“Thank you, Dr. Garra,” Hayamon said, her voice low.

“Mmm, no problem at all,” he replied, adjusting his leather hat with a practiced motion. “But be careful, Commander. I don’t think her body can take much more.”

Hayamon nodded, her face blank. Dr. Garra opened his mouth to speak, hesitated, and shook his head.

“Well, best be on my way, then. Good luck,” Dr. Garra said, stepping out into the fading light.

The door closed with a quiet thud, and the cabin fell silent. Hayamon stood still, staring at the rough wood grain of the door as if searching for answers that weren’t there. The faint creak of the floor beneath her boots and the distant rustle of leaves outside only seemed to deepen the stillness. She closed her eyes and focused on her heartbeat until the soft sound of shifting sheets pulled her from her trance. She breathed through her nose while straightening her posture, and let her feet carry her toward the bed without hesitation, even as her mind wavered. She stood next to the entrance of their bedroom and leaned on the hard frame.

“Maika,” Hayamon said. The name startled the disoriented woman, stiffening her tail at the sound. The unexpected brush against her thigh tingled, sending a shiver up her spine and pulling her attention downward. “Wha,” Maika’s voice was soft, bewildered. She cupped the extension attached to her lower back, her eyes wide in awe.

Hayamon raised her brows, amusement written all over her face. You look at that tail like it’s your first time seeing it.

“I think that’s your tail,” she said, her voice low but warm. A ghost of a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

“Y—yeah.” Maika’s voice trembled as she reached behind her, soft hands wrapping around its base. She slid her fingers along its length; the fur felt smooth and velvety beneath her touch. When she reached the tip, the tail flopped limply into her lap. Her gaze lingered on it, equal parts fascination and disbelief—or, she tried to gaze some more. Her large bust obscured Maika’s vision, so she started to play with them instead. She ran her hands along the surfaces and was surprised at how soft they felt, when she gave them a squeeze, they sank into the supple flesh beneath her touch.

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“Nnng…” A light moan escaped Maika’s lips as a radiating heat built in her nipples. She shut her eyes, focused only on reveling in this new sensation.

“Enjoying yourself?”

Maika’s eyes snapped open, heat rushing to her cheeks. “Eek!” She had completely forgotten she wasn’t alone. Turning her head slightly, she forced a sheepish smile.

“Hmph. Hasn’t been thirty minutes since you woke, and you’re already excited.”

“Sorry…”

“Oh don’t be. It’s kind of refreshing, seeing you do something so out of the ordinary.” Hayamon smiled for the first time in several years. Watching her significant other finally move felt like a weight lifting off her chest.

“Out of the ordinary?” While Maika’s current memories were still gone, she could faintly recall that her libido was next to nonexistent. Or was it because she was too embarrassed for sex? This new yet familiar body, combined with memories of her past as Benjiro confused Maika even more.

“Mmphm. You were more reserved before… back then. Never seen you like this.” There was a faint flicker of movement in Hayamon's lower half, something had shifted beneath her clothes. Maika's heart skipped a beat as she wondered if she had just imagined it, leaving her bewildered.

“You must be starving. Stay there, I’ll come back with something for you to eat.” Hayamon stepped back, her eyes catching Maika’s hesitant glances—disbelief flickering in her gaze, tinged with something else. Excitement? Curiosity? Hayamon clenched her fists at her sides, unsure if she should stay. She could see the questions swimming in Maika’s eyes, questions she wasn’t sure she had the right answers for. Her gaze fell to the floor as a familiar ache pressed against her chest. We’re bound by marriage, she thought, but it doesn’t feel like it.

The distance between them was more than physical, and she knew exactly why. Seasons blurred together at the citadel—months of training and endless duties that left no room for visits home. Even when Maika lay bedridden, pale and fading, Hayamon had been absent. She had sent a caretaker in her place, assigned to what should have been her responsibility. Hayamon’s breath hitched. She hadn’t meant to leave her wife alone for years at a time, but the reality was undeniable. Now, standing here, she could feel the weight of all that lost time pressing down on her.

Hayamon clenched her fists. A silent promise to herself, and especially Maika, that she would be there for her more often.