Authors note: ok. i lied. next chapter i have an idea for romance (i guess i like writing cuddly sappy things first). but not tonight. Enjoy


I sighed softly in relaxation as i leaned back against the back of the couch. empty food bowl laying by my side with feet resting upon a small stools i relaxed with one arm draped over my stomach and another resting on the arm rest of the couches side. A small holo-projector sat in front of us relaying both human and covenant transmissions and any news that may have been picked up, the small device propped up upon another small table as Anna sat beside me. My head glancing over towards her as her tired eyes scrolled through what she could read. "anything interesting?" she asked quietly as we sat quietly together. "usual preaches and things, i suspect its just a repeat since we didn't pick up anything new" i shrugged it off, i had stopped reading ages ago after reading their titles.

"what about that one? second from the bottom on the right" she spoke and my eyes glanced over the covenant text as i found it. "oh… i missed that one, it says. Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for weaknesses" i spoke reading it out for her as she had not quite perfected reading all the words yet. the significance of those words was lost on me at the time and i had yet to realise that Anna had started to feel the same as me for some time now. "movie time?" i asked quietly to her as i showed her what i had salvaged on my tablet. letting her pick one old one as we watched together and relaxed for the night.

it was as some point during the movie that i felt a weight leaning against my shoulder as Anna has seemed to fall asleep, i had always found myself fascinated by how they made things work with the movies and had watched intently. 'she wore herself out today' i thought quietly and glanced to the time on my tablet as i paused the movie. 'it was time for her to sleep' i thought quietly as i quietly shut everything down. dimming the lights as i passed my tablet to the desk and gently stood up, reaching out for her as she stirred a little. "huh… oh… sorry Usze, i fell asleep" she spoke moments before my arms slid behind her back and under her legs. her arms seeming to have a mind of their own she reached out and supported herself by wrapping her arms around my back.

"you are fine. ill carry you to bed" i spoke quietly and shut the lights off in the main room as the bedroom door parted upon approach and in a few strides i arrived at the far side of our bed, having to share as we had not found another one yet. gently i set her down parting the sheets with one arm. her eyes meeting mine as i slid her legs under the edge of the sheets. sitting on the edge of the bed beside her a moment as we simply looked at each other, my arms still holding her a few moments longer. She was smiling at me and i could not help the infectious feeling that she brought out and my own smile broke out in return. i could not resist any longer as i gently and softly leaned forward towards her, i could not kiss her as a human could but i could give her my own kinds version. reaching back past her head i nuzzled her neck where i tickled my mandibles across her neck gently and i heard a small laugh escape as her hands reached for either side of my head as if slightly afraid of what i was doing. leaning back smiling. "what was that?" she asked quietly.

My face flushed a darker haze of blue as embarrassment set in, 'had i done it right, would she be mad at me?'. "I'm sorry Anna, i should not have…" i turned my head away a little as i pulled back slightly to escape my predicament but the touch of her hand against me leg beside her stopped me. "did you… kiss me?" her voice spoke out questioningly towards me and i could not help but look down a little mandibles slightly open as i tried to figure out what to say but there was no denying it, i had kissed her. "Yes… I'm sorry i shouldn't have…" i started rambling but her voice stopped me. "could you… do it again please?" she asked quietly and i almost had to ask her to repeat what she had said. after a few moments that seemed like forever i finally acknowledged what she said, "ok".

i leaned back again gently, mandibles brushing across her neck as i flexed them softly across her neck, kissing once… then a second time slowly and gently near the middle before finally i placed a final slower one, leaving my mandibles brushing across her neck gently and leaned back again with a small breath. My face hot as she looked at me slightly smiling. "here" she gestured for me to lean closer and she looked me over a few moments as my face was only a few centimetres from hers. her lips puckering up as she reached for the crest of my head. her lips felt strange at first but it certainly didn't feel bad as she reached down and leaved over to my cheek and place a small little kiss there as well.

My arms paused from sliding around her as i was so close and simply wanted to hold her close to me. gently getting up I shifted myself over and made it to my side of the bed. Releasing the straps to the lower half of my armour and letting it tumble onto the floor with the top half of my bodysuit, sliding into the bed as well with her i gently rolled over until i was facing her. My eyes roaming hers as i slowly opened my arms invitingly towards her. feeling her form gently shift over as i brought her closer. both arms folded gently around her stomach as i felt my form encompass hers in love. "Thank you Usze" she spoke quietly, her arms softly rubbing across the two appendages that wrapped around her middle holding her gently, sending soft tingles through me at the feeling. "Its all your fault, you did this to me" i spoke quietly and she laughed a little, her middle shaking a little as i held her. "how did this happen? i mean I'm not complaining but…" she asked quietly and i felt her softly roll over to face me, her eyes looking up to mine.

"After i was shamed and broke out of the covenant holly city there was no where to go, i did not have a path to follow so to speak with the covenants leadership squandering over their power it was hard to find something to believe in" i paused as i thought back to when i had first met Anna and her team, she had thought we had killed her team and she hated me for it. "that changed when you came on board, i don't know what made me spare you or your team but it just felt like the right decision at the time. even though you might not realise it.. this ship has been so much better with you here. and now…" i paused again as i prepared to spill everything i felt for her.

"now i don't want to let you go, you are beautiful, caring, amazing and just…" i paused as i leaned up again and placed my mandibles against her cheek and kissed her again. "you, i would not change you even if i could. i.. well… i don't know if love ever feels like this but i know i want to make you happy Anna and see you thrive" i grinned a little as i thought back. "and kick the crap out of a spartan when you can" i added as she burst into giggles and laughter again. it felt so good like this…

"Oh Usze.. " she spoke quietly and smiled at me as she softly rolled until her form laid across mine, sheets being pulled with her as she laid her head gently against my chest. "your pride must be in tatters by now if I'm that horrible" she spoke quietly and i chuckled as well, it was. "Well Usze… i did hate you for a long while… i believe what i thought you had done when in fact you where telling the truth, but you never hurt me intentionally and where always fair at the start.. yes i began to trust you and you let me around the ship a little after a while but i don't know when we started like this… i don't even know if the covenant have found earth or if my family is alright… but you helped me see things differently. now i don't see you as a monster, i see you as a friend." she paused a moment as she collected herself, "and now… i find every day you keep making me feel better in some strange way i cant explain.. i love you too Usze" she spoke those words as i tightened my arms around her in comfort. she would see her family again. i was sure of it. we where together now, officially and nothing could separate us. but i did feel as though something that had weighing me down was suddenly lifted from my heart and i began to kiss her again, and again until i could not any more when tiredness set in and finally we slept soundly together. "goodnight Anna" i spoke, "goodnight Usze" she replied as we made ourselves comfy for the night.