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Raindrops pattered against the half open window of the bedroom as Raelle laid on the bed, one arm propped behind her head and one knee bent, letting the sound of the rain soothe her. Scylla laid quietly against her side, her head resting on Raelle’s shoulder and one hand resting on Raelle’s stomach. The rain had moved in quickly, forcing their earlier outdoor activities to move inside, effectively putting an end to the walk they’d been enjoying together. Time had seemed to stand still lately, something that neither woman was upset over. They had fallen into a comfortable rhythm at the farmhouse, taking each day to slow down and enjoy being together with nothing in their way. Everyone had settled into their own routines over the past week, more comfortable as time went on and the immediate threat of the government and the Camarilla seemed to distance itself from them, even if it only felt that way. They all knew the threats were still very close and very real, so they kept their guards up, but still managed to make time to relax and to prepare and plan for the war they knew was coming sooner than later. For now though, Raelle was perfectly content to do nothing but listen to the rain and admire the beautiful woman snuggled up against her.
She ran her fingers slowly through Scylla’s dark hair and delighted at the hum of approval that Scylla let out against her arm. A lazy smile spread across her face and she let a few strands of hair dangle over her fingers before smoothing them down against Scylla’s head. She knew Scylla loved having her hair played with and fortunately she loved any reason to touch Scylla, even in the simplest of ways. This was a shared pleasure for each of them and both were happy to indulge in this moment they’d been afforded.
“Do you think the rain will let up anytime soon? I really want to finish our walk.” Scylla spoke quietly and drew lazy circles against the soft fabric of Raelle’s shirt over her stomach.
Raelle glanced out the window at the rain still coming down in steady droves and shook her head from side to side.
“I don’t know, Scyl. It doesn’t look promising. We’re going to have to find something to do inside for a while. Plus it’s freezing outside. I’m surprised that it's raining and not snowing at this point.” Raelle continued running her fingers through dark locks and looked back down at her girlfriend.
Scylla shifted slightly and slid her fingers just under the hem of Raelle’s shirt, her fingers coming in contact with the soft skin of Raelle’s stomach. Raelle swallowed and closed her eyes against the soothing, but exciting feel of Scylla’s fingertips so tenderly moving across her skin.
“I think I’ve got an idea,” Scylla whispered and lifted her head to press a soft kiss against Raelle’s neck.
“Oh yeah? And what would that be?” Raelle felt like she had a pretty good idea judging by the way her body was starting to respond to Scylla’s attention.
With her lips now against Raelle’s ear, Scylla responded sofly, “I want you to braid my hair.”
Raelle’s eyes opened in surprise and she turned her head to look at Scylla questioningly.
“Braid your hair?” Her eyebrows furrowed and Scylla sat up in the bed, tugging on Raelle’s hand to indicate for her to do the same. Raelle obeyed and sat up, shifting backwards to rest her back on the headboard of the bed.
“I want you to braid my hair like yours,” she scooted closer to Raelle and reached out to run a hand through the hair on the left side of Raelle’s head. The usually present braids were missing, soft blond waves now taking their place. Raelle had kept her hair down and casual since they’d left Fort Salem and although Scylla loved the braids, she enjoyed Raelle’s ‘fluffy hair,’ as she affectionately called it, equally as much.
“I miss your braids.”
Raelle’s eyebrows were raised as Scylla removed her hand from her hair and she followed it’s path down to the bed before bringing her eyes back to Scylla’s.
At Raelle’s silence, Scylla spoke up again.
“What, do you think I wouldn’t be cute with braids?” She teased and poked Raelle’s thigh playfully.
“Oh, I think you’d look cute no matter what kind of hairstyle you had. You don’t have to worry about that.” She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss against Scylla’s lips.
“Even if I had a buzzcut?” Scylla questioned with mock seriousness and Raelle responded with an equally mocking grimace as she pulled back from the kiss.
“Yeahhhh?” She scrunched up one side of her face and then touched the side of Scylla’s head affectionately.
“I love you, but let’s keep this hair-” she waved her hand around looking for the right words. “-on your head. ‘Kay?”
Scylla let out a small laugh and grabbed Raelle’s hand, bringing it to her lips for a soft kiss on her palm.
“Braid my hair and I’ll think about it.” Scylla quipped and Raelle tilted her head to the side with a smile.
“Alright, deal.” Raelle opened her legs and patted her thigh, asking for Scylla to come closer.
“Lay down and put your head on my leg.”
Scylla did as she was instructed, settling her body between Raelle’s legs and resting her head against her thigh. She kept her head turned to allow Raelle access to the left side of her head and sighed softly when strong fingers began to move through her hair.
A few moments of silence passed between the two as Raelle worked her fingers expertly in Scylla’s dark hair. As she started to separate strands to braid, she let herself get lost in the familiarity of the motions. She had never braided anyone else’s hair before, only her own. But she was perfectly comfortable and confident in her abilities. Even if it didn’t come out as planned, she would never turn down the opportunity to spend this time with Scylla. Just a few weeks ago she was afraid she would never see her again, was unsure that she’d ever get to tell her that she still loved her, that she didn’t want to be apart from her ever again.
But here they were. Who’d have thought that after such a disastrous turn of events, they’d be led back to one another and get the chance to just be together and be happy, even if for a short time. These past few weeks had reassured her of her choice. The future was uncertain, but she knew that she would never let Scylla go again, regardless of what came next. She had made that mistake before and now she had plans to never repeat it. She paused for a moment, lost in thought as her hands slowed in Scylla’s hair, one unconsciously falling to rest on top of her pant’s pocket.
A soft sigh escaped Scylla’s lips when Raelle’s hands stopped moving, pulling Raelle from her thoughts and back to the present. She blinked a few times then moved her hands back to Scylla’s head and started to work the first braid against her scalp. She kept it loose, but tight enough to stay in place, as she always did with her own.
“Where’d you go?” Scylla asked quietly, having noted Raelle’s pause.
“Ah, nowhere. Just-” Raelle smiled to herself and wove strands of hair together. “-thinking about how lucky I am to be here right now, with you.”
Scylla’s eyes rolled playfully, which went unnoticed by Raelle, and she brought her hand up to rest on Raelle’s knee, suddenly feeling the need to be even closer to Raelle in any small way.
“You’re so cheesy.” Scylla mumbled and patted Raelle’s knee.
“But you love me.” Raelle quipped and finished off the first braid.
“I do.” Scylla let her voice trail off into a whisper and looked out the window at the rain that continued to fall as Raelle’s hands continued moving deftly through her hair.
“But honestly you are right, you know. Things could have gone a lot differently. We really are lucky to be here right now,” Scylla drummed her fingers against Raelle’s leg and continued. “As much as I wouldn’t allow myself to dwell on it, I was still afraid of what was happening at Fort Salem. I had no way of knowing if you were okay, and your father was so anxious. Quinn and I had to stay with him all night and reassure him that you were just fine.”
“Did you think I was?” Raelle finished off the first braid and studied her work, satisfied. “Was fine I mean?”
Scylla considered for a moment before answering, her conversation with Willa echoing in her mind.
“You know how to put up a fight.” Scylla spoke and Willa’s tear filled eyes flashed through her memory. “I knew you could hold your own. But I still worried over it until the moment I heard your voice over the phone. It was was all the confirmation I needed and suddenly my world was right again. I knew I hadn’t lost you.” Her voice was soft and Raelle was still surprised at the ease at which Scylla now opened up to her. She’d always been guarded, but the past few weeks had really done wonders for their openness with each other.
Raelle blinked and bit her lower lip as she started on the second braid, the separated strands of hair suddenly melting together as her eyes filled with tears. She didn’t trust herself to speak just yet without derailing their current activity, so she stayed quiet for a moment. As she got to the halfway point of the second braid, she finally took a deep breath and spoke.
“You won’t lose me again, Scyl. I promise you that.”
Scylla cleared her throat and closed her eyes, letting Raelle’s fingers against her head soothe her, the repetitive motions having a calming effect on her. She thought back to thinking she would lose Raelle to the Camarilla as she watched her struggle on the clean room table, the witch plague quickly spreading to cover her entire body. The image was burned into her memory and she refused to let it ruin the mood right now.
“Tell me about your break,” Scylla opened her eyes, willing the unwanted images away and focused on the rain again. “When you went home and took Tally with you.”
She wanted something happier to focus on and she had also been curious about Raelle’s time back home, before the Camarilla took her. This was the perfect opportunity to discuss it.
The second braid was complete and Raelle once again compared the two finished braids, happy with how they were turning out. They looked beautiful on Scylla, and she felt herself warming to the idea of seeing Scylla like this more often.
“It wasn’t too bad actually. We had lunch with my dad, visited Quinn and had some of her special tea, windsheared a mirror off the side of a car.” At this Scylla raised her eyebrows and let out an incredulous laugh.
“Sounds about right,” she quipped and shook her head against Raelle’s thigh, receiving a soft, but sad laugh from Raelle.
“We were having a decent time until-” Raelle looked at the ceiling and sighed. “Well, you know.”
Scylla nodded in response and thought back to the time she stayed with Edwin before they were reunited. She had slept in Raelle’s room, in her bed. Knowing what Raelle had gone through gave her a renewed appreciation for the woman and for the fact that she was still alive to recount the events. Being in her bed each night only served to drive home the fact that she could’ve lost Raelle so many times, that she had lost Raelle, only to have her return thanks to the Mycelium. She’d pulled the handmade quilt over herself each night, daring to allow herself to imagine Raelle in the bed beside her. The pillow had still smelled faintly of the scent that was uniquely Raelle, the quilt smelling the same. She had taken comfort in those objects each night as she willed away the nightmares and instead let the thought of their kiss in the woods and the feeling of hope that it ignited lull her to sleep under the comfortable weight of the quilt.
During the day, between helping Edwin with chores, she would spend time alone in Raelle’s room, quietly taking in her surroundings and letting herself learn more about the woman she loved so deeply from the things in her room. She’d read so many postcards from Willa that were pinned to the wall, tearing up at more than a few of them as she reflected on her own time with Willa, time that she missed with Raelle.
Aside from the postcards, one other thing in particular stood out to her from those memories…the guitar. She’d brushed her fingers over the strings, a soft discordant sound echoing around the small room as she did. She had imagined Raelle playing that guitar so many times. She knew she loved music, but she’d never heard her sing or play any instruments since they’d been together. There had never been time for things like that. Now though…
“What about your guitar?” Scylla suggested and felt Raelle’s fingers slow in her hair, but continue on the third braid.
“What about it?”
“Did you get the chance to play any while you were home?”
Raelle thought back to the song she had sung at Tally’s request, a song that she loved dearly and held much meaning for her, but one that she and her mother could never agree on when they’d played together.
“I did, actually. Tally requested just one song and I couldn’t let her down.” Ralle paused and let the feeling of the guitar in her hands come back to her. She’d been thinking of Scylla the night she had played that song for Tally. She remembered only singing a small bit of the song, the meaning behind the words hitting a little too close to home and making her stop before she’d dwelled on them for too long. Despite what she had tried to convince herself, she’d been missing Scylla more than she cared to admit that night. She still loved her despite everything and having seen her alive, when she thought she’d been shipped off to jail and likely killed, was still weighing heavily on her mind. She couldn’t help but to wonder where she was in the world at that exact moment. She had wondered if Scylla was thinking of her at the same time she was thinking of Scylla, much as she’d done with her mother whenever she’d sing at noon every day, the time they’d agreed upon to always think of one another.
“Would you play it for me someday?” Scylla asked and felt her eyes closing as Raelle’s fingers worked the last braid into her hair, enjoying the feather light touches.
“Of course.” Raelle answered just as softly and smiled to herself at her good luck. Her mind went immediately to the old guitar that was tucked away in the small closet of their temporary room, unbeknownst to Scylla. Quinn had dug it out of the old barn a week ago after Raelle mentioned missing playing her music and Raelle had stored it away for just the right moment. As she tied off the last of the braids in Scylla’s hair she ran her fingers tenderly across each of the three braids, smiling softly at her work as she traced the loose knots. She found it fascinating that something that had once been associated with her connection to the military could now be seen in a new light through the woman she loved. She thought back to their second night at the safehouse, when Scylla had so tenderly unwound her braids as they’d laid together in the comfort and silence of their room, closed off from the rest of the world for that small moment in time. Scylla had taken her time loosening the braids and running her fingers through Raelle’s hair, tenderly massaging her head as she went. The words she’d spoken as her fingers moved through Raelle’s hair still rang in her ears weeks later.
‘You’re free now, Raelle.’
She couldn’t help but steal a glance at Scylla’s peaceful face, eyes closed and completely at ease in Raelle’s lap. This is what she wanted. No more Army, no more Camarilla, no more boundaries and obligations that she never asked for. She wanted Scylla in her lap, safe and sound and secure in the knowledge that they’d wake up each morning and choose each other. She wanted this freedom to love and be loved.
Scylla’s eyes opened when she realized Raelle was finished and turned her head to look up at Raelle with a smile.
“So? How do I look?”
Raelle grinned and touched a thumb to Scylla’s chin, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips.
“Beautiful. As always.”
Scylla returned the kiss and then sat up, stretching her arms above her head before getting out of bed and going to the small bathroom, eager to see the result. She checked her reflection in the mirror and let out a soft hum of approval as she turned her head side to side, admiring the braids that Raelle had expertly wound into her dark hair. The three short braids sat flush against her head and the rest of her hair fell around them in dark, wavy locks. She ran her fingers gently over each one and smiled softly to herself. Seeing Raelle’s signature braids in her own hair made her feel like another small connection had been forged with Raelle. Not only a connection to her past, but also a reminder of the present and the time that they now had together that even made this small act possible.
“Not too bad.” Scylla stated playfully as Raelle appeared in the bathroom doorway.
Raelle moved behind Scylla and wound her arms around her torso, pressing herself into Scylla’s back and resting her chin on her shoulder. The reflection in the mirror at that moment gave Raelle pause. Both of them had smiles on their faces. Two pairs of eyes looked into the other with nothing but love and admiration and a calm that would’ve felt so out of place just a short time ago. This was them. This was right. This was what she wanted, what they needed.
“How about when this is all over, we run away and live on the beach?” Raelle spoke quietly against Scylla’s ear, earning her a small shiver and a heart melting smile.
“Leave our medals hanging on the door?” Scylla raised an eyebrow, playing along.
“Tell the birds to sing our goodbyes.” Raelle finished and closed her eyes, breathing Scylla in and tightening her arms around her waist as she held her closer. She knew the words were spoken lightly, just as they had been what seemed like so long ago. But she was serious. When this was all over, when the war was won, she had every intention to take Scylla away to a place where they could be safe and free and never have to worry about being hunted again.
They stood quietly for a few moments, just enjoying the silence and the closeness before Raelle opened her eyes and turned her head to look out the window in the bedroom. The rain outside had turned to snow while she was braiding Scylla’s hair and now soft white flakes were falling quietly from the sky, landing in tiny splotches on the window.
Raelle turned her head back to look at Scylla in the mirror again with a grin.
“Come with me.” She took Scylla’s hand and pulled her into the bedroom, opening the closet and handing Scylla a jacket and a pair of boots
“What are we doing?” Scylla questioned and looked towards the window, surprised to see snow falling. She pulled on her boots and laced them up, understanding what Raelle wanted to do.
She watched Raelle get dressed before she went to the window, jacket in hand, and looked out over the farm, a dusting of snow quickly starting to cover the fields. The snow was falling fast and heavy flakes were sticking to every surface. Before long the entire farm would be nothing but a quiet, white landscape.
“How about a song?” Raelle spoke up from behind Scylla and Scylla turned, immediately noticing an old acoustic guitar in Raelle’s hand. A grin was plastered to Raelle’s face and Scylla couldn’t help but to smile back, looking between Raelle and the guitar.
“Where did you get that?” She gestured towards the guitar and then pulled her jacket over her arms.
“Quinn found it for me in the old barn out back. Said it’s been here for as long as she could remember. It just took a little tuning, but it’s in great shape.”
Raelle held it up and strummed a single, soft chord, smiling up at Scylla as she did so.
“Well, let’s go test it out, shall we?” Scylla eagerly made her way from the bedroom and out the front door onto the front porch of the farmhouse, Raelle close behind. Scylla looked out over the land and leaned forwards on the porch railing, content to take in the peacefulness and silence of the snowfall.
“It’s so beautiful.” Scylla stated simply and let out a soft sigh, her breath coming out in a small, visible puff of warmth against the cold air.
“So quiet.” Raelle added and leaned the guitar against the railing before joining Scylla, taking the time to just enjoy the simple beauty of what was in front of them. She leaned sideways, pressing her shoulder into Scylla’s as they stood silently and watched the snow falling faster and faster. Tree branches started to sag under the weight of the snow, the ground disappeared under heavy white sheets, and the sky was nothing but a white background against the silver silhouette of snowflakes. A sense of calm settled over the women much as it settled over the land before them. Scylla couldn’t help but feel like this was symbolic of their blank slate. Fresh, pure, an erasure of past hurts and the beginning of something new.
Raelle’s gaze went unnoticed as she watched Scylla appreciating the scene in front of her. She was at peace, calm, beautiful…and she was hers. Sometimes she still couldn’t believe it. Even after all they’d been through, Scylla was by her side again and had made it clear that that’s where she intended to stay.
Raelle picked up the guitar quietly, feeling that now was the right time, and turned her back to the railing. She leaned against the railing, resting her backside against it for support as she pulled the guitar strap over her shoulder and let it hang loosely against her body.
Scylla’s gaze shifted away from the snow to watch her as she started to strum the strings of the old guitar, humming softly in tune with the warm up chords. Scylla turned her body to face Raelle, resting her hip against the wooden posts and her arm on the top of the railing comfortably.
Raelle looked up just once as she started into the song, giving Scylla an adoring smile before singing.
“The book of love is long and boring, no one can lift the damn thing.
It’s full of charts and facts, and figures, and instructions for dancing.”
Scylla watched as Raelle relaxed into the song, her fingers strumming the strings of the guitar with practiced ease. She’d been imagining this moment for so long and now here they finally were.
“But I, I love it when you read to me.
And you, you can read me anything.”
At this, Raelle looked up and over at Scylla, smiling into the words that she was singing. They both knew the words were meant for Scylla and she let them sink in as she listened intently to Raelle.
“The book of love has music in it, in fact that’s where music comes from.
Some of it’s just transcendental, some of it’s just really dumb.
But I, I love it when you sing to me.
And you, you can sing me anything.”
Scylla sighed, lovingly watching Raelle’s fingers move across the strings of the guitar, transfixed by her voice. She’d never heard Raelle sing until now, and she was absolutely in awe hearing the voice she knew so well in a new light.
“The book of love is long and boring, and written very long ago.
It’s full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes, and things we’re all too young to know.”
Raelle sang softly, her voice the only sound in the quiet of the snowfall. Scylla looked beyond Raelle for a brief moment, watching the snow coming down in thick sheets of white now, obscuring anything around them. It was just the two of them in this moment, the snow blocking out the rest of the world and cocooning them in a safe haven where nothing mattered except for the words flowing from Raelle’s lips and the love that Scylla could feel emanating from every strum of the guitar.
Raelle’s head lifted as she continued gently plucking the strings of the guitar, pale blue eyes meeting Scylla’s. Scylla couldn’t stop the smile that was already on her face from growing even wider as they made eye contact. Raelle’s own smile reflected Scylla’s and she felt her heart skip a beat at the love that shone freely in Scylla’s eyes. As her fingers continued moving against the guitar sheerly from muscle memory at this point, she let her mind drift to her pocket and the small token of promise that waited there. Her heart stuttered again at the thought of what was to come next, but somehow managed to pull her thoughts together enough to sing the next lyrics softly, never breaking eye contact with Scylla as she sang.
“But I, I love it when you give me things.
And you, you ought to give me wedding rings.”
Raelle kept her voice steady and strong as she strummed out another chord and repeated the verse, watching Scylla.
“And I, I love it when you give me things.
And you, you ought to give me wedding rings.”
Scylla’s smile faltered for just a moment as she processed the words that Raelle was singing. Just lyrics right? She thought she was reading too much into it, but the look in Raelle’s eyes, open and vulnerable, told her she wasn’t. Her eyebrows furrowed together as Raelle sang one last verse.
“ You ought to give me wedding rings.”
The music flowing from the guitar faded slowly as the last note hung in the cold air before dissipating. The silence was suddenly very loud and Scylla watched as Raelle pulled the guitar strap from around her neck and then sat the guitar down against the railing once more. Their eyes never left one another’s as Raelle took in a deep breath of chilly air to steel her nerves, a shaky hand reaching into the pocket of her jeans.
Scylla felt her breath hitch and couldn’t bring herself to tear her eyes away from Raelle’s, even though Raelle’s hand was tempting her to look away. She knew. She didn’t even have to see Raelle’s hand to know what was coming now. She could feel it.
“Scyl.” Raelle spoke softly, but confidently, drawing her strength from the love that she could still see dancing freely in Scylla’s cerulean eyes. She knew what she wanted to say and knew she needed to keep it short if she wanted any chance of not forgetting her words while looking into those eyes that she’d still know anywhere.
“When I said I didn’t want to be apart from you anymore, I meant it. Now, and forever. I want to leave our medals hanging on the door and go with you to the safest place you’ve ever been. I want you. I want us. There’s nothing I want more.”
Her heart pounded hard in her chest as she lifted her hand and held it out between them, towards Scylla. Her eyes finally broke away from Scylla’s to glance at the ring held between her thumb and index finger. It was a simple gold band with a small turquoise stone sitting in the middle. It was reminiscent of the combat charm her mother had passed down to her before her last deployment and was very special to her.
Raelle’s eyes shifted back up to Scylla’s which were now fixed on the ring in her fingers, her lips slightly parted as she stared at it. She saw the telltale glisten of fresh tears in her blue eyes and she swallowed hard then continued speaking.
“I know it’s not traditional. But I want more than just handfasting with you. I want more than five years. I want everything with you, Scyl.”
Scylla was still and silent and looked at the ring a moment longer before bringing her eyes up to meet Raelle’s. Raelle had the fleeting thought that against the pure white of the snow falling behind Scylla, those bright blue eyes shone brighter than ever before, sapphire stones set against a pure white canvas of promise.
Raelle shifted slightly as Scylla stayed silent, beginning to wonder if she had this all wrong, if Scylla really didn’t feel the same. She opened her mouth to speak once more.
“I know this isn’t ideal timing, I mean who knows what’s coming next but-”
Before she could finish, Scylla stepped closer, suddenly closing the space between them and pressing her lips against Raelle's, immediately erasing the uncertainty that had welled up inside Raelle.
Scylla’s hands came up to either side of Raelle, resting against both of her shoulders and giving them a reassuring squeeze as she kissed her slowly. Raelle’s hand still holding the ring was pressed between them, safe and secure in the warmth of their bodies.
Their kiss slowed and Scylla took a step back to look into Raelle’s eyes, an adoring smile on her face.
“Yes, Raelle.”
Raelle blinked and felt her mouth drop open slightly.
“Yes? Like…yes?!”
Raelle huffed out a breath that she didn’t realize she’d been holding and excitedly looked to the ring in her hand, Scylla’s gaze shifting to the ring as well.
“Yes, Raelle. We don’t know what’s next, that’s true. But I don’t want to find out without you. Like, ever.”
Raelle let out a relieved laugh and nodded furiously. “Right, yes, yeah…” She grinned and held out her free hand towards Scylla, who placed her hand in Raelle’s gently.
Raelle looked up into Scylla’s eyes once more before sliding the ring onto Scylla’s ring finger, admiring the beauty that Scylla’s hand brought to the simple ring.
“This is beautiful Raelle,” Scylla held her hand up to her face and examined it closer. “Where did you get something like this?”
Raelle swiped at her chin with her thumb and shrugged softly.
“It belonged to my mom. It was her wedding ring. She left it for me with my dad.”
Scylla traced a finger over the ring, the smooth blue stone gliding easily under her fingers. The fact that this was Willa’s ring meant more to her than she could express to Raelle in words at the moment. Willa had very much been a mother figure to her in the absence of her own mother and she had been devastated to lose her. She was forever grateful for the sacrifice that she made that allowed Raelle to still be in her life right now. To have a piece of the woman that meant so much both to her and to Raelle touched her heart and she made a vow to cherish this ring and let it be a reminder of the good she had in her life each and every day.
Raelle watched her, feeling her heart swell with pride and love for the woman in front of her as she admired the ring. This was without a doubt the woman she wanted to spend her life with, no matter how long they had left.
“My dad sent it with M along with the rest of my stuff that they dropped off when they visited a few weeks ago. There was a note attached.” Raelle grinned and reached out to pull Scylla close to her, brushing their noses together before pulling back slightly to look in her eyes.
“You must’ve really left a good impression on him. Turns out he figured I’d be needing that ring before too long.” Raelle raised her eyebrows and smirked. “He also said to tell you hello and thank you for polishing the cutting board so well?” Raelle quirked an eyebrow in question as Scylla let out a surprised laugh and shook her head, bringing their lips together once more in a soft, unhurried kiss.
The snow continued it’s slow downward dance from the sky above, blanketing the earth with a promise of new beginnings as the two women held each other close, ready for whatever lay ahead.
“I love you Raelle,” Scylla spoke softly against Raelle’s lips and received another small peck in return.
“I love you too, Scylla,” Raelle stepped back to reach down and grab Scylla’s hand, bringing it up to her lips. She placed a gentle kiss against the ring on Scylla’s finger and then one more on Scylla’s lips.
“And now you’re stuck with me.”