Serenity ~ Calm, Peaceful and Untroubled

It had been a long six weeks, yet Doppler could still remember the day she left as if it was only yesterday. He could remember waking up upset, knowing this morning would be the last time he would see her for...

Space was unpredictable. Then again, so was life in general. The simplest, shortest trip could end in disaster. She might be gone for the predicted two months but if she's behind schedule (which she rarely is), possible two months and a day. If there's a major issue, she could be gone for three months, or four or five. And if something goes incredibly wrong, like if she's taken or fatally injured, maybe for years. And maybe, just maybe, never again.

Doppler never liked thinking like that. He always tried to push away the dreaded thoughts of never seeing her again. They rush through the morning routine so they could have a few hours to themselves before leaving to the space station. He would hold her close, stroke her hair. She typically would play fondly with his ears. She loves his ears. And his nose. Of course, she loved all of him but it was his ears and nose she favoured. Every time her fingertips ghosted over the tip of his floppy ear, he would try and calm his erratic heartbeat. Her usual amused smirk would play on her rosy lips, her malachite eyes shine with love. She was beautiful.

Eventually, the time would come where she walked up the gangplank and put on a mask of authority. On her ship, she demanded authority and respect. If you didn't, you'd be flung off the side of the stern and back onto the docks. She would be harsh, stern and in control, but calm. She never panicked, always thinking two steps ahead. She was never caught off guard, unlike him. That's what he admired the most about her, not her stunning looks or cruel sense of humour.

His Amelia would be gone, replaced by Captain Amelia, a no-nonsense feline strict with rules and conduct.

But he would have preferred the company of Captain Amelia rather than...no Amelia.

The days slugged by, like a reluctant schoolboy on his way to class. He was restless at first, trying to get back into the habit of waking up to no ready tea or being without the tingling feeling of a sharp finger stroking the fur on his ear. Sometimes he would wake up and wonder where she is before remembering. The house was too quiet without her. Calm, but disturbingly so. He missed the sound of her soft breaths and crispy and clipped voice, the scent of the sensuous collect of perfumes she had collected from various ports and planets. There were no more footsteps, other than his own. Her were languid, very feline. His...more quick paced and he did have that habit of tripping over thin air.

He would miss her painfully so, a hole made in his heart that would not be filled until she returned home, to him.

But she would come back. She always came back. Normally unhurt, maybe with a bruise or a graze from a little run in with a lone asteroid or taking a wrong footing while up in the shrouds (which rarely happened).

She would come back, tired from a long voyage. They didn't spend much time together when she returned, apart from the first ten minutes of privacy where they would make up for six weeks of separation with a long, passionate kiss and holding each other as if they were fearful of being torn apart too soon. After all, the first thing she would do upon returning to the mansion was to take a long, hot bath. He would find something for her to eat, warm it up and it would be ready for her when she gets out of her soak. She would eat, nestle down with a cup of tea later and fall asleep before he could wash the dishes.

He didn't blame her. How could he? It would be selfish of him to expect kisses and cuddles after she had been working for such a long time and was exceedingly exhausted. No, he'd let her be for the rest of the day. Whenever she woke up, whether it be in the morning or in the late evening, then they would cuddle upon the sofa and talk.

It would be peaceful, as if all the rush and excitement of returning home had vanished and had been replaced with a calm mood.

The logs were lit in the large fire grate, the ones at the bottom of the pile struggling to hold the ones upon them while trying to keep their own shape. The flames crackled and sparked fiercely, giving out enough light for them to see each other. The heat, however, needed the aid of a few thick blankets as they sprawled out over the sofa. Being the heavier one, he would be at the bottom. Plush cushions supported his head and propped him up slightly while she lay face-down on his chest, her right cheek embracing the soft fabric of his shirt while she faced the raging fire. Their legs tangled with each other and the blankets. His arms were protectively wrapped around her, one on her waist and the other placed gently at her nape. Her hands clutched his shirt, not letting go of him. Her head rose up and done in unison to his breathing chest. She found it comforting, knowing that he was there.

With a piercing crack, the bottom logs collapsed under the weight and the light dimmed slightly. Doppler fidgeted, as if trying to awake his body to prepare to worm his way from her grasp to place more logs on the fire.

"Leave it." Her thickly accented voice mumbled. She lazily opened one eye before raising her head to face him and opening the other. "Let it go out."

Doppler understood. They had been away for so long and been so far apart. Padmenonia was not a quick sail away; it took three whole weeks to get there and another three to return. They had been without each other for far too long, longing to be in each other's arms again. Why should he ruin their moment together just for the sake of a few logs?

They weren't worth it. Nothing was worth it, not even if he had the chance to gain the whole riches of Treasure Planet or go on another exciting adventure (even though the Treasure Planet voyage was too much adventurous for him).

Nothing was worth ruining their moment of serenity, erasing away all those torturous days without each other. He found it slightly humorous how he couldn't live long with her.

But not pathetic.

Love was not pathetic.

She didn't return her head to the same place it was before she moved. Her eyes kept trained onto his. Her dazzlingly bright green against his dark and earthly brown.

"I missed you." She muttered softly. Her eyelids are barely holding up. Even after her long nap, she was still tired. Or could it be the peacefulness of being back in his arms again? Or is it knowing for the next few weeks, she won't be troubled by the worry and stress of spacing. Or was it the intense warmth of his body, the blankets and the fire?

He smiled at her, leaned over and pecked her forehead. "I missed you too." His lips left an invisible imprint, her skin tingling with warmth. She blinked slowly, smiled and sighed happily. She was home, back to him. No more daily inspections, no more overlooking cargo and paperwork. At least until...

Her stomach dropped slightly, thinking about when she would have to leave again. Six weeks wasn't the longest voyage she had been on; the Treasure Planet one had taken nearly four months to reach the doomed planet. She worried if he would meet someone else while she was away or if something happened to her and she'd never see him again.

She stamped down the thoughts like her foot above a cardboard box. He wouldn't do something like that. Nothing had ever gone terribly wrong before, apart from the mutiny, but she always found a way out of it.

Pushing any thoughts about the future to the back of her head, Amelia snuggled into Doppler's frame and gave a contented sigh. Just enjoy the moment, she thought. Don't think about anything.

And she didn't. Instead, she grazed his ankles with hers, making them tie together by an invisible bond. She felt his toes stretch and coil. A shiver ran down her back as his hand on her nape began to gently glide their way up to her red hair and tangle themselves in her locks. Closing her eye, she focused on feeling his soft fingertips brush back her hair from her face, tracing the outline of her impressive left ear. It flicked but not out of irritation, out of pleasure. Her ears were incredibly sensitive to touch and sound; she could hear each log burn away in the fire. It was a comforting sound, one she rarely heard in space. She could smell the scent of smoke cling to his shirt and skin. How she missed that smell...

"How long until you'll have to leave?"

It felt as if someone had grabbed her heart and gripped it too tightly. "Three weeks, maybe. Then I'll get another commission, another cargo to take to some planet too far away for my liking." She sighed, the calmness before now replaced by dread. "I'll hate it but the job must be done. I try to make it back as quickly as possible but..."

"Slow and steady wins the race." He mumbled. "And you're a perfectionist. If you want it done, it has to be done to the best standard, even if it takes longer."

"Sometimes I find it disturbing how much you understand about me." She muttered into his chest. He chuckled, making her head jolt in tiny little jumps.

"It wasn't easy at first but now, I could write a book about you." She could feel the smirk on his lips, even without looking.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't. I don't want the entire galaxy to know about my private life." She gripped his arm, running her fingers over the fabric, wishing for it gone so she could touch his fur. "It's personal."

"I know," His voice smooth as silk. "Which is precisely why I haven't."

She loved it when he was like this: smooth, calm and untroubled. He worried too much, especially when she was leaving. Every time she'd take the last look of him, he'd be frowning, his eyes shining as if he's about to cry. He was so easy to read, even if they were meters away from each other. But when they were together, safe and sound in his library, he was more confident. He stumbled and stuttered less when they both were peaceful. When she would be in a teasing mood, she would twist his words and make him blush, toy with him for her own amusement. He didn't like it, always afraid he would offend her. He rarely did. They valued their time together so much, they hardly ever argued. It was such a waste of precious time.

To his surprise, she sat up and pulled from him. He wondered where she was going, had he done something wrong. Instead of getting up and leaving, she slid higher up his body and laid down again, burying her face into the crook of his neck. The hand that was previously at her waist was now just above her curve. The hand in her hair dropped, slid between her arm and rested on her flank. She raised her hands, one on his shoulder and the other reached out and stroking his wonderful sideburns.

He looked at her, his eyes swirling with love. Never before had she felt so much positive emotion in her chest. It burned but not painfully.

"I love you." She said, gazing into her eyes. He gazed back, thankful they weren't as hard and cold as they were when they first met.

Their lips brushed together, their noses touching. They didn't notice the fire dim more as more logs gave away, collapsing under the weight of flames and scorched wood. They did not move, for ages. They allowed the fire to snuff out later on, not wanting to disturb their moment of serenity together.