A crisp night over the city of Manchester, UK. Dew was strewn over the grass, a mist in the air, the rich scent of gunpowder and warm food filled the atmosphere as bonfire night kicked off all around the nation. A vast dark field on the outskirts of town was hosting a small scale event for the occasion; a bustle of citizens of all species and kinds had come to gather round for a night of celebration. Kids ran gleefully through the dark with sparklers, tinny music boomed through some rented speakers, and cordoned off to the side was a roaring four foot blaze, with people collected around it warming their hands and toasting food.

"I've missed this so much." Jess, an expat Hytrexian hailing from this city, sighed calmly. "I can't tell you how much it means to me that we could be here today."

Her partner, a small and green, round-headed alien about half her height, smiled warmly up at her. "Wouldn't let you miss it for the world babe."

"I know it seems like, y'know, a bit much," Jess continued, "us taking all this time off work, the 12hr drive, transatlantic traffic was a nightmare in the lead up to Christmas, I'm -"

Jack raised a small hand to cut her off. "Hey, seriously, it's fine. If it means something to you, it means something to me too. Besides," he said with a heavy sigh, "I can't even remember how many years it's been since I've had proper time off work. We've only been sent out to England a couple times since joining Infinity Guard and they were both, y'know, work." He took her hand gently, weaving his fingers through hers. "It's nice to get to see the place from your perspective now, honestly. I wanna see everything you've missed!"

Jess beamed down at him. She couldn't ask for a more supportive partner. "With that said," she licked her lips as a waft of barbecue hit them, "I've missed proper bonfire food for bare long! It's on me!" The pair sauntered over the wet grass towards the food stalls, hand in hand, swinging their arms playfully to the music over the way.

Bonfire night, November 5th, was a national holiday of Great Britain, where bonfires would be held and firework displays would kick off, in fields, people's back gardens, the whole nation would celebrate! Especially Jess. Since being transferred to the US base of Infinity Guard a couple years before, leaving her home country and all her favourite things about it on short notice, she'd not celebrated one of her favourite holidays for too long. There was a communal spirit about the night that really vibed with her and made her feel comfortable, and firework displays were one of her favourite things. July 4th in her new home was one thing, but nothing could quite beat the feeling for her, of a cold November evening in the crisp night, wrapped up in your winter warms with a cup of tea and a barbecued hot dog watching the lights with your local community. No matter how far the world had advanced in the last century, how built up cities were becoming, how technology had advanced, nothing quite compared to the old fashioned vibe of bonfire night!

Most of all, getting to share that experience with the one she loved the most, her boss at work, then crush, then significant other, Jack - she couldn't ask for anything more. Especially when he was so close to being sent out on his most dangerous work mission yet! Every moment counted.

It was nearing 7, scheduled time for the firework display. Finishing off their snacks, Jess and Jack swiftly made their way to the edge of the field, which in Jess' opinion was the place to go to get the best view, the further the better. Jack's short stature didn't do him many favours in this scenario, but lucky for him, his taller - not by much at only 5'2 herself but still, taller - girlfriend was there to give him a boost. The both of them giggling like kids, she picked him up from under his arms, and hoisted him with a firm grunt up onto her shoulders.

"How's the view, tiny?" Jess grinned up at him, gripping onto his legs to aid his balance.

"I feel like a Gartraxian! Weird!" Jack laughed back, hugging his arms around her neck and nuzzling into the mohawk sweep of hair between her ears.

The clock struck 7, and the display began with a WHOOSH of a huge bronze firework, setting the display off with an impressive first bang. The music trailing along with the display reached them, the sparkling lights of red, blue and green dancing off their beaming faces. Jack hadn't had time off during July 4th for at least half of his twenty nine years working at the Infinity Guard, and this holiday didn't exist in the states, so it had been an unmeasurable amount of years since getting to see a display and he forgot how truly mesmerising it was. They had nothing like fireworks on his home planet growing up, it truly was an Earth thing, and he'd forgotten the child like wonder he always used to have when he first moved to this planet at the start of his job.

"Thank you so much for bringing me here," Jack exclaimed, as another huge banger lit up the sky in multiple colours, leaving him laughing in awe. "I really had forgotten what it was like."

The sky was alight with pinks and golds, the music tempo slow and calming, as he leaned his arms on top of his partner's head, feeling her paw tighten on his leg affectionately.

"Forgotten what babe?"

"This, uh, this feeling, I guess. I've had to hold up such a face for nearly thirty years... I'd almost forgotten how to have fun, y'know? Every day was dull until you showed up. John is a bro, he's a laugh, but it's not like I could see him all the time. Family and such. Older guy, y'know? I can't have the adventures with him like I do with you, it's one of the things that I really liked about you." he giggled softly, the butterflies the same as they were from day one as green sparklers wooshed up above them.

"You're 45," Jess noted, "but I know what you mean, I know that's not like, old for you guys."

"The equivalent to your 25," Jack continued. "I'm still young, I still wanna see firework displays and get up to mischief and eat fast food. I've gotta be this, big important somebody at work, a co-pilot to THE John Goodspeed, always in meetings and on missions and, ah... Sorry," he finished, to the loud boom of a particularly large firework.

"You're fine." Jess placed her paw atop his small hand, that was rested on her cheek.

"Thanks for helping me remember who I was, before work, y'know?"

"I've always been into you, be it work you or real you. Just glad I can help, you deserve it!

In a swift movement, Jess grabbed her boyfriend up from off her shoulders, and placed him on the wall behind them, putting the couple at face height with one another. The music crescendoed, the end of the display began, filling the sky with several sparkling booms, colours and shapes, which bounced back off them on all sides. In this moment Jess pulled Jack in by his hands, taking him a bit off guard, and laid a firm, long kiss on him, which he leaned into passionately, gripping his partner's large warm paws tightly, fingers entwined. Despite being as close as they were, together for the time that they had been, getting to kiss the girl he'd silently loved for over a year still took him aback, especially when she was the instigator - he knew that was extremely hard for her after her experiences, and required every ounce of confidence she had. Hence why it threw him off! They helped each other tackle all their insecurities, and grew closer every time.

As the lights exploded over the pair, drizzling them in colour, he'd never felt more at peace and truly back to himself. He could go on that mission next month knowing that whatever happened, he was reformed, and there's nothing they couldn't take on together in that moment.