The mall was bustling with people, the shoppers rushing to find the best deals they could find. Bags clutched tightly in their hands, they milled around the walkways, while others took a break in the food court, enjoying the cool air conditioning, a welcome relief from the stifling conditions outside.
"He popped the question in the hospital?" Erica gasped, nearly choking on the soda she had been sipping. "Not exactly the most romantic place," she giggled, amused by the faint blush that had spread across her friend's cheeks.
"It was romantic in its own way," Murrue sighed, idly stirring her drink with her straw. "Go easy on him, Erica. He's new to all of this. He just needs some practice."
"He'd better make the wedding night special, or he'll have to answer to me," the older woman teased, her friend's blush only deepening. "Have plans for the honeymoon?"
"Not really," the brunette admitted, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "We can't really go anywhere since Amy's still so little."
"I can watch her for a couple of days," her friend offered, smiling wickedly.
"You…you don't have to do that," Murrue muttered, her face growing warm.
"I don't mind. Consider it a wedding gift," she winked playfully. "Just make sure to use the time wisely. Who knows…the two of you might even end up with another surprise."
"Erica……..," she covered her hand with her palm, her friend's laughter still ringing throughout the mall's busy food court.
"Did you have fun today Amy?" Erica smiled down at the baby gurgling happily in the little carrier, her arms waving excitedly. She looked around the busy shopping center, her azure eyes widened in awe.
"She had a good time," Murrue laughed, finishing the last of her soda, the drink refreshing after several hours spent shopping for dresses for the upcoming wedding ceremony, now just two short weeks away.
"I still can't believe she pulled those dresses off the hangers," the brunette giggled, watching the baby babble happily. Amy had grabbed a fistful of colorful fabric while Murrue had been trying on dresses, pulling them off the rack and onto the floor below, squealing in delight the whole time.
"She's into everything," Murrue sighed, though her lips quirking upward in a small smile. "Imagine what she'll be like when she starts walking."
"Looks like she's got a lot of La Fllaga in her," Erica laughed, watching the five-month old reach for the bags, still intrigued by the colorful dresses.
"Tell that to him. He says she's like me," the younger woman remarked before picking up her daughter, laughing as the little girl grabbed a fistful of her dark hair.
"Nervous?"
"I think we're a little past nerves," Murrue raised an eyebrow, her smile becoming a smirk. "We'll be just fine," she laughed, bouncing the baby on her knee, Amy squealing in delight.
--
She stood on the patio, her topaz eyes gazing out over the calm ocean, the full moon's silvery reflection sparkling on the dark surface. She smiled, leaning into his warm embrace, his arms wrapped securely around her. She held up her left hand, her smile growing as she watched the rings catch the pale light. "I think this is going to take some getting used to," she laughed softly, the idea that they were now married still sinking in.
"Yeah," Mwu rested his chin on her shoulder, his fingertips gently massaging her shoulders. Smirking proudly at her sighs of contentment, he continued the treatment. "What were you thinking about?"
"How unbelievable all of this is," she admitted, her eyes gazing up at the billions of sparkling stars dotting the heavens. "You. Amy. A future. It's just so hard to believe it's actually real. Sometimes I'd let myself think of what it'd be like to come here with you after the war. Start a new life. But at Jachin Due…it felt like everything had been taken away when you…...," her voice trailed off, not wanting to remember the searing pain she had felt in her heart she had felt that day.
"I came back, just like I promised," he pulled her closer, resting his head on her shoulder. "Even though I couldn't remember, my heart wouldn't let me forget that you were important. That I loved you. Before I met you all I could think about was how to survive one day to the next Battlefield to battlefield. But you changed all that," he whispered, his lips just inches from her ear.
"Is it like you imagined?" She relaxed in his arms, lulled by the steady beating of his heart.
"No," he shook his head. "It's even better," he smiled, kissing the top of her head. "And the best part is," his voice became seductive, sending shivers of delight down her spine, "it's just getting started."
"What did you imagine for tonight?" Murrue spun around in his arms, pressing her body tightly against his muscular frame. She smirked at his immediate reaction, responding by grinding her hips into his.
"Impatient," he chuckled, his azure eyes flashing mischievously in the moon's pale light.
"I'm not the only one," she gasped, his lips teasing the sensitive skin of her neck.
Capturing her lips with his own, he grinned proudly at her breathless moans, the two desperately seeking more from each other. Stumbling to their bedroom, she pushed him against the wall, making quick work of his clothing, tossing the garments carelessly to the carpeted floor. Her fingers danced across his chest, stopping to trace the long scars that wound around his broad chest, the brunette smirking at his reaction.
"My turn," he whispered seductively, pushing the thin straps of her pale pink dress off her shoulders before hastily lowering the zipper. Quickly doing away with her lacy undergarments, he stared, his azure eyes mesmerized by her sultry curves. "God…you're perfect," he growled hungrily, the moonlight only adding to her beauty. Gently tracing her cheek, his fingers slipped down her body, the gentle touches causing her to quiver in his arms.
"Mwu……please," she bit her lip, driven to the edge of sanity by his ministrations. "I need……," she arched her back against his chiseled frame, her reaction earning a proud smirk from her new husband. Turning around in his embrace, she pushed her hips against his, sealing his lips with her own.
Her message coming through loud and clear, he pulled her down, the two falling onto the large bed. They quickly found themselves consumed by the intoxicating haze of lust, completely lost in the maddening sensations they were feeling as they moved together. The passion finally building to a crescendo, they collapsed together for the last time, the sunrise just beginning to peek through the curtains, signaling the start of a new day and their future together.