#stellemarch fanfic

[vashatxt]

more than friends - a stelle x march nsfw drabble (first time)

stelle looks around march 7th's room for what feels like the hundredth time; every time they visit their friends here, they spot more details hidden amongst the overwhelmingly pink color scheme. photographs - so many photos, her camera never leaves her person after all - of different worlds and ships and adventures, of dan and himeko and welt, of pom-pom and peppy, and... of stelle. they had been overcome with emotion the first time they noticed a picture of the three of them be given pride of place on her wall; it was strange, to think that in the space of one mission together, stelle had become important enough to march that she couldn't think of anything more urgent when they left belobog as to document the spring of their friendship. but tonight, its a different image that catches stelle's eye. not a posed shot or selfie that they'd been roped into taking with someone, but an unfamiliar one. a photograph some might call a candid. "when did you take that one?" they ask, tapping march's shoulder and pointing at it. it's tacked up on the wall just beside her bed. in it, stelle sits on a bench, slumped down a little with their head leaning to one side, a peaceful expression on their face. eyes closed, enjoying the fresh air. "oh...," march blushes. "i - sorry, i couldn't resist! you looked so lovely, stelle. it reminds me of how... how nice it is when everything comes to a halt. you know what i mean? how easy it is to relax in those moments where you have nowhere to be and nothing to do." "you don't have to apologise. you're good at this - you certainly made me look pretty." "you always look pretty!" there's a blush colouring march's cheeks as she avoids their gaze, maybe feeling embarrassed for the unsolicited compliment. but stelle doesn't mind; there's just this weird feeling in their stomach when they look at her. the kind of feeling that's always there in the background, and amplifies itself every time march is in the same room as them. and she's so, so close to them right now. sitting up on the bed, hip to hip, but turned slightly away from each other. "says you," stelle mouths, just loud enough that march can't pretend she doesn't hear it. march is beautiful... petite and bright eyed with the prettiest smile, soft skin, hands much smaller and daintier than stelle's own. a few moments pass as they contemplate what it would be like to hold them. "you're staring at me. do i have something on my face or something?" "sorry," stelle coughs. "uh...,"

they don't know why they do it, but the longer stelle looks at march, her bright eyes and even brighter heart, all the beauty in the world stuffed into this small girl, the more the urge to reach out and touch her builds up.

they glance away, before stealing another right back -and then, then they do it. before any kind of filter or shame can get in their way, they brush a strand of hair from march's face and kisses her.

stelle makes sure to go in soft, they're unsure how this usually plays out and what feels good and what's even appropriate; it's march that reciprocates like she's been waiting her whole life for this. maybe she has been. maybe there's love and loss and heartbreak and longing in her past. she wraps her arms around stelle's neck, taking them by total - but welcome - surprise, leaning forward and climbing into their lap.

her legs around her waist; because she's small and slight enough to fit comfortably there, slotting into stelle like a missing puzzle piece.

the butterflies in stelle's stomach are a new sensation, and it's one they battle with. march is eager, deepening their kiss, her tiny nails digging into the back of stelle's neck. the more she does this, the more uncomfortable stelle feels in the pit of their stomach.

but they're pretty sure it's normal.

they spend a while pressed against each other in a lingering, sometimes lazy, sometimes desperate kiss; march whimpering every time she feels stelle's tongue flit into her mouth, their names followed by little gasps of breath or moans their only soundtrack. march doesn't want it to end. she feels special, when stelle looks at her. when stelle holds her. if she pulls away, it might end. she'd have to answer to stelle, answer to the desires she's been feeling all these weeks since they met. and she doesn't have the words for that.

stelle's tongue brushes march's bottom lip, and it silences her doubts in an instant. for stelle, the butterflies are turning into heat. white hot heat at their core, not satisfied with anything; not satisfied with just tightening their grip or pulling at march's lips with their teeth. they want - they need - more. what the more entails doesn't really cross their mind, it's just an instinct. a desperation to be as close to this girl as they can possibly get.

"lie down," stelle mumbles, and march responds with wide eyes and silent nods. she clumsily climbs off of their lap, and crawls across her bed, lying on her back.

stelle looks at her, really looks - her skirt riding up just a little bit, caught under her thigh; her vest rolls as well, to expose her hip. she's... she's everything, stelle thinks. everything.

"you can do whatever... i... i trust you...," march is stumbling over her words, but the intent is clear.

stelle props themselves up beside march, their hand resting momentarily on her stomach before moving down; cold fingertips on the hot skin of her hip, and resting on her thigh. march bites her lip and shyly spreads her legs, inviting them. stelle can't resist, and march is staring at them with nothing but lust, pleading; eyes as sad and wanting as a puppydog. they slip their hand underneath the fabric of her skirt and squeeze her soft thighs, slowly trailing upwards, until... fuck.

she's so warm, and as stelle takes two fingers and gently rubs her slit, they realize it's because march is wet. she's soaking; and she's arching her back into stelle's touch, needy and desperate for more. more pressure, stelle thinks, pressing down on march's swollen clit, so sensitive that she gasps. "stelle...,"

"shh, i've got you, i'll be gentle-," "n-no. more."

fuck. whatever awkwardness stelle assumed would come with fumbling around and trying to figure out how to pleasure a pretty girl just didn't exist; march's desperation works like reassurance, like encouragement. march twitching and leaning into where it feels good is the hottest thing stelle could imagine. the nights spent with march just a few doors away, thinking about how good she smells and how pretty her hands would look holding theirs - wondering about kissing and how she might react to their shameless flirting and loving the way she would blush when stelle was confident enough to do so.

the nights they spent touching themselves the way they were now touching march, slow, lazy circles to draw the feeling out as long as possible, until march's gasps are loud enough that stelle speeds up just to calm her down.

"i d-don't wanna yet, noo, not yet-," march protests, but her body is betraying her. her toes curl and she clenches her thighs, every time she meets stelle's eyes she feels like she's going to combust.

she wants to feel their weight on top of her and have them fuck her hard, knuckle deep inside her cunt until she screamed so loud everyone would know that she was squirting, cumming all over stelle's hand, grinding and desperate for more still even as she does.

"p-please... stelle... innnnn... inside me...,"

stelle takes the hint, and it's not hard to slip two fingers into her pussy, finding a rhythm that march could match by rocking her hips and moaning, the sound much deeper this time. she feels so full, and she wonders how she'll ever feel normal being empty again. she wants more, she wants stelle deeper and faster and harder, she pushes pathetically against their fingers, all but out of energy, but stelle looks like they could go for hours.

"th-that feels...so good. stelle...,"

the sound of their name is like a catalyst, stelle thrusting her fingers in and out of her soaking cunt faster and faster. for march, the room spins, but stelle shushes her, calmly, soothingly. "good girl, good girl... i've got you... i'm looking after you, don't worry... you can cum for me, sweetheart... be a good girl for me and show me what i do to you...,"

stelle's own pussy aches as they curl their fingers while deep inside march, iliciting a squeal they hadn't heard from her yet. "stelle, i'm gonna -,"

stelle pulls their fingers out and watches march's face fall and her words turn into nonsense. "make yourself. for me...," they say, desperate to see how march does it. aching as her face shifts from 'oh, no fair' to 'fuck it', her pretty hand finding where stelle's is, still hovered on her mound, and squeezing their wet fingers. as march begins pleasuring herself, stelle doesn't break eye contact, slowly sucking their fingers until they were all cleaned up from march's pretty, sweet slick.

and then, they join in. shoulder to shoulder, with their heads leaned towards the others, stelle plays with themselves with the feel of march's hot breaths against her face. march, who is flushed and tired and full of lust. "please let me taste when you cum."

"your wish is my command." "then cum for me, stelle, pleaseee. please let me cum and please...please...,"

it doesn't take long for stelle to be able to make that wish come true. they mumble - march, march, i'm close, please, i'm so close; and the next minute, they both cum. neither know who's first, their names cling together like an out of tune chorus as the sounds spill out of their mouths.

march curls up in a ball, clenched and small and overstimulated as she does, her cum leaking into the gaps between her fingers; skin glistening when she finally pulls out of herself. stelle, on the other hand, throws their head back and bucks their hips upwards as the waves come, cursing march's name and using their free hand to clutch a pillow as tight as they can. sweat pools as it runs down their neck and into the dips by their collarbones; and march is panting, smiling - she shifts down in the bed and curls up on stelle's thigh, a hand resting on the other.

stelle reaches down to her and slips their two messy fingers into march's eager mouth, the lewd sucking and popping sounds driving them crazy. they fall asleep like so, stelle's fingers still lingering at march's lips, red coloring on their cheeks. whatever happens when they wake is up to future them to figure out.

march may laugh it off and ignore it, stelle might make a silly joke to wind her up and end up fucking her from behind in a storage closet when the teasing turns march into a desperate mess for them again. or maybe this is all a dream. still, stelle thinks, how nice it would be if it isn't.

[2baddiesfanfics]

Turn Up the Heat

Pairing: Stelle x March 7th

Tags: Dry Humping, Huddling For Warmth, There Was Only One Bed, Blizzards & Snowstorms

Summary:

Stuck in a blizzard, Stelle and March need to find shelter - fast. Thankfully, Stelle's connections to two little researchers helps save the day. How will the two women keep each other warm?

Read on Ao3

The two women huddled close to one another as they trekked through the nearly impenetrable wall of snow blowing past them.

“You just had to run off after that little white bear, now, didn’t you?” March shouted at the silver-haired girl beside her.

“No one said you had to follow!” Stelle responded in defense of her actions.

“Oh no you don’t! Don’t you dare try to push this off on me! If I didn’t follow you, you’d never find your way back!”

Stelle rolled her eyes but had no retort. The archer had a point, but she’d never admit it to her face.

“Belobog winters are harsh - you know this. People have frozen to death getting caught in these blizzards,” March stated matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, well, we’re stuck in one now. Look, I know you’re annoyed with me. But I also happen to know Lynx and Pela have set up multiple shelters in the area. Let’s find one and stay there until it’s safe to head back to the city.”

Crossing her arms to try and keep any body heat she had left, March couldn’t help but shiver. Stelle knew she had to get her somewhere warm quickly before they both ended up like one of the countless frozen soldiers that littered the planet’s wilderness. Throwing her arm around the other girl’s shoulders, they carried on.

——————————————————

The small cabin was a welcome sight after what felt like hours of walking. Unlocking the door, the trailblazer rushed them inside as soon as she could.

“H-how…do y-you…have a key?” March stuttered.

After locking up for safety, Stelle grabbed the pink-haired girl and carried her to the bedroom. “Pela gave me an extra in case of an emergency.”

“G-good t-thinking,” was all she could muster, her teeth chattering between blue lips.

The other woman began throwing wood into the fireplace and quickly lit their source of survival. Turning to March, she instructed, “We need to get out of these wet clothes immediately.”

Nodding in agreement, the archer grabbed at her shirt but her fingers were too numb for her to make any progress.

“Here, let me?” Stelle asked before moving the soaked fabric up and over her head. Far more focused on their safety than on how she’d feel seeing her naked in more ideal circumstances, she then pulled her skirt and panties down.

“Go get under the covers. I’ll undress and join you. The only way we are going to make it is by sharing body heat.”

“W-why are you n-not as cold?”

“Trust me, I’m fucking freezing…I just have on more layers than you.”

March climbed into bed and watched as the trailblazer stripped and laid their clothes close by the fire. Her pale skin glistened in the light, and she felt her body begin to warm.

Stelle jumped in frantically next to her and pulled her girlfriend close. The pink-haired woman trembled against her, her nearly-frozen fingers pressing into her arm.

“Geez, March!” Stelle yelped at the sudden contact. 

“S-sorry!” She whispered sheepishly before bringing her hands to her mouth so she could breathe some life back into them. Some time passed before the trailblazer spoke up.

“I have an idea to help heat us up.”

“And what would that be, smart one?” March’s eyebrows shot up as she realized what was about to happen. Stelle had rolled on top of her and wedged her thigh between the other girl’s legs. 

“What do you think you’re doing!? This is hardly the time or place, Stelle.”

“Will you just trust me?” The silver-haired woman murmured seductively. “We almost died. The rush of that along with the time we have to kill until the snow chills out…why not keep each other warm this way?”

March groaned at the terrible pun but also at the sensation of her girlfriend’s muscular thigh rubbing against her entrance. The warm wetness of the other woman’s mouth on her perked nipple made her anger quickly dissipate.

“Ah…careful…they’re a little sensitive…ohhh…due to the cold,” the archer warned as Stelle pinched the other one.

With each of her lover’s movements, March felt the cold begin to slowly fade and heat begin to build in its place. The trailblazer’s knee bounced up and down against her clit, causing her hips to jolt in response.

“S-stelle!” She moaned. 

The silver-haired girl started to grind against her partner’s knee, desperate for her own release. Catching on, the other woman moved her leg in rhythm. The two panted heavily as they chased pleasure.

“March…Aeons…keep moving…just like that…don’t stop…” she choked out.

“I won’t if…you won’t…”

Their lips crashed against each other as the archer wove her hands through her girlfriend’s hair to deepen the kiss. Bodies that had once shivered were now slick with sweat as they writhed against each other. “Stelle…please…almost there…” March pleaded. Finally, they came together, each holding the other tightly.

“Whew. Well, that should keep us warm for a bit,” the trailblazer teased as she pulled her girlfriend to her chest.

“Let’s hope so. I mean, if we get chilly again, we can always go another round,” the pink-haired girl suggested with a yawn.

Stelle laughed as she pulled the quilt tighter around the both of them. “Man, if this snow doesn’t kill me, I think you will.”

[boba-butt]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62081224

[tanihanya]

Mom I don't wanna go to uni I wanna read Starch hsr fics all day

[polysaccharride]

from ashes to ashes

series: honkai star rail pairing: firefly/stelle / steltaru / firestelle | starch / stellemarch | danstarch (minor) rating: explicit tags: grief/mourning, angst, polyamory, 2nd person POV, identity reveal

summary/excerpt:

You could never have her, and maybe that’s why you wanted her. This isn’t love, you tell yourself. But that doesn't make it hurt any less. Many people have captured your heart in some way shape or form. But there was something different about Firefly. On the path of the Trailblaze, you often throw yourself into harm's way for the sake of others. For the sake of a better world. They are not only people you steal kisses from in between missions, but they are also comrades. People who will fight by your side when asked. They are people who have been tempered by tragedy and war. People who have felt loss. People you have helped bandage up after battle. However, Firefly was no comrade of yours. Never someone who fought by your side. She was something far more dangerous. She was just a girl.

Stelle mourns what could have been.

-----

wrote up a steltaru oneshot! opens up with starch + mentions of danstarch (i hc stelle as bisexual and polyam) but most of it is stelle dealing with their grief

[astelleartemis]

A Stelle x March 7th fanfic where I give readers emotional damage :D

There’s one-sided love, fluff, angst, and lesbians!! (I love Starch my beloved <3)

Summary: March 7th is completely, truly, hopelessly in love with Stelle. She's been hiding her crush from the Trailblazer ever since they met, and Stelle isn't exactly picking up on her obvious flirting. In a stroke of luck, the two of them get the opportunity to attend a Valentine's fair in Belobog where couples get a discount on everything. By faking being together, everything seems to be going well for March...except Stelle keeps unintentionally finding ways to break her heart.

[asiantism]

Chapters: 6/? Fandom: 崩坏：星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Caelus/Dan Heng (Honkai: Star Rail), Dan Heng/Trailblazer (Honkai: Star Rail), March 7th/Stelle (Honkai: Star Rail), Dan Heng & March 7th & Trailblazer (Honkai: Star Rail) Characters: Dan Heng (Honkai: Star Rail), March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail), Stelle (Honkai: Star Rail), Blade (Honkai: Star Rail), Kafka (Honkai: Star Rail), Himeko (Honkai: Star Rail), Welt Yang (Honkai), Honkai: Star Rail Ensemble, Caelus (Honkai: Star Rail) Additional Tags: Running Away, Fluff and Angst, Minor Violence, Getting to Know Each Other, Parental Kafka (Honkai: Star Rail), she's not the best but she's trying, Family Dynamics, Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, More relationships to come, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, On the Run, Slow Burn, Caelus and Stelle are Twins (Honkai: Star Rail), Developing Relationship Summary:

Dan Heng dreams of his family that night, something he hasn’t done in almost a year. He’s a child again, surrounded by tall looming shadows with booming voices. “This is something you must do, Lunae. Do not try to fight it.”

He wants to cry, scream, and plead. He didn’t want this, they were his friends. A strong hand clasps onto his frail shoulder. “Don’t worry, in the end, all you will ever need is family.”

Dan Heng is being hunted. Help comes in the form of his best friend's girlfriend's twin brother.

[mariposaminako]

It's not a drawing this time but I wrote a lil Starch fanfic :> (repost cause tumblr ate the link last time i dunno why)

[awriternamedart]

heres some things ive written ig i write mostly honkai star rail these days but i have some genshin fics and other things

some are previews (sampard fic is previews i havent posted that one yet it 60k words and im rewriting half of it rn) and some are posted same handle on ao3

gepo/sampard and stellemarch/starch/starch7th and servasha shippers i see you

and i love you heart emoji

anyway yeah im here now

[website-clown]

BEHOLD: my second fic of the year!! a soft 1.9k word Stelle/March fic!

[quackinus-ducks]

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE TAG YUNIE so unfortunately I'm neither a writer nor do I have any other moots BUT I can recommend some good fics so: 1. Eimiko courtisane AU - Yae is a renowned courtesan— has been one for years. She’s serviced nobles, generals and rich people all over Teyvat. Yae has never had a place to call her own, nor has she felt the need to. When she’s gifted to the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma, though, things might actually change. [Ongoing]

2. Modern Kokosara AU - Sara is an awkward tattoo artist and Kokomi is her hot customer. [Ongoing]

3. Kokoeimiko alternate history Inazuma - Kokomi is a young shrine maiden getting a job at Grand Narukami Shrine where she discovers that the head shrine maiden and her weird gamer gf aren't all they seem to be. [Ongoing]

4. (Yunie your stuff is incredible im going insane) Beiguang right after the fall of the Jade Chamber - Ninguang is borken by her loss of her life's work and Beidou helps her pick up the pieces (through BDSM but thats not important). [Ongoing]

5. Jeanlisa Ghost AU - Lisa buys a large house in the outskirts of Mondstadt thats hauted by the ghost of Jean, ofer the course of 20k words they fall hopelessly in love. [Completed]

6. Eimiko Modern AU - After a terrible accident involving her sister, Ei disappears, leaving no trace behind, even leaving behind her girlfriend, Yae Miko. 5 years later, just when Yae has picked up the pieces of her broken heart and has the confidence to move on, she spots a familiar face in the crowd, and the life she has so painstakingly built for herself is turned upside down once again. [Completed]

7. Kafhime but like This Is How You Lose The Time War - Himeko is suspicious of Kafka but as they correspond through letters left to each other in improbable places, she begins to fall for her. [Completed]

8. Beiguang alt cannon - At the behest of Grand Sage Azar, Ningguang heads to Sumeru on a diplomatic trip, and Beidou tags along. Unfortunately, trouble never strays far from the Tianquan. [Completed] (again every single one of Yunie's fics is amazing please go read all of them)

9. Stellemarch - Two idiots share a bed and then don't really want to stop. [Completed]

10. And finally i want to point you to to @arsonismyjam and his 40 works that got me into yantao and HI3rd entirely.

There's a lot of different ships in here but I'm sure most of these circles overlap somewhat.

As I don't have any mutuals I'll just pass this on to @arsonismyjam, @meirisuu and @avocadothefruit

RULES: post the names of the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! Tag as many people as you have WIPs.

tagged by @votsalot​, thank u!!

im assuming this is only related to fics? if its not then….. im sorry :^))))))

Little House On The Suburbs

Doll Heads

Into The Inkwell

What Doesn’t Kill You

Tiff

Glen & Glenda

Human

Monster College

Sitting On The Shelf

im tagging @buffoello @glauconaryue @thatqueerweirdo @taniushka12 @dickggansey @streets-in-paradise ​ @prometheuswounds ​ @unabombshell now that i think of it im not entirely sure everyone here writes fic at all… if i tagged u and u dont write fic but would like to use this chance to share original work youve written, that would be ok too!

[vryivs]

Shipper tag game

tagged by @tiesanjiaoshenanigans <33

What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care about anymore?

oh god i dont even know. probably any silm ship i liked since i just outgrew that part of my life organically and also dennor probably?

Which ship would you consider your first one?

percabeth easily

Your first fanfic was about which couple?

it was dennor hetalia

Do you remember the first couple you saw fanart of?

most likely percabeth since i got tumblr literally just to follow viria for the art

Have you ever gotten into ship discourse?

yes i was 13 and i didnt like fruk. i made an apology drawing that said 'im sorry fruk shippers' on a sign being held up by a sad girl. i was 13. since then? not really. i dont tend to have the time or energy to actively argue with people i disagree with. to me theres no point + it doesnt matter

Did you use to have any NOTP or have one currently?

im opinionated so absolutely!! didnt like hk/iceland (hetalia) or fruk (hetalia again lol). didnt like yuri/otabek (yoi), most byleth/student ships (femblem), jeanluc (when i was into genshin). currently dont like renheng (it's just not my thing), jing yuan/fu xuan (also not my thing) or dan heng/anyone tbh (although i make exceptions for tb). i dont have any massive reasons for disliking them theyre just either not my thing or dont align with my hcs (shrug)

any jing yuan/hcq feels vaguely icky to me because they knew him as a teenager while they were adults (aside from yingxing since his age is more ambiguous and it seems like he mightve grown up at the same time jy did?)

Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

brb checking my ao3 history

oh my god is was a fucking dddne dabi/hawks fic i found when i was looking through trans tags. i havent read or watched mha it just sounded interesting. i liked it and its here if you want to read it (mind the tags)

Currently, do you have any OTPs?

weirdly no massive ones for hsr which is my main fandom. i have ships i like tho!! kafblade, stellemarch and bronseele. also i think clara/yanqing is adorable in concept. arranging playdates between my daughter and jing yuans son. i also think voidwelt would be really interesting

Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

not rlly!! i tend not to care too much about canon when it comes to shipping, so i hardly even pay it attention

Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

not rlly!! if there is i cant remember them

Do you have any ship that, in the past, would've been considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

any rpf ship tbh. i honestly think rpf is fine as long as you dont project its contents onto the very real people it's based off of.

What is your favorite crack ship?

velite/argenti

What is the couple you read the most fanfics about?

i dont read fanfic v often (combination of bad attention span, really specific tastes, etc) but when i do its usually sansang, seongjoong, or whatever ship fic @tiesanjiaoshenanigans or @kireinalix ask me to beta are hehe

What do most of your ships usually have in common?

this is a good question and i dont really know the answer. my taste tends to favour characters who make a good parental unit (seongjoong, jingliu/baiheng), but i also enjoy the dynamics of amoral pairs (kafblade), as well as goofy lesbians having a good time (stellemarch)

What you absolutely hate in a ship?

if its boring tbh. if something feels boring or overdone im p much guaranteed not to like it. like jeanluc? theyre just boring to me. i also really dont enjoy the 'i knew you when you were a kid and then you grew up hot and now we're dating' thing

tagging @himbodevotee @morifiinwe @shineoftherainbow @kireinalix @aowyn and anyone else who follows me :3

[2baddiesfanfics]

Never Alone

Pairing: Stelle x March 7th

Tags: Nightmares, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Hurt/Comfort

Summary:

Stelle wakes up in a fit from a nightmare about Kafka's first words to her when she woke up on Herta Space Station. Thankfully, March is right there with her to help comfort her back to sleep. 

Read on Ao3

“Time to get up.”

Through bleary eyes, Stelle came to only to see a woman who should have been a stranger standing before her. Somehow, despite not recalling anything about herself, she knew this person’s name. Kafka.

“Listen,” she started. “You are in a daze right now. You don’t know who you are, why you’re here, or what you’re going to do next. You think I look familiar, but you’re not sure if you should trust me - none of that matters.”

What does she mean none of this matters? It has to matter! Where the fuck am I? Who the fuck am I?

As if she could read the silver-haired girl’s mind, Kafka continued. “All you need to know is that I’m leaving, and you will be left all alone on the space station.”

Internally, Stelle was screaming. Alone? I don’t want to be alone! I need someone to tell me what the hell is going on! 

“From now on, you don’t need to think about your past or doubt yourself. Listen: in the near future, you’ll encounter all kinds of perils and hardships, but you will also have many wonderful experiences. You’ll meet companions who treat you like family, and embark on surreal adventures with them. At the end of your journey, all that perplexes you and troubles you will resolve. This is your future that Elio has foreseen. Do you like it?”

How can I even think about the future when I have no clue what the fuck is going on right now?

Again, as if to answer her unspoken question, Kafka explained, “Elio can foresee the future, but he can’t make decisions for you. Use that will of yours to reach the end of your story. That’s the you I like.”

Why does it sound like this person knows me? I don’t understand…

“I must leave now. Listen; someone will come and find you very soon, just go with them. You won’t remember a thing except me. When you have a chance to make a choice, make one that you know you won’t regret.”

Suddenly, Kafka and her young companion turned and bolted away. Stelle felt her vision begin to dim. 

No, no, no! Kafka! Whoever you are! You have to tell me more about who I am! Why I’m here! Don’t leave me! Stop!

“COME BACK!” Stelle shouted as she bolted upright in bed. Sweat poured down her face and stained the collar of her pajama shirt. Her chest felt like someone was squeezing every last bit of air from her lungs with their bare hands.

“Stelle! Aeons, what the hell is happening? Calm down! Please…tell me what’s going on!” March begged as she reached toward her girlfriend. The trailblazer’s eyes were wide open now, her heaving breaths coming deep and quick.

“March…oh, thank god,” she sighed with relief as she pulled her toward her. The pink-haired woman held her tightly, rubbing calming circles against her back.

“…did you have the nightmare again?” This was not the first time this had happened since they started sleeping together in the same bed a few months after she had joined the Nameless. Besides Dan Heng, the archer was the only other person who had been there after Stelle had woken up on Herta Space Station that fateful day.

“I’m sorry, March. I…I just need a minute. Go back to sleep. Don’t let me keep you up.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, babe. I’m with you no matter what. Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it? I understand it’s not necessarily the same, but I know a thing or two about missing memories,” she said with a sad smile.

“It’s just…I have so many questions and no way to find answers. Kafka…that Stellaron Hunter woman…I knew who she was without really knowing who she was. It’s hard to explain. She told me all of this cryptic shit and…I just worry. How did I end up asleep in the first place? Did I do something horrible enough that someone decided it would be safer to erase my past?” She looked at March, her eyes searching for an answer the other girl didn’t have.

“Well…I remember the first time you told me about what she said to you. I think you need to focus on what she stated toward the end: ‘At the end of your journey, all that perplexes you and troubles you will resolve.’ In other words, it’ll all be okay in the end,” the pink-haired woman reassured her. “If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

Stelle grinned at her. “You always know what to say to make me feel better.” March slid her hand on top of hers, her fingers filling the spaces between the trailblazer’s.

“You’ve always been there for me on my bad days. Do you remember when I came back from my trip through the Matrix of Prescience on the Luofu? You knew something was wrong and didn’t give up on checking in on me.”

“How could I forget? It was also the night of our first kiss. And…the first time you let me���take care of you.”

The archer rested her head on the other girl’s shoulder. “Um…maybe tonight is the night I return the favor? It might help you get back to sleep faster.”

“I’d definitely rather focus on you than my own thoughts right now,” Stelle said before she kissed her. She melted into the softness of her girlfriend’s lips, thankful for the way she grounded her in the reality of the present instead of the uncertainty of what-ifs.

March held her face gently between her hands, turning the trailblazer’s head so she could kiss her cheek. She felt her exhale in relief and continued making her way down her neck. Her mouth sucked lightly at her clammy skin in an effort to help bring some heat back to her body after her fitful awakening.

“Here. Lay down. You’re always the big spoon. Let me make you feel good.” Stelle had no interest in fighting her. Normally she felt most comfortable cuddling March in her arms, but tonight, it sure would feel good to be the one being held. 

The pink-haired girl settled behind her and nuzzled her neck. The heat of her breath was warm and comforting to the trailblazer. She could feel Stelle relax in her embrace and took it as permission to touch her more intimately. Her fingers traced up the other woman’s side and settled on her breast. 

“Just focus on the sound of my voice. Don’t think about anything else,” she instructed in an attempt to help her clear her mind. She began to tease her nipples and felt the silver-haired girl wiggle deeper into her.

“Mmm…you definitely make it easy,” Stelle replied wryly.

“Shhh…don’t ruin the moment,” she chastised with a firm squeeze. Her girlfriend let out a little whine and March smiled into her shoulder. Wedging one of her legs between hers, she made space for her next move. Stelle willingly spread her legs as she grew more comfortable.

“Keep taking calm, relaxing breaths and just feel,” she coaxed. Her hand slid beneath the waistband of the other woman’s sleep pants and sought the already-slick opening between her thighs. Wetting her digits, she made slow, methodic circles against her clit and Stelle’s head tilted back at the sensation.

“Ohhhhh…March…” she groaned.

“That’s it…good girl…” the archer praised as she began to build pressure with every swirl. “You’re safe here with me. I’m not going anywhere.” 

“M-march…ahhhh…almost there…” Stelle whimpered as she rocked her hips in time with her girlfriend’s movements. Her lover whispered encouragement to her in an effort to help bring her to her climax. She felt her shudder in her arms and held her close as she talked her through wave upon wave of pleasure. 

Kissing her softly, she caressed her cheek. “There. That should help you get some sleep,” March said.

“What if I’m not ready to sleep just yet? I think I could still use a bit more of a distraction,” Stelle replied before moving the other girl underneath her.

“Oh? And what did you have in mind?” She taunted.

“Let me think…” the trailblazer responded before pressing her lips against March’s. She snaked her hand into the pink-haired woman’s shirt and kneaded her breast. “Keeping my hands occupied sounds like a good idea to me.”

March moaned into their kiss as the other woman began to pinch and pull at her nipple. Stelle lightly nibbled her lower lip before releasing her to lift her shirt to rest on her chest. Taking her other breast, she kissed around the nipple before sliding her tongue across it. 

“Ohhhhhh…”

Taking the now-perched nipple between her teeth, she carefully teased it with just enough pressure to not hurt her.

“S-stelle,” March uttered desperately.

Her girlfriend smirked before stopping her ministrations to reposition herself between her spread legs.

Pulling her night shorts and panties down and off one leg, she was now eye-level with her entrance. Stelle licked her lips in anticipation as she pressed her nose into March’s cotton-candy-colored hair and licked between her wet folds. 

“So sweet,” she murmured with a smack of her lips.

“Mmm…stop being…so weird,” March groaned as a blush appeared on her cheeks.

The trailblazer’s tongue darted into her soaked entrance eliciting a squeal of pleasure from her lover. She licked across her sensitive bud, and, longing for more stimulation, March brought her hands to her breasts, kneading and playing with her own nipples.

“M-more!” The pink-haired woman cried out. Stelle pursed her lips around her clit and sucked on the bud as she easily slid two fingers into her.

The archer bucked her hips into her girlfriend’s mouth. Her hands left her breasts and tangled in the silver hair of the woman between her thighs.

Thrusting faster, Stelle continued to apply pressure to the sensitive bundle of nerves. Feeling March’s legs wrap around and squeeze her head, her movements hit a crescendo as the pink-haired woman quaked around her fingers.

Untangling herself from her lover’s grasp, the trailblazer softly kissed her once more before pulling her bottoms back on and lying next to her.

“Now I think I’m ready for bed. How could I fall asleep knowing I hadn’t taken care of you?”

March’s lips twitched upward in a smile as she threw her arms around her in a tight embrace. “The next time you wake up worrying who you are or why you’re here, remember it’s because I need you.”

Stelle closed her eyes and gripped her harder. “Kafka once asked me if I liked the future Elio had described to her. Now that I’m holding it in my arms, I finally have an answer.”

[boba-butt]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62110165

[2baddiesfanfics]

'Till Future Do Us Part

Pairing: Stelle x March 7th

Tags: Weddings, Sex Toys

Summary:

The Astral Express crew has been invited to witness a truly rare event - a foxian wedding! Humans are not typically permitted, but given who the two brides happen to be, the Nameless are more than welcome. As March and Stelle see Yukong and Feixiao dedicate their lives to each other, something stirs within them both.

Read on Ao3

The crew gathered in the parlor car for Pom-Pom’s latest big announcement.

“Now that everyone is finally here, I can tell you we will be returning to the Luofu,” they announced.

Everyone looked at each other with a puzzled expression. Hadn’t they already spent more than enough time on the planet? 

“I’ll take it from here, Pom-Pom, thank you,” Himeko said. “Lady Yukong and General Feixiao have announced they are getting married and have requested our attendance at their traditional ceremony.”

March clapped in excitement. “Oh, I’m so excited for them!”

“Uh…What is a foxian wedding like, anyway?” Stelle asked. 

“Normally, humans aren’t allowed to witness them. They are usually conducted on a rainy night and with lanterns to hide this event from non-foxians. However, seeing as how we’ve made such a large impact on their lives, we've been granted an exception that permits us to attend.”

“Ah, yes. I’ve read about such ceremonies,” Welt stated. “For us to be invited is a rarity indeed.”

“Correct, but I do believe they are making some alterations. General Jing Yuan and Yanqing will be attending as well. The venue is in a hidden location, but they’ve made accommodations for us to stay in cabins nearby,” Himeko elaborated.

“I, for one, am fascinated by the concept of two long-life species choosing to spend eternity together. It’s not often anyone outside of their kind gets to witness such an event.” Dan Heng said with an air of fascination.

“Ew, Dan Heng! You make it sound so transactional! That takes all the romance out of it! We should be excited to celebrate the fact Ms. Yukong and Ms. Feixiao have reunited and still love each other,” March said as she grabbed her girlfriend’s hand. “Come on, Stelle! Be my date to the wedding? Pleaseeeeee!”

“Sure, it’ll be fun!” She said aloud before leaning in and whispering, “And we get to have a whole place to ourselves. Think of all the fun we can have together afterward.”

—————————

The Nameless stepped out of the teleportal and were immediately greeted by Qingni.

“Hello, Astral Express crew! I was asked to escort you to the private island where the ceremony will take place,” she said before assisting them in boarding her starskiff. “Your accommodations will be ready for you upon arrival. The main event won’t start until later this evening, so you’ll have time to get settled before then.”

“That sounds lovely. Thank you, Qingni. Please extend our gratitude to your mother as well. You must be so happy for her,” Himeko responded with a gentle smile.

The group piled into the vehicle and they headed off to their destination.

“So Qingni…are you excited to have a second mom?” Stelle asked. March immediately kicked her.

“Ow! What?”

“You can’t just ask that!” The archer hissed.

Qingni chuckled. “It’s fine. It was never a shock to me. Mom and General Feixiao have been off and on for as long as I can remember, so it’s about time they finally devoted themselves to one another. And, technically, she’d be my third mom,” she joked back.

“That’s why it’s rude, Stelle,” March whispered. The trailblazer gave her an awkward smile. Himeko and Mr. Yang continued to make small talk with Qingi until they reached their destination. She guided them out of the starskiff and walked each pair to their cabins. As the group’s leader, Himeko got her own while the other four were divided by gender.

“Please make yourselves comfortable. Once the rain starts, we will begin as is customary. Also, please be sure to light these lanterns and follow the procession once it passes by your cabins.”

—————————

A few hours later, the patter of precipitation tapped at the windows of the cabin, signaling the start of the event.

“Stelle! It’s time!” March yelled excitedly. The silver-haired girl came running out of the bathroom, grabbed the lanterns they were supposed to carry, and bolted out the door with her.

Foxians began treading down the stone path. As they passed each cabin, the occupants joined the group one by one with their lanterns. In the middle of the group was Yukong, dressed in a stunning white dress. Stelle and March added to the lineup, and they marched toward the hall. When they arrived, the helm master waited at the back of the hall while each attendee took turns going left or right filling the chairs on either side. Feixiao stood at attention in a regal white suit at the front. 

Once everyone was in their seats, Yukong made her way down the aisle toward her fiancée. The general’s bright blue eyes sparkled with awe at the sight before her.

March grabbed Stelle’s hand and didn’t let go throughout the entire ceremony. She squeezed it when the two said "I do" and shared their first kiss as wife and wife. The trailblazer looked over to see tears streaming down her girlfriend’s cheeks. 

As they exited the hall, they took their lanterns and released them into the night sky. The specks of light carried their wishes and dreams for the couple’s bright future.

“This island has a wind that keeps them floating for hours before they are whisked away. It makes for the best ambiance.” Jing Yuan explained as he joined the table the crew was sitting at.

“It’s quite lovely,” Himeko mused. 

“This whole ceremony has been so magical,” March added.

“Maybe we should have ours here,” Stelle teased her.

“That’s not something to joke about, you jerk!” The pink-haired woman chastised.

“Ah, lighten up. Let’s go dance,” her girlfriend said before dragging her to the dance floor. 

——————————

As the event came to a close, everyone said their goodbyes and headed back to their lodgings. March sat on the bed, removed her heels, and massaged her weary feet.

“Stelle…do you ever think the future - our future?”

“Of course I do. Seeing as how we don’t know much about our pasts, it makes a lot more sense to focus on the future.”

“So…that remark about us…you weren’t joking?”

“Nope. Dead serious. I knew being here would make us both think about it. ”

“Really? It’s not like you to be such a romantic.”

“Well, I also knew it’d put you in the mood, so I may have come prepared.”

March narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean by that?”

Stelle grabbed her overnight bag and placed it on the table before pulling out a double-sided dildo.

“We don’t have to be quiet or worry about others walking in on us. What do you think?”

“I think you’re brilliant, slugger.

Stelle smiled widely at her praise. Not wanting to waste a moment of their freedom, the two quickly undressed and jumped into bed. Mouths collided as their chests pressed against each other. Nipples hardened by desire, the friction between them made March gasp.

Sucking and biting across her neck, the trailblazer ground her hips into her girlfriend’s. She grabbed the toy and inserted one end into herself first. Positioning herself between March’s legs, she grabbed the tip and gently glided it up and down the other woman’s wet folds.

The archer wrapped her legs around her waist, bucking her hips in desperation for friction.

“S-stelle…don’t tease,” she whined, her bottom lip protruding in a pout.

Rolling her eyes, the silver-haired girl leaned forward and slowly sank into her.

March timed her thrusts in rhythm with her lovers. They moaned into each other’s mouths as they writhed together.

“Come with me, my future wife,” the archer joked breathlessly as they both slammed the toy deep into one another. They cried out as each of them hit their peak.

“Man, if that’s what the future holds, I’m ready to say ‘yes’ anytime you want to pop the question,” March said as her breathing slowed.

Removing the toy, Stelle placed it off to the side and pulled her girlfriend into her arms. “Does that mean you trust me to make all our plans going forward?”

March let out an exasperated sigh. “How about you handle the fun and I’ll handle the wedding plans.”

[2baddiesfanfics]

Minute to Midnight

Pairing: Stelle x March 7th

Tags: New Year's Eve, New Years, New Year's Kiss, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, First Time, Friends to Lovers

Summary:

The members of the Astral Express all have their own plans to celebrate the dawn of a new year, but March wants to make this a night to remember for the newest Nameless. Stelle suggests a special night for just the two of them that leads to a new beginning of its own.

Read on Ao3

“Now that we’ve put so much work into your new room, this’ll be the perfect opportunity to really break it in!” March explained excitedly. She’d always wanted to throw a New Year’s party on the Express, and now she finally had an excuse to make a big deal out of it. 

Stelle looked around the massive space she now called her own. The various knickknacks displayed about the cabin really put into perspective all the Nameless had accomplished and all the new people they’d met along the way.

“Uh, that’d be great, March, but I’m pretty sure everyone already has plans. Dan Heng told me he got an invite from Jing Yuan to attend the big celebration on the Xianzhou Luofu and was going to bring Mr. Yang with him. Himeko was being sketchy with details, but I think she has a date with you-know-who since she’s in between missions. And you and I both know Pom-Pom can’t stay up past 10:30 on a good night.”

The pink-haired girl’s smile deflated. Since this was Stelle’s first full year as a member of the Astral Express crew, she had been hoping everyone would stay to celebrate with her. “Well, shoot. There goes that idea,” she muttered.

Seeing how upset her answer had made her, Stelle drew closer to her. “Hey, now. Who’s to say we can’t have fun all by ourselves? I’ve got the fridge fully stocked with SoulGlad, Mr. Yang lent me some of his animations, and I can contact Silver Wolf and Firefly to see if they wanna game with us for a couple of hours. We’ll have our own kick-ass New Year’s party. And that way we can just crash together at the end of the night. The bed’s big enough for the both of us.”

March blushed at the thought of sharing a bed with her. They may have only known each other for a year now, but over that period of time, they’d experienced so much together. It wasn’t until just recently that she started to notice things about her that made her think they were closer than just comrades. Of course, Stelle never took anything seriously, so it was hard to tell if she might feel the same way.

“You know what? That sounds amazing. Let’s do it!”

————————

After seeing everyone off to their respective get-togethers, the two women retreated to Stelle’s room. They spent the evening in their most comfortable pajamas sharing snacks, reminiscing about all the adventures they had been on and the ones to come, and even invited Pom-Pom to play Super Clockie Party with Silver Wolf and Firefly. 

“Hey guys, we have to log out. There’s a weird sound coming from Kafka’s room and Blade told us if anything went wrong while he was out, we were in charge,” Silver Wolf announced over the video chat.

“It was nice seeing both of you again! Let’s catch up soon, ok? I think I might be able to score us all tickets to Robin’s next show. Bye now!” Firefly said before cutting the feed.

Pom-Pom let out a loud yawn. “Okay, you two. I’m headed to sleep. Don’t stay up too late. We’ve still got the duty schedule to think of.”

After reassuring them they’d get a reasonable amount of rest, the two found themselves alone at last. Stelle glanced at the clock and noticed it was just about midnight. There was a part of her that was secretly happy everyone already had their own plans tonight. She’d been thinking long and hard about how she wanted this evening to end. Or begin. She didn’t quite know what she’d classify it as.

Since she’d joined the Nameless, March had always been the one who stayed by her side. The first few nights she’d been on the train she had found it nearly impossible to fall asleep. The pink-haired girl had noticed she was uncomfortable and stayed up to talk with her until she’d gotten drowsy enough to call it a night. From Belobog to the Luofu to Penacony, March had been her constant companion. Lately she found herself not wanting to go back to her own room at the end of the day, but to lay down and find solace in the other woman’s arms after a hard day’s work.

“Stelle? Everything ok? We’re going to miss the meteor shower if you keep zoning out like that,” March said as she waved a hand in front of her face.

“No, no. Totally fine. Uh, here. Why don’t we move to the bed? We can see the whole thing from the window and at least be comfortable while we watch,” she suggested. Gathering on the spacious mattress, they checked their phone screens to see they had less than a minute until midnight. 

The stars shown so brightly it was like all the lights in the room had been put on full blast. March stole a glance at Stelle and noticed how much more relaxed she looked than when she first boarded the Express.

“Something on your mind? We’re about to start a new year, so it’s best to start it fresh. What’s up?” Stelle inquired.

March’s heart pounded so fast she was worried it might explode like a Stellaron. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about how at peace you look tonight. You gotta admit, things haven’t exactly been a walk in the park since you joined the team. Seems like it’s been one thing after another without a moment for us to just…breathe.”

“Well, haven’t you ever heard the saying ‘it’s about the journey, not the destination?’” The other girl replied with a big grin. “I’m grateful for the craziness. The unpredictability. After all…it led me to you.”

At that moment, the glow of hundreds of meteors streaking across the night sky announced the dawn of a new year. Before March could respond to her declaration, Stelle closed the distance between them.

The taste of the SoulGlad they had drank earlier in the evening still lingered on their lips, and March was pleasantly surprised at how sweet she tasted. When the initial shock of the action wore off, she leaned further into her, wrapping her arms around the other girl’s neck. She could feel Stelle’s hand supporting the back of her head, her fingers entwined through the countless strands of hair at the base.

Resting for a moment, March contemplated her next words. “Stelle…I know it’s late, but…I don’t think I’m ready for the night to end yet.”

“I don’t think the others plan on coming back to the Express tonight. Do you…want to…?”

A soft blush appeared on her cheeks. “Only if you do. I couldn’t tell if you felt the same way and I didn’t want to make things awkward now that you finally feel like you’re a part of the crew.”

Stelle flashed the same charming smile she had when she first came aboard the Astral Express. “Now that I have my own room, it makes it a lot easier for us to not have to pretend. March, the only reason I didn’t say something sooner was because I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable for you. With your missing memories and all, I didn’t think you needed one more thing to worry about. I just felt like this was the right moment.”

“I’m glad you made the first move. Now, allow me to make the next one,” March said as she grabbed the other woman and continued the kiss they had broken earlier. Her enthusiasm calmed Stelle, and she decided it would be best to let her lead for now. Both of them were inexperienced and it was obvious; as young twenty-somethings adventuring through the galaxy, there was little time for romance.

They followed instinct. March eased her down into the plush mattress, noticing the pillow she had given her was the one with the most wrinkles - had she fallen asleep the past few nights snuggled into it dreaming of her? She smirked at the thought. Stelle could be hard to read, but seeing a softer side to her made the other girl feel calmer.

Stop thinking, March - just have fun.

As she kissed down Stelle’s neck to her exposed shoulder, she realized she’d soon run out of skin. Tugging at her shirt, the other girl understood and helped her remove it. March knew she was athletic, but swinging that bat around had really shaped her arms nicely. She marveled at the muscular body beneath her and heard Stelle giggle.

“You gonna spend the new year looking instead of touching?” She taunted.

“Oh, shut up, Ms. Galactic Baseballer. I was just admiring the view. Gotta get these off, too,” she chastised as she helped her shift out of her lounge pants. 

“Well, now it’s only fair if I get to see the rest of you,” Stelle retorted as she deftly rolled them both over. March let out a squeak of surprise that turned into a chorus of laughter between the two of them. The trailblazer quickly whipped off the other woman’s pajamas, putting them on equal footing.

“Wow…” she breathed. “You look…damn…”

“You’re being weird. Just say I’m beautiful,” March whined in frustration. 

“Sorry. Never been good with words. I’ll let my actions speak for themselves.” Stelle controlled her strength, palming the other girl’s breasts with just enough pressure to make her squirm. 

“Ahh…Stelle…” March bucked her hips into hers, trapped underneath her. The silver-haired woman’s hand wandered between them as she kissed her chest. She may not have known much, but it was obvious what she was doing was having its desired effect. Her fingers met with a warm, wet liquid, and she instinctively spread it around the area. The feeling of her digits, hardened with callouses from training, provided a contrast that made March’s head spin.

“I’ve got you, love,” Stelle whispered reassuringly. “Feels good?”

“Y-yes…don’t stop, Stelle…please…” she begged. The other woman wouldn’t dream of it. She coaxed the moans out of her, her fingers sliding in, out, and around every part of her, providing just enough friction to make her come. March held onto her tightly as she shook around her hand.

“Sorry if that was a bit much. It’s new to me, too,” she sheepishly apologized. 

March looked up at her endearingly. “Stelle, you’re always too much. That’s why I love you. There’s no one else like you. And there’s no one else I’d rather do this with,” she stated as she once again moved the other girl to relax on the bed. She started kissing just below her breasts and felt her exhale sharply.

Tracing the toned muscles of her stomach with the tip of her tongue, March reveled in the shiver she felt the other girl elicit. It was nice to feel like the one with the upper hand for once. Kissing from one of her hips to the other, Stelle groaned and slipped her fingers through the other woman’s pink hair, pushing her ever-so-slightly closer to where she wanted her.

Nestled comfortably between her thighs, March gave her slit a single, careful lick. Stelle gripped her head at the sensation. Her tongue moved in steady strokes, tasting the unique flavor of her musk as she traced patterns against her clit. 

“M-march…Aeons…k-keep doing that…”

The other woman smiled smugly to herself. Knew I’d be a natural, she thought. She slid a finger inside of her as she continued to work her mouth and felt Stelle clamp down on her. The intensity of multiple sensations caused her body to thrum with arousal, and all March needed was a final few strokes to push her spiraling over the edge.

Stelle orgasmed with a shout and it took a great deal of self-control to not close her legs around the other girl’s head. Utterly exhausted from the swirl of different emotions they had experienced that night, they finally curled up under the comforter of the much-too-large-for-one-person bed together.

“Uh, that was a ride,” Stelle joked. “What a way to start a new year.”

March nuzzled into her side and yawned. “Like you said earlier, whatever the destination, I’m just glad my partner on this journey is you.”