Work Text:
G’raha stood in front of the mirror contemplating, for the first time in one hundred years, what to do with his hair.
He didn’t remember this being an issue when he originally had woken up 200 years in the future. Then again, there were more pressing matters such as the world ending and needing to travel across space and time, so thinking about it longer than the time it took to lop off the extra hair and pull it back into his typical braid had seemed a waste.
However, that was then and this was now. And now was supposed to be a new start as G’raha Tia, fledgling member of the Scions. Thus it seemed like it would be par for the course to start off with a change in hairstyle along with a new outfit.
“Hm…” He frowned, shifting his hands through his hair this way and that, to style his bangs in different directions. “Mayhap cutting it a bit shorter or…pulling the bangs back like so…Oh! Or perhaps I could—”
“If I had known you were going to fuss over it this much, I would have called the aesthetician an hour ago.”
G’raha whirled around, hands still in his hair, to face his Warrior of Light.
Aesa was leaning casually in his doorway, her arms folded, with such an amused smile on her face that he couldn’t help but blush in embarrassment.
“Aha…yes, well, I suppose that could have made things a bit eaiser…Though I would likely as not have caused him as much irritation as I’m causing myself now with my indecision.” He finally ran his fingers out of his bangs and started fiddling with the longer ends. “It’s not exactly very specific for me to go up to the man and say ‘Please give me something different but not too different but also distinct from my old style’ now is it?”
“Hm…I guess not.” She tilted her head thoughtfully then moved out of the doorway and over to him. G’raha had noticed that, since re-acclimating himself to the more casual and comfortable Miqo’te stance, her tall Highlander build seemed even more accentuated and he had to crane his neck even further to look up at her.
Not that he minded, of course. Far from it, actually…But now was not the time to be wandering off on fantasies of her pushing him up against a wall when she was trying to engage in a normal discussion.
Shaking his head slightly, he realized that he had completely missed the last minute of said conversation. “I apologize, what was that my love?”
“I said, how about I try and cut and style it for you?” She grinned. “You don’t have to but if you don’t like it, we could always have the aesthetician put it back to how it was or have him try something else”
“You…know how to do that?” He asked curiously.
“Heh, I know you wouldn’t think it to look at me since I haven’t changed my hairstyle in…what, two or three years? And my skills aren’t exactly the fanciest things out there.” She rose her chin proudly. “But I’ve gotten really good at doing Alphinaud and Alisaie’s hair, cutting it when it got too long and braiding it in the mornings and all that.” She looked back down at him, hopeful. “So what do you say?”
Any slight hesitation he felt was instantly melted away by that hopeful smile and he found himself nodding even before the words found their way to his mouth. “Of course, Aesa, I have the utmost confidence in your abilities.”
She laughed, gently guiding him over to the bed. “All right, all right, don’t put too much pressure on me now. Just wait here for a second and I’ll be right back with what we need.”
G’raha waited patiently, fidgeting only slightly as he shifted so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed and facing the mirror in order to give Aesa more room to sit behind him. It wasn’t long before she returned with scissors and a small bag of various pins, brushes and hair ties.
“Well this was a bit more than I was expecting.” He said, glancing back at her collection as she sat behind him.
“An adventurer has to be prepared, doesn’t she? Besides, it was much easier to do the twins’ hair if I had my own supplies and didn’t have to scrounge at every opportunity.”
The image of Aesa sitting on the floor an inn, tending to Alphinaud and Alisaie’s hair as they relaxed and chatted about their day was so tender that G’raha couldn’t help but smile fondly at it. The domestic scene was suddenly interrupted, however, as she ran her fingers through his hair, causing him to shiver.
Not now, you fool…she’s trying to help you! He chastised himself. No need to send your mind off on wild directions when we’re participating in something as innocent as this.
But, as she began to brush his hair, sitting close enough that he could almost lean back against her, he was finding that unbearably difficult. It wasn’t helped that he was becoming increasingly aware of what he had missed being in a younger, non-crystallized body; that being a significantly increased libido.
It was strange and a little bit terrifying having to re-learn how to function with his younger body. When he was the Exarch he never truly felt any of these urges during his normal day to day duties. After all, he was much too busy with too many people and worlds depending on him to really give himself time for that. He figured the age and crystallization played a part as well, since even when they were in the bedroom together, it took a few kisses and touches from her to get his body to catch up with his mind.
Now however…With her scent so tantalizingly close his body suddenly felt—
“You okay there, Raha? You keep shifting around…your legs falling asleep or something?” Aesa took a lock of hair and began to snip at the dead ends.
G’raha quickly crossed his legs, firmly squeezing them together. “P-perfectly find, don’t worry!”
“All right…Just let me know if you need a break though. It’s a lot longer back here than I thought…hm. I think it’s good to keep it shoulder length at least, so—”
G’raha could barely pay attention to the conversation, so focused as he was on keeping the sudden and irritating issue in his trousers under control. It had been only a few days since waking up again and joining the Scions and there had been so much happening that they had barely gotten a moment alone together, much less any moments for that. Which, of course, he understood but gods did he ever feel more pent up than he ever had in his life.
He shifted his legs again, trying and failing to ignore the heat building in his crotch as Aesa reached around to trim his bangs. All he wanted to do was grab her hand and kiss her fingers, worship them, stick them in his mouth and—
No, no, no! Stop it!
“…You listening?”
“Huh!?” He shot up straight, gripping the fabric of his pants tightly. “S…sorry. Come again?”
Aesa poked at his head with a raised eyebrow. “For pity’s sake, I’d expect you to ignore me if you had a book to read but it’s just the two of us here. Am I boring you that much?”
The twist of guilt in his stomach was enough to immediately cool his urges. “No, no of course not I…I apologize, Aesa. My mind keeps wandering, it’s no fault of yours I swear. I’m enjoying this very much, I know it makes me horribly ungrateful to act like this when you were kind enough to—”
His rant was stopped by quick kiss on the lips; one that was much too short for his liking and he found himself chasing her lips as she pulled away.
“I’m kidding, Raha. Don’t beat yourself up so much.” She smiled, eyes flicking down to his lips before going back to his eyes. “Now, as I was saying…Do you still want it to go in a braid? Personally, I think it suits you.”
He flushed in pleasure at the compliment and smiled slightly. “Yes, I think so…if that’s all right.”
“Of course it’s all right, it’s your hair!” She laughed before starting to comb his hair back to braid it. “Maybe I’ll incorporate more of your hair than before though, make it a bit lower…”
G’raha closed his eyes, focusing on the sound of her voice and the feeling of her gently braiding his hair. It was actually quite relaxing once he got his hormones under control.
“There we go.” She sat back on her heels, admiring her work. “What do you think?”
He opened his eyes to look at his reflection in the mirror. He turned his head slightly to better view the braid, smiling brightly as he saw something similar but different enough that he felt…renewed. “It’s perfect, Aesa.” He paused, his fingers trailing up to his bangs. “Although…”
“You wanna try something with them too?” She offered him a few pins and her brush. “I thought it’d be a shame to cut them off entirely but maybe if you just put them up?”
It took a few experiments with pinning his bangs back entirely, the one side, then another, until he finally he reached something that he was happy with.
“Oh, now isn’t that a handsome face.” Aesa leaned around to look at his reflection in the mirror. “I like it, you can see your eyes much better this way.” G’raha practically glowed at the praise, made even more wonderful as she finished brushing the tufts of hair close to his ears. Almost absent mindedly, she ran her fingers down through his hair again, pausing when she reached his neck.
G’raha, who had been closing his eyes in relaxation, opened them to look at her worriedly. “Is something wrong?”
She shook her head with a thoughtful expression. “Not really. I just keep thinking I’m going to feel crystal whenever I touch your neck or your face and keep surprising myself when it’s something softer.”
G’raha felt his stomach drop as a thought, small but persistent since he awoke, suddenly shot to the surface. “Ah…I see…” His gaze fell to his lap, where two non-crystallized hands sat before him. “I…”
He swallowed, gathering his courage in the silence. The logical part of him knew it was stupid to even be thinking these thoughts but…well, he knew that not giving them any attention would only cause the wound to fester into something uglier and poisonous.
“I was…wondering about…that. actually.” He muttered.
“About…what?”
G’raha ran his right hand over his left in his typical nervous gesture. “If it…does…” He took a deep breath before finally forming his chaotic thoughts into the question. “Does it…bother you?”
He could see Aesa’s puzzled reflection in the mirror as she leaned around to try and catch his gaze. “Does what bother me?”
“I know that the truth of the matter is that…this isn’t…” His right hand gripped his left wrist tighter. “This isn’t the body that you fell in love with.”
Aesa looked to be stunned into silence so G’raha continued, trying his best to offer a smile. “I know it’s silly, I do, it’s just that ever since waking up in my old—that is to say, new…er, younger body, I—” He coughed, finding a particularly interesting spot on the floor to stare at instead of Aesa’s piercing gaze in the mirror. “I couldn’t help but think about how the situation has changed and that…I’m not quite the same as I was back on the First, when you re…reciprocated my feelings so I wouldn’t want you to feel obligated as to…That is, I do know that my feelings when we first met were quite unrequited so I…”
“Hold on now, stop stop stop…obligated?” She moved out from behind him to sit next to him instead, grabbing his hands out of his lap to make him face her. “Let me get this straight, first you were worried that I would find the crystallization on your body horrifying and now you’re worried I won’t love you because you don’t have it anymore?”
“I…w-well, not just that, but…” He stumbled.
“Hm.” She paused as her glare shifted into a more thoughtful expression. “I think I know what you mean, though.” She paused for a moment but when she began again her voice was pensive.
“When I went to get you at the Tower I had a nagging at the back of my mind; a worry that when you woke up it wouldn’t be the you that I knew, the one that had spent a hundred years protecting the people of the First. I feared that the Exarch, the G’raha Tia I knew up to that point was gone and, once again, I managed to lose someone I love.”
She looked back and smiled, squeezing his hands. “But when you opened your eyes and looked at me I could see that it was you. All of those things we had experienced together…you remembered them. It was you.” She squeezed his hands more firmly and his throat tightened at the intensity of her expression: a mixture of sorrow, relief and joy. “It was really you…”
He swallowed and glanced down at their joined hands, giving hers a gentle squeeze back. Not for the first time today, he reveled in the feeling of being able to feel her hands in both of his. It made him want to cry each time he was able to truly feel her warmth, the breadth of her touch, instead of the dull pressure of flesh and blood lost. “Forgive me, now that I’ve said those things out loud it makes it seems as if I doubted your feelings, my love. That was never my intention.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t take it that way. Besides, I’m the one that’s always getting on you about telling me how you’re feeling and about what you want, good or bad.” She tilted her head with a slight smile. “Heh, feels like we’re having an official relationship talk and everything, doesn’t it? Just like a normal couple of lovebirds.”
G’raha flushed, suddenly feeling his tail poof out slightly behind him. “Is…is that really so shocking?! I don’t know what you perceived us to be before if not an ‘official couple’ Aesa.”
She released his hands, a motion he would have protested if not for the fact that she instead wrapped her arms around him to pull him into an embrace. “Well it feels…I don’t know. More ‘normal’ now, I guess. Before, when you were the Exarch, it felt…different.” She rested her head against his and trailed off.
He remained quiet, understanding her unspoken meaning. Before they would spend time with each other with the knowledge that there could come a time when the separation of timelines between the Source and the First meant that her leaving for a few days could lead to a decade without seeing her. It was time spent with the knowledge that each moment they spent together was a moment he could have spent bettering the lives of the people of the Crystarium. Even if she encouraged him to relax and enjoy himself, they both knew that the reality of his position meant they could never have any true guilt-free moments together.
Then, as he drew more and more on the Crystal Tower’s power to form the soul crystal, he could see it in her eyes when they lay together feel it how tightly she held him: The understanding that each precious moment together was a limited quantity, counted down by each ilm of his skin lost to the spread of crystal.
“Now…” She finally spoke, breaking him out of his contemplation. “I get to be a little bit selfish with you, I think.” She pulled back to look at him, her thoughtful expression replaced by a small smirk that got his pulse to quickening. “I can spend as much time with you as I want without worrying about the fact that I’m preventing you from fulfilling your duties.” She leaned closer again to whisper in his ear, her voice lowering in a way that sent a shiver down his spine. “And I don’t have to worry about holding myself back.”
His frayed nerves finally snapped at the shock of her statement. “Holding back?” His mind raced through multiple encounters where she would brush his hand or fix him with a look in between his appointments that had him practically speeding through paperwork to get a moment alone with her. “How exactly have you been holding back all this time?”
“I didn’t exactly push you against a wall in the middle of your meetings, did I?” She fiddled with the end of his braid. “And I’d say I kept a lot of our good-bye kisses very diplomatic and chaste, very opposite from what I wanted to be doing.”
He swallowed, feeling his face heat up even further as her eyes tracked the bob of his throat. “Is…is that so…” He glanced away for a moment then, screwing up his courage, met her eyes. “I suppose there’s less of a need for that now, isn’t there?” He smiled in what he hoped was a suggestive manner and got the exact response he hoped as her own expression became much more interested and predatory.
She leaned against him and he relented easily, any plans that he had made for the day scattering to the wind the moment his back hit the mattress. Even the loosely shut door didn’t bother him. Most of the Scions were having their new (or rather their usual First outfits) recreated by Tataru and the twins were off running a few errands in Mor Dohna that would keep them busy for a while; so, it was just the two of them in the Rising Stones’ living quarters.
“No…” She kissed him softly. “I suppose not.”
Then G’raha finally got what he wanted as her arms wrapped around his neck and her tongue sought entrance against his lips, something that he eagerly gave. The sound of his own whine as she licked into his mouth was embarrassing enough that he wished his hearing wasn’t so damn sensitive but this was little sacrifice in order to be able to hear her sounds: soft and hungry as she tightened her hold on him. His legs shifted almost on their own accord as the heat in his crotch was getting much, much harder to ignore, as the pleasure inside him coiled tighter and tighter.
When she finally pulled away, he stared up at her through half-lidded eyes, panting for breath as he drank in the sight of her: flushed and looking at him with a thoughtful intensity.
He felt so giddy that he was sure the smile he gave her was rather silly looking but couldn’t bring himself to care. “What is it, my love?” She threaded her fingers through his bangs and he placed a hand on hers. “You look so serious. Aren’t we to be relaxing and acting like ‘lovebirds’ as you said?”
She smiled lightly but her eyes still appeared lost in thought. “I am, I am.” She paused to move her fingers from his hair down to his cheek to gently stroke his skin. “I’m just trying to make what I’m about to say sound as seductive as possible.”
He blinked. “Well, by all means go ahead, I doubt that anything in this position is going to sound anything but seductive.” He smiled again even as his legs shifted again and he tried to ignore how close Aesa was to pressing her weight down on his crotch.
There was a momentary silence that was broken by Aesa’s straightforward statement. “I want to fuck you, Raha. Will you…let me?” She watched his expression carefully as her question trailed off.
G’raha stared up at her, still horribly aroused but now also very confused. “I, well…of course I don’t mind you asking, my love, but I’m sure you can tell that I’m more than happy to—”
“Not like the usual way.” She interrupted, her hand moving from his face down his side, to his hip and then suddenly back to his ass. “Like this” She gave the flesh a firm squeeze, causing him to gasp and arch his back in surprise as a sudden jolt of pleasure made his cock stiffen even further.
“Ah, I…I—” He licked his lips, throat and mouth suddenly much too dry as his brain tried to catch up with the multiple questions running through his mind. “I don’t…”
Thinking the sentence was about to become a denial, Aesa immediately went to move back but was stopped as he caught her wrist, keeping her hand where it had been.
“That’s not what I meant.” He gasped quickly, trying to press her hands against his skin, trying desperately to show how much he didn’t want her to stop as he tried to get his tongue to function. “I just…I’m not sure how…I mean…” G’raha sighed in frustration, looking away as he felt his ears press flush to his head. “I mean you don’t exactly have the…the…equipment…as far as I’m…I—”
He trailed off, feeling the fool and wondering how someone who managed to present an entire thesis on Allagan history and act as leader for a nation for nigh on a century could completely lose the ability to form a sentence. Aesa, for her part, had been watching his reaction with interest; her gaze shifting from his eyes down to her hand now being held against his ass then back to his face again. After a moment, a smile began to form on her lips and she gave the flesh a squeeze, harder this time, causing him to moan and his tail thrash to the side.
“Oh, don’t worry, I already have the equipment.” She leaned back up into a sitting position, pulling him up with her so that he was practically sitting in her lap. “A false cock works just as well as a real one in these circumstances.” She smirked. “And I’ve had enough experience using it to know that it works just as nicely for men as it does women.”
G’raha’s thighs shook with the effort it was taking for him to not grind down in her lap. “I…you have it…already? Here?!” He practically squeaked.
She shook her head. “Back at my apartment in Limsa. Haven’t had much use for it so it’s been where I’ve kept other things I haven’t needed for a while since I’ve been staying at the Rising Stones so much.” She slipped her hands up to his waist, gripping firmly before pulling him closer. “So what do you say?” She gave him a playful grin. “I think you’d like it, Raha.” There was a brief moment of silence and she paused, loosening her grip slightly on his waist. “Though, if you don’t want to, I don’t wanna pressure—”
“It’s not that!” G’raha interrupted then swallowed hard before trying to give her a determined look. “Gods, Aesa, I do want to. It goes without saying I’ve never done that before but, well…if you say I’ll enjoy it…” He gave a smile that he hoped didn’t look too nervous. “You have yet to steer me wrong in your teachings.”
She looked up into his eyes then, suddenly, reached around to grab his ass and ground up against him. G’raha groaned, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he tossed his head back at the sudden flash of pleasure. Aesa took that opportunity to kiss the junction of shoulder and throat, pausing for just a moment before she began to suck at the skin, not letting up until she left a bright red mark on his neck. “Gods I’ve wanted to do that for days…” She whispered against his skin just before moving further up to kiss at his neck. “I’ve wanted you so damn badly Raha.”
She looked up at him as he let out a breathless chuckle. “What?” She asked.
He shook his head. His hips tried to move to get even more of that sweet, sweet pleasure but she held them firmly, preventing him from moving freely as she continued to slowly grind up against him. “Nothing, it’s just…a-ah…I’ve been thinking t-the…same thing…As you were just c-cutting my- ah! My hair…” He groaned again, toes curling against the mattress as he leaned his forehead against her shoulder, panting. “I kept scolding myself for thinking about those sorts of things at inappropriate times…I s-suppose there was no need…” He let out another soft laugh. “We both seem unable to keep our hands off each other.”
Aesa blinked up at him then smirked. “Ah…so that’s why you were so fidgety.” Her grip on his waist tightened before she quickly pushed him off her lap and stood up. Before G’raha could complain, however, she gave him a quick kiss. “Go take a shower while I grab what we need. I’ll be back before you know it.” She smiled; eyes gleaming. “Although…you think your stamina can last until then? We won’t even be able to get started if you finish yourself off in the bathroom.”
He flushed at her teasing. “I think you will find my stamina to be just fine thank you.” He stood up, pulling at his pants to try and relieve some of the pressure. With a laugh and another kiss to his lips she teleported away, leaving him to deal with the excitement and nervousness on his own.
***
After one of the quickest showers G’raha ever remembered taking, he was sitting on the edge of the bed drying his hair in frantic gestures as multiple thoughts raced through his mind.
Did he really want to do this? Yes, he did…of course he did. He was intrigued and Aesa said that he would enjoy it so why did he still feel so nervous?
He swallowed, fidgeting slightly as he threw the towel he had been using to dry his hair aside, too on edge to even think about folding it properly. He wasn’t even sure how he had managed to put on his underwear and a loose-fitting sleep shirt in his current state but he figured it would look more than ridiculous waiting on his bed on the nude.
G’raha quickly shook his head and slapped his face a few times to try and bring himself back to the present moment. After all, he wasn’t a complete innocent, right? He had heard of people doing those sorts of things yes, but then again he also hadn’t been able to imagine how it could feel good. But if people did it then, logically, it must feel good, yes?
G’raha’s hand flexed and then, slowly, it reached to the edge of his waistband. Maybe if he touched himself there first, he could—
“I’m back!” Aesa barreled into his room; a small pack slung over her shoulder. “Sorry I took so long but that place was way more disorganized than I remembered. I really ought to—” She stopped, quirking her brow at the sight of G’raha sitting upright on the bed, hand halfway down his underwear and tail practically standing on end. Her gaze went from his hand to his now very flushed face and she grinned knowingly, causing his face to grow even hotter. “What, were you going to start without me already?”
G’raha jumped, immediately pulling his hand out of his smallclothes and going to sit on both of his hands, as if that would make it less obvious about what he was doing. “Aesa!! What happened to knocking!?”
She shrugged, slipping the pack from her shoulder to the floor then closing and locking the door before sitting down on the mattress next to him. “Relax, relax, we’re the only ones here.” He glanced to the side and she kissed his cheek. “Don’t pout, don’t pout. I’m sorry, love, I was just too excited and got ahead of myself.”
He huffed slightly but turned his head so that he could catch her lips with his on the next kiss. “I’m not pouting.” He murmured, knowing full well that was exactly what he was doing.
She only smiled in response then shifted to sit with her legs criss-crossed. “Now! You’re still sure you wanna do this, right? Because I don’t want you to think I’m gonna get mad or disappointed if you don’t.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “That’s one of the reasons I’ve been hesitating to ask if you wanted to. I kept worrying that you would say ‘yes’ because you would think that’s what I wanted to do.”
She looked to the side at that last part and he immediately went to take her hands in his, almost all of his earlier nervousness forgotten. “My love…” He started, gently kissing her fingers. “You know that I would trust you with anything. My very life, my heart, my body…” He looked up into her eyes and smiled. “So won’t you trust me when I say I want to do something?”
That was right. He really did want to try this…He wanted to try this with her.
She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment then smiled, gently squeezing his hands. “Well after all that it wouldn’t be very fair for me to say ‘No, I don’t trust you’, now would it?” She kissed him softly then moved to start unpacking her bag. G’raha sat back, tail twitching curiously as he watched her pull out a bottle of lube, some towels and then, finally, a few leather straps attached to a very obvious false cock. G’raha flushed despite himself, taking into account the size and shape. From what he could tell it seemed about the size of what would show up on an average Midlander hyur.
“Taking it in, are you?” She grinned, holding it out for him. “You can touch it if you want. It’s got a nice rubbery feel so it should be comfortable, plus it’s my smallest one.”
G’raha nearly dropped the toy. “It’s the-…You have larger ones?!”
“Of course, of course.” She wagged her finger at him. “No running before we walk now, though. We could always try bigger sometime if you want but for now we gotta start out slow since you’re not used to this, okay?”
G’raha nodded, swallowing hard as he ran his fingers along the shaft. She was right, it was rather…supple for a lack of better word. He fiddled a little with the straps. “So these go around your…”
“Around my thighs and my waist. Kinda like putting on like a pauldron but…different part of the body.” She replied. “But before all that we have to get you prepped with my fingers.” She held up the bottle of lube, shaking it a bit before setting it back down. “Nothing’s happening if you don’t get used to the feeling and get relaxed, you know?”
He nodded slowly. The nerves were back now but not in full force yet. “I…right. I understand.” He handed the strap back to her, wishing that his ears would stop twitching of their own accord. Clearing his throat, he tried to steel his nerves. “Right then! I’m…I’m quite ready whenever you are!”
He immediately grimaced at how loud his voice had suddenly gotten but Aesa merely laughed, looking more charmed than actively mocking. “So formal…” She scooted back against the headboard then patted her lap. “Just relax now, love and get yourself over here. You’re acting so cute I might just jump you if you don’t.”
Trying to get his now racing heart under control, G’raha crawled over to get in her lap as requested, immediately wrapping his arms around her neck as she looked up at him with a pleased smile.
“That’s it…but a little closer.” She reached a hand up to the back of his neck to pull his head down towards her. G’raha didn’t need any encouragement to lean down the rest of the way, slipping his tongue into her waiting mouth.
The nerves and conversation had caused his erection from earlier to flag slightly but all it took was a taste of her to get just as hard as before. He moaned softly as he tilted his head to get a better angle, shivering as he felt her hand slide up the back of his shirt, feeling along his muscles and spine. He leaned into the touch, arching his back as it went down lower instead, towards the waistband of his smallclothes. His tail began to twitch and sway slowly from side to side as her hand pressed lower still. He tried to focus on her kissing but couldn’t stop himself from pulling away to gasp as her fingers slipped into the hole crafted for his tail and began to gently run her fingers along the fur.
It was a featherlight touch but despite (or rather, because of) that, it caused him to shiver and he tightened his arms around her neck. “Ah…there, that’s…”
“This okay?” She whispered, increasing the pressure slightly.
He shuddered, resting his forehead against her shoulder as he arched his back even further, lifting up onto his knees in order to lean into the touch. Part of his mind felt embarrassed at the display but the other, much stronger part, just wanted her to touch him more. “Yes…yes harder--Ah!” He moaned as she ran her hand further up his tail then back down to grip it much more firmly. “Gods, Aesa!” His tail curled in pleasure as she began to run her hand up down the soft fur, giving it a small tug each time she did.
“I started looking up things that Miqo’te might like ever since I found out that your ears are so sensitive.” She murmured, turning her face to watch his as he groaned with each pull of his tail. “Glad to see the tail is just as sensitive as that book said…” She smirked lightly just as she gave his tail a particularly hard tug, causing him to buck his hips with a cry. “If not more so.”
Through the thick fog of pleasure, G’raha found just enough sense to be surprised at her admittance. “Y-you…” He groaned then swallowed to try and get the rest of the words out. “Looked things…up?” He loved her dearly but it was hard to imagine her going through any stack of books without being asked. And besides, how would she even know where to start looking for that sort of book?
Unbidden, he suddenly remembered seeing her speaking quietly with Urianger in the corner of the common room a day or so back. At the time he had wondered why the usually composed Astrologian had looked so flustered but now, with a flush, he managed to put the pieces together. Though with that being the case, he was unsure of how he was supposed to look the man in the eye directly for the next few days…
She snorted. “Look just because I don’t like reading doesn’t mean that I won’t if I have to.” She nuzzled against the side of his head then bit his ear, causing him to gasp and his cock give a very apparent twitch. “I wanted to make sure that I can make you feel good, Raha.”
He lifted his head from her shoulder to look at her, smiling as warm affection bloomed in his chest beside the arousal. “You don’t have to worry about that.” He kissed her gently. “I’m sure I would like whatever you choose, so long as it was you.”
It was true but she gave him a disbelieving look. “If I’m to be the one giving you the education, I should at least know everything about the lessons I’m meant to be teaching.” Still, she kissed him back just before moving to grab the small bottle of lube next to her. She had to let go of his tail to unscrew the lid and he had to stop himself from whining at the loss.
“Now keep holding onto me just like that, love.” Slowly, slipped the fingers of her clean hand into the waist band of his smallclothes and slid them down just far enough for his entrance to be exposed. He shivered at the feeling, a chill of cold running along his spine despite the warm weather and her presence.
“That’s it.” She soothed, shifting that hand to rub small circles at his lower back; a comforting gesture as she slowly moved the now slick fingers from his tailbone down between his cheeks. G’raha shivered again, not at the cold of the lube but from the nervousness and unfamiliarity of being touched there. He tensed unintentionally at the intrusion, tightening his grip on her as he clenched his eyes shut.
A second passed, then another, and still no penetration. Instead, once her fingers got to his entrance, she merely pressed her second and third finger against the tight ring of muscle and began to gently massage it, a few drops of excess lube dripped from her fingers onto the bedspread as she did.
“Nh…aren’t you going to…ah…” He groaned, spreading his legs as she continued the massage. He twitched as one finger slipped just ever so slightly inside, only to come out again and continue rubbing against his entrance. For some reason, his nerves began to increase in sensitivity as she continued and the sensation had gone from strange to oddly pleasurable.
“When you relax I will.” She said matter-of-factly. “There’s no point pressing in if you’re as tense as a metal pole. Nothing’s gonna feel good that way. Now—” She bit lightly at the shell of his ear. “Relax.”
Her tone, gentle but commanding, sent another shudder through him. Taking a breath to steady himself, he arched further back against her fingers and willed himself to relax. And, finally, her middle finger slid into him just up to the first knuckle. He gasped and she stilled, not pressing in any further but instead running the digit around his walls. He felt his cock stiffen at the sensation, strange but pleasurable. He lifted his tail, exposing himself further, in an effort to encourage her.
Slowly, patiently, she went further in, each time pausing as she felt resistance and waiting for him to relax before continuing the gentle press.
He was panting, arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders and his back arched and trembling by the time she got the finger all the way in. The tingle of pleasure from earlier was still there but it was beginning to be crushed by the feeling of embarrassment, of the strangeness of having something filling him and of the concern that she was going to lose patience. It had taken him this long and this was still just a finger?
As if sensing his thoughts, her hand slid from his back to his hip. “There’s no rush, Raha” Her thumb massaged into his flesh. It was a comforting gesture and he let out a tense breath, raising his head slightly to look up at her.
“E-even so…” He smiled weakly. “I fear we’ll be here all day at this rate…”
She tilted her head then smiled slightly and kissed his forehead. “Don’t worry about that. Plus, sitting here all day with this view…” He let out a choked gasp as she drew her finger out, curling it slightly and pressing against his innermost walls as she did. She smirked, obviously pleased at his reaction. “I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be right now.”
He whimpered as she pressed in again and, this time when she curled her finger, he felt her press on something that sent a jolt of pressure to the base of his cock. “Nhgh!” He groaned, arching into the feeling. “What...What’s…” He buried his face against her neck, anchoring himself as his legs began to tremble, the fur on his tail standing on end.
“That’s what makes it feel so good.” She said and, even with his face hidden, he could hear the smile in her voice. “Want me to do it again?”
He nodded quickly, tightening his grip on her. “Yes…please, Aesa…pl-Ah!” She pressed in, harder this time, and the pressure inside him built even further. Over and over again, each time, causing that jolt of pleasure.
After that initial question she fell quiet in concentration and he felt his ears growing red at the sounds of squishing and his whimpers echoing in the room. Then, after a moment, she whispered: “You okay if I add another?”
He wiggled his hips in response. “Gods, yes…” He groaned as her finger slipped out and, when he felt the two against his entrance, he focused on relaxing, reminding himself that the originally strange intrusion was something that would bring that sweet pleasure again. “Please, my love.”
She complied, slowly inserting her fingers up to the first knuckle. Even with focusing on the relaxation, his breath hitched at the stretch. “Nh, w-wait just…a moment…ah…” She stilled her advance immediately, her free hand massaging a slow circle into the flesh of his hip.
“That’s a good boy.” She murmured affectionately. “So good, telling me what you need.”
He shuddered, hips twitching slightly as his cock began to drip with precum and his fingers twisted into the fabric of her shirt with a desperate want. It seemed as if he was the one always complimenting her, praising her achievements without so much of a hint of shyness from her but a simple “good boy” from her was enough to turn him into a simpering mess. It was almost enough to embarrass him but the warm feeling of trust and praise overwhelmed it.
She wanted him to feel good. There was no need to rush.
“More…” He groaned, pushing himself up slightly to look down at her face.
After decades of suppressing his wants and desires, it was still difficult for him to tell even the ones he held dearest what he wanted. To tell them what he didn’t want seemed virtually impossible sometimes, as much as they encouraged him otherwise.
Don’t be a burden on others The voice in his mind told him.
“More?” She repeated, slowly inserting the two fingers in further.
Make yourself useful. If you’re useful you won’t be left behind. Said another.
“Yes…I want…” He gasped as the hand on his hip moved to gently grasp the base of his tail.
But with her looking up at him, gentle affection and care plain on her face, those thoughts began to fade into the background.
“Give me more.” He whispered, trembling.
Her grip on his tail tightened and she gave it a quick tug just as she pressed into that spot again and he practically sobbed, spine arching and his head tilting back. She tugged again and again, all the while relentlessly pressing that spot inside of him that had him twitching as if he was being shocked with electricity.
“Oh gods, I c-cant…gods…!” He felt his legs wobbling, threatening to give out as he continued arching into her touch. To save himself he leaned forward and practically collapsed against her, clinging and burying his face against her shoulder.
Suddenly she pulled her fingers out and he whimpered at the loss, feeling himself trying to clench on where her fingers had been. “Wait, don’t stop, don’t stop Aesa, please I—”
She shushed him then chuckled, sounding slightly breathless as she did. The sound made his ears twitch in interest. Was she getting as worked up as him?
“We’re not stopping, Raha…” she said. “Anything but.”
It was then that he felt three fingers press against him and he groaned in anticipation. “Yes…please…” She pressed inside him, slowly still, and her hand moved from his tail to cradle at the back of his head. He let out a shuddery, pleased sigh as her nails scratched lightly at his scalp. He felt more used to the stretch now and any initial jolt of pain was quickly forgotten as he relaxed, opening up for her. That slow, steady stretch was accentuated by the way her other hand gently stroked through his hair and he whimpered softly at the sweet affection.
After a few minutes of this he was panting, moaning, desperately rocking back against the fingers inside of him. The logical part of him that was still remaining in that fog of pleasure was dimly aware that he was drooling on her shoulder but embarrassment was overwhelmed by that hot desire, by him wanting her to go deeper, deeper still, wanting her to touch there again. And, as if heeding his silent request, her fingers pressed firmly against that bundle of nerves. It was harder than it had been before, an unrelenting pressure as her fingers rubbed a small, insistent circle against it.
A shock, his body heat overwhelming, then suddenly—
“Nh—!!”
Before he realized what was happening or before he could think to stop it, he felt himself release, his body ratcheting with tension as he groaned into her shoulder. After a few seconds his body shuddered with the few brief aftershocks as he felt Aesa’s fingers slip out from inside him.
“Well…guess that’s what I get for waiting to take my clothes off.” She said with amusement.
Ears twitching, G’raha shifted back on his heels and blanched. Not only was there a patch of dampness on her shoulder from him drooling all over it but that white, stickiness all over her lap was most definitely…
“O-Oh gods…” The haze of pleasure had lifted slightly, enough that there was nothing to block out his rising mortification. “Aesa I am…I am so sorry…I’ll clean it up, I promise, I’m—”
She interrupted him with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Like I said, it’s my own fault for keeping ‘em on so long. It’s not like this is the cleanest activity in the world.” With a shrug she slipped her shirt, a loose-fitting thing she would wear outside of battle, off and tossed it to the floor. “We can just do laundry later.”
Still embarrassed, G’raha glanced to the side. “Still, I…”
“More importantly—” She quickly pulled off her pants, haphazardly sending them to join their friend on the floor, and scooted closer to him. “It seemed like you liked it.” Her hand lifted to turn his face towards hers. She grinned at him and, despite everything, he couldn’t help return it with a small grin of his own.
“I did…very much so.” His tail swayed side to side, finding excitement quickly overriding the previous shame. “It felt…” He flushed, thinking of that delightful stretch that had been inside him. “…wonderful, my love.”
“Good.” She kissed him quickly, but no less affectionately. “Think that new-old body of yours can handle a test of its’ stamina?”
He blushed but nodded determinedly. Despite the mess his cock was still half hard and just looking at her almost-naked form had it getting harder by the second. “Of course!” His hands clenched into fists in his lap and his tail fluffed up. “I can go on much, much longer!”
Aesa stared at him, blinking for a few moments, then moved her hand over her mouth to cover a snort. He felt the back of his neck heat in embarrassment even as he admired how lovely she looked and sounded as she laughed warmly.
“So serious…I don’t think I’m ever going to get over how cute you are.” She ran her thumb along his top lip, her smile a mixture of exasperated amusement and affection “I guess I’ll put that to the test, then.” Her expression took on a hungry character. “I want to make you feel so good, so racked with pleasure that you won’t be able to even think about anything else.”
She kissed him, deeper this time, and he relished in her taste as her warm tongue slipped into his mouth, glad that in the switch to this body he still could remember her lessons on kissing, remember how to breathe evenly through his nose as she ravaged his mouth. Even then, his nerves still tingled in excitement and his heart beat rapidly in his chest.
It was a strange mixture of familiar and new to his mind and body.
But… He opened his eyes slightly to look at her then closed them again. I don’t suppose this excitement will ever fade.
His arms wrapped around her neck as he tilted his head into the kiss.
No He thought with certainty. No matter how accustomed to her taste, to the feeling of her lips against mine I become, this feeling will never waver.
When they parted, each panting softly, she moved back away from him and he (regretfully) let her go.
“All right, if you’re sure you’re ready, then…” She reached over to grab the harness and false cock and began undoing the buckles of the strap. G’raha took the opportunity to pull his smallclothes off the rest of the way. “I know you like seeing me, love, but I think for your first time it’d be better if you were on your knees so you’ll be able to spread your legs and—”
“Wait!” He nearly shouted, a sobering realization hitting him through the fog of desire and affection. “Wait, but…what about you?!”
She tilted her head slightly, giving him an odd look. “Well, if you’re on your hands on knees then I’ll just be kneeling behind you…Not too much gymnastics in that.”
He shook his head quickly. “No, no, not that!” He gestured at her. “I can’t be the one receiving all the pleasure, not after—"
Not after you’ve already made me cum once and plan to do so again He thought, reprimanding his own selfishness. How had he not even thought of her pleasure until now?! Not only that, but this happened more often than he would like to admit; her overwhelming him, making him practically weep with ecstasy until he was so exhausted that he passed out, only to realize his lack of reciprocity hours later and frantically work to remedy his mistake
She gave him a flat look which only caused him to bristle in return. “Raha you don’t have to worry about that. It’s already gonna feel plenty good doing this.” She lifted the strap and pointed to where the cock attached. “See? It’ll rub whenever I move this in you.” She tilted her head slightly in thought. “Though I did see some that you can actually stick in your cunt to hold it—”
“That’s not the point!” G’raha huffed, feeling a mixture of stubbornness, slight embarrassment at the Warrior’s frank language and…arousal.
Aesa frowned back, her stubbornness increasing tenfold in response to his. “It’s not, is it?”
G’raha shook his head quickly then looked to the side, softening slightly. He crossed his legs, his body remembering a long-forgotten habit as he felt his frown slip into something much too close to a pout for his liking. “It’s only that…I want to bring you pleasure as well.”
There was a pause from Aesa’s side of the bed and for a brief moment he thought she was going to start making fun of him for pouting again. To his surprise, however, when she spoke her tone was more serious.
“Okay then, Raha.” He looked back over at her just as she was pulling her underwear and bra off, moving slow and deliberately. Her eyes were trained on him, bright and sharp.
“Lie down.”
It was such a commanding tone that he nearly tripped over himself to obey, his face flushed and heart beating in anticipation. Not only was he going to bring her pleasure but he was going to be able to taste her as well. His breath came short as his head hit the pillow and she slowly, so slowly, crawled over on top of him. As she raised up onto her knees and moved just above his mouth he shuddered. Gods, he could smell her and his mouth practically watered at it.
“You want to make me cum?” She asked, eyes so focused on his that he could feel himself wonderfully, helplessly trapped in her gaze.
“Yes…” He rasped, his hands reverently running up her thighs. So wonderfully strong…even with her muscles like iron and scars criss-crossing along the length of them, the feeling and warmth of touching her skin was heavenly. “Yes…I do…”
She smiled down at him, both hands threading through his hair. She pulled slightly at the strands and he groaned in pleasure, head tilted back slightly. “You want to taste me?”
“Yes” Another pull. A reward.
“Then do it, love. Make me feel good.” Her voice was low but he could hear the smile in it. Even when she showed this extra dominant side, there was nothing underneath it but affection and a desire to make him feel safe, make him feel loved. When she discovered how much he liked her taking charge like this, well…she made it no secret that it was her preferred role.
With her permission, he began to feast. She was already blissfully wet (apparently, she had gotten riled up with prepping him) and he moaned softly at the taste. The grip on his hair tightened as he licked up her folds. If that hadn’t already been a sign that she liked what he was doing, her soft “Good, that feels good, Raha” urged him on even further.
He groaned in affirmation and moved up to begin to lick at her clit, shifting one hand to aid him in holding her folds apart. In his opinion, his technique had much improved since his first time attempting this (although Aesa had told him he had done perfectly well) and he enjoyed being able to know when to suck, when to lick faster and harder against her clit so that she was shifting her hips against him. She rode his mouth, using him for her pleasure, gasping and moaning so beautifully that he thought he may come untouched right there.
“There…” She groaned, hands shifting up to rub and pull at his ears. “There, I’m almost—”
His legs shifted against the sheets. The additional pleasure from his ears being rubbed caused his erection to ache painfully but he endured and squeezed his legs together in lieu of his hands being occupied. He put even more effort into her pleasure, encircling her clit with his tongue before sucking hard. She threw her head back, letting out a beautiful groan as she pulled even harder at his ears, squeezing them tightly as she rode out her orgasm on his mouth.
Blessedly, her juices spilled along his tongue, his mouth, even his chin and he worked hard to lick it all up, to partake in her delicious meal.
Only when she finally sighed, relaxing contentedly against him did he finally stop. Giving his ears one last satisfying rub, she shifted off of his face to kneel next to him.
“Hm…” She rubbed her finger along the outline of his lips, still wet and tasting of her. “You know, I’d almost say you enjoy that more than I do, Raha.” She gave him a teasing grin which he returned, only slightly embarrassed. He sat up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand though he made sure to make a bit of a show of licking it clean as he did.
“I would hope that my technique allows you to find even more pleasure than I find it, my love, but…yes. I must say that it is one of my favorite ‘lessons’ you’ve allowed me to partake in.”
She blinked, looking as if she hadn’t expected such a genuine answer but then laughed softly and kissed him, pulling away just as he tried to deepen it. “You’re too cute, Raha.”
He flushed slightly, still leaning towards her for another kiss. “If I didn’t know better, I would think that you were teasing me by calling me that so much.”
“Part of me is, but it’s also true.” She gave into his silent request and kissed him again, deeper this time. After only a quick taste of her, however, she pulled back. When she looked at him now the amusement was gone and her eyes with filled with an intensity that sent a shudder down his spine.
“Now…” She moved a few stray strands of hair out from his eye. “You’ll get on your knees for me, won’t you?”
His eyes widened briefly before he quickly nodded and, somewhat shakily, moved onto his hands and knees. Suddenly the reality of the situation, of him being fully naked, fully vulnerable in this position, hit him. He heard the metallic sound of belt buckles then shuffling on the covers behind him and a grunt as he assumed she was pulling on the device.
Another sound, this time of the lubricant being opened and a generous amount being poured out, likely to lubricate the toy. At that, G’raha did his best to calm his breathing but with little success and his hands clenched into the pillow below him.
This wasn’t good. If he remained so tense, it wasn’t going to work. It wouldn’t go in and—
His rush of thoughts was interrupted as Aesa came up behind him and leaned over his prone form. He felt the brush of fingers mocw his hair off his neck before her lips brushed against hot skin. “You’re going to feel so good, love. So just relax.” She kissed down a few inches along his spine and he let out a shuddery breath. “Okay? I’ll stop if you don’t like it, so just tell me.” Another kiss. “And I’ll start out nice and slow.”
“I—” He swallowed then took a deep breath. Then, after a moment he nodded. “I know…I trust you. My nerves just got the…the better of me for a moment, I suppose” He glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled. “I’m ready whenever you are, my love.”
Aesa took a look at his face, the depth of her stare likely searching for any hesitation or doubt. After not finding any she returned his smile then shifted back on her knees. From there she set a few towels underneath him to protect the bedsheets. Then, finally, her hands went on either thigh to gently nudge his legs a little further apart before slowly moving up to grab either side of his ass. G’raha let out a soft gasp as she spread his cheeks apart, exposing his entrance; still soft and loose from their preparation.
There was a pause and then G’raha felt something slick and hard and much larger than her fingers pressed against it. A quick jolt of nervousness shot through but, realizing that she hadn’t moved beyond that, that she was waiting for a signal from him, it quickly dissipated.
He let out a soft moan and arched his back, pushing his opening more against the toy and curling his tail up and around her arm. “Aesa…” He murmured.
She pressed slightly, the head of the toy just breaching him.
“Please…” He looked back at her, unable to see her face but hoping his expression did his feelings justice. “I want it…please…”
His voice broke off into a moan as, slowly, false cock slipped a few inches inside. The stretch was more than before, that was certain but the more that he found he relaxed, the more that he could focus on the pleasure of it.
“Oh gods…” He shuddered. “Gods it’s so…so big, I—”
“You doing okay, Raha?” Her voice was quiet with a slight hint of concern.
“I-…I…yes, I’m…” He swallowed hard. “Just give me a few moments t-to…adjust.”
And, just as promised, she stayed stock still, more patient and quieter than he had known her to be until he nodded and told her to go on.
It continued like that for a while, with her pausing whenever he requested it and slowly, patiently, the cock entered until it was fully seated. G’raha had no idea anything could go that deep, no idea that having something so deep could feel so…so good.
Aesa waited there in the meantime, letting him adjust as she moved her hands up to encircle his waist. The feeling of her hands, rough and callused from hours training and battling with her great sword, felt heavenly on his skin. His body trembled in the pleasure of it and, finally, his arms gave out as his front half collapsed onto the mattress. His back half still remained where it was, however, helped by her gentle support. He let choked gasp, however, as the change in angle caused the cock to press even harder against his walls.
“Wicked white…” He groaned, reaching out to grasp the pillow and hold it tight, anchoring himself. “It’s so…ah! So…”
Her thumbs rubbed soothing circles into his skin. “So?” She questioned.
He swallowed again but his voice still came out sounding ragged. “So good…” He allowed her to maneuver his hips a little higher, all thoughts of embarrassment or shyness scattered to the wind. “It feels…so good.”
“Glad to hear.” He could hear her smile. “You okay if I move, Raha?”
“Yes…” He nodded, clenching the pillow tighter. “Please, my love.”
G’raha let out a cry as she slowly pulled back and, when she was about halfway out, pushed back in. She stared out slowly but as his gasps and desperate cries became louder and more insistent, her restraint began to wane.
Her hands gripped his waist tighter. He hoped it would bruise, hoped that the impression of her handprints would be there for days.
“You want more?” She said, her voice sounding slightly strained.
“Yes, gods, I-ah!” G’raha sobbed as he was pitched forward by the force of her thrust, burying his face into the pillow as tears of pleasure and vulnerability pricked at the corners of his eyes. He began squirming, his hands reaching out to try and find purchase on the sheets as her hard thrusts worked into a rhythm that had him mewling and writhing in her grasp.
“Aesa…gods…Aesa…!” The mattress was squeaking under the strain of each hard thrust now. He didn’t know how many times he cried out her name, only that he continued doing so as the pressure at the base of his cock increased, until spurts of precum were splashing onto the towel beneath him. His hips twitched, desperate for some sort of pressure to grind against but her grip kept his cock thrusting uselessly in the air.
“You feel good, love?” Another hard thrust, this time angled in a way that had her dragging and pulling against that spot that had him crying out in pleasure. His tail had unwound itself from her arm at that point and it was thrashing aimlessly in the air as he clawed into the sheets. “Tell me.” Another thrust, another cry as his tears were now overflowing down his face, mixing with the drool on the pillow. “Tell me how you feel, Raha.”
The pillow had become suffocating at this point and he turned his head to the side to gasp and cry, his mind unable to even think about forming words. “I-…” Before he could say anything further she curled her fingers around his achingly hard cock. He cried out, twisting his hips, not sure if he was trying to escape the sudden overwhelming surge of pleasure or lean into it.
“Does it feel good?” Her voice took on a desperate tone and she tightened her grip on his cock. As if to give him a gentle punishment for his lack of answer, her thumb began to rub along the head, smearing the ever-increasing amount of precum.
“Yes…yes!” He sobbed. He was so close now, so tantalizingly close to falling over the edge. He could only writhe helplessly at the feeling, his feet kicking out at the sheets and towels behind him. “It’s good, so good…so…”
He trailed off as she leaned over him, placing desperate nips and kisses along his neck. The part of his body that, up until then, had been numb to sensation. That cold, unyielding crystal unable to be marked. In the haze of pleasure he remembered her face, remembered the anguish and concern as the crystal had moved further along his body, as he had sacrificed his flesh and blood to further his plans of forming the crystals to transport the Scions home.
“Bite me…” He rasped. “Please…bite me”
Mark me. Mark me as yours. I’m here, I’m here with you now…this will be the proof. His thoughts were a jumble, barely making sense to him at this point but after a moment of hesitation, he felt her teeth graze against the skin where his neck and shoulder met. Then, blissfully, agonizingly, she bit down.
That was enough to allow the last bit of restraint to fall away and he came with a cry, thrusting into her hand with abandon. She helped him through his orgasm, her thrusts short and hard, driving into his prostate until let out a final shudder. It was only when he began to whimper from the pure overstimulation of it that she finally stopped.
Kissing the mark she left on his neck she gently pulled out, the sensation causing him to shudder in the aftershocks. She quickly grabbed the now soiled towel out from underneath him and tossed it to the side just before collapsed, boneless, into the sheets.
G’raha must have passed out for a moment or two, as when he opened his eyes again, Aesa had covered him with her sheets and was sitting next to him, gently rubbing his back.
“You all right, love?” She asked, her hand moving up to stroke at his cheek.
He smiled at her and turned onto his side though he couldn’t help but wince slightly at the sore muscles. “Yes…more than all right, I should say.” His smile widened. “That was wonderful, my love. Absolutely wonderful…thank you.”
She laughed softly and kissed his temple. “Well, I’m happy you wanted to try it, Raha. And it definitely won’t be the last time, especially if you liked it so much.
Her fingers moved from his cheek up to rub at his ears and G’raha closed his eyes, feeling so contented, well-loved and utterly relaxed in that moment that his body slipped into one of its’ long-forgotten habits as he nuzzled against her hand.
Aesa stopped rubbing his ears though her hand didn’t move away. “Raha, is that…Are you purring?”
He opened his eyes to stare at her, blinking in surprise. “Oh that…” He chuckled nervously, the purring stopping as he did. “I…well, I suppose I was.”
She stared at him, eyes wide. “I…had no idea Miqo’te did that. It’s…Well I’ve definitely never heard Y’shtola or any other Miqo’te I know do it, at least.”
“Well, that’s not surprising. It’s something saved for family or spouses or…l-lovers as well.” He stumbled at the last part. “Something done when only in the intimate space of someone we trust fully, a sign of comfort and pleasure.” He smiled sheepishly. “I had never done on the First, when I was the Exarch because, well, I suppose after spending so much time hiding my true nature, that and the crystallization of course, I suppose I lost the memory and ability to—Ah—”
He stopped at the look on her face; at the way her eyes widened with a strange vulnerability he hadn’t seen before. Then, without warning, she pulled him close to her and buried her head against his bare shoulder. Before he could ask her, what was the matter, she spoke, voice muffled against his skin.
“Gods, I hope you don’t get tired of me anytime soon” she said, then let out a strained laugh. “I don’t know…I have no idea how I would let you go now.”
He stiffened in shock and tried to turn his face to look at her. “What…Aesa? Get tired of you? What on earth are you saying?!”
Just as he managed to extract himself from her grip enough to look at her expression she suddenly rolled onto her back, staring pointedly up at the ceiling.
“Oh, you know.” She said, purposefully keeping her voice light. “There’s a pretty big age gap now, moreso than when we first met. You in that 24 year old body and me being almost 30…You might decide closer to your age is better.”
G’raha sputtered but was too exhausted to do much more than raise himself onto his elbows. “Please tell me you’re saying these things in jest. Might I remind you I am, for all intents and purposes, much older…” He frowned at her even as she refused to look over at him. “Surely you cannot be serious, Aesa.”
“Well…” She continued, still trying to maintain that light tone but it was starting to waver. “People fall out of love for weirder reasons than that…I’ve seen it more often than not.”
G’raha wanted to interrupt, to tell her how wrong she was, but kept his mouth closed. She was expressing a rare moment of true openness with him, no matter how misplaced her feelings and he wanted to hear her out.
She closed her eyes. “You know, telling you how I felt back on the First seemed easy. But I started realizing that I’ve been falling in love with you more the longer we’ve been like this so I started thinking about how I’d feel if you…well…” She opened her eyes again but continued avoiding his gaze. “I can’t help but think that the person you dreamt about, the one you longed for all those years…maybe I can’t live up to her. Maybe you’ll end up…disappointed.”
G’raha stared at her for a long moment. He had just been given some of the most pleasurable moments of his life by this woman, only for her to worry about him growing tired of her or being disappointed in her? It was almost enough to make him laugh but, in the end, he knew the right thing to say.
“My love…” He started, resting his head back down on the pillow. He reached his hand out to gently grasp hers. “Though it may be true that feelings can wax and wane, change and transform over time, I cannot see myself wanting anyone but you.”
She looked over at him with a light frown but he simply smiled. “My unrequited feelings from our time exploring the tower, my admiration for your heroic deeds and grief at your passing in that doomed future and, finally, my joy at spending each new day with you in the here and now…all of those are different but equal stages of my feelings for you.”
He squeezed her hand gently before continuing. “As for being disappointed, why, it’s been quite the opposite really. As much as I enjoy reading histories of amazing tales and heroic deeds, I know better than anyone that even the grandest tale pales in comparison to the lived experience.”
G’raha moved even closer to her so that their bodies were touching. “And that applies to you tenfold, of course. Each and every day I’m blessed to learn more about you: Your likes, your dislikes, your irritations and…” He laughed. “Well everything, really. The real you is even more wonderful than the one I remembered, the one I read about.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Really, now? You felt that way even when we met again on the First?”
He smiled mischievously. “Oh yes, most especially. Even when you were threatening to knock my head off and break my staff over your knee and such for bringing the Scions to that star in such a way” She laughed at that, relaxing, and he nuzzled into her shoulder as she finally turned towards him.
“Well I guess I can’t argue with that now, can I?” She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her chest. As if to prove his point further he began purring twice as loud as before and happily snuggled against her.
A calloused hand brushed through his hair. “I love you, Raha.”
“And I you, my dearest hero…my beloved. My Aesa.”
Thoroughly exhausted, the two were able to fall asleep easily despite the boisterous noises of the other Scions as they returned to the Rising Stones. Surprisingly, this remained the case even with multiple friends and allies peeking in to check on them then hurriedly shushing each other to let them rest. The Warrior of Light and Darkness and the man once known as the Crystal Exarch spent the rest of the late afternoon and evening dreaming of adventures new and old, here and beyond the rift.
And, of course, of all the adventures to come.