The falls

chapter 50

Lilien woke up with a soft smile on her face, a warm sense of comfort filling her. As her eyes blinked open, she realized something was slightly off—or rather, perfectly right. She reached up and felt the soft fabric on her head and then laughed quietly to herself.

Neomi's rainbow unicorn underwear was perched on her head like a crown.

Lilien didn't need much more to know what had happened last night. They'd been through so much lately—the rift, Bill, the tension between them. But waking up like this meant something deeper. It meant that things were good again, that Neomi was starting to trust her again, that they had agreed to... well, be close in the way only the three of them could be. And it made her happy. If Neomi felt comfortable enough to let things go that far, then she was on the right track.

She gently slid the underwear off her head and sat up, taking a moment to stretch before standing. A quick glance around the log cabin confirmed that Neomi wasn't in the room. Curious, Lilien padded out toward the kitchen, following the faint sound of movement.

When she stepped inside, she found Neomi standing by the counter, cracking open a can of Pit Soda. Neomi's hair was slightly messy, and she looked like she hadn't fully woken up yet, but there was something undeniably endearing about it.

"Good morning," Lilien said, grinning as she leaned against the doorframe.

Neomi looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly as she registered the look on Lilien's face. "Morning," she replied, taking a sip from her can. "Why do you look like you're about to tease me?"

Lilien shrugged, still grinning. "I just woke up with your rainbow unicorn underwear on my head. So, yeah, I think I'm allowed to feel a little smug."

Neomi rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Oh, shut up."

Lilien stepped closer, leaning against the counter next to Neomi. The playful banter between them felt easy, natural, like a return to their usual dynamic. But beneath it, Lilien could feel there was something more they needed to address. Now that they were on better terms, she couldn't help but wonder where their relationship was headed.

"So... what now?" Lilien asked, her voice softening as she looked at Neomi. "Where do we go from here?"

Neomi took another sip of her soda, her expression thoughtful. For a moment, it seemed like she was weighing her words carefully, but then she blurted out, "Hopefully marriage."

The second the words left her mouth, Neomi's eyes widened in horror. She nearly choked on her soda, her face turning a deep shade of red as she waved her hands frantically. "I-I mean, that's not what I—what I meant to say! That's so weird, I don't know why I—"

But Lilien laughed, the sound light and genuine. "Don't pretend like you didn't say it," she said, reaching out to gently poke Neomi's arm. "I like weird, remember? I wouldn't be in this relationship with you and Jessica if I didn't."

Neomi's blush deepened, but she relaxed slightly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, I guess that's true. You do like weird."

Lilien nodded. "Exactly. And honestly, marriage isn't that crazy of a thought. I mean, we've been through a lot together. Who's to say it couldn't happen one day?"

Neomi's expression softened as she looked at Lilien, the teasing edge giving way to something more serious. "You're really okay with that? Talking about... us like that?"

"Of course I am," Lilien replied earnestly. "You're important to me. You and Jessica both. I wouldn't have agreed to any of this if I didn't think it was serious. And if you're thinking about the future, then yeah, let's talk about it. Let's be open about what we want."

Neomi looked at her for a long moment before nodding. "Okay... maybe it's not so weird after all."

Lilien smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "I think we should talk to Jessica about it too. See what she thinks."

Neomi nodded, a playful glint returning to her eyes. "I'm sure she'll have plenty to say. But yeah, let's do that."

As they stood there, side by side in the cozy kitchen of the log cabin, Lilien couldn't help but feel like they were finally on solid ground again. The road ahead was still uncertain. but they knew after they saved the world from whatever apocalypse bill was about to start, they would figure everything out together.