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It had taken hours to run all the tests on the sample she’d got from Y’Roden. Well, all right, it had taken an hour or so to get back on her feet after the sampling process first… And then it had taken some more hours to run the tests again to make absolutely sure, while not looking at the first set of results so she wouldn’t bias herself. This was not how Ghet liked to spend her time, though to be perfectly honest the rest of the trip had been pretty damn sweet. This though… she’d gently suggested to Y’Roden that this might be a good time for him to find something quiet to do, possibly a long way away. She tended to get a little… abrupt when she was waiting helplessly.
But finally, she was absolutely and completely sure. Sure and so overwrought she thought she was going to burst. Clutching her little sheets of printout to her chest and grinning fit to split her face, she went running through the house, searching out her husband.
Ro was comfortably situated in a window seat, dressed simply in a pair of soft black trousers, his bare back pressed up against the cool glass as he looked out over the garden. There were memories in this particular spot in the house… this was the place, the exact spot, where he had realized Ghet had been willing to end her marriage to Galain for him. It had been a confused, and somewhat painful moment, so close… and yet so far away from having everything he’d ever wanted. He’d had to back off, give her the space and time she needed to clearly think. It had been the hardest thing he’d ever had to do in his life.
Patience had brought its inevitable reward. She was his, and his alone, for the first time in their lives. No hiding affairs, no half of anything, just total and complete love, faith, and trust.
The rustle of paper and running footsteps drew his gaze from the garden to the interior of their home, eyebrows shooting up as he caught sight of Ghet. A warm chuckle escaped him and the half elf grinned, hard. “I take it the results are good?”
Ghet grinned ruefully, taking a moment to just stop and look at him. There were, so far as she was aware, no circumstances in which he looked bad, but this was particularly good.
This time, there'd be no men in tears afterwards, and no wives waiting in the wings. "Subtlety was never my strong point. Yes, the results are good. The tests are clear. We can make babies who won't claw their own way out." She moved over to sit beside him, dumping the printout on the seat next to them. "You know, the drawback to all this 'having children on purpose' thing is that I'm now so bloody nervous I might throw up." Yes, Aarien had been conceived deliberately, but they'd gone straight from the decision to the act without time to think. She'd had way too much time to think this time.
“That is, possibly, the most unromantic thing anyone has ever said to me,” Ro snickered, “could you not? I mean, I can likely stay aroused through just about anything, but that throwing up thing is about my limit.” He picked up one of the print outs and looked at it, eyebrows shooting up and eyes nearly crossing. “I’ll just… have to take your word for it.”
His grin was evil as he tossed the paper aside, “but then, it’s not my intellect you’re interested in, I suspect.” He leaned forwards, tilting his head slightly to the side, “I guess the only thing to be done… is to distract you. It’s difficult to be nervous when your brain stops working.”
Ghet snickered. "Oh go on, I'm sure people have said worse things to you. Really sure, I've been there for some of it. It might be the least romantic thing I've ever said to you."
She punched him in the shoulder. "I do too love you for your mind. Your body doesn't hurt... wait, that's a statement so completely lacking in truth it burns. But just being stunningly gorgeous has never been enough for me in a partner. It never stopped me having sex with big dumb people, but if I'm going to be coming back for more... yeah. You are devious, and evil, and inventive, all kinds of strong and determined... okay, yeah, I think I'm distracted now."
“Good,” the word was heavy with emotion as Ro slid his fingers into Ghet’s hair and cupped the base of her skull, drawing her forward into a kiss that was oddly tender despite the rough pressure. They were about to create something precious and real, and he wanted to draw the moment out. For a heartbeat, he drew his head back, a callused thumb running over his wife’s elegant cheekbone as emerald gems warmed with passion focused on indigo depths. “I love you, Ghettie,” he murmured, “always.”
Ducking his head, he kissed her again, fingers sliding down to push Ghet’s light sundress from her shoulders, baring silken flesh to press up to his highly defined chest as he gathered her slight form against him.
"I know," Ghet said, her voice a rough whisper. "How could I not know?" Everything they'd been through in their years apart had, to be honest, come quite close to killing her love for him, or so she'd thought. It had been so hard, to live believing he didn't love her any more, and yet the alternative had been worse. Her passion for him had flared up so strongly at the first breath of air that it obviously hadn't been damaged at all, only hiding.
They'd been so good at hiding.
She returned his kiss, tender in the heart of violence. It was her speciality. She pushed her body hard against his, loving the way his rough skin scraped across her nerves, but her kiss was soft and full of feeling. This was special, and something to be savoured, but it would also be done their way.
She pulled back just enough to slide her dress the rest of the way off. She knew her naked body was beautiful, and she also knew he'd still find it beautiful when she was so big with his child she could barely sit. The thought made her shiver and she pulled him back against her, gently kissing his eyelids, then coaxing his face down to her breasts as her nails scraped the back of his neck. "Yona elleska dai mod, y'ronnan. Ditla. Dai de y'tyrne."
A low rumble of anticipation vibrated against Ghet’s skin as Ro slid his mouth down her breast, one perfect, pink nipple hardening beneath his tongue as the S’Hean King slid from the window seat, going down to his knees at the feet of his Queen. Large hands that were worn and battered from life long use of weapons eclipsed her tiny waist, stroking down to delicate hipbones as his head lazily trailed down his wife’s torso, pausing to slowly kiss the silvery tattoos of quicksilver and phosphorus around her navel.
Fingertips slid over a silken thigh, coaxing them to part and sliding slowly into velvet heat as Ro’s head dipped further still, a low purr building in the half-elf’s chest as caressing kisses turn to intense, tender suction.
Gently, Ghet let her body fall back softly on the window seat, laid out for her lover. Under his attentions, the tension faded away, what was ruffled and tangled lying out straight and smooth again. She smiled slowly, letting out a soft, rumbling murmur that was nearly a S'Hean purr, her fingers brushing gently through his fringe and winding into the back of his hair. She felt exposed and loved it, S'Hean sun pouring over her bare skin.
And where there was complete relaxation, tension crept in again, but it was entirely different now and altogether much more pleasant. Nearly too pleasant. "Rodi..." It was little more than a breath, but it carried a note of warning.
The only answer was a slight increase in pressure, a subtle answer to the fluctuations in Ghet’s body, instinctively answering a rhythm that had become as natural to Ro over their long relationship as his own breathing. There was something a little different on this occasion, however, an encouraging undertone to his touch and a tentative brush of his soul on hers that ignited deep in his wife’s body, setting the catalyst in motion that would bring what they both so badly wanted.
Ghet's teeth sank into her lip, searching for control. So far from her earlier anxiety, she'd nearly forgotten why they were here. It was possible that what Ro was doing interfered with her thought processes somehow.
She'd done this before, when she'd deliberately conceived Aarien, she just had to remember how it went. Turning inward, seeking, it cooled the pure heat in her blood a little.
The touch of his soul engaged the core of her, deep red flame flaring in recognition. It had been so long since she'd held the Fragment of his, and yet her soul had never forgotten. The physical sensation and the fiery spiritual joy blended, whirling fire twining through that adored emerald galaxy. In a moment, it settled, suddenly less bright and sure, as she became aware of a shift in her own body, a change that brought a tiny edge of fear with it. Instinct told her no, it wasn't safe, and she had to fight past it, seeking for strength from him to help her hold true.
Verdant stars caught fire and blazed, the somewhat tattered galaxy pulsing in reaction, the conduit spinning wide open in answer to his mate’s answering touch. Ro felt her fear like a vibration throughout body and spirit, and tendrils of emerald reached out to soothe and reassure. Even as he pushed Ghet’s body past the point of control, the half-elf’s thrumming galaxy of power embraced her, flooding with love, faith and a dark passionate joy.
“Let go,” he whispered through her soul, “I’ve got you.”
It was all Ghet needed, utterly trusting, to be loved and supported, to not be alone. They had so much power between them, and it had frightened her in the past, but it was also easy to let herself be overwhelmed by it.
This time, it was overwhelming joy as she let go all restraint, and the cry she gave was full of laughter, savage physical release washing away the last traces of her fear. Nothing could stand in the face of that much pleasure. Her body relaxed, utterly pliant and receptive, ready to face what was to come without fear.
Ro’s head lifted slowly, his fingers gripping the edge of the seat as he rose to his feet, standing over his wife, eyes glowing softly with Aethyr travelling languidly up her body. His dimples shone through momentarily in a self-satisfied smile as the half-elf tugged at the laces to his trousers, stripping away the last of the barriers.
Leaning forwards he dipped down to kiss her, hands pressing down on the padding of the seat. A growl started low in his chest and he slid one hand beneath Ghet’s thigh, the other beneath her back and lifted his wife, light as a feather as he stood, catching her against his chest and urging her legs around his hips. Turning he pressed her back against the cool glass of the window and braced, mouth hard on his wife’s, soul twining deeper into the blazing flames of her spirit as he thrust deep into the slick heat of her body.
Heavy-lidded eyes half-opened, watching Y'Roden with obvious pleasure as he moved over her. Ghet moved easily in his arms, providing balance to match his strength, anticipating where he needed her to be. Her legs wrapped round his hips, her feet locking at the base of his spine, pulling him to her as he thrust, welcoming him home. The cool glass against her skin brought a rush of memory that now, in her happiness, she could just savour, and a mad moment where she couldn't help but wonder what this looked like from outside.
She took his kiss hard, her hands on the back of his neck, twisting in his hair. Her soul welcomed his with near-dangerous enthusiasm, all restraint gone with what had kept her from bearing a child. She had been so weak, physically and spiritually, when they'd reunited, and now she revelled in her strength, knowing what it was to go without it. The fine green threads his blood had given her latched on to his soul, making a temporary surface connection between them even as rich red embers danced through emerald stars.
Her nails dug into his shoulder muscles as her hips worked against his, driven by instinct and the deep-seated need to bring him pleasure.
A teasing sense of peace laced through fierce passion, blending into something… complete. Just for this moment, Y’Roden let himself go, let himself feel what he had been nearly afraid to accept. On some deep, shadowy level, the half-elf had never felt deserving of the kind of love Ghet brought to him. Unconditional. It was why he had walked away years ago, setting her free to be with someone else, releasing her from the agony of being split in two. Yet, here in a melange of senses he finally connected to it… to his right to it, to his right to her.
Here… they were one, no glimmering horizon of gold threatened to overwhelm and claim her, no ring but the engagement band Y’Roden had given her pressed against his shoulders. Within the scent of sun-warmed ginseng, the soft squeak of skin against glass, the feel of her body around him, and the blazing galaxy of their souls… was the final piece to a lifelong puzzle.
For a heartbeat he grinned against her mouth, overwhelmed and more open than he’d ever been. Without hesitation, he opened completely and let her in. Revealing every joy, every pain, every shadowed moment and through it all… was Ghet… his light in the dark.
A guttural sound escaped, Ro’s body still moving within hers, hard and unrelenting, fingers digging hard into soft flesh as he supported his wife, holding her pinned as maddening pressure built at the base of his spine. The force of release snapped his head back, a choked cry partially cut off as he jerked, body spasming out of control and somehow managing to crack his forehead off the glass in the process.
Ghet leaned her head against his shoulder, laughing and weeping, perfectly happy. She knew what they were to each other, and really she always had, it was just that now she could accept it. Perfect complements, nothing hidden, nothing too raw or dark to show. She loved him completely, everything he was, and more than that, he made her proud of what she was. Not twisted and perverted or weak, but a rare and precious treasure. She was proud, too, to be mother of his children.
She pulled his head back off the windowpane and kissed him gently. Her awareness was mostly focused inward, on her body and on the Web, waiting, but she could spare this. "I take it you have a very understanding relationship with a glazier. This poor window..."
And then she felt it, a stirring shift in her body, and through Y'Roden, she felt it on the Web, a sparking, the birth of a new star. She could not take her eyes from his face as she watched the dawning awareness, the wonder they shared. A new life. After all her fear and worry, such a simple, glorious thing.
And then she felt it again.
Two. The conflicting emotion was more than she could take, her chest and her head seizing up with it, too much to process. She was overjoyed, and terrified. Perhaps she was wrong. Maybe it was just an echo. She searched his eyes, unable to breathe. "Rodi?"
“Malik never asks questions,” he replied, distracted, and quite unaware of the red spot in the middle of his forehead. His expression softened, eyes brightening as he felt the creation of their son… sons? The half-elf looked slightly perplexed, internally embracing Ghet’s spirit, soothing as he searched along the Web, through their souls, and found exactly that… two.
“Two,” he murmured, emerald gaze steady as it met hers, and he smiled, “It’s ok, it’ll be ok Ghettie, twins are smaller.” It was true, he had two sets already and all had been significantly smaller than any single born child. Experience calmed any ember of worry that threatened to ignite. What was strange was that he hadn’t sought out to create two… but accidents happened, especially when things were intense as they were between them. “Are you alright elleska?”
Still so closely entwined with him, Ghet could feel that Ro's confidence was real. He wasn't just trying to comfort her; he believed what he said, so she believed it too. Late pregnancy was always hard on her: even with Aarien it had been tiring and desperately uncomfortable and this time it was bound to be worse, but she'd manage. She smiled, warm and accepting. She was having twins. Two of Y'Roden's children without having to go through all this twice. It was an unexpected bonus.
"Me, am I alright? I'm not the one with the head wound. Nor am I the one holding us both up. I'm fine. I will be fine. When we get back, I'll have a nice long talk with Samen W'Cren, all right? I'll do whatever I have to."
Gently, she unwound her legs from around him and parted their bodies, standing on the seat behind her for a minute and kissing his forehead. She was still feeling strange, open and weepy and vulnerable, but it wasn't a bad feeling. "Take me to bed, okay? I don't want to be parted from you. I'll even let you carry me and not bitch. Tomorrow I'll take the chip out and we can go back home, but today... I just want to be with you."
“How could I possibly resist that?” Ro said with a warm smile, the fringe of hair between his eyes vibrating slightly after she kissed his forehead. Fingers touched on Ghet’s abdomen, a light caress of her skin over the spot where their children were safely nestled. He suddenly laughed, a low chuckle that was slightly self-effacing yet tingled with happiness. “I never, ever thought I would see this day,” the half-elf murmured, emotion sparking gently where their souls were still tangled, “D’Anke, y’vonna, for everything you give to me, every day.”
He pulled Ghet down into his arms cradling her as he turned around and headed to the stairs, intending to do just as she asked, and take her up to their bed. The thought of heading back to Nenlante was the furthest thing from his mind; it would have been… a flat note in a day that had, so far, been perfect.
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