waiting for your return

I thought you said forever over and over

There was nothing that could possibly compare to the sensations that Maea coaxed forth, nothing that could ever be better than this. Intimacy, of course, but more than just the physical: a true melding of body, mind, and soul. She was everything he'd never dared to pray for, everything he'd never dreamed he'd deserve. She held the power to destroy him, fully and completely, and yet he'd never been less afraid. Everything about her was beautiful, and though he knew better than to think her perfect, she was perfect for him. And surely that was better, in the end.

As Maea's hand closed around the base of his cock, Liam's hands tightened in her hair, the pale, silken strands a startlingly soft contrast against her insistent lips and caressing tongue. At the feather-light touch of her free hand tracing a line from his hip to his thigh, he looked down and nearly came undone at the sight of her on her knees before him. Every lingering trail of her nails against his skin stoked the fire within, sending electricity coursing through his veins. "Maea -" he groaned, the beginnings of his release building. And yet he resisted, not wanting this moment to end.

A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion

Liam

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

She understood that smoldering look he gave her. Knew the dual desire of lingering in the pleasure and finding release. She could keep going, could speed up the pace and drive him over the edge - could feel him stiffen under her lips, against her tongue and shuddered just from the memory of what that felt like when he was inside her - but... what was the hurry? If he wanted this to last, she would oblige.

Taking all that she could fit of his length into her mouth, Maea stilled, no longer following the rhythm. A low moan from her throat sent subtle vibrations to her lips; and when she pulled back it was with a slow, lingering drag of her tongue that stopped only when the tip of his cock was all that remained inside her mouth. Keeping her eyes trained on his face, her expression was a picture of contradictions; adoration and wicked glee and simmering lust tempered by calculation, all focused on Liam, waiting for the exact moment where his composure began to crumble. Then she sucked him back inside, still slow, insistent, like a challenge to see how long he could actually last. She could do this all day...

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

I thought you said forever over and over

Liam’s pleasure built, Maea’s lips driving him towards the brink of his release - but then she stopped. The soldier looked down at her, eyes dark with desire, smoldering as she moaned, the vibrations pulling an answering groan from his throat. His eyes locked with hers, lustful and longing; his breath hitched as she pulled slowly away, until just the tip of his cock remained in her mouth. It took his breath away, and he watched her with an almost tortured expression, loving the way she wanted to draw this out but longing for her to continue all the same.

And when she drew him back in, slow and insistent, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes, reveling in the sheer pleasure that Maea was able to give him. He was sure, in this moment, that he’d never felt anything half so wonderful as this - except, perhaps, being buried inside Maea in their cave all those weeks ago. The memory made him clench his jaw, resisting the urge to pull her up, bend her over the counter, and slide inside her. There would be plenty of time for that later, he thought, and for now…

For now, he slackened his grip on her hair, moving to skim his fingers along the sensitive skin at the base of her horns. His fingers trembled as they moved, his self-control hanging on by a thread, but he was willing to relinquish control to see just what Maea had in mind next.

A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion

Liam

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

The sounds issuing from Liam's throat encouraged her to keep going, his expression all the reward she needed. She had no intent beyond pleasuring him, was not experienced enough to plan beyond the next impulse; just watched him, and listened, adjusting the pace with more luck than skill. That he responded so well to her amateurish ministrations was a blessing, sweetly stroking her ego into believing she couldn't be distracted from her intentions anymore.

Then Liam's hands moved in her hair, dragging across the scalp to find the base of her horns, and it was like fireworks had been set off. A gasping whimper turned to a guttural groan as the sensation went on and on from the caress of his fingertips. Drowning in it, Maea was hardly aware of how she pressed her aching breasts against the soldier's leg, trembling with the restraint it took to not just grind her hips against him like an animal in heat. Sucking harder at his erection, faster and faster - helpless to hold back when he made her feel this good.

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

I thought you said forever over and over

All Liam needed was for Maea to do exactly as she was doing. Wasn’t that all that one could do, in moments like these: follow instinct, and one’s partner’s reactions, and hope for the best? And gods, but this had to be the best, for if it wasn’t… well, if Maea could do better than this, then surely Liam would die of pleasure when she finally unveiled her talents.

Liam’s fingers continued to massage Maea’s scalp, filled with an intense satisfaction as she responded with muffled moans, pressing against him in a way that had his cock throbbing with need. And when she picked up the pace, sucking faster and harder, it was all Liam could do to stay standing. This time, he felt his release rising hard and fast. ”Maea, I’m going to -“ But that was all the warning she’d receive before he came with a guttural groan, his lover’s name falling from his lips.

A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion

Liam

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

There would be no dying, if she had any say on the matter. Only bliss, that brief touch of divinity that was the culmination of lust, devotion and trust; as close to the purpose of all existence as she ever needed or wanted to come. Perhaps if her life had taken a different path she would have thought differently, but not anymore. What could any god possibly offer that trumped this? To hear her name fall like prayers from her lovers lips, and drink down his pleasure, frantically at first, then slower, steady, milking every last drop of ecstacy from his senses until he joined her there on the floor - no, she didn't need anything else.

Her own burning need became a secondary thing, blanketed by the satisfaction of having brought Liam to completion. Caressing his skin in a mirror of the loving tenderness he had shown her, her hand took over and stroked his cock languidly when she eventually needed to catch her breath, languishing in the feel of him against her palm. "I love you, Liam," she murmured, straining upward to kiss whatever part of him she could reach. "I love you, I love you..." It felt so good to say aloud, she couldn’t bear to stop.

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

I thought you said forever over and over

Maea’s name was a prayer and a plea as Liam fell over the edge, finding his release with a blinding pleasure unlike anything he’d felt before. It felt like an eternity in all the best ways: endless, cresting waves of rapturous pleasure, culminating in a bone-deep satisfaction that had him weak in the knees. When his lover finally released him, he sank to the ground before her, slipping his arms around her to pull her close. ”I love you, Maea,” he replied hoarsely, drawing in a shuddering breath as she continued to stroke his cock. ”Always.”

He wasn’t sure how long they sat there, wrapped up in each other, murmuring soft I love yous and exchanging sweet, lingering kisses. The passion of moments before was still there, burning embers kindling beneath the surface, but right now, Liam’s rapidly building desire was tempered by a need to show Maea that what they had was more than just incredible chemistry. So he traced the lines of her body with one hand, rubbed gentle circles on her back, caressed her cheek, ran his fingers through her hair; he explored her slowly, delighting in every stroke and brush of his hand against her skin.

After a time, he nuzzled against her shoulder, pressing a kiss to the base of her neck. ”I think I still owe you a bath,” he murmured, hazel gaze flicking to the tub that was certainly now cool. Then he smiled, lips ghosting across bare skin. ”Unless you’d rather skip the bath and go straight to bed.” Though bed for sleeping, or bed for other things, he didn’t say.

A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion

Liam

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

Curling up in Liam's arms, her body felt softer than before. Knots of tension had eased from her shoulders, and more gave way under the loving caress of his hands. Much as she was willing and able to continue taking and giving pleasure, she treasured moments like this just as highly. Perhaps more, now that she knew beyond a doubt that it was as important and real for him as it was for her. Maea knew she had meant every word and every vow she'd spoken that first day of laying their cards on the table, and she had trusted Liam’s intentions... but at the same time, also guarded herself against the possibility that it was the Void that emboldened his tongue. That once it was gone, his feelings might... not disappear, exactly, but be revealed in a different shape from what she'd thought. Less strong, perhaps, or with some regrets over how quickly their dynamic changed, or... simply not there, for the same reasons you could be love drunk on a bottle of wine and wake with a hangover and regrets. Above all, she had feared being looked upon with doubt and second guessing. Being wrong had never felt so wonderful. Loving someone, and being loved in return, had never been sweeter or more fulfilling.

Stirring slowly when his voice filled the quiet, Maea nuzzled the side of his neck, absently stroking the warm skin with her lips. "Hmm... very tempting," she admitted, a smile curling the corners of her mouth. "I think... the bath first, still. I don't want to bring any more of the past few days home..." It was more than travel dust and weariness she wished to purge from herself. Fresh pain, guilt, fear and self-loathing lingered like a sheen of grime upon her thoughts, and while a bath couldn't banish them entirely, it was a symbolic act to rinse off, to reset and begin the process of getting back to normal.
"If you would rather wait for me in bed, I won't take long?" She'd love his company in the tub, but understood if he wished to change his mind.

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

I thought you said forever over and over

The love that Liam felt for Maea was not a fragile thing, threatening to break under all that had occurred. If anything, her disappearance had only solidified his need for her, reaffirmed that he needed her now like he needed air to breathe. And in the aftermath of being cured - something that he refused to look at too closely in this moment of shared pleasure - he could only recognize a deep desire to share his life with this woman who loved him enough to save him. His only regret lay in suggesting they move slowly, for right now he wanted nothing more than to keep tumbling harder and faster into loving her. Not, of course, that his heart had listened. Their tangled limbs and murmured I love yous were proof enough of that.

His suggestion was met with a smile, but the bath still won out, and Liam tugged Maea closer still for a hug and a kiss. ”Not a chance,” he said, declining the suggestion to wait for her in bed, not inclined to let her out of his sight for the foreseeable future. ”Let me run a fresh bath.” And with one final, lingering kiss, Liam rose to do just that, shrugging out of what remained of his clothes as he did so (he hadn’t quite made it out of his shirt).

It took a few moments, during which he disappeared into the house for a few things, but he quickly reappeared in the bathroom and turned off the tap to a new, hot bath. ”After you.” Only once Maea was situated would he join her, content to bathe with her for as long as she’d like.

A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion

Liam

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

Not even bothering to hide her pleasure over the abject refusal to part even for the few minutes it would take to wash up, Maea could only nod and accept Liam's ministrations. Sure, she could have heated the bathwater with her magic, but why would she when he took such pride in caring for her? It was an amusing irony that the only conflict running between them was of who could outlove the other. Today, she was inclined to accept Liam as the victor in that tug of war; surrendering not because she didn't have a choice, but because she was capable of accepting his love in all its forms.

Dragging herself up from the floor to sit on the edge of the tub, as water thundered into the basin she was vaguely aware that Liam left the room for a moment, though didn't question why. Not right away. The water held her attention, the rising surface watched with beady eyes clinging to threadbare patience. And when she was able to get in... it was like sinking into a warm embrace. Swinging one leg at a time over the edge, the slender woman slid into the water with nary a ripple or slosh, and let out a slow, heartfelt sigh as the heat seeped into her limbs. 
"Times like these I'm glad to be short," she murmured, melting into the bath but leaving ample room still for Liam to fit in with her. And if they'd have to tangle limbs or wound up glued together again? All the better. Maea didn't feel right unless they touched, nor did she care to examine that aching need for warning signs just now.
"Help me wash my back?" For once the invitation to touch her didn't hold much suggestive subtext; nothing but a simple wish to be taken care of, just for a little bit longer.

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

I thought you said forever over and over

Liam often forgot that such simple tasks were possible with magic, and even if he’d remembered, he’d have wanted to make things as easy as possible for Maea. He enjoyed caring for her, finding a simple pleasure in spoiling her. She deserved all that he could give and more, so he gave her everything he had. And if that meant running a second bath, well, then that was what he’d do every time.

He returned to the bathroom with an extra towel, an assortment of clothes (while he’d be content to stay naked with her, he wanted Maea to be comfortable after washing up), and an empty cup. Setting this all down, he placed the cup near the tub and climbed in with Maea, settling behind her so that her back was against his chest. The water was hot, but not unpleasantly so, and Liam sighed softly as muscles he hadn’t realized were quite so tense relaxed.

At Maea’s request, Liam dutifully soaped her back, taking the opportunity to massage her shoulders. Only after he’d done this for a few minutes did he release her, reaching for the cup and filling it with water. ”Tilt your head back,” he suggested. ”Let me wash your hair.”

A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion

Liam

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

As expected, the bath was just what she needed. The scrubbing she undertook was thorough, scouring her limbs until every inch of skin flushed pink and clean and slightly tender from excess force. Feeling better for if, the contrast of Liam's gentle lathering became even more pronounced. His thumbs found tight knots in her muscles, eliciting the occasional hiss of pain only for relieved sigh to follow. Pampered... that wss a good word for how all this attention made her feel. Spoiled, seen, loved, all warm and fuzzy inside; happy, in essence.

Doing as he said, Maea's head fell back to keep sospy water out of her eyes, while allowing him easier access - even glamoring away her horns so that he could reach every part of her scalp. "This is nice... wherever we decide to live eventually, a big bath is a must." Closing her eyes, she leaned back into Liam's arms, heedless of soap and suds in her hair. With the ablution came weariness, weighing down eyelids and tempting her with sleep... but she couldn't give in to it just yet.

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3

I thought you said forever over and over

Liam was more than happy to continue to pamper Maea. Finishing with her back, he transferred his attention to her hair, carefully pouring water over her scalp to get it wet before beginning to lather shampoo. Using the same methodical, massaging circles he'd used to relieve any tension in her back, he focused on offering any comfort and relaxation that he could. In truth, he enjoyed it: it was something he could do, something he could offer, that he thought might ease her burdens somewhat. Even if he couldn't fix everything that had happened to her - or to himself, for that matter - this, at least, was something within his control.

Her words washed over him, and he smiled as he poured water over to rinse out the shampoo, then repeated the process with conditioner. This time, though, he used long strokes to finger-comb the product through her hair. "Definitely," he agreed, moving his hands out of the way as Maea shifted to lean back against him. He traced idle patterns on her arm as he went on. "Think there's enough room in the treehouse?" Because he rather thought that Maea's home meant more to her than his cottage did to him, and in the eventual future he would happily live wherever she wished.

A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion

Liam

Sing to me, I am not doing well
Getting tired of my own words

Tracing her gaze idly along half familiar details of the bathroom, the young woman hummed slowly as she compared this space to her own home. "I think so," she replied. "Maybe the tub could be a bit bigger..." Angling her head back to brush a kiss to his scruffy cheek, Maea tried to catch a glimpse of Liam's expression. "Would you really like to live there with me? Not here? Or..  I don't know... build something that's new for us both instead?" Certainly she loved her house, and all the history that came with it, and she would love to stay there. Liam had lived here far longer though, and for some reason  the idea of uprooting him for her own benefit felt... selfish.

Still. The notion of living together with Liam drew a giddy little smile to her lips. They were rarely apart already (sans unexpected journeys) yet it would be different. To belong in the same space, to open wardrobes and drawers to see his belongings there, right next to her own... Raising to catch his hand and intertwine their fingers, her heart felt full to bursting. "What does your ideal home look like? Not just layout and furniture, but all of it - " Routines and creature comforts, the vibes –

Sing to me, cause I can't hear myself
through the loudness of my own hurts

base inspired by Odd <3