don't let me go

Cordelia

Something was under there. Whispers and stories had filled her life since her birth about a monster lurking in the depths. What that monster was was completely unknown, but there was a beast waiting for its chance. This might be it. They’d never broken through the ice before, but between the power of three demigods it seemed unlikely that they wouldn’t accomplish their task. ”When do you leave? Soon?” She asked, her voice a quiet murmur against his throat as she nuzzled there, head tucked snugly beneath his chin. Fingers wandered, curling into his shirt, sneaking beneath the hem to trace across skin and muscle. The warmth branding itself into her mind along with his scent. A touch memory to cling to when he was gone.

Where his worry met her along the bond, she pushed back with her own reassurance and belief in his capabilities, sweet and warm and strong in the wake of his concerns. The news of the Order was unexpected, but she understood. Given his God it would have likely been impossible for Noah to avoid such a fate. Still, her breath caught as he spoke, hitching in her throat in a quiet form of concern instead of the more desired reflection of pleasure that such a sound typically accompanied. ”And what does Vi want? Halo?” Did it mean they could go home? Reclaim the land? Push Morgan from her throne? His lips brushed against her forehead, earning another exhale as her body curved into his, soft curves pressing into hard lines of muscle.

”Okay. I’ll stay with Deimos.” She’d busy herself with training. With making a home and creating somewhere safe for them. As safe as it ever could be. Her thoughts began to wander, trailing over the idea of what that would look like for them. What a home with Noah would be. After a moment of silence, breath exhaling in warm bursts against his throat, Cordelia finally spoke again. ”Noah… Have you ever wanted a family? Children?”

All the king's horses, all the king's men
Couldn't put me together again

Noah did not want to move from where they were now. He never wanted to forget how her body felt pressed against his. "I should go back to Stormbreak tonight." He said, a frown pulling at his lips. He did not want to leave her. Instead, he pulled her closer as her hands wandered beneath the linen of his shirt. She would feel goosebumps beneath her fingertips as they trailed over his skin, and his breath hitched in his throat as she nuzzled into him. His own hand roamed up her back and his fingers traced patterns on her shoulder. He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he recalled Vi's exact words. "Vi said I would have you shine...I would have your light eliminate the shadows where the Ascended crawl. I would have you take it back, and I would have you take no prisoners. I believe that taking back Halo lives within those parameters. It is clear that Vi does not want the Voice to have any more reach than she does, and whatever we can do to combat that he wants that to happen." The words were etched into Noah's mind, easy to recall because he heard them often. "I always thought I would live a simpler life." He smiled some, soft, as he brushed her hair back from her ear and placed a gentle kiss on the lobe. "I thought I would have a wife to protect and provide for, and a family as big as she would allow." Noah knew his parents had always wanted many children, but there was something preventing them from having more than the three they did, and only two had lived. Noah grew up with only his brother, and their ages had been so far apart that when his parents died he had become Ezekiel's dad more than his brother, and it drove a wedge between them. Noah's ideas to stay in Halo and dedicate his life to it fueled Zeke's desire to get out and away, to explore and feel the world beneath his feet. If only his estranged brother could see him now. {900TH POST WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO} Noah Olson When the night is cold and you feel like no-one knows what it's like to be the only one buried in this hole You can make it to the sunrise

Cordelia

It was a cold reminder to douse the heat that was kindling between them, but Cordelia wasn’t going to let it dampen the desire that was swirling in her belly. He might be leaving her tonight, but he would be back and they still had now, didn’t they? However long until the chill of the night chased away the heat of the day and drew Noah from her embrace. His arms tightened around her, drawing her closer, melding her body to curve against his. ”Stay with me just a little longer… Don’t go yet.” Greedy fingers trailed beneath the linen of his shirt, tracing hard lines of muscle, a thumb pressing into the jut of his hip bone and scratching the blunt of her nail against the skin that was stretched taut there. Her words murmured against the column of his throat as her lips found a home there, pressing a heated kiss there, tongue darting out to taste his skin before he was speaking again.

This time he spoke of Vi and the words that the God imparted to him. It stilled her wandering hands for only a moment and she listened closely to what he had to say, tucking it away and committing it to memory, drawing back just enough to gaze up at him. There was a lazy heat in her eyes even as she focused intently on his words. ”Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll take our home back. As soon as we’re able to. With or without the Order’s help.” Except they will have the Order to back them. If this was Vi’s will then it was the will of the Order as well as she understood things.

Cordelia shivered as his lips placed their own kiss on the sensitive skin of her ear, causing her nails to curl at his hip, biting lightly into the skin as a shaky exhale escaped parted lips. The image his words provoked in her mind had a sweet heat curling in her belly, a desire suddenly swelling there as the image of blonde haired babies with glacier or amber eyes came unbidden, their little home tucked away from the world. A set of small training bows in various sizes, little deerskin shoes lining the wall by the door, and sweaters of different colors hanging up to dry. ”I’ve always wanted a big family. At least three children if I’m blessed with the ability.”

All the king's horses, all the king's men
Couldn't put me together again

He did not want to leave her, not right now. He knew he needed to eventually, but for now, he only yearned to continue to hold her close and feel her warmth against him. The goosebumps subsided as her hands continued to travel across his skin, but heat rose in his belly as she tasted his neck. He couldn't help the small rumble that it caused, and he closed his eyes against it. He nuzzled down into her hair, resting his head against hers and still managing, somehow, to pull her closer. He didn't want to talk about the Voice any more, or Vi. Not right now, not with Cordelia in a place that Noah never imagined she would be with him. "I want to raise children in Halo. I want them to know what I know, to experience the things I've experienced -- but I'm able to keep them safer now than I ever was before." He said, sighing against the auburn of her hair and pressing a kiss into her head, just above and behind her ear. Noah Olson When the night is cold and you feel like no-one knows what it's like to be the only one buried in this hole You can make it to the sunrise

Cordelia

Oh. There was a growl in his throat, vibrating through his chest in a purr, and Cordelia wasn't sure she'd ever heard something so enticing before. Her pulse picked up in her chest, thundering against her ribs as she repeated the motion, teeth scraping over his own pulse as she left her mark there. A visual claim. It was a response she didn't even think about. He might be Vi's demigod and the Order might have a piece of him too, but they would never have this. No, she held that right all to herself. A surge of possessiveness flared brightly along the bond, mixing with that kindling want that was rolling in her belly, sending heat through her veins.

"That isn't outside the realm of possibility... In time we'll be back there." She knew what it sounded like. The implication that's tied in to her words. Cordelia doesn't shy away from it, though. Not now. Not when they're so wrapped up in each other. She loathed to pull away, but an idea suddenly took root in her mind as the warm water splashed up against the rocks where they were laying. "Noah..." Cordelia hummed, detangling herself from him with more effort than she was willing to admit, putting space between them. "Would you like to go swimming with me?"

The invitation was soft, voice mixing with the gentle crash of waves as she stood, fingers curling at the hem of her shirt and slowly tugging it up. The flat and smooth expanse of her tummy was bared first, the still delicate line of her body apparent despite the muscle that hid beneath her skin, but it didn't stop there. She tugged up and up and up until she was free of the garment, naked from the waist up, letting it fall to the ground unceremoniously as her fingers found the band of her bottoms next.

All the king's horses, all the king's men
Couldn't put me together again

Noah closed his eyes and breathed against her hair, content to stay as they were for as long as he could. He nodded, agreeing that they would be home some day. He felt her start to wriggle away from him and he groaned in resistance. He didn't hold her too firmly in his grasp, but every muscle in his arms told him to. Finally, against his own will and the warmth continuing to grow within him, he did let her go. It seemed, though, that he wouldn't regret it. He turned to sit back up, watching as she moved closer to the water. His brows furrowed together briefly before he watched he hands drift down to the hem of her shirt. His breath caught in his throat as she lifted the light fabric up and pulled it over her head. The way that her chestnut hair fell in a cascade of waves between her shoulder blades held his attention. "Oh." He said aloud, though the attuned bond was alive and bright with the fireworks that erupted within his mind. "Yes." He replied urgently. The Sentinel scrambled to his feet as her hands moved down to the waistband of her pants. He sucked in another breath, pulling his shirt off quickly to keep it from masking his eyes as she slipped her pants around her ankles. He did not want to miss an inch of her. Noah tugged on his own pants, kicking his shoes off without any delicacy, though he was careful not to place too much power to keep them from tumbling off the rock and into one of the pools surrounding them. He stepped forward, then, the breath still held within his teeth. He reached out to brush a hand down her spine, his fingertips barely kissing her soft and smooth skin. He hesitated a moment, his body just barely brushing against hers from behind, before he leapt into the water to keep himself on track for what she requested: swimming. Noah Olson When the night is cold and you feel like no-one knows what it's like to be the only one buried in this hole You can make it to the sunrise

Cordelia

Each second that passed brought another delightful thing for Cordelia to turn over in her head. The way his arms tightened around her. The groan that rumbled through his chest. His nose pressing into her hair and breathing her in. He wanted her. She could feel it singing along the bond and had they been somewhere just a little more private Cordelia likely would have instigated something further. As it was, the idea of swimming with him in water that was warm as a bath was enticing enough to push that thought to the side for the time being.

Especially at the feeling of his eyes on her back, drinking in her bare skin, roving over her from head to toe. His side of the bond exploded against hers in a feeling so overwhelming her breath caught in her throat. The Attuned wasn't sure she'd ever felt a sensation like this. It wasn't just his feelings, but a world of color flashing in her mind, bringing a shiver down her spine as Noah approached her from behind. His fingertips were barely a whisper across her skin, tracing the same path as that shiver, but as quickly as the heat of him behind her came it was gone.

Instead she was met with a splash of water, blinking before she laughed in delight, taking a few running steps forward and jumping in with him. The water rushed over her head, but she quickly resurfaced, trading water as she pushed her hair from her face. Her smile was bright as she swam towards him, reaching out to wrap her arms around his shoulders, drawing herself against him once more. "I've always wanted to do this." She confessed, looking up at him from beneath her lashes, beads of water clinging to them.

All the king's horses, all the king's men
Couldn't put me together again

Noah needed to be in the water. If he had stayed ashore, neither of them would have made it to the water. The ocean consumed him as he dove headfirst. It was refreshing in the way that he needed. While normally the waters of Torchline felt as warm as a bath, the ocean was cool now against Noah's burning skin. Surfacing, the hunter treaded water. Cordelia was only a flash of flesh before she joined him. He swam backwards enough to give her room to surface. Smiling a broad, boyish smile, Noah closed the distance between them once she was safely with him in the water. She reached for him and Noah embraced her without hesitation. "Oh, you mean you've never tried this back home?" He teased, eyes glinting with his joke. She didn't have time to reply, though, as he lowered his lips back to hers. His kiss was warm, a beacon the fire he felt washing over his skin despite being in the water now. His hands roamed down her back, pulling her close to him. One hand went lower and lower until he lifted at the back of her thigh, pulling it up over the corner of his hip. All the while, he did not stop his kissing. His tongue pressed forward, asking permission with a firm, fiery passion over her lips. Noah Olson When the night is cold and you feel like no-one knows what it's like to be the only one buried in this hole You can make it to the sunrise

Cordelia

Had Cordelia been privy to his thoughts, she would have done everything in her power to keep them out of the water, but Noah dove in before she had a chance to do much else. She jumped after him, continuing the trend of following wherever he went without a second thought, surfacing a moment later with an intake of breath. Her curls were dark and heavy with salt water, slicked back from her face as she was drawn into his embrace again, practically purring her delight along the bond to be wrapped in his arms. The Attuned looped her own slender arms around his shoulders, ”Can’t say the thought has ever crossed my mind, but I might consider it now if I have you to warm me up afterwards.” Cordelia managed between kisses before he was silencing her with his tongue.

Everyone knew the best way to get warm was skin to skin contact. A thing they wouldn’t have a problem with. Not anymore. Amber eyes flashed with heat as she caught his glacier gaze, licking her lips as her toes brushed the bottom of the sandy ocean floor, knowing that Noah could likely plant his feet here, keeping them steady in the gentle waves.

A groan rose in her throat, soft and needy as her toned body arched against him, legs wrapping around his waist and bringing them together in a heated press of flesh. Cordelia’s petal soft lips parted for him, letting him press into her mouth, tasting her for the first time and she shivered at the sensation. Her hips canted forward despite herself and the sensation that followed is heady, rushing through her and echoing in the bond, sparking a deep desire in her belly. ”Noah…” Came her breathy utterance of his name, desire clear cadence of her voice, the way it dipped into something almost needy.

All the king's horses, all the king's men
Couldn't put me together again

His kiss was firm against her lips as she let him in. He took his time to explore with his tongue, arms wrapping around her and holding her close to him. He felt as her legs wrapped up over him and one of his hands went down to hold onto her firm behind, the other staying between her shoulder blades. Finally, the hunter pulled back just slightly enough to part their lips from each other, but he continued on his exploring in a different manner. "I only want to be the one to warm you up." He murmured, voice low and husky as he placed kisses along her jawline and trailing behind her ear. There was nothing else in the world that the hunter wanted more than this moment. To have Cordelia's body pressed up against him, the warm water holding both of them. His heart pounded against his chest, and he was certain she could feel it too. He kept them steady as the gentle waves and the tide of the ocean pulled at them, his feet sinking into the soft sand that was so reminiscent of snow in his mind. "Yes?" He asked, nibbling at her earlobe. Noah Olson When the night is cold and you feel like no-one knows what it's like to be the only one buried in this hole You can make it to the sunrise

Cordelia

She knew it wasn't a proposal. Not in the traditional sense. Not when she knew Noah would be the type to do it properly. To ask her father for her hand, to have one of the craftsmen make her a ring that was suitable for Halo's climate, to plan a ceremony. He would do it all. At least, she believed he would if there wasn't a war on the horizon. If they were still in Halo. If everything wasn't so new. So no, it isn't a proper proposal, but it felt like one. It made a warmth spread through her chest and she sighed at his words, letting her head tilt to the side, exposing her throat further to his lips. "Is that a promise?" Cordelia purred, fingers curling at his shoulders, pressing into the firm muscle beneath them as her nails surely left little crescents in his skin.

Her breath left her in a rush, goosebumps rising along her flesh despite the warmth of the water and the heat of his body, eyes fluttering closed as his teeth tugged at the sensitive skin of her ear. What she wouldn't give to press into his mind right now and feed him her thoughts, but she's limited in her ability to share anything outside of her emotions. Instead she can do nothing but properly speak. With her actions and her words. Her hips cant forward, pressing closer to him, body arching invitingly to encourage his current actions. "I want you." She whispered, drawing her head back just enough to force her eyes open, amber meeting glacier as she waited.

All the king's horses, all the king's men
Couldn't put me together again

All of it was a whirlwind. The way her skin felt against his, gliding effortlessly with the salt water holding them each close. Her lips on his and her breath in his ear. Everything made his heart pound against his chest, the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, and his entire core to scream his desire for her. "I promise." He uttered breathlessly, lining kisses along each syllable as he spoke them. He bit at her ear, arms pulling her in closer and exploring every curve her body had to offer. It only took the three words she uttered to move them forward. With his feet planted firmly in the shifting sand below, Noah moved towards the smooth rock the had come from. Once there, Noah did not waste any time -- though he took his time. His hands, his lips, his tongue--every way he could learn about her he did. He was intent on finding what made her twist and moan, what made her feel good, before he even thought of deriving his own pleasure from this experience. When they had finished, Noah held her against him, glacier eyes on amber. "I won't leave you." He whispered several times into her ear as they dried, bodies wrapped around each other, in the sun. FIN Noah Olson When the night is cold and you feel like no-one knows what it's like to be the only one buried in this hole You can make it to the sunrise