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A roaring, torrential rainstorm was drenching Rainbow Island. Rain on the range was something unheard of. The sound of the obese droplets bombarding the shimmering glass of the conservatory was music to Bea’s ears.
Peacefully resting in Mochi’s lap, Beatrix wore a long fitting pink shirt that had an enormous slime face plastered on the center, and her banana yellow bandana was comfortably fastened atop her head. She had her arms cozily snuggled around her wife’s neck. Mochi held her close, gently rubbing Bea’s smooth, silky skin while burying her face in Bea’s hair. Neither of them uttered a word, opting to bask in the serenity of the ongoing downpour.
Times like these were the ones the two ranchers cherished most. Bea’s ranch work and Mochi’s tech business ate up a great deal of their time. They took any opportunity, no matter how small, to spend some alone time together, and have that intimacy they both so desperately craved.
Cracking her eyelids, Mochi took another peek at her wife’s luxurious, puffy teal hair. A deep sniff of it made her nostrils flood with the scent of peach and lemon. It was a lovely reminder of when the two of them had first met. Bea’s aroma was strong but very pleasant, especially her hair. Mochi recalled being especially enamored when she had discovered Bea’s hair color was natural and not dyed or a wig.
“Sniffy sniffy.” Bea murmured against the fabric of Mochi’s pajama shirt. It was a deep purple, and loose fitting enough that Bea could grab big handfuls of it to warm her hands, though she much preferred the even warmer, cushiony feel of Mochi’s plush body. A faint giggle slipped from Mochi’s lips as she reached to undo Bea’s hair tie. Bea’s long teal strands showered down, piling up on her chest below. It made her look so much cuter, and that tiny little button nose was a certified Mochi Magnet. They both smiled lovingly at one another before sharing a passionate kiss.
Mochi found herself leaning into the kiss further, almost as if she were testing to see if Beatrix was real. The touch of another human being after nearly a decade of isolation was heavenly enough. But a kiss? A kiss was the fabled holy grail of touch; one Mochi never thought she would ever experience. Bea’s lips were soft and warm, with a small bit of plumpness that made them all the more kissable.
The two women held the kiss for several more moments. It just felt too good to stop.
“Boop!” Beatrix gleamed, pressing her finger to Mochi’s nose as she pulled back. Keeping a straight face with someone like Beatrix was downright impossible, especially when she always wore such a tremendous, toothy smile that never failed to make Mochi’s heart roar. Her life had been filled with so many more laughs since Beatrix had entered the picture.
“Pffft! Ha ha! You’re such a goober. A dorky, hot, wonderful goober.” Mochi cooed. She placed her hands on the sides of Bea’s head and leaned in for a second big smooch. Mochi felt as if she was kissing a cloud. A cute, cheery cloud with the most perfect lips imaginable.
“How do you do it?” Mochi insisted as she started playing with Bea’s hair.
“I guess I’m just a natural that way?” Beatrix shrugged, still grinning wide and blushing bright.
“Well I say that you’re an expert at it.” Stated Mochi proudly. “The best I’ve ever seen.” She went in for a third kiss. Beatrix giggled uncontrollably the entire time.
“Isn’t the rain pretty?” Beatrix asked, pulling herself closer to Mochi’s face. They both turned to look out the window at the still raging rainfall, which wasn’t showing any signs of letting up. The way the thick droplets trickled down the glass was like an art form; a stormy mosaic in which Bea found herself keeping track of one of them, routing for it to win the race against its opponents to the ground below them. “It is.” Mochi said quietly. “I haven’t seen rain in a long time.”
Both girls continued to take in the peacefulness of it all. Nothing to disturb them. No electronics beeping or blaring with notifications that demanded to be answered. No hoards of hungry slimes harassing them for food. No hoards of those awful, ravenous rainbows or feral slimes chasing them down, taking bites out of them and backing them into the slime sea. No greedy clients barking and snarling about oversized loads of quicksilver plorts. It felt like another world. They continued to melt into each other’s embrace.
Beatrix soon found her mind trailing off.
“You think the slimes are ok?” She turned her head, resting it on Mochi’s chest like a little puppy. Mochi looked back at her, biting her lip from just how innocent and pure she looked. “I mean, we don’t know if they’ve ever experienced something like this before.” She felt Mochi’s hands begin to lightly stroke her back.
“I’m sure they’re fine.” Mochi said reassuringly, kissing the top of her head. “They fall in the slime sea all the time and wind up in other areas or something like that, don’t they?”
Beatrix huffed a sigh, remaining silent for a long moment as she pondered this. The origins of slimes and the secrets they held seemed like a perpetual mystery. The rain however, was a phenomenon unlike anything seen on the range before.
“Yeeah but… but I think about the fire slimes in particular… The poor little guys probably get snuffed out by the rain… I mean, look how heavy it is.” She directed her hand towards the outside. “I just… I just hope they’re ok… I wish I could shelter all of them… and protect them…” Her voice was growing heavy. She looked so worried and discouraged, unable to help but sniffle a few times as she smushed her face into Mochi’s chest, the sounds of her groans being muffled by the thickness of Mochi’s shirt.
“Hey.” Mochi began softly. She delicately took Bea’s head in her hands, lifting it gradually and wiping her tears. Those big, lustrous puppy eyes were lethal. “They’re gonna be ok. They’ll find cover out there. I’m sure of it. There’s loads of little nooks and crannies for them to hide in. Plus, there’s loads of them.”
She planted a kiss on Bea’s forehead. Beatrix sat up and rubbed her eyes.
“Yeah, I-I know. I just…” She looked to the floor before turning her gaze back to Mochi, and busied herself by scrunching up handfuls of her shirt. “I think about some of them getting caught before they can find a safe spot… and… *sniffle* …the thought of them squeaking in pain as the rain extinguishes them… it hurts me… because… *sniff* …because I love them...” She squeezed the handfuls of her shirt harder, biting her lip. “I love all of them. Ever since I came to this planet, I immediately fell in love with it. All of its anomalies, all of its enigmas, and all the cute, precious little slimes that inhabit it and make it what it is…”
There it was. That wonderful, whimsical sparkle in her eyes she got whenever she spoke about the wonders of this strange planet. Mochi could listen to her talk about it endlessly. Her cheeks flushed a rosy pink as she stared so intently at Bea and how much of a cute, silly nerd she was.
“Those adorable, innocent little faces bouncing around and eating to their gooey little heart’s content. The way they giggle and frolic with each other. How happy they get when they get a bite of their favorite food. I can never get enough of them. They’re so squishy and wiggly and carefree. They give me so much energy and life, and they fill me with the motivation and determination to continue exploring this planet, discovering as many secrets as I possibly can.” She cupped her hands over her heart, her voice beginning to shake. “They’re just… *sniffle* …they’re very special to me… I’ve always felt such a deep connection with them…” She pushed some of her hair from her face, now eyeing Mochi who was starting to tear up herself.
“Guhh…” She cleared her own eyes. “Why are you just… *sniff* …why are you just the most precious thing I’ve ever seen?” She pulled Beatrix close. Her steely brown eyes never broke from Bea’s shiny red ones.
“You’re such a sweet treat.” Mochi whispered with another kiss. “You’re so caring and attentive, so kind and nurturing.”
Bea’s cheeks filled with a ruby red. Her attempt to hide her shyness was in vain, and although she wasn’t shy too often, that cozy and bashful look on her face always found its way directly into Mochi’s soul. Mochi joined in clearing Bea’s hair from that opulent face of hers. “Oh stop.” She placed her hands on Mochi’s arms. “I just… gain comfort in seeing the slimes happy. That’s all.” Her voice still cracking slightly.
Right now, Beatrix was the single most beautiful thing Mochi had ever seen. It was still such a miracle that the two of them met each other out here; a place like this that while being so indescribably glorious and magical, was also so unfathomably lonely and isolated.
“No, Beatrix. I mean it.” She threw her arms around Bea, pulling her closer and embracing her in a warm, cozy hug. She never wanted to let go. “I really do mean it. You’re the kindest, most caring, most sensitive and wonderful person I’ve ever met. You’re a never ending ray of sunshine. Always smiling, always energetic, always willing to help others. You’ve done so much for the likes of Ogden… and Viktor… and Thora….”
She paused, feeling more tears welling up. “A-and… *sniff* …and m-meee…” She sniffled, tightening the hug and burying her face in Bea’s shoulder. “Y-you have d-done s-so so much for me… *sniff* …when you n-never h-had to…” She cried. “You were so w-warm and… *hic* …sweet to me w-when I was s-so cold and b-bitter to you… you were my f-friend when I didn’t… *sniff* …d-deserve o-one. Y-you listened t-to my insane r-ramblings about m-my father, and the… *sniff* *hic* …p-pressure of his l-legacy that I just dumped on y-you without th-thinking about h-how you felt… You h-helped me to love m-myself again… You helped me gain m-my… *hic* …s-self-esteem back. You gave me the c-courage to finally take a s-stand against my dad and b-break a-away from his… *hic* *sniff* …his c-crazy expectations...” She squeezed harder. Beatrix returned it.
“Y-you… *sniff* *hic* …you s-s-saved m-my… my liiife…” She sobbed. They stayed like that for a while. Beatrix gently rubbed circles on Mochi’s back as her tears continued to flow. Thinking about the amount of time Mochi had spent all alone out here ate her up inside. No one deserved that. Her heart ached for Mochi, and she felt her anger towards Mr. Miles flaring from subjecting his only daughter to such a cruel, damaging fate.
“It’s why y-you’re s-so special to… *sniff* …to m-me…” The last part of that sentence barely squeaked out. Mochi slowly pulled away, drying her tears and trying to compose herself. She took a sharp breath. “You literally saved me… f-from a life of nothing but loneliness and m-my… *sniffle* …dad’s work… I would trade away all my riches, all my estates, and all my power and status to just remain with you. Forever. And I know that sounds corny as fuck but… but I’m serious…” She had now taken hold of Bea’s hands, with a rather firm grip. She felt Bea’s returning grip shortly after. They looked at each other again, both taking comfort in the other’s warmth as they touched their foreheads together.
Beatrix placed her hands to Mochi’s cheeks, kissing her forehead before moving down to her nose, and finally her lips. “Don’t cry, my little Mochkin.” She touched her forehead to Mochi’s again.
“I promise you. You’ll never be alone anymore.” She began trailing kisses from Mochi’s forehead back down to her lips, hearing her soft and tearful whimpers with each tender smooch.
“Someone as bright, wonderful, and aspiring as you should never, ever be lonely. What he did to you is so unfair and entirely unforgivable. You do not owe him anything. Do you hear me? You owe him nothing. He made his choice. He chose his work over his family. And you know what? I just know that you’ll build up that empire of your own you talked about! You’ll build it up and stick it to him! You can outclass him with ease and style! Everything you’ve accomplished out here, even after everything you’ve had to endure, is nothing short of incredible. Incredible.”
Mochi was struggling to hold back more tears.
“I’ve always looked up to you.” Beatrix whispered. “You’re an inspiration for ranchers all across the galaxy. Why do you think I always work so hard? It was never about a rivalry or a competition. I wanted to be like you! You are someone successful who’s made a name for themselves separate from what their family wants.” She beamed, lightly caressing Mochi’s cheek, who leaned into it with a soft purr. She gave Mochi another big, tender kiss. “You’re amazing, Mochi. The most amazing person I’ve ever met. Against all odds, you prospered out here. You should be so immensely proud of yourself.”
Another encompassing hug followed, both women now overcome with tears knowing they had each other to confide in. Beatrix secured her arms around Mochi’s back, now lying to have Mochi on top of her. Their legs intertwined with each other, finding every bit of that soothing warmth they could. Beatrix reached her hand up Mochi’s shirt to run her fingers over her skin as Mochi nuzzled her face in the crook of Bea’s neck. She took a sniff of Mochi’s hair. The smell of lilac made her nostrils tingle.
“Sniffy sniffy.” Mochi chuckled faintly. Bea’s lips curved with a wide smile as she giggled back.
The booming of thunder in the distance made its debut as they drifted to sleep.