The Offering

Chapter Seventy Six - Daella

I sit listening to Aeris talk about their latest council meeting, filling me in on all the decisions they had made and any changes that had occurred but I found it hard to concentrate.

All I could keep thinking of was watching him training with the other soldiers, the knowledge that they were preparing for war. Even as he spoke, talking of plans, they were all in preparation for the war that would begin any day, they would be leaving any day.

Suddenly I take Aeris' face in my hands and kiss him, at first he is surprised, but he is quick to reciprocate and his lips move against mine. Lips soft and devouring I push myself against him, wanting more, needing more.

I feel myself crawling onto his lap as he sits against the headboard, his hands around my waist and hip as I straddle him.

He pulls back breathless as I trail kisses along his jaw and down his neck.

"Dearest, I feel like I am going to regret asking this, but is everything alright?" He asks, his jaw tightening as I graze my teeth along his neck.

"Yes." I say before crushing my lips against his.

His hands dive into my hair, fingers wrapping around the strands and pulling me closer as his tongue moves against mine.

Any day now, any day now.

My fingers move to the buttons of his shirt as I undo them quickly and he sits forward as I pull the shirt free from him and toss it behind me. Then his lips are on my neck, his tongue licking and tasting and I dig my fingers into his shoulders, my hips moving against him as my body craves more.

Any day now, any day now.

He lets out a low growl before placing his hands on my shoulders and pushing me back, both of us breathless, his dark eyes wild with want and need and desire.

"You're not being yourself, and while I am internally kicking myself I think we should slow down right now and take a step back." He says, taking slow calming breaths.

I move towards him, wanting to kiss him again but he pushes me back, eyes searching mine as he studies me.

"Dearest what has changed? Why are you so desperate to take this step?" He asks, still keeping me at bay.

"Everything is going to change, you will be leaving any day, going off to war, what if this is the only chance we have?" I say desperately.

"You shouldn't want to do this because you are scared." He returns.

"No, I want you as well. I just feel like I might never get this chance again and I don't want to regret it. Don't you want to?" I ask, scared and confused.

"Dearest, you never need ask me that, of course I want to. But I don't want you making this decision for the wrong reasons. I don't want you rushing into something because you are scared. I can smell the fear radiating from you. I don't want your first time or our first time to be one of fear." He says calmly, hands smoothing down my arms before taking my face.

"I just...you're both going to leave...what if you don't come back? Or what if you do come back but you have changed your mind and you don't want the same things, you don't want me?" I say quietly, fears voicing their way out.

"Firstly, we will come back, we have always come back from every battle we have ever fought, this will be no different. Secondly, why would you think I would change my mind? If anything I will love and want you even more, being away from you, not being able to see you, thinking about you day in and day out. Time and distance and whatever we will face will not change how I feel about you." He answers placing a kiss on my forehead.