Sorry about the lack of chapter for last month. This chapter turned out much longer than any of the others I've written so I wanted to take my time with this one. Content warning for this chapter. Let me know what you guys think and thanks for reading!

December 20, 1351 Hours

The bright mid-day sun bore down from its perch high in the blue sky, casting crisp shadows upon all under its domain. That domain currently included two towering metal behemoths of IMC Titans currently currently patrolling the area.

Behind the machines a handful of miles away was the IMS Eden. The majority of the Eden was bare, massive plating panels stripped away to allow easier access to the superstructure of the ship. Many of the systems were damaged and need to replaced. Nothing too critical, but extensive all the same.

Moments after the IMS Eden dry-docked, Captain North had ordered the majority of those capable of combat to guard duty. This translated into several squads of pilots and grunts as well as a few compliments of Spectre racks to patrol the perimeter of the shipyard. Being deep in IMC territory many soldiers groused about the added security. However, with recent events still in mind they aptly performed their assigned jobs.

This patrol had gone on for several days, with security increasing as more IMC ships warped into the area. Some were in dire needs of repair, much like the Eden, while others provided additional security and close air support.

Eventually, after almost a week of no Militia activity, the IMC became a little more relaxed in how heavy handed their security was. North had even offered his men shore leave starting tomorrow as repairs continued to be made. This had considerably increased the morale of his weary men who looked forward to a chance to unwind and perhaps mourn their losses. As such, the two pilots currently patrolling the outermost west sector were in high spirits.

"So… You looking forward to this break?" Spencer asked as he slowly walked his Titan along the outer walls of the shipyard.

"I… Maybe? I don't see how you guys can just take a break… act like nothing happened." Bishop groused, her tone belittling the simmering anger she held within her.

"Bishop… We're not-"

"I know. I know… It's just... " She deflated, "We should be out there… helping." Spencer's wingman sighed.

Giving a sad chuckle he spoke up, voice barely above a whisper over the radio. "You know… we still can't go into the heart of the city. And if what the news networks are reporting is true… We've found nothing but death…." The man sighed grimly.

"I know… but I still want to help, nonetheless. I mean, the IMC will help rebuild right?"

Spencer was silent for a long time, responding with a short, "I hope so."

The two sat in somber silence. The subject at hand was a touchy one. Bishop had wanted to help the people of the frontier, and with the recently transpired events, that urge was significantly multiplied. Spencer on the other hand had a numb sort of feeling. On one hand he mourned the death of so many innocents. On the other, he was stricken with an almost unfathomable sense of retribution, to repay every civilian's death with Militia blood.

He kept his former thoughts to himself however, partly in fear of angering Bishop. The other reason was, just as Bishop pointed out, many of the Militia must have disagreed with the tactics used. He couldn't condemn so many based on the decisions of a few. So he resigned himself to having a somber state of mind about the entire situation, because realistically, it was the only viable response. At least Bishop understood this, despite the fact that her complaints said otherwise.

The two were silent for some time before they were approached by other IMC pilots, they were both piloting Stryders, one with a triple threat and the other with a 40mm cannon. From the stylized "A" symbol emblazoned on the chassis of both of the machines he recognized both of the machines as the Ares Division. These guys were more or less the "research division" of the Frontier IMC. "Hey, you two F-SOG? Omega?"

Bishop spoke up. "Yeah…?"

The Stryder jerked its thumb behind it, toward the direction it came from. "Your shift is over, we'll take over from here. You're to report to Captain North."

"Order authorization?" Spencer asked, not skeptical per say but wanting to check the authenticity of said orders.

"Alpha Romeo Seven Six Four Niner Eight Hotel Two" One of the pilots reported back.

There was a pause as Spencer verified the order, matching what they said and the verification to said order. "Alright, seems in order." Spencer muttered over his Atlas' loudspeaker.

As the groups swapped places and patrol routes Spencer spoke up. "Just a heads up, there are some dock workers using some Atlases for heavy lifting and hazard construction. Hard to miss em, bright yellow in color, driven by civvies." The corporal spoke. "Try not to give them too much trouble alright, we had a talk with em earlier… a lot of them had family in Storrett…"

Both Bishop and Spencer had expected the two to scoff or blow off their concern, however one of them compassionately dismissed their concerns. "...Don't worry about us… we've all lost something back in Storrett…" Their tone was somber, almost reminiscent.

"Good luck out there, stay safe." Bishop said as the two groups parted. She eventually turned her Ogre to walk alongside her wingman's Atlas.

"That went well…" Spencer chuckled.

"Yeah… let's see what North wants."

"Shore leave. One month, mandatory." North said voice strained with stress. His subordinates could see the weight upon his shoulders. Rumor was he had lost his entire family back in Storrett, on top of having to care for those under his command and the many rising fires that recent events had caused. "Right now the Eden is a dead ship, the area is being secured by the reserve portion of the Ares Division. Ship repairs will take around a month to complete, so I'm giving that time off to you. Don't do anything stupid… be back in one month's time or you will be reported AWOL… dismissed." He nearly sighed, as he announced to the majority of his crew who had assembled in one of the ship's still functional hangars.

With the breakout of a collective murmur the amassed people began to slowly trickle out of the area. Omega squad found itself grouped together, hanging around one of the bulkheads that walled the cargo hold from the hangar. The grouped pilots had an apprehensive aura about them. The idea of a break or a vacation of sort was very appealing. However, such a break on the heels of the recently transpired orbital bombardment of Storrett had left them feeling undeserving of such a vacation.

Wardd was the first to speak, breaking an awkward, palpable silence that grew upon the group. "I shouldn't have to tell you all to be careful…" He spoke, just short of a frustrated drawl. "We've lost a lot of lives recently… no need to lose more. Keep your heads on straight and your wits about you. Be careful out there." Wardd finished dismissively, ambling away to prepare for his own leave.

"See you guys in a month I guess…" Turner spoke with flagging enthusiasm.

"Yeah. Same here…" Spencer mimicked Turner's tone.

As the others parted ways, Decker called out to Bishop. "H-Hey! Bishop!" Catching her attention and causing her to turn around she cocked an eyebrow at the veteran pilot. Seeing that he had her attention he continued on. "I uh… I wanted to apologize. About before…. It was-I shouldn't have done what I did… No hard feelings?"

With a chuckled sigh she responded with a "You're fine, Decker."

With an awkward pause between the two, Decker spoke with an even weirder sounding response. "You, uh… enjoy your break." He replied, obviously still embarrassed or ashamed about his previous interactions with her.

Bishop simply chuckled and walked out the hangar, towards the crew quarters. As she made her way through the winding corridors and walkways to her quarters she eventually caught up to her wingman. Slugging him in the arm as she reunited with him she grinned. "Couldn't wait for me huh? And why are you walking so fast?" She glanced over her shoulder, back the way she came. He had made quite the distance in the two or three minutes her awkward exchange with Decker carried out.

"Sorry. You seemed… preoccupied." He chuckled, rubbing his arm where she had punched him.

Bishop responded with a glower. "Was two minutes such a long time to wait?" She frowned, a slightly playful undertone in her voice.

"I can get a lot done in two minutes." Spencer responded with slight exaggeration in his voice.

"Ass." She punched him again, harder, still smiling.

The two continued in companionable silence for about another minute or so before reaching their own quarters. Other people were milling about, moving to and from rooms and bunks, packing their small handfuls of items and personal effects. The two stepped into the small space that they called their bunk. Spencer moved into the attached washroom to retrieve both their toiletries, as Bishop started to pack her own clothes.

Tossing her hygenic items onto her bed, he moved over to his side of the room, packing the few items he had into a moderately sized backpack. He didn't have much in the way of underclothes. A week's worth of underwear, three spare "civilian" outfits, and his formal dress uniform. Deciding he wouldn't need the dress uniform or his extra BDUs he neatly folded his clothing as small as possible, carefully packing the backpack as neatly as possible. He glanced over his shoulder to Bishop, who seemed to be doing the same. Her face had its default expression of a slight scowl as she worked. Deciding that the two of them didn't need to work in complete silence he spoke to her. "Hey, Sam." He called for her attention.

Her expression softened slightly, "Yeah, Devin?"

"Think of anywhere good to go, or do on break?"

"Not really. I mean, having a vacation literally was the furthest thing from my mind." She paused, not wanting to bring up the events of Storrett into the conversation. "I mean, I'm okay with whatever you have planned, if you even have anything planned." She looked to him, half of her face partially veiled by her half shorn hair.

"Well, I didn't really have anything in particular, but…" He trailed off, focusing on folding one of his bulkier jackets neatly. "I was thinking we could hang out, maybe have a date, you know, like a real couple. Just try to relax a bit, clear our minds." He offered with a shrug.

Devin looked over to Sam who silently mouthed "date", before locking eyes with the man. "I… That would be nice, I guess." She struggled for words as her face flushed when Devin smiled at her flustered, far off response. "I mean, I've never been on a da-" She cut herself off, earning a chuckled response from Devin.

"Neither have I. First time for everything right?" He grinned.

Sam grunted in response, returning to the task at hand, the blush slowly receding from her pale features.

"Don't worry Sam. If you aren't feeling up for it later we can do something else. I'm not about to pressure you into anything. I'm fine hanging out with you too."

This caused Sam to turn to Spencer, she opened her mouth to protest, thought better of it and shook her head. "Thanks… Devin."

Ten minutes later the two were packed, and after double checking that they had everything they needed they moved out. Spencer with a now stuffed backpack and Bishop with a much smaller rucksack. Most of her personal items were back on Adaena in her little hideout in Anbul. As such, she didn't have much to pack, save for a few sets of underwear provided by the IMC and a set of clothes she was able to order for herself after a particularly dull mission patrolling an IMC shipping yard as security detail.

The two walked down one of the retractable ramps leading up to the IMS Eden and chose to forego the usual, provided means of transportation and walk out of the drydock towards the city proper. New Alexia was a large city, it's drydock as well as numerous shipping yards, coupled with its access to natural clean water and acting as a major hub of the transportation grid that spanned most of the planet, had afforded the city copious amounts of income. Glistening towers of glass, metal and concrete stretched into the sky and went on for miles and miles of city blocks. An almost monolithic suspended metro network stretched across the middle of the city, almost like a giant circulatory system, moving people and cargo all across the planet. Within the middle of this opulent display of wealth was the sky tether, a space elevator that stretched all the way into low orbit to one of the planet's main space stations.

Understandably both of the pilots were in awe, at the sight of the bleeding edge of civilization. The two also looked very out of place, many of the people here were in high fashion or sleek, custom tailored business attire. While the two were not poorly dressed by normal standards, they looked like bums in comparison to the citizens around them. As people stepped around the two gawking pilots Spencer grabbed Bishop's hand and led her to one of the nearest information kiosks.

Walking up to an automated touch screen display he thumbed around for a menu that showed the nearest hotel or lodging for them to stay at. Various displays, infographics and advertisements, flashed, pulsed and animated their way across the screen as the directory subsystem booted up. Within moments he was able to find an acceptable hotel a modest distance away from their current location. Nodding to himself he presented his findings to Sam.

"Hey," he called as he tugged on her hand, pulling her wandering attention away from their surroundings and back to Devin. "What do you think?" He asked, nodding towards the large screen that comprised a small portion of the information kiosk they were at.

Sam was silent as she mused over the screen, flipping through various pictures and other related data. "...Looks… fine." She mused, "Distance is a little far though."

"Yeah, I'll get us a ride." Devin replied, glancing at the thirty mile distance to their hotel, a little too far to walk.

In short order the two had found a bright blue taxi to take them to their destination. A seven minute car ride later, followed by payment and a tip had left the two just outside their hotel of choice. The building was very… modern looking, as Sam had pointed out. As much as she hated to admit, there wasn't anything quite as nice looking in the Militia controlled space of the Frontier. Aside from a few choice locations, the IMC had a much nicer, albeit expensive, standard of living. This was something Sam had experienced first hand. Then again what was to be expected of a super corporation who could just throw money at a problem until it was fixed? They liked o flaunt their wealth, and in cities like New Alexia, flaunt they did.

Sam was only pulled from her reverie when the receptionist stated the price of their one month stay.

"A twenty eight day stay at that suite will be fifteen thousand credits sir. Breakfast and room service are included with that booking as well as full use of our attached Spa and pool facilities." The man stated in a practiced cheerful tone.

"F-fifteen thousand?!" Sam parroted, stuttering from the hefty sum of money. "Devin, we can't! That's waaaay to expensive!" She cried out.

He simply smiled, shook his head and proceeded to pay the receptionist. "It's fine. IMC is paying me quite well. My seniority bonuses as well as my Pilot grade pay, campaign pay, on top of hazard and overtime pay gives me quite a large paycheck, not to mention I have nothing to really spend it on, so…" He explained as he was handed his room keys and a pair of pamphlets.

"Wait wait wait… You get paid overtime?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah, EarthGov has banned private corporations having official militaries. So I'm considered a 'private security contractor' therefor, they have to pay me overtime." He explained as they moved for a cluster of elevators down the hall.

"So what, you're super rich or something?" She joked.

"Kinda…? I mean, I could retire after my contract expires and live comfortably somewhere. But I mean, I still want to explore the Frontier, so…" He trailed off with a shrug, Sam simply stared at him incredulously.

The soft ding of the elevator doors parting had ushered the pair out of the small space of the elevator and into a brightly lit hallway, the ceiling above them was a skylight with large windows that took up the entirety of both ends of the hallway, letting ample light bleed into the hall, bathing everything in natural sunlight and crisp shadows. "You got us a room on the top floor? A penthouse?" She asked, equal parts incredulous and excited.

"Yeah, I've never been in one. Figured I would indulge myself." He chuckled, as he opened one of the only four doors on this floor.

The pair of them gasped at the sight they were presented with, a massive L-shaped window that stretched ceiling to floor had displayed the majority of the city until atmospheric fog had blurred out the very ends of the metropolis in a blanket of bluish grey, masking everything but the silhouettes of buildings and mountains in the backdrop.

"So… this is what fifteen thousand credits buys you in a hotel…" Devin whistled.

"The view is amazing…." Sam whispered, walking up to the glass, that separated her from the outside and a five hundred foot drop to the ground below. Gingerly she placed her palm against the glass, deeply appreciating the simple action of admiring the scenery. Something soldiers, let alone pilots, rarely had the chance to do.

Devin grinned, and left Sam to take in the sights in peace. He found the bedroom, a massive bed taking up a large majority of the room. The room had a large holoscreen nearly dominating one wall, with large windows taking up another. He placed his bags down and unpacked his stuff quickly, grateful that he didn't really have much to pack away.

When he went back into the living room Sam was still standing there. Walking up behind her, he hugged her waist, nuzzling into her neck for a moment before whispering into her ear. "I'm feeling hungry. How about I take your bag and we get something to eat?" He muttered suggestively.

She laughed in response. "Stop that!" She giggled out. "Your breath!-It tickles!"

With a playful grin he responded with mischievous intent in his voice. "Oh it does…?" With a wicked grin he moved his hands and splayed his fingers, "How about this!?" He laughed as his fingers danced and wiggled across her stomach and sides.

Bursting into laughter she danced and contorted to his ministrations, her actions masked by a heavy layer of laughter. The sound of a genuinely happy laugh from the woman brought a smile to his face. It matched the personality that she no longer had to hide from him.

Another minute of tickling had left Sam a very giggly woman. Short of breath as she was she struggled to voice for Devin to stop. "Ah-HA HA-Okay! Okay ok-HA HA HA-stop…." She took several deep breaths as he eased up in his relentless tickling. "We can-ha ha-we can go eat."

With a smile he responded, "Okay… You should laugh more by the way. It's beautiful." Devin said a little bashfully.

This caused Sam to blush furiously. "I… um… o-oh." Was all she was able to stammer out, still not used to such comments.

Scooping up her bag which was dropped in the recent bout of tickling, Devin kissed her briefly. "I'll pack your stuff away, think of a place we can go and eat.

With a chuckle she responded, "Will do, hotshot. Don't take to long though. I don't want to come in there to find you sniffing my panties." She joked with her usual smirk on her full lips.

"You don't even wear panties!" He yelled from the bedroom.

"Boyshorts! Whatever!" She snapped back playfully as she browsed one of the pamphlets that was given to them.

A few minutes later Devin returned to Sam, a dopey smile on his face. Sam deadpanned. "You sniffed them didn't you…" She sighed.

"I wasn't going to… but then you told me not to… I couldn't resist." He admitted.

Frowning genuinely she uttered, "You're a pervert, you know that…"

"I'm not even going to deny that." Was all he could think to say.

Sam sighed heavily in response, hands on her hips and a frown upon her face. Only the slightly upward curve of the corners of her mouth relaying the lightheadedness of her serious expression.

"I'm sorry for sniffing your underwear…" He spoke out with an exaggerated regretful tone. "But I am really hungry." He finished in his regular tone of voice, punctuated by a growl from his stomach.

Shaking her head in exasperation he chuckled out an incredulous, "...I swear…". Electing to not finish her train of thought, she instead offered, "Come on then. I have the perfect place picked out."

"...A… burger place?" Devin asked as he angled his head up to glance at the holographic sign placard outside of the establishment.

"What? I'm a simple girl. I enjoy simple things." She shrugged.

"Riiiight. Simple." He mocked playfully, earning another punch in the arm and a glowering stare from Sam.

"Ass." She sulked, only perking up after Devin had profusely and repeatedly offered an apology for his words.

Seating themselves at a booth they didn't have to wait long for someone to take their order. "Welcome to Arnie's! Can I start you two out with something to drink?" The waiter, a young man, energetically asked.

Motioning for Sam to start with her order first, the two looked expectantly to the woman. Unfazed by the sudden attention, she spoke up. "I'll take a cream soda." She said offhandedly, face deep in the menu before her.

Still upbeat, the waiter jotted down her order. "Okay, one cream soda! And for you sir?" He asked, turning his attention over to Devin, who gasped.

"You have cream soda!? I'll have the same, but make mine really large."He said excitedly, earning a laugh from the waiter and a strange look from Bishop.

"W-what?! I really like cream soda…" He muttered, embarrassed.

Sam resigned herself to shaking her head with a smirk upon her face. Chuckling softly to herself as she returned to her menu, she left Devin alone to wallow in his embarrassment.

"Alright, well I'll be right back with your drinks." The waiter said walking away. In the waiter's absence, Devin picked up his own menu.

Perusing the items offered, his eyebrows perked at the mention of pizza. It had been years since he had eaten pizza, before his enlistment. He looked up to Sam, "Hey, you think of what you want?" He asked.

"Yeah. Going to get their bacon deluxe burger." She said with a little sigh as she closed her menu. "How about you?" Sam smiled.

"I was going to get a meat-lovers pizza." He responded, his voice void of the embarrassment he was experiencing earlier. "It's been forever since I've had pizza."

"Fair enough." She grunted.

Moments later the waiter returned with both of their drinks. One was in a regular, tall glass. The other looked like it was poured into a novelty mockery of a regular drinking glass. Much taller and much wider than Sam's glass, however not to the point of being ludicrous. It was impractical to say the least.

With both parties grinning as they received their drinks, they thanked the waiter in unison. This caused a moment of silence to fall over the trio before all three of them burst into a short fit of laughter.

Winding down from his own fit of laughter, the cashier turned to look at both of the pilots before asking, "Any idea for your entrees?"

Nodding and placing down her menu, Sam replied with, "I'll take a bacon deluxe burger-well done, please." She said placing her order. The waiter jotted down her order on a handheld data slate, parroting her words before turning to the other pilot.

"And for you, sir?" The young man asked expectantly.

"I'll take a meat-lovers pizza." Was Devin's response.

"Alright, I'll submit your orders and bring them out to you when they're done." The waiter informed as he collected the various menus from the pair.

A companionable silence fell over the two pilots as the waiter walked off. Sam looked out the window, observing the scenery and the people that passed through the area. Devin on the other hand elected to look about the small diner they were sitting in, admiring the unique clash of rustic and modern designs. Eventually however, both parties were drawn back to their present company.

Sam was first to speak, "So…" she cleared her throat, "...is this uh… is this a… date?" She asked awkwardly, unable to maintain eye contact with the man across from her. This drew out a smirk from Devin.

His smirk turned into a thoughtful expression however as he pondered for a moment. "...Yeah, I guess it is." He replied, smiling.

"Oh, well, this isn't so bad then…"

"What, did you think it was going to be horrible?" Devin asked.

"N-No!" She exclaimed, "It's just, I've never been on a date before, but I was expecting-and I don't really know what I was, but something a little more intimate, romantic." She tried to alleviate the underlying question in Devin's statement.

Slightly crestfallen he defended the situation. "W-well...I mean… proper dates are usually planned out, but I mean-technically this is a date." He replied, trying to to get too flustered and failing spectacularly at that. Sighing, he forced himself to calm down.

Slightly scowling in an attempt to not laugh at the man's reaction she responded with, "It's fine, I mean… This is nice, don't worry about it." She smirked, "Like I said, simple girl."

Taking several gulps of his drink, Devin responded with a bashful, "Thanks, Sam."

"Don't mention it." She responded nonchalantly. "This side of you is cute." She smiled at him. "It's… different from the usual you. You're much more relaxed, not as serious."

Smiling warmly he repeated, "Thanks, Sam." She simply smiled back at him warmly.

They spent the next couple of minutes idly chatting before their food arrived. Their waiter balancing a large tray in one hand, and a stand in the other. Giving both parties their respective orders, he left with a chipper, "enjoy", once again allowing the two to enjoy their company.

Taking a timid bite of literally steaming pizza, Devin let out an orgiastic groan of delight upon experiencing the taste. This of course elicited a strange look from Sam who asked, "You okay there hotshot?" Fighting back a fit of giggles from the blissed out, reminiscent look upon her lover's face.

"I'm sorry, it's been so long since I've had pizza. I almost forgot how much I loved this stuff." He replied back, a reminiscent overcast in his voice.

"Not more than you love me though, right?" She smirked playful, taking delight in the childlike air around him.

He paused for a moment, eyes and brows turned upwards in consideration. "...Hmmm… I think it may be a close second." He smiled back playfully.

"As long as it's second." She laughed, causing Devin to break out in his own small laugh.

The two kept up their small talk and playful jokes and teasing up throughout the entirety of their meals. Sam chose to wait outside while Devin paid the bill, catching the man with a sharp whistle and a wave.

Catching up to the woman, he asked. "So how was it?"

Her confident smirk failed her for just a moment, lapsing into an uncertain, or perhaps nervous grimace, "It was… good." She said with embarrassment. "I look forward to what you have planned later…." She trailed off, a tinge of red upon her features.

He nodded, grunting in affirmation before breathing out a relaxed, "Good, me too."

It was another short trip back to their hotel room, their taxi ride shared in silence, which was only broken to say thanks to the driver who reciprocated the action before driving off. As the sun began to set both Devin and Sam looked upon their view of the city during its twilight hours. The city was aglow with advertisements and lights, giving the collection of glass and concrete an ethereal halo against the painterly setting sky.

"Beautiful." Was Sam's whispered response, staring at the city as night slowly fell upon the city.

Devin took this moment to stand next to Sam, eventually taking her hand up in his own. She tensed up for a moment before relaxing, eventually the two turned their attention from the magnificent view and to each other. Sam blushed when they made eye contact. "Thank you…" He started, flustering when she looked back up at him, "...F-for today. I enjoyed spending time with you. You know, not shooting at people." He smiled.

"Yeah, I had fun." She smirked. Silence fell back over the two again, the entire situation awkward from their intimate proximity to each other. Looking up to Devin, they both broke eye contact before steeling themselves respectively. Sam's blush deepened and while she couldn't tell from his darker pigmentation the expression upon his face was a clear indicator of his own embarrassment. Taking a breath to calm the butterflies in her stomach she pressed her own lips to his. This had obviously taken the man by surprise, briefly stunning him before he recovered.

Returning her ardent display of affection was almost automatic, for a long while their lips were locked in a passionate dance in their display of affection. A display that deepened as both of their tongues were soon involved in the affair. Eventually the two broke away, to take in breaths, both dizzy from their recent passionate lip-locking session. The two smiled at each other, Sam giving a small peck of finality before pulling away.

"W-woah. Okay. That was something." Devin said, slightly far off.

"Something good?" She asked, a playful grin on her features.

"More like amazing." He grinned, sweeping her up in a sudden hug, causing her to give out a surprised peep of noise. "I love you, Sam."

Stunned briefly she responded with a warm smile and a genuine, "I love you too, Devin."

The two elected to cuddle upon the massive couch that framed a section of the penthouse where a giant holoscreen sat against a backdrop of ceiling to floor windows. Moonlight illuminated the entire room in pale blue light and soft shadows. They both shared the tender moment for what seemed like hours, only moving apart when their limbs grew stiff and tired.

Stretching and suppressing the urge to yawn, Sam turned to Devin. "I'm kinda hungry, how about you?" She admitted, placing a hand on her hip as she turned to her lover.

"Uhhhmm… kinda. Not really hungry, but I could go for a snack." He responded as he gave his own stretches. "Got any place in mind?"

"I don't know to be honest." She laughed, "Want to just take a look around the area? I mean, it's pretty early in the night, the sun just set. We have a few hours before it gets dark." She offered.

"Yeah, thats cool." He grunted with finality as he concluded his stretches.

The smile Sam gave him was a mix between eager, grateful and adoration. Soon the two left for food, only to return two hours later, both full and slightly buzzed from alcohol. The two had taken a trip to a local restaurant, both ordering alcoholic beverages. Devin had filled up on appetizers, having to assure Sam on multiple occasions that he wasn't really hungry and appetizers were fine with him.

Plopping down onto the couch and activating the Holoscreen he lazily reclined back as Sam flopped down next to him, leaning her back across his lap to gaze up at him. Laughing playfully, she leaned up to peck him on the lips before saying, "That was fun. Today was awesome." She sighed wistfully.

"You're awesome." He grinned back, returning her peck.

"I know. I'm pretty great." She joked, earning a playful eye roll from Devin, eliciting a laugh from Sam. "Any plans for tomorrow?" She asked as she turned her attention over to the Holoscreen. Devin, her lover, wingman, professional killer and season soldier, had on cartoons. She giggled inwardly, he could be such a child at times.

"We could have our date, maybe go swimming-or sightseeing, maybe hit up a movie afterwards?" He offered, making sure the tone of voice he used, let her know that he was keeping things open, in case she wanted to do something different.

"Sounds good." She mused. Her own attention absorbed by the Holoscreen that had to be at least sixty inches wide. The night dragged on with small pockets of conversation to break up the frequent stretches of long silence. Sometime during their consumption of broadcasted entertainment they had both drifted to sleep.

Consciousness had come late in the morning to rouse both of the undisturbed sleepers. Sam woke as Devin stirred, his legs twitching as his body began to wake up. Rising with a groaned yawn from the man's lap, she rubbed at her eyes. Feeling the weight of eyes on her, she turned to look to Devin.

"Good morning, beautiful." He smiled groggily, still in the process of waking up.

Blushing furiously she bolted up. "Spenc-I mean-Devin! D-did I fall asleep on your lap?" She blurted out nervously, clearly embarrassed. It was obvious she was still nervous or uncomfortable with the idea of being in a relationship. If her normal, outward demeanor was any indicator, it acted as her emotional shield and as such it most likely tried to assert itself wherever possible. Her own attempts to suppress that barrier around him had often left her to a feeling of vulnerability and embarrassment.

"Yeah, its no big deal though." He shrugged, rubbing his legs. "I think my legs are asleep, he chuckled.

"Oh, uh… sorry about that." She grinned nervously.

"No biggie. I can hardly complain when I have a cute girl sleeping in my lap." He chuckled.

With a smile she nodded to Devin, then stood up. Helping him up off the couch he stumbled into her to wrap her in a hug. "I'm hungry. But first I'm going to take a shower. You coming?" He finished, punctuated with a small peck on her neck. Pulling back to look at her properly, he found her smirking again.

"You just want to see me naked again don't you?" She asked with confidence in her voice and a smirk on her face.

Bashfully he responded with a "maybe" as he averted his eyes. This caused Sam to give a short but wholehearted laugh.

"You're cute when you're shy." She said pushing the man back playfully. "Go on, take a shower. I might join you." She told him in her usual tone and demeanor.

True to her words, she did join him, shortly after he stepped into the shower. She took pleasure in his immediate reaction to her nudity. It filled her with pride, seeing that he appreciated her, found her attractive. Soon, washing turned into playful touches and teases which in turn evolved into groping and stopping just short of heavy petting.

They helped scrub each other, each taking care to clean the other thoroughly. Both performed their work with a sensual reverence in their actions. The two spent a long while in the shower. Devin's hands groping at the curves of her body while the two sporadically made out. Sam similarly traced her hands along the toned curves and muscles of his own body, taking in his athletic build with longing grasps.

Sometimes his hands strayed lower, along her thighs or hips, but never to her actual womanhood. She had made it clear earlier that he would have to "earn" that. While he knew she didn't mean that in the sense of an actual award, like something one would win in a contest. He interpreted her words as he would have to wait until she was comfortable and ready to proceed into that kind of a relationship with him. It was understandable, he was able to wait.

Sam appreciated his devotion to her reluctance, he was being considerate, it was touching. Not wanting to be a hypocrite herself, she strayed near but never actually touched his manhood. Sometimes she would elicit a gasp or a muted moan or groan from the man as her hand traveled up and down his thigh occasionally, teasing him.

Eventually teasing became too much for the man as the desperate cast to his words pulled them both from their perpetual cycle of teasing. "S-Sam… Can I take care of this? Please?" He sounded desperate, he looked desperate.

She paused for a minute, mind almost grinding to a halt when she heard him speak. Was he going to masturbate? In front of her? She nodded, snapping herself out of her stunned state of mind.

With a look of gratitude he turned away from her, so his right side was facing her. This pulled a look of confusion to Sam's face, to which he responded with a quick sideways glace, "I figured you didn't want it on you."

"...O-Oh, ummm… right." She stuttered.

She watched as his right hand pressed against the wall to support his weight, and his left grasp his manhood. The water acting as lubricant made the affair into a vulgar sounding symphony of wet shlicks, barely audible over the sound of the shower. She watched captivated as he firmly pumped his hand around what she estimated to be eight inches of manhood, with nearly languid strokes, eyes screwed shut in pleasure. This continued for a solid minute or two, his breaths becoming heavy and laborious before his breathing hitched a few times as he approached his own plateau of orgasm. With soft, muted orgiastic groans his ejaculate splattered against the wall in several large pulses of ivory before being washed away by the downpour of water from the showerhead. He took a few deep breaths as he rinsed his hands off, cleaning them of some of his stray seed that managed to coat his hands.

She watched as his dick twitched a few times as it hung heavily between his legs, half-erect. He glanced up to her a look equal parts shame and embarrassment upon his features. "S-Sorry…" He apologized.

"For what?" She asked with a kind softness that was rare, even from this side of her. "I mean I was teasing you a lot, and you've mentioned that you find me attractive. It's okay." Giving him a chaste kiss on the lips she continued, voice taking on a sultry tone. "Besides, that was pretty hot...:" She winked to him, looking down as his penis twitched before gaining a few inches and firmness, becoming erect once again.

"As much as I love your willpower, I'm not looking to test the limits of that, at least for now." She teased, "I'll give you some time to yourself, I'm going to get dressed." She said as she parted from him, stepping out of the shower and toweling off.

In short order he was also out of the shower. They had burned a good half hour, fooling around and were now in time for an early lunch. This changed their earlier plans of breakfast, but only by redirecting their choice of venues which were not lacking in variety.

"You know… That was pretty hot." She commented as the two shared a lunch, causing Devin the cough mid swallow of a fruit smoothie.

Shooting her a quick glare, he choked out, "You tease." between a series of coughs.

Shooting back a confident smirk, she placed her arms behind her on top of the booth seat, accentuating her ample bosom chest thrusting at the man.

His glare intensified, his frown deepening. "You're doing that on purpose…"

She let out a muted laugh that trailed off into a content sigh. Looking out a window to her left. This left the shaved and scared portion of her face to Devin. "Y'know I love you. You treat me like I'm normal, you think I'm pretty… you don't ask me to change." She said softly as she gazed out the window. "You… you mean so much to me… fuck. I can't even put it into words." She chuckled to herself, turning back to a very confused Devin. Moisture pooled in her eyes. "Before you get confused-I know I've said I love you, but I don't think I've told you how important you are to me." She smiled, "I just wanted to let you know s'all." She wiped her eyes, smiling.

Unaware of what the correct response to such a situation, he responded with a genuine smile and a muttered, "Thanks, Sam. I'm glad you think of me the same way I think of you."

She smiled briefly before lapsing back into her self-confident smirk. "Enough of that, yeah? I'm not good with that sappy shit." She muttered.

"So you want to hit up the movie theaters or go swimming?" He asked as they finished their food.

"As much as you would probably love to see me in a bikini… I would rather watch a movie." She said a teasing grin on her face.

"Fair enough."

The two watched a fictitious movie set in the Titan Wars. The movie revolved around a legendary pilot who withstood daunting odds, escorting a group of stranded soldiers to safety. The lone pilot had taken down other titans, countless tanks and armored vehicles and infantry like it was going out of style. As pilots themselves, the movie was... interesting to say the of the scenes were unrealistic, even by Titan War era standards. One scene in particular had the main character take on about four squads worth of soldiers and three armored vehicles with nothing but his jumpkit and an old G2A2.

Of course the two snickered at the scene which was early on in the movie, which had prompted the two to disregard the movie. They spent a fair majority of the movie doting on each other, littering each other with affectionate kisses and pecks on the cheek. Sometimes they chose to make out, they found each other's company much more interesting than the movie. As the two vacated the theaters as the end credits began to roll, they both decided to return to their hotel room.

Electing to forego snacks at the theaters, since both of them were rather full after their lunch had left the two of them rather peckish. "Want to go out in maybe an hour or two? I have some plans for us this evening." Devin asked as they entered the penthouse suite they were currently renting out.

"You do?" She smirked.

"Yeah. There is a ferry down on the pier that takes us across the city. When we get off, we can visit the carnival." He looked to her as he laid his plans for the night out in the open for her.

She paused, considering his plans. "What, you figured since I enjoyed the last carnival we went to that I would enjoy this one?" She frowned slightly. Sam watched as Devin began to speak up before cutting him off by speaking first. "Well, I would." She smiled bursting into laughter when he gave a confused, yet relieved look.

"...Uhh, well… Consider it our date." She had a slight tinge of red but otherwise stay composed.

"A-alright." Forcing the embarrassed grin of her features, she asked, "Should I dress nicely?"

"If you want. I mean it might look out of place at a carnival though."

She frowned at herself. "Oh, right."

A night of dinner under moonlight upon the ferry, carnival games and rides had culminated in the pair boarding a Ferris Wheel. As the two slowly reached the top they began to talk.

"Y'know… This reminds me of when my uh… my dad… would take us to fairs and stuff." She said as she watched the moon's reflection shimmer and dance across the surface of the bay.

"'Us'?" Devin was obviously confused.

"My brother and sister, we would all go to the fair when it came into town." She explained. "We would always have so much fun. This was back when we lived together, in the core. It's a small handful of the good memories I have of my family." She sighed wistfully. "I'm glad you can do the same. Draw out some of that childhood happiness." She smiled, attempting but not quite able to maintain eye contact.

Devin smiled. "Thank you. For sharing that with me. For being here tonight." He replied.

"There is no place I'd rather be tonight, Devin." She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder as they crested the apex of the Ferris Wheel's circle. They shared a tender, chaste kiss before spending the rest of the ride in each other's arms.

Their ride back to the hotel included a silent but companionable ferry ride, followed by a blessedly shorter ride by taxi to their hotel room. As they entered their room, undressed and began to share a shower, Sam broke the comfortable silence between the two of them to say, "Devin. I… I-thank you, for tonight it was wonderful."

"I'm glad…" He smiled as he trailed off, he had an apprehensive look upon his face as he stared up at the ceiling.

"I know that look," Sam said, "You got something on your mind don't you?" She smirked, nudging him.

This caused him to break into a smile. "Yeah…" he looked to her as she smiled back. "I was just thinking that, if I had to spend the rest of my life with someone, I would want it to be you." He started out confidently, slowly turning more and more embarrassed as his sentence went on.

"I… oh." She said, staring down at the floor. She was silent for a moment.

Devin silently began to panic, worrying if he had said something wrong, overstepped his bounds. She spoke up before his panic began to compound itself.

"I'm…" She paused looking for the right words. "...Relieved, that you feel the same way I do. I know our relationship has moved kind of fast, ever since it's been official… but I'm glad to hear those words."

"You're not just saying that because it's what I want to hear, are you?" He muttered with a tinge of hope in his voice.

"No… I'm not." She smiled warmly. "I really mean it. I love you." A short kiss later they concluded their shower with their usual playful gropes and teases. As the two of them glanced at the time on the wall, notifying them it was one in the morning they both decided that they should probably get to sleep.

Shortly after entering the bed however they both grew restless. Devin turned to Sam who smiled at him. Sharing a short kiss, the man spoke up in the dim lighting. "Can't sleep huh?" He asked.

"I was just about to ask the same, hotshot." She smirked back. "I mean it is kind of hard to sleep when your lover is naked next to you."

"You're not the one who is hard."

"Oh?" Sam asked, snaking her hand down to his crotch to find that he indeed was erect. Instead of pulling her hand away like Devin had expected however, she softly adjusted her grip. Gently, she shifted her hand back and forth. "This is how you did it, right?" She asked, looking up from his penis to find his eyes closed softly.

Feeling the weight of her expectant stare he looked at her. "Y...yes." He breathed out. God her hand was divine. While it wasn't exceedingly soft-it was impossible to have a profession such as theirs and maintain such a softness-the gentle, careful ministrations she performed more than made up for it.

Not wanting to have her left out he pressed his hand to her lightly defined, well toned stomach and slowly moved his hand down to the delta between her legs. She stiffened at the contact, but offered no other forms of resistance. Taking that as his cue to continue, he slowly, delicately began to massage the outer lips to her sex, hand occasionally running over the little bead of her clitoris. Eventually she relaxed with a soft whimper of pleasure. Her hands moved to his shoulders, gripping them as her legs squeezed his invading hand, her eyes screwed shut in pleasure.

With a contradictory, girly almost whimpered sigh, she spoke his name. "D-Devin…" Her grip tightened as the dewy cleft between her legs redoubled in moisture. Her breath quickened as she let a moan slip that she could no longer hope to hold back. He kept up the groping and massaging of her sex even as he slipped a lone finger in to probe her moist depths. This caused another pulse of wetness from the woman, her own sexual discharge to splatter against his palm. He grip on him redoubled, her finger digging into his shoulder as her legs threatened to crush his invading hand.

She twitched like this for a few moments before he relaxed slightly, Devin slowly bringing her down from her sexual high. When her eyes opened she was met with a mirthful smile from her lover. Kissing the man deeply she rolled the two of them over, so she was straddling his waist, lips locked to his.

When the two parted he uttered a soft, "I love you, Samantha…"

She paused, momentarily stunned from hearing her full name. She smiled, she liked the way he said it, "I love you, Devin." She kissed him again, as she reached a hand back to grab his dick, even as she lifted her own hips to do so.

The tip of his length kissed her engorged outer labia, the lips slightly puffy, slick and taking on a pinkish hue. Her recent orgasm had left her slick enough for her to ease partway onto him. She stopped when there was a slight resistance. Steeling herself as Devin began to ask, "Wait, Samantha are you a-" and forcing herself down with a slightly pained gasp that lapsed into a moan as she hilted herself with a clap of flesh on flesh. She winced in discomfort, grinding her hips into his.

Tears of happiness worked their way down her face as she smiled down at him. "Yes." She answered his early question kissing him softly. His own emotional tears had made the moment special for her, not to mention the very act of giving her virginity to the man. As she began to move her hips with a slow but steady rise and fall she watched as his face displayed the raw, uninhibited pleasure he was feeling. After what could only be a few pistons of her hips however his face tensed slightly as his body sort of heaved and clenched. The throbbing of his penis inside of her was the only other warning she got before a feeling of thick warm liquid invaded her depths.

She gasped at the sensation, looking to Devin's blissed out, but apologetic face. "Sorry, it was my first time too…" He said, causing a fluttering within the woman's prodigious chest. She captured his lips with her own, tongues dancing as she rocked her hips back and forth.

Seeing as how his erection wasn't flagging she continued. He placed his hands on her wide, flared hips as she humped away. His eyes roaming cyclically from his crotch, where they were joined, to her chest and then her face. Eyes drawn to her partially erect nipples he placed his mouth upon one of the teats of her well endowed chest and suckled gently. The normally inverted nipples were slightly puffy. While the areola was only a few shades darker than her skin and fit within the palm of his hand, they did an excellent job highlighting the needy buds on her chest.

Her back arched from the action, her soft, muted moans keying up an octave. Not wanting to be one to simply lie there and take it, he began to thrust back into the woman. Her heavy ass clapping into his crotch with every upward thrust he made to meet her downward stroke. As their lovemaking wore on, she grew progressively wetter. Soon, thin strands of her excitement bridged their crotches in an intricate web.

Throughout the night the two of them had switched between several positions, varying degrees of intensity and had both orgasmed multiple times. Both exhausted, as the sun began to peek over the horizon the two of them fell asleep, Sam on her stomach with Devin on top of her, dick still snugly lodged within the tight, warm depths of her vagina.

When the two roused it was from Devin's morning wood, hours later. Sam giggled at his predicament, allowed him to pump in and out her which had turned into another short session of love making. As the two entered the shower, a slurry of sexual juices streaming from her depths, they shared a short kiss. The two tenderly helped each other get clean. As they found out last night, they both had quite the libido, and once that dam had been broken they tried not to have every moment they shared turn into a bout of sex.

"Sam. Last night… I didn't have a condom… And I came inside you quite a few times…" She could tell from the tone of his voice he was worried.

She smiled, "Then we will just have to hope won't we?" She kissed him. At the confused look he shot back at her, she relented. "Relax, hotshot, I've been taking contraceptives ever since I first joined the Militia, can never be too careful. Besides, I didn't see you complaining when you were trying…" She teased.

Relaxing he responded with, "Oh." At a loss for words he rubbed his neck. "I'm glad. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have kids with you, but it would have to wait for when we're done with this."

"With what?" She asked as she washed what remained of her hair.

"Being pilots, soldiers." He explained. "You can't be a soldier and a parent. It doesn't work out that way… for obvious reasons."

"I'm glad we both agree on that." She said as flipped her hair behind her to rinse it out. He grunted in agreement, pecking her on the forehead before stepping out and toweling off.

For the rest of their shore leave the two had spent time together. Occasionally they met back up with their squad for drinks of a meal. The had some form of sexual contact almost daily, both of them insatiable. On more than one occasion they basically did nothing but have sex, watch the holoscreen or play videogames, usually while having sex, and have room service delivered. When their shore leave was finished it was to everyone's disappointment. The crew and servicemen and women had enjoyed their breaks, and while they didn't want them to end, there was solace in returning to the familiar.

The IMS Eden looked much better. The ship had the majority of its plating replaced, it was repainted, featured bigger, more powerful engines, an overhauled weapons system and a small onboard factory for producing the latest Titans made by Hammond Robotics.

The Eden and her crew had spent the next two months patrolling IMC space deeper in the core of the frontier. They did this as General Marder and his Ares Division fought out on the frontlines of the frontier. News was that they would soon make plans to move on to an IMC research facility on Typhon to further develop technology to combat the Militia. Spencer didn't care however, his contract with the IMC would expire by the end of March. Specifically on his birthday on the 31st. He had made plans with Bishop as to buy a frigate or a cargo hauler and see the Frontier. He still wanted to explore, take in the sights and the experiences. Due to her own contract being tied to his own she was in a position to accept his offer, which she did so eagerly.

At the end of the month he received his final paycheck and was dropped off at the next port the Eden had to dry dock at. Bidding his squad members farewell, and promising to keep in touch he left the IMC.

The two eventually found a relatively small freighter, the size of a small skyscraper. It was a junker, sold for dirt cheap by a local scrap yard. The two used their checks to update and repair the ship to a great extent. Giving their new home enough armor and weapons to classify as a heavy warship and engines to rival a corvette's they took off to the stars.

Sam had requested to visit Anbul, to retrieve her stuff, which luckily was still there. The two marveled at the city. The majority of the damage from a few months prior was fixed, only small cleaning crews lingered about, performing inspections and repairing any minor damages. Moving her belongings had taken a few weeks, as well as selling her little hideout. As the autopilot charted them a path for takeoff, the two enjoyed each other's company. Eventually this developed into a passionate round of sex and the two of them spending the rest of the day in their birthday suits as they walked around the ship.

"Hey, Sam." Devin said as he looked over his shoulder from the navigation chair on the tiny bridge of their ship. He had to make a conscious effort to not openly ogle her breasts, they had grown slightly in size, after they had left the IMC, bumping them up to solid E-Cups. She had gained a little weight, in all the right areas is Devin was to be asked. Of course he never really brought the subject up, she was still fit, both of them were, they hadn't completely given up their profession as pilots.

"Yeah, what's up hotshot?" She smiled at him, noticing the slight stirring in his crotch, he was ogling her again.

"I was thinking, maybe we could become scavengers while we're out here. It's gotta be safer than being freelance. Less chance of getting shot." He offered as he began to turn back to the console.

The soft padding of her feet on composite decking trailed behind him as she approached the back of his chair, breasts resting on top of his head. She could tell he was smiling. "What? Don't want to help these people anymore?"

"I still want to help… I just… I don't want to lose you." He said. "We can sell what we scavenge from battlefields, bases, whatever gets left behind. There is valuable technology out there that can be useful to those affected by this petty war." He sighed.

"It's a good idea…" She said as she turned his chair around, "Give me some time to think on it, okay?"

"Don't blow me off this time?" He joked.

"Hey that was an accident, I had totally forgotten okay!" She cried back. Her expression then turned sultry. "Besides, I thought you liked it when I blowed you…" She began as she sank down, taking up his length in her hand.

Her impromptu blowjob turned into another bout of passionate sex that started in the bridge and worked its way back to their bedroom. In the halls sounds of moans, exaltations and the sound of flesh impacting flesh echoed down the hallways and throughout the ship. Some days were actually productive, others were like this. Not that either of them complained, she had enjoyed this addiction just as much as he did. And they would indulge in their addiction frequently, wherever possible. Within the halls of the ship, in the galley, in the cockpit of a titan, the bathroom, the shower, there was no shortage of locations the two had gotten overly affectionate. Despite this, they never grew tired of their company. This wasn't to say their relationship was perfect, both both argued, fought, said things they didn't mean and later they would make up.

And as their lovemaking had wound down the two found themselves entangled with each other as they dozed off. Devin awoke to an empty bed. Not a rare occasion, sometimes Sam would get up to shower or eat, or do something around the ship. He wasn't concerned until he had entered the bathroom. It was well furnished, quite large for a ship, which was to be expected on a citizen class freighter, still the note on the mirror was not a good sign. With a growing pit of dread he read the paper attached to the reflective surface by a single strip of adhesive tape. He read,

"Devin,

I know this isn't how you expected to wake up. I know this is unfair, and wrong, and I am sorry. I thought about what you said, becoming a scavenger. It's a great idea, really, it is. But it isn't for me. I know you're concerned about my safety, and I'm concerned about yours. I'm rambling, I've never really written a letter before.

I'm leaving to rejoin the militia, just to clear some of your worry, I won't be with the MCOR. The SRS division is looking for talented pilots. I figured it's right up my alley. I've taken one of the Titans, and piloted the ship to Harmony. By the time you read this hopefully I've had enough time to get a head start.

I don't want us to argue. I don't want my last memory of you to be sad. I promise I'll be safe, so I can return, if you will still have me. This is a weird way to fuck up our marriage right? Anyways, I hope you keep yourself safe, please do not come looking for me. I couldn't bear the pain of meeting you to talk about this. That is why I wrote this letter. If you ever want to talk to me, send a letter to the SRS, they'll make sure I get it. Till next we meet again.

Forever Faithful,

Samantha"

He sniffled, wiped his eye and moved out the bathroom. He got dressed and moved into one of the cargo bays. They had converted the space to allow for drop pods and Titan pods to be deployed. True to her words, her Titan, the giant black and red Ogre-Class Scorch was gone. He felt his heart drop, he felt like crying. Understandably, he felt as if a large part of him was gone, and all that filled the void was numbness. He looked down to the ring on his hand and pulled it off, placing it on the same necklace that held the dog tags he kept from the IMC. He would rather keep his reminder of her close to heart than on hand at all times.

With a heavy, tired sigh he sank into the captain's chair of the ship. He sat for what felt like hours, his appetite and drive to do anything long gone. Eventually he roused himself out of his mire of negativity. This was still her home and she said she would return. With a heavy sigh he plotted a course for the nearest contested territory in the frontier. He would have to cope with the loss of his lover, however temporary that may be. Steeling himself with a confident grin, he prepared his Titan for drop as he waited for the combat to die down, after all he a whole new frontier to explore.

END