regrets; this place was perfect for us, but that didn't mean it went smoothly. It might have been for everyone else who was just along for the ride, but not me or my girlfriend, who had just become my wife that same day.
Neither of us knew what we were sailing into, and it just kind of hit us both at the same time when we were hearing our vows. I'm an experienced tactician who's won many battles, but that was the most monumental "I do" I had ever said in my life, because those two words determined my future forever. For me, for Krystal, and to spring new lives into this very flawed but very worthwhile existence.
It really made me appreciate just how serious a moment like this is.
Everything was a blur after the SS Just Married got christened and launched into the Ethereum for the first time (I'm a spaceship boy and always will be). The reception was chatty and congratulatory. Drinks were abundant, the banquet was plentiful, the cake was cut and shared, and my new wife and I had our dance. It was a very surreal experience, but it was sanctifying, as all my leftover worries melted away in the background as I held my darling blue beauty close while she did the same with me. She looked unbelievable in her white gown, which had a distinct Saurian flair to it with golden laced patterns, and somewhat armoured by the braces and cuffs she wore on various parts of her dress, as befitting a warrior like herself.
Then came the money dance. I have to admit, the concept of people paying upfront to dance with the bride always confused me, but now that it was my bride getting auctioned off, I was actually unsettled. And it wasn't just three or four mutual acquaintances; more than twenty people I hardly knew wanted to lay their hands on Krystal. What psycho came up with this? Why torture the anxious groom that was me?
Thankfully, good old Peppy swooped in and saved Krystal from a bunch of wannabe bachelors, and I got to watch the acting General of the CDF have a lovely dance with Krystal while Lucy and I stood on the sidelines watching. In many ways, Peppy was like an adoptive father to Krystal (and me, too, honestly), and seeing them in step and in close embrace truly showed the affection they both had for each other. Although I do have to admit that it was kind of amusing to see Krystal dance with someone roughly three feet shorter than her, Peppy didn't need physical grandeur to make a grand impression. His uniform did help him a little bit with that, though.
Eventually, after many hours of nonstop events, the wedding reached its official conclusion around midnight Saurian standard time. Most of the guests stayed overnight in the exotic chambers offered by the fortress, but there were a few bands who hightailed off-world shortly after the cleanup began, Peppy and his fellow associates being among them. He had pulled many strings to make his attendance at my wedding possible, and now he had to book it back to Corneria at lightspeed. Such a statement was quite literal in this era of the space age.
Thankfully, Lucy was staying the night, and we got the chance to say goodnight to her. She did manage to sneak a kiss on my cheek, though, which was just the sweetest thing. We saw each other very often growing up because our dads were close friends, and we both saw each other as siblings.
Seeing as we were both the only children in our families, the bond just happened naturally. And also seeing how naturally Krystal fit into our little family, even well before our wedding, Lucy gave her a parting peck as well. What a doll.
Somehow, against all the odds that had been eating away at me over the past month, Krystal and I finally made it to the end, and we sequestered ourselves in our much-needed respite in our chambers.
It was big. In fact, this was the bedchamber specifically designated for visiting royalty and high-profile ambassadors of the other Saurian nations. The cold ancient walls were made of a light, almost aquamarine limestone, and the concave ceiling was very high, around thirty feet, and aquamarine-coloured murals depicting traditional CloudRunner iconography.
I could easily stuff an Arwing in this place, and the balcony opening was practically wide enough for it to slip in with some skill. Our chamber was fully exposed to the elements, seeing as there was no door or gate of any kind to the balcony. The only thing dividing us from the outside was long and lush purple drapes that flowed in the light tropical breeze, which sometimes made the flames of the wall torches dither a bit whenever a gust slinked through. It was hardly an unpleasant feeling having that breeze flow around my ankles; nights were warm and humid in Cape Claw, even more so now in the summertime.
When Krystal and I finally made it to our little private suite in the fortress, we were both immensely beat. This whole day took an enormous emotional toll on both of us, and we were starting to realise that as we both eyed the bed on the floor by the wall desirously, which was disk-shaped and could hold a couple of cars. Clearly, the bed was designed for EarthWalkers in mind, and I was all for the generous sprawl space.
After kicking off her white heels while I closed the heavy wooden gates behind us, Krystal was the first to trudge her way to the bed, dragging the long hemline of her white and gold wedding dress. I silently followed her lead and kicked my dress shoes away and my coat away, though I treated the blue beret that I had been wearing all day with much more care and set it carefully down on my suitcase close by. Being that the bed was rather low to the ground, Krystal and I literally plopped down, fully entrusting the coarse yet comfy fabrics and cotton stuffing to cushion our fall, and it did so perfectly, and we just lay there in mutual depletion for a moment.
"A xulo vuccod, udt A sxeejo dek ke wok if…" she muffled into the sheets, making the most unladylike groan I had ever heard her make.
"Same here…" I replied, looking up at the concave ceiling tiredly after I laboured myself to roll onto my back. I still couldn't speak a passing lick of Saurian, but I knew what she said anyway. I've been on plenty of stressful missions that lasted for many hours over the years, but I had never felt as drained as I did right now.
After another moment of absolutely nothing happening, which had been in scarce supply today, Krystal eventually found the will to lift her face out of her burrow and rolled onto her back like me. We both lay together like that for another moment before we turned to each other. Her makeup was a little askew now after her plop, but she still looked as incredible as she had been all day.
A small pearly grin formed across her petite white muzzle, and instantly made me do the same. "Hey…" I piped up, a bit sheepish as any boy would be when looking at the prettiest girl he had ever seen. But something in that had changed now, hadn't it?
"Hi…" Krystal answered back softly. "I feel like I haven't seen you in years."
It was an odd thing to say, but I had to agree. Looking back on it, we had spent more time catering to our friends and guests than actually savouring the moment with each other. I hadn't seen her all morning and afternoon until we were walking down the aisle. Even during the reception, we spent much of our time with others who grappled for our attention. This must have been the only true moment we had to ourselves ever since tying the knot several hours ago, although my internal clock was convinced otherwise.
"Make it centuries," I added, trying to turn on the old charm a little bit, which did amuse my tired vixen as I shuffled a little closer to her. Things just kind of carried on from there for a little bit, exchanging carnal delights while we closed our arms around each other.
We've made out plenty of times while we were dating and well into engagement, but Krystal tasted so much sweeter now. Maybe it was the mango lip gloss she had on; a bit hard to tell. My heart didn't care about the details; I was swimming in feelings I never dreamed that I would ever get the chance to feel in the course of my career, but things were different now. They had to be, and I was finally understanding why that was good. I was finally okay.
Our well-overdue make-out session would have gone on a lot longer had we not been so spent by today's activities, so we reluctantly broke off and gave each other a second to breathe, to look at each other's gaze instead. I still refused to let her go, and she didn't complain. "If only you had mawed me like that before the recessional," Krystal joked. "They don't know what a hungry boy you can be."
"Speak for yourself, Blue Stuff," I retorted, strategically using Falco's nickname for her. "You would've made all those adolescents back there feel funny things if they saw you doing what you just did to me."
I thought that was at least chuckle-worthy, but Krystal's dreamy expression dimmed a little bit. "Believe me, I didn't need to do much to make that happen."
My expression then dimmed a bit, too, but for reasons more complicated than most would understand. I didn't know of many guys who had girlfriends who could literally read minds. "Oh, baby, were you mind-preening the guests?"
"No. I was good today," she promised, with a glint of that perky mischief that always bewitched me. "Even so, they should know better than to stare."
I then spared a glance at her wonderful cleavage. A spectacular angle from where my eyes were. "I don't know if I can really blame them, Krys. I reckon it wasn't just teenagers staring at you when they've got such a big window."
Krystal shook her head with mild displeasure, indicating that there were a few who did. "Shame on them. They had their wives with them," she scoffed. Despite her indignant stance toward such oglers, I was certain I detected just the tiniest seedling of flattery. Guys thought she was a knockout; why wouldn't she appreciate that? Women: always both hating and loving the attention of perverts simultaneously.
"Hey…" Krystal scowled at me, scorning my misogynistic thought. There are so many ways to mess with a telepath, and yanking at her tail without uttering a single word is a guilty amusement for me.
"Tell me it isn't true," I dared.
"I'm already reconsidering certain vows I made today," Krystal jabbed back with a smirk.
Even though I knew she was joking, I regrettably have a habit of taking things too literally when it comes to personal stuff. I had gotten a little better about it in no small part to Krystal's help, but old habits are hard to break completely, especially when they've shaped much of your life. Having sensed that ping of doubt in me, even though it was microscopic, Krystal's competitive glare softened, and so did her arms that were still fastened around me.
"Oh, love, I was only joking…" she insisted, sounding a little frailer in her voice. Krystal also had her own issues about taking things too seriously, so I just made a reassuring smile and cupped the side of her beautiful face.
"Me too," I reassured, giving one long lick of her black bottom lip. I liked the mango flavour, and it made her giggle. It was good to break the ice sometimes.
Typically, finding each other in bed would have been the moment we were both craving for all day.
We had just got married after all, and both of us had tactfully played it smart in our relationship. No sewing in fertile soil until marriage (pardon the lame innuendo). I may be an infamously reckless pilot at times, but I'm far from a careless one, and I think Krystal found that attractive by itself, seeing that discipline was a major cornerstone of her philosophy.
But now that everything was wrapped up and we were alone with ourselves on a giant bed, we were just too beat to do anything else but take a giant breather first. This had been an extremely nerve-racking day, so we were just happy lying there for a while next to each other, making idle chit-chat about our halves of the day, and sharing a chuckle or two. Did we really just get married?
Krystal must have felt the same fogginess I did, because we compared our brand-new shiny wedding rings for a moment, showing them off to each other side-by-side. If shown in light at the right angle, one would see that there was a slight marble pattern in the gold. The reason for that was that these rings were made by mixing gold formed on Papetoon, my home planet, and Sauria. Being that Krystal had been made a CloudRunner, this served as a worthy compromise for her. Still, a part of me would always regret not getting the chance to use Cerinian gold.
"You always look good wearing gold. It matches your claws," I noted, holding my new wife's soft, dainty hand.
"Thank you," Krystal smiled, making a flattered giggle. I loved the sound of it. "You wear it rather nicely yourself." Krystal then wriggled her hand out of my grasp and held my hand in turn, studying it intently. "It's a little odd seeing you wear a ring, but it makes you look very stately. Maybe even…"
"Like I got something to live for?" I piped. "Somebody, maybe?"
Krystal looked at me, and her eyes sparkled like the pearls still around her neck. "I'm pleased to hear that, my love," she said, turning on her side to better face me as I did the same. "How does that make you feel?"
I thought about that dense question for a second, and my eventual answer was an honest one. I'm not telepathic like her, but I'm perceptive enough to notice when she's laying heavy meaning. "Pretty good," I nodded, holding her hand close to me. "I… Well, you know me. Always thinking about the future. Worried if I'm capable of being the man you'll need me to be. For our…kits."
I still couldn't fully believe that we crossed that threshold now. Apart from a few loose ends that we both agreed to tie up after the wedding, there really was nothing stopping us from ushering in the next generation. All lights were green for both of us. Krystal began to smile again, and my right ear started flicking. That was one of the little ticks I realised I had whenever I had a suspicion that a certain someone overheard some wandering thoughts (at least that's what I observed).
"It is strange having the restraints off now, isn't it?" she said, obviously answering the query I never voiced. "We've both spent so much time and dedication to saving lives, yet now we have the chance to make it." She began to slide her left hand up my chest as our noses naturally met. I appreciated feeling her warm breath tickle my whiskers. Her gaze of longing seized up slightly, turning a bit more serious and comprehensive. "Do we…want to go for it?"
Her offer intrigued me, but I didn't quite know why. Maybe it was the juxtaposition of the flirtatious and playful demeanour she loved to tease me with while we dated. Krystal was a humble teaser, if you can picture it; she didn't have to try to look and act irresistible, and she had the innate kindness and grace to validate it. So, it was sweet and endearing to see Krystal act a bit more modest now that she was able to ask that question.
"Are you nervous?" I wondered, sort of gauging her feelings, and I must have guessed right, because Krystal grew slightly flustered.
"I mean… Perhaps…" she resigned, curling her fingers down my dress shirt. "I know it's what new couples are supposed to do on their big day, but… Oh, I must sound so silly to you…"
"You sound tired, that's what," I corrected, holding the hand she had on my chest. "We can just take it easy tonight if you'd like. I wouldn't mind that either, personally. Why not cut ourselves a bit of slack today, huh? It's been a bit of a doozy."
I saw a flicker of relief in Krystal's turquoise eyes. It was a kind of relief that covered numerous fronts, and immediately following that relief was brimming affection. "If that is truly all right with you," she said, smiling appreciatively.
"It is, honestly," I nodded. "No point in rushing things, even now."
"Falco might be disappointed in us, though," Krystal warned.
"Ain't none of his business what we do," I reaffirmed. I remembered Falco nudging me to give my new wife the ride of her life tonight, shortly before we parted for our chambers. He had been egging me about it all day, really. If nothing at all, we could at least play it safe for one more night just to ruffle his feathers a bit.
"No. It truly isn't," Krystal smirked.
"Still doesn't mean we can't share a hickey or two, right?"
"C'mere…" Krystal then helped herself to my mouth a second time. How could I ever resist that feisty tongue?
Since we were now alone together, the newly christened Mrs McCloud and I still had enough left in us to look at all the photos of the wedding taken by our friends.
They had been buzzing them in on my holo-tablet throughout the day, which had been stuffed away in my suitcase at the foot of the bed. I dug it out to find my inbox had been bombarded, so Krystal and I thought it'd be fun and relaxing to swipe through them and get a look at each other's side of the day. We had barely seen each other until meeting at the altar, so it was interesting seeing what Krystal was up to while I was going through my own drama.
All the ladies in our close circle proudly served as Krystal's bridesmaids, so they were very frequent figures that appeared in the moderate fifty-plus photos that Katt Monroe took of Krystal's transformation. Lucy, Fay, Miyu, and Amanda made sure my baby blue looked the best as she could for her big moment in a few hours at the time these were taken. Princess Kyte also made a grand appearance towards the end of Krystal's preparations, adorning all the appropriate glistening regal apparel only befitting the CloudRunner Queen's daughter.
It was so precious seeing Krystal laugh and embrace the massive green, purple-spined CloudRunner while the other girls kept a careful distance, not at all used to the presence of such a massive and unusual individual. Had it not been for the enormous species divide, anyone would have guessed that Krystal and Kyte were loving sisters, because that was what they were to each other, and that was put on prominent display in nearly all the pictures taken of them together.
Eventually, having seen Krystal's side of today's tempest, I showed her my series of events. It was pretty similar to Krystal's arrangement, but a lot rougher and frattier as guys tended to be when regulating anxiety (at least that's how I observed in my experience, anyway). Falco and Bill Grey were both my groomsmen, and Slippy was my best man after I served as his and Amanda's wedding not too long ago. There was a lot more laughter and roughhousing in my corner of the fortress, nothing like the sweet and delicate company Krystal kept, which did amuse her quite a lot.
It wasn't all fooling around, though; the blokes made sure my crest and fur looked like I cared about it, same thing with my tux. Peppy eventually stopped by in this series of pictures, coming to make sure that I wasn't slacking and making sure my "uniform" looked shipshape. There was even a shot of catching Bill saluting the general when he entered the room, both out of habit and for fun. Peppy ordered him at ease quickly, though the interaction amused him.
Peppy's real reason for stopping by was to give me my father's old blue military beret, which still had his name, rank, and squadron on the shield-shaped badge. My father wore this when he got married to Mom, and Peppy had been holding onto it for an occasion just like this when I arrived at it. A very important piece to me this was.
Until our professional photographer got back to us with her pictures, Krystal and I had to content ourselves with the photos our friends took. Krystal and I eventually scrolled our way to the big moment out in the fortress courtyard, surrounded by tall ancient columns and statues of sage elder CloudRunners of ages past. We got many angles of the gathering taken by our friends, which gave us numerous shots of who was attending our wedding.
Of course, one of the most noteworthy guests on the roster was Fara Pheonix, my old best frenemy, to flame, to cold ex, to mutual friend. Our relationship was about as complicated as Fara looked shrewd, wearing an elegant green dress with diamond earrings in her massive ears that only a fennec like herself could swagger, and sitting to her left was her equally wealthy fiancé, who was also a fennec. I was very happy that Fara made it, and thanks to Krystal's clairvoyancy, she informed me that Fara was truly happy for me today.
Our makeup was relatively recent, following years of no contact after a bitter breakup. It's a very long story, but we managed to reconcile in no small part due to Krystal's intermediation. Even though we had both grown and moved on from each other, I still loved Fara and wished her the very best in her life. And Fara, thankfully, felt the same for me. We had known each other since childhood; it was kind of hard to shake off a bond that was forged that early on.
However, as much of a statement it was to see Fara Phoenix at me and Krystal's wedding, she was almost entirely eclipsed by Star Wolf's attendance (what was left of them, anyway). Wolf O'Donnell and Leon Polwalski were the only ones who showed up because they were the only ones left. Even though they were missing one, their presence was quite the auric one.
They had remained stubborn wallflowers throughout the majority of the wedding, not too eager to converse or attempt to mingle, and most others tended to avoid them. Their presence prompted a mixed reaction from everyone, Krystal tells me; many weren't pleased that they were here, yet there were plenty who felt differently. Their reputation had been mostly redeemed thanks to their contributions during the Anglar Blitz and the…proceeding invasion from out of system. They had gotten somewhat chummy with Peppy's entourage because of that, and that's who they were sitting with in the courtyard.
"I still can't believe they actually turned up," I noted, zooming in on a sneaky shot of them taken by Bill while we were taking our vows. The two remaining Star Wolf members were dressed fittingly for the occasion, but they didn't go out of their way to impress all that much―at least Wolf didn't.
"I'm happy that they did," Krystal said, a tenderness simmering in her soft voice. She looked at the image of Wolf sympathetically. "Wolf is improving, I think."
I chuckled a bit, remembering how bewildering it was to receive that toast he made for us earlier at the reception. "I never, ever imagined that he of all people would give us a blessing and mean it. He did mean it, did he?"
Krystal looked over and grinned sweetly. "He did," she beamed softly. "That was the sweetest thing I had ever seen him do."
"Didn't think he was capable of sweet," I remarked.
My deadly rivalry with Wolf had come to an unexpected end a relatively short while ago, shortly after the Blitz. I can't get into details about how that came about, as I believe that requires a story all its own to tell. Bottom line, we both went through hell and back together, and that's hardly an exaggeration, and Wolf lost interest in competing with me after reevaluating his life choices basically. It was very telling that his attitude towards me and Krystal had definitely changed if he accepted Krystal's invitation, and Leon was just along for the ride as usual.
While Wolf and Leon's appearance was a welcome one, the exclusion of their third member was certainly noticed. Panther Caroso had been killed in action at the tail end of the Blitz. Even though his relentless attempts to swoon my then-girlfriend right in front of me made me have a less-than-stellar opinion about him, Krystal did not take his death lightly at all, for he died saving her.
"It's still so strange not seeing him…" Krystal blurted out sullenly. It seemed like we were both thinking about him at the same time. Then again, Krystal probably picked up that I was. Did it truly matter?
"Would you have invited him?" I wondered. Krystal didn't answer immediately, so that made it certain that she likely wouldn't have excluded him. Krystal had never been more impressed by the black cat than I was, but her feelings about Panther had changed since that day after he saved her and got himself killed in the process.
He did it without hesitation, with no regard for himself. She felt him think that when he acted. That convinced Krystal that Panther had the potential to be more than what he was, and she mourned the loss of that potential.
"Knowing what I do now, I believe I would," Krystal admitted, sad but unashamed. I didn't blame her.
I pulled Krystal in closer for a second to kiss her over her eye, and she gave my chin a little lick back. "He could have turned around. He had it in him to be a better man. I will forever be haunted by my inability to foresee his demise. Giving his life up for me…"
"It shows he really did care about you," I said. "As unbelievable as it is for me to admit, he's the reason you're still alive. I'm going to be forever indebted to him for that."
Krystal only looked at me silently for a short moment before making a weary but grateful smile. "Me too," she soon said in a sort of half-whisper. "Thank you."
I knitted my brow very slightly. "For what?"
"For seeing the good in people, even when it's small."
I set the tablet aside for a second and felt encouraged to fully close my arms around her, and she just allowed me to envelop her. "Learned all that from you, you know," I admitted, relishing the smell of her perfume with my nose in her hair. "I wished I could have embraced it before Panther did what he did."
"Don't feel bad," Krystal softly reassured, gingerly nuzzling my arm. "I hardly noticed it myself behind all his bluster. I don't believe he knew he had it in him either until it was too late."
"But it emerged when it really mattered," I said. "And because of that, you're in this dress right now."
Krystal snickered with appreciation. "I don't believe I can argue with that."
I have to admit, Panther Caroso was not the topic of conversation I was expecting to have during the bed-talk of our wedding night, but the conversations I often had with Krystal were layered and genuine, much like herself. Panther didn't do much to inherently impress Krystal while he was alive, but his deed had appeared to convert her annoyance to gratitude. The same thing happened to the rest of Star Wolf.
Somehow, ever since Krystal came into the equation, my greatest rivals became uneasy but promising mutuals. I wasn't sure if I would ever have a full-blown working relationship with Wolf anytime soon, but this was admittedly so much healthier. Krystal was the purifying element that no one realised they needed in their lives. I liked to think that Panther realised this in his final moments and laid down his life to preserve hers. I definitely know that I would without hesitation.
Krystal and I continued to look at our friends' wedding pictures for a few more minutes.
We saw ourselves at the altar, the Cornerian priest reading our vows, flanked by Princess Kyte and Prince Tricky with both their royal families looking on in pride, and our big kiss after the knot was officially tied. Lucy took an incredible picture of that moment, and Krystal and I stared at it for the longest time. I think we were still in a state of shock, not entirely believing what we were looking at. Oh, and Miyu grabbed the bouquet after Krystal tossed it. Having recently been converted into a superstitious type, I reckon we'd be at another wedding not too far in the future.
Eventually, once we felt like we had both seen enough for now, I closed up my holo-tablet and set it aside again and just lay next to Krystal in mindful silence. There was a warm, passive gust now blowing into our chamber, causing the heavy purple dividing drapes to rustle and the torches to flicker. We both held each other's hands, contenting ourselves with this simple and familiar arrangement.
We found ourselves in this position often while dating and while engaged, and we even slept together just as much. Normally, we'd be in our comfy or work clothes while snuggled up. Now I was in a partially deconstructed tux, and she was in a plumy white wedding dress. I thought I would at least be able to acknowledge that everything was official now, but the stubborn fog somehow persisted.
"It's just…going to take time for us to get used to this, I suppose," Krystal uttered unprompted, breaking the serene silence of our bedchamber.
I turned my head to look at her. "Peeper," I lightly scolded, which made her giggle a bit.
"Sorry. I can't help it sometimes," she reasoned, and I pardoned her. "But, yes, Fox, I am in a mild funk about this as well."
Krystal's expression turned more thoughtful as she began to address our mutual daze. "Why do you really think that is?"
"I'm confident it isn't uncommon for new couples," I reckoned. "Our lives just changed forever. It's not too big a quandary."
Krystal briefly pondered that, and chuffed lightly with humour. "Right. Not everything needs to have a profound meaning." She then began to roll on her side to face me again, and I did the same in return. Again. "But it is quite a thing to comprehend, isn't it?" she impelled. "You and I are now one. For life. I'm…not just your copilot anymore, and likewise, you aren't mine."
I smiled. "I guess we're not," I agreed. "I'm excited to see what we do next."
Krystal smiled back affectionately as she began to play with my whiskers. "Me too," she said.
We both met for a brief but meaningful kiss, one that tasted just a sweet, before parting again. Krystal then suddenly donned a quizzical look, which through me off slightly, and then a visible wash of understanding came over her gaze. "Oh. You're not just tired, aren't you?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused a bit, though the fur on the back of my neck tingled for some reason.
"You're not quite ready yet to ascend to the next step," Krystal deduced with a confidence that told me she was on point when I didn't even know what the point was.
"I don't follow," I insisted, but I felt cornered for some inexplicable reason. It was like my brain and my heart were having some kind of miscommunication. Krystal appeared to register that same feeling and gently nudged a little closer, putting a dainty hand to my fluffy cheek.
"I believe you're going to miss being my boyfriend," Krystal inferred. That didn't make a lot of sense to me at first, but then I remembered that Krystal could see things that most couldn't, so I always made sure to listen whenever she came to weird conclusions like this.
"What's that mean?" I asked, setting down some internal defences I didn't realise were up.
"A myriad of things coalescing, I think," Krystal shrugged lightly. "But I think it's not more complicated than what I said. You cherished our time getting to know me. Getting a feeling for me. Playing little games, pushing each other's boundaries. It was fun getting to know each other. I think you might be grappling with the idea of letting that go."
Krystal's soft eyes remained so after saying that, but she pressed her lips, and her ears turned forward. "Is this troubling you?" she wondered, closing her hand around mine.
I looked into her beautiful eyes as she held my gaze, and I could feel some walls inside me begin to lower. I had learned through her that I didn't need to be afraid to open up to her anymore, and that was so much more important now that we were married. My first night as a husband, and I'm already having a hard time letting go of something aching me.
Sighing gently, I closed my other hand around the blue one holding my head and just leaned forward a bit to nuzzle her tender neck. "You got me into shape, Krystal," I reminded, fully embracing the apparent fact that I was sentimental to the previous stage in our relationship. "I almost ended it all when I thought I lost you forever. Every waking moment I have from then to now on is entirely because of you."
Krystal proceeded to lick my face lovingly as she allowed me to keep speaking, so I did. "So…yeah…I guess I am going to miss who we were when that happened. Who we were when I was seeing colours again. And…well…who I was when I fell in love with you."
I pulled away from her neck and just looked at my new wife, still wearing the same dress when our new lives began. No longer was she that pretty and perky flying ace in that cute little flight suit; she had evolved somewhat today. I did too, and that was admittedly more intimidating than I think I was prepared for.
"Am…I making any sense?"
"Transparently," Krystal affirmed, bristling our whiskers together, before meeting my lips with a kiss that I somehow didn't have the heart to return that time. That made me feel ashamed. However, she smiled at me bright enough to push all the clouds in my mind away. It felt unearned, but I didn't feel bad. Nothing felt bad around her.
"I thought I would have gotten a hold of that hesitation by now," I continued, feeling about as wimpy as I sounded. "I don't want you to think I'm not trying my hardest, but it's not always easy. I wish I were better at this."
"Oh, don't be daft," she reassured, gently grooming my face. "You have seen the darkness that I still carry around, and you're always able to make me see reason when I feel weak. That's why we're together. We help make each other strong."
Among the few things I tallied in describing what I was feeling miffed about, it was moments like this by themselves, I believe were the moments I was sentimental about the most. I was leaving the era of restoration, where I began to feel alive again and more.
It was silly of me to fear, on some minuscule level, of letting that go when I would always have my new wife's consolation just as available as before, but I was understanding now how special that time in my life was. Just as wonderful as it was dreadfully enlightening. With Krystal's devotion and unparalleled affection, I was able to remake myself and shed most of the weight I had put on myself, and I was leaving that whole era behind.
I wanted to see where the future was going. I was excited, but I guess I just needed a little more time to say goodbye to that transformative time in my life. I never thought I could be so introspective to even feel like this, yet Krystal opened me up to a whole new world of understanding.
"I love you, Krystal," I eventually said, finding no other words to say at the moment as I pulled her into me again, going so far as to close my legs around hers.
"I love you, Fox," she answered, holding me just as close. Her arms might have been a lot leaner than mine, but she had deceiving strength. "I'm going to miss our time as lovers as well."
I managed a smile. One that Krystal didn't see, but I knew she felt. "I loved being with you."
"Likewise, my sweet," she said, licking me on my lips, which was her minxy way of telling me she wanted in, so I let her in.
We parted once more soon after, and I returned to looking at her again. I had a hard time prying my eyes from the reality staring me right in the face. "I wanna make it up to you sometime for being such a wet blanket."
"Love, do not stress yourself," Krystal dismissed with an encouraging shake of her head. "Do not forget that I am just as sentimental as you are, if not more so in some areas. I'm more than happy spending one more night like how we always have."
So strange to hear that in the past tense already. "Okay…Mrs Krystal Randorn McCloud."
Krystal giggled with reverence. On top of officially adopting my last name, Krystal also got a legal middle name, her original Cerinian last name, to preserve that part of her heritage in both a legal and spiritual sense. I always loved that; my family name was important to me, and I was equally delighted to see Krystal care so much about hers while still accepting another.
"Now that is going to take some getting used to," Krystal admitted. "But I know I will in no time."
How did a cracked guy like me get a genuine prize like this? Having a hard time keeping my hands off of her, I began to weave my hand through her silky cerulean hair, which she had allowed to grow quite long as of late, just past her shoulders. Krystal looked lovely with long hair.
"Me too," I smiled, savouring her wonderful texture. "I've always figured I'd be the last McCloud not too long ago. I'm happy I was wrong."
Krystal closed her hand around mine again as I stroked her, appreciating the groom. "It won't stop with me," she reminded in a sing-songy gleam in her gentle voice. "It's up to you and me to make some more."
I was still in disbelief that we were finally at this point. That I was finally at this point. Did I really have it in me to be a dad? I had absolutely no doubts that Krystal would be an exceptional mother, but me as a father?
"Always so wary, aren't you?" Krystal noted, trying to soothe me with a nose rub.
"It's just…I doubt it'll be anything like leading our team," I sighed softly. "Do you think I'm ready to raise kits?"
Krystal only smiled softly. "I've been asking myself the same question for some time now," Krystal reassured, adjusting herself slightly to be more comfortable holding me. "We're jumping into this together. There's nothing we can't do when we're together."
I would have had doubts about a sentiment like this, but after surviving what we did a little over a month ago, I felt there was more merit to it now. Maybe even a lot more. Remembering that did help reinforce some confidence.
"Right. Gotta remember who it is I'm talking to right now," I replied, getting a little lost in those beautiful teal eyes staring back at me. I slowly retracted my right arm to place my palm on Krystal's abdomen. I could feel how taut and defined it was underneath her dress. It felt even better if she were bare-furred.
"The last known living Cerinian might not be so alone for too much longer," I murmured, spurring a musing glance from Krystal as I looked at her again. "I feel honoured that you see me as worthy of rebuilding your race."
Krystal smiled again. "I see no one more worthy than you, my love," she said, low and affectionate, and closed her hand around the one I had over her stomach. "Thank you for allowing us to live on."
"Aw, it's nothing," I shrugged, glancing off to the side briefly. "I hope you don't mind having all future Cerinians having a good mix of some backwater Papetoonian dust kit forever baked in their genes."
"That'll only ensure my race's resilience," Krystal reassured with a snicker before she looked at me a bit intently. "It's your race now, too."
I thought about that for a moment. It sounded about as profound as it felt. In the grand scheme of things, our marriage and inevitable consummation marked a brand-new beginning for Cerinia, and I had the unbelievable honour of facilitating that. Me, James's kit, Vixy's little muffin pie, the father of Cerinia's new era.
"Cool," I replied, having too many things to say about this reality, yet only that pathetic response came out. Krystal found that cute and gave me a beautiful toothy grin.
"Very cool," she nodded in agreement.
We both put our heads together for a moment, providing each other's scent to savour until Krystal broke the reflective quietness. "Now you're my muffin pie," she cooed reverently before landing me another kiss. That little blue eavesdropper. If married life wasn't already complicated enough without a telepathic spouse, I could only begin to imagine how one with a telepath would pan out. I couldn't have been more excited for it.
"Well, my ma was a premier baker," I mused fondly, giving my wife a playful lick in her ear. "I hope you'll enjoy one of her most troublesome confections."
Krystal, adopting a noticeably low and lascivious tone, then leaned into my ear and whispered, "I won't ever be able to get enough of it…" before she gave my ear a long and drawn-out lick.
Wow… That was a spine-tingler for sure.
Not too long after that, Krystal and I soon found ourselves finally dozing off. I felt ready now to give her the treatment she so rightly deserved, but we still both preferred to take it easy tonight again, for old times' sake. At least, that's what I thought was happening up until Krystal abruptly whispered in my ear again.
"Hey…I have an idea."
"Oh?" I wondered, pulling my cosied face out of her bountiful bosom (something my snout was just starting to get cosy in).
"Wanna get out of here for a bit? I know what'll relax us before bed…"
Krystal whisked me off to the fortress bathhouse in the middle of the night.
She knew the halls intimately, and she knew where all the wandering CloudRunner guards would be patrolling and where their blind spots were. And the best part, we were both butt-naked. What a damn thrill that excursion was; one that I definitely would never forget as long as I lived.
We had the whole place to ourselves once we arrived, simmering soundly in the natural hot springs that this portion of the fortress was built over. No one knew we were here, and nobody saw us sneak in. What a brilliant idea this was.
It was going to be a challenge for us to stay awake long enough to run back to our chambers drenched and with no way to dry except the natural way―and not to mention it would be brisque as heck once we step out. But that was a near-future-us problem; I just wanted to enjoy this time with my wife. We kept our heads just above water as we lounged back around the rocky rim of the spring, barely able to keep our eyes open now as light steam swirled off the gentle, warm water.
"This was a great idea, Honey," I appraised, drowsy but very content.
"Hmm…" she moaned sleepily in acknowledgement. I smiled as I washed her face caringly with our warm spring water as it delicately trickled down her wet, furry face. Her sleepy smile was just about the most precious thing my eyes had ever had the privilege to look upon.
"I love you, Krystal," I whispered, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips, and she was still lucid enough to reach for me with her hot, steamy hands to pull me in harder.
"I love you, Fox."