A Modicum of Secrecy

"Does that fancy-schmancy armor of yours got warmers?" Asked a shivering marine, gazing over the ice-white armor of a Sangheili marksman.

"Warmers?" Rebutted the Elite in his rich, mellifluous voice, still eyeing down the scope of his beam rifle. The woman slung her rifle against her olive-green chest plate, crossing her arms in an attempt to stay warm. Snow drifted from the sky, coating the ground and the trees in a fine layer of white. Patches of clouds hung suspended in the air; the gaps revealing the Milky Way high above.

"Yeah, warmers! Like a device or somthin' in your gear that heats you up, like a temperature regulator." Her eyes were eclipsed by a yellow visor and her mouth covered by mask, which didn't prevent her white breath from appearing in the air. "I mean- hell, it's got a shield generator of sorts!"

"You should be spotting for me, human." The Elite turned his head to the marine, annoyed by the nonchalant nature of his battle buddy.

"Ugh, yeah yeah, on it big guy. But next time, I'm sniping... you'll kinda have to show me how to use that beam rifle though." She knelt beside the prone Sangheili, setting her weapon aside before pulling out a rangefinder and laying beside the Elite. After many moments of awkward silence, the marine suddenly called out a target. "Movement on the left Scarab wreckage. Three-hundred meters bearing one-two-seven. Engage when ready." A few seconds passed before the sudden crack of the plasma round rang throughout the snowy canyon. "Good shot, battle buddy."

"This role is meant for a Kig-yar. I should be down there with a blade rather than sitting here with you, human. Do you ever stop making jokes or attempting to strike up a conversation in the slight instances we are not fighting?"

"I have a name you know! And no, I don't. It keeps me less stressed."

"My apologies, Amanda." The Elite scoffed, "I have a name as well, but as long as my title remains 'big guy' or 'battle buddy', your name will be 'human', as it has been."

"Fine, Reto 'Sramaee, or is it Srama?" Her head tilted to the side before returning to the lenses. "And no; you'll always be the big guy, big guy."

"It is Reto 'Srama, human. How did you know about the- nevermind."

"No problem-o, Reto! I have my secrets." Amanda chuckled to herself, earning a loud, disappointed sigh from the Elite. The pair overlooked what was left of two Scarabs, covering the forces that had entered The Citadel - a large towering structure that overlooked the center of Installation 00, more commonly known as "The Ark". The Ark was a Forerunner Construct World where the life-ending Halo Rings were built and, if need be, fired. Aircraft of various types circled overhead, ensuring total domination of the objective. Small aircraft such as Hornets - nimble human twinjet close air support aircraft - and Banshees - fast Covenant multirole craft, usually tasked with air support or air interception - buzzed low, whereas larger transport dropships like the human Pelicans or the Covenant Phantoms hung high. "So when this is all over, where are you headed?" She murmured, keeping a watchful eye over the quiet landscape. Reto stayed silent, appearing to do the same. After a handful of minutes, Amanda's radio crackled to life, breaking the silence between the already awkward pair.

"All stations - this net, this is Echo-Actual. All ground elements are to withdraw from the AO - break - Return to Rally Point Bravo for immediate RTB, out."

"That's us. Sounds like the battle's over, so let's not get left behind, big guy." The marine took off her yellow ballistics glasses and undid her mask, revealing her hazel eyes and very faintly freckled cheeks. Quickly, she shoved the rangefinder back into her pack before slinging her rifle and marching alongside the now upright Sangheili.

Back at the Third Tower, the remaining Elites and marines hopped into whatever Pelican or Phantom they could get ahold of. Reto stepped aboard one of the Phantoms, hoisting up Amanda before the doors closed. She sat down, looking at the foreign interior of the craft, examining anything that glowed or had an odd shape to it.

"Hey, sorry for getting chatty back there, Reto. I haven't slept well since, well since forever. And, y'know, The Flood..."

"It's alright, human; no need to make excuses. You've been tossing and turning in your sleep since we've met, and going through months - if not years - of nightmares, both literally and metaphorically, must be impossibly hard." Amanda wiped her face before staring up at the ceiling. Did an Elite just pity her? Sangheili were always negative towards humans unless under really special circumstances, and this seemed like one of those times. She stayed muted, slumping over before attempting to get a little bit of after-battle shuteye.

When she awoke, the marine was being carried off the Phantom by Reto, only to be set down in the enormous hanger bay that could easily hold a UNSC frigate. "Thanks, big guy. I guess I'll see you around, probably in the mess hall. I'm gonna offload and get some rest if you don't mind." The woman smiled, steadying herself and thanking the towering Elite before making her way to the temporary armory.

"Wait- human!" Reto blurted, making her jump. "If it would be preferable, you can sleep in my quarters instead of using a cot or bedroll like the past months. Maybe it will help your sleep situation." He mentioned before scratching the back of his neck.

"You- you'd do that for me?" She blushed, smiling widely. "I know we've been partnered for only a few months and have... maybe warmed up to each other, but I didn't think you'd be so caring."

"Although I might be cold, I do care for my allies. Now, I can lead you there once you have deposited your weapons and armor."

"Thank you, Reto 'Srama. I could seriously do with some sleep right about now." She took a step forward, stretching her arms out and hugging the Sangheili, minding his bulky armor. "I don't usually do this, but this is for all the times you've helped me, either in combat or like this, big guy." The Elite awkwardly raised his hands in surprise before gently patting the marine on the back. "Christ, you're like eight feet tall."

After their interaction, they began to leave the hanger as well as set aside Amanda's gear. She'd also need to attend the debrief.

On one side of the empty bay, soldiers sat around without order, all lounging about doing whatever they wanted, from conversing to reading; whatever to pass time. It would be another two or three months until they arrived back on Earth. On the other side, Elites sparred with large wooden staves, dueling until the opponent was on the floor, sometimes incapacitated. At the end of the hanger, marines had set up a makeshift armory, picking up any weapons and armor. Along the middle walkway that divided the two areas, soldiers marched towards the exit where the armory was conveniently placed.

After a rather mixed and swift debrief - from commemorating the fallen to celebrating Humanity's victory - and setting aside her equipment, she followed Reto to his room, traversing the gargantuan ship. Now that her helmet wasn't in the way, the human's messy brunette hair was done into a half-done ponytail which curled and bounced around, complimenting her rather pale skin. Additionally, she was now left in her fatigues, which she opted to wrap the top around her waist and instead show off her white shirt.

Eventually, they arrived at a long hallway lined with doors when Reto approached one and let it slide open. The room was spacious, housing all the essentials as well as some luxury bonuses. He slid off his helmet, setting it on a rack before continuing to strip off his heavy armor pieces until he wore only a black undersuit.

"Would you ask anything else of me, human?" The Elite sat at the foot of the bed, looking at the exhausted marine's disheveled hair and rather concerning eyebags. "I did fail to mention that if I were to sleep while you were sleeping, we would..."

"Be in the same bed? Reto, I don't mind. We've slept near each other plenty of times with other dirty marines and sweaty Sangheili. I'm sure that one night closer than usual won't do any harm." Amanda chuckled, setting aside her bag before taking off her shirt to reveal a pearly-white bra. She slipped off her boots and - although it wasn't a good idea since she was still dirty with mud, sweat, and grease - she face-planted into the pillows of the bed anyway, only to be greeted by the unfamiliar softness of the sheets and the somewhat familiar alien mattress. Although it smelled strongly of Elite, which was similar to leather, she gladly rolled to her side and dozed off at the purple walls.

Reto dimmed the lights before sitting down at a desk in the room, picking up a small cubular object and fiddling with it before setting it down and grabbing a disk-shaped purple holopad and scrolling through a bunch of Sangheili text, only broken by an image here and there. Amanda eventually drifted to sleep, taking up only a small portion of the oversized bed.

Many hours passed.

From her tossing and turning, Amanda woke up in a cold sweat, still appearing restless; her eyes bloodshot and strained. The Elite was still sitting at the desk, now eating what appeared to be a ration of meat.

"Human? Are you alright?" Reto asked, turning to face the panicked woman.

"Yeah, yeah... I just had a bad dream. I was back there in New Alexandria; just another nightmare. Glad it wasn't the one with The Flood." She shivered, leaning up and resting her back against the wall. The Elite quickly finished his meal, tossing the scraps away.

The Sangheili sat beside Amanda on the bed, which she responded by sliding over to his side; Reto's hand drifting onto her shoulder for a few moments before returning to his thigh. "Would you like to talk about your experience there in this, New Alexandria?" He asked.

"I-I don't want to... I don't want to talk about it. Please, I don't... I really don't..." She whispered, crossing her arms while noticeable shaking.

"I'm, sorry, Amanda. The worlds we glassed. The people we slaughtered..."

"Reto. Reto, it's alright. It isn't your fault. We made the Covenant pay. The war is over." Amanda's hand gripped the Elite's much larger hand as she recomposed herself; his hand only had four very long digits. "You actually listen to my rambles? I always thought you were a grumpy Sangheili who just wanted to be somewhere else."

"The Prophets are dead, but this isn't over; there are battles to be fought and splinter groups with Covenant technology. And I do listen to your "rambles", but just because you can easily annoy me doesn't mean I shouldn't ignore the things you have to say. We once were enemies, but now we fight alongside one another. I care for you in the sense that I care for my warrior brothers and sisters, even if you are human." Reto replied, looking at how different his legs and feet were to Amanda's. "If you would like, human, I can offer an anecdote from my experiences."

"I would enjoy that. Go for it." She replied; the rounds of her eyes admiring his muscular yet sleek design.

"In the weeks before our races became allies, I was one of the many Sangheili to travel down to the Fifth Sacred Ring when the bastard Jiralhanae betrayed us, slaughtering our council and our kin. The backstabbing Prophets let the animalistic brutes usurp and massacre the Sangheili, leaving the rest for dead. I was separated from my brothers, left to wander the wilderness of the ring. Ships around High Charity skirmished, extinguishing the lives of many Jir'a'ul as well as my brothers and sisters. We believed that the Great Journey was upon us and that the Prophets would let us ascend. How wrong we were." Reto's mandibles opened in a motion similar to yawning for a few seconds before he continued.

"Regrouping with Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum and The Arbiter was relieving, as he had freed me from the captivity of the Jiralhanae. From what I have seen, a warrior's suicidal death is preferable to becoming a prisoner of the Jiralhanae. They burn, maim, skin, and break prisoners until they give out, and that is when they eat them. My brothers, including the few surviving members of the Sangheili High Council, sat separated in different cells. I was captured by these brutes after arriving at a 'rally point' - as you humans say - when I found the remains of several dozen Sangheili, ranging from plasma burns, limbs being torn, or only a puddle of unrecognizable guts with scarred, hollow armor left smeared in blood. That was when I was ambushed and dragged into a cell, as I was alone. Some talked about eating me; how my flesh was nice and tender - before leaving me to sit in a makeshift cell for hours." Amanda placed her hand onto his shoulder, prompting Reto to flinch before gently grabbing her hand and lifting it from him.

"That is... the first time you've opened up about your past. The first time you've opened up, period." She murmured, in awe at the fact.

"I wanted to show you that you can trust me and that I can trust you. The relationship between us Sangheili and you humans is still rough, but I've grown quite fond of your species. Not just your nobility in combat, but also some humans tend to... distract me." He added. Amanda noticed that as the words slipped from his mouth, the Elite's eyes wandered from her own and down to her bra - where the contour of each nipple would be - and her midriff, which made Amanda's cheeks flush with a soft pink. Reto made a poor attempt to cover up his glance. The idea of an Elite loving a human quickly flooded her mind, which was confusing and alien at first until considering how she similarly became distracted by Reto. The tight black undersuit that displayed his full muscles when he wasn't wearing his combat harness didn't help either. She had never fantasized about sleeping with her previous battle buddies, let alone her newer Sangheili one, but now it was an interesting idea. Every glance they traded burned her core as a new desire began to grow.

"You have a soft spot for humans, don't you? You're much bigger, stronger, more technologically advanced, capable, agile, and taller, yet I feel like you like- no, love humans." She blurted, suddenly accusing him of what he had unintentionally confessed.

"I do not! I mean- not like that. I just-"

"Hey Reto, calm down; I'm just messing with you. I already know you do. And you just told me that you find me... distracting." Amanda smirked, noticing how the Sangheili became flustered with her continued accusations. Her hands wandered across his arm as she leaned up to his ear, breathing softly. "My little secret is that I love Elites like you. So big and sexy." While still blushing, he tilted his head down, grunting to himself in Sangheili. "I love the way you blush. All big and reclusive. And yet you secretly care about me. You're cute."

"Well, human, I-" He took a moment, lowering the pitch of his voice, "I... think you are cute too."

"Never did I think I would say this, but Reto? When you say distracting, do you mean that you love the way humans look, or you find them arousing?" Amanda teased with a blush that displayed more red than pink.

"I, erm... well..." One of his large hands rested on the back of his neck. "Argh, human... humans are so difficult to talk to, I mean... I... Amanda," Reto's gaze tried to pull away from the human, but they were anchored by the gravity of her beauty. "Yes. Yes, I do think some humans can be distracting in a certain manner... I'd be shunned if any other Sangheili discovered this..."

"Ha!" Amanda jumped, excited to delve into the depths of the Sangheili's innermost romantic interests. Her mind continued to fill with more and more salacious thoughts about Reto; she became set on winning the heart of her originally almost-unknown battle buddy. "I take it that most Elites don't feel the way you do towards humans. I feel like other humans wouldn't like the fact that I'm, y'know, okay with liking you, which makes sense... we, y'know, fought a war and all... Sorry, so much is changing at once and I feel like I'm pushing it-"

"I understand, human. You did not expect me to express my inner thoughts, both about myself and my... attraction towards human women... and I did not expect you to share the same... or even flirt with me, which is something I have wanted to do with you but could never bring myself to."

Silence fell between the two before Amanda leaned against Reto. She pulled him into a tight hug, which he awkwardly accepted with an even tighter grip. The marine's thoughts wandered to the alien in her arms as she felt his muscles flex and move. Each cell of her being begged for more. More of him. A passionate fire began to burn in her core.

"I need you..." She murmured accidentally but continued as if she had meant to let her lust slip. "Please... I know you want this. I want it as well."

"Human courting isn't something I am proficient in, but I could certainly attempt to. I assume that is what you wish." Reto replied as they finally broke their embrace. The marine stood up, proceeding to take off her pants and socks so that she wore only her undergarments, which affirmed Reto's suspicions. He took off his undersuit top, leaving all but his lower half exposed. "You are beautiful, human. More gorgeous than I imagined."

Amanda blushed, placing her legs apart so that she straddled the Sangheili's chest. "You're doing great." The pair squeezed each other, although the Elite was gentle enough not to break her ribs. The woman undid her bra and tossed it aside before wrapping her arms around the Sangheili once more, pressing her chest against his; the difference between the Sangheili's rough, leathery skin and her soft supple skin now extremely apparent. She began slowly kissing Reto's neck as he spoke.

"Your lips, human. Your skin. It is so soft; so fleshy. So... delicate. Your mammaries are so-"

Amanda giggled before correcting him. "Breasts. They're called breasts. Or boobs. Or tits. Or—y'know what, I think you get the point."

"Well, yes, erm... Well, your breasts are so... velutinous. Gorgeous."

"You flatter me, Reto. Show me what else you can do."

Reto took the hint, groping Amanda's plump asscheeks before running each finger through the arches of her back. Although his mandibles restricted him from kissing the way that humans did, the pair put their foreheads together as they continued with their explorative hands. Compared to the Elite, the marine was small; Reto could easily wrap one hand around most of her waist and effortlessly lift her in the air. Continuing to tease her, he peeled off Amanda's sopping panties and tossed them aside. His eyes lingered around her exposed drooling folds, creating a noticeable bulge in his pants.

"Looks like someone's excited..." Chuckled the marine, beginning to tenderly grind herself against his throbbing erection. "I am as well."

"Amanda, are you sure you want to continue?"

"I'm very sure."

With that, the Elite placed one hand on her hip while the other began grazing the squishy exterior of her inner thighs, working its way toward her begging wetness. Ever so slowly, he inched one of his fingers inside, pushing deeper and deeper. Amanda grabbed his shoulders, blushing a bright pink while sinking her teeth into her lip. One of his single digits was comparable to a human's member, which was enough to make her begin to huff and quietly moan.

"Oh, Reto... I love you~!" She whimpered, feeling his finger arch into her most sensitive region. "Oh fuck, that's it... that's the spot~!ohhmyfuckinggod..." Amanda trailed under her breath. The Sangheili continued fingering Amanda for a little longer before withdrawing himself.

"You writhe in pleasure this easily?" He asked; his hands preparing to remove his last piece of clothing. "Then I would like to see you squirm..."