Raaa, with the natural advantage of eyes in the back of his head, spotted that they were being followed before Sophi did. He climbed up Sophi's arm from Kriikisiii's back, humming happily as he draped himself over her shoulders and tugged her head to the side. Following the line of his sight, Sophi spotted their hunter.
Cadan looked good. She always did, but it stood out in stark contrast to how rough she'd been the last time Sophi saw her. Cadan was healthy, standing strong and tall across Vagari's marketplace from Sophi—on the next level up, so she was upside down to Sophi. Her jumpsuit looked crisp and new, and her familiar old beat-up bag was slung carelessly over her shoulder. Cadan's deep-set eyes were fixed on Sophi, as though nothing that moved around them even existed. As though everything but Sophi was beneath her notice. She moved sure and easy through the press around her, a slight grin teasing with the corners of her mouth as she saw Sophi had spotted her.
Sophi smiled herself, petting Raaa, as she turned back to her work. The Rhyssa needed thruster fuel. Sophi signed off on the order and moved on, toward one of her favorite food merchants. The crew of the Rhyssa needed to eat, and it was the captain's job to keep them supplied. They took a fair skim off any foodstuffs they smuggled, but there were some staples they couldn't get that way and had to purchase honestly.
Sophi hadn't expected to see Cadan again so soon, even in her most hopeful estimates. The trials were still ongoing, a joint effort between the Kingdom and the Imperium. There had been a lot of very sensationalized news stories about Lucas LeRoy when he'd testified against his aunt Inés. He'd plotted with her to kidnap the children, convince them they were being held by the Imperium, and then ostentatiously "rescue" them once the war was in full swing in order to secure Magnus's support. Both sides were bringing justice down hard on everyone involved, who had thrown Nidum into chaos. They were digging up a lot of rot, and Sophi lived off the tensions, but even she could see Nidum would be better and more stable with it gone.
All the old trade and governance treaties were being renegotiated, and actually enforced, at least for the time being. It was going to be a lot harder for people to slip through the cracks, for people like Lucas LeRoy to hide, and for people like Inés LeRoy to plot against both the Kingdom and the Imperium for their own enrichment. Smuggling was also more difficult with more cooperation and communication between both sides, but that just meant the payoff was higher for those like Sophi, who could still manage it. Business was booming for the Rhyssa.
King Magnus Agyeman was getting downright friendly with Commander Li, from what news Sophi picked up. They seemed to seek each other's company out, and were sometimes seen together even when they did not have to be in the same place for the trials. Sophi knew she could count on Commander Li's gratitude for opening that door for her.
Sophi wasn't in any hurry through Vagari Station. She rested her hand on Kriikisiii's back and ambled along her way. She wouldn't want to lose her pursuer. For all they'd started so close together, their different gravities meant Cadan had a long ways to go to get on the same level. Sophi admired some pretty heating stones with the anoloids, considering whether they'd go well in the Rhyssa's basking range. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Cadan had opted to take a ladder rather than a walkway. Since the main part of the ladder was full, Cadan took the side of it. She took the rungs two at a time on her long limbs, and when gravity shifted in the middle, she flipped over and let go—let her body fall the rest of the way. It was a reckless display of cocky athleticism, but impressive in its own way. Raaa hummed his approval on Sophi's shoulders.
Sophi and her entourage turned the corner, and Cadan was briefly lost to view. Sophi confirmed the food order she'd sent ahead, inspecting the stacked pallets to see that everything was what she'd asked for. Big arms wrapped around her body from behind, and Sophi signed off on the order as she melted back against Cadan, pillowed perfectly against her breasts. Raaa purred happily and scrambled up to lie on Cadan's shoulders instead of Sophi's.
"Hello, you," Sophi greeted, laughing. Cadan leaned down to nuzzle the side of her neck, pressing hot little kisses to it. Sophi reached up to catch her there, her own small hand resting across the back of Cadan's thick neck. "I wasn't expecting you."
"I promised I'd come find you," Cadan whispered against her cheek, squeezing her tight.
"I remember." Sophi turned her head to steal a kiss from Cadan with the corner of her mouth. "I expected you'd still be busy with the trials." Sophi was glad her small part of that was over. She'd given her information, confirmed by Kriikisiii as first mate to be an accurate telling, and been sent on her way. Her piece had been simple—she'd been hired to find and return the royal children, and she'd done it. Her identity as a private entity, unaffiliated with the corruption being investigated, had been protected.
"Not me," Cadan said. She let go of Sophi and swung her around by the hand so they could see each other. Cadan gently cupped the side of Sophi's face, just looking at her. "I was never there."
The woman who doesn't exist—of course Magnus would manage to keep Cadan out of even this. He would never admit that Cadan was real, no matter how close they seemed to be unofficially. His favorite weapon stayed unacknowledged, unknown, and held in reserve. Cadan might not have officially existed, but she was right here in front of Sophi. Sophi squeezed her hand, keeping her close.
"Where are you heading now?" she asked. If she was very lucky, it might not be too far out of the Rhyssa's way to take Cadan wherever she was going.
"Nowhere in particular." Cadan grinned, hand sliding down from Sophi's cheek to the small of her back. She pulled Sophi in close again. "There's no work for me, so long as the Imperium keeps playing nice. Do you want company, love?" she asked, voice pitched low and her warm brown eyes seeing nothing but Sophi.
The word shivered clear through Sophi, heat in her cheeks and a sweet sharp pin through her heart. It wasn't just Cadan overwhelmed at the end of a hard job, saying this. It was Cadan whole and well, searching her out just for her company. Raaa made space for her on Cadan's shoulders when Sophi threw her arms around Cadan's neck and stretched up on tiptoe to kiss her.
Cadan laughed softly against her lips, but her answering kiss was every bit as warm as Sophi could have dreamed.
"Here." Sophi handed Raaa her communicator, unwilling to let go of Cadan. "You and Kriikisiii can take care of the rest of the orders. I think Cadan and I need to retire to discuss terms."
"Do we now?" Cadan asked, almost dangerous if not for the laugh in her voice. She held one arm out toward Kriikisiii for Raaa, who scampered down a bit reluctantly, and gave Sophi's ass a firm squeeze with the other hand. Cadan's knee eased its way between Sophi's legs. "You're not sure what I can offer?" She flexed her thigh, sweet pressure against Sophi's sex.
Sophi shuddered, blunt nails biting into Cadan's skin as she fought the urge to grind against Cadan's solid thigh. Not right out here in public. "I might need a sample before I decide," she managed, only a little breathlessly.
"A sample?" Cadan mused, and summarily picked Sophi up to sling her over her shoulder like so much baggage, bag of belongings held easily in her other arm. "I'll give you a sample," Cadan promised, setting off toward the Rhyssa. Sophi was laughing too hard to protest—not to mention that she was perfectly positioned to run her hands down the flexing strength of Cadan's back and admire her ass. Thankfully the Rhyssa was not very far, or even a shoulder as wide as Cadan's would have become unbearably uncomfortable to be carried over.
Cadan marched directly to Sophi's room and dropped her bag at the foot of the bed like it belonged there. She lifted Sophi as she flopped down on the bed so Sophi landed on top of her. Sophi straddled Cadan, squeezing her between her legs, and Cadan flexed her entire body to arch up beneath her. Her big hands ran up and down Sophi's thighs and back, eyes burning as she licked her lips.
Sophi couldn't get undressed fast enough. Cadan's hands were perfect on her bare skin. Her touch was so tender stroking up and down Sophi's body, admiring, turning everything she touched beautiful in its wake. Cadan's lips were perfect against hers to kiss, soft and hungry, and even better as Sophi crawled up to offer Cadan her neck, her collarbone, and finally all the way down to her nipples. Cadan moaned against Sophi's chest as she sucked on each one in turn, pleasure lighting through Sophi's body and pulsing through her slick sex.
"Missed you," Sophi gasped. She pressed her breast down harder against Cadan in encouragement as she teased at the nipple with the edges of her teeth.
Cadan agreed in an indistinct sound against Sophi's chest. Sophi whined when Cadan released her nipple, only to moan when she was moved so Cadan could suck on the other again. Cadan's mouth was so wonderful on Sophi's nipples, she could nearly get off from that on its own, but maybe Sophi was impatient. She could not rub her legs together while straddling Cadan. Rubbing herself against Cadan's torso instead had its appeal, but that wasn't what she wanted right now.
"Can I have your fingers?" Sophi asked, sitting up when Cadan released her nipple again. Cadan grinned, catching her meaning immediately, and neatly tipped Sophi off herself. She stuck two fingers in her mouth, and then brought them, wet and careful, to Sophi's sex. She rubbed slow and steady, back and forth. Sophi groaned, and Cadan grinned as she slid her other hand under Sophi's chest and leaned down to take Sophi's nipple between her lips again.
Sophi's arms closed on Cadan's head and shoulders, blunt nails biting through her rough, curly hair as she pushed up into Cadan's mouth. Sophi couldn't last long caught between the two points of pleasure. Her body arched up, trembling on the edge of orgasm.
Cadan released Sophi's nipple, her fingers slowing, pulling Sophi back from the edge. Sophi tightened her grip, crushing Cadan's head in place on her chest and catching Cadan's hand between her legs to keep it in place. "Don't you dare," she gasped. There was a time for teasing, but this was not it. Not when she was so close and wanted it so badly.
Cadan laughed, shoulders shaking and breath puffing out against Sophi's chest, as she obediently sucked Sophi's nipple back into her mouth. She flicked it hard with her tongue, her fingers circling quick and firm and slick on Sophi's clit. Sophi's orgasm sang hot through her veins, spilling through her and overflowing. She squealed between her teeth as she rode through the peak of searing pleasure for an endless moment, and collapsed into herself as Cadan's fingers stilled and it subsided.
Cadan lifted Sophi up slightly with the broad hand spanning her back, soft lips pressing lingering kisses up her breastbone—Sophi's pounding heart cradled between the two. Sophi tugged Cadan upward, mouthing desperate kisses against her forehead as far as she could reach until Cadan finally came up and kissed her. Her mouth was hot, kisses deep and hungry. She answered Sophi's pleased moans with a low groan. Sophi arched her hips up, rubbing herself against the hand Cadan had between her legs.
"There," Cadan breathed against her lips. "Just like that."
It didn't take Sophi long at all to chase down a second orgasm, so close to the first. Her body tightened, the galaxy centered on a single point of pleasure, and it washed through Sophi in a rush. She batted Cadan's hand away from her oversensitive clit when she was done and clamped her legs closed on her throbbing sex to draw the last of the pleasure out. She pulled Cadan closer, wanting nothing more than to be held skin against skin. Only she couldn't, because Cadan was fully dressed.
"Why do you have clothes on?" Sophi complained, going for the zipper of Cadan's jumpsuit. Cadan laughed as she took over, efficiently stripping down and tossing her clothes and boots off the bottom of the bed. "Having sex with your boots on. So uncivilized." Sophi shook her head.
"Not my fault. Somebody jumped me," Cadan teased back, finally returning to hold Sophi. She felt so much better that way, with nothing between them. Sophi nuzzled against her, admiring the softness over her powerful muscles, and basking in Cadan's affectionate touch. Her own hand came to rest over Cadan's ribs, where she'd been torn open to the bone the last time Sophi saw her. Sophi hesitated, meeting Cadan's eye for a moment before she pushed away just far enough to look.
The newskin and nanohealers had done their job; Cadan's skin was smooth and whole, with only a few faint, shiny patches of scars left to show she'd been hurt at all. Sophi leaned down to kiss it, like she could make it better than the best medical technology could, and then returned to a good snuggling position. There was time to admire, to enjoy, to take their time with each other. Sophi had nothing left to attend to at Vagari Station that Kriikisiii and Raaa couldn't take care of for her, and what she had here with Cadan was more than worth exploring.
Cadan wrapped Sophi's braid around her fingers, stroking it gently before moving down Sophi's back and thighs. She pulled Sophi closer, got Sophi's leg between her big thighs. Cadan's sex was drenched with slick, warm against Sophi's leg where she ground against it. Cadan tenderly cradled the side of Sophi's face, but her kiss when their lips met was all hunger, the edges of her teeth nibbling along Sophi's lip. She wanted her turn now, and Sophi was more than willing to give it to her.
Sophi bit Cadan back, just to feel her tense and hear the sharp intake of breath through her nose. Cadan caught Sophi's hand before she could wrap it around Cadan's shoulder to scratch, holding it captive as she kissed Sophi breathless.
Sophi had honestly forgotten her hand by the time Cadan set her bruised lips free, until Cadan looked toward it. She'd wrapped her big hand around it while they kissed, so it was squished into a slender torpedo shape. Cadan glanced from it to Sophi's face and back again, deep-set eyes burning with hunger and hope. A bright spark of answering want flared under Sophi's breastbone.
"Yeah, I can give you my hand," Sophi breathed. She loved when Cadan was in this mood, when nothing else would satisfy her. "Lube!" she decided, pulling her hand out of Cadan's grip and climbing over her to pull it out of a drawer under the bed. Cadan rolled over with her, the weight of her settling onto the back of Sophi's body. She exhaled a hot breath against the back of Sophi's neck before she nipped at it with her teeth.
Sophi moaned, nearly dropping the bottle of lube. She stretched her neck out, giving Cadan more space, and she obligingly bit again—stinging little bites across Sophi's neck and shoulders. She wormed a hand beneath Sophi, squeezing at her chest and toying with her nipples, and Sophi set the lube bottle down with a thunk as her spine arched. Cadan purred and thrust down against her.
"I thought you wanted to be fisted," Sophi said, breathless, and Cadan laughed again.
"I do," she promised. "But I wanted this first." She bit again, sharp enough to leave a mark, and Sophi whined through her nose. Then Cadan rolled off her onto her back, knees spread, and Sophi grabbed the bottle of lube to see to her.
It look patience, even though Sophi's hands were comparatively so much smaller than Cadan's. It could still hurt Cadan if she was incautious, and that was the last thing Sophi wanted to do. She took her time, and poured a generous amount of lube over her hand as she turned it, pressing and retreating and slowly easing the muscles open to take her in.
There was space, just beyond the strong ring of Cadan's muscles. Sophi could feel it. Cadan groaned, head falling back into the embroidered red-and-gold pillows as Sophi pushed again. A light dew of sweat decorated Cadan's skin, gleaming in the soft light. Cadan spread her legs wider as she breathed, trying to relax. She cried out when Sophi's hand finally slid all the way into her sex.
"Thank you," Sophi whispered, kissing Cadan's thigh closest to her. "Thank you, you're so amazing, thank you." Cadan breathed a trembling sigh, practically glowing as she smiled at Sophi from the pillows.
"Feels so good," Cadan purred.
"It does," Sophi agreed. Cadan felt wonderful inside, she always did. It was the softest welcoming embrace, taking Sophi's hand all the way inside her. Allowing her this was such trust. Sophi was never gladder to have small hands than when she had Cadan sprawled out in her bed.
Sophi carefully curled her streamlined hand into a fist. Cadan liked to be filled big when she was in the mood, but she wanted it done gently. Sophi made only the tiniest motions, carefully finding just the right spots to rub with her knuckles and the knob of her thumb. She knew she'd found a good spot when Cadan groaned from the bottom of her soul, entire body flexing on the bed and the tight ring of muscles clenching down on Sophi's wrist hard enough to ache. Cadan's hands made fists in the bedding, sparks of light flashing across the little pockmark scars between her knuckles and up her forearms.
"There," Sophi breathed, pressing deep and firm. There was nothing better than teasing out the edges of Cadan's control. Sophi leaned forward with Cadan's gasped encouragement, but did not immediately take the proud bud of Cadan's clit into her mouth. She nuzzled Cadan's dampened curls and breathed over her clit before moving further down to lick the lube and Cadan's own tart, slick wetness from her stretched labia first—one side and then the other. She sucked lightly at the sweet, yielding muscles, thanking them for the honor. Cadan whined needily at her before Sophi finally relented.
Cadan's plump clit was a wonderful mouthful. Sophi rubbed her tongue across it, nice and slow and lazy in time with the motions of her hand. There was no hurry, no need to rush. There was just pleasure, with Cadan's sturdy fingers affectionately petting Sophi's hair, her cheek, and Cadan's strong muscles clenching around her wrist.
Sophi drank in every last tremble, every last bruising clench of Cadan's muscles, every last moan of Cadan's pleasure. Her jaw grew tired, her neck and shoulder aching under the strain of holding herself up and carefully moving her fist inside Cadan, but that hardly mattered. She could feel in the trembling of Cadan's body, hear in the quickening whines of her breath, that she was getting close.
Sophi swirled her tongue in a long, slow grind on Cadan's clit, and Cadan's hand clenched on the back of her head as she came. She bucked hard, grinding Sophi's face into her sex, muscles clenching around her hand to pull it deeper inside. Sophi rode it out, holding on tight, drawing the orgasm out as long as she could.
She released Cadan's clit and sat back as her orgasm subsided. She gently eased her wrinkled hand out before Cadan tightened up—she clamped down like a vice after orgasm. Sophi pressed a gentle kiss in thanks and goodbye to Cadan's labia, and crawled up to straddle Cadan's soft belly. She grinned down at her limp and sweaty handiwork. Cadan didn't let her get away with it long. She wrapped one big arm around Sophi and heaved them both over to cuddle, facing each other on their sides in the rumpled bedding.
They kissed, soft and gentle this time. There would be time to tease each other up into another round if they were in the mood. All that mattered now was closeness, was holding on and enjoying each other.
"So am I worth keeping around for sex, occasional cooking, and some ship repair?" Cadan asked eventually, a laugh in her warm brown eyes, fingertips tracing across Sophi's jawline.
"For as long as you want to be kept," Sophi promised. "Fucking, arguing, disrespecting authority, smuggling... Am I worth hanging around for?" She'd tried to keep her tone as light as Cadan's, but there was a thread of truth under it. They'd always been at each other's throats, other than briefly and under extenuating circumstances. Did Cadan really want Sophi, or had she just been caught up in the emotions of having rescued the children she adored? Sophi had a crew that trusted her to make good money for it, and an anoloid family who'd accepted her as a male, and lovers scattered through the system, but she wasn't the kind of person another human formed strong romantic bonds with. She just wasn't. She never had been.
Cadan's arms wrapped around Sophi tightly, stilling her runaway thoughts. Her lips brushed Sophi's forehead before she pulled Sophi in. Sophi was cradled in her arms, held close with her head tucked under Cadan's chin. Treasured, as though Cadan could not bear to let go of her.
"Always, love," Cadan promised, a soft whisper against Sophi's hair. "Always."