Azael let one of his hands continue to trace Tissaia's back while he unlaced her pants with the other and helped free her legs. Her scars were rough beneath his fingers, and a torrent of emotion threatened to overwhelm him once more, guilt and anger the most prominent. Her scars were brutal, but not hideous. Nothing about her could ever be hideous.

Tissaia's breath hitched as he leaned down to touch his lips to one of the scars that spanned onto her waist. Her fingers found his hair and Azael kissed her skin as she tightened her grip. His palms curved over her soft thighs, finding only a few ridges from the scars she had mentioned.

Tissaia made a small sound as he kissed his way down her hip until his lips found the faded marks. "I'm sorry it took me so long to see them," Azael murmured, lifting his gaze to hers. "I'm sorry it took me so long to see you. I thought I was protecting you, but I was protecting you from the wrong thing."

"The fault is as much mine as yours," Tissaia said, her fingertips lightly caressing his cheek, and he leaned into the touch. "I didn't trust you with them, or myself. But I want to now, because I do trust you. I love you."

He pushed himself upright and caught her lips in a sound kiss. "And I love you."

Tissaia tugged at the fastenings on his tunic and he shrugged out of it as soon as they were free. She smoothed her hands down his bare chest while he kissed her and warmth trailed beneath her touch. Azael's hand wound to the nape of her neck and he angled her head further, kissing her more deeply as her lips parted.

He barely spared a thought to remind himself to breathe. He wanted to ingrain every part of her into himself. The feel of her full lips. The sweet and tart lemony taste of her. The scent of dew and incense that clung to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, not breaking off their kiss as he eased her down beneath himself.

He braced his forearms beside her shoulders, letting only a portion of his weight settle on top of her. Tissaia ran her hands over his shoulders and sparks burned beneath his skin, feeding the heavy ache that had begun to grow within him. Azael broke his lips from hers finally and dragged his mouth down her throat.

Tissaia tipped her head back with a breathless gasp while he continued down onto her chest and dropped heavy kisses onto her sternum. She curved into him and Azael brought one hand to her waist and let it glide down to her hip. Tissaia made another soft, wanting sound as he kissed her stomach.

"Darling," she rasped.

He dipped his head, dragging his tongue across her center and she gave an encouraging moan. Azael brought his other hand down to her hips as well and held them firmly as he continued, coaxing gentle gasps and moans from Tissaia with every stroke. His own need grew with each sound he drew from her until he couldn't bear the tightness of his pants any longer.

Azael drew back and pushed himself onto his knees. Tissaia watched through smoky lashes while he unlaced his pants and cast them aside. The corner of her mouth curled into a smirk and she sat up. He held her gaze even as her hand slipped below his hips. A shiver ran down his spine at her light touch and he grasped her waist once more.

He buried his face in her neck with a groan while her palm passed over him and pleasure fogged his senses. Her hand went further and the ache within him swelled. He pushed her back, spreading her legs with his knees and settling his hips on hers. Tissaia moaned as he pushed into her only a fraction, then withdrew.

"Azael," she whimpered. Her breath turned ragged when he slid in again, deeper this time. "Please," Tissaia pleaded.

"I'm letting you adjust," he answered.

"Well, stop."

He grinned, arching a brow. "Oh? If that's what you wish..." He pulled away from her entirely and Tissaia gave a frustrated huff.

He caught the wicked glint in her eyes just as she said, "Then I'll do it." She hooked her leg around his hips and with a sharp twist, rolled him beneath herself.

Azael stared up at her in surprise while she shifted back towards his hips. "Gods, you are fucking beautiful," he breathed.

"So you've mentioned, my Darling." She braced her hands on his chest and Azael held her by the hips as she sank onto him completely. A heavy groan broke from his mouth and he didn't bother to fight it as Tissaia began rocking atop him.

•༻☽☾༺•

Tissaia let her head fall back with another breathless moan as she rolled her hips against Azael's, pleasure seeping through every inch of her until her body was tingling. The Prince beneath her was coming as unraveled as she, desperate groans spilling from him with her every move, and he'd begun to match his movements to hers, driving pleasure deeper within her.

She ground harder, eliciting another cry from herself, and let her head fall forward this time. Her hair spilled across her shoulder in a dark curtain and she peered through it, catching Azael's gaze. His half-lidded eyes were full of only desire and admiration, and she leaned forward to kiss him. He accepted it eagerly, pushing his tongue between her lips and threading his fingers through her hair.

She shifted her hips at another angle and he groaned her name against her mouth. "Fuck!" He grunted as she raised herself slightly, then came down again. She repeated the move with a smile and watched as he let his head fall back with another desperate moan. "Where," he panted, "did you learn to do this?"

"I still have some secrets," Tissaia answered coyly. "And you can find them out in due course."

"I want to find them out now," he growled, and her body tightened at the simmering promise in his tone.

He rolled suddenly and propped himself up on one knee, keeping one of her legs wrapped around his hip. Tissaia cried out as he began to move in long, hard thrusts, each one sending stars through her vision. She let her hands fall above her head as she lifted her hips, deepening the bursts of pleasure that cascaded through her.

Each one fed the higher wave she could feel building and she began panting in between her ragged moans as Azael dragged them from her lips. She dug her nails into his biceps and pulled him down for another kiss. Her arms wrapped around him as he slipped a hand beneath her waist and pressed her closer to himself, until there wasn't an inch of space between their flushed skin.

Tissaia raked her nails across his shoulder blades and down his back, not hard enough to scratch, but hard enough that she knew there would be red lines for a while. Azael returned the favor by nipping at her neck and shoulder, barely hard enough to bruise.

"Azael," she cried as pleasure spooled through her in a tightening wind.

"My Love," he answered, his lips catching her earlobe and trailing up to its tip.

She pressed her face into his neck as she came undone, blinding pleasure overtaking her body and leaving her trembling and gasping for breath. Azael shuddered just as hard and moans spilled from his lips while he kept moving between her thighs. The first wave of pleasure passed, but Tissaia was already whimpering as another one built in lue of the first.

Azael began to slow, but she clutched at his shoulders and locked her legs around him. His gaze met hers and he needed no further prompting. Tissaia threw her head back with loud cries as he built her up again, sweat gleaming on his skin. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him hungrily until she reached her climax once again.

Azael wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck with another pleased groan. Tissaia gulped down steadying breaths as he shuddered against her, and gently combed her fingers through his hair and trailed them down his spine.

"Gods," Azael grunted when he finally eased out of her and let his head fall against her chest. "Are you all right? This wasn't too much?"

"By Hadeon's Hel, no," she answered with a breathless laugh. "No, Darling. That was exactly like in my fantasies."

Azael's answering chuckle was muffled by her skin. "Remind me to have you tell me about more of those sometime."

"All right." She smiled as Azael lifted his head. For a moment, he just gazed at her, his eyes shining with gentle affection. He hooked a finger beneath her chin and brushed their lips together. "I love you," Tissaia murmured.

"I love you too." Emotion flooded his gaze and he averted it.

"What is it?" She urged.

"I..." He closed his eyes. "Where will you go, after your father is dead? What will you do?"

Tissaia drew a shallow breath before answering. "I don't know. I had always thought that...that Kaius, Talarion, and I would find a home together somewhere. That's what Kaius wanted. He spoke to me about it several times. We thought about going to one of the hidden villages, or perhaps joining Vael and Kahari's. But now..."

Tears beaded along her lashes before she could catch them, but she blinked them away. Now wasn't the time for tears. Not when she was trying to do as her brother had said, and let herself feel happiness.

"Marry me." She flinched in surprise, half-believing she'd imagined the words. Azael sat up, grasping her hand. "Tissaia, marry me."

She pushed herself upright too, meeting his gaze. "Don't say that unless you mean it," she whispered.

"I mean it," Azael insisted. "Let it be any day you choose, even if it's the very day we return to Arcan, or tomorrow if you wish. I love you, and I will never deny it again. I will do everything within my power to make sure the Elder's prophecy about our future, and the future of our son, does not come true. And even if our time is limited, I won't spend it in fear any longer. I need you, Tissaia."

He cupped her cheek in his hand. "Perhaps it might seem like I'm rushing into things, but I love you, and if you'll still have me, in spite of all these years of heartache and longing, I would ask you to marry me. This time of my own accord, because I want to be with you, and I want you to be with me. And we will find a place for Talarion in our home as well, if he wishes to come with us."

The tears that stung her eyes now were more of joy than sorrow. Slowly, a smile spread across her lips as she nodded. "I don't think you're rushing into anything. After all, we have technically been engaged for two-hundred and eighty-six years." Azael grimaced, but it was soon replaced with a smile when she kissed him. "If you truly mean it, then yes. After my father is dead, I will go with you to Arcan, and I will marry you."

Azael kissed her anew, deeply and with a tenderness she had never felt from anyone before. "I love you," he whispered.

    "I love you too," Tissaia echoed.