I got up and slowly walked toward Aquaria's bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was right to eavesdrop, but my curiosity got the better of me. Pressing my ear against the door, I tried to catch snippets of their conversation.
"I still can't believe you're just going along with this," I heard Aquaria say quietly, her voice tense.
"What do you want me to do, pretend it never happened? Besides, Halberd seems like a genuinely good guy. Maybe things will work out better than we think."
I could almost feel Grimora's shrug through the door, and a small smile tugged at my lips. Despite her teasing nature, it seemed she really did care about both Aquaria and our… unique situation.
There was some shuffling, and then Aquaria let out a long sigh. "I am happy that he was good to you in the world, but I thought that it would just be with a random in the world! I did not think that you would be coming back with him!"
That made me wince. I guess I should have thought about that. Messing around with the women in world for the mission was fine because they would stay there. I think that is what Aquaria probably meant. She probably didn't want me to have attachments with them since it was just supposed to be for the mission. I was going to have to keep that in mind, but I had to do what I had to do to complete my missions.
Grimora let out a small laugh. "Well, Aquaria, life has a funny way of throwing curveballs at us. I never expected that we'd become friends either, but here we are."
Aquaria huffed, and there was more shuffling. "Fine, whatever. Let's just focus on my mission tomorrow and see how things go from there."
The conversation seemed to have ended for now, so I quietly stepped away from the door and returned to the couch. As I sat down, I reflected on what I had just heard.
It was clear that both women were trying to navigate this new situation as best they could. While Grimora seemed more open to the idea, Aquaria definitely needed some time to adjust. And even though their relationship with each other was strong, my presence undoubtedly added a layer of complexity to it.
I resolved to be as respectful and understanding as possible moving forward. It was only fair, given all they had done for me up to this point. The least I could do was try to make our partnership – in whatever form it took – work harmoniously.
As I lay back on the couch, thoughts swirling in my head, I closed my eyes and tried to get some rest. Tomorrow would no doubt bring its own set of trails. It was mission day again.
Before I could slip off into sleep, a hand shook me, and I opened my eyes to see Grimora's red ones looking back at me, but upside-down. "Water Girl is waiting for you. I will take the couch and don't worry, I always have my special earplugs with me!" She giggled as I slowly sat up, and she backed away.
I gave Grimora a quick nod, feeling my cheeks heat up at her implication. "Thanks," I muttered before standing up and making my way to Aquaria's bedroom.
The door was open this time, and I found Aquaria sitting on the edge of the bed, looking somewhat sheepish. Her usual air of confidence seemed to have evaporated for the moment. As I approached her, she glanced up at me through her long lashes.
"Hey," she said softly. "I'm sorry about earlier. I just... it caught me off guard, you know? And I reacted badly."
I sat down next to her on the bed, leaving a small space between us. "It's okay. Things are definitely complicated now, but we'll figure it out together, right?"
Aquaria nodded, giving me a tentative smile. "Right."
We sat there in silence for a while, each lost in our own thoughts. Eventually, Aquaria scooted closer to me, leaning her head on my shoulder.
"I guess we should get some sleep," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Big day tomorrow."
"Yeah," I agreed, wrapping an arm around her as we lay down together. The lights dimmed automatically as we settled into the bed, and Aquaria turned to me, biting her lip slightly.
"Umm... tomorrow, in world, I am not going to have a physical form," she said slowly, and I raised an eyebrow. "I got my specs for going in with you, but I will not have a real body. I will be providing support as your AI that flies your dropship and acts as your eyes in the sky."
I put Grimora's words together with this information, and I understood exactly what she was trying to say. Instead of talking and making her feel more embarrassed, I slowly pulled her into a kiss.
Aquaria pressed her body into mine as we deepened the kiss, our arms wrapping around each other. She started to pull my shirt up, and soon we were both naked. I could feel her want as she pushed me back and climbed on top of me.
Our fingers intertwined, and we moved together with growing passion. Aquaria's body felt warm against mine as we explored each other in the dim light. She leaned down to kiss me again, her lips soft and urgent.
Aquaria's hand reached down between our legs as she slowly lifted her body up, taking me into her hand and guiding my tip up. She pulled back slightly from my lips, my eyes locking with her sparkling blue ones. The feeling between us was like electricity at that moment, and I had never wanted another person more than I wanted the one in front of me.
As she slowly lowered herself onto me, we both let out soft moans. It felt incredible; our bodies completely connected at this moment. I could see the pleasure and desire reflected in Aquaria's eyes as they met mine.