Celeste
⌛Chapter Eleven⌛

Celeste was the spitting image of her parents. As she grew up, everyone that knew who her parents were seemed to tell her that. As she got older, there were traits of her that could be easily seen and compared.

She was always kind and generous, just like Aurora. When she was oblivious, she had the same doe-eyed look that he would have. Her eyes were a dark maroon that sparkled in the light. When she was passionate about something, that sparkle would come out more. She'd get so excited about things no one else would, but she never hid it, just like Aurora.

There was that other side of her, that part that told her she was tough enough to defend herself, to not depend on others, to know that she could handle herself if something went wrong. There was no one else she could trust more than herself. She was strong for that. She was tough, and she held herself up like she was. She'd sometimes have that look like she could take anyone she wanted, and she could. She was a fighter, and she never hid that part of herself either. Anyone says the wrong thing to her, and it would be over quickly.

That part of her, she got from Sirus. She never filters her words. She says what she wants to say, does what she wants to do, and she didn't care what other people had to say about it. As kind as she was, as generous as she was, she could say things that hurt other people. She was blunt, and she never apologized for that. She didn't have much of a temper, but she sure can get mad at someone if they say the wrong thing.

Only a few people knew who she was, there were those that took care of her when she was younger, when both her parents were busy. Not everyone knew the Head of Defense had a daughter. For years people thought he was occasionally bringing his niece to work but it wasn't like him to tell the truth.

Celeste could freely walk into the Capitol building, though she knew that she shouldn't. She used to tell herself she shouldn't get attached about being here, that she shouldn't find herself here all the time. It wasn't till recently that she started coming more often. She knew different codes though she didn't have access. She knew better than to use that privilege. It's just that she needed to know things and she knew how to find the answers to her questions.

Today she didn't have questions.

She just wanted to return an item that she found while on the Mother ship. She didn't know what it was, well, she clearly knew it was a galaxy system, but it's not really shown a lot anymore. The previous Earth wasn't habitable anymore, she knew that. But the other planets, she didn't know about them.

She walked into Aurora's Command room quietly, hoping that she would find him there. He was difficult to find sometimes and he did that on purpose to avoid speaking with some people. Today it was just Celeste coming to bother him, but he could hardly say she was a bother.

She would prefer if he would retire. She wanted to take care of her parents, other people got to do that, so she thought it was her time. Aurora didn't like being treated like he was old, and he would say that he isn't. It's not like he was at that point where if he falls he would break his hip.

"Hi, Dad." Celeste smiled widely as she moved her hands behind her back. She knew she shouldn't be here, but what was Aurora going to do about it? "I found something while on the Mother Ship." she said as she walked over to him.

"I thought you said you weren't going to touch anything." Aurora wasn't surprised. She had a habit of taking things with her.

"I mean, I went exploring, so you know I have to bring back souvenirs." she said and held her hands out, holding the small black cube.

Aurora was confused for a moment. He didn't know what it was. There was a small power button that he could press, and he did. The projection of the old galaxy lit up the entire room.

It wasn't till then that he remembered.

"Ah," he began to laugh. "Where did you find it?" he looked at Celeste.

"It was in your old room." she said as he lifted the cube from her hands.

Aurora was looking at the projection. The cube was old, and the colors were fading, but the image was still as beautiful as before. Aurora remembered having this on in his room from time to time. This was the one thing that didn't bother Sirus when he was trying to sleep.

He remembered.

"Sirus got this for me for my birthday." he smiled. "That was when we were paired together." he said as he moved to set the cube by the window. "I can't believe I forgot about it."

Celeste knew that Sirus and Aurora go all out when it comes to giving gifts. She was spoiled as well. She just started getting into it now, and she was quickly learning that she has to get something completely wild or its not the perfect gift.

She watched Aurora. For some reason, she thought she hadn't seen that look in his eyes before. He might've been smiling, but he almost looked sad. She didn't know what was wrong. Maybe it was remembering everything all at once. She didn't know what he was thinking about.

"I also found some of your blue prints." she said to him.

"They're probably useless now."

"I mean, you made some pretty cool stuff back then." she said as she walked around the spinning globe at the center of the room. "You don't make things anymore." she looked at him.

She wanted to know why he stopped engineering.

"It was hard when I had my hands full." he smiled at her. "You wouldn't let me do anything except play with you." he remembered how most of his nights went. Celeste was a hyper child, always wanting to stay up and play. "But to be honest, I guess I...I had other things to take care of and I didn't need to make things anymore."

Aurora did get busy at the time. As much as he wanted to make new blue prints for things, it was tiring. Things began to upgrade and he didn't feel the need to keep up.

Celeste only worked on a few projects at a time, though she felt like she was letting Aurora down. He had done hundreds of things and she didn't even come close. There was a reason she took things slow, however. She doesn't like being overwhelmed, and she actively does things that wouldn't do that to her.

"I heard that Sirus is smart, too." She said.

Aurora rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Yeah." he didn't believe that.

"Hariette was very generous with her words, so you know it must be true." Celeste already knew.

"I guess he was helpful sometimes." Aurora didn't want to admit it. He mumbled something under his breath before turning away. "I hope he didn't lie to you while you were up there. Apparently we remember things differently."

"He said how much he loved you." Celeste laughed to herself.

"Yeah, right." Aurora wasn't going to believe that either.

He had rolled his eyes again, but there was a small smile forming on his lips. He had to turn away again so Celeste wouldn't see. She liked seeing them together, and she never took that for granted. She was so ready for her parents to retire so she doesn't have to worry about them. She wasn't going to bring that conversation up with Aurora again, though. That's for another time.

Sirus came in the room, mostly to bother Aurora. He wasn't the only person to do that, but he was the first person to do it this morning.

He stopped when he saw the projection of the galaxy that took up the entire room. He was just about to ask what it was, but then he saw the small cube sitting by the darkened window.

He remembered he got that for Aurora's birthday when he turned nineteen. He didn't remember how the day went after that. Or what followed that week. There was a lot going on and Sirus was thankful that memory was a blur.

"You're here again?" he walked by Celeste. "Don't you actually do something during the day?"

"Well, I'm like you, so no." She answered bluntly.

Aurora was laughing quietly to himself. Sirus didn't know what to do with Celeste. She was twenty-five so there wasn't much more he could do to her.

When did she grow up?

Sirus had watched her change every year. Now she turned out the way she was.

He saw parts of Aurora in her.

When Aurora looked at her, he saw parts of Sirus in her.

She was just like her parents.

"If you're going to talk business, I'll leave." Celeste had a feeling that Sirus was just bored and wanted to do nothing. "If not, I can stick around, you know, play with some of the weapons."

They both stared at her. Aurora would have a heart attack if she does that, and Celeste knew she couldn't play around with anything.

"Should've worked for the department." Sirus crossed his arms over his chest as he glanced to Aurora to see his expression.

"No." Aurora wasn't going to let her.

"I'm sure I could make some cool stuff." Celeste smiled widely. "You're always looking for creative engineers." she had big ideas. She even imagined what it would be like if she got to perfect them.

"Next thing I know we're at war again." Aurora wasn't going to fall for that one.

"You're the one that had big ideas." Sirus said. "She gets that from you." he wasn't surprised.

"Yeah, and she's all hyper because of you." Aurora pushed him away.

"Make a few guns and you're hired." Sirus said to her.

"No! Do not do that." Aurora had to be clear since he was sure Celeste might go through with it. "Please do not make any weapons, don't listen to him."

"Relax." Celeste said. "I wouldn't do it." she wasn't technically telling the truth. She would do it, she'd just keep it quiet. She wondered what it would be like if she worked for the department, not as part of the army, but as an engineer who came up with the armor and weapons.

She always thought it was cool, but not enough to interest her. She wouldn't do it.

She would stress her parents out.

Aurora sighed miserably and brought his hand to his forehead. Clearly the past few days has gotten to him.

Was he scared for Celeste?

Or was it something else?

"Sirus, I asked you for one thing when you left with Hariette. Why do I not have it?"

Sirus shrugged in response. He doesn't remember Aurora asking him for anything, but it clearly happened since Aurora was upset. Sirus has been a little forgetful lately.

"You've got to be kidding me. I told you specifically what I was looking for and you just went up there to play around..."

Aurora's words went in one ear and out the other.

Sirus doesn't like being yelled at. "Seriously, baby, it's like eight in the morning-"

"I wouldn't have to yell at you if you weren't useless."

"Can't get used if you're useless."

"Wise words, Sirus. Stop dying your hair so we know how old those words are." Aurora tested.

Celeste smiled as she watched her parents bicker and argue. Nothing changed. She knew that, everyone knew that.

Celeste was sitting in Dri's bed. She didn't have that much clothes on but she preferred it that way at the moment. She would hope he would get the picture and wouldn't have to strip more, but she was willing to if she needed to. She had to admit that Dri has made her a lucky girl.

Celeste is an open person. She's blunt and says what she's thinking without a filter. Is it surprising that she has an affinity for sex and says exactly what she's looking for? No. Apparently Dri had to listen to her spew out foul, provocative, and dirty language for a while now.

She wasn't all talk, that was for sure.

Dri almost wanted to be careful.

Any wrong phrases, movements, gestures, and he would be immediately distracted by Celeste's charm. She was sexy, he already knew that especially with the tight clothes she wears, the way she looks at him, the things she says to him.

Dri didn't want to be distracted by her. As much as he liked her, he wanted a clear head around her. Apparently he hasn't been thinking with his brain.

She was wearing a thin white shirt that barely covered her stomach. She had a thin laced underwear on as well. Nothing else.

And she wasn't under the blanket.

When she came over, it was for a reason.

Dri had things to do. His job doesn't stop just because Celeste is bored and doesn't have anything to do.

She watched him move around his room, trying to clean what the small drones couldn't. The rest of her clothes were on his floor and he picked it up. She should be wearing pants. Dri held it up for her as a suggestion but she didn't move to take it from him. Her eyes continued to watch him. All she thought about was how he didn't have a shirt on, yet he was about to complain how she wasn't wearing clothes. Celeste could stare all day, and if Dri didn't stop her, she would.

"You know, you're my first guy." She said as she ran her hand through her hair.

He stopped everything he was doing and looked at her. He didn't believe her. She was the type to give sultry eyes to anyone. Dri has seen her do it, too. So he didn't believe it. She saw the expression on his face, the shock and disbelief.

"I've only been with girls." Celeste said.

"You're joking." Dri didn't know what else to say.

"No." Celeste wasn't. "If I was, you'd know, trust me." She rolled her eyes and laid down in his bed. "You're not bad," she said.

"Coming from someone who had her 'first time' a few days ago." Dri pulled a shirt over his head before walking over to his bed and sitting next to her.

"You should be happy." Celeste turned to face him. "It's like I was saving myself for you-"

"It doesn't count if Zinnia is fingering you." Dri said plainly.

"That sounds nice right about now." Celeste sighed. "Please don't leave, I'm so bored." She complained.

"I have to go to work." Dri wasn't that excited but he was dealing with it. "I won't be on standby for a long while, so take what you can get." He already knew he won't be able to see her as often.

"Okay," she said sadly.

He leaned over to kiss her gently. He would've pulled away so he could continue getting dressed, but he felt her tongue against his lips and that was enough to immediately change his line of thought.

Things were getting serious.

Celeste puts herself out there when it's serious.

She definitely wasn't licking the inside of Dri's mouth before.

Her hand found his but she didn't keep it there. She lifted his hand up and moved it to her chest, putting his hand down on her right breast. Dri squeezed her and he wasn't particularly gentle about it.

That's when he let his hand move under the shirt she was wearing. His hand cupped her breast like before, but this time he could actually feel her. She was warm, and her skin was soft. It was a nice feeling to hold her breast in his hand.

But that wasn't all.

He pulled away from her and pushed her shirt up before kissing her chest. When he had himself right where he wanted to be, with his mouth on her skin, his hand traveled lower on her body, his fingers reaching inside her underwear to finger her.

She did say she was feeling like it.

She had her hand resting in his short hair. His tongue circled around her nipple before he sucked harder. What she was focused on was his fingers inside her, thrusting slowly and making her hips rock to the rhythm.

"Dri..." She moaned quietly under her heavy breath.

Her hips continued to move up into his fingers. They were moving faster inside her. When Dri heard her voice, he had to keep going.

He didn't want to bring her to climax with just his fingers. That's when he made it between her legs. Celeste couldn't hide the grin she had while looking at Dri, her thighs just about to press up against his face. But he started to kiss her skin, lick her, taste her, and it was no longer a game.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting.

But Dri was good, and this was the first time Celeste had her hand covering her mouth. She breathed hard through her nose and held back her moans. Her thighs were twitching, her heels pressing down on the bed as she desperately tried to not move her hips too much. His hands held on to her but he didn't hurt her.

Celeste just closed her eyes and let him take her.

He definitely wasn't finished when she came the first time. He didn't stop licking inside her. His fingers were slow to make it inside her, but it wasn't like that for long. He wasn't going to be satisfied with just having his fingers in her. And listening to her moan definitely changed the entire mood. He wasn't going to leave without having his cock in her.

She asked and he answered to it. Clearly Celeste got what she asked for.

What was supposed to be a quick event turned out to be much longer. Dri knew he liked Celeste but this was much different. He learned how to put his heart into everything from her. He definitely showed her how much she meant to him.

She was so in love.

Anyone would be able to see it in her eyes.

She was so desperately in love.

"You're going to be late." Celeste said, yet she was holding her shirt up for him to see that there was nothing underneath.

Now Dri didn't know what he got himself into.

He was dating a tease.

He was already dressed in his uniform, and was seconds away from leaving the room but he saw her flash him and he tried to work out how long it would take him to get where he needed to be, what time he should be there, and how long he would have to fuck Celeste into the bed a second time.

"I will be if you don't stop that." Dri walked over to the bedside where she was sitting and moved her hand so her shirt would cover her chest.

"I could...come with you-"

"That's such a bad idea." Dri rolled his eyes. "I'll see you later, Celeste. Feel free to do whatever you want here." He said to her before leaving the room.

Well, she didn't know what she was going to do today. Zinnia was working and she wasn't. She didn't know what else to do.

Though, she has been telling herself that she was going to update her implant. She might as well work on that while she had the chance. She has been studying other blue prints and learning from past mistakes. She had ideas to be innovative with her device and now would be a good time to start working on it.

There were so many things she thought about after she decided she was going to upgrade the implant.

Seeing how it actually works now, she knows what modifications she needed to make.

Celeste got dressed and tied up her hair. She had someone she needed to talk to so she could get a little insight on a possible upgrade for the implant.

She walked into the hospital quietly. She didn't need to check in, she was just looking for someone.

"Hey, Clover." Celeste found him walking in the hallways. She pulled him off to the side so they could walk together.

He didn't think he would see her so soon. Did something happen? Although it's been a few weeks, he wasn't expecting something to happen with the implant.

"I just wanted to talk about something." She said and pulled him to another room quietly. It was empty and dark but she turned on the lights.

Clover had a fierce blush on his face, but he knew better than to believe that Celeste would end up confessing her love for him. A man could dream though.

"Do you think I'd be able to perform an upgrade on the implants?" She asked him.

He thought for a second, looking around the room. "On Dri, you might be able to without taking his out because of his arm. Zinnia, not so much." He said to her.

"Could you help?"

"I mean..." He wasn't sure if he could help but he wanted to give it a shot. "I have some free time." He wanted to spend time with her.

Celeste knew the effect she had on people, but sometimes she does it on purpose. She knows how much Clover liked her, but she was determined to get him someone that was more his type. Celeste already knew she was too overbearing and talkative and sometimes a little scatter brained. Clover can't handle that.

He liked her but he never made his move.

He knew what her type was, and he didn't exactly fit the image. But he liked talking to her and that wouldn't change.

They sat together in one of the exam rooms. She explained what she intended to do with the upgrade. She figured since she had to modify Zinnia's and Dri's tablets for the implant to function, maybe an upgrade through their tablets might help.

Clover was quiet as he watched her rewrite her system. What he had to pay attention to was the functionality of the implant.

Will it still function at ninety-seven percent? And if it doesn't, what could happen physiologically?

"Your mom retiring soon?" Celeste asked to fill the silence. Clover doesn't talk unless someone talked to him. She wanted to know if others were persuading their parents so she could figure out how to get Aurora out.

"In the next year or so." He said.

"Gonna take her place?"

"I'm not really interested." He said truthfully. "I like my job. I don't think I can add more stress though." He said quietly.

"Yeah, I like my job, too." She said.

She never considered taking Aurora's place. She didn't think she qualified either. She definitely didn't want to be a sector leader. As much as she enjoyed fighting, training, and watching people use the weapons, she knew it wasn't for her.

"I don't think I want to change for a while." She sighed and looked up for a second.

It's like she's had to tell herself that over and over to make it stick.

"I don't understand." Clover always wanted to ask her why she ended up where she did. "You got perfect scores on your exams and you were at the top of the list." He looked at her, hoping he didn't offend her. "Why are you..."

The conversation has reared it's ugly head more than once. Celeste didn't want to get upset though she knew what he was asking.

"You have no idea how stressed I was for my exams." Celeste sighed. Every year something had happened. She knew what she was getting herself into, however. "And yeah, it's supposed to be stressful but I have anxiety so it just made things ten times worse."

She picked up her tablet and changed the image to show her profile numbers.

"It's not bad, but this is how things are for me when I'm not stressed." She said as Clover looked at it.

He had to admit that he was a little surprised. "It's still..."

"High? Yeah." She sighed again. "I learned I'm not the only one with anxiety."

It made sense to him.

"It got bad for Aurora so I'm not surprised. Now he has his profile masked so no one can see. I figured out how to do it, but it's not like I'm in danger or anything."

She was managing well considering how disastrous things got for her while in school. She's doing fine now. Why would she want to do that?

"You didn't want to work anywhere else though?" Clover thought she could be anywhere.

"I would love to." Celeste thought she could be doing much more, but she kept it as a thought only. "But to always be stressed out was not what I was interested in. I did three backgrounds-"

"That's where your stress is coming from."

"I wanted options." Celeste said. "So it's nice to have them so when I'm ready I can switch." She said to Clover. "If I was interested in bioengineering, I would've totally worked here." She was saying that to flirt with him.

"I'm sure you'd be the best in the field." He said.

Celeste was incredibly smart. She learns fast, and if she's interested she can take a whole background and become an expert. She loves learning.

But she doesn't like feeling anxious.

She thought she made the right choice with a low stress job.

"When I was nine, I told Aurora what I wanted to do." She said quietly. "He had this look in his eyes, not like he was disappointed, but..." She didn't know how to say it, "he almost looked upset."

She remembered.

And as a good parent, Aurora didn't try to discourage her.

"And you know how they ask us again at thirteen if we want to stick to our chosen path? I think he hoped I would do something else."

She didn't know what it was then but through the years she figured it out.

"I think he was worried that I would turn out like him." She looked at Clover again.

Knowing what she knows now, it makes sense.

"Maybe he just didn't want you to work yourself up."

"Trust me, that was already happening early on." She laughed quietly. "Sirus never really got involved in that area, you know, encouraging me to do things and what not. He didn't care what I did, but..."

She felt like he had been watching over her. If something bad had happened, if she had cracked, he would've stepped in.

"If you're happy then that's all that matters." Clover genuinely meant what he said but she rolled her eyes.

"Do you know how many people have told me that I'm 'wasting' my 'talents'?" She snorted. "There's nothing more annoying than other people not minding their own business."

It was true. She hated hearing that she could be doing more. She liked her job. It was minimal stress. She didn't want to do anything else.

"But lately..."

There was this nagging voice in her head that told her that everything would be fine if she finally decided to go into her field.

That she was ready.

That she could handle it.

That voice wouldn't be there if more people stopped bothering her.

Clover didn't know how she felt, but maybe he could offer words of encouragement. "When I passed all of my exams, the System put me in Family Medicine. Everything was calmer there and I was judged as not able to handle more pressure than that." He said quietly. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

And he thought it was true.

Clover was always quiet and soft. But he was kind.

And when he became a doctor, he pledged to do no harm.

"There was a horrible accident one day in the street right outside the hospital, and I saw it happen." He was lost in thought for a second, but then he looked at her. "I just...moved. I wasn't thinking, I wasn't scared, I just went over to him and saved his life..." He was even surprised that it happened and it's been quite a few years for him to process it. "One of the other doctors saw, and I found out that he begged Human Resources for them to override the System. He thought I was misplaced."

Someone so quiet and so fragile could handle seeing so much blood death.

Celeste always thought Clover was amazing but this definitely gave her a new respect for him.

"I was terrified for an entire year while I was in training." He said to her. "I thought it was a horrible decision to have me there. But things haven't changed since."

"You think I should do it?" Celeste asked.

"I think you can't avoid stress forever." Clover said. "But I think you shouldn't." He meant that.

He didn't think Celeste was useful at a Watch Tower. She could be doing something more. They both know it.

"Hariette has been offering me a job for years." Celeste looked away again, thinking about the offer like she has been for the past couple days. "She's not the only one bothering me, but lately I've been feeling pressured to make a decision. For years I've been fine, but then she gave me this stupid project..."

The blue print changed everything for her.

She finished something extraordinary.

Now Celeste had a heavy interest in doing more. Going up to space made things worse. Seeing Aurora's old blue prints made things worse. Celeste had all these ideas going through her head at once and she hated it.

It was making her heart race every time she thought about it.

Maybe it's because she knows she's not where she belongs yet.

She needed to calm herself by changing the subject. Though she was grateful to talk to someone who had encouraging words for her. It was one thing to get it from people she sees everyday, but there was a gentleness to hearing Clover encourage her. Celeste looked at Clover, almost a dreamy look in her eyes. Her new respect was written all over her face.

"I need to find you someone worthy." She couldn't think of anyone that deserved Clover.

He blushed hard.

"I don't think..."

"You need someone to love you with all of their heart." She said.

"I'm good." Clover looked away sharply, his face bright, right up to his ears. He didn't want to be put on the spot, but the girl he likes was planning to set him up with someone.

He was glad to have Celeste as friend. There were times he hoped it would be more, but he has so much content for just sitting with her and talking. He didn't need more than that.

"So what's your type?" Celeste asked as she turned to continue working.

"Can we finish this first?"

Clearly there were more important things to focus on. Celeste smiled to herself because she knew she made Clover flustered and nervous sometimes.

She couldn't help it. She just has that effect on people.

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