Chapter Text
The last five years have been a strange period. Sol had somehow managed to broker peace with the Gardeners, who the colony only found existed as they brokered said peace. Following this, things improved drastically; peace meant it was no longer a struggle to ensure there was enough food or the walls were strong enough. The Gardners ensured that there was always food and that the colony would never get attacked again. It still stung a little for Raph; all the work he put into creating new and sustainable fruit species felt pointless, though it didn’t stop him from working on it casually with all the spare time people had now. He and Nem had gotten together. It took a long time to get there, especially with Vace still an annoyingly constant part of both their lives, but they eventually pushed past it and hooked up properly, with Sol somehow helping, as always, to get them over the line and they had been dating for almost 3 years now.
Even with no threats existing beyond the walls Nem found it hard to want to go out and see the world, she had joined the hunting parties when they were made but she was never able to get over how uneasy it made her on the inside and the peace had somehow made it worse, after so many years fighting she still had the soldier mindset, at least a little. It disappointed Raph a bit when he would get her to try going out and have her bail, but he knew why and they always made up for it, one way or another. This kept happening over the 5 years of peace, though she did come out to the open areas just outside the colony a few times with Raph and slowly was starting to make progress.
Raph enters their room and smiles as he sees Nem getting ready to head over to her mums place for dinner. The determined look on her face fades as she looks up and and sees him walking in, standing up and walking over to him.
"So its our anniversary in a couple of weeks, as I hope you remember?" She give him a look that somehow manages to be both mocking him jokingly and telling him he better.
"Of course, I made that mistake once when I entered the wrong date into my holoplam and you were none to happy, I do not plan to make that mistake twice pretty lady." The seriousness in his voice fails to hold the longer he speaks ending with him smiling from ear to ear by the end of it. "You tore me a new one that day until Sol and your mum managed to show you I did have it marked, just for the next week. Your face and mine were both very red as we talked to each other after that I remember"
"Thank you for the recap darling-" her cheeks blushing "How could I ever forget, but back on topic. I want to go camping with you that week, I already put the time off in and everything" Her pace quickened as she continued, almost blabbering the last part out/
“I…. are you sure? I know you don’t love the idea Nem, so I don’t want you doing this if you’re going to be uncomfortable the whole time okay?”
“I just said I wanted to, didn't I?”
“Yes you did, I know that but I just want to make sure, its not been an easy thing for you previously and this kinda came outta nowhere" He smiles gently as he looks into her eyes, waiting for her to reply. She takes a few seconds before she speaks again, seemingly thinking carefully about what she is gonna say, looking down before speaking.
"I have done it before when hunting and I can do it again now, nothing hurts us out there now anyway right?" Looking up and into Raph's eyes.
"Outside of our own stupidity, yeah that's right. I know a nice spot in the Wresting Ridges, a nook that avoids the winds and has a nice view, if your certain?" He raises an eyebrow
"That sounds lovely Raph, so yes I am certain." She leans in and kisses him gently. "We still have dinner with my mum tonight don't forget, we don't won't to be late again on your count." Her tone shifts to light mockery "And yes it was your fault last time and you know it so don't argue with me and get ready."
Raph rolls his eyes and heads for the shower to get ready.