It had been too long since she slept in their bed. Lex had been avoiding it for obvious reasons. It reminded her too much for what she was missing. An unfamiliar, cold cot in the submarine was more comfortable. Although she rarely got a good night’s sleep.

Last night seemed like a dream. When she woke up, she barely recognized it. The plush sheets, the familiar mattress, the warm scent of him. It would have startled her if she didn’t feel so relaxed.

With a few flutters of her eyelids, her vision cleared, bringing their bedroom into focus. She smiled warmly at the memories that followed as she sat up, her mind finally filling in the blanks. She had been drunk on him, lost in something she had needed. Surprisingly, the alien stayed silent and she almost forgot Deoxys existed.

Eventually, she made her way to the bathroom door with nothing but a blanket wrapped around her shoulders to shield her bare skin from the chill of the bedroom. The warm steam of the bathroom was welcoming.

Lex stepped into the threshold, a sleepy smile greeting her fiancé.

“Good morning.”

Killian Decker

Her amber eyes rolled when he called her sleeping beauty as she stepped further into the warmth of the bathroom. As she gets closer, she noticed the change in his eyes. It’s something she’s not used to yet. Their night almost made her forget Deoxys even existed.

Lex pauses, taken back by the presence of the alien. Her eyes grew wide and for a moment she tightened the blanket around her as if a stranger was watching.

“Um, no, it’s fine,” her gaze focuses on the crimson eye, “Good morning, Deoxys,” there’s almost a bitterness to her tone, annoyed at the reminder that the alien is there.

Killian Decker

All of the sudden, the tension is there, so heavy she feels like it’s weighing down on her chest. Her heart stirs, fueled by a light presence of adrenaline secondary to the pressure.

As soon as Killian suggests leaving, she quick to counter, “No,” her hand slips out from beneath the blanket, reaching to gently touch his arm, “No, please don’t,” guilt suddenly grips her throat, it’s her fault for reacting that way, “I just . . . need to get used to it.”

Killian Decker

To reach for him is instinct, rooted deep in her muscle memory. He’s always been a safe space and his touch always brought comfort. Even after she realizes what she’s done, she doesn’t let go. Instead, she freezes like a Deerling caught in the headlights.

She can sense his tension, and when there’s no reaction she slowly withdraws her touch, tucking her arm back under the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, “Sorry, I-,” Forgot? She hadn’t forgotten.

Silence blankets them as she stares at his back. It takes everything in her to not reach out and embrace him and run her fingers across the muscular ripples of his shoulders. Though he can’t see it, she smiles, lightening the mood, “Smart? When have I ever done anything smart?”

Lex pauses for a moment, “Well, besides agreeing to marry you,” that was a smart move.

Killian Decker

When he turns to look at her, the first thing she notices are two crystal blue eyes. She’s thankful to see them and meets them with her own warm amber gaze.

He’s not wrong so she simply shrugs her shoulders, “Sometimes, but you’ve also made me very happy,” she steps a bit closer, but doesn’t reach out this time, “I love you for better and for worse or whatever the hell they have you say,” something, something wedding vows.

Killian Decker

Typically, a kiss or a gentle touch followed I love you too. Instead, she was offered an uneasy smile. It did little to settle the discomfort left in her belly. With a small frown, she watched him leave the bathroom and venture towards the bedroom.

Lex just can’t let things lie. The unfinished conversation tugged her back towards the bathroom door where she paused, watching him still as he started to get dressed.

“Are you-“ her gaze panned over towards the door, “Are you leaving?” her voice grew smaller, disappointed, as if she already knew the answer.

Killian Decker

Lex could press on, try and pry more out of him to put her mind at ease. That may push him too far, far enough to where he would actually leave, and she’d ben alone again, left with an empty, dusty house. If she let it go, it’d eat at her, but at least he’d stay a little longer.

Eventually, she decides having him here is worth more than her discomfort. Lex accepts the smile and returns it with a forced on of her own, “Ok, I’ll be right down then,” she turns to head back towards the bathroom, dropping the blanket on the way. Her turn to shower.

Killian Decker