OO -- A New Valentine

Vella rolled over to avoid that one ray of sunlight that always managed to get past the curtains. She reached out for her husband, hoping to avoid the ray by burying her face in his neck, but found that he was gone. She sat up immediately. It wasn't like Tyzonne to leave without telling her. If there had been an emergency he would have brought her along and she could think of nothing else that would get him up so early. She slid off the bed, her toes curling involuntarily when they hit the cold floor. Nothing seemed amiss in the bedroom so she shrugged on a robe and went to inspect the rest of the house.

Their lives had been relatively quiet ever since their reunion. They had done two very quick weddings -- one on Earth, one on Mercury -- and settled into a small house. Tyzonne's new status as a Ranger meant he didn't get to do as much grunt work as he was used to as a Rescuer. He missed being out in the field, she knew, and she tried to remind him that he could come to her; after all, she was having the same problems. Maybe the year apart had changed them too much.

She paused, meeting her eyes in the mirrored wall of the hallway. That thought had occurred to her more and more over the past few months. She turned, examining her figure. She'd lost a lot of weight during her imprisonment but she was slowly gaining it back. Maybe …

She shook her head, hurrying down the hall. She didn't need maybes, she'd had enough maybes to last a lifetime over the past year. She was done with them.

As she neared the kitchen Vella heard pots and pans clanking, as well as the familiar sizzle of food cooking. The force fields that kept fire or smoke from escaping into the rest of the house also kept her from smelling the food until she stepped through the door. Stewed bassal root, boiled mordins, and waffles, her favorite breakfast foods (the last having been added to the list shortly after their reunion). She stood in the doorway, watching Tyzonne struggle with what she assumed were the bassal roots. They had to be strained and it was nearly impossible to keep them from getting tangled in the colander. She stepped lightly around him, taking the bowl from his hands and surprising him so badly he jumped.

"You're up," he said simply.

She nodded and gave a hum of assent.

"I thought you'd sleep in at least another hour."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye as she deftly removed the roots from the holes. "You were gone."

He nodded then, suddenly remembering what he was doing in the kitchen, said, "I was making you breakfast." He dodged around her to the waffle maker, opening it to show her the golden brown squares.

"Why?" she asked.

"What?"

She sighed, dropping the roots into their pot. "Why are you making me breakfast? You didn't even come to bed until a few hours ago. Why would you get up so early to make me breakfast?"

He looked down, uncomfortably clenching his fingers in that way that was oh-so-Tyzonne and she couldn't quite quell that voice that said maybe he's done something wrong, maybe he doesn't lo--

She stomped her foot to quiet the voice, shocking them both. She bit her lip, embarrassed to be caught doing something so childish. "Why?" she asked again, meeting his wide eyes.

He took a deep breath and she braced herself.

"It's St. Valentine's Day," he said.

"What?"

"It's a holiday on Earth, for lovers. The others told me about it and … I thought …" He sighed.

"That's it?" she asked, her voice tight. "You just wanted to tell me you loved me?"

He nodded. "I know things have been strange since we came back but … I never want you to think that I don't love you. When I thought you were --" He cut off, not able to say the words. He was saved from having to go on by her lips on his.

She pulled back a moment later, leaning her forehead on his and smiling at just being so close to him. "I love you," she whispered, "more every day."

Several hours later Vella rolled over in bed and Tyzonne pulled her close in his sleep. She gently lifted his arm, ignoring his sleepy grunts of disapproval.

"I'll be right back," she whispered. He whined quietly and she giggled at the way he lay, reaching out to her in sleep. She was most definitely a lucky woman, she thought as she ducked into the bathroom.

After washing her hands she ran a hand over her belly, examining her figure once more in the mirror. She was certainly gaining back the weight she'd lost and then some. A moan from the bed had her hurrying back.

"What took you so long?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her before she'd even gotten under the covers.

"It's a surprise," she said, kissing him once.

He frowned.

"Oh no, you'll just have to wait."

"It had better be worth it," he said, nuzzling her neck.

"It is," she said but was quickly cut off by his kisses.

After Tyzonne had fallen asleep once more Vella watched him breathing and another maybe entered her mind, this one much more welcome than the others had been.

Maybe he'll have his father's eyes.


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