Calm Before The Storm
Sasha's POV
We finally leave the cave having been there for more than a day. I know I have to return soon to the rebellion's home cave, knowing there might be some chaos when I return. Being with the Olms for a whole day is tiring enough as it is. They are quite difficult to find a compromise with, but I'm persistent. We hop onto Joe, starting our flight back while staying hidden in the mountain range. Anne is sitting in between my lap, immediately leaning into me, yawning. She starts to fall asleep. Her hair is so curly that it serves as its own pillow while using my shoulder as her resting spot. Even with all the leaves and the sticks in it, it must be comfy. I sigh knowing that what I'm going to do will just delay our return. Instead of having Anne be uncomfortable and probably get bad sleep and a bad back; I decide it's best to camp for the night out here. I could also scout out the rest of the mountains for my part in the attack against Andrias. It works out in my favor at least.
I direct Joe Sparrow to land near a stream of water. It's covered well with one side having thick trees and the other having an uphill incline of the mountain side. From the sky, I can spot a cave that's a bit farther down the mountain side. This seems like a decent place to camp. My stomach starts to growl, signaling to me it's finally time to eat. Anne was still cuddling on my lap, moving around, trying to stay comfortable even as we moved in the air. Her head rested on my shoulder as her arms laid limp over her own lap. She was taking a small nap but my stomach's growl awoke her. Anne without opening her eyes moves her hand to my tummy, already giggling. I can already imagine the joke she's going to spit out.
"The beast has awoken inside of you! Oh no it's the end for me~!"
Now she's sprawled out everywhere being the dramatic Anne that she is. Her hand over her forehead and the other on my chest, pushing against me. Her head is now tilted away from me yet I can see her peeking from one eye, waiting for my reaction. My lips form into a smirk as I let out a scoff. I had to love a drama queen, huh? An idea pops into my brain, one that can add to this humorous moment. I start attacking Anne's ribs, tickling her as she's left herself open. Anne starts to squirm, trying to fight back this onslaught attack on her rib cage.
"Oh no, the beast inside me… is craving your ribs!"
Anne catches both of my hands, still giggling. Her smile is just so pure, I can't handle it. But I will not accept defeat yet. I plunge my face into her ribs, gently biting to tickle her back. She trapped herself as I now held her hands back. She's laughing so hard she's crying. Anne starts to plead and claim defeat.
"I surrender, I surrender Sasha! Let me live to see tomorrow!"
I give a few more gentle bites before stopping. I bring my face back up, still holding her hands hostage. Anne and I are still giggling, even as we try to catch our breath. Joe finally lands by the stream. My stomach growls once again but it's joined with another. I quickly entrap Anne into a hug, now with our foreheads touching. I let out a chuckle.
"Guess I'm not the only one with a hungry beast inside, huh?"
I give her a cocky face, having one eyebrow up as I give the fuckboy smile. Anne just rolls her eyes, still letting a smile escape onto her face. She pulls me into a gentle kiss. We stay like that for a moment until our stomachs growl once again. I pull away now trying to get off of Joe. Time for me to hunt down some grub.
"It's time to find somewhere to sleep and something to eat. What do you want, Anne? Veggies, fruit or meat?"
I try to give her as many options as I can. Having lived in the wild for a bit with Grime, I had to learn to hunt for my own food when we weren't near a village or had no money. I can finally use this knowledge to impress Anne. She looks around, still drowsy from her previous nap and dizzy from all the laughing from before. I saw her eyes look to the stream and I can tell she's decided something that I'm not going to like.
"How about fish? I bet the fish in that stream should be decently small and quick to catch. Let me get you your swords so you can catch one."
I nod my head, now having to prepare mentally for the cold water. I proceed to help Anne get off of Joe, carrying her down in my arms ''bridal style'', showing off my strength. I can tell she's enjoying my little antics. I sent Anne down, and she went to grab my swords from the other side of Joe. I took off my cape, laying it onto the ground near the stream, motioning Anne towards it. I do have to start undressing to go fishing. Can't have my clothes wet at a time like this. It would never dry off.
"Here you are my lady, the best cape a commander can offer."
I keep my fuckboy expression as I wait for Anne to sit down. I see her blush as she hands me my swords. I did appreciate her going for my swords, but I had a different idea on how I was going to catch the fish. I start to take off my armor, getting a flabbergasted reaction from Anne. Her face is now as pink as Sprig. She starts to stutter before she could form a true sentence.
"Sash! What are you doing?"
I throw my chest plate and boots next to Anne. I take off my belt, skirt and my shirt too. What's left on my body is my undershirt and pants. I start to shake my body and jump up and down.
"I'm gonna go fishing Anna-banana, gotta do this the wild style~"
I've had all day to think about all the nicknames and pet names I can call Anne now. As I think about the new list in my head, I walk straight into the stream getting my body adjusted to the cold. I wanted to jump right in and get over with the coldness of the water, but that would scare the fish away. I walked all the way until I was waist deep in the stream. I kept my knees bent and my arms above the water, ready to pounce on the first fish I saw. It was a few good minutes before a school of fish started swimming by. I had to make sure I didn't make any sudden moves or they would swim away before I could do anything. The fish were close enough I could pounce, but not yet. I waited until it was at least 3 fish and I dove right in, head first. I use my mouth to bite the fish closest to my body and my other with my hands, gripping it hard enough it couldn't slip out. I jumped right out of the water landing on my knees, bringing the last fish out with the jump. I still had the fish in my mouth and the other in my hand as I looked at Anne, wiggling my eyebrows making sure to add a wink with it.
I saw her blush so hard, using her hands to cover her mouth. She did not expect me to do what I did. I ain't going to hold back now, I have to be the best partner I can be. That includes flirting, even though this is really my first time flirting with someone. I used to be "flirty" back home, but it was so forceful and to keep people in line. I now feel so free and overjoyed I can do all of this with honesty and put down my walls with someone. I shake off the water like a dog, hearing a laugh come from Anne. I spit out the fish from my mouth to my other hand and bring them over to Anne. I ask Anne to hold the 2 fishes and she accepts hesitantly. The third fish flopped back into the water before I could grab it. The 2 fish were still fighting in Anne's hands, trying to go back into the water. I rush to grab a small basket from Joe's saddle with some flint to start a small fire. With all the wood surrounding us, it didn't take long until I had the fire ready. Anne had already killed both the fish, prepping them to be cooked. Thank frog Anne knows how to cook. I can cook to keep myself alive, not for taste however.
While she preps the fish I just use the fire's heat to "sanitize" the swords and to dry myself off. Once Anne was done I put the fish on the sword and into the fire. I made sure to also boil some river water to make it safe to drink. Don't want to choke on our fish. Anne and I sat on my cape, but instead I was leaning back onto my elbows. Anne's laid on my stomach, using my legs to keep her back elevated. We just laid there staring at the night sky. Might be a while before we can relax like this again. After a few minutes, our fish was ready. I didn't want to startle Anne, so I slowly got up. She sat up with lightning speed already getting giggidy that we were about to eat. Now, making sure to add some pep in my step, go to grab our fish. The water has boiled enough now ready to be drunk. I made sure to fill my pouch with the clean water since I didn't want to get up again. Once I got both the swords, I gave the blue sword to Anne. As I sat down next to her, she tried to devour the fish with a big bite. All I could hear was her yelp, forgetting it just came from the flames. I just rolled my eyes, giving Anne some water from my pouch. She chugs a good amount of it, trying to calm the new burns.
"Thanks … I made the silly mistake of burning my tongue, I'm just so hungry… Those Olms only had the really crunchy bugs, not the tastiest meal to date."
Anne tried to smile at the end, still radiating a joyful energy. I smile, letting a sigh escape out. Oh what the hell, I'll let my impulse win this time. I move in and lay my lips on her cheek, giving her a quick peck. Her face is covered with blush as she starts to fidget with the sword now. I couldn't help myself and now I don't have to hold back. I blow on my fish, letting it cool off for a moment. I won't make the same mistake as she did. I lay it down for the moment and decide to let myself be even more of a romantic sap. I go on one knee, now facing Anne as I gently take both of her hands into my own. I look into her eyes, staring at them with such a loving expression. Anne just relaxes, letting this all happen, giving me an expression of passion with a glint in her eyes.
"No problem my love, and from now on, you shall get free ~ unlimited ~ kisses ~ milady ~, anytime and anywhere."
I make sure to add a wink at the end and a cute nickname. This caught her off guard for a moment but she giggled back, letting herself blush. Anne wasted no time, leaning in. It took me a second to realize what she was doing. I did however just state she can have kisses anytime and anywhere. My eyes went into a drowsy state as our lips met, making sure to show kindness to the other. The kiss was slow, with Anne adding more passion to it. However we both did not want to rush the kiss. Anne wrapped her fingers, tangling them with mine. She held our hands to the side of our heads, eventually letting them relax down near the ground. The kiss became more passionate over time, becoming faster in its tempo. I eventually was pushed back, now sitting criss crossed. My heart began to race, excited, not knowing where this would go but nervous, not wanting to mess anything up. Anne, careful not to break the kiss, came and sat on my lap as she placed both knees on either side of my hips. Now our hands separated, finding, searching for another resting place. My hands found their place quickly as I placed one on her hip, giving it a soft squeeze before rubbing it up and down the outside of her thigh. I still felt tense, hoping I'm doing this right. The other found itself onto her lower back, making sure to close the distance between our bodies. Anne found her way to my hair, but not before dragging her hands up and down my chest and shoulders.
She eventually made her way up my neck, sending shivers across my body. I pulled away for a moment, cracking my eyelids just enough to look up, into Anne's. My breath hitched as Anne kept moving around, now softly dragging her nails across my skin, as if her fingers were dancing. Anne's own eyes showed such a desire towards me at this moment. It kinda scared me since I was stiff since this was my first real makeout. Her eyes were misty, as her expression was both one of curiosity and passion. But I didn't find any hint of hesitation, unlike mine that must be covered in it. Anne was slow to put both of her hands in my hair, making sure to make me yearn for more of her touch. She laid one of her hands on the underside of my hair, at the back of my neck. That hand helped return us back to our kiss, keeping us as close as it could get. The other was tangling itself in my locks, making more of a mess with it. However we both started to slow down again, not wanting to rush into anything neither of us are ready for. We just started dating for a bit more than a day or two. She must have also noticed how nervous and stiff I am. Anne removed her hands from my hair and laid them onto my collarbone/shoulder area. I wrap my arms around her waist, just wanting to hug my darling. Our foreheads touched gently after pulling away, my eyes barely open, looking towards this curly head angel who still had her eyes closed. You could feel that the air was filled with love and a peaceful quiet. We enjoyed the tranquil moments after that, neither wanting to ruin it for the other. I know I didn't want to.
After that, we finished our fish and I got dressed, cleaned my swords, and packed all our stuff. I could see Anne was getting tired once again. I have to make sure my princess gets her beauty sleep. Time to move to the cave and camp there for the night. I hope I can take a quick nap after I do some recon on the mountain. I woke Joe Up and walked us over to the cave. It was a deep cave and seemed empty, which is good for us at the moment, yet bad in the long run. Andrias and his robots have scared off so much of the wild life or have captured it and forced them to do his bidding with those mind control collars. It felt wrong to see a lack of creatures out in Amphibia. But for the moment this worked in our favor, giving me a sense of calm at least knowing there is less out there that can harm Anne while I do recon. I make sure to have us all out of the moonlight as we prepare to sleep. Well, everyone but me. I still have work to do unfortunately and more pet names I can use to get away from her.
"My princess, I'm gonna go do some recon along the mountain side, it shouldn't take long but even so, don't wait for me to sleep. Got it?"
God, it just rolled off my tongue to call her that. Princess... I love how that sounds. Anne immediately ran towards me, jumping onto me making sure to wrap herself around me like a sloth. I know she's attempting to keep me captive here. She proceeded to give me "the pouty face" hoping that will keep me here and not on the mountain side. As much as I love her, I still have a war to win and too much at stake to lose. I feel bad but I still have to do my job.
"Sashiiiiiii, please don't gooooooo! Who will I use as my pillow then, or cuddle into?"
I can see Anne is trying to use some cute pet names too. I just wished she could use other ones that aren't my name, of course when she's comfortable.
"Darling, I still have a war to win, remember? This recon is most valuable to us, for when we try to attack the castle from a higher ground."
Anne jumps off of me, still having her hands on my shoulders. I try to keep my face neutral, trying to stay serious. I don't want to go, but the faster I do this I can come back and cuddle my Anna-banana. Before I can walk away, she takes my cape and wraps it around herself. I look back and smile. I'll let that slide since she's just so cute when she's tired. I blew her a kiss as I ran out of the cave. Welp, no more playing around. It's time to get to work.
-time skip-
It's been a few hours and I scouted out most of the mountain, but to be honest I'm starting to get really drowsy. I make my way back to the cave, having a desire to just lay next to my partner and just cuddle. A little bit after I left the cave, a chill went over the valley. Of course this happens when I don't have my cape. Just my luck. As long as my darling is warm, I can live with being a bit cold though. I start to run back down the mountain side, trying to rest as soon as I'm able to. I slip on some loose rocks and start to tumble down. I rush to take out my sword and stick it into the ground, stopping my body from its destination downhill. I scoff at myself, there is no reason I should let myself get so clumsy when I'm still out on the field. I make my way back a bit slower, since I'm drowsy. The moment I make my way back into the cave I can see my Anne sound asleep, including if you hear how she's snoring. She's wrapped up in my cape, huddling near Joe trying to stay warm. I lay down my swords near Anne getting ready to finally sleep. I try to pry myself in my own cape next to Anne. I make sure she's still near Joe so she stays nice and toasty. My eyes start to get heavy and I go into my own head, having quaint dreams of the future.
-timeskip to morning-
ANNES POV
I wake up feeling another warm presence pressing against my back. I pray it's Sasha and not some bug or weird person. Before I turn around I see their arm is wrapped around my waist, hugging me. I see their tanned white skin and red armor bracelet, reassuring me that it's my blonde dummy. I slowly turn around to face my dummy, seeing her still knocked out. Drool is dripping from the side of her mouth, signaling she's not waking anytime soon. It was still early in the morning, seeing as the morning light was barely shining into the sky. It must be the sunrise. I'll give her a little more since we do have to return back to base. If not I would just let her sleep for as long as she needed. I take shallow breaths, being careful to not wake Sash. The next few hours I fade in and out of sleep, making sure to take in how angelic my Sasha looks. She completely relaxed, not tensed up. I think she just looks so cute when she sleeps. Hopefully I can wake up and see this every morning after the war. I wonder if Sasha will stay on Earth or here. Even after all of this, I can see her deciding to stay here since she's just more intune with Amphibia than on Earth. What does that mean for our relationship? I shouldn't really worry about that yet. When we get to that bridge, we will figure or work something out. Who knows, maybe she's already decided to stay with me on Earth.
The sunlight is peeking from above the treeline, but the silence isn't really helping. The lack of animals and birds makes the morning lack sound, feeling eerie. It was letting my thoughts overtake this peaceful moment, turning it into one filled with anxiety. I must have done something loudly or moved too harshly because Sasha started to wake. I felt her give me a squeeze with her arms, mumbling something under breathe.
"Hey dummy, I couldn't hear you… mind repeating it again?"
I rest my hand on her jaw, still trying to go back to the calmness of before. She starts to rub her eyes open, now she starts to get up on her arm leaning on her elbow. The arm she had before wrapped on my waist still didn't move from its spot. Her eyes look down to catch mine, still sleepy yet with a hint of concern.
"I said take deep breaths, I can feel your chest rising out of beat and you tensed up out of nowhere… What's wrong my darling?"
How could she read me like a book? She was asleep, not even conscious and she still knew something was wrong. I felt her move her fingers around in a circle across my lower back. I have to admit, Sasha knows how to calm me down. I bring my arms to my chest, now trying to snuggle into Sasha's tummy.
"I'm just overthinking some stuff and it started to get to me, that's all love…"
Sasha sighed heavily, still not happy that I didn't explain in more depth. I kept my face hidden in my clown fish's tummy, feeling the outline of her abs. I didn't want her to see my face and give me an unsatisfied expression for my answer. I let my train of thought flow somewhere else now that she has helped calm me down. Sasha is gonna hate all the pet names I have in store for her. After a while, Sasha didn't press me for details. We just stayed for a bit cuddling until Sash decided it's time to head back. Once we packed everything up, we rode low to the ground back to Wartwood. There is still a lot of work left to be done.
-time skip of newts in tights/fight or flight-
Anne's pov
I had to make sure all the kill-a-moths were napping near the Plantar family home. Can't really take them downstairs yet, they might try to eat some frogs or snails. I still have to train them just a bit. I'm surprised Sasha let them stay here. Knowing Sasha is more of a dog person, I assumed she would put up more of a fight. Maybe my charm is just too strong for her. I giggle at that thought, but even so my stinky blonde fell in love with the hairless moth cat anyways. I guess it didn't take much to convince her. But now we do have air cavalry, and prepping for this war just got a bit easier. Hold on Marcy, we'll see you soon.
