Work Text:
Earth date: 17/12, A.S. 129
Sabina's morning routine had not changed too much since marrying Nika. The main difference was that she didn't really need a 5am alarm anymore, since their cats were more than happy to inform their humans that they wanted breakfast.
Vesper was the quieter of the two, the bright-eyed void knowing Sabina's habits and mewing on the floor by her side of the bed a good half-hour before the redundant alarm sounded most days. Collina, her orange partner-in-crime, chose to announce herself with plaintive miaows as she paced at the threshold of the kitchen/living room.
It was something they'd both had to adjust to, setting the times for when feeding took place. But as they were early to bed, being early to rise was easy enough.
The second her notebook chimed Sabina was nine-tenths awake, her hand on autopilot as she swiped away the alarm and flicked on her light. Only once had she tried to do so in the half-light of the morning and had nearly stepped on Vesper, who blended in with the shadows so well. Fortunately, food and some pets equalled forgiveness, and Nika had told her wife to turn the light on going forward- "I'm awake too, but can nap with the light on." She'd said.
Both cats orbited Sabina as she slipped out of bed, trills and chirps of excitement making her smile. She felt the carpet of the bedroom give way to cooler linoleum as she crossed the door's threshold, avoiding a cat toy and scratching post as she did so- additions to enrich the lives of their feline family members. Sabina flicked on the lights in the kitchen half of the area and expertly measured out the dry food into two bowls, taking them into her hands as she stepped carefully away from the countertop.
"Hold on, girls." She told the cats as they orbited her, tails alert, eyes fixed on their breakfast.
After setting each bowl in its usual spot and as the sounds of purring and eating filled the air, Sabina changed their water and refreshed the litter tray before heading back into the bedroom.
"Happy cats?" Nika mumbled. She had turned over in bed to look at Sabina, her short hair sticking up every which way. Cute. Sabina smiled to see it, even after so many times, and Nika smiled back.
"Happy cats." Sabina confirmed, changing into her thermal underlayers before adding her usual jogging clothes over the top.
"Tell me if it's snowing?" Nika asked, her eyes flicking to the closed blinds.
"Will do." Sabina replied, drawing her hair into a quick tail and shrugging on her fleece-lined jacket. An early seasonal present from Nika, it was made with wool from Aliya's own farm and insulating enough that Sabina couldn't wear it zipped up without overheating indoors.
She only did so after she'd reached the base of the staircase that linked the apartments of the building together, buoyed by the light snack she'd had before heading out. The complex was quiet, only the minute hum of the radiators ticking over reaching her ears.
It was even quieter outside.
Nika would be hearing a positive response to her earlier question. As predicted by yesterday's forecast, snow had indeed fallen overnight. A blanket of white covered most surfaces, save for the pavement and roads that had been covered with grit and salt. Sabina's breath blew out in puffs as she murmured her thanks to the unseen workers who were enabling her to keep to her routine. She untucked a precautionary pair of gloves from a side pocket and slipped her hands into them.
She set off with great enthusiasm, the still air cold against her skin. Moving away from the Rembran-Mercury household and adopting a pair of cats had meant her run was shorter than it had been in the past to keep up with her duties, but Sabina found the activity to be beneficial nevertheless. She still trained with the other Valkyries when they were not on rotation and looked after herself. There were other things, good things, that asked for her time.
Her good mood bore her back up the stairs and to their door. She packed away her gloves and unlocked it slowly, aware that the cats could be on the other side, ready to greet her.
They were not.
Sabina shrugged as she walked back in, not blaming the cats for staying warm and cosy, just as Nika liked to.
"Sab, help." Nika called. There was little urgency in her voice, and Sabina grinned as she guessed what Nika's predicament was. She unzipped her jacket, relishing the return to the apartment's warmth as she followed the sound of her wife's voice.
Nika lay in bed as she had been earlier, bundled up under the duvet and blanket- but now with two additions. Collina had tucked herself into a loaf on Nika's stomach, whilst Vesper had settled along Nika's lower body, content to be bracketed by the parallel lines of Nika's legs. Both cats turned to look at Sabina, slow-blinking greetings. Sabina unconsciously returned the gesture.
"Help?" Sabina asked, amused as she turned to look at Nika. "But they look so happy there."
Nika smiled patiently. "Sab, there's Miorine's winter briefing today. We can't be late."
"We won't be," Sabina promised.
Nika drew in a deep breath to sigh. Collina was completely unfazed by the motion, even as she gradually rose and fell.
"And even if we are," Sabina continued, thumbing her notebook. "A picture will be an excellent explanation as to why."
Nika couldn't help but be game for the impromptu photo shoot, easing her arms out of bed and holding a pose gesturing with open palms to the cats right at home on her, a clear expression of 'see?' on her face.
Collina extended her neck to inspect the hands, and began a deep, rolling purr seconds later as Nika started to run one along the cat's orange fur.
"Now there's no excuse for you being late, love." Sabina noted.
"As if you couldn't resist." Nika said softly, just about audible over the purr.
"You're right, I wouldn't be able to." Sabina agreed. "Oh, and it's snowing."
"Brilliant." Nika enthused, shifting her legs. Vesper squeaked at being disturbed and rose, her whole body arching as she stretched and hopped onto Sabina's empty side of the bed, aware that pets were being given and wanting in on the action.
Sabina set herself on the edge of the bed, gesturing to Vesper to draw her attention. After a quick sniff of Sabina's clothes and hand, she assented to her soft winter coat being stroked. Purring emanated from her chest, mixing with Collina's.
"No excuse for either of us being late." Nika joked, not stopping her hand from running down the orange cat's back.
Sabina hummed, flexing her fingers as she drew them slowly along the line of Vesper's spine, making her purr deepen and grow louder. She smiled, borne along by the happy atmosphere. "We're on holidays tomorrow. Then we can spend entire days with you, not just weekends." She told the cat.
"Yeah." Nika agreed. "But right now…." She trailed off, slowly taking her hand away and gradually twisting her body. Sabina also stopped and looked on, amused as Collina stubbornly stayed put until Nika was nearly lying on her side. The cat smoothly unfolded herself before padding over to Vesper and grooming her partner.
"... we have a special breakfast to cook. Co-ffee?" Nika added as she stretched in what had once been one of Sabina's t-shirts, drawing out the syllables as she extended her limbs with satisfaction.
"Please." Sabina replied. "I'll warm the shower up."
After an efficient wash the coffee in the pot was just the right temperature, waiting to be divided and drunk. The cats stayed in the bedroom, enjoying the lingering warmth of the bed and each other's company, able to watch most of what was happening through the open doorway.
The wives had kept their drinking vessels, Sabina's mug and Nika's battered thermos (even more so now) both familiar links to the past, when their relationship had been 'secret'. A lot had changed since those early days, not all for the better- but working to fulfil Miorine's vision with each other's company was a standout, as was their happy marriage.
Sabina went to the fridge to find the ingredients for breakfast as Nika gathered the utensils. Bacon, eggs and two types of milk- cow's for the French toast and goat's for Nika's coffee- were what she picked out, setting them on the counter top and getting a tin of baked beans from an adjacent cupboard.
They worked as an efficient team, enjoying the chance to cook together on occasion rather than have their usual cereal and they ate looking out of panes of the closed balcony doors, watching a few other lights flicker on in the snow-covered suburb, chatting in between lulls from the podcast they were trying out.
Washing up was easier with two, and left them with a quarter-hour before they needed to defrost the car. Sabina's hair had dried enough by that point for Nika to brush and braid it, leading to a quiet window of time in which neither talked as Nika worked, the better to enjoy the sensation of well-practiced plaiting, the shorter woman standing behind Sabina.
"Do you want it up?" Nika asked.
"Yes." Sabina said, and felt Nika draw closer and go to her tip-toes as she looped the braid over her head, creating the crown-like appearance of the style.
"Thanks, love." She added as Nika patted her on the shoulder, passing by to grab the clips that would ensure the braid stayed in place.
As they dressed and packed for work, Sabina checked her work notebook, the notification light having remained unlit so far that morning, meaning there was no alert for her to respond to. Checking the group chat confirmed so- Henao had been the night duty appointee, and had left her usual succinct message giving the all-clear. Sabina tapped in a message of her own:
Heading off now, I'll see the rest of you there.
With that done she went back down the stairs and helped Nika wipe the snow off the car's roof as the windscreen de-iced.
"We're having a snowball fight tomorrow." Nika declared after reversing out of their space.
"The weather should hold for that- perhaps even add to the ammunition." Sabina added as she checked the forecast. "Will it be just us?"
"Yeah, everyone's busier this year." Nika confirmed. Suletta and Miorine were going to Mercury for the occasion rather than hosting, and as such friends and fellows had made plans of their own. Sabina didn't mind too much; she was looking forward to a quiet time with her wife.
Nika switched off the engine once they'd arrived and parked. GUND-Arm, Inc. had offices across- and beyond Earth, and one was set close to the Mercury-Rembran house. Sabina leant in her seat to swap a quick kiss with her before stepping out into the cold for the few seconds it took to enter the lobby. She swiped her card and made her way towards the break room, passing viewscreens of company products and planters of thriving flowers.
She wasn't the first to arrive.
"Hey Sabina, how's Nika?" Renee asked. Renee was dressed in her customary grey formalwear and sat comfortably checking her notebook, but she looked up at her colleague as she entered.
"She's good, she drove us in today. How's Lilique?"
Renee grinned. "She's good too- two years, twenty-two days together."
Renee had broken her streak of briefly-dated boyfriends with, of all people, Lilique. There was obviously something about the Earth House woman which provided happiness to her life- Sabina could attest to something similar with Nika. Mironine too, given that Suletta had become a core part of the House that had since become GUND-Arm, Inc's founding members.
"Congratulations." Sabina said as she hung her coat next to Renee's. How did you work that out?"
Renee shrugged with a smile. "I didn't, she did. It's cute."
Sabina inclined her head in agreement. "Is Lilique in now?"
"No, she's meeting up with the boys and joining us at a reasonable hour." Renee narrowed her eyes. "You've had your coffee with Nika, haven't you?"
When Sabina nodded she nodded too. "Yeah, you're up earlier than anyone. I'm gonna get some- it's barely even dawn yet!"
As the shorter woman stood the door opened, revealing the couple that had been together for longer than anyone Sabina knew. Ireesha and Maisie walked in, breaking into smiles and greetings respectively. Renee knew their preferences for hot drinks, and set to work making three mugs as Sabina swapped pleasantries.
It was a relaxed morning briefing- Henao appeared briefly on video call before signing off to get some well-deserved rest, and after reviewing the guest list of well-known figures back from the Asticassia days plus one or two trusted members the four made their way to where their Principals were.
"Good morning!" Suletta said as she opened the door to them, bright and cheery as ever. She had a single crutch that morning, but was not leaning heavily on it. She repeated the salutation four more times with just as much infectious enthusiasm. Miorine smiled softly from where she was sitting, light from her screen sparking on her ring as she meshed her fingers together. Seeing it made Sabina thumb her own, recognizing its special nature.
She had to work very hard whem on duty not to activate the Permet function that would reflect her love for Nika and light up the device with glittering white lines. Suletta and Miorine had been the first recipients and testers of the technology that also sat on her and Nika's fingers. Maisie and Ireesha were going to be the third couple to receive wedding rings of the same function next spring.
"Thank you, Suletta." Miorine said.
It was another relaxed meeting. Miorine always wanted to plan ahead, so she was aware of the guest list and the surprise that was to follow the meeting. After that the group took a tour of the facilities, meeting Nika who took the opportunity to catch up in person with the other married couple.
Within the meeting room jugs of water and glasses were set out regularly in the middle of the table, away from the digital tablets at each place. Attendees arrived early- either knowing Miorine's habit for punctuality or being Earth House Alumni, eager to see friends and spend as much time as possible in-person.
When the report began Miorine started with praise for her wife's school network, which was working from its basis of providing basic education opportunities across the system to go further, trialling an enrolment programme with Asticassia for those looking for the particular qualifications it offered. It guaranteed a dozen places for children who had been educated in poorer regions of Earth or Mercury- in addition to those already in the GUND-Arm, Inc. sponsored House.
"... And Aliya's application of gravity-bound Mobile Craft has ensured both efficiency and ecology have thrived on her farming cooperative, and led to increased opportunities for independent farmhands and mechanics."
Nika nudged Sabina lightly as Miorine spoke. Sabina huffed. Her skills were piloting Mobile Suits (though more in simulators nowadays) and bodyguarding, not chasing escaped chickens on her Principal's orders the last time they'd visited. It wasn't Suletta's fault for the animals being spooked by a gust of wind slamming a heavy door, but it had been her who asked Sabina to round up the animals. Despite having some childhood animal handling experience at the orphanage, Sabina had unsurprisingly turned her attention to other skills when she'd become a member of Grassley House, so it had been a decade and a half.
It was, however, Renee's fault for recording her unsuccessful attempts to corner and soothe the trio of hens. Nika hadn't been there to witness the charade, but she had been giggling once it was sent to her. Sabina's ego had been soothed after its bruising as Nika reassured her it had been a losing battle without another person to assist, and Renee had been put on weekend evening duty for a whole month- after brushing the dried mud off Sabina's shoes and trousers.
The applause at Miorine's statement was warm and genuine- given by those who shared the same goal.
"And on that high note, I bring the review to its close!" Miorine announced, thumbing her remote. In move that had to have been choreographed, two lines serving staff walked in, taking their tablets in one hand and placing a small plate of food on the table in front of them. Miorine had taken in dietary requirements and already set out water. Very clever of her. Only Suletta seemed unfazed, and that made Sabina recall various conversations that would have linked to this occasion.
The food she had been served looked to be a small portion of a western-style roast- two slices of light meat, three roasted potatoes and a cluster of boiled winter vegetables.
Miorine held up a hand. "I know some of you have commitments this afternoon, so consider this an entree to keep you going- Aliya, if you would?"
Aliya stood, smiling happily at the expectant and now-hungry faces. "As you may have guessed, it's all sourced from the co-operative," She said. "From the turkey to the nut roast, all tended and grown with help from GUND-Arm Inc. Enjoy!"
The cheer was followed by the sounds of eating, the unexpected but not unwelcome meal being finished quickly. Compliments were directed towards Aliya, who promised to pass on the kind words.
"And with that, I declare the meeting over." Miorine announced once the serving staff had returned to clear the plates.
Nika, Lilique and Suletta were the only non-Valkyries to stay behind once the others had left. There was a contented atmosphere shared between all; a successful and celebratory meeting followed by surprise meal- and there were more to come, it seemed.
"Seven years since the formation of GUND-Arm, Inc. Seven successful years." Miorine began. "And whilst you Valkyries have been looking after us, I've also been pleased to see that you've all taken up the offer of study programmes in your off time."
The proud look on Nika's face made Sabina's heart glow warm, and her hand sought Nika's under the table.
"We know there's more to you than protectors, so we'll be reducing the protection detail to free you up further." Suletta added. "Though we're relaxing that more- there's been what, one occasion in the last year that you were needed?"
"The young driver who tried to overtake." Sabina said, instantly recalling the minor traffic accident. "Five months ago."
"Well, unless you count the chicken escape." Maisie put in.
Sabina huffed and shook her head, refusing to get drawn into that tangent. Renee also raised her hands to abstain from it either, though both did see the humour as a chuckle passed through those assembled.
"Indeed." Miorine said, resuming her thread with a curl to the corners of her mouth. "And as such, in addition to a physical hamper- waiting at reception, do ask if you need help getting it into your vehicles- there's my best wishes. Not just for what you've done, but for what you will go on to do, even if it takes you away from the company."
The thought sprung to Sabina's mind that there was no chance of that happening- she was happy here, as was Nika. Miorine had earned and maintained their loyalty, and she wanted to keep going, remaining within her bodyguard role, supplemented with minor educational credits. She had a feeling Henao would too for close protection. Renee had a knack for events- arranging a perfect party or more formal function, and there was always one going on as G-A,I. maintained connections or investigated growth. She also knew that Maisie and Ireesha had taken an interest in Suletta's school network, and thought they'd be helpful there. New chapters for all, some more familiar than others- but all working towards Miorine's vision for a better system.
Nika unlocked the door as Sabina held the weighty hamper. Vesper and Collina were waiting for them, chirping with delight at seeing their humans once again, though not crossing out of the apartment.
Sabina set the basket onto the nearest table, massaging her arms once she had done so. Having such a generous boss was nice, but less nice was the three flights of stairs she had to carry the gift up. She set it down on the nearest flat and sturdy surface.
She turned to find Nika looking at her, who then nodded to the sofa, question unspoken. Sabina shrugged off her jacket and set it on the back of the chair. The cats had been watching them with interest due to the early return, but once they saw where the couple were headed they followed.
Nika had first used the term 'cuddle pile', and Sabina could see why- sat together, cats in their laps, warm, cozy and not yet hungry due to the earlier meal. It was one of the best ways to relax before the cats became hungry. She put an arm around Nika, the other slowing its petting of Collina's fur. The cat was half-asleep, and Sabina was feeling a little drowsy herself. Nika and Vesper were ahead of them, her wife's head resting on her shoulder as they enjoyed the time to rest.