Page 45 of Grumpy Alien Bodyguard

Quinn leans down, her lips brushing my ear ridge. "Compromise. It's what relationships are built on."

I laugh. My jalshagar. My diplomat. My Quinn.

I lead Quinn through the twinkling streets of Christmasville, her small hand tucked into mine. The city lives up to its name tonight—holographic snow drifts down between buildings, landing on Quinn's golden hair before dissolving. Storefront displays flash with multicolored lights, and costumed elves distribute sweets to passing children.

"Where are we going?" Quinn asks, her blue eyes reflecting the lights around us.

"Patience, Ambassador." I squeeze her hand gently. "Some battles require strategy."

She laughs, the sound warming me more than any plasma rifle ever could. "Is this a battle?"

"The most important one of my life."

We turn a corner, and the Great Memorial comes into view. The massive fountain stretches nearly a hundred feet high, its waters cascading in precise patterns that catch and amplify the lights beneath. The monument was built after the Centuries War ended, dedicated to all who died fighting and to the peace they never lived to see.

Quinn's breath catches. "It's beautiful."

"They say it represents the tears of all mothers who lost children in the war," I tell her, guiding her closer. "Both Alliance and Coalition."

We stop at the edge of the fountain. Hundreds of small flames burn on floating platforms across the water's surface, each representing a major battle in the Centuries War.

"I fought in seventeen of those battles," I say quietly, pointing to the flames. "I was proud of it then. Now I wonder what it was all for."

Quinn leans against me. "It was for this. For peace."

"Maybe." I turn to face her, taking both her hands in mine. "Or maybe it was to lead me to you."

Her eyes widen. I'm not known for poetry or sentiment. I'm the Annihilator, destroyer of Coalition forces, breaker of enemy lines. But for her, I find words I never knew I possessed.

"Quinn Gellar, I've spent my life fighting. It's all I know. All I'm good at." I take a deep breath. "But when I'm with you, I want to build something instead of destroying it."

The water behind us shifts patterns, casting us in a soft blue glow. Quinn's eyes shine with unshed tears.

"I love you," I say, the words feeling strange yet perfect on my tongue. "I didn't know what that meant before. I thought it was weakness. But it's not—it's the greatest strength I've ever known."

A single tear slides down her cheek. "I love you too, Varnok. I think I have since you carried me out of that station."

I lift her chin with one finger, marveling at how delicate she is, how much strength exists in her small frame. "Stay with me. Always. We'll figure out the rest—your career, my... whatever I am now. But we'll do it together."

Quinn rises to her tiptoes, pressing her forehead against mine in the traditional Vakutan gesture of devotion. "Of course," she whispers. "I'm yours, after all."

I capture her lips with mine, tasting the sweetness of her mouth, feeling the warmth of her body against me. Around us, the Great Memorial shifts again, its waters forming a heart shape that pulses with light.

I pull back just enough to speak. "Jalshagar," I murmur.

"Two bodies, one soul," she translates, her fingers tracing the ridges on my face.

For the first time in my life, I understand what peace truly means. It's not the absence of war. It's this—this moment, this woman, this love that burns hotter than any battlefield fire.

I am Varnok the Annihilator no more. With Quinn, I am simply Varnok. And that is enough.

The chill of the night air clung to us as we made our way back to the Superior Gardens, our hands entwined. The city's festive lights cast a kaleidoscope of colors upon Quinn's face, painting her in hues of joy and contentment. I squeezed her hand gently, my heart thrumming with a newfound sense of purpose.

We entered the hotel, the opulence of the lobby a stark contrast to the simplicity of the moment we had just shared at the Great Memorial. The staff, led by the ever-meticulous Odex, Roleach, afforded us a wide berth, sensing the gravity of the connection between us.

In the privacy of the elevator, Quinn leaned into me, her head resting against my chest. I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. The ascent to our suite felt both an eternity and a fleeting instant.

Once inside our room, the door closing behind us with a soft thud, I turned to face her. Her eyes met mine, a silent invitation hanging between us. I stepped forward, my hands finding the zipper of her dress.

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