Quiet Moments

43- The Land

The bunker was quiet, save for the low hum of the ventilation system, a constant reminder of the confined world they lived in. Jade and Octavia lay side by side in their narrow bed, their bodies fitting together with an intimacy forged from years of knowing and loving each other in this dark, enclosed space. Orion, their faithful feline companion, was curled contentedly at their feet, his soft purring blending with the mechanical whir of the fans, creating a strange, soothing symphony that seemed to wrap around them like a blanket.

In this space, in these moments, they could let go of who they had to be outside their quarters. Jade turned her head, looking at Octavia's profile, the faint light from the corridor casting shadows on her face, softening her sharp features. Octavia stared up at the ceiling, her hand resting lightly on Jade's arm, her fingers tracing small patterns on her skin.

"It's like the walls here... they let us be whoever we want to be," Octavia murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper in the stillness. "In here, I'm not Blodreina. I'm just me."

Jade nodded, shifting closer, wrapping her arms around Octavia, pulling her against her chest. "You'll always be just Octavia to me," she whispered back, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Octavia's head. "And one day, we'll get out of here, far away from all of this. Somewhere no one will call you Blodreina ever again."

Octavia's breath hitched slightly at the promise, and she turned her face to bury it in Jade's neck. The idea of escape, of freedom, was something she hadn't let herself truly imagine in so long. "But who would lead Wonkru?" she asked softly, her voice tinged with a hint of the uncertainty that always came with this line of thought.

Jade was quiet for a moment, her fingers gently stroking Octavia's back. "Someone will," she replied finally. "It doesn't have to be you."

Octavia blinked, pulling back just enough to look into Jade's eyes. She had been Blodreina for so long, the weight of it had settled into her bones, into her skin. The idea of *not* leading, of stepping back, felt foreign, almost unimaginable. And yet, hearing it from Jade's lips, the idea filled her with a fragile, trembling hope. "I never thought about... not leading," she admitted, her voice thick with emotion. "But I want that. I want to stop being what everyone expects me to be."

Jade's eyes softened, her hands cradling Octavia's face as if she were holding something precious, something that needed careful handling. "You deserve that, Octavia," she whispered. "To just be yourself. Not who Wonkru needs you to be, but who *you* need to be."

Octavia swallowed hard, blinking back the sting of tears that threatened to blur her vision. "If we got out of here... where would we go?" she asked, a tremor of vulnerability in her voice.

Jade smiled softly, her eyes turning distant as she thought about it. "I'd take you to my homelands," she said, a note of longing in her voice. "To see the ice and snow, the tundra that stretches out for miles. The quiet of the north, where you can hear your own heartbeat and feel the land breathe beneath your feet."

Octavia closed her eyes, trying to imagine it, trying to feel the cold air on her skin, the vast open space Jade spoke of. "I'd like that," she murmured. "I'd like to see where you came from."

Jade's smile faltered a little, her expression tinged with sadness. "It probably won't look like the land I grew up on," she admitted softly. "Not after Praimfaya. The radiation, the fires... it's changed everything. But it's still the land that raised me. My ancestors are in that soil, in the snow and the rivers. It will always be home, no matter what it looks like now."

Octavia listened, her heart aching for Jade, for what she had lost and might never be able to reclaim. "I want to see it," she whispered. "Even if it's different. I want to see the place that made you who you are."

Jade pulled Octavia closer, their bodies fitting together perfectly, and she rested her chin on Octavia's head. "We'll go there," she promised softly. "One day, we'll walk on that land together. And we'll make our own home, wherever that may be."

Octavia let out a slow breath, feeling the tightness in her chest loosen just a little. "And no one will call me Blodreina," she whispered, as if testing the words, seeing how they felt in her mouth.

Jade kissed her hair, holding her even tighter. "No one," she agreed. "Just Octavia. Just the woman I love."

The fragile hope that had sparked in Octavia's chest began to grow, a tiny flame flickering against the darkness. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of Jade's skin, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against her own. For the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to dream of a future that wasn't built on blood or power, but on something simpler, something truer. She let herself believe that maybe, just maybe, they could find that place together.

Wrapped in the warmth of Jade's embrace, Octavia whispered into the darkness, "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

And as they lay there, holding each other in the quiet of their small room, it felt like the whole world had shrunk down to just them, just this moment, just this fragile, beautiful hope.