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The Stellaron Hunters, much like the Astral Express crew, rarely had the luxury of time off.
There was always something demanding their attention: scripts to prepare for the Hunters, new horizons to explore and worlds to save for the Trailblazers. Since their departure from Penacony it had became hard for Firefly and Stelle to reunite physically, but they did always stayed in touch daily, their phones serving as their lifelines in the tougher moments of their lives.
Today, however, fate, for once, had smiled upon them both.
They had found themselves close enough and with nothing to do to finally meet for a few days. Firefly, after getting a thumbs-up and a smirk from Kafka, had taken a leave from her duties as a Hunter and was free to be Firefly, the normal girl who wanted nothing more than to see the woman she loved.
A few hours later, she stood inside the Express, holding her girlfriend tightly in her arms.
Sweet Stelle, ever thoughtful, greeted her with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.
After an extended session of kissing in the parlor car – interrupted only by Pom-Pom’s scolding and a few strange remarks about ‘doing it in front of the potted plant’ – they retreated to Stelle’s cabin in the second car of the Express for some private time together.
Far later, they emerged from the cabin to spend the day with Stelle’s family aboard the Express.
In the early days of visiting Stelle, Firefly had felt out of place. After all, she was part of the Stellaron Hunters – natural enemies of the Astral Express. Yet, to her surprise, Stelle’s family had welcomed her with open arms. Pom-Pom was the easiest, she just needed some sweets to be on their good side. March 7th excitedly showed her new photos she took, not missing the chance to share new embarrassing stories about Stelle. Himeko introduced her to new blends of coffee, appreciating that Firefly was apparently the only one in the Express brave enough to try her new favourites. Welt discussed technology with her, and was always particularly excited to talk about SAM and how it worked, while Dan Heng was ever-curious about any new knowledge Firefly could contribute to the Express’s data banks.
On Glamoth, her only close relationships had been with her unit, but the high command had discouraged personal bonds. Warmth like this had been alien to her.
That evening, as Firefly’s arms wrapped tightly around Stelle, she marvelled at the simple comfort she brought to her. Stelle, grumbling sleepily, nuzzled closer. Firefly smiled. Her star was so precious, so beautiful.
Her thoughts drifted to dinner earlier that night. She’d felt a wave of dizziness, a familiar sensation that signalled her Entropy Loss Syndrome about to flare up. As her body struggled to sync with time itself, everything around her slowed. By the time her senses returned to normal, she realized that Stelle had been holding her up, worry etched on her face.
“Hey,” Stelle said softly, brushing a strand of hair from Firefly’s forehead. “Today’s been a long day. Want to head to bed?”
Firefly appreciated how well Stelle understood her – she knew this wasn’t just fatigue. She knew that this dizziness was a warning that more ELS flare-ups were on the way and that it wouldn’t be pretty. Stelle’s suggestion was her way of protecting Firefly from the pity of the others, and Firefly loved her even more for it.
“Well,” Firefly rasped, her voice weak but filled with affection, “you did buy me dinner first.”
Stelle chuckled, her lips curling into a teasing smile. “And here I thought I was supposed to be the smooth one. Come on, hold on to me. We’re going to get some rest.”
Firefly clung to her girlfriend as they made their way to Stelle’s cabin after wishing everyone else a good night. She hated these moments of weakness, the way her body rebelled against her. But Stelle was her constant, her anchor. They tumbled into bed together, Stelle’s arms wrapping protectively around her as another flare of ELS coursed through Firefly's body, causing it to break down and reform painfully at a cellular level.
There was little Stelle could do to ease the agony, but she held Firefly close, her hands stroking her hair, her arms, her back. The words didn’t need to be spoken.
I love you.
Firefly, as she often did during these moments, held on to Stelle like a lifeline, focusing on her warmth and presence to weather the storm.
Eventually, the pain subsided, leaving Firefly weak but functional. She kissed Stelle’s cheek and melted into her arms, sobbing softly. Once, Firefly had been embarrassed by these moments of vulnerability. But Stelle had kissed away her fears, making it easier for Firefly to let her guard down and let the comfort Stelle could provide wash away the bad memories and feelings.
They stayed that way for a while, but as Firefly felt another flare looming on the horizon, she realized she wouldn’t be able to sleep through the night in this condition. Reluctantly, she decided it would be safer to spend the night inside SAM, and, as always, Stelle supported her decision without hesitation.
By the time Stelle returned from her shower, Firefly had already entered SAM, feeling the physical effects of her ELS dissipate immediately. The mental anguish remained, though, the constant reminder of what this illness was stealing from her, especially on nights meant to be spent in the arms of the woman she loved.
Firefly positioned herself by the window, staring out at the stars while also keeping Stelle in her peripheral vision. The lights in the cabin dimmed, the stars and the soft green glow of SAM’s armor providing the only illumination. As Firefly was expecting to see Stelle climbing into bed, she was surprised when Stelle approached SAM instead, a pleading look in her beautiful golden eyes.
“Sleep with me?” Stelle asked, her voice soft and imploring, like a child asking for a puppy.
Firefly laughed softly. “You know I’d love nothing more. But I don’t think Himeko would appreciate it if we broke another bed with SAM’s weight.”
“Last time wasn’t exactly about sleeping, though…” Stelle teased, a mischievous smile creeping across her lips.
Firefly chuckled. “Stelle!”
“Hmmm. Fine, then. If you can’t get into bed,” she declared, “then I’ll sleep in your arms.”
“Are you sure?” Firefly asked. “It won’t be very comfortable.”
“I don’t care,” Stelle said with a determined smile. “I just want to be with you tonight.”
Firefly’s heart swelled. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Stelle replied, her smirk barely visible in the shadows but still managing to shine in Firefly’s eyes.
As SAM sat on the ground in a lotus position to create some space where Stelle could lie down, Stelle gathered pillows and blankets, constructing a makeshift nest on SAM. Firefly marveled at her girlfriend’s creativity. SAM had been designed for war, yet here Stelle was, turning it into a bed.
What had she done to deserve someone like Stelle?
With gentle care, Firefly positioned SAM’s arms around Stelle, creating a space where she could snuggle. It took some trial and error to avoid the armor’s sharp edges, but eventually, Stelle settled into her makeshift bed, contentedly nuzzling into SAM’s embrace.
Firefly couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. She’d done many things with SAM, but being turned into a bed for her girlfriend was a first.
“Hey! Don’t mock my engineering skills!” Stelle said playfully.
“I’m not, I swear. You’re silly sometimes, you know that?”
“Only sometimes?”
“Hah! Fair enough.”
“Well, I admit that…” Stelle paused for a moment, then lifted her head to kiss SAM on the cheek. “But it’s because when it comes to you, I’d do anything to be with you, no matter how silly or serious it might seem. I love you, my Firefly.”
Her Firefly.
Firefly felt a warm and soft sensation spread through her at those words.
“I love you too, my star.” Firefly moved one of SAM’s arms to gently caress Stelle’s hair. How she wished it were her real fingers, to truly feel the texture of Stelle’s hair. “Now, try to get some sleep, or you’ll be tired tomorrow.”
“I’m not five, you know…”
“Well, that’s true. According to your memories, you’re about two years old now…”
“I… huh. Fudge, that’s a good point.”
‘Fudge’? I don’t think you should hang out with Boothill anymore…”
They both chuckled.
“Did we ever do something like this… before?” Stelle asked softly.
Inside the suit, Firefly smiled. She knew Stelle sometimes compared herself to her previous self, the first woman Firefly had loved. Each time, Firefly wanted to kiss those worries away because, truthfully, Stelle was still the same woman she had known for years—just with an added endearing love for trashcans.
“If you’re asking if we ever used SAM as a makeshift bed before, the answer is no. This is the first time.”
“Ah! Take that… uh… me!”
“You’re an idiot.”
“But at least I’m your idiot.”
“Yes, and don’t you forget it.”
“Well... even with my memory wiped, I managed to find my way back to you.”
Firefly felt her heart skip a beat, and this time, it had nothing to do with her ELS. She was so in love with Stelle that sometimes she felt, despite everything, she was the luckiest woman in the universe.
“That you did, my star, that you did.” Firefly said softly.
Stelle closed her eyes as SAM’s hand gently caressed her hair, the soft touch lulling her toward sleep. An hour passed and the only sounds left in the cabin were the quiet hum of the Astral Express gliding through the stars and the soft rhythm of Stelle's breathing.
Stelle unconsciously snuggled closer in her sleep, pressing herself tighter against SAM. Firefly could only smile. After all the years of battles and pain, she felt – finally – that she was were she belonged.
Firefly watched her mechanical hand as it carefully stroked Stelle’s hair. The irony wasn’t lost on her. SAM was a weapon of war, engineered to combat and obliterate the Swarm. Yet here she was, cradling the woman she loved with as much tenderness as she could muster within this hulking frame of metal and circuits.
She wondered, fleetingly, if Titania or the High Military Command had ever envisioned this. If they had foreseen one of their most devastating creations finding solace in love. But then she shook the thought away.
Screw them.
Her happiness was hers alone, built on her choices and not theirs. Glamoth deserved nothing but contempt for what they had done—for making her this way, for trapping her inside this twisted body of metal and sharp angles. They had cursed her with ELS, turning her into this monstrosity of steel. They...
Stelle suddenly stirred in her sleep, her body shifting restlessly against SAM’s cold armor. A small, pained mumble escaped her lips, and Firefly instantly recognized the signs of her lover’s recurring nightmares.
Stelle had told her that some of the nightmares were Stellaron related, and it made Firefly's heart ache to think of that cursed thing haunting the woman she cherished. But many of the nightmares were about Firefly herself—about her first death, or the relentless fear that ELS would one day claim her for good.
"I’m here, my star," Firefly whispered as gently as SAM’s voice modulator would allow. "I’m not going away. Let the nightmares fade away. Dream of sweet things—for both of us." She continued to caress Stelle’s hair, trying to soothe her back into peaceful slumber.
Stelle stirred again, her eyes fluttering open briefly, still clouded with sleep. She gazed up at SAM’s metallic face, and despite her drowsiness, a small smile tugged at her lips.
“You’re beautiful, my Firefly,” she murmured, her voice soft and warm. “You’re the guardian of my nights.” Before Firefly could respond, Stelle lifted her head slightly and pressed a sleepy kiss to SAM’s cheekplate—an affectionate gesture meant for the woman inside the armor.
And just as quickly, Stelle’s eyes closed again, and her breathing steadied into the peaceful rhythm of deep sleep.
Firefly held still, replaying Stelle’s words in her mind.
She’d been called many things throughout her life. A clone. AR-26710. SAM. A Demon. The Molten Knight. All names tied to war and destruction, identities she had never wanted. But none of them mattered anymore. Not when Stelle, her light in the darkness, had given her this new title.
As she continued to tenderly massage Stelle’s hair, Firefly began to hum softly. It was an old nursery rhyme she’d once stumbled across while researching her origins on Glamoth. The melody had resonated with her, triggering a vague, almost impossible memory of a woman’s voice singing it to her. But it made no sense—she had been engineered in a tube, not born. And yet, the song lingered in her mind, like the ghost of a memory that should have never existed.
Perhaps it was the last echo of Titania in her mind, but it didn’t matter.
What mattered now was Stelle, sleeping peacefully beside her. Firefly’s humming grew softer as her own eyes grew heavy. All she could think of was the woman she loved, her star. Of the woman that saw her as more than the weapon she had been created to be. And in that moment, all she wanted was to guide Stelle into the sweetest of dreams, and to follow her there.
Guardian of her nights, Firefly mused softly to herself, smiling at the thought before closing her eyes.
----
Firefly woke up to the familiar, comforting touch of hands gently resting on SAM’s armoured torso, accompanied by soft, teasing whispers.
“Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead,” Stelle murmured, her voice laced with mischief. Even without opening her eyes, Firefly could sense the playful smirk dancing on Stelle’s lips.
With a small smile, Firefly opened her eyes and gazed at her lover, intrigued. It was rare for Stelle to be up before her; usually, it was Firefly’s duty to drag her out of bed. But there she was, fully dressed, beaming down at Firefly with a sweet yet knowing smile.
“Morning, love,” Firefly greeted softly.
Stelle responded with another tender kiss planted on SAM’s cold, metallic cheek. Despite the suit's formidable exterior, Stelle’s touch always seemed to penetrate the armor and Firefly always ended feeling it’s warmth.
“Did you sleep well?” Stelle asked, her voice warm.
“Yeah. I always sleep well when I’m with you,” Firefly replied, smiling.
Stelle chuckled. “You’re adorable.”
Firefly gave a small sigh, her tone half-joking. “You do realize you’re saying that to a walking weapon of war, right?”
Stelle’s eyes narrowed slightly, and her playful demeanour shifted into something more serious.
“Stop,” Stelle said firmly, placing her hand over SAM’s chest plate. “Don’t talk about yourself like that. You’re not just a weapon – you’re the woman I love. Whether you’re in or out of that armor, it doesn’t change how I see you.” Her voice softened, and a teasing glint returned to her eyes. “And for the record, I declare you the cutest most adorable woman I know and love – by official decree of the Astral Express. So it’s the law, okay?”
Firefly couldn’t help but laugh, feeling her heart swell at Stelle’s words. There was a beat of silence as they both smiled, the moment hanging in the air between them. Firefly was tempted to lean in and kiss her fiercely, but she held back—SAM wasn’t exactly built for gentle affection.
“You know I love you, right?” Firefly said, her voice warm with tenderness.
“Yeah…” Stelle replied, her tone softening as she wrapped her arms around SAM in a tight embrace. “But I never get tired of hearing it.”
They lingered in the embrace for a few more moments until a knock on the door interrupted them.
“Good morning, you two!” It was Pom-Pom, the conductor of the Astral Express. “Stelle, we’ve arrived.”
Stelle gave Firefly a lingering look before asking, “You good to come out of SAM?”
Firefly quickly checked the suit’s readings of her own vital signs. “Yeah, I’m good.” She smiled and reached out to ruffle Stelle’s hair – one of the advantages she could enjoy when she was in SAM was the height difference that made it possible for her to do so. “Now step back.”
With a shimmer, SAM’s form dissipated, and Firefly returned to her normal self. Before she could fully regain her bearings, Stelle wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Firefly hugged her back, melting into the warmth of Stelle’s body against hers.
“Good morning,” Stelle whispered, before pressing a sweet, lingering kiss to Firefly’s lips. Firefly returned the kiss, her heart racing with all the passion she felt for her star.
When the kiss finally broke, Firefly grinned and asked, “So, are you going to tell me why you woke up so early?”
Stelle’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Ah, that’s a surprise,” she said with a wink. “Now, give me your hand and close your eyes—no peeking!”
Firefly laughed softly. “Alright, alright. I know your word is law on the Express.”
“Good girl,” Stelle teased, her smirk returning.
Firefly closed her eyes and took Stelle’s hand, feeling her heart skip a beat as Stelle gently guided her out of the room. She could tell from the route they were taking that they were heading toward the airlock. Excitement bubbled in her chest.
“Wait here. I’ll be right back,” Stelle said, giving Firefly’s hand a small squeeze before letting go.
Firefly stood still, eyes closed, the anticipation growing as she listened to the faint noises coming from the parlor car. She could’ve focused her senses to figure out what was happening, but she wanted to be surprised. Whatever Stelle was planning, Firefly knew it would be special.
After a few moments, Stelle returned, taking Firefly’s hand once again. “Alright, let’s go,” she said, her voice full of excitement.
Firefly felt herself pulled through the airlock, and soon, she was met with the gentle touch of fresh air against her skin. She could sense the environment had shifted—they were no longer on the Express, but on solid ground. Firefly felt Stelle’s fingers entwine with hers for a moment before letting go, and she heard the rustling of something being laid out.
“You can open your eyes now,” Stelle said, her voice soft with anticipation.
Firefly slowly opened her eyes—and gasped.
Before her was the most breathtaking sunrise she had ever seen. The sky was painted in vivid shades of orange and rose, the colors blending seamlessly like a cosmic canvas. And there, in the midst of it all, was Stelle, grinning from ear to ear. She had laid out a picnic blanket, with an array of fresh food neatly arranged on it.
“Stelle… I…” Firefly began, her voice trembling as emotion surged through her.
Stelle took her hand and led her to the blanket. They sat down together, and Firefly instinctively nuzzled into Stelle’s side, her gaze fixed on the radiant sky.
“We promised each other a sunrise date, remember?” Stelle said, chuckling softly. “I asked Pom-Pom last night if we could be dropped off somewhere nice at dawn. Took a bit of bribing, but here we are.” She paused, giving Firefly a tender look. “We’ve got the whole day here, and the Express will pick us up in the evening. Sound good?”
Firefly had been holding back before, but now—surrounded by beauty, her heart overflowing with love—she couldn’t resist. She tackled Stelle, pressing her lips to hers in a kiss full of the love and gratitude she felt.
“Sounds perfect. Thank you, my star,” Firefly whispered when they finally parted.
“No, thank you, my knight. You’ve always been my protector,” Stelle replied with a smile that made Firefly’s heart race. “You chase away all my nightmares.”
Firefly smirked, her voice dropping playfully. “And I live to serve you, my lady. I intend to prove it every minute today.”
They both laughed, and Stelle leaned in to steal another kiss, the world falling away as they basked in each other’s warmth.
For Firefly, who had once been lost and adrift, this—being by Stelle’s side—felt like finally being home.