As the honeymoon drew to its end, their tireless drive to explore each nook and cranny of St Moritz slowed down; they had visited all the city's important landmarks and wandered down enough smaller streets, that it was time to ease their pace and relax. Late nights and mornings, lazy days of lounging in cafes and watching people pass by, and strolling through the city hand-in-hand under occasional flurries of snow. Not quite as exciting as winter sports, but equally fulfilling nonetheless.
That was why Ana had no regrets when yet another sneeze ripped through her nose, earning her an unamused look from Kamilah.
"I told you to–"
"Wear my jacket and use the heat packs, yeah yeah. I'm wearing it now." She tugged at the lapels of said jacket, smirking at Kamilah's eye roll.
"When you don't need it."
"Just drives you crazy, doesn't it?" Ana strode to where Kamilah lay on the couch beside balcony's glass doors, nudging a knee at her wife so she would make room. She settled behind Kamilah so her partner was rested between her legs, then adjusted the length of her selfie stick.
"What are you doing?" Kamilah asked, watching her access the camera on her phone.
"Taking a sex video. Off with the clothes, honey," Ana cackled and set the stick on its tripod end, angling it so the bright Swiss afternoon could be seen through the doors behind them. She jerked her head back in reflex when she received a swat on the nose. "I said 'clothes', not 'nose'."
"You can afford to part with your nose right now," Kamilah said when Ana sniffed. "Did you take the tablet I left on the dresser?"
"Yeah? You'd kill me otherwise." She leaned forward to nudge the phone a little farther away, getting a grumble from Kamilah when her wife was forced to bend down as well.
"That's if your cold doesn't kill you first."
"Ha ha. I'm much tougher than that, thank you very much."
"Apparently," Kamilah deadpanned. "So, what's this for?"
"Vlog."
"Seriously."
"Come on. It's fun," she said, when Kamilah appeared dubious. "Just a little something to remember this trip by, hm?"
"…Fine," Kamilah acquiesced, and received a gleeful hug from behind. "Is anyone going to see this?"
"No. Unless you want to share it."
"I don't."
"Alright then. You ready?" At Kamilah's nod, she gestured at the phone, and the camera started rolling. "So… It's been six days in Switzerland for our honeymoon. What do you think of it?"
Kamilah tilted her head. "Nice and…cold?"
"Like yourself then? Ha–!" Ana groaned when an elbow slammed into her stomach. "Yeah, ice cold like that.
"Keep it up and you'll be 'ice cold' as well."
Ana snickered at the empty threat, but relented anyway. "Fine. So, our honeymoon. We've done skiing, skating, walking. A lot of walking. And eating. How much chocolate did we eat, Milah?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Mm, no. I'd rather not. Moving on! What did you enjoy the most?"
"Um. The snow?"
"Really? Not your wife?"
"I don't have to fly all the way here to have her." Kamilah sighed when Ana gave a puppy-eyed pout. "I guess the company was good too."
"It was, wasn't it?" She grinned, then squeezed the woman in her arms. "Well, the whole trip was great. Makes me not wanna go home any time soon."
"Me too."
"At least we'll be getting our house soon. Oh damn, I forgot!" She rocked in place, moving Kamilah along with her. "I can't wait! We'll move in, then go shopping for everything, and we'll live together."
"Haven't we technically been doing that already?"
"Yeah," Ana said slowly. "But this will be our house. A house with my wife." She paused then, letting the words sink in as Kamilah fixed her with a quizzical look. A new home. With this beautiful woman in her arms. What did she ever do to deserve such luck?
"It's going to be great, Milah."
"Of course it will," Kamilah said with a smile. She returned the peck on her lips before her hand flew up at Ana's jaw, pushing her face away just in time for Ana to sneeze again.
Three mighty sneezes later, Ana remained bent over, sniffling as she recovered from the spasms. "I think that's the end of that," she laughed through a slightly congested nose, and gestured at the camera to shut off. As she reached for the tissue box on the coffee table, Kamilah broke away from Ana and stood.
"I'll make you some tea."
"Hot choc."
"Not for now."
"I'm fine, Milah," Ana insisted. But she still found herself nursing a hot cup of tea anyway, cocooned in a comforter that Kamilah had to force her to stay under. Not that she remained alone in the bundle for long.
Thankfully, Ana's alleged toughness brought her minor cold spell to an end quickly, and she had no awkward sneezes to worry about when she kept Kamilah in the sheets that night. She also seized the opportunity to down an entire mug of hot chocolate in front of Kamilah the next morning, while singing 'Told you I'm fine' over and over. Her wife just stared with her usual morning cheerfulness – which was none whatsoever – before grinding out an 'I hate you' when she finished her own mug of chocolate as well.
They took one last opportunity to play in the snow outside their hotel, making snowballs and throwing them at each other's jackets. Ana courted death by smacking Kamilah's hand – and the snowball in it – right into her face, but was surprised with a bright laugh before being shoved onto the ground.
After wiping off the white from their clothes, they made their way to the train that ferried them to all the way to Zurich. They stood by the windows at the departure gate, sighing as they drank in their last view of Switzerland.
"I'm gonna miss this place," Ana sighed.
"Me too."
"Do you ever want to come back here again?"
"Definitely."
Cairo was warm. So warm. Too warm. Had it always been this warm?
"You look like a corpse."
"I'm practicing for my funeral," Ana groaned each syllable slowly, not moving from where she lay on the couch. She opened her eyes, watching the ceiling fan work double-time at cooling the room down. "Think I could stuff myself into the fridge?"
"Only if you can drag me out of there first." Kamilah handed a cup to her, which felt beautifully cold in her hands. Ana glanced down at the ice cubes floating in clear soda.
"You're the best." She took a long, grateful draught of the drink and sighed in relief. Ever since she had stepped out of the airplane and into a solid wall of heat, she'd felt ready to devour every single cube of ice she laid her eyes on. Ana remembered fleeting moments in Switzerland when she missed the weather back home, where they didn't have to bundle themselves up before bumbling out into the cold. Now she hadn't the slightest clue why she had wished so.
Then she recalled something else. Ana reached for the phone lying next to her and handed it to Kamilah, showing her the squad's chat.
"What's this?" Kamilah asked.
"Just read it."
Ebo: [So Ana. We've discussed it and decided to unban you from dnd. For the time being]
[What]
Ebo: [On one condition. You let us play in your new house. And get Kamilah to play with us]
Ebo: [Actually two conditions. Second: you behave]
[Let me get this straight]
[You're putting me on geek probation]
Layla: [Yep]
[And why in hell would I agree]
Layla: [Or else we'll play beer pong in your house]
[I'll just let Kamilah kill you]
Layla: [Oh we're fucking shaking in our boots can you feel the tremors]
Mesi: [Ask her Ana. It'll be fun]
[Why do you even want to play with her in the first place]
Mesi: [For…fun?]
Ebo: [Also to stop you from fucking everything]
[You realise I'll just fuck her right]
Ebo: [I CHANGE MY MIND]
Mesi: [Just ask her please]
"Huh."
"So? Wanna do it?"
"But I don't know anything about it," Kamilah said.
"Eh, doesn't matter. None of us did when we first started anyway." Ana shrugged. "We just kept rolling to do stupid stuff. Like juggling our swords. And scrubbing all the tavern tables. For free."
"Really."
"Yeah. Only reason Ebo didn't kick all of us out is because he needed people to play with."
"Then I guess you got lucky."
"Too lucky. So?" Ana rolled over on the couch, so she was half-lying on Kamilah. "Wanna do it?"
Kamilah cocked her head, taking a sip from her own cup. "Why not?"
Thanks to Kamilah's foresight, they had two more days to readjust to being back home – not that they needed that much time anyway. When they reported back for duty, they slipped back into the usual routines easily. Ana found that she did miss the burn in her muscles from training and, given all she had eaten during the honeymoon, she needed that burn. Any excess energy she had, she worked them off in the gym after work. Ana earned incredulous looks from Kamilah, who was then dragged to a few of these sessions as well, and proceeded to give Ana a run for her money all across the sparring floor.
The energy had started to subside until a week later, when Kamilah finally received her new name tags. Each time Ana glanced at Kamilah's fatigues, now bearing the 'Amari' name, she felt a little jolt of awe. The medic sprinting across the field, barking orders to her squad, carrying the injured over her shoulders, and glaring at patients who dared to look even a little smug, was now Amari.
It was amazing, just how much meaning a simple name could carry. And she loved it.
But the real excitement arrived after three weeks, when their application for on-base housing had gone through. They were given the lot they wanted, which was a modest two-storey affair. A little dull on the outside – one tan house among a dozen other tan houses along the street – though their neighbourhood was newer and looked brighter than the older ones painted in exhilarating grey. Plus, their house had a small lawn to add a little more colour, so Ana couldn't complain.
One step into the house, and Ana had to pause for a moment. It wasn't like they had no idea how the house would look – they have had their tour long before. But it was only then, as Ana looked over the living room, that it truly hit her. This house was theirs. A little smaller than ideal, and they couldn't make any drastic changes to the infrastructure. But there was still more than enough space for two, a cozy retreat to hide in after a long day. They could make it work.
Ana glanced at Kamilah, who had set her box down and was leaning against the kitchen counter, eyes alight as she looked over their new home. She took a breath, let it out softly, and met Ana's gaze. Their lips curved in unison.
They would make it work.
To 'make it work', of course, one must put in a lot of work. A lot.
How, Ana wondered as she carried what must be the hundredth box into the house. How did two women, who lived in a confining barracks room, ever accumulate so many belongings? With this much stuff in their rooms, it was a wonder how they even survived spot checks in the first place. Ana's mind was sufficiently boggled; first by the number of boxes they had to move, then by the assortment of items that she kept pulling out of said boxes.
An old pair of sneakers, soles peeling off at the edges. Two issues of comics she had bought on whim long ago and never read. An encyclopedia gifted by her grandfather, also never read. Jewelry she had forgotten she ever bought. Expired sweets that belonged in a museum. And…
Ana's eyes lit up, and she promptly changed into the old sleeveless hoodie she had found – a simple grey top with hot pink trim along the hem and pocket. It smelled of the box that Ana had stuffed it into and left untouched in the wardrobe, but it was still as comfortable as ever. It was all the rage back then, a hot fashion trend for some reason. Though Ana, now a few years older and wiser, couldn't fathom why. She looked like she had just rolled out of bed in it.
Although that didn't deter her from sliding down the corridor, coming to a stop by the dining table where Kamilah stood, digging through one of the few boxes sitting on the tabletop.
"What do you think?"
Kamilah peered up at her. "So you were one of those people."
"What people?"
"The douchebags," Kamilah replied with a straight face, before lifting a handful of books from the box.
"Not only douches wear these, okay. Besides, they're comfy and look–" Ana raised her arms and flexed. "They don't hide these beautiful babies."
"No wonder you like tank tops so much."
"What, took you that long to figure it out?" She gave a dramatic grunt, stretching an arm out in a superman pose. "Were you too distracted by these?" Ana giggled when a hardcover was smacked into her stomach.
"Why did I marry you?" Kamilah sighed, tossing the novel back into the box. Then she bent down, frowning as she rummaged through its contents. Ana looked in as well, watching her search through the various files and books that were stashed inside.
"You're going to fill our bookcase with these."
"This is not the only box."
"…We're buying another bookcase then."
"We're buying more than just a bookcase, that's for sure," Kamilah commented off-handedly, shoving the open box aside and pulling another over. She was right – the house came only with basic furnishings and few extras. In fact, they hadn't even properly moved in yet, and were just hauling all their stuff out of the barracks before the deadline hit at the end of the week.
"What are you looking for?" Ana asked when Kamilah dug into the box, brows furrowed in concentration.
"My notebooks. They have some…personal…" She paused, cocking her head. Kamilah reached in and pulled out a purple dragon plush.
Uh oh.
Kamilah examined the toy with an amused quirk on her lips. The dark purple dragon bore an orange belly, claws, teeth, and head ridges. The colour was a little faded by now, and only its beady left eye remained – the right had fallen out a long time ago, leaving a small hole that was stitched closed by Ana's mother. She had wanted to sew a black button as a replacement, but young Ana refused, insisting it looked 'cooler' this way. How a fat purple dragon with a goofy smile could ever look 'cool', was a secret for her younger self to keep.
"This is yours," Kamilah stated plainly. There was no doubt to whom the dragon belonged.
"Yeah. I love it," Ana declared, hands itching to hold it again.
"Hm. It's cute. Pretty well-kept." Kamilah felt along the edges of soft orange teeth and the stitched eye. "Did you name it?"
"Yeah. Fart."
"Fart?"
"Fart," Ana repeated matter-of-factly, grinning when Kamilah broke out in laughter.
"Why am I not surprised?"
"I was young, okay?"
"Please. You'd name something 'Fart' now, if you could," Kamilah chuckled, getting a shrug from Ana. "So, Fart the Purple Dragon."
"Excuse you. It's Fart the Magic Dragon."
"Right…"
"You should hug it." Ana gestured at Kamilah, who stared at her dubiously. "Go on, hug it." She had to bite down on her lip to keep from laughing when Kamilah held the dragon to her chest, looking a little lost as if she was waiting for some magic to happen.
Kamilah noticed her obvious amusement, eye twitching before she shoved Fart into Ana's arms. "There," she announced, waving at her wife. "Now you look like the overgrown baby you are."
"Asshole," Ana laughed. She hugged Fart tightly, feeling an echo of that innocent little spark she had long left behind. She missed it.
"Just kidding. It just makes you look like a baby." Kamilah smiled at Ana's eye roll, and leaned forward to give her a kiss. "But I love you anyway."
"Thanks. I feel blessed." Ana placed Fart carefully back into the box, making sure it looked comfortable before closing the cardboard flaps. "Don't you have a toy of your own?" she asked, patting the box idly before following Kamilah down the corridor, towards the garage.
"No."
"Want one?"
"No."
"Not even vibrating ones?"
"I can just use yours."
It took the whole week for them to move the remaining boxes, having had nights that saw them crashing into their beds after punishing training exercises, deprived of the energy to do anything else. But they finally had it done one day before the deadline; their rooms were thoroughly inspected by an officer, who then collected their barracks keys. Their move was complete.
Just in time too, for it was that night when the squad morons came over for their first visit, and Ana's geek probation began.
The squad gathered around the coffee table in the living room, Adofo sitting at one end of the table as the dungeon master. He was fiddling with the holo-projector, chatting animatedly with Ebo while the others waited for him to be ready.
"Still can't believe how quickly you all decided to come over," Ana groused as she scrolled idly down the character sheet on her tablet.
"Why? You had something planned?" Khalid smirked, wagging a brow at her.
"I get to spend the first night in my house with you geeks. Exciting."
"Come on, Ana. If we don't do this now, we won't get to do it until we return from Russia," Mesi said. Their company was one of those chosen to participate in Egypt's joint exercise with Russia – the first on Russian soil. It would take place two weeks later, and a few were already buzzing with excitement. Only a few, though.
Layla snorted. "Lucky we're going after winter. Can you imagine? Throwing desert people into winter wonderland?"
"Winter's fine," Ana said. "Never experienced Russian winter though."
"Do you still have all your toes?"
"I'm not sure." Ana swung her feet onto Layla's lap, wiggling said toes. "Wanna check for me?" Then she raised her feet to face level, cackling when Layla slapped her away.
"Did you cut anything of hers off, Kamilah?" Khalid asked.
"Sadly, no," Kamilah deadpanned, though a subtle smile hung on her lips. The squad had shaken off their wariness around Kamilah long ago and, following Mesi's lead, started calling 'Shadid' by name. Similarly, Kamilah had accepted their presence as a part and parcel of being with Ana, and was now less severe while in their company. Ana still remembered the morons' awestruck expressions when they managed to make Kamilah burst out in uncontrollable laughter for the first time. Now that was a sight to behold.
"Wow." Ana grinned, and leaned heavily on her wife. "How…cold of you."
Though her face was straight, Ana knew Kamilah was flipping on the inside. "I'll let you die in the game," Kamilah said simply, and Ana grinned as Adofo finally pushed the projector towards the middle of the table.
"Everyone ready?" he asked, and received a chorus of affirmation. "So Kamilah, you're playing as a human sorcerer."
"Yes."
"And my wife," Ana added. "Our characters are married."
The light in Adofo's eyes blinked twice. "Of course. Since Hakim isn't here, you don't have a healer. But we're going through an easier campaign for today, so things should be fine."
"Yeah, as long as Ebo's sword doesn't fly out of his hand and land in my face again," Khalid said.
Ebo grumbled under his breath amid the snickering, and Adofo began their tale.
A group of road-weary travelers was sitting in a tavern, nursing mugs of ale when they were joined by a long-lost friend, a charismatic elven rogue. In the time she was gone, the elf had gotten married to a human sorcerer, whom she was now traveling with. It was then that they were approached by a wizened old man in a raggedy cloak, who insisted that they were the heroes he had seen in his dreams, and they had to travel to the eastern mountains to defeat the dark presence menacing the lands. The adventurers, of course, accepted. The old man gave them a crystal which would 'aid them in their darkest hour', and hobbled out of the tavern.
They chose to stay overnight at the inn, before gathering supplies the next morning.
"Would you like to do anything else before leaving?" Adofo asked, when the adventurers were waiting by the main road leading out of town. "It'll be a long time before you reach a major city."
"Yeah," Ebo said, looking around the table. "I think we're rea–"
"Wait!" Ana cut in. "I have to kiss my wife first."
The squad groaned loudly.
"Come on! It's for good luck."
Adofo cocked his head. "You kiss your wife, and gain a temporary boost to Dexterity by…2."
"What!" Khalid exclaimed. "Ado, don't encourage her."
"Not even a dice roll?" Layla asked.
"It's okay. All in good fun," Adofo placated them, patting Ebo's shoulder as well. "And Kamilah gains a temporary increase to Constitution by 2 as well."
A few sighs were heard, before the adventurers set off on their journey. They stopped by two more towns, eliminating a goblin army for the first, and a secret cabal of evil necromancers for the second. Their pouches became heavy with gold, both from rewards and selling loot. When they reached a major trade city, they seized the chance to procure better equipment.
Ebo's paladin had a shiny new shield. Khalid's fighter got a deadly long sword and a Ring of Fire Resistance, having learnt that the 'dark presence' was indeed a dragon that 'Ana's not allowed to fuck'. Layla bought a pair of bracers to help her monk punch harder and faster. Mesi merely bought some high-quality food for her wolf companion, and it gained a permanent increase in constitution. Kamilah's sorcerer swathed herself in a finely-woven enchanted robe, and Ana's rogue now wielded a light yet sturdy bow. They were ready.
After learning the exact location of the dragon's fortress, the well-equipped adventurers stood tall and proud in the holo-projection, ready for the players' next command.
"I kiss my wife," Ana said for the umpteenth time.
"You kiss your wife, and your usual stat boosts apply. But you have become addicted to your wife's kisses, and will suffer a penalty of 2 to Dexterity and 1 to Constitution if you don't kiss her every 24 hours."
"Ado!" Ana stared at him in dismay as the rest exploded in victorious laughs. "I thought you were on my side!"
"I'm the DM, Ana. I'm never on your side."
She pouted. "What about Kamilah? Does she get the penalty too?"
"No. You're the only one who needs the kisses."
"You want to drag me down with you?" Kamilah asked, raising a brow.
"No, I just wanted to know you're safe," Ana crooned, resting an arm around Kamilah's shoulders.
"Alright, stop being mushy." Mesi waved at Adofo. "Let's go get that dragon before the sun rises, yeah?"
"We're off duty tomorrow," Layla said.
"Yeah, but I'm sleepy."
"Okay then." Adofo tapped on his tablet, and the adventurers marched on.
It took them a few days' travel to reach the dragon's fortress. Then they were sucked into a long and hard fight that, coupled with a string of bad dice rolls, left the party bloody and limping. Nearly half their health was depleted when they reached the closed doors to the dragon's throne room. The last of their potions were distributed and Ebo healed them as best he could, then cast all the protective spells he had, as Kamilah did the same. Then, it was off to the final showdown.
"Remember, Ana. No fucking the dragon," Mesi said.
"Yeah, yeah," Ana drawled, as the elf kissed her human wife again.
The dragon tried to strike a bargain with them, offering a substantial portion of its treasures should they choose to join its ranks instead. Ebo's paladin threw the offer back in the dragon's snout in true lawful good fashion, and thus the battle began. They were blasted by a fireball, burning away much of the health that they had healed before marching into the dragon's lair. The party scattered. Ebo, Khalid, and Layla faced the beast head-on, while the rest whittled its health away from afar. But their strategy soon started crumbling at the edges.
Ebo was unconscious by the side. Khalid and Layla were pummeled nearly to their knees. Mesi's wolf died, and she was running low on arrows. Ana's quivers were empty. Kamilah was running out of spells to cast. Ana took a chance and drew her daggers, blending into the shadows. Her stealth attack on the dragon's rear took off a significant portion of its health, but a swat from its giant tail later, she was knocked out cold.
"Fuck, Ado. I thought you said this is easy!" Layla said when her monk crumpled to the floor.
"I said it's an 'easy campaign', Layla. Not an easy boss."
"Oh, fuck you."
Soon, Khalid fell as well. Only the ranger and sorcerer were left.
"Any ideas, Kamilah?" Mesi asked.
Kamilah hummed thoughtfully, tapping on her tablet. She scrolled down her list of spells, looking for a lifeline. "I cast…Finger of Death."
"But you need a high roll for that, Kamilah!" Ebo said. "Do you have like, Power Word: Kill? That's a sure thing."
"Yes. Should I use that?"
"No, you can't," Ado replied. "The dragon's health is above 100."
"Shit," Ebo sighed. "Well then… Go for it."
Kamilah tapped on the spell, and the dice counter appeared beside the projected scene. The numbers whirred by at dizzying speed, until it landed on a…
"Holy shit," Khalid whispered.
A natural 20.
The squad fell silent, then turned their heads to stare at Adofo. Their omnic friend stayed stock still.
"Ado?" Mesi asked when he remained silent. "You alright?"
His blue eyes flickered – first the left, followed by the right, before they started flashing erratically. His body started shaking, lights in his eyes alternating with crazy speed. Garbled nonsense started spilling out of his mouth's speaker, and the squad dropped their tablets, leaning forward in panic.
"Ado!" Ebo clutched onto his shoulders, trying to hold him in place. Then Adofo's eyes grew dark, and his body went inert.
"Shit," Ana scooted over the sofa with Kamilah, nearing the omnic. Her heart thudded rapidly as she remembered the scattered news of omnic malfunctions. "Ado?"
Silence. They exchanged glances, and Mesi reached for her phone. Then one of Adofo's eyes came to life, warming to that familiar blue glow. A couple of seconds passed where the single eye stared at them, before his shoulders started shaking.
"You should see the look on your faces!" Adofo laughed, slapping his own knee with a metallic clang. "You look like I died!" He continued laughing even when Ebo groaned out loud and shoved him to the side, and the squad sank back into their seats in relief.
"Fuck you, Ado," Khalid said. "I thought you were really gone."
"I'm sorry," Adofo apologised between laughs. If he was human, he would probably have tears in his eyes right then. "I just couldn't resist."
"Not cool, dude. With all the news about those…" Layla's voice trailed off.
"I'm fine, Lay. Don't worry." Adofo straightened his shoulders with a huge sigh, laughter subsiding. "Sorry, guys. I won't do it again, I swear." He raised his hand in solemn promise.
"If you dare, I'll rewire your circuits myself," Ana said.
"I'll hold you to that." Adofo's eyes blinked in his equivalent of a smile. He looked back at his tablet. "So! Kamilah casts Finger of Death. The dragon lets out an earthshaking roar, before falling to the ground. Luckily, it misses all of you who are lying on the floor as well. Kamilah, you have that crystal, yes?"
"Oh, yeah." Kamilah looked through her inventory. "It…didn't help at all?"
"No, but it will now. The crystal captures the dragon's soul, and you are now able to use it as a focus for your spells. Congrats."
"Seems beginner's luck does exist after all," Mesi said, smiling at Kamilah. "Well! Now we're done. And I really want to sleep."
"Want to drive us back, Ana?" Khalid asked, getting a kick on his butt as he cleared the table.
"Fat chance. Walk back, you geeks."
"Eh, it's a short walk anyway." Layla stood and stretched, waiting for Ebo to pack the kit neatly into its box. "Let's go. We don't want to be here when these two get frisky." She chortled when she received a kick on her behind as well.
"Out!"
Ana yawned, nearly walking into the door frame thanks to her sleepy feet. She rubbed her eyes and shuffled lazily towards the stairs, breathing in the aroma that wafted to the upper floor.
Kamilah's squad had dropped by the day before – accompanied by Ana's when they learnt of the movie party – and they spent the entire afternoon lounging in the couple's living room, with their eyes glued to the screen. They hit the town in the evening, having a hearty dinner together like an extended family. By the time Ana and Kamilah had reached home, it was already nearing midnight, but they decided to continue the day's movie marathon. Together, just the two of them. Kamilah fell asleep on Ana's shoulder after two movies, and didn't stir while she was carried up to the bedroom.
Ana turned into the kitchen, glancing at the island counter where Kamilah's laptop sat, music playing through its speaker. Kamilah herself was by the stove, and Ana wasted no time in closing the distance, hugging her from behind.
"Mm." Ana squeezed her tight, and kissed her cheek. "Wife."
"Just realised that, cavewoman?" Kamilah smiled as Ana nuzzled into the curve of her neck.
"Mmph." She took a deep breath and lifted her head, looking down at the omelette in the pan. "Me love wife. And eggs."
"Cavewoman needs to get more than eggs. I had almost nothing to cook with."
"Then we'll go out later." Ana rested her chin on Kamilah's shoulder. "You got up pretty early today."
"I'm fine. Just didn't feel like going back to sleep." She reached for the mug beside the stove, and Ana peeked in. There was milk in the coffee – a good sign. Kamilah took a long draught from it, before she was relieved of the mug by Ana, who drained it in a huge gulp.
"Make me some tea, won't you?" Kamilah said. "And toast."
"Anything for my queen," Ana crooned, pouring more coffee into the mug. "Shall I make some love for you too, my liege?"
"Your love doesn't fill my stomach, Amari," Kamilah replied smoothly.
"Then you haven't been eating me properly." Ana grinned at Kamilah's long-suffering sigh, but chose to spare her from more innuendos…for the time being. Instead, she finished her assigned tasks in double-time and sat by the counter, listening to Kamilah recount all the items they needed to buy. Also an extra shelf for the bathroom. And a vacuum cleaner. Oh, they were running out of shampoo too. And also, Ana had to finish unpacking everything so Kamilah could gauge what else they needed.
Ana smiled to herself. They were home.