Lover
by Miyoshi Akachi
She blinked in the darkness. Her mental clock told her it was the deep of the night, the clock on the nightstand agreed. She blinked again, why was she awake? No alarm sounded. She could hear only the usual sounds of the resort: the faint humming of the systems. Everything seemed normal. Then what? A yawn escaped her lips as she rested on the side, trying to get back to sleep. Still, sleep kept evading her.
Slowly and silently, she got up. From the warm bed, the air feels cold, tickling her bare skin but she enjoy that feeling. Lightly, with little sounds, she reached for the window. She stood there, watching the mountains all around. She is a dark silhouette framed by the dimmed light from outside. Thoughts moved through her mind.
A pair of arms circled her waist, a chin came resting on her shoulder. Even with the soft t-shirt in the middle the touch feel warm and soft. She shivered lightly, enjoying it as her hands entwined the other pair. "You okay?" a soft whisper came to her ear, followed by a tiny kiss on the lobe. She nodded "I think... Just thoughts..." She whispered back. "Mmmm..." They both remained silent watching the sight outside for a moment before her lover spoke again "The sight is beautiful." "Indeed."
The scent of her partner slowly filled her nostrils and she couldn't but smile at the lovely images popping up in her mind. She leaned slightly back, lightly pressing her body against her lover that in answer gave a squeeze to her waist. A kiss landed on her neck and she let out a delighted purr, she liked such thing so much... A smile appeared in the darkness answering that purr with a murr of its own.
They remained there for some time, just enjoying the night sight with the snow-capped mountains glowing lightly and the warm presence of the other. There wasn’t really need for words. She smiled, she felt lucky, excited, and more, for the one that was hugging her, that was letting her feel her warm presence. If someone had asked her before it happened, she would have probably laughed.
After she succeeded in making her dream come true, making this silvery spires rise from the for-est, she had to promote it all. One of her ideas was hosting a gravboard invitational. Gravboarders from all Origin would gather there and compete to win prizes and glory. It would bring people and light on her new resort.
She thought it was simple; she should have known better after all the paperwork and troubles she went through to get her creation come to life. Still, stubborn as usual, she pushed forward: time moved slowly forward as she started gathering people and resources and paperwork.
She couldn’t but smile at the thought of the opening ceremony. The grand hall of her resort was full of people, all waiting to see what this new Invitational was. Industry insiders, the same gravboarders that would compete in the following days, tourists, all with eyes on the podium. She was so tense that day. And so unused to that dress.
All the eyes on her as she stood on the podium to present her idea, her dream.
Her thoughts were distracted by a light squeeze on her belly and a soft nose rubbing against her neck. She giggled, glancing on her shoulder and finding a pair of sparkling, teasing violet eyes. “What were you thinking about?” her lover asked and she smiled, turning her eyes back on the outside view “On the Invitational opening ceremony.” “Mmmm…”
More thoughts came to her mind, thoughts from deeper that night. She was the host of it all and for a long part of the evening people kept coming speaking with her. A long stream of people of which many faded in a blur. Not many remained in her mind. But a violet gaze remained, yes, and it wouldn’t fade.
The Invitational become a success. The gravboarders did their best, amusing the audience with their skills and tricks. The organization she spent so much time with worked perfectly and smoothly. But everything moved into the background after the Athletes party on the second day.
The party’s idea was to gather all competing athletes in one place. In the same room; the best of Origin’s gravboard world. She was of course present, how she could not be?
“That night, right?” her lover whispered and she nodded “Yeah… I still think you were pretty daring to try your luck with me…” she giggled and behind her she could feel that grin she now knew pretty well “You know, if you don’t risk nothing, you gain nothing. I couldn’t resist the challenge. And admit it, you were, you are, beautiful.”
“You too are beautiful…” she whispered turning in that hug and bringing her lover in a kiss. One of the soft, long ones only lovers can share. They had met that night, under the shining lights. She was the one to be approached and she played along because at the start, it was all just a game. A game that turned intoxicatingly serious as the night progressed.
After the party ended, she wasn’t alone in her suite up in the spire. Nor could the silence fully fill the night. The morning came far too soon for her liking. People whispered but she didn’t care. It was her private life; she wasn’t one of the judges.
What she thought as a one night-only fun soon developed into more. Every night, after the parties, was spent with her new lover. More she spent time with her, more she felt connected. She was one of the riders, one of the gravboarders competing in the Invitational. A beauty of mixed Gallente/Caldari heritage, sparkling violet eyes, spiky blue green hair, fiery character.
At the end of the Invitational it was on a lot of mouths: the organizer of the Invitational, that capsuleer, had a lover. And she was one of the athletes! How was it possible? She didn’t care what the others thought. All she cared for was for Synani and their relationship. She brought a new light into her life, it made her feel better.