Hello there! I have been looking forward to this chapter for some time now, and therefore I have very specific instructions for it.

When the time comes (and you shall know when the time comes), I highly suggest listening to the song "First Light" by Spencer Jones (Cinematic Pop album). You're welcome.

He fell to his knees and slid across the smooth floor, then rolled to a stop. When he looked back, the drones were still right on his tail. James Griffin growled.

"Honey—!"

His girlfriend tossed her bayard across the room without hesitating.

James caught it, willing it to transform. There was a flash of light before he unleashed a rain of energy blasts, rapid fire. Smoke filled the air as the drones dropped to the ground one after another.

He stood up, panting from the exertion. Though he'd only been working on using her bayard for a week, it still drained his quintessence like nothing he'd ever experienced before.

"James!"

His eyes flickered up. Katie was backed against a wall, the humanoid drone towering over her. His teeth grit together. He could manage one more shot.

"Get down!" he shouted. She obeyed. The drone followed her movements as predicted. James pulled the trigger.

A crackle of the final energy burst sounded through the air. He knew it echoed weaker than usual— his quintessence was fading faster. With one final push of adrenaline, James sprung up from the ground, rushed the drone, and swung a kick to its head.

Seconds later, its eyes faded to a lifeless grey. It clattered to the floor. James fell back against the wall, exhausted.

"End training sequence!" he heard his girlfriend call. He opened his eyes blearily and saw her walking up to him with a worried expression. "You okay?"

"Well," he grunted, "I don't exactly have a lion recharging me with unlimited energy."

Katie nodded. "You're getting better, though. You lasted longer than yesterday."

He chuckled wearily. James blinked down at the bayard, putting his mind through the steps of how to transform it back. After a moment, it dissolved into its regular state. He held it out to hand it over. Katie didn't take it. She was staring at him, her eyebrows knitted together in concentration.

He tilted his head. "What?"

Katie shrugged. "You're hot when you go into commander mode, that's all."

And suddenly, it felt like he hadn't just drained all his energy using alien tech. A new wave of it surged through him, and James found himself picking his petite girlfriend up and spinning her around.

She squeaked with surprise before she burst into laughter, holding onto his neck tightly. He set her down a few seconds later, and before she could step away, he managed to sneak a little kiss on her neck.

"James!" Katie giggled. "What if someone walks in?"

Grinning, he then pressed a kiss to her lips. "They won't," he assured her. "I reserved a private room for a reason."

She shook her head. "I think you've become more of a casanova lately, mister."

James quirked an eyebrow. "And if I am?" he asked boldly.

A spark entering her golden eyes, Katie was quick to pull his head down and crush an adamant kiss to his lips, the kind that made him instantly forget whatever they'd been talking about. James gladly let himself melt into her, wrapping her in his arms and holding her close.

Her lips left his, and she gave him a look. "Then it better be only with me."

His grip on her waist tightened. "Always," he hummed lowly.

A familiar heat filled the air between them. The couple held their breath in anticipation. James began to lean in, but he paused. After a few seconds of hesitation, Katie gave him a wry grin. He swallowed and reluctantly pulled away.

His girlfriend's eyes had a knowing look in them. "I'm gonna get my stuff," she said.

He nodded silently. Katie turned to grab her things, and he felt his brain begin to spiral into the thoughts that had been swirling around for weeks now. He had never understood the true definition of self control until Katie had come back home. Oftentimes, he found that he had to physically remove himself from her presence just to restrain himself.

James let his eyes roam her body for a second, trailing over the curves that he wanted to engrave into his memory. His mind rewinded to their conversation a little over two weeks ago. They had come to a lot of conclusions that day. Mainly, that they were both planners, and secondly, that they didn't want to accidentally stumble into going too far.

Therefore, they were going to wait until— well, the "M" word.

Marriage.

James had honestly been concerned that their conversation would make things awkward between them, but if anything, it was freeing. They both knew where they were at, how they felt about things, and it helped them better understand what their goals as a couple were together. All of that was worth how much he'd blushed during the whole discussion.

He let his eyes wander over her for a moment more, feeling an impatient desire that had been all too common lately burning inside of him, then snapped himself out of it. They'd decided to take it slow, no matter how hard it was. It was going to be for the best. And sure, it'd be hard resist her, but—

"Enjoying the view?"

The MFE commander suddenly realized he'd been staring, again. Heat rushed to his cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

Katie shook her head, laughing, "It's fine, silly." He looked down, slightly ashamed, but his girlfriend surprised him by getting up on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck. "What, you think I don't check you out, too?" she teased.

James blinked. Then, a little smile slowly grew on his face. "Wait…do you?"

"That's for me to know and you to figure out," she said, tapping his nose. "Now come on, I feel gross. Let's go get showered!"

An image of steamed glass filled his mind, followed by the sound of breathy moans and slippery kisses as he held her in his arms and—

James forcefully shoved the daydream aside. "Sure."

Katie smiled at him brightly, and he held in a groan. It was like everything she did lately drove him absolutely crazy. He knew attraction and desire and all that were only natural, but it was almost a bit too much. He wondered if it was normal to want someone so bad.

He distracted himself by gathering his things. A minute later, the two were making their way down the hall, their hands swinging between them. He could feel a tingle passing between their fingers. A quick glance down told him that Katie had activated her bracelet to give him some of her quintessence.

He squeezed her hand in a silent thank you, and she squeezed back.

When they entered his room, James looked down at her. "You first?"

"I'm good," she shrugged. "You shower first. You smell."

He made sure to mess up her hair in retaliation before he grabbed a change of clothes and slipped in the bathroom. James made quick work of scrubbing himself down and towel drying his hair— he didn't want to make her wait too long, anyways.

As he stepped out of the shower, his eyes caught her bottle of body wash on the shelf. He had the feeling that if people knew they had become so familiar, they'd both face public humiliation. But to them, it didn't seem so strange. Putting shampoo in each other's bathrooms, stashing away extra pajamas for when they wanted to snuggle, accidentally misplacing something in the other's room— it just made sense.

There was something about the domesticity of it all that made James feel all fuzzy and warm. He liked the fact that they were comfortable enough to be so close, for their connection to be intimate beyond their passionate moments. It was a little sign of commitment, one that he treasured every single day.

Thus, when he stepped out of the bathroom, he wasn't surprised to see that Katie was waiting for him with her own change of clothes and towel, ready to walk in.

"Do I meet your standards now?" he joked.

His girlfriend sniffed the air. "Mmm, yes, much better."

James rolled his eyes, and she giggled before she pushed past him and shut the door. A few moments later, he heard the water turn on. The daydream from earlier was quick to reappear, but he squashed it down. He couldn't let him think about that, not with her right through the wall.

To get his mind off it, he sat down at his desk. James stared down at the scattered papers in front of him. He usually didn't write much these days, what with the Garrison being so high tech. But this assignment had been different. It deserved the attention of him taking his time, carefully considering each word.

It is on this day we both celebrate our victory and remember our losses— most importantly, the loved ones who were taken from us. A little over three years ago, my parents died in the Galra invasion. I stand before you knowing that many of you share a similar story. This common pain brings many of us together. Today, as we remember those who we lost, we must remember to not only honor them, but know what they would want of us. Those of us who survived the war are indebted to them. We face a new era, a new universe, and we owe it to them to do our best to ensure that such a tragedy will never occur again.

James chewed the end of his pencil. Was it too formal? He wasn't sure. He knew he wrote down most of what he'd wanted to say, and he'd intentionally not gotten too personal so he'd be able to get through it without crying. Even now, talking about his parents wasn't easy. He doubted it ever would be.

"Sweetheart?"

He blinked up. "Hm?"

Katie was standing in the doorway in her pajamas, towel drying her hair. She had an amused look on her face. "I've been standing here for over a minute."

"Sorry," he shook his head. "My— my brain's a little all over the place right now." His girlfriend wandered over and rested her chin on his shoulder. He glanced down at the paper, suddenly a little self conscious. "It's, um…it's not done, but…it's for the one year commemoration gala. There's a committee in Plaht City that's building a memorial, and they wanted me to say a few words about it, since…yeah."

She nodded. "I figured that much out. I read it while you were in the bathroom."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Someone's nosy."

Katie shrugged. "I prefer curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know."

"Good thing I have a lion."

He rolled his eyes, which only caused Katie to laugh at her joke even harder. "I think my terrible sense of humor has rubbed off on you," he said dryly.

"Most likely," she replied, eyes sparkling. "Come snuggle, please?"

James acquiesced to her request immediately. The pair made their way over to his bed and tangled themselves up to rest against his headboard. She nuzzled her cheek into his chest, and he squeezed her happily.

After Katie had returned, finding time for each other had become a problem all over again. She was kept ridiculously busy getting caught up on all that happened during her absence, so carving out a piece of time for each other had turned crucial. Sunday afternoons had become strictly for them, and no one else.

So they sat there in the peace and calm of each other's presence, stroking each other absentmindedly. James didn't really know why it was so reassuring to drift his fingers up and down her arm— it just was. It reaffirmed that she, the other half of his heart, was there with him, as it should be.

He felt her shift a bit against him. "You busy this week?"

"Unfortunately," he hummed. "Think I get off early Thursday, though. Wanna go out?"

"Can't," she sighed. "I'm working late that night. What about Friday?"

"On patrol all day."

Katie grumbled, "Bleh, I really need to fix our schedules to line up."

James chuckled. "I'll bring you dinner in the lab Thursday night, okay?"

"Hunk will be there."

"And?"

"You won't be able to kiss me with him around."

The MFE commander snickered. His girlfriend sounded so pouty. "I'm sure we'll survive."

Katie pushed herself off of him to give a mischievous look. "Or you could just sneak one when his back is turned."

He answered by doing just as she suggested, which made her laugh. James gazed into her sparkling eyes adoringly. He never thought he could love someone so much, but everything she did made his heart swell even more.

For some reason, this thought made his mind jump back to their previous conversation. James found himself looking down shyly, idly playing with her fingers. There had been a question he'd needed to ask for a while, but he'd never found the right time. Given how little time they'd been getting lately, he knew he should take his chance.

"Katie…" he trailed off. "I…you know how sometimes I'm really bad with words?"

His girlfriend grinned. "No, you? Since when?" He grimaced a little, and she leaned up to kiss him as an apology for her jab. "Whatever it is, just say it, James," she insisted. "You know I'll understand what you're trying to say."

"Right," he swallowed. James tossed a few options around in his head before he lifted his eyes to stare into hers. "Will you go to the gala with me?"

Katie blinked. He knew why.

"Are you…are you sure you wanna go with me?" she asked. "I'm kind of a big deal."

Though she was trying her best to be teasing, he could hear the defense mechanism in her voice. And even if he hadn't, her anxiety showed through her eyes.

James cleared his throat. "Well, I'm pretty sure a meager MFE pilot like myself will be enough to contend for the honor of escorting you, Miss Big Deal."

Katie laughed, but her face fell quickly. He threaded their fingers together and squeezed reassuringly. She looked up at him, hesitating. "You know this is it, though, right? If we go together, every Coalition planet will know I'm officially off the market...and I'm not too sure how everyone's going to react to it."

Though he hummed thoughtfully, James moved his head toward her shoulder. "Well, first of all—" he started, nuzzling his nose against her skin and peppering a few light kisses as he went along, "I'd like to think that you've been off the market for several months now."

His girlfriend dissolved into a fit of giggles, swatting playfully at his face for him to stop. After all, both of them knew that if he continued any further, this conversation wouldn't get finished.

James pulled back, smiling. It seemed his tactics had removed most of her anxiety, but he could still see some of it lurking below the surface.

And so, he leveled her with a steady look. "I know you're worried," he said gently. "But I think we can handle it. I love you enough to deal with whatever people say or do— honestly, we've already dealt with it some already." Katie nodded, and he continued. "This is supposed to be a celebration, honey. I think it's an appropriate event for us to announce our relationship, even if it isn't some official declaration."

He watched as she absorbed all of this slowly. Then, to his surprise, she shrugged. "Okay."

James blinked at her, and she laughed, "What, like you thought I'd actually say no? Dork."

He got over his shock quickly. James tackled her to the bed, fingers digging into her sides. She squealed, but he continued his tickling assault.

"Did you really need to give me a heart attack like that?" he interrogated.

"Y-Yes!" she laughed. "I-It was w-worth it!"

Rolling his eyes, he swooped down and captured her lips with his. She sighed into him, and he pressed deeper. Yeah, he was sure his love for her would never stop increasing.

For the fourth time that night, James adjusted his tie. When it was where he wanted it to be, he took in a deep breath and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His brain ran through waltz steps in his mind again, a burst of anxiety and excitement hitting him all at once.

It was finally here: the night of the gala.

It was a weird feeling. All day, people at the Garrison had been a mixture of emotions, including himself. Many were happy— it was the one year anniversary of them defeating the Galra, after all. But with that victory also came the reminder of what they'd lost. To say that people didn't know how to feel was an understatement.

For James, especially, it was odd. Tonight wasn't just a fancy dinner and dance— tonight was the night he got to claim Katie Holt as his to the entire universe, and he was certain he was more than ready for it.

He made sure to put on the bracelet she gave him before he left his room. They'd been instructed to meet in one of the main hangars. James made his way down the halls with a skip in his step.

When he arrived, the doors slid open. His eyes scanned the room— Iverson and other top commanders were off to one side, including Katie's father. James and Commander Holt's eyes met, and they traded a nod. In another area was the cluster of the younger adults. The MFE squadron was chatting idly with the Paladins.

James frowned when he couldn't see Katie, but then he saw a flash of green. She must have been hidden from his view.

He walked toward the group. As he approached, she emerged from behind Captain Shiro's towering figure. James' heart stopped.

She was an absolute vision. Her dress was green, as always whenever the Paladins were color-coded, but it was different from her lion. It was a mint color, one that made her eyes seem to glow even more than usual. The neckline was high, and the gown outlined her waist perfectly before the material fell in a puddle on the floor. She shifted slightly, and his heart skipped a beat when he noticed that her upper back was exposed.

And that's when he saw it: the silver chain of his dog tags peaking out from under her collar.

She must have felt him staring, because she finally turned around, her eyes lighting up instantly. James was more than aware of everyone around, but he couldn't find the strength to care. Thus, he walked up to her, put his hands on her waist, and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "Just like always."

When he pulled back, he saw that her shoulders had melted. And there was something in her eyes— that look she usually gave him that said she wanted to kiss him. He watched as she bit her lip, then reached up and adjusted his tie just slightly. An obvious diversion tactic.

James grinned, wondering if she felt too shy to say anything around her friends about his appearance or if she was just trying to get herself under control. He'd noticed she had a habit of going quiet whenever either of those situations occurred.

"You good?" he asked innocently.

His girlfriend gave him a half-glare, and James coughed to cover up his laugh. Of course Katie knew that he knew what she was doing.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" Iverson called. All the Garrison personnel turned, and the commander began to rattle off instructions in his usual gravelly tone.

Katie and James listened to the long winded speech, vaguely noting Iverson's notes about their arrival, order of the processional, and expectations of behavior. All the while, one of Katie's thumbs was running circles on the back of James' hand.

Then, during a moment where Iverson's voice stopped just briefly, she leaned over and whispered, "You look too good. It's frustrating."

A smile curled on James' lips. Ah, so it had been option number two. He squeezed her hand, and she shifted a little closer to him.

"—got that?" Iverson asked. Nods came from all around, and he grunted. "Good. Everyone load up— Paladins in car one, MFE's in car two. The rest of you are with me."

People began to scatter. "Darn," Katie muttered.

"It's okay," James shrugged. "Figures we'd be split up."

"There's an evil plot to separate us," his girlfriend theorized conspiratorially.

The MFE commander snickered, "Hardly." He glanced around, then leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "See you there, okay?"

She nodded. The pair untangled their hands reluctantly, then began to make their way toward their designated vehicles. When James was about to climb in, he heard a whistle. He looked to the source, and found Katie sticking her tongue out in annoyance over at the door of her car. He laughed, then got in.

The ride to the hall where the gala was being held passed mostly in silence. This wasn't uncommon for the MFE's. Comfortable silence was a sort of agreement they all had— it was just how they liked being with each other. They enjoyed not having to say anything, to be at ease in a judgement free zone. Not to mention, three-quarters of the group were introverted.

Therefore, it wasn't surprising that the extrovert was the one to finally break the silence.

"Katie looks pretty," Rizavi commented idly. "You gonna be able to keep your hands off her?"

James rolled his eyes. "Riz—"

"What? We've all noticed how much closer you two have gotten lately," Nadia defended.

James opened his mouth, ready to make a comeback, when the looks of agreement from Kinkade and Leifsdottir made him halt. The commander sputtered in an attempt to get some sort of an answer out.

Kinkade beat him to it. "You're getting serious, aren't you?" It wasn't so much of a question as it was a statement.

"Obviously," Leifsdottir answered for him. "They spend approximately eighty percent of their non-scheduled time together."

James blushed, his eyes casting down bashfully.

Rizavi was quick to add, "Awww, I think it's adorable!"

He looked up with guarded eyes. His friends stared back, all of their faces kind, and he suddenly realized that they weren't just teasing him. They were being sincere in their curiosity.

Nadia smiled at him understandingly. "Just be honest with us, Griff. We do like to get updates every now and then."

His eyes flickered to the ground. It seemed like such a simple request, but there was almost too much to say to know how to say it. After a few moments, he whispered, "She's everything to me, and more, if that makes sense. So…yeah, you could say we're more serious now. Not that we weren't before, but— I don't know, her leaving changed something."

Kinkade nodded wisely. "Absence makes the heart fonder."

James laughed. "Yeah, it does."

There was a beat of silence. Then—

"I predict a seventy percent chance of an engagement within two years, ninety five percent chance within three."

James gaped at Leifsdottir, his mouth dropped open.

"I'm in on that bet!" Rizavi chimed in.

Kinkade shrugged. "I would've guessed shorter."

Their commander's brain felt like it was short circuiting. It wasn't that he hadn't already thought of the idea, they had talked about the M-word when they had their conversation, but it was just so…he didn't know!

James found himself stammering. "I— we— it's— that's a little too—"

"We're kidding, Griff," Nadia snorted.

Leifsdottir raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't."

The darker woman made a sign for her to zip it, then grinned at James. "We're just happy for you. You deserve each other after all you've been through."

His shoulders, which had tensed up under their jokes, dropped. He smiled broadly at the group. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you guys."

Kinkade dipped his head in silent acknowledgment. "How are things on her end?" he inquired. "Do the Paladins approve?"

James suddenly frowned. He glanced out the window, finding that they were quickly approaching the gala hall. "I think so, but it's kinda hard to tell," he admitted. "They have a weird vibe sometimes, like they don't want to let anyone into their group."

"We can be the same way," Rizavi pointed out.

"True, but it's different," James sighed. He tried to think of a way he could best explain it. "It's— it's almost like they have a particle barrier up. It's been difficult to break through it."

Leifsdottir hummed, "Their experiences created a unique bond between them. You dating one of their members is most likely seen as an invasion of that connection."

"Right," Rizavi nodded. "But I'm sure it'll get better with time. I mean, they haven't done or said anything mean to you, right?"

James shook his head. "No, but I wish I knew how to make things better. I don't want Katie to feel like she has to choose between me and them."

"Time," Kinkade mumbled. "It'll just take time."

He contemplated the statement. It made sense— he and Katie fell in love rather quickly, all things considered. It was understandable that it would take everyone else around them time to catch up.

James didn't have too long to consider the idea, though. Their car came to a stop, and he looked out the window to see that the Paladins were getting out of their vehicle in front of them. Katie exited last after Hunk, her fellow science friend giving her a hand to help her down. James smiled in appreciation. It was nice to know someone was looking after her when he couldn't.

A moment later, the MFE's car pulled up to the walkway, and James looked back at his team. They nodded. He opened the door.

The MFE's exited their car single file, falling into step just behind the Paladins. There were flashes of cameras and blurted questions all around them, but James didn't notice it. He just kept his eyes on his girlfriend in front of him, trying to make sure they didn't wander too much.

Once they were in, they were all escorted to tables toward the front of the banquet hall. James nearly sighed in relief when he saw that someone had put him next to Katie. It seems at least someone on the planning committee was aware of their relationship, and had been considerate enough to place them together.

"Thank quiznak," he heard Katie mutter when he sat down next to her. He snickered, and it didn't take too long before their hands became intertwined under the table.

Dinner passed by in a blur of random conversation and comments about the food. Occasionally, James swore he felt eyes on his back, but he was sure he had to be imagining things. It was probably just his training that had him on edge at such a high profile event. Some habits never died.

Then came the part he'd been more or less dreading.

The host of the event was saying something along the lines of enjoying the entertainment or whatever, but James didn't hear it. He was just running through the steps of a waltz in his head one last time, counting the one-two-three rhythm obsessively in his head.

Finally, the musician stepped up to the stage, and James felt his palms grow sweaty. A stirring violin accompaniment rose up. The singer began the first verse.

'You can do this,' James told himself. 'You practiced. You can do it.'

Other couples around the room were making their way to the dance floor. James' eyes flickered to Katie.

She seemed enraptured in the song, her head tilted and her lips curved upward softly. His heart swelled. He could do this.

Slowly, James stood from his chair. Katie blinked up at him. He offered a hand.

A grin came onto her face, and she accepted without hesitation. James lead her over to the center of the room just as the second verse was beginning. He placed one hand on her waist, and she settled hers on his shoulder. Taking in a deep breath, he took a moment to find the beat, then started them off at an easy tempo.

'One-two-three, one-two-three,' he reminded himself. He thought he was doing fairly well, if he was honest. The music swelled, and James gained the courage to give Katie a little twirl.

When she came back around, her eyebrows were high in surprise. "I didn't know you could dance."

James gave her another spin. "I couldn't, but then I stayed up all night watching tutorial videos online."

Katie's hand flew to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her burst of laughter. He grinned, slowly easing them into a bit of a faster pace. James watched as she followed him, eyes shining in delight. The music began to build to a crescendo. A move from the video came to mind, and with her bright smile encouraging him, he gave her a little lift.

As he set her down, Katie's eyes had never looked more beautiful. The song dipped in volume. James gave her a shy grin.

And then, she shocked him.

Katie leaned up and kissed him— just a peck. But it was firm and purposeful, taking him completely by surprise given how nervous she'd been about the whole thing the past couple of weeks.

When she stepped back, she gazed deep into his eyes. "Just wanted to make sure everyone knows you're taken, too."

The possessiveness of her words made him swoop down to capture her lips with his. He heard her hum contentedly against him, and for the first time in his life, James wanted to forget anything even remotely resembling protocol and propriety. All he felt like doing was taking her away and kissing her until they were both gasping for air.

But instead, he kept his cool. His lips left hers after a few tantalizing seconds, and he pulled her flush against him. "I love you," he murmured, brushing his lips along her hairline.

He leaned back in time to see her sigh happily. Her arms came up to hook around his neck. "I love you, too, James," she whispered.

Screw it, he couldn't help himself. James pressed yet another quick kiss to her lips, and when they parted, the couple giggled, silly love struck grins stretching across their mouths.

Off to the side of the ballroom, Hunk was trying his best not to burst into tears. "Dang it, they're just so CUTE!" he cried.

Most of the Paladins and MFE's around him agreed, of course, with Rizavi clasping her hands and sighing as she watched them. Even Leifsdottir had a rare smile twitching up on her lips.

Kinkade looked at them and shook his head. "I worry you're both trying to live through them vicariously."

Rizavi waved a hand. "Shut up, Ry-Ry, so are you. They're adorable."

The dark skinned pilot hummed noncommittally. The trio continued watching their commander few more moments before Ryan cleared his throat and held out a hand. "Either of you want to join them? We're probably expected to."

Rizavi's eyes twinkled. "Oooh, so we can go spy?"

Kinkade rolled his eyes and began to open his mouth, but Leifsdottir cut him off. "Romelle has glanced in your direction nine times within the past ten minutes. Go ask her to dance instead."

The man raised an eyebrow and turned his head. Sure enough, Romelle was staring at him. The Altean gave a shy wave, her face turning pink, and Kinkade nodded at her cordially.

His grey eyes flickered back to Leifsdottir. "And here I thought Nadia was the self-proclaimed matchmaker of the group."

"Stop stalling!" Rizavi hissed, pushing Kinkade in Romelle's direction. She and Ina watched as their friend made his way through the small crowd that separated them.

Kinkade wasted no time at all— inclining his head and offering a hand. Romelle's face lit up in delight, and Rizavi punched the air with a quiet "yes!"

The two made their way to a spot on the dance floor near Katie and James. Kinkade glanced over at them for approval, and Ina gave a thumbs up. The two women observed him and Romelle for a few minutes. Romelle was all sparkling eyes and rambling sentences, while Ryan was careful nods and lips pursed in thought.

"They're night and day," Nadia noted.

Ina's eyes flickered over to their squadron leader. "Most would say the same about them, at first glance."

Rizavi followed her gaze. Her heart melted a little. Griffin and Katie were nose to nose, whispering something as they gazed at each other with half lidded eyes. James gave his girlfriend a chaste kiss, and she giggled.

Nadia sighed, actually beginning to feel little happy tears form in the corners of her eyes. "They really do deserve each other," she sniffed. "I'm so happy for them."

Leifsdottir nodded in agreement before she subtly looked to her left. "I wish everyone shared the same opinion," she muttered under her breath.

A few feet over, a certain red Paladin was becoming a huffy mess. "Can you believe him, being all over her like that? It's completely ridiculous! Hasn't he ever heard to lay off the PDA?"

Next to him, a black Paladin was resisting the urge to bash his right hand man's head in. "Get over it," Keith hissed. "Can't you just be happy for her? I'm tired of hearing you complain all the time."

Lance crossed his arms indignantly. "I just think he's being disrespectful," he clarified. "This is a formal event. He should have more decorum or whatever."

Keith rolled his eyes and passed Shiro a look. They'd been witnessing more and more of this kind of behavior from Lance lately, and neither of them knew what to make of it. At first it had seemed like a protective instinct, which they all understood, of course. Pidge held a special place in all of their hearts.

But lately, Lance's snide comments and random suspicions just seemed childish and immature. It was really starting to grate on Keith's nerves, and he knew Shiro felt the same. He glanced at Lance, then back at Shiro in a silent question.

"Patience yields focus," Shiro mouthed. Keith snickered. Sometimes his adoptive brother was just so cheesy.

Back in the center of the ballroom, Katie and James were oblivious to it all. It was as though the music had captured them in a little world of their own. No one was staring at them. There weren't any whispers flooding the room. It was just them.

James's hand shifted from her waist to her hair, gently tucking it behind her ear. Instantly, a burst of heat filled his girlfriend's eyes.

"Kinda wish we weren't here anymore," she commented.

A wave of desire crashed over him. James hummed lowly, his grip on her tightening. "Me too."

"Think they'd notice if we escaped?"

"Not only would they notice— I'm pretty sure the Paladins would have my head for sneaking off with you."

Katie cracked up a bit, and James smiled. He knew what she meant, though. He was still fighting the urge to take her away to some deserted corner and kiss her. But instead, he contented himself with slowly swaying with her back and forth, ignoring everything and everyone around them.

They stayed that way until the music ended. The gala began winding down, and when he was called up to speak, James found himself talking to an audience of one. No one else existed— it was just her, watching him from her seat at their table with a proud smile on her lips.

And as he talked about things like how the war made them both gain and lose, understand the value of life and having harmony among all aspects of it, he caught his thoughts drifting toward the idea that such a life with Katie was the most wonderful idea he'd ever heard of.

Cute conclusion, right? Don't worry, this story is far from over.

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