midnightstar | Shionne and Alphen in Menancia

They've all come a long way since Calaglia, both in terms of distance and... other things. Things Shionne was forcing herself not to acknowledge. Because what would the point be to acknowledge those thoughts when she couldn't act on them - when at the end of this journey, she had no future? Ah... but that was something she hadn't - couldn't - tell the others, who she's begun thinking of as more than just 'tools'.

Particularly Alphen.

It was the hardest to think of him when she knew how much she was keeping from him. Much to her frustration, however, the group had decided to take a break for a little while since Shionne's pace had been pushing the others quite a lot - and they did just gain two new companions. Shionne was avoiding them as much as possible, deciding to go for a walk through the city almost...baffled by how accepting the Dahnans and Renans were.

It was ... nice. But it felt so alien to her, at the same time.

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She was going to have to be the one to make sure they got actual work done, because from the look on his face, she would bet he'd be the one to try and coax her into cuddling more instead. Which meant that she'd want to get her chores done as quickly as possible so she could quickly get cuddly and close with him, be it in bed, on the couch, by a log fire or wherever they happened to find each other. Not to mention she had a feeling she might end up abandoning some of her tasks to pull him away for cuddling when her Alphen-lovelevels were low too.

"A dream, hrm..?" She grinned teasingly, her hand reaching over to pinch him, "How about now?" As more and more of her dress slid free of her body, she leaned towards him again, her hands lightly stroking along his shoulders, "You're so warm --" Maybe it was because she had less clothing on though. But she tilted her head at him curiously at a thought, "... do you want me to help you, too?" Y'know. With the whole.. pants matter.

They would likely take turns doing that. Because lets face it neither of them was more responsible than the other. AS soon as their intimate contact reserves were running low they would immediately home in on where the other person was and just drag them off for cuddling or just cuddle on the spot depending where they were at the time.

"Mngh. only if you want to as well. I don't want to make you do anything you don't truly want to." That was always his focus with Shionne. Because he wants her to want him just as much as he wants her. Which is why he'll keep tempting her.

She flashed a warm smile at him, always appreciating how much he had her in his thoughts when it came to their intimacy. He never pushed her since he knew how long she'd gone wanting, but not wanting, to be touched for her curse - it still left her in a daze at times, realizing she could let him touch her, or she could touch him. And with that in mind..

"I want to," she assured him. "I want to be able to touch you as much as I can, wherever and whenever I can. As much as possible." The temptation is always there - he didn't have to do much to tempt her to touch him, to be honest - unless she was trying to behave and get something done anyway. Like cleaning.

Alphen's smile softened even more and put his hand over hers so that her palm rested openly above his heart as he leaned up a little bit.

"Did you feel that? How my heart started beating frantically when you said that? I think that should make it quite clear that I would love nothing more than for you to act on those wishes since they are the same as my own~"

Gracious his heart really was beating wildly wasn't it? As much as her own was it seemed - though that heat she felt might not just be coming from him at this point. She smiled at that response nonetheless, her hands lowering to carefully undo the fastening on his pants. "..as long as you tell me if I ever do something wrong.. because the last thing I want to do is disappoint you, my beloved Alphen." She murmured, leaning up at the same time to press light kisses to his lips as she did so. Though they might be a little distracted with her dealing with his pants as well.

"You could never disappoint me. But I promise if I don't feel good about it, you will be the first to know." An easy promise to make when he has absolute belief that it won't come to that. Because His love for Shionne and hers for him, would overcome such already insignificant odds with ease. He hummed into the kiss and raised his hips up to help her with getting his pants off, his eagerness to have her touch him there and everywhere just growing with every second.

She nuzzled against his cheek affectionately at that- she knew he would definitely keep his word, but she was also going to do everything she couldto make sure she never made him feel bad about anything. "Alphen... " She smiled softly, shaking her head, "It ..still amazes me how you can make me love you more and more every day." Every second even - but then she was caught up in the kiss, her hands pushing his pants down with him helping her pull them off - her hands wandering over his legs and lingering slightly over his groin, almost fascinated with the feel.

The nuzzling was every bit as precious to Alphen as all her other touches. Her words lighting a soft spark of sheer joy and adoration for this woman who had gone through so so much so selflessly. IT was so easy for him to make that oath to himself that he would spend the rest of his life making sure she received the love and happiness she was well overdue for.

"Then you know how it feels for me as well, Shionne~" He chuckled before it turned into a needy hungry moan as she started to touch and brush up against that part of his body that wanted her attention the most.

She's careful, oh so gentle when it came to touching; worrying about hurting him was always going to be at the forefront, even if she didn't have to worry about the thorns. Continuing to touch him was only going to make things worse, though, so after that realization occurred to her, she blushed and pulled the rest of the garment off, shifting on top of him to meet his gaze. It wasn't the first time they were together like this, (and definitely wouldn't be the last) but she always felt... oddly excited? Was that weird?

Not weird at all when she could easily see the same excitement and desire in his own eyes. Alphen pulled up closer to his beloved and rolled his hips idly up against Shionne's trying to get some bit of friction going because he wanted so much more of her touch now that clothes were gone.

"Truly...so beautiful~ You can't blame me for admiring you whenever you come out of the bath freshly washed when you have such a lovely figure~"

She blushed at that remark, though let out a low sigh at the first roll of his hips, settling herself with her hands resting against his chest to let her hips smoothly roll with his, "Mmrh - it.... it's a little embarrassing the way you stare, sometimes- " not in a bad way though, considering that happy smile she could never quite hide whenever she caught him staring at her. It was probably the same kind of stare she gave him in similar situations - especially when he was training or chopping firewood. She could watch him at that all day - it was oddly mesmerizing!

"Well I am sorry to say I won't stop staring at you at moments like that. Honestly I don't think I can ever stop looking at you just in general~" Alphen shamelessly admitted that simple truth that was both innocent and not so much. He leans up for a kiss right after that, no longer able to resist the urge even as their bodies slowly slid into place, taking them both towards the outcome they both desired so badly for so long.

She shook her head with an embarrassed smile, ".. I don't want you to stop watching me - I always want your eyes on me." Even if she was embarrassed by the attention. Although it amazed her that he was so .. up front and open about his feelings - though come to think of it, he was always that way. It was one of the things that charmed her about him, and she leaned down to return the kiss eagerly, uttering a soft moan of his name the more she moved with him.

"What if I want more than my eyes on you though?" Alphen then cornered her with another question, that shameless pride he held towards his own feelings for Shionne. The answer it seemed would have to wait a bit as she kissed him again and she moved her body on top of his. Gods she was so warm. So soft to touch and warm. IT was an addicting sensation that Alphen wanted to enjoy every single day.

She blushed at the question again, though it was hard to be embarrassed when you were in this particular situation - and it was also hard to be embarrassed when your lover was being so loving. She cradled her hands along the sides of his face, giving him light pecks as she moved with him, almost breathless, "..then you should touch me as much as you want.. because you're the only one I want doing so. "

Oh having his face held by that and kisses back to back no less was making his heart beat so wildly in his chest. Followed up by a skip when she asked him to touch her more and be the ONLY one who touches her like that. What man could hope to endure such temptation? Certainly not her lover. Especially not her lover.

"Don't get overwhelmed then since you asked for this~" He purrs and starts to run those big strong caloused hands along her sides and up underneath her breasts as the two just...explore each other's bodies with everything that they can.

Oh, did she just give him too much 'leash'? ..she didn't mind though, if nothing else, she purred, shivering a little with the touches to more..sensitive parts of fher body. Her hands idly starting to move from his face to wander over his body in turn, , running through his hair with increasing enthusiasm as she grew more comfortable with touching him as much as he touched her. Alas she has but two hands with which to explore her beloved, but she alternated between covering his face in loving kisses and trailing her lips along his neck as they moved as one.

Maybe but there is no better person to entrust with that much liberty over her body. Alphen was keen and just as eager to map out the wonderful body of his lover. Eager to find all the points that would make her sing the most beautifully. The kisses and touches to his face only etching a permanent smile on his lips as he just indulged his beloved to the fullest.

That she knew for certain, she would give him all the freedom he could possibly want to explore with her. And he was -very- talented when it came to finding areas that had her moan and sigh his name the most effectively, just as she sought out his own preferred tastes with a single-minded hunger. Though even she started trailing up from teasing his ears and neck to claim his lips like she were starving for them, letting her hands and hips move with him in a dance they were more than eager to perform ..frequently.

"I love the sound of your voice every day, Shionne~ But the way you sound now. It's so good~" Alphen praised with a reverence and love unlike anything she had ever heard. Yet that was exactly what she deserved and Alphen would more than make up for all those years she didn't hear such praise. No he would do more than make up for all of that time and not just with verbal praise as his hands also roamed all over his beloved's form, as if to paint the most vivid sensation of her in his mind forever more.

"I think Married life really suits you, Alphen," Shionne teased, "I'm not sure I'll ever get enough of how much praise you give me every day, and all I can do is give every piece of me to you in turn. Hearing your voice and being able to feel you, and feel you feel me --" she emphasized her words slightly with a roll of her hips and back as she felt his hands roaming over her body, a pleased sigh slipping from her lips, ".. is ]heaven."

"I can just as easily say that to you, my lovely wife~" Alphen purred just leaning more into her touch and just loving the way she could be so playful and assertive when she was able to just touch him as much as she craved without anything or anyone else getting in the way.

"I am going to spend all of my life reveling in the ways I can love you. So look forward to that, Shionne~"

Just hearing him call her his wife made her wiggle a little bit instinctively - she loved that word when it was used in relation to him, as much as she loved calling him her beloved husband. When she had been so ready to throw her life away for him and the world, and now they could just spend their lives as they pleased, exploring and meeting new people.. she leaned down to kiss him with a soft chuckle. "I will look forward to every new experience I get to have with you, Alphen, I promise you that." Just thinking about everything they'd done so far or everything he's said to her, she felt childishly giddy. And she knew he must know how ecstatically happy he made her feel as a result, right?

"You just keep stealing my words. I guess I should use my actions more then. Though if that makes you steal those too I cannot say I would mind terribly~" Alphen chuckled cheekily, this mischievous side of him coming out much more often since they had their wedding and moved in together. His hand run gently up her sides and then over to her front yet despite the hunger behind his touches he is still so gentle and wanton with her that it's not like he's trying to rush her into anything specific just satisfying that desire to feel more of her body as much as possible before they come together as one again.

She gave him a grin in response, "Well you were the first one to steal with your actions, so it's only fair." She teased, her skin prickling with warmth under his fingers. To think there was a time she thought she would never be touched, let alone like this. And she certainly loved feeling his hands roaming over her body as much as she loved doing the same with him. "I suppose it can' be helped," she purred softly, nuzzling into him closer, "After everything we've been through it's makes sense we share similar thoughts and feelings." She brushed her lips against his lightly with a smile, letting her fingers trace over his shoulders in turn, "Like right now." When she wanted to do nothing more than feel him against and around her, her precious husband. Her beloved Alphen.