"Damn," Mwu hissed, teeth clenched tightly. "That stings," his hands gripped the white sheets covering the small bed.
"I'm sorry," the brunette sighed, cleaning his wound with antiseptic. "But you know I have to do this," she wiped away the excess fluid. "Would you rather the doctor do it?" Murrue raised an eyebrow, drying his skin with a gauze bandage.
"Nope," he shook his head as she rubbed antimicrobial lotion on his injured side, the cream slightly soothing. "You're better than any doctor," he laughed as she finished working on his side, wrapping white strips of tape around his broad chest to hold the thick gauze bandage in place. "I'm glad the doc let me out of sickbay. It's so much nicer here."
"I think you were just looking for an excuse to be here, weren't you?" Murrue rolled her tawny eyes in mock exasperation, a hint of a chuckle in her soft voice.
"Maybe," he smirked. "But it is nice to be here...together like this."
"Sure is," the brunette captain sighed happily, leaning her head against his broad back, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
"How does it look? It's been...what...a week or so now?" He leaned back against her, her auburn locks tickling his bare skin.
"It looks better than it did last night. And the doctor said it seemed to be healing nicely so far," she handed him a white t-shirt. "How does it feel?"
"A lot better than it did at first, but it still hurts. At least it doesn't burn anymore, so that's good." He pulled the cotton fabric over his head.
"You'll be back to normal in no time," Murrue smiled, tucking the supplies into a small dresser drawer. "And since you've been such a good patient, I think you deserve a little something extra," she whispered softly. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she brought him down for a kiss, the exchange deepening in her quiet, still room.
"Aww...is that all?" He whined after they broke for air, their breathing uneven.
"For now," she sighed, her arms still encircled around his neck, her lips inches from his. "I...I want to be with you too," she murmured, voice barely audible, but the desire unmistakable. "But you have to get better first. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself again, would you?"
"No...," he slumped his shoulders, this battle clearly lost.
"Besides," she whispered, her breath warm against his ear. "It'll give us both something to look forward to," she pressed her lips against his in another kiss, her hands resting on his shoulders.
"Guess you're right," he nuzzled her neck, smirking as she giggled, his long blonde locks tickling her sensitive skin. "I am a bit hungry though. Is it okay if we go grab a bite in the mess hall?"
"Now I think that can be arranged," she laughed happily, pulling the blonde to his feet. "Though I shouldn't be too surprised your appetite returned so quickly." Murrue attempted to stifle a giggle as they walked out of her small room, hands entwined.
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"Ready?" Mwu leaned against the smooth wall of her room, his arms folded across his chest.
"Yep," she called from the tiny bathroom, smoothing out her wavy hair. "Just need to get my purse," she stepped out of the small room.
"Wow, you look amazing...," the blonde stared, mouth agape. She had on jeans and a light aqua colored top, the outfit clinging to her sultry curves.
"Mwu...," she shook her head, unable to hide her amusement. "I'm just wearing jeans and a t-shirt," she laughed, grabbing her small purse from the dresser. "Hardly amazing," she tapped the end of his nose playfully.
"No...you really do look incredible. I've never seen you like this...," he mumbled, still awed by the vision before him.
"Don't be silly...," she rolled her eyes. "You've seen me in far less," she retorted dryly, arms folded across her chest.
"I know," he winked, eyes dancing with mischief. "It's just nice to see you in civilian clothes," he grinned, leaning down for a brief kiss. "Thanks for the clothes," he smoothed out the blue plaid shirt and khaki pants he wore. "When did you have time to get them?"
"Last week. I needed to get some more bandages and some of that lotion for your wound, and I figured it would be better to be in civilian clothes. Since Copernicus is a neutral city."
"Well, I'm glad you got them," he whispered, voice husky, his lips just inches from hers. "You really do look great."
"Anyways, we should probably be going," she slung her purse on a slim shoulder.
"It was nice of the little missy to give us the day off like that," he took her delicate hand into his, intertwining their fingers.
"Yeah, especially with the cease fire negotiations still going on. But it is the weekend, so I guess they decided to take a break too." Murrue smiled happily, gently squeezing his hand. She had been looking forward to this for so long...a day where they could just be themselves...be together without work getting in the way. A day without cease fire talks, maintenance and inventory reports, and other seemingly endless paperwork. They walked down to the hangar, climbing in a small black car. Today isn't the only day we have off, a knowing grin appeared on her face as she settled her back against the plush cushion, her hands gripping the leather steering wheel as she drove.
"What's so funny?" He looked across at the brunette, eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"It's nothing," she shook her head. "I'm just glad that we get to be together like this."
"Me too," he leaned back against the soft seat, enjoying the view of the city skyline, the small convertible speeding down the road, his blonde hair whipping in the wind. "It's great to get some fresh air," he smiled, leaning his head into the breeze. "We've been cooped up on the ship for so long."
"Especially you," she smiled, enjoying the cool wind on her face. "It's been nearly a month since you were injured. Does it still hurt?"
"Nah," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Just a little. The doc said I'm as good as new," he smiled, his eyes mesmerized by the way the wind played with her hair. "So where to first?"
"I thought maybe we could grab a bite of some fast food and eat it by the lake over there," the brunette pointed eastward, a row of perfectly manicured trees lining the street, the grass beneath them lush and green.
"Sounds good to me," he beamed, delighted to have this day to spend with her. "How 'bout we try that burger place," he pointed at a busy restaurant covered in white tile, its red sign sitting atop the building.
"Enjoying yourself?" She grinned, finishing the last bite of her warm cheeseburger, washing it down with a sip of soda.
"Sure am," he laughed. "It's great here. So peaceful. It's too bad that every city can't be like this," he stuffed a large chunk of burger in his mouth, smiling as she rolled her eyes.
"Maybe someday everywhere can be like this," Murrue sighed happily, leaning against the bench they sat on, a tall tree offering shade from the sunlight streaming in from the colony's windows. "Orb is like this too," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder, watching the gentle waves of the lake, a few ducks and geese swimming in the calm, blue water.
"It seemed like a great place. What little I saw of it," he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, stuffing a salty french fry in her mouth. "Did you like it there?"
"Yes," she nodded, taking another sip of her cold beverage. "It's beautiful there, and I had a nice job too. At Morgenroete."
"Think you'll go back to work there when we get back to Earth?" He chewed on a fry, dipping the salty potato in ketchup.
"I don't know. I really don't know what's going to happen when we get back," she sighed, frowning at the uncertainty. She did prefer working in the ship building division over military life.
"Don't worry, okay?" He pulled her closer against him. "We'll be together. That's all that matters." He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her lavender shampoo. "I'm so sorry you had to be alone for those two years. But I promise I'll do everything I can to make it up to you," he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even tighter to him.
"Oh Mwu...you big oaf...," she giggled, enjoying his closeness and warmth, the faint scent of cologne lingering on his smooth skin. "Want to go to the mall next? We probably need to get a few more clothes anyways. I think we'll be here a few more weeks."
"Shopping, huh?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's fine. But you have to promise to let my buy you something."
"I really don't need anything. I've already got everything I want...," she looked up at him, his fingertip skimming her creamy skin.
"I think you deserve to be spoiled every once in a while," he chuckled. They spent the rest of the afternoon walking through the mall, its marbled floor shiny underneath the bright lights. Spying a homemade ice cream store, he pulled his girlfriend's hand, insisting that they have one of the frozen treats.
"All done?" Murrue stood up, bags in hand. She managed to find some more clothes for them in the busy shops.
"Yeah," he grabbed her hand, their fingers entwined as they walked back to the small black convertible. "Guess it's back to the ship, huh?" He climbed in the passenger seat.
"We'll see," the brunette winked slyly, the car heading the opposite direction from where it came.
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A/N: That didn't turn out quite as I had originally planned. lol I know I promised sis citrus...but I just couldn't fit it in. It'll be in the next one though, which should be up soon. Hope you all enjoyed and please review.
