They look so big tonight.
Staring up high above towards the stars above them that seem to be shining even brighter tonight on this calm night glancing down towards his shoulder as he sees Koriand'r staring up towards the stars with a bright smile across her face despite the twinkle in her eyes that showed how truly happy and amazed she was on this night feeling his own lips breaking out in a wide smile leaning down gently Dick plants a kiss on the top of her head causing him to see her smile widen out of the corner of her eye before without feeling any sort of resistance with a gentle tug he pulls her even closer to his side to only feel her hand rest down on his chest.
A smile that was always meant for him. A smile that each and every time he say it make an appearance always made him feel invincible. Always made him feel lighter.
Just like it did for her. A smile that displayed so much. Displayed how proud and happy she truly is.
Proud to see him putting in so much effort every single day in order to make her happy. Proud to see him grow each and every single day into a more desirable man in her eyes.
How happy she was seeing him wanting to continue to learn everything he could from her without ever complaining. Without ever fussing but instead wanting more.
Wanting to know more about her. Wanting to know what she likes. Wanting to know what she dislikes. Wanting to know every little thing about her just as she did for him.
Learning about secrets that he had never told anyone about before. Secrets of how he still blamed himself for his parents deaths even though it wasn't the case. Secrets of how it had taken him months but eventually he tracked down his parents killer and had beaten him to death with a steel pipe.
Secrets that she would take to her grave. Secrets she would never look down to him upon. No instead she would be strong for him when he needed her the most.
" This is so wonderful. They look so beautiful tonight."
Nodding his head slowly as a small smile comes across his face tilting his head slightly to look down Dick sees Koriand'r looking over towards him.
" I can think of something that looks even more beautiful."
Staring deep into his eyes seeing nothing but honesty radiating through them feeling her eyes starting to burn quickly blinking away the sensation just as her lips turn upright without giving him a chance to react closing the distance between them leaning out Koriand'r gently presses her lips to his own.
Feeling her lips leaving his own opening his eyes as he sees a pair of watery green eyes staring down towards him accompanied by a beaming smile reaching out gently Dick wipes away her tears with his thumb causing her smile to only widen before he feels her once again pressing her lips back to his own.
Pulling back with a happy sigh gently returning her head back down to his shoulder closing her eyes as she feels his head leaning against her own a small smile comes across Koriand'r's face.
A smile that only widens when she feels his grip around her waist tightening causing a feeling that she had never quite experienced before radiate through her.
The feeling at being at peace. The feeling of not having a care in the world. The feeling of feeling safe. Safe in his arms. Safe from those on the planet that wanted to do them harm. Safe from anything out beyond the stars that wanted to hurt her.
Safe from her past. A past that would haunt her. A past that was not pretty. A past that she was never asked to share. Something that only made her love for him to grow.
Never been asked to indulge him on what brought her here to this planet. Never asked about how she had truly became to be a great warrior. Instead he would only smile and ask more about her not even bothering to invade her privacy. Privacy that she kept well to herself.
But now? Now under the stars. Now in his arms. In the arms of the man that she truly loves. Now was the time to come clean. To tell him of her past just as he has done for her.
" There had been a war taking place on my planet. The great war some would call it that had been going on for centuries. A war between Tamaran and this empire called The Citadel.
Nasty and barbaric creatures they are. They only seek to conquer and destroy all things and keep only those they find valuable.
My planet was one of the only things that they couldn't have. They couldn't get through our defenses. They couldn't conquer my people despite the best efforts of their commanders."
Knowing that she needed to get this all out reaching out gently Dick roams his fingers through her hair before after a few seconds he listens to her taking a breathe.
" While the great war was going on my father and mother had three children. My older sister Komand'r,my little brother Ryand'r,and myself."
Hearing how cold her tone was during the first name mentioned then taking a softer tone of the next deciding to put that into the back of his mind slowly Dick continues to roam his fingers through her hair.
" My sister at a young age was troubled with an illness that crippled her immune system for a time causing her to lose the ability to convert ultraviolet light to flight energy. My starbolts to be more precise.
When this happened my father and mother decided that she could not ever be worthy to be queen and instead named me to be their successor when the time came."
Feeling her facial features hardening focusing in on Dick's hand gently roaming through her hair causing her to come down slightly closing her eyes for a brief second slowly Koriand'r takes a deep breathe.
" When we got older my parents ended up sending us away to train with the legendary Warlords of Okaara. The very best in training warriors in all different styles.
But Komand'r still bitter about being passed over to be future queen decided to run away instead. For years my brother and i trained with the Okaarans before we were deemed fully trained to return back home.
While this was going on unknown to everyone Komand'r was with the Citadel. She had been promised to be named the new queen of Tamaran in exchange for information.
She told them everything. How our defenses were. Their strengths and their weaknesses. Where to attack. Where to strike to cause the most damage to our army. Everything."
Feeling her eyes getting watery blinking away the tears that want to fall feeling Dick's hand gently stroking her hair slowly Koriand'r takes a shaky breath.
" We tried to stop them. My brother and i joined the defenses and went head to head with The Citadel. We took out most of their strike team but it came at a cost. My brother was killed in the battle before their forces became too much for the planet's defenses.
Millions of Tamaraneans had been killed. My people were almost wiped out if not for my father. In exchange to ensure no more that my people may die he negotiated a truce. He…."
Feeling his shirt getting wet trying to fight back the anger that he is feeling leaning down gently Dick lays a kiss on top of her head.
" The Citadel instantly agreed and i was brought upon their ship. I don't know what they wanted at first. They locked me inside of a cold room and just left me alone.
I don't know how long it had been. Months maybe years. What i do remember is this. I remember that crying."
" The crying?"
Hearing the change in his voice reaching out gently Koriand'r grabs a hold of Dick's hand and hold it tightly to her own.
" There was another cell next to mine. I remember hearing someone crying on most nights. On other nights…."
Hearing her taking a shaky breathe leaning down gently Dick kisses the top of her head causing a flicker of a smile to come across her face as he feels his hand being squeezed.
" There was this other woman. She was in pain. Every few nights a different guard would enter into her cell. They….they…."
Closing her eyes hoping to suppress the tears that are threatening to fall instantly as he feels his hand gently rubbing her cheek opening her eyes to see a pair of blue ones staring down towards her gently Koriand'r leans into his touch.
" They violated her. Each and every one of them. I can still hear her screams everytime, I close my eyes.
It was when one of the guards said that i looked just like her that caused me to finally break for the first time since i had been their captive.
My sister. She was been violated almost every single night. She had been betrayed and was being used as their own personal toy."
Unable to suppress them as she feels tears falling down her cheeks gently Koriand'r feels his thumb rubbing them away before she shakes her head.
" I never wanted that to happen. I wanted to kill her for everything that she had done but she didn't deserve that. No one deserves that."
Reaching down gently Dick pulls her closer into her chest not even bothering to wipe away her tears as he gently strokes her hair.
" It's okay gorgeous. It's okay. You're safe now."
Tightening her grip around his shirt feeling a flicker of a grin coming across her face slowly Koriand'r takes a deep breathe.
" When one of the guards decided to open my cell despite everything that had happened. Despite how much i still hated my sister, I couldn't allow them to hurt her anymore.
I knew what they wanted to do to me. I knew exactly what they wanted to do then and there. But i wouldn't allow them. Not at least without a fight."
Suddenly as she feels his grip tightening around her tilting her head to look up instantly Koriand'r's eyes widen when she sees a cold look across Dick's face as he stares up towards the sky.
" Did they…."
Instantly reaching up gently Koriand'r lays her hand down on his cheek causing his eyes to flicker down towards her before she shakes her head.
" No they never touched me. I didn't allow them. There is only one man that i will ever allow to touch me."
Feeling his lips curling up into a brief smile leaning down gently Dick kisses the top of her forehead before he watches her return her head to his shoulder.
" Once the cell door opened, I blasted the guard into ash and charged at the remaining guards. I killed them one by one not showing any of them any mercy.
They didn't deserve any. When i went into my sister's cell to find her naked with her uniform torn and scattered across the room, I did the only thing that i could do.
I couldn't leave her there. I wrapped her up in a blanket and lead her through the ship. We were almost out when an alarm triggered.
My sister in a panicked state called out for help before she left me with no choice other than to knock her out. I dragged her as much as i could through my cuffs and out of the ship where i was met with a small fleet.
I looked around for an escape route to find this wormhole forming not too far away. I threw my sister as hard as i could towards the hole and watched her disappear into the abyss before they started attacking me.
I kept dodging their attacks like i had been trained to do. When i was finally presented with an opening, I made a break for it but not before i damage their ship.
I entered the wormhole just as i say their ship catching on fire before i found myself being thrown out to the other side with his planet underneath me. This blue planet and raced towards it.
When i landed, I looked up i found myself looking into the most beautiful blue eyes that i have ever seen."
Looking up as she sees him smiling down towards her with a slight blush across his cheeks fighting the urge to let out a giggle leaning up gently Koriand'r presses her lips to his own.
" Why now? Why are you telling me this?"
With her eyes locked on his own reaching up gently Koriand'r lays her hand down on his cheek.
" They're still out there. Looking for me. Eventually they'll end up here on his planet. I'm telling you this because i want no need you to understand.
My world was conquered, I cannot allow that to happen to this planet. I won't allow this planet to die. I won't allow them to take you away from me. I can't. I just can't."
Closing the distance between them instantly Dick presses his lips gently to her own feeling her returning the kiss with equal intensity before he pulls back to look deep into her green eyes.
" They won't. I'll never allow that to happen. I swear to you, I'll kill any man that ever tries to take you away from me. I promise."
