Cavalier's Gambit 2 -Ch 1-

Chapter 1

Wayne couldn’t help but smile. Looking out his bedroom window.

“This is… w-w-where you grew up?” Tink asked from behind him. She sounded rather nervous but not uncomfortable.

He glanced back at her and grinned.

The black-eyes from having her nose adjusted were already fading. The wound-sites were healing, and by and large, Tink didn’t even look the same anymore.

Her bright blue orbs almost always found him and would stare into him, at least until he looked back. Then she’d watch him more subtly after looking away. If she wanted something though she would often meet his eyes

Her black hair had been trimmed, arranged, and she looked artfully put together. Wayne had no doubt that Miriam had involved herself in her current look.

Especially the fact that Tink was wearing clothes that showed her off just a bit. The fact that she had a figure that many women would kill for.

“It is,” Wayne confirmed, watching her. “You know, Tink, you’re far more beautiful now, but I’ll kindly remind you… I was a fan before all the work you did. I know you did it for your own sense of self, and what you wanted for yourself.

“Admittedly I can see why you’d want to, why you did it, but… I was a fan before it all.”

He moved in on the small and lovely armorer.

His arms slipped around her and she immediately turned her face up toward him and rocketed upward onto her tip toes. She was kissing him before he had even fully wrapped her in his arms.

Her hands grasped the front of his clothes and held to him, as if she thought he might try to slip away from her. She was often the first to kiss him and wouldn’t let him pull away until she was satisfied.

When she let him go, she let herself fall back to her heels and stared up at him, watching him. Her mouth slightly open as she stared.

He only grinned at her then raised his eyebrows.

“Yes, my dear?” he asked.

“I’m not saying no, tonight,” she blurted out. “Neither are you.”

I uh… ah… ah? Ah.

Is it because it’s my home?

“I understand,” he said, still smiling at her. “If that’s what my Armorer wants, that’s what she gets.”

“Y-y-yes. That’s w-w-what I w-want,” she got out in a soft little pant, still staring at him. The way she looked at him often left him feeling a bit odd but never in a negative way. “For now I want to… lay down. I don’t like being planetside. It makes me feel a bit w-w-weak.”

“Well, feel free,” he said and pointed at his old bed. It was rather large given his size and he’d missed it. The beds on the station always felt cramped to him. He’d have to see about how to get this one, or one like it, on the station.

“Thank you… Wayne,” she said, watching him, then kissed him again, released him, and literally crawled into his bed after kicking her shoes off. She curled up into, likely dusty, blankets, rolled over, and that was apparently the end of the conversation.

Which really, wasn’t that surprising for Tink. She was a different kind of woman and Wayne genuinely enjoyed that about her.

“Tink dear… if you need anything, just let me know,” he said and followed her over. He gently adjusted the blankets around her, smoothed her hair back, and waited. “Okay?”

“I… ah… yes-yes. I w-will. I will let you know I’m just-just not feeling great,” she said, her eyes closed and looking as if she just wanted to stay perfectly still. “It wasn’t your kisses that normally make me dizzy, either. I’ve heard people call-call it planetfall sickness. I didn’t… think it was real.”

He grinned, leaned in, and kissed her temple. Petting her a few more times, the then left her there. Exiting his bedroom, closing the door, and wandering out into the main room.

Miriam had been the only other person to come with him.

Natalie, Cara, and Barbie had all remained on the ship. Two had wanted to stay abord and train while the third was just taking shore-leave. Captain Wendy had been able to get some actual training time in for Natalie and Cara who immediately jumped on it. The two were actually getting along quite well anymore.

Unfortunately it was due to their shared belief that Wayne was ‘perfect’.

Looking around his living room, he didn’t find Miriam there.

He in fact, found her in his study.

Sat at his desk that he’d inherited from his father and idly moving things around on it. It’d all been exactly as he had left it after all. A life that’d been put on pause.

“Wayne,” Miriam said, looking up at him with a perfect and pretty smile.

Dressed out in civilian clothes that suited her lovely figure perfectly, and emphasized it in the right ways, she was stunning. The dress she was just about poured into and the light jacket covering her shoulders made her look like a different woman entirely.

She also wore a sidearm, but also had a sword belted to the other side of her. Which was entirely and absolutely strange given the loveliness of how she looked, but also really did fit her in a weird way.

Large pale blue eyes were fastened to him even as he had come in through the doorway.

“Tink alright?” she asked, a concern crossing her features. “She’s seemed a bit off since we made planetfall. She a bit sick?”

“Yeah. I personally don’t understand it but I can empathize. I was feeling pretty strange the first couple days on the station,” he confessed, walking over to her. “Inspecting the ruins of my life? I used to sit there and navel gaze about who and what I was.

“My mother would’ve called it introspection, my father would have called it emotional analysis paralysis.”

“I was, actually. I can see your life all around me, and exactly how it turned you into the man you are. However,” she said, pointed a finger at him, then slowly pointed at a full sized poster of Josephine on the wall. “You said you got rid of it.”

“I said I took the poster of our Lady out of my bedroom. It wasn’t like I was going to get rid of it,” he said, came over, and leaned against the edge of his desk. “Don’t worry Miss… you’re my Bottom in our three way. You’ve got an equal part to play.”

Miriam blew out a breath, grinning at him, watching him.

“You sound like you actually believe that,” she murmured, her eyes moving away from him to look at the rest of the room. “From a humble load-walker, to a Walker-Jock on mercenary work, to a Cavalier, to taking out actual military stations, fighting Walkers, and then freeing your own planet. You broke their flag-ship yourself.

“I don’t even know how our Lady Josephine will calculate the shares and make it work.”

“Oh, I told our glorious Top to just hurry up and give herself to the three way and we’ll call it even,” Wayne said with a shake of his head and an eye-roll. “She kept wanting to natter on and on about what would be fair and that the rewards had to fit. It just got frustrating. She finally got the hint that I was just done and was going to keep throwing out stupid flirts at her and let it go.”

Miriam’s eyebrows rose, watching him and seemed to be barely breathing.

“You told the crowned princess to… hurry up and give herself to our three way, in lieu of your shares,” she said with a slow blink. “Wayne, do you realize that you are actually the most desirable bachelor in the whole of the Confed, don’t you? There is no one more desirable than you just based on half of your military record, let alone your title. Even your background is spotless. Clean.

“I should know, I dug through every facet of your life like a doctor wanting to give you a physical.

“Add that to the fact that you have been pushing really hard on Josephine and myself to be in a three-way, let alone us individually. Even while dating Tink! That doesn’t even include how Cara looks at you!”

Wayne shrugged, then laughed.

“Josie can take a joke. It’ll be fine. It did work though, she stopped bothering me about the shares. I don’t think she could’ve given me everything she had planned on either. The operation was too big,” Wayne said even as he laughed about it. “Me putting it off like that will give her time to figure out how to make it work. I mean, come on. You tell me, my Busty and Beautiful… colonel. How would you have chalked up my shares given the enormity of the operation.”

“I… wouldn’t. Your contributions would have taken up almost all of it, really. You took the hive city, crippled their leadership, and secured the space-elevator,” she said with a shake of her head. “I just think you should probably be careful with Josephine. She… ah… I text with her a lot now, you know that right?

“She, me, Tink, Natalie, and Cara even. We all talk a lot between each other. We even have a group chat without you in it.

“And maybe a group chat with just me, Tink, and Josephine.

“I think you’re deeply underestimating how seriously Josephine has been taking this. Taking you! That she actually is genuinely coming around to the idea that she is indeed in a three way relationship with you and I.

“Though she clearly has no romantic interest in me, nor I in her, but that’s besides the point.

“She’s still taking it seriously. So seriously that I think you’ve made a terrible mistake.”

“I don’t think so. She’s a princess, I’m just a cavalier. Anyways. That’s besides the point. Yes, her poster is here. It’s been here all along. Why, wanna take a picture for our Lady?”

“I already took one, but… if you want to stand next to it, she’d probably think it’s funny… in fact, yes,” she said and gestured at the poster. “Go stand next to it. I’ll send her the picture, as well as the other one, and you’ll see what I mean. I’ll let you read her response but you have to promise that you won’t tell her you saw it.”

“I promise it,” Wayne said and moved over to the poster. He had actually clipped the bottom of it when he put it on his wall so that she’d be her normal height.

“She mentioned you apparently have an entire collection of her photos, could I see that, too?” Miriam asked, smiling at him while she held up her phone. “I do think you’ve made a mistake by the way. I think… you’re so far out of position on this one, that you just got your core punched and you’re going to need to eject yourself and run.”

“Do you think so?” Wayne asked, suddenly thinking about it. He had been incredibly forward with Josephine. To the point that it was entirely plausible that she took it as actual courting.

Except he was actively dating Tink at the same time, as well as pushing on Miriam so hard she had finally just ended up calling herself ‘your girl’ in reference to himself.

Though he hadn’t kissed her yet, he had been planning on doing it on this trip.

“I do. In fact,” she said while fiddling with her phone. She took on annoyed expression. “Damn, the exposure is so… hard with actual like. Anyways. In fact, tell me what you think of our Lady. As a woman.

“You’ve been pushing at her, you weren’t doing it for fun, were you? That’d be pretty cruel I think. You gave her a lot of attention that she’s likely never had before. I know… I felt much the same way.

“So… what do you think of your Lady?”

She was still fussing with her phone even as Wayne though about it.

He chewed at his lip and organized his thoughts.

“My Lady… she was always the only one I truly respected in her generation. Even when she was just… lady Mirkil,” Wayne began, trying to truly get his thoughts put together. This was important he realized and he couldn’t keep taking it the way he had.

Miriam’s words had speared deep into him and he knew that if someone had treated him as he had done to Josephine, and been playing around, it’d harm him deeply.

“From the beginning I knew she was destined for greatness. Absolute greatness. The fact that she is now the crowned princess only underscores that belief. It validates all the… all the somewhat cringe-y support I dumped on her.

“Did you see her investment by the way? She was so beautiful.”

Wayne chuckled, thinking about it. In the time it took to transfer to a drop ship that’d let him get to home, and the drop itself, she had gone through her own royal investment. Her father had taken up the mantle of the Mirkil king.

Josephine was indeed the crowned princess.

“I couldn’t help it. I went through all the different angles and put together a number of screen-caps of it,” he muttered and shook his head, grinning. “The angle that the Mirkil family broadcast had was particularly flattering. Just slightly below and looking up… anyways.

“Josie is just someone I admire. I admit it’ll be somewhat disappointing when she gets engaged. I doubt I’ll be able to text her as freely as I once did. You wouldn’t believe the wit on that woman. There are times when I can’t sleep and I’ll just start texting her at 2am and she’s just… sharp. Sharp as could be.

“Anyways… yeah. What do I think of Josephine? I think she’ll be one of those royals that gets noted and history records. I’m sure I’ll just be a footnote in her story but even then… I’m rather fortunate to be.

“Alright, come on Miri, take the picture already. You’ve got me fangirling for my Lady. Almost as bad as admitting the thousands of photos I have of her on my computer over there.”

“Done,” Miriam said and tapped her phone.

“You know, I think of you the same way Miri,” he said and moved toward her. Thinking about it all had made him realize he owed Miriam an answer.

He put his hands to the arms of the chair, leaned in, and closed in on her slowly. Holding her eyes with his own.

“You’re an amazing woman. One I didn’t even expect to appear and sink so deeply into my life, so quickly,” he said, watching her. “You appeared… offered everything of yourself, did everything, handled everything, even as you demonstrated how superior you were to everyone. A military genius that moved so fast, so far, that even her command chain didn’t know what to do with her. Faster than even Lady Mirkil herself. My lady Miriam.

“Wendy never even stood a chance against you, dear. Not even a whiskers width. Looking back on it, you distinguished yourself from the very first minute I met you. Like a comet blazing across the sky.

“It’s the very same reason I told Josephine I wouldn’t work for her, or her family, without you. That they could just write me off as a loss if I couldn’t have you, you willingly, as my partner.

“Because if I’m honest… if you left the MDF today, I’d leave tonight, and chase after you. I don’t think I can left you get away, Miri. I already told Tink the same and she was quite happy about it.

“I care Miri. I care more than I’d like to admit and probably should admit.”

Miriam was watching him from only a foot away now. Her phone forgotten in her lap.

“Oh,” she whispered, then blinked. “I… I… you know… I’d been prepared for anything with you, but I didn’t think this was going to be the end result. Some military genius, huh?”

She swallowed, her lips pressed together, and her eyes dropped down to his mouth.

And stayed there.

Wayne closed the final distance and kissed her.

To which she most certainly kissed him in return, both of her hands coming to rest atop his on the arms of the chair. Her fingers closing smoothly around his, but not in the ‘death grip’ way that Tink often did.

The kiss lingered for a while and when Wayne finally broke it, he immediately went in for a second.

Then a third.

And a fourth.

Until he forced himself to break away and look at her. Tink had often described it as a dizzy feeling after a few seconds and Wayne had always felt it with Tink. Felt that dizziness.

It was worth with Miriam for some reason.

She was breathing slowly, but deeply, watching him. Her cheeks were a bright red and her eyes boring holes into his face.

Then she let out a shuddering breath and leaned back into the chair. She had moved forward toward him during the kiss.

“Well,” she said in a breathy voice. “I… ah… well. Now I don’t feel so jealous about Josephine getting so many of your compliments.”

Wayne laughed at that, watching her.

“Oh… heavens… I just feel… a bit blagged now,” Miriam said with a laugh. Finally releasing one of his hands to fan at her face. “I didn’t even—”

Her words were cut off by a ping from her phone.

“Well. Now it’s time to suffer Wayne… because I’m already positive of what’s about to happen, and then you’ll have to be juggling. Juggling quite hard,” Miriam said, leaned in, and put a kiss to his lips, then pushed at him. “Stand up and get behind me, Wayne. And don’t make a comment. I don’t think I can handle one right now.”

The comment about getting behind her died on his lips, and he instead, went and stood behind her chair.

He wrapped his arms around her, folded his hands just beneath her chin, and looked over her shoulder. He had often sat like this to share his phone conversation with Josephine with Miriam like this. A three way text chat of sorts.

Miriam held up the phone.

He realized belatedly that she hadn’t just taken a photo of the poster, or a photo of him with the poster, but had recorded everything he’d said about Josephine.

And sent it all to her.

“Oh… oh my,” read Josephine’s response. “Okay. I know… I know he’s always been kind of pumping my ego up around me but I didn’t realize it was when I wasn’t around, too.

“That man of ours is amazing, Miri.

“I got the paperwork on the official engagement as well a day ago. I forced father and grandfather to accept it as the price for me agreeing to that stupid ceremony.

“Though I’m rather glad he liked it. I figured he’d watch. He always watches everything I do. Is that THE poster by the way? I bet it is. He didn’t get rid of it in the end. He’s such a turd.

“But that’s why he’s mine.

“Or ours, I suppose.

“By the way! I loved your outfit this morning. Tell me how the ‘hunting’ goes, hm? I think he’ll have to figure it out soon. If he doesn’t, he’ll only realize it when the engagement goes live. That the Lady and the Cavalier are an actual couple and have been for a time. I’m sorry I can’t mention you yet, Miss.

“I promise that at some point in the future, I’ll get your name included. You’re part of our relationship. Though it was kind of cute the way Tink didn’t even want to talk about it at all, other than to agree. She’s such a sweetie.

“I told her I loved her outfit this morning. Did you help her with it? Anyways. I’ve gotta go. Send me a ‘hunting’ report and let me know what he thinks of my press conference later today. He really does watch everything I’m in.”

Wayne blinked, reading it over a second time.

Then a third time.

“Well I’m fucked,” he said, a frown creasing his brow and mouth. “Though… Tink… doesn’t mind?”

“Nope, she’s quite happy and Josie and I always include her,” Miriam said and started typing in a response to Josephine. Which as he read began with, ‘I’m glad you’ve got him lined up. That’ll make it easier for us later. He finally kissed me. Finally. I’m reporting initial success in the ‘hunting’ so far, Lady. Your Miss shall report in again later.’

After that, Wayne just groaned, put his face into Miriam’s hair, and contemplated his foolish life choices. Only for his brain to pause.

“Wait, you said Cara stares at me?” he mumbled against Miriam’s quite soft and silky hair.

“Mmhmmm. Have fun with that. Even if you tried to send her home, I think she’d steal a ship and come right back,” Miriam said with a throaty chuckle. “Lady and I are taking odds on when she’ll kick down your door and have her way with her ‘perfect lord’ and maybe ‘fuck to the death’ with him.”

Wayne squeezed his eyes shut.

Early on when she was learning the language, she had indeed asked him to ‘fuck to the death’ with him, and he suddenly had a much better understanding of it.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah. Yeah… what’s… the pool at?”