Topic: Forever

Natalya Bristol · Date: 2013-02-25 04:52 EST

((Contains scenes of an adult nature.))

The stars had returned to light the velvet black of Avalon's sky by the time the nuptial celebrations began to wane on the night the Champion took the Priestess for his wife. The afternoon and evening had been filled with laughter and joy, music and chatter, the denizens of the Isle making certain that those special guests among them were not made to feel out of place or isolated amid so many who knew each other well. The dancing was still going on as the moon rose to illuminate the sky, casting gentle rays down upon the only couple who seemed entirely absorbed in one another, dancing the last of the night.

Nat swayed in Rhys' arms, sharing smiles and laughter with her husband as easily as she breathed. The many petticoats beneath her voluminous skirt had been done away with hours before, giving her freedom to move, to be close without risking a show entirely inappropriate for a married woman to give on her wedding day. Her fingers stroked in and out of the hair that prickled her touch at the nape of his neck, lips offering up soft kisses between words as her world once again narrowed down to him and him alone.

Rhys didn't consider himself to be a romantic, but to him, it was like a fairytale wedding come true. Ever since he'd met Nat, it seemed, all the broken pieces of his life had come together, the weight of a lifetime lifted, all his dreams coming true. One might say it was like a new chapter in his life had started, but it was more like a whole new book. Rhys' heart was filled with happiness enough to burst. He'd never felt happier than he did right now, and it was all because of Natalya. He'd never laughed and cried so much as he had that day, tears of joy and happiness, surrounded by those he loved most, by those who mattered. As the day wore into night, it seemed the crowd of friends and well-wishers faded into the background, his world narrowing down to just this one woman who had changed his life forever and claimed his heart and soul.

He held her close in his arms, forehead to forehead, cheek to cheek, lips to lips, as they swayed to and fro to music it seemed only they could hear. It was as if he wanted it to go on forever, and yet, at the same time, he longed to be alone with her, to claim her completely, to make her his wife in body, as well as heart and soul.

But all good things, however much they are muted by the anticipation of something better, must come to an end at some time. As the music swelled and changed its rhythm, lauding the end of the night for the newly-weds, at least, Nat stilled in her husband's arms, her lips curving into an inviting smile as she gazed into his eyes. Her hand slipped from his neck, ghosting the very tips of her fingers against his mouth. "That's our cue, milaya," she murmured, unwilling to speak too loudly for fear of breaking the spell that seemed to hang over them.

"Hmm?" he murmured, still lost in the spell, still very much immersed in the romance and magic of the day and of this place. He'd found peace here, the likes of which he'd never known. For the first time in his life, he felt truly safe, and that safety had allowed him to open his heart completely to the love and joy that surrounded him. "Already?" he asked smiling against her fingertips, looking forward to what lie ahead as much as what had just passed. He'd been dropping hints all night about sneaking off alone, but now that the time had come to make their departure, he almost wished the night didn't have to come to an end.

"Unless you'd like to stay and dance with someone else," was her soft response, offered from smirking lips beneath eyes that teased him with sultry promises he knew full well she could keep. "I am sure there are one or two Handmaidens who haven't whirled you around the floor yet today." As always, when her heart was deeply invested in the feelings that swelled through her, her natural accent had come to the fore, and had been so for most of the day. She was not likely to forget soon the strangled conflict on Adam's face when he'd realized that the bride was speaking in Russian to her friend, who just happened to be a member of the former KGB.

He smiled back at her, unable to resist teasing her a little, though she knew him well enough to know it for what it was. He glanced briefly at those gathered around them, at all the lovely handmaidens who still blushed and giggled whenever the Lady's Champion deigned to speak with them, but not a single one held a candle to his Natalya. "Hmm, there might be one or two. Should I go find out?" he replied, green eyes alight with mischief, though it was obvious to anyone with eyes in their head that he only had eyes for her.

"Mmm, perhaps you should," she laughed softly back to him, drawing her fingers down along the line of his arms. One hand rose to cover a staged yawn, chocolate eyes sparkling back to his with as much mischief as he showed her. "It has been a long day. Perhaps I should forego the consummation and simply go to sleep. What do you think, dusha moya?"

His eyes danced with mischief, taking her up on the challenge and calling her bluff. He knew her well enough to know it would be at least a few hours before sleep would claim them. "I think you're going to have a sudden surge of energy as soon as we get anywhere near a bed, that's what I think." His green-eyed gaze swept over her loveliness, knowing a little bit of what awaited him later and looking forward to it as much now as he had the very first time, high above the Earth.

Another laugh emerged from her throat, husky and all manner of suggestive as her hand rose again to trace a single finger down the bridge of his nose. Looping her arms about his neck, she rose up onto her toes, capturing his lips in a searing, slow kiss. Drawing back just barely, she purred softly for his ears only. "That's assuming we reach the bed at all." A gentle nip to his lower lip, and she was settled back onto her heels, disengaging his arms from around her waist as she flickered him a playful wink.

He was, as always, putty in her hands, melting against her lips, letting her seduce him with that soft purr of voice, feeling a dull ache stretching out inside him, a yearning that needed fulfillment. "I'd take you right here, but that might be frowned upon," he whispered against her lips, returning her kiss, the fire of passion rekindled. He smiled at her wink, allowing her to lead him in this dance, amused by her teasing and curious where it was leading.

It was leading to a further half hour of somewhat excruciating delays. Deeply amused by how easy it had been to coax him into following her lead, Nat began a round of the guests who remained in the Temple Hall to say goodnight and thank each of them for coming. And every embrace, every kiss, every word spoken to the friends, old and new, who had celebrated the day with them was laced with subtle passion and pointed desire, aimed entirely at Rhys and shameless of being caught out. From the cast of her eyes to the pout of her lips, Natalya had gone on the offensive in as polite a manner as possible, determined to wind her bridegroom to breaking point long before they were out of sight and sound of any curious eyes and ears.

Every goodbye, every handshake, every kiss and hug and well wish was like torment, delaying the inevitable consummation of their union almost to the point of torture. Somehow he knew from the looks in their friends' faces that they knew how agonizing the waiting was and were deeply amused by his frustration, even as polite and happy as he was. They'd been on display all day. He had shared Nat long enough. It was his turn now to have her all to himself, and now that they were making the rounds of goodbyes, it seemed to be taking forever. Every glance he shared with Nat only made the wait more intolerable, more agonizing, more anticipated. Half an hour later, they were finally free, but it had seemed like forever.

Though they had quarters of their own here in the Temple grounds, the Lady had made the decision for them that this was not to be a permanent state of affairs. She had gifted the Champion and Priestess a small gatehouse tower that stood alone on the edge of the Temple, and over the months leading to the wedding, this had been made fit for habitation by many willing hands. It was there that Nat intended to spend her first night as a married woman, and coincidentally extend even further the delay between leaving the merry gathering and letting Rhys get his hands on her. For the moment they were free of friends and out of sight, she slipped from his arms once again with a laugh that was no doubt heard across the Temple, snatching her skirts up and setting off at a run toward the roundel shape that towered three storeys high not so very far away, lit from within with the dancing light of hearth fires.

Natalya Bristol · Date: 2013-02-25 04:54 EST

Rhys had a pretty good idea where Nat was headed. It was hard to keep such a place secret, even if it was meant as a surprise, especially when one was as close to the Lady as he was. He'd even go so far as saying they'd become friends over the past few months since he and Nat had arrived, though there was a mutual respect between them and a fine line not even Rhys dared cross. Finished with their farewells, Rhys laughed as Nat very girlishly and almost coquettishly lifted her skirts and started toward the gatehouse that was to become their quarters, a gift from the Lady. Even with a head start, he knew he could easily catch up to her.

"You'd better be going before your bride escapes," Adam called over at his friend, on the verge of taking Gina and an already sleeping Joey to their quarters for the night, the boy hefted in his arms and resting his head against Adam's more than capable shoulder.

"I'm letting her get a head start. Let her think she's getting away with something."

Of course Nat heard this, laughing once again as she ran over the snow, her skirt billowing out behind her. It wasn't as heavy as it looked, and she had a surprising turn of speed. She also had a slightly more unfair advantage. "Don't forget, Rhys," she called back over her shoulder. "I have the only key!"

Rhys laughed at the idle threat, knowing she wouldn't lock him out, not if she wanted her way with him - or wanted him to have his way with her.

"Go on," Adam said with a nod of his head toward the escapee with a chuckle. He was glad to know the brother of his heart had finally found happiness, and he wasn't far behind him in that regard. He just had to get around to popping the question.

Rhys laughed again and dropped a kiss on Gina's cheek, a ruffle of hair to the sleeping boy, and he was off, chasing after his escaped bride, who'd gotten a short head start on him.

Gina's laughter followed him as he headed off, the sound merrier than she'd thought she would have any right to be before Rhys' believed death had brought Adam fully into her life. She leaned up to Adam, brushing a kiss against Joey's head. "Come on, boys, let's go to bed."

Adam laughed as he watched his friend hurry after his bride, turning to Gina with warm affection in his eyes. "Yes, dear," he replied with a smile. She didn't have to tell him twice.

As Rhys put on his spurt of speed, Nat was losing ground on him, her own laughter not helping her to keep her speed constant or even keep her running in a straight line. She glanced back over her shoulder once again, letting out a little squeal of teasing delight when she found him less than a meter behind her. "You are not supposed to be able to run in those shoes!"

Rhys laughed at the squeal from Natalya, planning to make her squeal at least a few times before the night was through, but for a completely different reason. "You are not supposed to be able to run in that dress!" he countered as he closed the short distance between them, reaching out with an arm to grab her around the waist and whirl her around, halting her escape toward the gatehouse without him. He didn't wait for so much as a giggle, before hefting his bride over his shoulder and stalking off with her toward the gatehouse of his own accord and in his own time. "Just for that, I should tie you to the bed and torture you," he warned, knowing that, too, was an idle threat. She'd enjoy it too much.

The giggle he wasn't waiting for was cut off in mid-stream as Natalya found herself hefted easily off her feet and thrown over his shoulder, grunting a little at the impact. Thank goodness the corset took most of the shock. Hanging upside down as Rhys slowed to a pace he was happier with, his new wife snickered, reaching down to lift his jacket and pinch his backside in retaliation. "Is that a promise, milaya?"

He smirked at the pinch, having expected as much from his cheeky wife. She wouldn't be his Nat without finding some way to take advantage of the situation, even if she was mostly at his mercy. "Maybe I should tie you up and go to sleep instead," he teased, both of them knowing that wasn't going to happen. They were nearly there, the gatehouse in sight, and none too soon, as far as he was concerned. He hoped there were no handmaidens or squires there to help them tonight. He didn't need any help with what he had planned.

She laughed indignantly, turning the pinch into a spank at his threat. "You would not be able to," she informed him cheerfully, absolutely aware of the interesting sight they made for anyone looking curiously toward the sound of laughter so late on the edge of the Temple grounds. Hopefully it wouldn't affect the dignity of their position when they returned to Avalon in future, but tonight she just didn't care. "Gina tells me you have been ....what was the phrase" Ah, yes - eye-f*cking me all day." Nat snickered, not entirely sure what it was she'd just said but fairly certain it wasn't for polite company.

If the curious eyes didn't yet know who they were or what was going on, he wasn't about to tell them. They were favored of the Lady, mostly above rebuke, and anyone with eyes in their head could tell from their appearance that it was their wedding night - quite possibly the happiest night of Rhys' life. He laughed as Nat attempted to quote Gina to him, the Russian accent getting the best of her. "Like you haven't been doing the same, and don't challenge me! I've been looking forward to getting you out of that dress all day!" He marched up to little tower, finding himself facing two separate doors, unsure which one to open. Thankfully, it wasn't a decision between the Tiger or the Lady. "Key?" he asked, coming to a halt a few yards from the tower, his wife still hanging over his shoulder.

"Then it is a shame you did not come with me when I left the party to take off those enormous petticoats," was his wife's more than suggestive answer. She let out a deep, exaggerated sigh, drumming her fingers against his rear end impatiently. "All alone in a secluded place for a good twenty minutes, and my husband didn't come to find me. I felt quite unattractive, you know." Unfortunately for any attempt to convince him of this, her grin was audible, growing even more obvious when he queried her on the whereabouts of the key. "On my person," was all she told him.

Even if the grin on her face made itself know in her voice, there was a frown on his face at the missed opportunity. He wondered what would have happened if they'd both disappeared for a short while in the middle of what was essentially their own celebration, and that brought a small chuckle to his lips, as did the challenge in her voice that he find the key on his own. It wasn't like she had any pockets or many places to hide such a thing. The key could only be hiding in one place, and he felt a rush of desire at the thought of having to find it for himself. Hopefully, it hadn't gotten lost in the snow in their rush to the tower. "Are you going to give it to me, or do I have to search you for it?"

There were really only two places she could have put the thing, but the challenge of letting him find it himself was just too good to pass up. Natalya's grin grew further as he made the offer himself. "I promise, I have not booby-trapped my person," she told him playfully. "Though you may need to put me down if you wish to make a thorough search. And you should be thorough." It was as close as he was going to get to an actual request for him to touch her while they were still where prying eyes could see, but it was fairly blatant for his Russian wife.

"I could just tickle you until you talk," he warned, both of them knowing he could very well make good on this threat, but more than likely wouldn't. He did, however, set her on her feet in front of him, holding out his hand, giving her one last chance to give him the key before he accepted her challenge. "Key, wife," he demanded, trying to look stern and keep the smirk from his lips, but his eyes couldn't hide his frivolity.

Natalya Bristol · Date: 2013-02-25 04:55 EST

Her dress blossomed out in a rush of air as he set her down, settling into a sweetly feminine fall from the natural curve of her hips as she stepped back, her hands firmly behind her back. The face she turned to him somehow managed to be innocent, wicked, suggestive, and sly all at once, evidenced by the twinkle of brown eyes and the lopsided smirk on her lips. "Search, husband."

A small circle of curious onlookers had gathered not far from the tower, bets being wagered on just where she had that key hidden. It could very well be hidden in her boot, but what fun was that' Rhys smirked, well aware of the onlookers. His hands came to rest against her hips as he smiled down at her to warn her that whatever transpired here would more than likely be gossiped about tomorrow. "We have an audience," he told her softly. "Last chance."

Her gaze flickered toward the group placing bets not so far away, her smirk deepening as she looked up into Rhys' eyes. He should have known by now that she was hardly the shy type; after all, she had seduced him on a plane barely an hour after they had met, and that had been just the beginning. Her brows rose, offering up a challenging quirk to her expression. "Scared, are we?"

"Scared?" he echoed, scoffing. "Me" No! I just thought I should warn you in case you have it hidden in your panties....If you're even wearing panties. Because if you aren't and I search there, there will be two moons out tonight," he teased back, having no actual plans to strip his wife in public, but she didn't know that. His hands slid a little higher to her waist, rubbing at the fabric of her dress warningly.

She laughed at his teasing threat, fairly sure he wasn't going to strip her entirely in front of watchers. Rhys could be as exhibitionist as she was, but he had an air of possession when it came to her that made moments like this just that little bit safer. He didn't want other men to see exactly what belonged to him. As his hands slid higher, she breathed him in, excitement spilling from her as ribald laughter spread through the group not so very far away. "Now why would I put it there?"

"Because it's the last place I would look?" he countered with a smirk, but then, it would be awfully hard for her to fish the key out if that was where she put it, so logic dictated that it wasn't there. Her bodice, however, was another matter. Or whatever it was called. He was no expert on women's clothing, only in what was hidden beneath it. The fingers of one hand walked their way higher, creeping up her side toward the place he was going to look first.

"Ah, but you forget, I know you," she breathed, the flickering glimpse of desire flaring in her eyes doing nothing to discourage him from his exploration. "It would be the first place you would look." Her hands rose to grip his sleeves as she felt his fingers moving, forgetting quite suddenly the betting group of watchers as she looked into his eyes. "If I were the begging sort ....I would be begging you to kiss me right now, milaya."

He smiled down at her, feeling that flame flaring inside him to match her desire. His fingers came to a halt against her sides as her hands gripped his sleeves, momentarily stopping his search, distracting him with her request. "You'll be begging for more than that before the night is through," he whispered back to her, his hands sliding around her waist to pull her up against his chest. For a moment, he forgot the key, the gatehouse tower, the onlookers, lost in the warm glow of her eyes. Resistance, as they say, is futile, and he had no reason to resist. He tipped his head forward to capture his lips, just as he'd done so many times before, each kiss as warm and passionate as the first and promising more to come.

And her answering kiss was devastating in that uniquely Natalya way of hers. She breathed him in deep, losing herself to every facet of the man in her arms; the way he felt, the way he made her feel, the scent and taste of him as she let herself tremble with the shock of that first taste of desire satisfied. And quite suddenly, she didn't care to be searched in full view of everyone who lingered nearby. All she wanted was to be alone with her husband, determined to stay awake long enough to greet the sun the next morning even if she had to cover him in coffee and lick it off just to manage it. Her lips broke from his, breathless with the barest suggestion of a longing moan as she whispered to him. "It's in my garter."

He smiled as she broke the kiss. It had been almost too easy for him to obtain a confession, and yet, he was equally glad he didn't have to search her in public. She was right in her assumption that, even though there wasn't a shy bone in his body, what lay beneath that gown was for his eyes and his eyes alone. "I should have known," he admitted, a little embarrassed. His mind had gone to other places - places he wanted to explore in private - rather than to the obvious. He kissed her again, briefly, as if to give her a small taste of what was soon to come or to reassure her that he wouldn't embarrass her in public. He went down on one knee, snow soaking through his pant leg, dragging his fingers against the fabric of her dress.

Though they both shared the opinion that it was virtually impossible to embarrass Natalya Pimenova in public, the rules had not yet been set as to whether or not Natalya Bristol was of the same mind. His faint embarrassment told her everything she needed to know about where his mind had wandered to, earning him a smile to kiss before he eased down, her fingers stroking through his hair as she leaned back against the door of the little gatehouse tower. Her eyes sparkled as she watched him, white teeth catching hold of her lower lip. Somehow, he'd made her feel like an inexperienced teenager, nervously exhilarated by even the prospect of his hands on her skin.

He momentarily turned his eyes to her dress, but instead of hiking her skirt and giving the crowd a glimpse at a bare leg, he slipped his hands underneath her hem. Unsure which leg to search, he chose the left leg at random, fingers cold from the wintery air sliding up her leg in search of garter and key. He lifted his head, eyes meeting hers once again as he searched beneath the fall of her dress for the key, amidst a disapproving and disappointed groan from the gathered crowd.

By sheer luck, he'd picked the right limb to search, but Nat's reaction to the chill of his hands was satisfying enough for the group watching them. She gasped, jumping as his cold fingers skimmed up over her silk-clad calf and knee to where the key was set, nestled warm against her inner thigh in the grip of the lace elastic. She laughed, actually blushing at her own reaction to the sweep of his hands, and leaned down to kiss him. "You're enjoying this too much."

He smiled back at her, green eyes sparkling with playful mischief. If she thought she was getting off that easy, she really didn't know him very well at all. Pleased with her reaction and thoroughly amused by her blush - a rare commodity where Nat was involved - he flashed that impish grin up at her in a hint of warning. "I plead the Fifth," he replied, though they were about as far away from his native land as they could be, the statement implying he was guilty as charged. He caught her lips, his parting to deepen the kiss as one hand crept higher on her thigh, no longer in search of the key but in search of something else, fingers teasing a caress against the satin and lace of her panties, as his free hand grabbed hold of the key.

She actually squeaked as his hand roamed higher, not having thought he would go so far once he had his hands on what it was he was searching for in the first place. Her fingers flexed where they lay at his neck and jaw, her body thrilling with delicious tension to the crackling jolt of pleasure that thrummed through her at his teasing caress. A low ripple of laughter passed through the previously disappointed group of watchers nearby as they started to pass comment on what could be going on underneath the dress.

It was enough for now that he'd coaxed that squeak out of her, a little payback perhaps for what she'd done to him on an airplane once upon a time, or a preview of what he was still going to do to her once they were beyond the sight of onlookers and safe behind closed doors. But enough was enough, and even their passion couldn't keep them warm for long in the wintry cold night. His fingers slithered back down her thigh, past her knee and down her calf, the key clutched in the closed palm of his right hand. His lips parted from hers, whispering against her lips, as he looked into her eyes. "Had enough?"

Natalya Bristol · Date: 2013-02-25 04:57 EST

She shivered, half with the chill of the night and half with the excitement of anticipation, nuzzling the tip of her nose to his as she met his gaze with a tender smile. "Not even remotely," she promised him in a throaty whisper, catching his lips in yet another kiss that made promises she wasn't going to keep out here. "But for your eyes only." Her thumbs swept over his cheeks as she smirked fondly to him, tugging at his lower lip with a teasing bite. "Your wife wants to warm up now, Mr Bristol."

"I guess I'll just have to do my husbandly duty then," he remarked with a smirk, if there even was such a thing. He pulled away from her to move to his feet, flashing a grin to the crowd as he triumphantly held up the key. A collective murmur when up amidst the onlookers, who were quickly turning their attention away from Rhys and Nat to exchange money and collect on various bets. "Shall we, Mrs. Bristol?" Rhys asked as he turned back to her, key in hand.

Her smile widened to a grin as her hand descended to the latch on the door, opening it easily and pushing the door open. "Oh, I think we shall," she agreed impishly. There had been absolutely no need for that little delay at all, but oh, hadn't it been fun"

His mouth dropped open as she opened the door without the key. Had she known it was open all along" The group of onlookers laughed again, and Rhys turned to the group, looking just a little bit flustered. She had played him again! "Okay, nothing more to see here." He made a shooing motion. "Go on, go home. I'd like to hump my wife in private, thankyouverymuch."

Laughing still, the little group dispersed good-naturedly; either in search of more entertainment or merely in awe of the Champion, it was difficult to tell. Nat reached up to gently close Rhys' mouth with her fingertips, positively beaming with delight at his reaction to her little game. "Only humping, dusha moya?" she asked in a sweet, little girl lost sort of voice, knowing it would just make the frustration that bit worse. "And here I was, hoping to at least lose my voice tonight."

"You just might if I decide to spank you," he retorted, trying to sound stern, but failing entirely, far too happy to get angry at her for what amounted to teasing. It was just like his Nat to tease him, and he wanted to kick himself for falling for it. "Shall we uphold the age-old tradition?" he asked, not waiting for an answer before scooping her up in his arms to carry her across the threshold and finally into the privacy of their own little abode, kicking the door closed behind him and taking a look around.

She let out a whoop of laughter as the earth moved almost literally, throwing her arms around his neck as she was scooped into his arms. He really did seem to enjoy making the most of how much smaller she was at every opportunity, though she had no complaints at all about that. As the door banged closed, setting itself on the latch with the motion, she, too, looked about the lower room of the little tower house. It was lit only by a fire in the stone-set fireplace, giving off just enough light to reveal the open living and kitchen and a stone spiral staircase leading upward to what was, presumably, the bedroom. She hadn't been allowed to see it as the various knights and others had worked on the place, but found herself charmed by the simplicity of what was now their home on Avalon, whenever they were there.

"Do you want me to bend over the kitchen counter and lift my skirt?" she asked Rhys playfully, drawing her fingers in a tender stroke from his nape to his chin as she dipped her head close, pressing a single-mouthed opened kiss to the sensitive skin beneath his ear.

He found himself charmed with the warmth and simplicity of the place, which reminded him a little of the cabin he'd shared with Dylan growing up in the Allegheny Mountains of Central Pennsylvania. The place was warm and cozy and simple, a home away from home for those times when they found themselves in Avalon, and it instilled in him a feeling of warmth and belonging. Drawn out of his thoughts by her remark, she was rewarded with a smirk and a barely-repressed shudder at the kiss. "That depends. Is that what you want?" he asked, green eyes sparkling in the glow from the fire.

"Oh, you know me," she murmured back to him, drawing her lips along the line of his jaw before finally lifting her head to look him in the eye, dark chocolate invitation glinting in her gaze. "I want you any way I can get you. Ya lyublyu tebya, dusha moya. For always."

He audibly groaned at the graze of her lips against his jaw. Now that they were alone, he didn't have to hold back any longer or adhere to any pretenses. It was their wedding night, and he intended to have his way with her for as long as she'd let him. But the first time wasn't going to be bent over a kitchen table. Maybe later. The first time he intended to take his time with her. Assuming the bedroom was located upstairs, he headed that way, carrying her effortlessly up the winding staircase in search of a bed.

The staircase opened out onto a small hallway before continuing upward. Evidently the Lady was hoping the fertility blessing would come true sooner rather than later, for on this first floor there were two bedrooms and a bathroom, and apparently at least one more bedroom on the next level, in the tower itself. But only one of those bedrooms was lit with a fire, a beacon to guide the bride and groom to their bed, casting warm firelight over a room that was small but cozy, carefully furnished and fitted to suit them.

Caught up in Rhys' arms, Nat barely noticed the decor, intent upon teasing more sound from him as she tasted his throat, nuzzling beneath the hook of his jaw as she delivered a very gentle bite to the pulse beating beneath his skin. He wasn't the only one who wanted to make the most of this, their first night as husband and wife, and she was getting a head start, knowing full well that as soon as he got her where he wanted her, she was going to be close to helpless against the sheer tidal wave of sensation he was so good at eliciting in her.

It had been her who had first seduced him, easing him away from the nervous tension on his first trip across the Atlantic Ocean. He had returned the favor time and again, until they were once again on even ground, sometimes him taking the lead, sometimes her. Either way, each rarely complained, letting their instincts lead where they would. She teased him now, even as he planned on having his way with her, eliciting another groan from him, the heat that he'd barely held under control flaring yet again to blazing life. He caught her lips as he steered them toward the hearth's glow that was leading the way to their marriage bed, that flame not burning nearly as bright as the flame of love that was burning in his heart.

He tasted her smile as he kissed her, a soft parting of lips in the gentle curve that belonged to him, was only ever seen and felt by him. Vadim had spent the day amazed by the change in the young woman he had known to be cold and unsmiling; if he could have seen his friend now, he would not have known her. Nat was lit up from the inside, fizzing with love and desire, giving up the initiative to let Rhys take the lead without a second thought as her lips traded kisses with his. Slender fingers slipped to his collar, removing the bow tie he had loosened hours before, undoing the next button, and the next, barely aware of the glint of flame on the tri-colored ring that lay on her finger, an unfamiliar weight she hoped she would never be without from this day onward.

He tasted her smile, her lips, the sweetness of her kiss mingling with his own as her fingers divested him of his tie and undid the buttons of his shirt. He carefully set her on her feet, rather than lay her back against the bed, so that together they could unwrap each other and lay each other bare. There would be no surprises really. They already knew each other well, had memorized each other's bodies, every swell and dip of curve, every plain and angle, and yet there was always something new to discover, as well as a certain comfort in the familiarity of a body they both knew well. He traded kisses with her, soft and warm and pliant, as his fingers slid through the long fall of curls that graced her bare shoulders, searching for a zipper or some key to the removal of her gown.

Natalya Bristol · Date: 2013-02-25 04:58 EST

The zipper was tiny, concealed beneath a stiff overlap of brocade at her back, but easy to undo, the back of her bodice splitting open at the passage of his fingers to reveal the corset beneath that had stood the tests of the day remarkably well. As that first layer loosened, her hands moved over him, peeling first the jacket, then the shirt from his shoulders, palms and fingers skimming the familiar warmth of his flesh as she moaned his name softly against his lips, encouragement and plea rolled into a single sound.

At least, they had waited until they reached the bedroom, rather than leaving a trail of clothing through the small abode. Now that they were alone and behind closed doors, there was no need to hold back any longer, and he let his lips slide away from hers to graze her skin from mouth to chin to throat, feeling a leap of pulse beneath his lips as he drew the lace and satin and taffeta away from her shoulders to reveal the beauty that was his beloved Natalya, letting the dress slip past her to the floor beneath her feet. He removed her corset with the same surety and gentleness, unrushed but thorough, his desire mounting with each piece of clothing that was removed.

It was almost an eye for an eye - for each item that was shed from her body, she drew something of his away with unhurried tenderness until they stood together, bare and vulnerable, unafraid to be so with one another. Her lips found his once again as she stepped out of the fallen cloud of bridal satin, lace, and taffeta, drawing herself close enough to gasp at the first touch of body to body, as much longing in anticipation as savoring the moment as she gathered him into her arms, murmuring her affection into each kiss.

He drew her close, kissing her slowly, languidly, determined to take his time with her, at least this first time, wanting to stoke the fire in her, build it slowly until she begged him for mercy. His lips moved away from hers once again, trailing slowly downward, knowing just where to kiss her, just where to touch her to illicit the desire response. His tongue teased her flesh, lips kissing, teeth nibbling, fingers coaxing and exploring, waiting until she trembled at his touch, until her legs would no longer hold her weight. He found the sacred place at the apex of her thighs that belonged to him and him alone, drawing out her moans with warm kisses and caresses until he was burning with barely contained fever.

He knew her so well, not just her body but her heart and mind, touching her soul with everything he did, everything they shared. She could not have said just when she lost her place on her feet, only that she did not fall. Laid back against bedsheets warmed by the flicker of the hearth fire, she drew her husband down to her, drinking in the impatient fever of his desire even as she shared with him the shaking fervor of her own, unwilling to wait any longer. They had time enough in the days, weeks, months, years to come. They could forget to tease each other any longer just this once.

They fit together perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle or two lost souls, knowing precisely what the other desired without needing to be told. He read her cues, knowing her heart and her mind, knowing she was ready for him and wanted him as much as he wanted her, longing to become one with her, to shatter her and lose himself in her warm embrace. It didn't matter if they made a child or not. That, too, would come in time. The only thing that mattered now was that they lose themselves in each other's embrace, forgetting everything but each other. He hesitated no longer, taking her as his wife for the very first but not nearly the last time, filling her with his own love and desire, joined together in a lover's embrace.

It was a dance older than recorded time, more ancient than the history that had built the land around them, and yet it was always contemporary to the dancers, something raised from their time, their world, their era. Their love. There were always new steps to learn, fresh ways to reinvigorate an idea that should have grown stale over the centuries and yet never would, not so long as there were lovers to learn each step anew. There was something new in this dance tonight, a something borne of the ceremony that had linked them together at the hands of a woman almost as ageless as Avalon itself. Nat rose to that newness, that fulfillment, with a joyous cry, unable to take her time just this once, too buoyant in the knowledge of being Rhys' wife. She drew him into her, wildness and softness combined until she could swear their hearts were beating as one.

It was as though they were, if only for a short while, of one mind, one heart, one body, moving together in that age old dance, intent upon sharing the passion that burned in their souls, that drove them together, that connected one to the other, never to be parted again. There was something sacred in the consecration of their marriage, something that hadn't been there before, and though Rhys couldn't quite put his finger on it, he felt it with every fiber of his being. It was as though the simple physical act of making love had become so much more than that, burning themselves into each other, linking their souls together not only for this lifetime but for all time. His soul, after all, was no longer that of an angel, but a human soul. Given the gift of Free Will, he had chosen to spend this lifetime with Natalya, but in that moment, it felt as though their souls had been linked for all eternity, a gift from the Lady.

Without the thick stone walls of their roundel tower, the sounds of the Isle finally falling to sleep were making themselves known, the chatter of voices fading away, the strains of music dwindling until only the natural sound of water and wind through the green places of Avalon filled the air. Within, a different kind of silence prevailed, a silence built on true exclamation of delight, bolstered by the delighted back and forth of gasping breath, as slender fingers stroked down over Rhys' shoulder, as lips swollen from kisses tenderly traced the outline of his mouth. Nat smiled lovingly to her husband as the trembling aftermath faded away, leaving her warm and slick in his arms. At times like this, her grasp of English suffered beneath the weight of emotion, but she tried nonetheless, offering up tender words in the accent that so rarely made itself known to anyone but him. "I have love for you, my dearest heart."

For a short time, it was as though they were the only ones who existed, not only in Avalon, but in all the world. While the rest of Avalon slept, Rhys found sanctuary and peace in the arms of his beloved. He held her in his protective embrace, seeming to share both breath and heartbeats, each in time with the other almost as if they were one being. Rhys smiled softly, deeply touched by the words of affection tinged by her native Russian that so inadequately expressed what they were both feeling. He traced her cheek with a touch that was surprisingly gentle, losing himself in the warm gaze of her soft brown eyes. "I love you more than anything," he told her in an equally soft voice, wishing he could find a way to express himself better.

Her smile softened, though that gently teasing glimmer was never far away, even in these loving moments. Her right hand rose from where it lay over his hip, wiggling her fingers to show off the ring he had put there only hours before. "You cannot be rid of me now," she warned with playful heat, turning her palm against his cheek to press a slow, gentle kiss to his lips. This was only one night to spend in Avalon - the next morning they would leave the Isle and board a plane in England that would take them to the hot somewhere he had promised her they would escape from the world in, almost exactly a year before. But for tonight, it felt absolutely right that they should make their promises as binding as possible, in the mystical place that had given them both purpose in the wake of Abaddon's defeat.

"Nat," he started, frowning a little at her statement, for some reason. He knew that while they'd pledged their hearts and bound themselves to each other, there were greater forces that could and would still part them someday. The Circle of Life, as some called it - the natural forces of life and death. One day, one of them would leave the Earthly Realm and leave the other behind. It might not happen for many years, hopefully not until they were old and gray, but it would happen someday. It was the natural course of life. Why he was worrying about such things on this of all nights, he wasn't sure. It was something that had happened in his past that was still plaguing his thoughts, even on this the happiest day of his life.

Her brow furrowed lightly in the face of his frown, recognizing when his thoughts had wandered elsewhere, somewhere she could not follow. Her thumb gently smoothed over his brow, following the line down over his cheek and jaw affectionately. "What is it?" she asked him softly, not wanting him to wallow or worry. Not tonight.

"It's stupid," he replied, not wanting to spoil the moment or the happiness of the day, though there was something niggling at his brain. "I mean, I love you, and nothing is going to change that. That's the thing. I'm not..." He sighed, licking his lips, unsure he was quite able to explain. "Do you believe in Life after Death' That the soul lives on even when the body fails?" He knew she did; she had to. If anyone was proof that Death was not final, he was.

Natalya Bristol · Date: 2013-02-25 05:01 EST

A very small smile quirked at her lips as she listened to him struggling to express herself. He already knew the answer, yes, but they'd never really discussed what each believed about life after death. "Yes, I do," she nodded, speaking softly but with conviction. "Even if you were not living proof, I would believe it. I have seen it. And I believe, more deeply now that I ever have, that if I should go before you do, I will be homesick for you, even if I reach Heaven."

"That's just it, Nat," he continued, relieved that she seemed to understand, at least in part, what he was trying to get at. "I'm not an angel anymore. I'm human. I don't know what?s going to happen when I..." He broke off again, frustrated at his inability to find the right words to explain himself. He licked his lips again as he tried to start over. "Someone once told me that everyone has a soulmate. Human souls, anyway. And that after you die, you are born again and again, always seeking to find that other half of your soul, but....I'm not sure how that works for me. I've never been human before. I mean, I know it sounds ridiculous, but....If there is such a thing, this is my first lifetime, but it's not yours."

"But if God is omnipotent, omnipresent, knows everything, sees everything that is, was, or will ever be," she offered up in a quiet counter-argument, "then I may well have had other lifetimes, but I never had a soulmate. Not until you. What good is a reward if it is going to be taken away' I may not truly believe in a single God anymore, but even I do not believe him to be so cruel." She shrugged lightly, drawing in a slow breath. "Did you never wonder, Rhys, why Vadim has always been so disbelieving of my affection for you? Why I fought so hard to keep you, even when I knew we had to part?"

He listened to her argument, trusting her to help him make sense of his own worries, self-doubts, soul-searching. Like any human, he wanted to know where he fit into the grand scheme of things, but unlike most humans, he had more answers than some. He'd been given a glimpse beyond the ordinary, and it was just a matter of putting the scattered pieces of the puzzle together. He knew he could take his questions to the Lady, but not even the Lady knew the answers for everything. Nat's argument seemed solid, logical. If all of this had been part of God's plan, that it seemed he had no reason to worry or question. Wasn't that, after all, what Faith was all about' He arched a brow when she brought up Vadim, jealousy briefly flaring in his eyes at the mention of the man's name, even if he was the one who'd won her heart. "What's Vadim got to to do with it?" he asked, trying to hide the jealousy from his voice.

The look he earned for his jealousy was every so slightly resigned, ever so slightly hurt. While it warmed her, in some ways, to know that he felt that jealousy whenever that name was mentioned, it hurt in others to know that the trust was still not quite there. Vadim was a friend, her only friend, and nothing more, yet Rhys seemed to feel threatened by him. "You did not listen to the question," she told her husband, sighing as she rolled onto her back, her hands folding over her stomach. Fingertips touched the tri-colored bands interlinked about her slender finger as she drew her thoughts together, trying to make some sense of what she was about to tell him.

"I have known Vadim for some years," she began softly, her voice sober as she spoke. "He was set to watch me when the Order inducted me into their ranks, but he became a friend. My only friend. I stood up with him at his wedding." Her glance was sharp as she said this, a spike of hurt to drive home the fact that there was no need to be jealous of that friendship. Rhys had even met Vadim's wife, Elisabeta, today - he had seen the love there. And still the jealousy reared its head. Natalya shook her head, sighing once again.

"In the years I have known him, Vadim has never seen me smile. Never heard me laugh. Never experienced anything from me but cold calculation, purpose, determination to do as I must. And I have always been that way. Even as a child, I was solemn, quiet, unmoved by the world and the people in it. Not even my brother could raise a smile from me, and I loved him dearly. My father spoke with a mystic in Siberia, had me read, and she told him that I was incomplete; that in all the lives she could see I had led, I had always been broken. That I would never achieve the full potential of what he saw in me until I found the missing piece of myself." Her eyes turned to Rhys in the darkness, liquid in their gentle beseeching for him to listen and understand what she was trying to say.

"Even the Lady said that I was not whole. And then I met you. You have taught me so much, milaya. You taught me to smile, to laugh, to love. You showed me the joy and the pain of life, that it is not something to shy away from but something to feel. You have taught me how to live, in a way no one ever could. You are my missing piece. You are the only one who could ever have fitted with me so well. And you ask me if there might be another mate to my soul in the world?" She shook her head. "I was born in this life, and all those that came before, missing something that most people never even realize they have. Until you came to me. There is no other soul to match mine, dusha moya."

He listened to her solemnly as she explained, realizing suddenly how ridiculous were his worries and his little jealousies. She was not jealous of his friends, after all, though he'd met them long before he'd met her. He felt a stab of envy that she understood her own life so well, that she knew who she was and what her purpose was in life and had for a long time, though he was starting to know his own. At times, it seemed as if everything was new to him, and yet, his was an old soul, created even before humanity. He sometimes wondered what that existence had been like, but he wouldn't have traded the life he had now with Natalya for anything. He listened quietly, attentively, intently, as she explained, understanding at last that he had no reason to worry; that if what she was saying was true, then he was the missing piece of her soul, that they had been fated to be together from time immemorial. They just hadn't known it until now.

He felt his heart swell as the realization of all this sunk in, tears filling his eyes at the sheer happiness he was feeling. He wasn't sure why it was so important to him, but it was. Other people might live their entire lives without knowing such things, without making this kind of connection, but for him, it was everything. It wasn't enough to just be in love and be married; he wanted to link his soul with hers for all time. Forever was a long time, but they'd both been lonely and searching for the other long enough. When he finally found his voice to speak, his words came out in a broken whisper of words. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Her answer, when it came, was warm and simple, her eyes soft as she met his gaze with clear sincerity. "I thought you knew." Her hand rose, stroking her fingers against his cheek as her smile made itself known, his smile, one that seemed more precious now that he knew it truly did belong to him.

"No," he replied, his voice thick with tears, her touch comforting, soothing his troubled heart. The Lady had hinted at some things, but had never fully explained the connection he felt with Natalya, had always felt nearly from the moment they'd first laid eyes on each other, as if they had been searching all their lives for the other. "I'm sorry, Nat. I don't know what?s the matter with me sometimes. It's like....like I have to learn how to live all over again." Her smile set his heart afire, tears brimming in his eyes, as he tried to grasp an understanding of things that mortals had never understood.

She rolled to face him, wrapping her arms warm about his waist as her lips brushed his, trying to soothe him through the pitfalls of that unexpected realization. "Do not apologize," she told him gently. "It is new to you, this true mortality. I do not know how to help ....a human soul is all I have ever had. I am sorry I did not tell you before. The sadness of my life seems nothing now you are with me; I did not think you would wish to know of it."

He leaned his forehead against hers as she wrapped her arms around him, lifting a hand to brush his fingers against her cheek, drawing her hair away from her face. Though she might think herself plain, her beauty took his breath away. He made no attempt to hide the tears. She had seen him at his best and at his worst, laughing and crying, alive and even dead. He had taken a chance and opened his heart to her and his soul, allowing her to see a side of him he had shown few others.

"I want to know all of it, everything. There's nothing you can't tell me, Nat. Nothing that would push me away. I love you with my whole heart and soul. Nothing will ever change that. I only want to make you happy, the way you make me happy. My life has been..." He frowned a moment as he tried to put even that into words. His life, though different from hers, had been just as lonely, just as tragic, and though all of that had made them who they were, it was all behind them now. They were under the Lady's protection, no one could ever break the bond between them. "One lifetime just doesn't seem long enough." There it was, in a nutshell, simply said and easily understood.

"Do you really think that I will stop at just one lifetime now that I have you?" she asked him with a gentle smile, easing her fingers tenderly against his back. "I swear to you now, even if the next life sees us born at opposite ends of the earth, I will find you. I know you now, milaya, deep in my heart. I call you dusha moya, my soul, and that is what you are. I will not let anyone take you from me. Even a god."

There was something in her words that cried out to his soul, reassuring his deepest fears, knowing she meant what she said. Even if no one was there to witness their words, he knew that somehow this vow was as binding as any other, made here in private between them in this place, under the protection and in the service of the Lady of Avalon. The tears that had been threatening spilled over onto his cheeks, quickly brushed aside, his heart full of overwhelming love and devotion for this his Natalya, the other half of his soul. "I swear to you, Nat, I will always love you, forever, in this lifetime and the next, until the end of time. I belong to you. My heart is yours, and I freely give you my soul."

"Good." A single fervent word, quickly swallowed by the fierce kiss she pressed to his lips, swept from quiet sincerity to strong passion in an instant. There were no words that could express how deeply that oath touched her, how tightly the ties that bind had become in those moments, but she could show him in some small way. It was not a romantic gesture; it was giving and taking, passion taking precedence over tenderness as she rolled him to his back, determined to sear herself all over again into the heart and soul he had given her in exchange for her own.

Give and take and give again. He had taken her once already tonight, and now it seemed it was her turn to do the same. This giving and taking would more than likely continue all through the night until morning broke on Avalon and at last they'd relinquish themselves to a well-earned rest. But until then, they would share the passion that burned in their souls, giving and taking of each other, desire rising and cresting and rising again, over and over until their bodies were sated and physically exhausted. No more questions were asked that night, no more questions were needed. Life was full of uncertainty and questions, and they had more answers than most. What awaited them in this lifetime was uncertain, but the one thing that was certain was that whatever challenges they faced, they would never again face them alone.

((Only these two could wander into philosophy while in the process of consummating their marriage. :grin: Up next, a sneak peek at the honeymoon - what does a demon hunter do when he's on vacation' Umpty-bumpty-uberflorious thanks to Rhys' player!))