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The night was still very young, but I slowly made my way back to my chambers anyways. We had directly started partying after returning from Amaurot. I bet everyone was tired after the whole ordeal, but I seemed to be the only one, who was going to act on it.
After having a few more toasts with everybody, I finally made my way to my quarters in the pendants. Everybody had been so rather busy with each other, that I just took the opportunity and slipped away, without saying good night. I wasn’t sure, if it would happen, but last time I tried to get to bed early, Thancred had pulled me back and handed me more to drink. The next morning, I was so hungover, that I couldn’t even reach the toilet in time to empty my upset stomach. Everybody had been very happy. Not. Tonight though, Thancred had been on a roll until Urianger had pulled him aside. From the look on their faces, the conversation did not lighten up Thancreds mood.
Which was precisely, why I was now in my room, the door closed, lights on and finally: Nobody around to stop me from getting my tipsy head into the most comfy looking bed.
Still, I looked around, checking for visitors. But there was no one here.
My lips curled into a sad smile and my ears folded down a notch. What was I thinking? Arbert would never be anywhere close again. He was as close as he could have gotten. Closer, than most would ever get. I mean, fusing ones souls was … a rather intimate affair.
No more spying on me for him. Or rather … he had a front row seat now.
A sigh escaped my lips as I finally started taking off my armour. Even though it was new, I had already managed to get scratches all over it and the varnish was pealing off in some places.
That’s what you get, when you face an Ascian in his prime, I thought, pulling my feet out of the greaves, poor soul. He had seemed to be so … so lonely. If you had been on your own for over 12.000 years, you’d probably be very lonely, too. Especially, if Lahabrea and Elidibus – both rather lovely and talkative people - were the only company you could keep.
With my body free of all the gear and my long bushy tail brushed up, I searched a nearby drawer for more casual clothes and found a white linen shirt and simple dark linen pants. Before slipping them on though, I had a look at the damage, Hades had managed to do to me:
I had bruises all over my body, a particular huge one on my right thigh. It was already turning slightly green on the edges. That one would hurt for a while.
Of course, the healers of the Crystarium had patched us all up as good as they could, but bruises were considered blemishes, not injuries, and were left alone in most cases. Also, I hadn’t allowed them to do more than necessary and had shoved them towards G’Raha.
The edges of my mouth slowly rose again.
He had been so shy when returning, probably feeling bad for never having shown his face to anyone. We hadn’t talked after leaving Kohlusia, since Thancred actually needed to help him walk. As soon though, as we reached the Crystarium, Lyna had rushed over and taken him under her care. She had never seen his face, but she didn’t seem to mind anyways and simply made sure, her father figure would be alright – whatever may.
Afterwards, he had been swarmed by his people and I hadn’t really gotten the chance to talk to him.
When closing my eyes, I could still see his face as I told him, that I was happy to see him awake. His realisation, that I wasn’t mad at him. Not at all. And that I did still remember him.
Him and our adventure in the Crystal Tower.
To me, it had only been a few months, since he had laid himself to rest. But for G’Raha, it had been 200 years of sleep and 100 years of leading the Crystarium, after learning, that I had died.
I couldn’t imagine, how he must have felt. Learning that every one of his friends and family was dead. But he has had some time to adjust. It might have been horrible in the very beginning, but he was fine now. To some extent, hopefully.
Honestly, I couldn’t remember how I felt after he had left. There had been so many things happening all at once back then: Our first contact with Ishgard, the keeper of the lake and of course, the attack on the Sultana and the splitting of the Scions. Before I even had the time to mourn losing him to the tower, my mind had already been occupied with having lost my connection to Hydaelin and having to run from my allies. And afterwards? I had fled to Ishgard, helped ending the Dragonsong War, meddled in two revolutions, defeated one time travelling and one dimension jumping enemy and actually managed to survive it all. Not to speak of my dabblings with void sent and the lost civilisation of Rabanastre. And of course: Kriles expedition to Eureka.
If I was truly honest with myself, I had to admit, that I had almost forgotten about our adventure at the Crystal Tower until he had given me the cryptic message about having left a beacon there. But after that, my mind had started recounting all that had happened and I began to wonder, what had become of my friend G’Raha Tia. And that had been the point, that I finally started to feel sad about him, thinking about his snarky attitude, his jokes and his eagerness to follow me into danger, only to be held back by the other researchers. And I had felt remorse for not having mourned him properly. For having basically forgotten about his very existence.
With a loud sigh, I pulled the dark pants up, pulled my tail through the tiny hole on the back and threw the shirt over my head. It got stuck on my ears for a second and I had to tug it down. The air was thick and I decided to open the window. My room had a beautiful view across parts of Lakeland. Therefore, I didn’t hear any of the tumult going on in the Crystarium proper, but only a few chirping insects and the dampened sounds of a far-off river.
I was finally about to fall into the soft and warm embrace of my bed, when I heard a slow knock at the door.
“Shia? ... are you still awake,” a familiar voice asked from the other side, as I scrambled to get back onto my feet. Quickly, I tiptoed across the cold floor to open the door just a tiny bit and peak outside.
The tired and shy face of one Crystal Exarch showed me the tiniest of smiles.
“You were suddenly gone and I just wondered, if you were alright,” he explained, his arms slowly caressing one another, the expressive ears meekly pointing down.
“Oh! Oh … I am so sorry,” I cleared my throat and opened the door fully, “I didn’t mean to just abscond from the party, but everybody was having such a good time and I was just …" I peeked my head out of the door to look, if he had brought company and was happy to see, that the hallway behind him was empty.
“Do you wish to come in,” I offered, taking a step back.
He gave a timid nod and I quickly closed the door behind him.
“Would you like something to drink? I believe I still have some ale around. Or perhaps whisky is more to your taste?”
His ears twitched, “thank you very much for your hospitality. But I must admit, I have not yet tested this body’s limit and I already feel tipsy.”
“... a strange thought, isn’t it. The Crystal Tower being tipsy …"
“Well,” a soft smile spread across his face, “let’s be fair, I still am a living, breathing being. I’m not all crystal just yet.”
“Just yet? Does that mean that I will one day lose you again to the Crystal Tower?”
“By the gods – I hope not,” a horrified expression replaced his smile, “I do hope this will not get any worse, than it already is.”
I nodded. “If not alcohol, would you maybe fancy some tea? I had the pleasure of learning everything about the fine art of brewing delicious warm beverages from leaves when I lived in Ishgard.”
“Ishgard? Oh right – I remember. Heavensward.”
“Heavensward?” One of my brows rose in question.
“The book Count Edmund de Fortemps wrote about your adventures in his city. And yes,” he sat down at the table, “I would love to taste your tea.”
With quick fingers, I started preparing everything I needed for a few cups.
“I didn’t know he wrote a book about it. About the Dragonsong War then?”
“I believe it was specifically about you and your exploits in Coerthas and Dravania with all the details. I must admit,” a chuckle escaped his lips, “when I read it, I was almost envious of your friend Haurchefant.”
“...” my ears fluttered and pointed down, as I placed the lid a little too hard onto the boiling pot, “nobody should be envious of Haurchefant.”
He seemed to catch on quickly. “Ah yes … I am sorry. I did not mean it in this way. All I wished to convey is, that I wished to have spent more time at your side. All those adventures you were on with him. ‘d is far too easy to imagine myself in his place.”
“You did not offend.” My hands searched the cupboard for a tea pot. “It’s just … It hasn’t been a year since I lost him. But with everything that happened to me in the meantime, it feels like a lifetime ago. Just like with you,” I turned around to him and placed the porcelain on the table. “I am inclined to believe, that it is the same for you: 200 years of sleep and a 100 more as the Exarch. It must all seem so long ago, but yet … you remember me yet. While I …" my thoughts trailed off and I returned to the stove to carefully pour the boiling water over the leaves in the pot.
“While you ..?”
“I have not forgotten. But I must admit, I have not thought much about you before coming here.”
“Little wonder,” his smile returned, “according to the book and the tales of the Ironworks staff, you have been rather busy following your arrival in Ishgard. Do you ever take a break?”
“... what do you mean, a break,” I laughed, “it’s not like I call Hydaelin and tell her, that I am done with my chores or that I need a break. Most of the time, adventure and responsibility finds me – not the other way around.”
It was then, that I saw him laugh for the very first time since arriving on Norvrandt. Even though his voice had deepened a tiny bit and his whole character had calmed down compared to before his imprisonment, his hair was faiding to white and crystal was growin on his skin - his laughter was still the same.
He suddenly looked so much younger. So much more like the young man he had been back then.
A sweet scent reached my nose and I turned my attention back to the tea pot.
“I believe the tea is ready.” Carefully, I poured him a cup.
He picked it up when I filled mine and sniffed it. “hm this smells nice.” When taking a sip though, he grimaced.
“Does it not taste good?”
“I don’t know – I think I burned my tongue.”
“Oh no – wait a second.” I quickly got up from my chair and filled a glass of water for him. “Drink this. It might help ease the pain.”
“Thank you. But it’s not that bad.” He took a sip of the water, nonetheless.
My mind started to wander. “Maybe we could … cool the tea with some orange juice … or perhaps, use the whisky?”
“Wouldn’t that lessen the experience? I wouldn’t want to miss out on tea expertly brewed by my idol.” His ears twitched.
I could feel my face flush and quickly buried it in my cup. Yes. The tea was still hot.
“You know … G’Raha - wait,” I slowly placed the cup back on the table, “how would you like me to call you? I mean, I got to know you as G’Raha Tia, but everybody is calling you Exarch by now.”
“’t is a good question,” he absentmindedly placed a finger on his lips, “I mean ... before you called out to me on Mt. Gulg … I hadn’t been called that name in over a hundred years. Well,” he smiled, his ears fluttering, “I don’t mind either. If you prefer G’Raha Tia, please do call me that.”
“G’Raha it is then,” I raised my cup as if toasting to him. My blonde tail was swaying happily behind me from side to side.
“Please, when it’s just us, Raha will suffice.”
“... are you sure?” A Miqo’te would not simply allow others to call them by their given name just like that. Even after all that had happened, I still called Y’Shtola Y’Shtola instead of just Shtola.
But Raha nodded, “of course. It would be an honour.”
“Raha it is then.” I raised my cup once more to toast and he clinked his against it. I let the name roll of my tongue one more time before drinking. “Raha. Yes, I could get used to this.”
Now it was his turn to blush. Though, he didn’t even try to hide it. He much rather looked at me in excitement.
“hm?”
“It’s just …" he started fumbling with his cup, “I never imagined this. That one day I would be sitting here, drinking tea with you.”
“... when we were in Kohlusia, I asked you about your plans for after saving the world. You told me that you wanted to spend time with a certain someone … you were talking about me, right? Spending time with me, going on adventures with me. And so on.” He didn’t answer straight away, so I buried my face once more in my cup and added: “Not that I would presume …"
I didn’t dare to look at him in this very moment and he took a few seconds, before he finally answered.
“I did not anticipate that I would survive. That much is true,” he placed his hands around his cup, his ears pointing down a notch, “I did not lie either. I really wish … I truly hoped that …" His voice started to trail off. The topic seemed as uncomfortable to him as I had anticipated.
Still, I reached out and carefully placed my hands around his, not to straddle him.
“If you could- No. How to start,” the words seemed to escape me, “if you were to accompany me on my adventures, I would like it very much.”
He didn’t look up at me, but much rather kept on staring at my hand around his, before he slowly turned it and caressed it with his fingers.
“... I didn’t dare to dream of a day that I could...”
A shy smile washed over his pained face.
“Raha, tell me,” I closed my hands around his, “when did you last do something for yourself?”
It was only now that he raised his head to look at me with those same eyes, he had looked at me with after my fight with Hades. And once more tears were slowly rolling over his cheeks.
“I’m so sorry,” I gasped and felt my heart rate speed up. Had I said something wrong? “I didn’t mean to … to …" I tried to retract my hands, but he held onto them.
“No … please,” the tears were still streaming across his face, but he smiled. “I’m just … I’m just so happy.”
“... you are happy?”
A nod. “Yes, because I am here. With you. Finally. After all these long years and,” his smile faltered and a sob escaped his lips, “and I … I …"
My feet were faster than my mind. It took me only a few steps to get to his side of the table, to sit down right next to him. Slowly, carefully I raised my arms and pulled him close.
Something, I should have done back in Amaurot, I thought.
Even though I had tried to be careful, it seemed I had finally managed to catch him off guard.
“Thank you,” I whispered and buried my face in his shoulder.
It was a slow motion, but I felt him raise his arms around me in turn, “... what are you-”
“For all of this. You have given me so much. Given the world so much. Basically, all of your life, hopes and dreams for the future. Your future. And here I am, making you cry. Again!”
Raha took a deep breath and tightened his arms around me.
“You know, I almost thought this to be a dream. A sweet dream before I would wake up to find, that I still had not managed to pull you from the other side. Waking up in a world deprived of hope.”
I could feel the cold of the crystal at my neck, when he decided to lean his face against my shoulder.
“But with you right here … I finally realize, that it’s all true. You did save the world. You did save all of us. You did save me.”
“Not exactly,” I pulled my head back to look him in the eyes, still holding him in a tight embrace. “We saved it together.”
He slowly raised his head to face me. Our noses brushed against each other.
“That we did,” he whispered.
My heart was racing. It felt so much worse than before, when I had been facing Hades. But my face felt just as hot and – where did my breath go again?
Raha blinked a few tears away, his red eyes still filled to the brim with them, his thick long lashes wet. Only now I could see some tiny freckles across his cheeks.
“Will you do me one last favour,” I whispered, my eyes darting back and forth between his.
“Anything.” His voice was barely audible.
“You have done your duty,” I slowly rose from the stool, bend down just a bit and laid my forehead carefully against his, “more, than anyone could have ever asked of you. From now on … please … once in a while, just … sometimes … do something only for yourself.”
A tiny smile. “I can try … but … would you mind if I … if I would try something … right now? Something foolish?”
I took a deep breath.
“Please.”
He moved slowly. So very slowly.
At first, he closed his eyes. Another tear escaped them and slowly rolled across the crystalized skin. He carefully tilted his head back ever so slightly and-
When his lips first touched mine, I almost didn’t feel them, but closed my eyes nonetheless at the feeling. Though, he brushed them just so slightly against mine, before he slowly backed away again.
My eyes fluttered open, just so I could see him. “… why did you stop?”
Raha was sitting there, one hand just inches away from my cheek, the other halfway into my hair.
“This … this is a dream, isn’t it? No … I wouldn’t even dare to dream-“
“This is no dream, Raha,” my voice kind, but strong.
“It must be. You would never … I mean …”
I placed my hands on each side of his face. “This is no dream.”
And I pulled him in again. This time, I would lead and I knew, what I wanted. I wanted him to kiss me just as much as I wanted to kiss him.
Our lips were dry, split open in parts from the heat, battle and use. His tasted of the salty tears he had cried and mine – mine probably tasted of the tea we just had.
He suddenly gasped, backed away again, stared at me in bewilderment, as if he was seeing me for the first time.
“... are you alright,” I was about to ask, before he rose abruptly.
He is taller than me, it shot through my head, not much. Just enough.
Raha pushed me back a few inches into the room, before nestling his fingers into my hair and carefully returning his lips onto mine.
His kiss was sweet, longing. As if he was drinking water for the first time after a long draught. Reaching the saving wetness just in time before dying of thirst. And thirsty he was. Thirsty for touch, affection. My touch. My affection. And I had no longer any reasons to withhold them, just as he had no longer any reasons to hold himself back, to be reserved.
We were two people, no longer bound by obligation and calling. With nobody to remind us of our positions and societies expectations. No longer the celebrated hero and the Crystal Exarch. But only an adventurer and G’Raha Tia. Just two people, who had been longing for each other’s touch for far too long.
At least, for this very moment.
My hands were on his neck, carefully caressing his crystalized skin while kissing him. His slowly wandered across my arms, my chest and behind my back, where he pulled me against his body once more. He was almost radiating heat.
It was just a tiny pinch, but I started giggling anyways.
“You are still ticklish, I see,” he grinned into my lips, as I tried to pull away to catch my breath for a moment.
“Of course. But please, don’t tell my enemies.”
“... maybe I should tell your lover,” he whispered onto the skin of my neck, “I am sure, he would love to know.”
I raised an eyebrow, “what makes you think, I would have a lover?” Quickly, my fingers found his sides and gave them a squeeze. He almost jumped at the touch. “And what makes you think, I would be kissing you, if I had one? You must truly think me a bad person …"
“I did not mean to offend,” he opened his eyes to give me an apologetic look, “but there must be someone.”
“...” I planted another kiss on his lips, before placing my arms on his shoulders, pulling him close again. “There was. I met him almost at the same time as I met you. Back in Eorzea of course. And gods,” I groaned, “how I had wished for him to see me. But he never did. He admires me, I am sure of it. Believes in me, thinks highly of me. But all he ever sees is the Warrior of Light. Not … me, the person.” Our foreheads touched again. “I had enough time to cope with this reality.”
“It is hard to believe that in all of Eorzea nobody has ever loved you romantically.”
“Well, I did have quite the stalker,” I frowned before planting another quick kiss on him, “but he slit his own throat.”
“How very dramatic,” Raha squeezed me, “and he was never ..?”
“Never,” I reassured, “I am not into homicidal maniacs. And others … well,” I playfully bit his lower lip and looked up at him with the biggest eyes I could make, my ears pulled down to look cuter. “Not everyone in Eorzea is as courageous as G’Raha Tia, the man who gave up everything for a better tomorrow. The Crystal Exarch. The man who would have died for me, had he had the chance.”
His cheeks were slightly pink again.
“But pray tell me,” and I gave him the most seductive look with my eyes half closed, lips parted and my head tilted slightly to the side, “has the man himself perhaps taken a wife? A lover? Mayhap, I am not the one who is being … untrue to another, but you? Tell me, dearest Crystal Exarch …” I trailed off, slowly pulling him with me towards the stairs on the opposite side of the table and kitchen area.
Where he had been slightly pink before, Raha was now flushed red, his ears slightly twitching back and forth. He seemed undecided, whether he liked where I was trying to take him or if he would rather not follow me.
Half excited, half scared. He was whipping back and forth on his feet.
Oh, how I would have loved to see, if his tail was swaying around. But the long robes obscured it from view.
“I’m sorry,” I loosened my grip on his body, “I did not mean to push you.”
He blinked. “Oh - no, no – you, you did not push me. Not in the least. I was just … thinking. That’s all.”
I gave him a quick squeeze. “What is on your mind then?”
“You see,” and he looked aside, his lips curled into a sheepish grin, “I am over 300 years old. And I have never once in my life thought about taking a wife. Or a husband, for a fact.”
“How come,” I asked. This was genuinely surprising, and I leaned back a bit in his embrace.
“Well, you see,” he leaned back a bit too. He looked like he was deep in thought. “I left my tribe for Sharlayan and became a Students of Baldesion at a very young age and as a student, I was far to occupied with studying, to even think about … girls. Also, I was obsessed with the Allagan Eye and it’s powers. And the Crystal Tower.”
“You never lost your humour though. Whatever happened, wherever you went,” I quipped.
Raha grinned. “I had a race with you, didn’t I?”
“You were so annoying! I was supposed to help the excavation and you-”
“Is it too late to apologize?”
“Ha! 300 years too late, I am afraid.” I poked his nose. “Now, you were about to say ..?”
“Stop that. Now … Well, after our adventure at the Crystal Tower, I slept for around 200 years. And when I finally woke up, I was asked to help save the world. And that is what my mind has been focused on for the last 100 years. The only one who was ever on my mind,” he brushed his nose against mine, “was you. I had to bring you here, whatever may.”
He chuckled. “Now look at you. Finally, just as red as I am.”
Raha leaned in and gave me a sweet kiss on my burning cheek.
I had been on his mind. For over 100 years. I knew it had been strictly professional. But right now? Right now it sounded so gods be damned romantic.
“…” I tried not to look at him. The crystalline chest piece of his robe was so very interesting at the moment. I started fumbling around with it.
“I never thought I would make you speechless one day.” He hummed into my ear. “Now … where were we..?”
His hand was below my face, gently pushing my chin up and his lips met mine once more in a deep, agonising kiss.
With a sly grin, I turned my face. Meanwhile, my hands had slowly wandered … He gasped when I grabbed his bottoms firmly and I took the opportunity to quickly slip my tongue between his parted lips.
He breathed in sharply and was about to say something, but I just shook my head and massaged his butt cheeks.
“Trust me,” I breathed into the kiss, fighting with him for dominance.
Rahas grip around my waist tightened for a second, before he swooped me up in a quick motion. He took the steps up to the elevated part of the room and thrust me onto the bed, before quickly walking over to the window, closing it.
“I believe, we both prefer our privacy,” and with another few steps he had walked to the door and turned the key in its lock.
“Indeed.” I was laying on my back, hoisted up on my arms when he finally returned to me after dimming the light a bit.
“You know,” he sat down next to me and brushed some of my hair out of my face, “I much prefer the way you look at me right now.”
I lowered my eyelids to give him a seductive gaze. “Prefer this to … what?”
He slowly placed his hands on each side of me, so that he could lean down, “to the way you almost chocked me with your gaze when I first called you.”
A tiny chuckle escaped my lips as I pulled him towards me into the cushions, “well… you timing was … most unfortunate.”
“I will strife … to be better … next time…”
My lips were on his again and this time he didn’t fight me, when my tongue demanded entry. And while we were kissing like we were the last two people left on this world, I started searching his body with my hands. I had them caress his cheeks, slide down to his neck and across his robe. That cheeky belt had to go and in one swift motion I discarded of it.
“…” he took another shallow breath, as my hands carefully started to explore the depths of his coat. “What are you-“
I didn’t let him finish.
With one quick movement, I had changed our positions and was now sitting above him, straddling his waist with my hips.
“Please listen to me,” my voice was a bit coarse, my hips slowly moving. I knew what I wanted. But did he?
“Raha… I want this. I want you. I know that. But … if you have any … reservations,” and I carefully placed a soft kiss on his forehead, “I will not continue. But never doubt this one thing: I want you, G’Raha Tia. And none other.” Once more, my face was hot. “B-but as I said: if you don’t, then I will not stop you from leaving.”
He just looked at me for a long moment. His red eyes were searching my face, jumping between looking into my eyes and my lips. He slowly licked his and his trademark ears fluttered into an upright position.
“Come here.”
Propped up on one arm, the other one slowly reached for me. My eyes widened for just a moment, but then I just let go.
While my body hunchds over to kiss him, Rahas fingers in my long hair, my own started to wander across his now loose robes.
Carefully, almost caressingly, I move them aside – bit by bit.
First, I slowly exposed more of his neck. Satisfied with my work, I trailed my lips from his mouth over his chin and jawline to his Adam’s apple. I felt him moan as I nibbled at it carefully. But I wasn’t done yet and kept on working my way across his neck, until I reached the part, where crystal and skin were slowly merging.
“… what is it my dear,” he wondered, still caressing my hair ever so slightly, even tickling my ears a bit. Though, his breathing had gotten rougher and when I looked up, I saw a longing, a fire in his eyes.
“I was just wondering…” my tongue danced across the thin border between his skin and the cold crystal. He shuddered. “How much do you feel..? At the crystal?”
He let out a quiet moan before answering. “Enough … you are driving me crazy.”
The corners of my mouth propped up and my eyes returned to his now bare chest. “Good … though… I have only just begun…” I chuckled and looked up to his face. “How could you possibly survive what’s still to come?”
Slowly, so very very slowly, I pulled apart the robe, undid the clasps on his chest and shoulder and ever so slowly, I pulled apart the black cloth.
“This won’t do,” I hummed and pushed the robe over his shoulders, only to leave them halfway down his arms, tangling Raha in them. My mind was occupied with something else.
Ignoring his confused look, I took in the breath-taking view in front of me: G’Rahas chest was beautiful. The crystal across his neck slowly expanded onto his right shoulder and into his arm. On the same side, the it covered his collarbone and had spread across parts of the right chest muscle, barely covering his nipple. The other side though was coloured a light beige, no scars, no crystals and a small peachy protrusion right on top of a slightly trained muscle, surrounded by a few sprinkles of whiteish short hair.
There it is.
I must have had a special look on my face, judging from Rahas curled eyebrows. But I didn’t care. With all the precision I could muster, I dove straight down and closed my lips carefully around my prize.
Raha gasped, followed by a moan that was cut short by a sharp breath, when I gave his nipple a quick nibble. His breathing sped up significantly and I could feel his quickened heart rate vibrating through his skin. My fingers were trailing along his sides, smoothing over crystal and skin. His body seemed to follow the touch, as he arched up.
“… what are you doing to me…” he gasped.
“I’m giving you all those things you so desperately deserve. And you deserve closeness,” I breathed into his skin, slowly pushing back more of this robes to expose his slightly toned belly. I admired it for a second, before bending down again and kissing that sweet spot where his ribs met.
“You deserve to be cherished.” I moved down further and slightly sucked on the skin above his stomach.
“You deserve to be worshipped for all the things you have done for the world.” And I slowly dipped my tongue into his navel. I didn’t need to see his reaction, I heard it, I felt it. A gasp, followed by a shuddered moan, as I caressed the sensitive skin.
My tail was in an upright position, slowly wagging from left to right in excitement, as I was laying between his legs at this point. Both of them were propped up right and left of my upper body, while I covered the lower half of the moaning hot mess below me. He seemed to react to each and every one of my tongues strokes, my fingers slight caressing his sides and through the thin fabric of my night shirt, I could already feel a protrusion rising up between his legs.
But we weren’t there just yet. I was still far too focused on this belly button and the nicely toned muscles around it when-
“You are beautiful.”
The suddenness of his words caused me to stop for a second. Our eyes met and I awkwardly put my tongue back into my mouth, still drawing circles on his skin with my fingers.
Raha propped himself up. He placed a hand below my chin and pulled me up to give me a heated kiss.
“You see me. Now let me see more of you.”
I shuddered and smiled into the kiss. My arms were halfway down on my shirt, when he pulled his free and grabbed me.
“Let me do it. Please.”
“Hmmm, a team effort then.”
He grinned and pushed me back a few inches to slowly pull the linen over my flushed face.
I was naked underneath and could feel his hungry eyes slowly take in the view: My body was trained, hard strong muscles defining every inch of it, my stomach defined by a slight six pack. And all my scars. The ones I had gotten from my many battles over the last few months. The one that Niddhog had given me, even stretched across the weathered skin of my left side, from collarbone over my breast down to my hip bone.
“I am so glad I managed to get the all of you here. You are beautiful.”
I giggled nervously. “You could have left some of those scars back on the source if you ask me.”
“No,” Rahas right hand slowly followed the trail of Niddhoggs present to me, “your achievements have been edged into your skin. All those many stories, all those adventures. They are all here. Right here to be read on your skin…”
He trailed of and leaned in, to kiss the base of my neck, to suck at the sensitive skin. I felt his left hand slowly pull me in, his right one carefully cupping my scarred breast
Heat walled up inside of my body and with a slow, deep moan, I leaned my head back.
As if he had been waiting for it, Raha was at my throat. All the while, his hands were gently massaging my breasts. At least, they were. Until I felt one of them slowly making their way down across my back and-
I almost jumped when he grabbed one of my butt cheeks and squeezed it.
“Revenge…” he murmured onto my skin and gave it another one.
“That’s not fair,” I complained, burying my face in his fading red hair.
His smell was familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. Of course, after returning from the fight all of us had taken baths and he did no longer smell of blood and Kohlusias dirt. Or Amaurots for a fact. But gods… I couldn’t put my finger on it, what his scent reminded me of.
G’Raha took the opportunity and pulled me into his lap. I locked my arms around his neck, my legs around his hips, bringing us closer together. The motion made us both groan in pleasure. We were both radiating heat from our loins already and the simple touch send shivers down our spines.
“Raha,” I managed to gasp in between more messy and wet kisses, “I need you to show me… I need to see it.”
“…what..?”
“This…”
My right hand on his face, keeping him occupied with my mouth, I let my hand trail down his back, just as he had. But instead of pinching his perfect buttocks, I caressed the root of his furred tail and pulled it out carefully.
He shivered as my hand smoothed over it.
“I was almost sure it was gone…” but it was still there, though, much like with his hair, the colour had started to fade from dark red to white. But it was still as bushy as I remembered it.
“Hmm” he muttered, his hands both pulling me against him and grabbing my blonde one in turn.
I almost bit his ear in response.
“I haven’t engaged in tail play in quite a while,” Raha grinned at me and tickled the base, “but I still remember the basics…”
I groaned and hid my face in his shoulder. “Do you now.”
“Of course,” he whispered into my perked up ear.
With a slow motion, he lifted me up a bit to have me sit on my knees above him. Pulling my head close to kiss me, he pushed my dark pants over my hips and to my knees. I felt a tiny breeze as he slipped it away from beneath me and slowly pushed my upper body towards the mattress.
“You know, when I had this room prepared for you, I never anticipated that we would be using it for … this …”
He was behind me now, trailing gentle kisses across my exposed back, along my spine until he reached the base of my nervously swaying tail.
“Relax,” he whispered and pushed the tail up a bit with a finger, only to nipple at the sensitive skin between back and tail.
“…. Hmnn” I moaned loudly into the cushion beneath me, my whole body shaking.
Rahas tongue and fingers expertly worked their way along the base and across the thin hairs. He knew exactly where to press, where to lick and even where to bite. All I could do, was enjoy the pleasure he gave me, my body tingling all over from his touch. His breath sending shudders down my back.
Somewhere in my stomach a knot had started to form. It started right below my rib cage, but with every second it wandered lower and lower. First tingling close to my belly button, then slowly even lower, until I could feel heat radiating from my core.
And so must he.
Because just as it felt like I was going to lose my mind, Raha stopped and lowered his hands in curiosity.
“Oh dear,” a chuckle escaped his lips.
“What is it,” I tried turning onto my back, but he held me right there with both hands.
“You smell … divine …” he sounded almost out of breath “please excuse me but this…”
And before I could say aught, something pushed inside of me.
I let out a shriek, surprised by the motion. His hands were still on my tights so-
I felt him against me, the vibrations almost sending me into overdrive, as he twisted and turned his tongue inside of me, trying to seemingly explore all the corners and places I had to offer.
My hands were gripping the sheets. Single tears escaped the corners of my eye and I bit my lips to not scream in pleasure. What was he doing to me? How could he- How was he doing that?!
“Careful,” he hummed, “I’ll turn you on your back…”
“Ok…” with this he gave me a short break to gather my wits and I tried to calm my breathing.
“You know,” I helped him by turning with his touch, “for someone over 300 years old, you still got it in you.”
A tiny laughter escaped his lips. He grabbed my butt and hoisted it up, placing my legs over his shoulders. “In that case… just wait and see…”
And he lowered his mouth onto my core again. This time though, I watched him devour me. Our eyes interlocked, neither breaking eye contact. This new position enabled him to go deeper and thanks to his efforts it didn’t take me long.
With half a scream I finally came undone in his hands, my body shaking, my heart racing. His name on my lips, twisted in a deep moan.
It was heaven on earth.
“Raha…” I muttered.
He slowly lower me down onto the mattress. He was liking his lips, almost looming over me with a satisfied look on his face.
“Did you… did you like it?” His eyes searched my face.
“… take it off…”
“… what..?”
He leaned down to me and gave me an agonising kiss.
“Take off your gods damned robe,” I breathed into the kiss.
A stunned look appeared on his face, but he didn’t need to be told twice. With quick hands, he pulled the robe over his head and threw it onto the ground next to my discarded clothes.
“That too,” I motioned towards his trunks. Whatever was below them was already pushing the cloths limits and I could no longer wait. I needed to see. I needed to know. I wanted to feel.
He didn’t move for a second, stunned by my directness, but complied a few seconds later. As soon as the trunks were right next to his robe, he knelt before me and I propped my panting body up to give him a good look.
G’Raha wasn’t as muscular as he had once been. After all, he now was more of a leader than adventurer. Therefore, I gathered, he didn’t need to pull a bowstring too often or climb up the crystal tower. Still, his arms were toned and so was his chest. He didn’t sport a six pack as I was, but I could see the muscles just below the skin. His shoulders were broad and of course, his face – even though flushed red by my attention – was still as handsome as ever. The only thing that made him look old, was his hair. Otherwise, he was still the strapping Seeker of the Sun I remembered him as. Including his flustered ears and the swaying tail.
Only after giving him a good look up and down did I lower my eyes onto the main course, so to speak. He was stiff, dark and just perfection, with some white and red hair at the base and a drop of precum leaking on the tip.
“… do you like what you see,” he asked, seemingly unsure about me studying him.
My eyes fluttered half closed, “yes. Very much.”
And his face turned just as dark as his hair once had been.
“Come here,” I breathed tauntingly, my voice raspy, sweat glittering on my body. The lights still on after all.
He thought for a second.
A long second.
And slowly moved in closer.
His lips were on mine. We were devouring one another and he got closer and closer.
“Tsk. How long do you plan to keep me waiting,” I groaned into his mouth.
And I didn’t wait.
I grabbed his shoulders and in one quick motion, he was the one being pushed into the pillows.
At my mercy.
“This… this is everything,” I whispered.
My hands found him there, standing tall, just ripe for the taking. I carefully rubbed his sensitive skin. My hand slowly guiding him, as I lowered myself onto his hips.
A silent hiss escaped his lips, his back arching up.
“Shia… gods…” his breath ragged, eyes closed tightly, his hands grabbing the sheets and my tights. Simply trying to hold on to whatever was close.
“Don’t lose yourself just yet,” I bent down to whisper into his ear.
As calm and collected as I might have seemed to him, there was a fire burning inside of me. Raging passion that wanted nothing more than for me to start moving my hips. But I couldn’t. Wouldn’t just yet.
For one, because Raha was biting his finger, not to let go this very instant.
For the other, that I myself had a hard time staying calm. Not, because I was at the verge of having a second mind blowing orgasm caused by one red haired Exarch. But much rather, since I needed time to adjust. I couldn’t even remember, when I had last been this close with another man. At least, I couldn’t remember in this very moment.
The important thing was, that even though he had slipped in right away till the hilt, not in small part due to his excellent preparation, but it still felt a tiny bit foreign and the sudden expansion of my insides did hurt a bit. Not as much as being slapped around by an Ascian. But in a different kind of way. In a different area.
Somewhere deep inside of me I was feeling rather happy, that all my opponents had taken me seriously. None – not even the worst of the worst – had reduced me to my gender and tried to-
“Shia …” a crystalline hand slowly caressed my cheek.
My eyes fluttered open. I couldn’t recall closing them. Two streams of drying tears were on my face and Raha carefully wiped one away.
“Are you alright? We can stop, if you want.” His voice was kind, warm. Just as gentle as his hand. The offer tempting.
But I shook my head. “No … I want to continue …” I leaned into his touch, placing my hand above his crystalline one on my face.
“Please, as you said: I shall tell you, the moment I feel uncomfortable,” his red eyes were radiating a kind light, “and I would ask the same of you.”
“I promise,” and I bent down to meet his lips, “to always tell you, if I am not comfortable.”
Our lips were both still cracked. But were slowly softening from all the attention they were getting.
“I will hold you to that,” he murmured.
“And I you.” We were both smiling again and even though my insides were still hurting a bit, I rose my hips
Slowly, but surely, I pulled them up and him almost out, before letting them down again. We both gasped in pleasure, still enraptured within each others arms, as I began a slow rhythm.
Savouring the moment. The pleasure. The company.
It didn’t take me long to adjust to him and as soon as I felt comfortable, I sped up a bit. His hands had been wandering my body again, fumbling my breasts, but now, they were pulling my face to his. Something to hold on, as our bodies clashed again and again. Skin to skin.
“… Shia … Shia … I-“
“I know.” I slowed again. “Do you wish … to be on top ..?”
He looked at me with hooded eyes. “I would like to try.”
I rose back up and was about to get off him, when he secured me in place with his hands. A mischievous smirk formed around his lips.
“Please, let me.”
And without losing another word, he pulled himself up to me. His lips were back on mine, slowly wandering down to my throat again, as he lowered me into the mattress once more.
Holding himself up, still within my body, he hovered over me, before once more starting a slow rhythm. Raha gasped with each move, sweat dripping down onto my body, his hair wet and almost glued to his forehead.
There was one more thing, I could do.
He grunted deeply as I tightened my hold around him.
“Shia … Oh Shia … what are you … doing …” he managed to press out, before he had to speed up, his need growing too big to withhold now.
My mind was starting to blank out. There was just the pleasure. And nothing else.
A gasp escaped my lips when he suddenly turned me to the side. He pulled my left leg up and threw it halfway over his right shoulder.
And I had thought he was going deep before. But that was nothing to the depths he was reaching now.
I heard his breath grow ragged as he almost clung to my leg. A loud moan from him and I clamped back down as hard as I could.
Rahas whole body tensed, his mouth open in an O shape. He gave two, three more jacked thrusts, before finally coming to a halt.
He was still inside of me and I took a deep breath.
“Raha …” my left hand reached for him but couldn’t get to his face. Instead, I lightly trailed it across his belly. “Raha, are you happy?”
His eyes propped open a bit for him to look at me. He didn’t answer, but instead put my leg down and – still being very much inside of me – hovered over my body once more. He was almost radiating heat and I could smell his sweat.
“Yes, I am very … very happy.” He brushed his nose against mine before giving me the sweetest kiss yet. It was slow, but not unpleasant. It almost felt as if he was trying to put all the things he wanted to say into the kiss. 300 years’ worth of words.
I was smiling. My tail tangled with his, as he finally pulled out of my body. On one hand I was a bit disappointed to see him limp. On the other, I was still riding the high and there was nothing that could make me more happy, than just being here.
With him.
I fell back into the cushions, stretching. Even humming a little to myself.
Raha moved beside me and I felt one of his hands carefully brushing my damp hair out of my face.
“Thank you,” he breathed onto my forehead.
I opened one eye to meet his satisfied gaze.
“Always, love.”
“This … This was the most amazing experience,” he kisses my nose. “Thank you … but,” and I feel him lay down next to me, head rested on his left arm, his crystalline one drawing circles on my belly. “Why me?”
For a moment, I didn’t say anything. My thoughts following his slight touch.
“… that’s as if you’d ask why someone picked you for an adventure,” I tried to explain. My eyes opened to look at him. “I think… with you…. It was always… you.”
I turned to the side, his hand wandering from my belly to my sides, now trailing across my hip.
“When you arrived at Mt. Gulg. When I was down for the count. You came to rescue me. To die in my stead,” my eyes were searching his face, “and I was confused to why you would do such a thing. But when you finally lost your cowl. When I saw you. I knew I couldn’t let it happen. Not after all that had happened before.”
My left hand found his face and I carefully smoothed my fingers across his skin.
“After all those long nights at the camp in Mor Dhona. Your shenanigans. Spring cleaning the labyrinth of the ancients-“
“Spring cleaning,” he chuckled, “indeed.”
“Or after getting rid of the pests in the Crystal Tower,” a sad smile spread across my face, “and after rescuing Nero from the 13th. After all that, you decided to lock yourself away to take the tower out of mankind’s unprepared hands. I always understood your reason,” I closed my arms around him and buried my face in his chest, “but I wish you hadn’t done it. Everyday I spend with Cid and the Iron Works gang, I wondered, if we were ready to bring you back yet. I wondered, how you were doing and visited the tower a few times. You know, just in case you would decide to come out.” Tears once more welled up in my eyes.
“After all that you were there to pick up my burden and die for me. And as wrong as it sounds: I am glad Emet-Selch shot you,” my face turned up towards him. Raha was spotting a slightly shocked expression. “Because if he hadn’t stopped you then and there, I would have lost you again. And thanks to his impulsive actions, I was able to bring you home.” And the tears finally started to fall. “Welcome home,” I sobbed and buried my face once more in his chest.
Raha didn’t answer right away. Instead, he locked his arms around me, almost crushing me against his body.
“Thank you,” and the way his voice shook, I knew he was crying too. “Thank you, Shia…”
We would just stay like this for a while. Crying into each other’s shoulders. Exchanging some more sweet kisses. We would only leave the bed for a moment when I decided to take care of the drying mess between my legs.
As I opened the window to give us some fresh air, he was about to put his robe back on.
“Stay,” I asked him, pulling him into another tight embrace, “please…”
“Alright,” he kissed the crown of my head and let the robe fall to the ground again.
“I’m staying as long as you want.”
“Then prepare for it: I will never let you leave me again…”
We curled up in the bed together, my back to his front, his arms locked tightly around my midsection. I could feel him nuzzling my hair, before drifting off into my first night of uninterrupted and peaceful sleep since arriving on the first.