WARNING: This next chapter has mention of explicit content; reader discretion is advised.

Interstellar Academy

34: Shipped

Being enveloped in someone else was an experience Jim had imagined over and over, but never thought it would feel this glorious. He became one with someone who meant the entire universe to him. A history of hurt, sadness, love, longing, friendship- it all molded into this moment and manifested into a feeling he couldn't comprehend. He felt a beautiful dizziness swallow him as he was inside her, feeling every inch of her. She felt so small, fragile, and he knew that his decision to leave, when called, meant protecting this gorgeous creature he was so in love with. His arms held her close, and they clung to each other as if for dear life. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, her moans muffled by his sweaty skin. He hid inside her hair, wanting every scent committed to memory.

They finished together, fireworks dancing behind their lids. They called out to each other, as if the closeness they were feeling just wasn't close enough. She collapsed onto the sand, hands on either side of her head, her eyes half closed in bliss but peeking up at him. He hovered over her, one hand holding one of hers, the other on her hip, and he stared at her body just like this, wanting to remember her this way forever and always, remembering her being completely and openly his.

"Nova… You're so beautiful, I can't even stand it." His voice was rough, hoarse, but when he said her name, he breathed it and it sent thrills through her.

"I love you, Jim. More than anything."

"I love you, Nova."

They had dressed but remained lying together for quite some time. Eventually, Nova fell asleep, and Jim carried her back to her dorm. Charlotte answered the door, her eyes full of tears.

"Ruse told you," he said silently, holding Nova even closer to him.

"You haven't told her?"

"I-I can't." Tears that he'd refused to cry spilled out of his eyes. He lay her on her bed and she nestled into her pillow, undisturbed.

"You're leaving tomorrow. It's confirmed, Jim."

"I…" Jim stroked some loose hair from her pale face. She mumbled under his touch, but still never awoke. "I can't do that to her. I can't make her wait, Charlotte. I have to… end it."

Charlotte didn't argue, didn't respond at all, really. She allowed Jim to have his final moments with Nova, walking out of their room, probably to the girls' lounge.

Jim shook Nova awake. She muttered frustratingly, swatting at him.

"Nova, please, wake up."

She sighed at the sound of his voice, turning over to smile at him. "G'mornin'."

"It's not…" He wiped at his face, trying to hide any evidence of crying.

"Jim, what's wrong?" She was more awake now, sitting up to touch him. He shied from her welcoming fingers, which he could tell hurt her. "Why are you…"

"I'm going to do something horrible." He stood up and stepped away. "I'm breaking up with you."

Nova, initially, looked blankly at him as the words processed. Then, as the words sunk in, crystal tears spilled from her eyes. "What? But… you just said you'd…"

"I'm a bad person, Nova. You don't want to get involved with me."

"B-but, I don't understand, did I do something wrong?"

She would probably more convinced of his statement if he said just that. "Yes. You did something horribly wrong. Which is why I'm doing something horrible in return."

"What did I do!" She exclaimed, trying to stand up. Her legs were so shaky, she ended up collapsing. She reached out for him, but he made no move to help her. "I don't understand! Won't you give me a chance to fix it!"

"No, it's too late. You can't mend this, I'm sorry."

She reached out to him, but he swatted her hand away. This act wounded her the most, and she sat back on her bed, simply staring at him with round green eyes. "OK. If that's what you want."

"It's what's best."

He turned and walked away without another word. When he was outside, he found the nearest bench and buried his face, releasing all the anguish he refused to show her, all the pain. He just had the most memorably beautiful moment of his entire life, and he ruined in it not even hours later.

Jim walked into his dorm, his eyes hazy, elsewhere. Ruse looked just as dazed as him, and didn't say a single word to him until he'd settled onto his bed, a pillow over his face.

"You didn't tell her."

Jim said nothing, not even a mumble.

"I don't blame you. When I told Helena…" He sighed. "Everything good just gets ripped from your hands, it's fucked up."

Jim lowered the pillow from his face, revealing his tear-jerked eyes.

"Yo, dude, what's up?" Ruse could tell something was tormenting his friend.

"Me and Nova… We… We made love. For the first time. And it was the best thing in the whole world. But then… then the reality of everything hit, and after I took her home, I broke up with her, man. I just… ended it."

Ruse tossed a solid object- a trophy- at Jim's bed, narrowly missing the boy. Jim sat up, surprised.

"You WHAT?"

"I know! I screwed up, big time. But I hated the idea of her waiting for however long. And this way, she won't feel any need to wait for me. Because I would tear my heart out before I put her through that."

"BUT DUDE!" Ruse tossed Jim onto the ground. Emotionally distraught, Jim fought back, but he was too exhausted to do much harm. Ruse pinned his friend down, his three fingers on each hand stronger than Jim anticipated. "That's not a choice that's up to you! That's up to her!"

Jim's eyes overflowed with tears, and he looked up at Ruse desperately. "I know. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't live with it. I'm a selfish bastard, I know. I love her so much, the thought of her waiting day in and day out- and if something happened…"

"That's what it was… not if she waited, but if you… died out there." Ruse pushed himself off Jim and helped the boy to his feet. Jim rested his head on his roommate's shoulder, torn inside and out and unable to keep himself from falling to his knees. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

They didn't say much else, but fell asleep in their own beds, though it took some time.

Nova awoke with her head pounding and tiny crystals littering her pillow. All the memories of last night flooded back to her, and she held her head as if to keep it pieced together. She grudgingly made a move to the bathroom, fixing herself to the best of her ability, settling on a simple ponytail and teeth brushing before heading downstairs. Charlotte was already out of bed and dressed in her cadet uniform.

"Is something happening today?" Nova cocked her head to the side.

Charlotte at first looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. Then she sighed, reaching out to hug her. Nova didn't say anything, but hugged back. Stepping away to look at her friend, she asked again what was wrong.

"Nova… Jim lied."

The name that tore her heart in two took the breath out of her. "O-oh?" Nova wondered if Charlotte had listened in on their conversation.

"Today, some of the men are being drafted. Your father asked of it. They weren't supposed to say anything until it was confirmed. It was confirmed last night."

"B-but…" A new batch of tears welled in her eyes. "Why wouldn't he tell me that! I'm his best friend, he tells me everything!"

"He didn't want you to wait for him. He thought that if you thought less of him and were hurt by him, you wouldn't be sad about finding out about him leaving."

"No!" Nova threw on some jeans and a t-shirt, not caring that the rest of her class will be looking business like for this sorrowful event. She shoved her tiny feet into her black boots and ran out the door, Charlotte close at her feet. "I can't let him leave, I can't let him think that I won't miss him, even if- if we are broken up!"

At the dock, people gathered around to hug and kiss their loved ones good-bye, holding them one last time. Jim was near Ruse, keeping his back turned as the alien and his girlfriend shared one last, passionate kiss.

"Jim!" Nova called over the crowd, jumping over them so he could see her wave. He didn't seem to hear her, so she made a path for herself, shoving people rudely out of her way. Charlotte assisted her friend, grabbing her wrist and leading the way. When they were close to the front, both girls called out to the human boy. "JIM!"

The boy turned, and he instantly became incapable of breathing. He stared in awe at this girl, dressed so casual, hair a mess, with wild eyes and heaving shoulders as she tried to gulp air she'd lost.

"You lying son of a bitch!" she screamed at him, shocking the entire crowd. "How dare you lie to me! How dare you make me believe that you didn't care about me anymore."

One of the faculty came to hold her back, but Charlotte interjected, stepping between him and her friend. "Let her speak. Trust me."

She stepped around everyone to stand directly in front of her long time friend. "It isn't up to you whether I wait for your return, it's up to me. You should have given me that choice." She grew weak then, being so close to him. Last night came crashing around her, and she thought she would faint.

"Nova…" His eyes looked pained, and he obviously had nothing to say.

"Even if you break up with me, you don't think I would have waited until you'd come back, once I found out the truth? That would give me time to fix everything, make it better. So when you came back, you'd be happy to be home, with me…"

"I-I'm sorry…"He dropped his knapsack and wrapped his arms around her, expecting rejection. Instead she embraced him right back, burying her face in his chest. "I just… I couldn't stand the idea of you waiting. You don't deserve that-"

She pulled away to look him in the eye. "But that's not up to you, Jim. That's up to me. And I say, because I love you, I'm going to wait. Wait days, weeks, months, years even. However long until I see you again." She paused, her eyes searching on his face for something they couldn't seem to find. "I love you. You need to trust in that."

"I do. I love you, Nova." He bent down and swept her in a kiss that literally took her breath away. The crowd applauded them, but they didn't notice. They were one hundred percent consumed with each other.

A whistling was heard from above, and they broke apart to see where it could be coming from. Something fired just above the ship and hit a mast, causing the large pillar to topple over onto the dock. Jim grabbed hold of Nova and moved her out of the way. Charlotte, Ruse and Helena followed right behind.

"What's going on!" Charlotte screamed, her hands fruitlessly covering her head.

"W-wait!" Nova ripped her hand from Jim's. "Daddy!"

"Right behind you, Supernova!" Her father's hands shone bright gold and were blasting mercilessly at their pursuers. "It looks like they brought the war right to us!"

A/N: Believe it or not, this series is about over.