I woke up in his arms.

I looked up at him. "I fell asleep?"

He nodded. "For a few hours hour. Do you feel better?"

I leaned into him and closed my eyes. "Yeah." I yawned. "What time is it?"

"Almost six." He ran his fingers down my spine. "Serena wanted to see you, do you know why?"

"She's a council member, she wants us all to meet up." I sighed. "Can we not talk about it?"

"Of course. What do you want to talk about?" He brushed his thumb along my cheekbone.

I sat up. "I don't want to talk about anything."

He raised his eyebrows. "What would you like to-"

I silenced him with a kiss. "I believe we were interrupted earlier."

He pulled me onto his lap. "Are you sure you feel better?"

I ran my fingers through his hair. "I'm not at my best, but I think I know how to get there."

He smiled at me. "When you want something, you're very determined to get it."

He flipped us over before I had time to respond. He trailed kisses down my neck.

I pulled his shirt over his head. I was too breathless to respond.

"What a shame you want so little, you could change the world if you wanted to." He whispered between kisses.

I pulled his face up to mine. "I said I didn't want to talk."

He continued to kiss his way down my body, stopping at my inner thigh. "Then don't."

My legs instictively tried to close, but Eres's shoulders kept them open.

Eres pulled off my panties and tossed them somewhere. I hadn't realized how little clothing I was wearing until it was all gone.

"Everything alright?" He whispered against my thigh.

I propped myself up on my elbows. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He turned his head toward me and his hot breath against my clit was enough to make me moan.

Suddenly I didn't care what he was doing, I just needed him to do more of it. "Do that again." I exhaled.

My words were met with the most intsense pleasure I had ever expereinced. Eres was harshly sucking and kissing my clit.

I couldn't hold myself up on my elbows anymore and I fell onto the bed. My moans sounded more like screams.

My back arched off the bed. Eres pulled me closer to him by my hips.

I was so close to the edge I couldn't see straight.

"I-" My words were cut off as he plunged his tongue into me.

I let out a string of moans. "Fuck, Eres."

I screamed as I came. My entire body felt at ease. Every problem I had ever had melted away.

Eres licked his lips as he laid down beside me. "Are you at your best now?"

I blinked slowly at him. "Why haven't you done that before?"

"You never asked." He smiled.

"I love you." I sounded drunk.

"I love you too, Veya." He kissed my forehead.

...

There was something mesmerizing about watching her sleep.

She looked peaceful. Almost too peaceful.

She was strong, brave, determined, and generally angry at the world. Seeing her look so relaxed in such a vulnerable state felt wrong.

I ran my fingers along her marks, which now included a second council band.

They were beautiful in a strange way. They symbolized power, community, culture.

I envied her slightly for them. Part of me wished I could have the power that runs through her veins.

The rest of me had seen her try to hide them as she walked through the streets of Kalhiem.

I pulled her into my arms. She didn't even stir.

Unfortunately, the feeling of her bare chest against mine made me think of Elyse.

I never felt this way about her, I was certain of that. But a very small part of me wanted the easiness of her back.

Veya was the best thing that had ever happening to me. But, being with her physically scared me.

Everything was new to her. She was often confused, or didn't understand.

I was her first everything. And that meant I had the possibility to ruin it all for her.

Elyse had been around. Nothing was new to her. We were both well educated in the subject of physical relationships when we first met.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't give Veya up for anything. I would rather die.

But a small part of me longed for the simplicity that I had before.

I was scared something would go wrong and I would ruin something for Veya. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to fix it.

And I was terrified with what that might mean for her.

One mess up on my part could be fine. But messing up and then being unable to fix it? That would mean the end of us.

I could move on. It might take a century, but I could do it.

But would she ever let anyone back in? Could one mistake on my part result in her completely shutting everyone out?

It hurt to even think about it. I just needed her to be happy.

After the hell she had been through, she deserved to be happy. She deserved so much more than that.

I ran my fingers through her hair. She deserved so much more than me. She deserved the world.

I will spend the rest of my life trying to be the man that she deserved.

And one day, I will hand her the world.

...
<3