Archive of Our Own ^beta

With Gemma, it’d been as easy as breathing. 

The pair had formed a friendship that quickly stumbled into each other’s bedrolls. Phoebe didn’t have a word for the swell of affection she held for the blonde smithy – all she knew was that she enjoyed being around her, tinkering together, and bringing her new monster parts to build with. 

Being Gemma’s guinea pig was entertaining in more ways than one. 

Alma…was a different matter. 

Since arriving to this world and falling into a role with the Research Commission, Phoebe mostly worked alone. Her Handlers were always helpful and supportive, but they left the hunting and tracking to the experts. They supplemented her findings with their knowledge to provide back to the Fifth Fleet leaders. 

So many late nights under the stars, returning to camp to find Eden cooking up a snack to serve with a grin while waiting for her. 

Their relationship had been simple, never straying from the typical Hunter-and-Handler. 

And it’d felt odd to leave her behind after going through so much together – Phoebe knew she would have loved the Forbidden Lands and how different things were. 

But… 

Right from the start, Alma made it easy to nearly forget. 

Endless sand dunes taunted her as Phoebe directed her seikret to a stop, reminding her not for the first time of the rolling waves she missed so terribly. 

There were seas here, of course, and she’d crossed many over her years. It took some time to grow accustomed to airships but they weren’t so different from the ones she’d grown up on. 

She’d lost hope of ever returning home over these years, too. After five, she’d felt the despair creep in, but after ten it’d been followed by acceptance. 

Phoebe Rulyi had made a name for herself as a reliable and strong hunter and tracker, which she told herself was the reason why Alma had sought her out specifically. 

Not anyone else, not Eden – her. 

“Ready to go?” her partner said, and Phoebe turned to see Alma with a steady smile as she rode up with her seikret. 

This – that she was always there at her side to provide support – was new. 

Coming back to camp to Gemma’s grin and excited laughter was one thing – a joyous thing. 

But having someone so resolute as Alma, who had believed in her and her strength from the start? 

New. 

“Yes,” Phoebe replied. “Though it should be a quick ride to .” 

“Easy, don’t jinx us,” she teased, and Phoebe snorted. 

. 

. 

They sat in companionable silence beside their campfire, the crackles and pops of the fire blending in well with the wind rustling the trees above them. 

The first time she’d arrived to the Peaks of Accord, she’d been stunned at its beauty. The people deeply cared for the land they lived on and it was evident in their words, their customs, their daily life. 

Now though, peeking at her companion through her lashes, she was distracted by another beauty. 

Alma’s hazel eyes appeared golden in the firelight as she scanned her journal, scrawling notes here and there. Her movements were quick and precise, belying an excitement that had become fairly commonplace now when they went out on expeditions. 

Phoebe could barely imagine a version of her that was not full of excitement, a version of her with dull eyes and a quiet voice. From the first, she’d seemed full of passion– 

And hearing her say that Phoebe had been the one to inspire her, to rekindle her love of her work and her life…well, it’d been just as well that there was a monster to hunt shortly after that confession. 

Phoebe could explain away the flush in her cheeks, reaching all the down to her toes, as exertion.  

Yet…they hadn’t talked about it since. 

Phoebe was not in the business of letting things linger unsaid, but what could she say? 

That Alma made her feel safe, made her feel like she was home? A home that she hadn’t seen in more than ten years and likely never would? 

That she desperately wanted to brush the hair out of her face and pull her chin up to meet her gaze? 

“Phoebe? Did you say something?” 

Phoebe startled harshly, and she could tell Alma grew even more surprised at her reaction. 

“Oh- I was thinking, I didn’t realize I said anything out loud.” 

Phoebe Rulyi, renowned hunter, known for staring monsters 100 times her size and laughing, yet firelight-eyes were enough to completely disarm her. 

“You could, you know,” Alma said, tilting her head to the side and leaning slightly closer. 

Phoebe blinked rapidly. “Could what?” 

“Pull my chin up to meet my gaze,” she said, eyes now dancing with mirth like the popping embers. “Well?” 

She cleared her throat, hoping the firelight could disguise her blush. “Well. We’re already looking at each other.” 

Alma smiled, a soft little smile Phoebe often felt was only reserved for her. “And what comes next?” 

“A number of things, depending on what you want,” Phoebe said, aiming for casual, but her voice dipped lower as her heart rate kicked up. 

Alma’s eyes flickered up and down her face for a moment before she looked away. Phoebe only had a few seconds to feel a surge of disappointment as she shut her journal and placed it on the ground before she turned back to her and moved into her space. 

And sat. In her lap. 

Phoebe looked up to meet now-dark eyes as the fire illuminated her back, her arms unconsciously winding around Alma’s waist. 

“Is this okay?” she asked, and Phoebe nodded, unable to say a word. Unable to do anything else but stare up at the woman in her arms. 

Alma’s hands slid up to cup Phoebe’s face and she pressed their foreheads together. “I’d heard that most hunters are mute, but I hope this won’t be a trend now,” she teased, and Phoebe couldn’t help but groan in response. 

“Evil,” she whispered against the space between their lips, growing ever smaller. 

Later, if one asked either of them, they’d say they were the one who moved first. In truth, they moved at the same time, completely in sync – exactly as they were on a hunt. 

Alma only grinned in response and kissed her again, pressing forward to wrap herself more tightly around Phoebe’s frame. 

“So many layers,” Alma complained against Phoebe’s lips, hands shoving helplessly at Phoebe’s chest. 

She snorted, taking a moment to widen her stance before she rose to her feet. Alma yelped and held on tighter as Phoebe walked to their tent, chuckling at the curses Alma muttered under her breath. 

“You should be thankful for those layers. I need to be able to take some hits, querida. You’ve seen me with the switch axe.” 

“Yes, I have,” Alma said, and Phoebe paused at how different her voice sounded. “It’s one thing to appreciate their practicality in combat, but quite another when trying to get it all off.”  

Breathless suited her well. 

Phoebe leaned down to lay Alma on her cot, smirking as she stepped back and reached for the various buckles and loops of her armor. 

“Watch me, then,” she said. “So you won’t fumble next time.” 

“Oh, next time, huh?” Alma said, distracting pink tongue between her teeth. The lantern that sat at the table between their cots lit the tent enough that Phoebe could see her eyes tracking her every movement. 

She saw her lick her lips as Phoebe dropped her chest piece, left only in her undergarments. 

“Scooch over,” she said as she kneeled before where Alma sat, still far too clothed. “Shall I show you what a good student I’ve been?”  

Without waiting for a reply she reached down and pulled on the layers Alma wore, barely managing to not get them caught in her glasses. Speaking of, she reached for them carefully, pausing for a second before Alma nodded in acquiescence. 

Phoebe placed them carefully onto the nightstand before returning her attention to the gorgeous woman at her side. 

Alma looked at her expectantly, and she wasted no time – she surged forward for a kiss, this one much more passionate than before. Their hands roved over each other’s bodies as they laid together, and it wasn’t until Phoebe tucked her thigh in-between Alma’s that she finally moaned. 

She might have been offended had it not been one of the most beautiful sounds she’d ever heard. 

Phoebe couldn’t help but groan in return as Alma rocked against her in earnest, and she shifted down to kiss at her neck. More gasps reached her ears as she did so, as Alma’s fervor increased. 

She snaked a hand up to untie her bra, revealing plush breasts and brown nipples that made her mouth water. She dipped down, kissing under the modest swell of flesh before sucking her nipple into her mouth. 

Alma jerked suddenly and cried out, and Phoebe was in so much trouble. 

“Fuck,” Alma cried, her hips jerking with absolutely zero finesse now as Phoebe continued kissing and sucking at her breasts. “You’re so-,” 

“Mmm?” 

But Alma didn’t seem to have the words, for she tossed her head back and nearly screamed as her orgasm overtook her. If it were anything else Phoebe might have told her to be more quiet, to not scare the local wildlife, but frankly her ego was fine with it. 

Watching her like this made her cunt absolutely pulse, also. 

Alma breathed heavily as she came down from her high, grabbing Phoebe by the hair and clacking their teeth together in a rough kiss. Phoebe moaned as Alma sucked on her tongue and reached down to grab at her ass.  

Her hands shifted to Phoebe’s front without her realizing, and now it was her turn to be helpless as calloused fingers dipped into her boxer briefs. 

She might have been embarrassed by how wet she was, how utterly easy it was for Alma to slide her fingers until she found her clit, but it was just too hot. Sensing Alma wishing to do the same for her, she reached to untie her wrap, unable to help the smirk at Alma’s expression as her breasts bounced lightly into view. 

She was not expecting her to go face first into them, but Phoebe lost the train of thought as Alma dipped a finger into her cunt. 

She started slow, managing to rub the palm of her hand against her clit with every stroke as she tongued at the valley between her breasts. 

Just like her, Phoebe was not going to last long. 

She ground her hips down against Alma’s hand as a second finger joined the first, feeling greedy – feverish, insistent, desperate for more. She thought of them shedding the remaining layers between them and pressing their wet cunts together, the most delicious and agonizing glide. 

Or, she imagined Alma hovering hesitantly above her before she pulled her down to suck her greedily between her lips. 

It was with those fantasies – which may very well now become reality – that had her clenching up and crying out with her release. 

It was either seconds or years until she came down to herself again, re-opening her eyes to find Alma looking up at her. 

“Wow,” she said, marveling at the dark eyes that looked at her with so much softness, so much affection. 

She was sure she was looking down at her with the same. 

Alma smiled, and Phoebe couldn’t resist reaching up to cup her cheek and pull her in for a kiss. She felt the heat stir within her again and she pushed Alma down flat on the cot, hovering over her with intention. 

“You’re going to be insatiable, aren’t you?” Alma said, though her smile didn’t dim. 

“Of course,” she murmured, moaning as she lifted her leg up to catch the junction of Alma’s thighs. “And wait until you meet the strap.” 

Phoebe grinned at the shell shocked expression on her face and kissed her again, soundly.