Sorry for skipping a few weeks, had a few *big life events* so I was very busy. Back with the uploads, and we're on to the last few chapters!

Early the next morning, and after getting a call from Miku, Luka headed up to her room in the penthouse suite. Instead of the warm welcome she'd hoped for, the instant the door was closed, Miku had pulled aside the collar of her shirt and showed off a row of dark red marks.

"Look at what you did to me!"

"Oh." Though Luka did her best to sound dismayed, she couldn't help but grin.

"I said you can't bruise me!"

"I didn't mean to," Luka said. "I didn't think you bruised so easily."

"I told you I did!" Miku huffed, releasing her collar. She wore a button-up, collared and sleeveless white shirt, which hid most of her shoulders and neck. It had stuck out initially, but the choice now made sense.

"I forgot."

"Well, remember that for next time, then! I don't want to walk around with blemishes on my skin!"

Luka smirked. "Even if they mean that you're mine?"

Miku blushed and averted her eyes. "I don't mind that."

Luka chuckled and held her. "I'm very sorry."

"You'd better be."

"I'll be more careful next time."

"Good."

"Or maybe more mindful of their placement."

Miku pulled from her arms then. "You wouldn't dare. I plan to wear a bathing suit all summer!"

Luka's grin faded. "Ah, right."

"I was supposed to go to the spa today! Now I can't, because of this!"

"Oops."

Miku sighed, and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Now I guess I have to cancel my plans with my friends today."

"You don't have to," Luka tried. "You could do something else."

"Like what?"

After thinking for a bit, the best Luka could come up with was, "Go see a movie?"

"Ugh, that's so dull. Books, movies, they're so boring. You just sit there. Real life is far more entertaining!"

"You can always just hang out."

"But we do that so often already," Miku pouted. "I wanted to go to the spa!"

"You can still go. Call it a rash."

"And admit that I get rashes, a pure lie? Out of the question. I'm canceling."

Luka watched as Miku pulled out her phone and started typing furiously. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Her companion pouted and groaned as the replies started coming in.

"They're all asking why. Of course I can't tell them it's because my girlfriend destroyed my shoulder," Miku said.

"Can I make it up to you somehow?"

"I don't know. Can you?" Miku asked, brow raised.

Luka thought for a second. "Do you like sight-seeing?"

"Sure. It's a bit dull at times, but some landscapes are nice."

"Come on, then. Let's get a taxi."

"Out of the question! I'm calling Carl. He'll drive us to wherever we need to go."

"Works for me."

Carl was called, and a limousine soon arrived at the hotel. Luka told the driver to head to the airport, but not the big one: instead, she directed him to a nearby, smaller airport, with smaller aircraft.

"I don't know where we're going, but it better be worth it," Miku pouted.

"Calm down, princess," Luka said, keeping her tone soft. She held Miku's hand for good measure. "If things work out, I'll have something for us to do for a couple of hours."

"Only?!"

"It depends on whether or not you get bored."

Miku huffed. "Fine. I'll do my best to be patient."

"Thank you." Luka kissed the back of her hand, which only made Miku huff again. Yet she didn't pull her hand away, and leaned against Luka's form as they were driven through the city, to a more remote corner, a little beyond the outskirts.

Once they arrived, Luka caught Miku sneering at the small, somewhat tired-looking building. It certainly wasn't built to impress; the air traffic control tower, hangar, runway, and even the entrance were definitely undersized compared to what Miku was used to. Luka told the younger girl to wait while she took care of the boring, official stuff inside. It took a while, but eventually Luka was given the green light, a plane to fly, and its keys.

"So, are you going to fly me around?" Miku asked as they walked towards the hangar.

"You guessed it."

"This is the smallest airport I've ever seen," she said, looking around. "It barely even looks like an airport."

"It's more of a runway than a port," Luka admitted. "Ah, here we go."

Before them stood a plane. While Miku initially balked at a small, diminutive aircraft, Luka marveled at the elegant Velis Electro. It certainly was small, barely room for two people to sit, it was also electric, and that would guarantee a silent, smooth ride.

"Give me a minute, I need to make sure it's all in order," Luka said as she started with her check of the plane.

"We're flying this thing?!" Miku said. "It's tiny!"

"It'll do," Luka said. "It's small, sure, but we won't need a lot of room. We're just flying circles for a bit."

Miku sighed, but didn't otherwise complain, watching and waiting while Luka did a once-over of the aircraft. Then she opened it with the given keys, then helped Miku inside.

"What is all this?"

"'All this' helps me fly the plane," Luka said as she got settled in the airplane. She put on the four-point seatbelt, and watched as Miku imitated her.

"You're qualified to fly this thing?"

Luka laughed. "I can fly many aircraft. They're not so different from one another. I will be going over some safety procedures."

"Such as?"

"First off, I'd like to think that you can appreciate what it means that I let you in the cockpit with me. This is meant to be an instructional aircraft. That means that there are things on your side that you can push that will kill us both. The fact that I'm inviting you here is a huge sign of trust on my behalf."

Miku's pouty, mopey mood smoothed over almost instantaneously. "Of course."

"Second, this means 'please don't touch anything'," Luka said with a weak chuckle.

"I'll keep my hands right here," Miku said, placing her palms on her lap.

"That works for me." Luka sighed. "Ok. So. There's no life vest, since we're a bit far from water now. If we need to do an emergency landing..."

She detailed the emergency procedures to Miku who, to her credit, actually seemed to listen. Then Luka did her check of the inside of the plane, before finally handing Miku a headset.

"This will let us talk while we're in the sky," she said. "It also means you'll be in on calls with air traffic control, so I'll request that you're quiet when I'm talking to them, please."

"I can do that," Miku said, adjusting the headset. "This is so awful for my hair."

"It's temporary," Luka assured her, then started the plane. "I'll be talking with air traffic control for a bit. Sit tight."

She did just that, identifying herself, stating her intention, then waited for a reply. She was given the green light for the runway. Her hands danced over the controls, bringing the plane to and taxiing it toward the runway.

Luka chatted a little with the air traffic control about the weather, wind conditions, and how other flyers had experienced the skies so far that day. It promised to be a fair, easy flight, and when they gave her permission to take to the skies, she grinned.

"Here we go," she whispered to Miku. "Hold on tight."

Miku obeyed, watching as the pilot sent the plane forward, racing down the tarmac, before pulling back on the yoke. And there it was: liftoff. The ground ducked out from beneath them, sinking lower and lower still, while Luka laughed at the feeling, hands tight on the controls.

"It's so weird when it's a smaller aircraft," she told Miku. "I'm so used to the Global 6000. This thing weighs nothing."

"Do you always have to say all those words and letters and numbers when you talk to the other people?" Miku asked, her voice filling the cockpit, but coming through much clearer in the headset.

"Always."

"Why?"

"It's protocol. These rules are written in blood; people died for them. They're designed to keep us safe," she said. "Now look..."

She gestured with her chin towards the outdoors, making Miku cast her gaze towards the world beneath them.

Through the headset, Luka heard Miku gasp.

The view had been captivating from the hotel breakfast hall, way at the top of the hotel, but it was even more entrancing from the heights that they flew, and Luka made sure that they would keep climbing still. She didn't focus on the towering mountains to the west, or the blue ribbons of the river to the east, or the valley between them, where the city they'd been visiting rose from a sea of green. It was a sight to behold, those bold colors: green and blue, yellow and orange. And Miku took it in for a long, long time.

When they reached a stable altitude, Luka took a peek at her passenger, who had kept her hands in her lap, as she promised, but was staring through the window intensely.

"Is this worth the lost spa day?" Luka asked tentatively.

"Darling, this is more than worth it," Miku gushed.

"And it's all just for you," Luka told her, briefly placing a hand on her thigh.

"Just for me."

Luka grinned. "I know I'm not super rich like most people you know. But if I can give you one thing, it's the sky. Whenever, wherever, if you want to fly, I'm there."

Miku sighed, taking in the view. Luka flew in circles for a bit, watching as the clouds soared by, dotting the landscape with dark patches. Miku took it all in for ages, leaning left or right depending on what caught her attention, yet still keeping her hands in her lap.

"This is magnificent," Miku said. "How long can we stay up here?"

"An hour or two. We're forty minutes in."

"Already?!"

"It's up to you. When you're bored, we'll go back down."

"Oh, I don't want to go back down yet," she said. "Let's stay up here for a while."

"Okay."

Luka focused on her instruments, assured that Miku was keeping her eyes on the exterior. When she looked to check, though, she saw that the younger woman had shifted her gaze to Luka herself. She was smiling, almost smugly, which prompted the older woman to chuckle nervously.

"What is it?"

"I can't believe someone as cool as you is all mine," Miku whispered appreciatively, her tone seductive. "Look at you, so in control of everything."

"I have to be."

"Yesterday, you took control, too. You're always on top of things, aren't you."

"I make a habit of it, it seems."

"It's hot," Miku said with a leer.

Luka shook her head, a grin on her face. "Whatever you say."

To her surprise, there was suddenly a hand on her thigh, one which stayed this time, and squeezed lightly.

"Is this okay?"

"For now, sure. Once we land, though..."

"I understand."

Miku returned to the sights around her, keeping her hand securely on Luka's thigh. Luka couldn't help but smile, taking in the sights around her at times as well, but mostly gazing over to Miku.

She was breathtaking. With her hair tied up and her collared shirt, she once again looked very handsome indeed. Luka felt her knees grow a little weak if she stared too much, so she kept her eyes on the control panel and stayed as stoic as possible.

"It's funny. You've been flying me for a year, but I've never actually watched you fly," Miku said at one point.

"It's a lot more involved here than it is on the Global 6000. Sure, that one has more controls and more features, but once you're in the sky, it's an almost straight line to the destination. I pop the autopilot on and it takes care of most things."

"Plus you have a co-pilot."

"Yes. Here, I have to do all the work myself, so it's a little more involved," Luka said. "So basically, this is the most flying you'll probably ever see me do."

"Hm. Would I be welcome in the cockpit, back in the Global?"

Luka's grin fell. "Well, if you stick to the aisle and didn't touch anything... I doubt Lily would appreciate it much, though."

"Pfft! no fair."

"If you behave like you're behaving now, I'll have no problem with it," Luka said. "Just give me a warning if you plan to visit beforehand. That way, I can give Lily a heads-up."

"Whatever." Miku sighed. "I think I'm bored now."

"Okay, I'll land. It'll take a bit."

"That's fine. Take us home safely."

"I will. I'll be talking with ATC; hang on."

After getting landing clearance, Luka made her base turn and lined up with the runway. A couple minutes later, they touched down, the wheels bouncing slightly off of the tarmac.

"Okay. Time to bring this baby home," Luka said. "Did you have a nice time?"

"I had the most wonderful time, darling," Miku replied, a wide grin on her face. "This more than made up for the missing spa day."

"Hm. Perhaps you could go to the spa tomorrow?"

"I'm counting on it," Miku said. "What you did to me should heal quickly. Then I can treat you to a spa day, too."

Luka blinked. "Am I coming too?"

"Not at the same time as my friends," Miku quickly assured her. "I won't do that to you. Once they're done, which usually doesn't last long at all, I'll bring you over and I'll make sure you get the pampering you deserve."

"Gosh. Thank you."

"Thank me after, darling. Definitely thank me after."

"Ha, I will."

They spent the rest of the day walking through the city, doing more sight-seeing at ground level. Luka treated Miku to salt-of-the-earth, normal-person ice cream, which she adored, and Miku bought Luka a new watch, one to match her new pilot's suit. Then it was dinner in the hotel, and some long goodbyes in the hall in front of Miku's room.

Luka slept like a baby that night.

The following day—which also happened to be their last day in that city—

went as Miku had intended: she could go to the spa, the redness of her skin having sufficiently faded. It was only at around 3 o'clock that Luka got a text that the limousine would shortly arrive to pick her up, so she gathered her swimming supplies and hurried out the door, not entirely sure what to expect.

What she should have expected was an absolutely bone-melting experience. There was the massage, which unraveled knots Luka didn't even know she had. It was full-body, extensive, and seemingly took forever; Luka didn't see time fly by, merely sitting back in her chair and letting the masseurs turn her into a boneless puddle of goo. Then there was the skincare routine, which further lured her into a state of full relaxation with the pampering, the sweet aromas, and soft music. All happened alongside Miku, who got the same treatment, sighing contentedly the whole while.

When the employees were done, they invited the pair to bask in the afterglow for a while before having to return to the changing rooms, an opportunity Luka eagerly took advantage of.

"If I'd known that spa days were like this, I would've splurged on one ages ago," she whispered, her voice low in her throat, almost in her chest.

"I know, darling. It's divine."

"I had no idea I could even get so relaxed. Are you as relaxed as I am?"

"Yes. It's always a treat."

"You come here often?" Luka asked.

"Here specifically, no. I go to spas often. I like to sample the different care packages and compare them. This? This has been sublime. I'll be back here."

"Oh man, so will I. I could do this every day."

Miku giggled. "Good. We'll be doing this sort of thing often, then."

"Yes, please."

They laid there for what felt like hours, but eventually the facility actually had to close for the day, so they were gently shown to the door. Luka got dressed as if her limbs were made of spaghetti, while Miku was far more used to this, and was apparently ready within minutes, impatiently waiting for Luka to be done. Then they took the limousine back, Luka still made of putty, relaxing in the back seat.

"I don't know how you get used to this," Luka said, her voice still not where it ought to be. "I still feel like I'm turned into a liquid."

"Perhaps one builds tolerance," Miku mused. "I don't know. It's been a long time since I was reduced to your state."

"I'd hate to develop tolerance to this, but I'd hate even more to wait very long before I feel this again."

Miku grinned. "I'll take you to the best establishment in the country. Then, you'll experience true relaxation."

"Oh yes, please,"

They soon rolled up to the hotel, so Luka found her bones again and accompanied Miku inside, into the elevator, all the way up to the breakfast hall, which was then the dining hall, for a leisurely, upscale dinner. While normally Luka would complain about the small portions of high-end restaurants, this time they suited her just fine, doing the perfect job of sating her without feeding her too much. She was perfectly content, almost drowsy, when she accompanied Miku to the penthouse suite.

"I had a lovely day today," Miku said when they got to her door. "Mostly thanks to you."

"It's my pleasure," Luka said, barely able to keep from falling asleep on her feet. "I'm really glad you had a nice time."

Miku hummed, holding Luka's hands. "We don't have to let this last day end so soon."

"Hm?"

"Join me in my room for a bit?"

"Sure."

Miku opened the door for them both, closing it behind Luka once she'd entered.

"Do all your hotel rooms look like this?" Luka asked once she was inside.

"No. Some are a bit bigger," Miku said, shrugging as if she were commenting on the weather. "Yours are different?"

"You've seen mine, haven't you?"

"At a glance."

"It's a room. A room with a bed, a desk, and a separate bathroom. Not much else. This?" Luka shook her head. "This is grandiose."

"I live for the grandiose, darling."

"I know, I know. I shouldn't expect anything else."

"Hm. Eventually, you'll be able to join me in my room, whenever we travel together," Miku said, opening the fridge. "What would you like to drink?"

"What do you have?"

"Whatever you could possibly desire," Miku answered. "What would you like?"

"Water is fine."

The younger woman giggled. "No, my darling, I'm talking about alcohol. What suits your palate? Wine? Champagne? Rum?"

Luka's relaxed demeanor stiffened a bit. "Alcohol?"

"Why are you so surprised? You've seen me drink before."

"Over international waters," Luka pointed out. "Your drinking here is very much against the law."

"The rest of the world drinks at eighteen, you'd know that."

"But we aren't in the rest of the world. Gosh, even your party didn't feature any alcohol."

"By design, darling. I know the people who went to my party, and when they get drunk, they're maniacs who don't know the principle of breaking only one law at a time. Unfortunately, they like to get drunk often. But this is different; I trust you to behave. So to you, I offer my liquor cabinet. What do you fancy?"

Luka sighed, relented, and grinned teasingly. "Can I trust you to behave, though?"

Miku smiled impishly. "Perhaps I am trying to see where some liquid courage will take us. Perhaps not. All I'm offering is a drink."

"My poison of choice is pretty tame: I drink wine, really."

"A wine girl. Interesting." Miku opened what Luka guessed was a wine cooler, and retrieved a wine bottle.

"'Interesting'? How so?"

"I always supposed that pilots took to stronger stuff. Brandy, perhaps. Either way." Miku deftly opened the bottle. "I don't suppose you've ever had Chateau Pétrus?"

"Never even heard of it."

Miku chuckled. "Then you'll have to tell me how it tastes."

Luka watched her pour a glass, before pouring a glass of a different, clearer liquid for herself.

"What are you having?"

"Ron Zacapa."

"That doesn't mean anything to me."

"Then it'll be a surprise when you figure it out."

Miku approached her with her wine glass, holding a smaller, stouter, round glass in her other hand. The color of the liquid was one of amber, but Luka couldn't guess from sight alone what she had served for herself.

They both got settled on opposite sides of a couch, then raised their glasses.

"Cheers," Luka said quietly.

They clinked glasses and Luka sniffed then sipped the wine.

"You know your wine etiquette, good," Miku said, observing her sharply. "That means I can take you places."

"I've learned a few things," Luka said.

"Has your knowledge taught you whether this is good wine or not?"

"'Good wine' is a matter of taste," Luka said with a chuckle. "There's something to say for quality, of course, but past a certain point all good wine is, well, good wine. Either you like the wine, or you don't. Some brands get expensive, others don't. It's a coin toss."

"Do you like this?"

"I do, actually. It's very nice."

"Good. Then the bottle won't have to go to waste."

"I'm not drinking the entire bottle."

Miku grinned. "We'll see. Perhaps not tonight. You can bring it home with you, if you'd like."

"I wouldn't mind. It's tasty."

The younger woman smiled smugly and sipped her own drink. She did so cautiously, only after swirling it around her glass and smelling it as well, but Luka knew it wasn't wine.

"You know, you've been awful to me," Miku suddenly said.

"What? When?"

"After we were rescued. We parted ways, you with your broken clavicle, me with a broken heart. I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again. I'd told you to stay in touch, and what did I get?"

"Oh. Uhm..."

"Next to nothing. Only the good news that you'd passed the test. But for a full two months, I heard nothing from you."

"I didn't want to impose," Luka said.

"Oh, I understand that. And our standing was so vague. But, ah, we'd kissed! And you didn't even text me."

"To be fair, I didn't even know what that kiss was supposed to mean. I thought..."

"You thought?"

Luka shrugged, sipping her wine to stall. "I thought it was very nice. I enjoyed it. I could tell it was earnest, but I didn't know what exactly you were trying to say with it."

"Can you guess now?"

Luka thought about it for a moment, but it didn't take long for a message to come to her.

"That you liked me."

"There you have it," Miku said, sipping her own drink. Just a tiny bit, the smallest sip, and Luka guessed it was strong.

"Uh... I never would have guessed at the time."

"I had hopes. After seeing the way you drew me, I thought it was reciprocated."

"It probably was. I just didn't know it. My friend Meiko had to tell me I had a crush before I realized it for myself."

Miku giggled. "Either way, you have a lot to make up for."

"I'll do my best, then," Luka said.

"Hm, good," Miku said with a grin. "I do like it when you get focused like that."

"Like what?"

"So determined. On a mission. Makes one feel wanted."

Luka gently rolled her eyes. "I do take you seriously. I'm sorry I didn't write. I don't know what I would have written, but looking back, I could have. You're the only person who went through the same thing that I did."

"There. We could have further bonded over that. Instead, you did nothing."

"Well, I did go to therapy."

"Ah, yes. How is that going?"

"Great. It helps a lot."

"Good. But my point is, once we're home tomorrow, you'd better not start ignoring me. I'm part of your life now. Treat me like it."

Luka nodded firmly, not hesitating for a second with her reply. "I will."

"Good."

"May I ask, though... What are you drinking, exactly? I can't figure it out. It's killing me."

"Would you like to taste?"

"Sure."

To Luka's surprise, Miku placed the glass on the coffee table next to the couch, so that it sat almost between them. Luka put her wine down, and reached for the mysterious glass of liqueur, only for a hand to rest on her shoulder.

Before Luka could ask or protest, the gesture turned into a shove Luka fell back against the couch's armrest. Suddenly, Miku was on her, kissing her.

Luka tasted the strong flavor of the liqueur almost instantly, but instead of trying to puzzle it out, she poured her entire focus into the kiss, immediately wrapping her arms around Miku, inviting the younger woman to lie on top of her. Miku obliged gleefully, kicking her shoes off to rest partially on the couch, partially on Luka, kissing her all the while.

It started slowly, almost thoughtfully. Miku barely supported her upper body weight against the couch, in favor of feeling Luka's torso against her own. Luka didn't mind, pulling the younger woman closer, running her hands through her hair. As the kiss progressed though, growing deeper, more heated, the mixing of the liqueurs made for a more muddled flavor, except neither of them minded. It soon turned feverish, passionate without much restraint, but it was hard to tell if it was because they were mindlessly getting carried away or because they were intentionally relinquishing all control. Luka even ended up resting fully on the couch, shoes on, with Miku resting between her legs. She used the position to draw Miku closer still, using a free hand to press against her lower back, pulling her in. The younger woman was more than happy to oblige, resting against Luka with her entire weight, kicking against the couch to get closer still.

Luka broke for air when she felt a knee between her legs.

"Rum," she managed, breathless, flustered. "It's rum."

"Good girl," Miku praised her. "You get a reward."

Before Luka could say anything, Miku kissed her again, pinning her into the plush pillows of the couch. The knee returned, grinding against Luka, and she groaned, clutching at Miku's back.

After a few moments, she pulled away, gasping. "Not here," she managed, barely above a whisper.

"Aww." Miku did retreat, despite her obvious disappointment. She hovered over the pilot, but there was a cold, safe distance between them. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Luka said, still gulping air. "I just... Wow."

"I'm sorry for pushing."

"You're hardly pushing. You invited me and I declined. You're respecting that."

Miku shrugged, sitting up on her side of the couch. "I mean more for asking so often. I shouldn't keep insisting."

Luka laughed. "No, it's fine. I enjoy this a lot."

"So I can keep inviting you, as you put it?"

"Please do." Then, playfully, she added, "Makes one feel wanted."

Miku giggled. "That's good, then. I always hated it when my boyfriends were too pushy."

"I don't mind you being pushy," Luka said. She got her shoes off the couch, and in the same movement she approached the younger woman, pressing a soft kiss against her cheek. "I wouldn't be here if I felt otherwise, after all."

Miku hummed. "I suppose you have a point." She pouted. "How much longer do I have to wait?"

"Not long," Luka promised. "I want this. I want you. But here, in this hotel room? I don't..."

"It's okay, I understand." Miku tidied her hair for a moment while Luka watched, their drinks forgotten. "You know, I wouldn't mind waiting for you to tell me when you're ready. You can initiate, too."

"I can," Luka said. "I'll do that, if you want."

"That suits me fine. Make me feel wanted, too."

"I will, princess," Luka whispered, kissing her cheek again. "You have my word."

"Good. Now, let's finish these drinks. Can't let them go to waste."