Completed Breaker of Chains

[Quacey]

The way Ethir swayed her hips after she swung her legs off the bed had Quacey's attention. It was similar to how she had moved when she was attempting to seduce him when they first met back in the camp. A sign she was feeling better or perhaps a sign she was trying to seduce him once again?

The fae wasn't sure but he welcomed both outcomes. His gaze sticking to her seemingly unable to remove themselves until she held her bread in hand.

The candles had not been a request this time, but seemed to be more a continuation of the request from the first meal. He noticed them as he moved to sit himself down and decided to arrange them first. A spark from a flint saw them lit and then he got himself sat down as well at last.

"How is it Ethir? Good?" He picked up his bread and dipped it into his soup. A bit of small talk. His eyes having a hard time deciding between his meal and what lay beneath the tunic.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

Ethir watched silently as he lit the candles. She couldn't decide if she found it romantic or anti-climatic, considering the sun was still shining brightly through the window, nearing afternoon. An early dinner, or a late lunch. Either way, the food was good.

He spoke and she returned her gaze back to him, noticing his own gaze seemed to dart back and forth between his bowl and her body. The tips of her ears colored, hidden by her hair. She ducked her head briefly, taking a sip of the soup.

"Yes," she replied, wondering if he would even hear the response to his question. "Did you ask for the candles?" she went on, making an attempt to continue the small talk, despite the tension in the room that she could've cut with a knife.

 

[Quacey]

The fae was distracted and barely noticed how his food tasted. By the Twins he was a youth again at times with where his mind wandered. A young, attractive woman before him in only a tunic should be less of a special treat for his eyes than it currently was being for someone his age with kids.

After her comment he swallowed his current spoonful of soup. "Indeed I did. Last night.... Are they a problem?"

Quacey was curious if she found something wrong with them having candles. Yes it was a bit romantic, especially given there was no practical need for them at this time of day, but that was the point. He was interested in more intimacy with her and it was a way of telling her without saying so outright. It felt as if he did just request it from her so directly that it would say he viewed her simply as the entertainer she was forced to be before still and not as what little of herself she shared.

He wanted to give her the choice she wasn't truly given before and have a kind of intimacy she likely had been neglected until now. If she wanted it then she would do something. If she didn't then at least the two had a warm meal together.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

So he had asked for the candles. Ethir was a bit surprised but didn't mind much. She shook her head in response as she swallowed a bit of bread soaked in soup.

By the gods, his eyes were wandering. She had no idea what Quacey was thinking. First it seemed he wanted her, then it seemed he didn't and now he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She took another bite of bread and thought as she chewed.

She was out of ideas for small talk but the thought of what might come next set her heart racing. She knew what she wanted, but she didn't know if she was brave enough to do anything about it. As she ate in silence she tried to convince herself that nothing bad would happen, that so far, Quacey had not seemed disgusted by her. Quite the opposite, in fact.

She set down her spoon for a moment to drink some of the ale. She would definitely need some liquid courage.

"Is there another bath on the way?" she asked, watching his face as she waited for a response.

 

[Quacey]

The hesitation and apprehension showing from Ethir was a bit concerning for Quacey. Before she seemed ready for some intimacy, or at least open to the idea if he brought it up, now she seemed unsure about things. She had gotten quiet again and went about finishing her food.

Was she just hungry and focused on that?

Then came the question about the bath. He raised a brow slightly but swallowed his bite of food (his own meal nearly gone now as well). "After the rush for evening meals they said they would begin preparing it. I would say it is still more than a couple of hours till then."

He took a quick drink of his ale. "Why do you ask?" He looked at her then got another bit of mischief come to mind. He focused on her eye and leaned forward. "Perhaps you would like to re-enact what we did together when we met before it arrives?"

From the look in his eyes it was clear he wasn't joking nearly as much as his tone might suggest.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

He seemed to see right through her and it took all of her willpower not to curl in on herself under his piercing and searching gaze. She knew what she wanted, but she was not brave enough to ask for it.

"I-" she started, not knowing what to say after. She wanted to say yes, gods, she really did, but with that would come other things she didn't think she was ready for. "I'm not-" she tried again. She swallowed around the lump in her throat. She could not cry now, not after embarassing herself before. She needed to pull herself together. He wouldn't want her if she cried all the time.

Even still, she could not fight back the tear that slid out of her eye. She cursed herself and swatted it away angrily. He was going to think it was his fault again, even though he had done nothing wrong.

 

[Quacey]

The reaction that Quacey got from Ethir confused him. She couldn't get a word out and seemed as if he had squarely stuck the target yet she had a tear run down her face. Was it that she did and the thought of it upset her? Did she think it was what would see his aid continued yet did not? Perhaps some other issue not related to it at all?

The fae decided it was best to stop trying to sort out. So far he had come to no conclusion and her mood seemed to change like the winds. Instead of using his head right now he decided to use his heart.

So Quacey rose and went over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly against her. He rubbed her sides and just gave her a chance to cry if she wanted.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

Ethir had just swiped at another tear that betrayed her by sliding down her cheek when Quacey got up and walked around the table, kneeling to wrap his arms around her. She sagged into him as more tears slid down her face. She was crying again, but it wasn't like last night- these were silent, angry tears.

She sagged into Quacey, hiding her face in his broad chest. As if on instinct, she slid her arms around him, embracing him back as he held her.

One would think after three years of laying constantly with men, that she would never want to be touched again, but she craved it. Not in a meaningless, selfish way, but in the way Quacey held her- with comfort, support, and an attempt at understanding.

 

[Quacey]

Quacey just held onto Ethir and let her cry into his chest. There was nothing else he could do for her right now than just let her do as she needed. His hands still gently rubbing her sides in an attempt to soothe and comfort her to some small degree. Silence so she didn't feel as if she had to focus on anyone else but herself right now.

This felt like what she had been needing. Perhaps his attempt to give her some space and time for herself had done her some good, but right now both would be damaging. So he held her close. His warmth allowed to radiate to her.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

He was so warm. Ethir thought she would melt into him as her tears soaked his shirt. Her breathing was uneven but as Quacey held her and rubbed her sides gently, she found herself calming enough to where she could trust herself to open her eyes.

She did so and pulled back a little to look up at him, her arms still around Quacey and his around hers. She could feel that her eyes were red and puffy from the crying just now and last night and her face heated almost against her will, giving away that she cared what he thought of her.

Their faces were inches apart, and if Quacey just ducked his head their lips would meet. She wished he would but didn't want to think about where it might lead.

 

[Quacey]

The pair just stayed like this for a time. There was no tracking how much of it past in these moments. Eventually she had enough of the crying into his chest and leaned back. Her gaze up at him as he looked at her. No doubt she showed the signs of having cried. The red and puffy eyes after the liberal flowing of tears.

But that is not what Quacey noticed within them. Instead he noticed something else. A desire as their faces were held so close together. She wanted something from him. Something she couldn't bring herself to ask with words. Fear held back desire with hesitation. Should he grant it to her? Should he give her what she desired despite the fear?

Quacey did not ponder on it for longer than a second before he leaned forward. His lips pressing against her own. If this is what she truly wanted then he was happy to provide. Closeness and intimacy were needs for the fae in a stronger way than mortals. Such long lives lived alone were terrifying.

He held her close as his lips continued to greet her own.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

Ethir was surprised when he did indeed lean forward to kiss her. Her eyes fluttered closed after a moment, and then she began to kiss him back, moving her mouth against his. With her eyes shut, his arms wrapped around her, and a warm feeling in her gut, she could pretend it was just the two of them again, back in her tent.

But she could not deny that this moment felt more real than it ever had before. Her arms tightened around him and she prayed that it would never end. She could stay in his arms until morning, or at least until the bath came.

Her face heated as conflicting emotions rose up, brought back by the thought of a bath. They were only beaten down by the heat of Quacey's mouth on hers and the heat building in her core. Didn't she deserve this much, at least? She thought too much, and right now, she didn't particularly want to think as she kissed Quacey, her body melting against his.

 

[Quacey]

Warmth had turned to heat. The two fae shared in a passionate kiss that continued seemingly with no desire for an end from either of them. What had started as Quacey wanting to comfort Ethir was beginning to shift. What he wanted was less about helping her push through her tears and more something else. The longer she went without crying the more that balance in his desire shifted.

Then seemingly out of nowhere the balance tipped completely to one side.

Quacey picked Ethir up out of her chair as he stood. He carried them over to the bed and laid her on her back as he leaned over the top of her. Their lips never breaking away from one another. The door to the room remained locked. The bath would not arrive for hours yet. There was no reason in his mind they should not do what fae did in moments such as these.

The only question was if Ethir wanted it too.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

Her tears had dried but there was still that aching sadness in her chest. Quacey's mouth made it easier to forget though, at least for a little while.

Suddenly there was a change in the kiss; Quacey moved his mouth against hers more passionately as he stood up, picking her up with as he moved over to the bed. He set her down surprisingly gently and was on top of her immediately, his lips never leaving hers. Her breathing had been calmed when he had embraced her but now it was erratic once more, but she did not mind.

She could not stop kissing Quacey even if she had wanted to; he had her wrapped up so completely in his arms, his warmth enveloping her and chipping away at the walls around her heart. She found that the longer they kissed, the more focused she became- it was almost as if her mind was clearing, but all she could see was Quacey.

 

[Quacey]

The kissing continued. Hunger had met hunger. Their meal from before not enough to sate their needs. Only one thing could bring them satisfaction. At least that was true for Quacey. For Ethir he didn't truly know what her heart and mind held. His satisfaction could be her disappointment. His needs sated could do nothing to sate her different own.

Quacey finally broke away from their kissing. His eyes on her face. "Do you desire it with your tunic on or off?"

He paused a moment then added, "Or do you desire it at all?"

He needed to know she wanted this. It was her choice. It had to be her choice. No longer was it others who would decide these things for her. She needed to know that. She needed to know it was her who decided for her now.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

Just when she thought it could never end, Quacey pulled back. Ethir opened her eyes to meet his, and for the first time she didn't hate his soul-searching gaze.

She was silent for a moment, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths, her arms still around him, looser now. She pulled one arm forward, tracing his cheek bone into his hair, tangling her fingers in it. She wanted so much to pull his mouth back down to hers but his question needed answering.

She was silent for a moment more, before she returned her gaze back to his. She was calmer than before, but her nervous was still there, just better hidden.

"Pretend that you love me," she said, her voice nearly a whisper.

 

[Quacey]

The words that came from Ethir in response to his question took Quacey by surprise. Pretend that you love me. How was he suppose to do such a thing? Was it not a bad sign omen for her to state such a thing to him? Should he be concerned?

Quacey decided to do as she asked. They both knew it was nothing more than an illusion. A momentary one. A desire for her so that she might find what is real.

The fae leaned forward and placed his lips upon her own. Gentle passion. The opposite of what one would show a whore. The opposite of what the men who had visited her no doubt had given her. Their lips sought dominion and carnal outlet. His sought to provide comfort and acceptance.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

Ethir did not miss the surprise on his face, and she almost instantly regretted her words. Without Quacey's mouth on hers or his arms around her, she was not as confident or as focused. But then a sort of resolution came over his features as he leaned down and kissed her once more.

It was gentler this time, so tender it almost shocked her. She blinked a couple times before letting her eyes flutter shut once more. She had never been kissed like this- not even when she had first laid with Quacey.

As he kissed her all other thoughts left her mind. In this moment, she could pretend that she loved him and that he loved her and that they were going to have their happy ending.

 

[Quacey]

Ethir seemed to revel in what she received from Quacey to her request. The meeting of their lips in such a soft way a comfort for her. She embraced the illusion as readily as one suffering the cold did a warm blanket.

Quacey was conflicted by this. He felt joy in her getting what she wanted and having some form of peace for once. But he felt guilty still not sure if this would only turn to poison in her heart and push her further away from her path.

A matter for the future to decide for them.

The fae began to massage her body as he kissed her lips. Hands seeking to relax and warm her sure to be stiff and sore muscles. No attempt at fooling or using her body to claim her after. Just an attempt to give her something without a cost and a promise that it was her choice if things progressed beyond her own care.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

She knew it wasn't real. But it was easy to pretend that it was.

She had pretended before; when she had first been taken into the Suntory Market, she had pretended that she could make them fall in love with her and then they would take her away and be happy together.

But they always left the next morning and then it wasn't worth it to pretend anymore so she slit throats. The warm blood had reminded her that she was real and that she held power in her hands, when everyone else made her feel so powerless.

So as Quacey's hands moved over her body gently and almost nervously, she pretended. She knew it was an illusion and that she would have to face the truth eventually, but that was a problem for tomorrow. Right now, she was pretending to be loved.

She didn't know how long they had been kissing, wrapped up in each other on the bed, when there was a knock on the door, and the person on the other side announced the bath. Ethir would be the first to pull back and open her eyes, looking up into Quacey's as he hovered over her.

 

[Quacey]

Things remained the same between Ethir and Quacey. She was content with the kissing and massage. No desire for more. No attempt to seek more than comfort from him. All she seemed to want was to be cared.

Quacey made note of this and decided it best to stop trying to repeat their first night together. She didn't want or need that form of intimacy anymore. Not after the years lacking even a feigned sense of care.

When the bath arrived and Ethir broke away, he rose up off of her and went to the door. As it had happened last night so it happened again with everything being brought in. Once they were done, he closed the door behind them and locked it.

Quacey turned to Ethir and said, "Want me to leave for thirty minutes again or would you like more time to yourself?"

The fae was certain she would want him gone. Just like last night. Just like before their meal.

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

Ethir sat up once Quacey had gotten off of her and watched as the two men from last night brought the water and towels and soap in. She had not been aware of her appearance until he asked if she wanted him to leave again. She glanced down at herself. His tunic was bunched around her legs, threatening to reveal more than she wanted to reveal, and it had slid to one shoulder again, leaving her other shoulder bare.

She did not want him gone. She wanted him to come back over to the bed so they could finish what they'd started, but she also wanted a bath, and the warm water would not stay warm. She felt strangely calm, even though she was conflicted. She thought about asking him to stay but then his soul-searching gaze on hers made her stomach clench in anticpation. No, not tonight.

"I do not need a bath, you can take one," she said, surprising herself with the calmness of her voice.

She reminded herself of everything that was to happen in the future- she would get her clean clothes back tomorrow, and then they could leave the inn and go into town to get new clothes. Soon, they would arrive at Quacey's house and she could start anew. It wouldn't be so awful, would it?

 

[Quacey]

The fae had not noticed the state of her dress until after she spoke. A more foolish man might think she was attempting to seduce them. He knew she was not. If she did then she would be flaunting it more and never asked of him what she had. Seduction didn't work when both were aware of the illusion.

But he had to admit he was not immune to the erotic nature about it.

The bath had been offered to him. Not the response he had expected. She also had made no attempt to leave or suggest she was going to. Also not what he had expected. This left him with two options as he saw it.

"How about you join me and we bath together?"

The fae paused a moment so she could think on it then continued.

"If not the bath is your's and I shall give you some privacy."

Ethir

 

[Ethir]

Just when she had thought she'd made the resolution to stay clothed for tonight, Quacey suggested they bathe together. She was a bit surprised an was about to offer to give him privacy if he wanted it but then she glanced at the washbasin and recalled her thoughts when they had first arrived in the room.

A war began within herself, between her natural instincts and her desires in the moment. She had always been intentional and never impulsive, but here she was, sitting on the bed, actually considering taking him on his offer.

Quacey was silent for a moment before he spoke again, and he brought another option up. So if he was going to bathe it would be either with her or not at all. She bit her tongue, thinking. This was what happened when she tried to be nice.

The conflict was obvious on her face but when she made her decision, it made her heart pound loudly in her ears, making her a bit lightheaded.

"I'll join you,"

 

[Quacey]

The young fae woman was full of surprises still. She chose to join him. For them both to enjoy the warm waters. It was not what he had expected from her. Did she have similar intentions as himself for their closeness to come or was she wishing for a purely practical pursuit of cleanliness?

"Together it is then."

Quacey began to undress himself. There was no point in waiting nor delaying. She had seen him without already. This was what the pair had decided to do mutually as well. Now they just need commit to their actions and hold true to their vow of bathing together.

Once stripped he stepped into the bath and slowly lowered himself down so as not to splash too much out of the tub just yet. Once inside he let his head lean back as a contented sigh escaped him. It was soothing. How hot water could draw such bliss and comfort so quickly was a miracle from the Twins.

With his arms on the sides of the tub and his head back with eyes closed he waited for Ethir to join him.

Ethir