It'd been a little after a month since Itachi had left the Citadel, alone, to head for Pickham. He'd crossed Serendipity and Adela in a little over two weeks, carrying nothing but his weapons and a bedroll, sleeping when and where he could.
He'd avoided Ketra like the plague, naturally. He'd purchased enough supplies in Arca to last him for the trip, with a few of the jewels he and Jaela had liberated from the Adelan treasury, and had carried the rest of his share - including a gilded, jewel encrusted broadsword - in a smallish sack tied behind his shoulders.
But a month, since Jaela had departed the Citadel for business somewhere in Serendipity. He hadn't seen her during his trek, and failed to make assumptions as to her location. Kaida had ordered her off as soon as she was healed enough to leave - much to Itachi's professed irritation - and they had made an agreement to meet in Pickham after her business was concluded.
A month. He missed her, terribly. He'd have remained in the Citadel, but the town needed checked up on. A small village in a plain full of bandits and brigands typically wasn't the safest place, so he needed to assure himself that the place hadn't burned to the ground since he'd left almost three months ago.
Luckily, it hadn't. He'd finally arrived the night before, and had slept in his own bed for the first time in forever, in his own house. Just like his tent, it was full to the brim almost with supplies - dried herbs, lots of water, maps on top of maps on top of maps, food, and local storage for the village.
His house, the largest of the village, also served as a warehouse of sorts, as well as the meeting center for the Craol. He had perhaps three rooms for himself, but he was happy with that. He was barely there, anyway.
He was sitting in his bedroom, looking at his array of weapons sitting on their rack on the wall. Everything was there - knives, stars, hundreds of darts...but one thing was still missing.
His father's knife, the last resort, he'd left in Jaela's care, a symbol to the Craol for when she finally arrived in Pickham. His most precious possession, left in the care of that wonderful, allegedly crazy woman.
Eh. It'd be fine.
"You've got to be kidding right?" Jaela stood with a hand on each hip and tapping her foot as she faced off with the two bandits standing in her path. "You want how much?" Her question directed to their demand of at least 30 gold to keep walking without interuption.
The two men looked to one another and then back to her as they were in agreement. "That's right lass. Fifty crowns to keep on walking down this ere' road. Else you're gonna need to turn back around." The two idiots were laughing and elbowing each other at the request, as if they could pull one over Jaela's head.
"Ugh... One day of travel without a problem... is that too much to ask? Oh well..."
Still leveling the men with her intense glare Jaela suddenly turned towards her more charasmatic ways. "That's all really?" The serious demeanor all but completely fading away at the bat of an eye as she now stood giggling at the men. "I would have asked for at least 200."
Confused the bandits looked at one another and then narrowed their eyes on the small pink haired woman. "If that's what ya wanna pay then don' let me an' my frien' stand in your way.".
Removing a hand from her hip Jaela wiggled her finger back and forth in front of them, her foot still tapping on the ground. "No no no... You seem to have misunderstood. I said that I would ask for 200." Her dissaproving finger then flattened with her hand as she held it out to the men. "C'mon then... pay it."
Clearly Jaela was irritating them. It was evident from the moment they stopped acting like a bunch of gawking fools. "Listen ere' miss..." The other man then picked up where the other left off. Stepping forwards he placed a hand on his side as he reached for his sword. "I think yer confused. This is our road... not yers."
Sighing Jaela crossed her arms. "Before I continue I suppose I should ask... Either of you happen to be a member of the Craol?" Immediately the two burst out laughing. "I'm gonna take that as a no then. Shame really... I feel like we could have been such great friends." Her demeanor showed that she was anything but afraid of them. If anything, she was portraying someone who was completely amused by their disturbance.
"Bye bye" Jaela waved at them as she tilted her head, still smiling like an idiot while she drug her tapping foot backwards, creating a line in the dirt.
Suddenly the earth opened up beneath them, swallowing them whole before slamming shut. The entire time Jaela had been tapping the ground, she had actually been breaking it up from beneath as she channeled her magic through her boot. Then, when she drug her foot back, she pulled at all that was left on the surface, creating a cavern of sorts that swallowed the two men whole.
Clapping her hands together Jaela then skipped past, stopping just where the ground had swallowed the men and stomping. "Psh... Fifty crowns."
Another hour or so of walking and Jaela had finally arrived on the outskirts of Pickham. Immediately she was rushed by a handful of people. Without even saying a word Jaela reached behind her back, pulling out Itachi's dagger and then holding it out in front of her.
"Chirp chirp"
Itachi tilted his head, having been listening to the sounds of daily life for the longest time while he rearranged his room. He'd been clearing space, anticipating Jaela's eventual arrival - he'd finished with storing his part of the treasure, hanging that gilded sword on the wall just above his bed.
He'd been standing there, looking about the room when he'd noticed that it had suddenly gone silent outside, and instantly narrowed his eyes. Someone was here.
He slid his longcoat on, and grabbed a handful of stars, slipping them into the small hidden pockets sewn on the inside. Then he dashed out.
Against the wooden wall of his house was an outdoor addition, a tower of sorts that soared high above the center of town, atop which was a large warning bell. Itachi climbed about halfway up the ladder, and leapt onto the roof of the house. Atop the top of the houses was a network of plank bridges, connecting all of them together. Itachi followed these bridges toward the front of town, ending on a large house whose roof overlooked the gate of the bandit village.
As he walked, he had felt a familiar tugging in the back of his head, as if a part of him was desperately trying to return, and a smile graced his lips. He was looking down on the group of his kinsmen, and just so happened to spot a shock of purple hair amidst the crowd of bandits.
He grinned, and simply lifted his hand, focused, and pulled. The blade she held in her hand would suddenly jerk forward with an overwhelming force, wrenching out of her fingers, and fly end over end toward Itachi.
The slapping of leather against flesh would signal the return of the blade as Itachi caught it, holding it high above his head.
Jade eyes looked toward the group, burning above a smug smirk as Itachi sought that peridot gaze he'd come to love so much, seeking to lose himself within it again.
When the dagger began to pull away from her grip Jaela simply smiled, releasing her grasp as she let it fly upwards towards the rooftop where a man stood. The moment her eyes locked on his no one else mattered, only him. "You gonna come down here or you gonna keep standin' there gawking at me!?" She shouted with her hands cupped around her mouth.
From there she waited, deep down anxious for the moment the two would be less than a footstep away from one another. Her entire time away all she could think about was Itachi. Every morning and every night he was the first and last thought to enter her mind.
Never before had she ever wanted to be near someone as much as him and because of that in this moment, she was standing on the tips of her toes waiting for him to come to her.
Itachi grinned, bringing a hand up to his temple and closing his eyes for a moment. That's how she wanted to play it, huh? Fine.
He'd oblige.
Itachi took two steps forward, standing there on the end of the roofs peak for a moment, a confident smile plastered on his face.
"Make way, ya damned fools. If'n ya don' get outta me way, yer gettin' stepped on, y'hear?"
And then he jumped, up and out and clearing the wall. At the apex of his jump, he flipped his body forward, his coat fluttering and flaring behind him. As he fell, he threw his arms outward, catching the shoulders of a particularly larger Craol - he remained there like that for a moment, leaning his legs forward so his feet pointed straight up into the sky.
Slowly, he pitched forward, pushing off the shoulders of the rather disgruntled Craol he'd landed on, and landing on his feet before Jaela.
He raised his head, jade eyes rising from her feet to crawl over her body, ending with his face and gazing into her eyes. A rather cocky grin cracked his face, his hair fallen over one eye.
"Didja miss me, pretty bird?"
With arms crossed Jaela watched as Itachi made his way down in the most dramatic way, which is exactly how she would have done it if she had the chance. Just as his eyes scanned her Jaela did the same, taking in the sight of him finally standing in front of her.
Part of her wanted to lunge forwards right there and wrap her arms around him, but then again that would mean showing all of these lovely people how Jaela truly felt.
"Nope" she laughed as she walked past him, catching his gaze in the corner of her eye hoping he would see the desire really was there.
"So this is Pickham..." Jaela stopped after making her way through the crowd of people and placed a hand on each hip. "Looks safe enough. I'm not picking up any butter witches in the area." Whipping around Jaela then pulled a gray rock from her pocket. "This is my magical new witch detecting rock!" In truth, it was nothing more than a river rock she picked up along the way... but that was need to know information.
"I almost had to trade your lovely little knife for it... but I didn't." Winking Jaela continued, ready to give these people a big enough of a show to never doubt her sanity. "Speaking of which... I don't see any cow legs hanging over ANY doorways. How on earth do you expect to keep your people safe without them!? This will simply not do..."
Turning to the nearest Craol Jaela then began spewing orders. "I'm going to need at least twelve head of cattle..." Jaela paused to count with her fingers while she mumbled out loud. "... four legs... twelve cows... that's....." Running out of fingers she placed her hands back on her hips. "Well, I think it will be plenty. Also, we are going to need horseradish and a really really sharp butcher's knife." Again Jaela paused as she pretended to be running through some list in her mind. "Oh, and an apron... because I don't want to get all bloody right now."
After finishing with her list Jaela darted her eyes towards Itachi. "While they gather the supplies you should show me your house. We can't have the leader of these lovely people going unprotected either." It was subtle enough she thought but just in case Jaela then winked at Itachi in hopes he would catch on. "This needs to be done immediately of course or else all of our lives could be at risk."
"Aye, an' double time, too! Keep th' witches away, an' mebbe th' other bands ou' there'll be plagued wit'em instead, eh?"
He caught Jaela's less-than-subtle hints, and fell straight into following along. Inside, he smiled broadly, looking forward to spending some alone time with her after a month of separation.
"Well be hangin' them over th' gate, too, as a sign ta them! Send a band o' the best ou' and grab wha'ever loose 'eads ya c'n get'cher 'ands on. Go on, now, get ta work!"
With that, he took Jaela's arm and began steering her toward his home, seemingly intent on witch-proofing the building.
As they walked, he mumbled in her ear. "Luckily, the best are also the smartest. If we're lucky, we won't have clouds of flies swarming the village." He grinned a bit and, when they were out of sight, stepped in front of her.
He placed his hands on her waist, and pressed his forehead against hers, searching her eyes with his own.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I missed you. Whole lot of walking, thinking about you every damn day. I'm just glad I left you my knife...easier to know how far away you were, that way."
With Itachi's forehead pressed to her own Jaela smiled. He was right, it had been a long and excruciating month of separation and at last, they were together again. "So you were keeping tabs on me then?"
Leaning in just a little closer Jaela whispered again. "And what if I had lost your knife? What then? You would have been feeling someone else the entire time." Her fingers then slid up the front of his jacket. "I'm not sure I like that."
The moment of her being serious then faded away. "What if a golem had captured me and taken the knife as a toll to continue living!? Then you would have fallen right into its trap!" Letting go of his jacket Jaela then dug in her pocket again, pulling out the all too familiar river rock she had just flashed in front of everyone moments before.
"Take this. I feel its magical properties could pick up more than just a butter witch." Her tone was serious again. Reaching down Jaela then grabbed his hand and placed the rock in his palm. "Seriously though, I found this rock and something about it is different... and I know my rocks."
Itachi smirked at her, listening to her going on about the knife, a brow raised when she mentioned someone - or something - taking the knife from her.
"You serious? Little miss, "I can stop a sandstorm and fling half an army of Dragon slayers off of a mountain...." can't handle a golem? Please. I left it with you, because I knew you can keep it safe." He shifted his weight to one side, grinning. "I've seen what you can do. I think I can trust you with it."
And then she took his hand, and placed a stone in his palm. Slightly rounded, and made smooth by its time in the water, it held a grayish-blue color. He inspected it for a moment or so, before he quirked a brow at her.
"Magical rock, huh? Well...we'll have to look at it later, hmm?" Itachi gestured toward the eye rune on her shoulder, remembering how he'd shared in her sight long before, when they'd cracked the Adelan treasury. Perhaps together, they could figure out what the deal with this stone was.
In the meantime, though, he had other plans in mind. He grinned, and grabbed at her hand.
"Let's worry about that later, though. We've got a month's worth of time to catch up on." His jade eyes seemed to glimmer as his face took on a rather roguish look.
Stopping sandstorms and flinging men off of cliffs just barely scratched the surface on Jaela's abilities. Itachi hadn't even seen the one that set her apart from other elementals yet. "If only you knew" she smirked as she let him continue.
A month's worth of catching up on though was something Jaela was all too happy to take care of first. "Yes, clearly you must describe every single detail of every single thing that happened for each day while I was away."
Of course, she was joking but still... Jaela was all about starting everything with a game.
Jaela would ultimately end up following Itachi to his home and the moment his door was closed.....
"Game on"
"Hmph. Every moment of every day, starting with that harrowing descent down that blasted mountain. I really need some way down from there, you know. I really pushed it, getting back on level ground...."
And so, he talked as he took her inside, telling her that he'd left what men they'd taken with them to the Citadel there to guard it in their stead, and his travels across the countryside.
"Really, just a whole lot of walking and staring at the scenery. Not to mention spending far too much money in Arca....you wouldn't believe the prices they charge for basic supplies. Like survival is a damned hobby."
Itachi cast his gaze around the house as they walked through, noting the similarities between his old tent and his home, sighing a bit. Some things never changed. But the bedroom....
He opened the door and led her inside, gazing around at his ironically lavish room. A massive four-poster bed, hand carved and elaborately designed, served as the centerpiece - truly a bed fit for a king. A large overstuffed couch lined the wall opposite the beds foot, with a short but long table before it. On the tables surface was his work - hand drawn maps of the major cities of each province, some based on his own sights and others copied from other maps. Each had their own little notes, scribbled along the margins with arrows pointing at random entrances to random buildings. Each and every piece of parchment was a plan, detailing which buildings served as what and what could possibly be found there.
Naturally, over the years, he'd been working. Alot.
"Well....here's home. Not too shabby for a bandit, eh?"
Once inside Jaela couldn't help but let her eyes take in the place Itachi like to call home. Just like his tent, there were supplies literally everywhere and it left her thinking if he even really lived here. Her question though was quickly answered when Itachi led her into another room that adorned a large four poster bed, couch, and tables covered with maps and other pieces of parchment.
"No kidding," Jaela muttered as she walked over to tables, picking up one of his hand-drawn maps and studying it. "How did you even get your hands on some of these prints? I mean I know you drew them but still... the detail is impeccable!"
Setting the map down Jaela then picked up another one. "Do you have Craol scout the buildings first to find all the doors?"
She truly was fascinated with this kind of stuff and it was evident by the bewildered expression in her eyes. Jaela quickly skimmed through some of the maps on the table, picking them up one at a time and gazing before setting it down and moving onto another one. When she had gotten her fill Jaela then looked at the large bed in the center of the room. "Trying to compensate?" A playful grin then emerged at the edges of her lips.
Already she was imagining the fun they could have right there, not having shared a moment with him like that but once. After that, she got hurt and then had to leave... no time for anything else.
While she looked around, Itachi again emptied his coats hidden pockets. With meticulous care, he placed the few throwing stars he'd grabbed before leaving the house back onto their rack, carefully placing them where he could without bringing the rest down on his head.
When she'd mentioned his maps, Itachi had just finished hanging his coat on its book by the door. A moment later, he found himself beside her.
"Doors, windows, balconies...Reijh has an interconnecting sewer system that has access into most of their larger buildings for maintenance, as well, though it's not detailed here." Itachi sat on the couch, and leaned forward on his knees to look at the maps.
"Between me and my boys, yeah, we figured all of them out. And the originals were all either bought or stolen. You'd be surprised how much detail was missing, as well. Some of them, like...."
He reached a hand down, and tapped the map of Ketra, along with a detailed floor plan of the castle.
"This one, here, I drew myself. It's really more of....a hobby than anything, though...rarely do we take anything from honest folk, unless they've got far more than they need, or they're less honest than they'd appear."
That said, he pulled away from the maps to lean back into the couch, his arms folded behind his head as he watched her, smiling. She'd turned her attention to his bed, and he couldn't help but grin when she'd asked if he was trying to compensate.
"And just what do you think I've got to compensate for, hmm?" He chuckled a bit. "No...this was a gift from the village. For the longest time, when I stayed here, I'd just sleep on a bedroll on the floor. Never needed anything else, and a bed seemed impractical at the time...needless to say, they weren't having it, said I'd 'done too much' for them, and they had it made for me."
Itachi winked at her with a grin. "Can't say I can complain, though. After weeks of sleeping on the ground, it's a welcome change. Though, all that empty space can make it feel....lonely sometimes." That wink came again, a throaty chuckle accompanying it.
"Clearly the only solution to that is to get a smaller bed..." Jaela smiled as she made her way around the table towards the couch.
Taking a seat next to him Jaela leaned her head back and looked at the ceiling. "I mean it's only logical." With a deep breath, Jeala then rolled her head to face Itachi, resting her hands in her lap as she took in the sight of him.
It was time to drop the act. "I missed you so much Itachi."
Itachi smiled warmly at her as she sat down. "Yes, clearly. Certainly, I wouldn't need so much space, sleeping all on my lonesome. Not like I've got anyone to share my bed with." He smirked as he slid an arm over her shoulders, and drew her close to him.
He caught her lips with a kiss, realizing just how much it had been killing him this past month when he was unable to. His hand found its way to the back of her neck as he gently pulled her into him.
After several seconds, he backed away with a smile. "And I, you, Jaela. The time apart seems to have opened a hole in my heart. And yet, here you are, filling it."
He was content just to hold her for a moment, pressing his cheek into her hair. His hand slid down from her neck to wrap around her, palm finding a grip at her waist.
"I love you, Jaela."
His embrace was something she had missed dearly. His lips... something she missed even more.
She was all too happy to lean into him as his arms pulled her closer and even her own wrapped around him as well. Closing her eyes she leaned against him for a moment, up until he called her by her name.
Pulling her head back she looked into his beautiful jade eyes and smiled. "That's Bird to you, mister." Something about the nickname always resonating deep within her. "Or was it Princess Bird? I forget..." Taking one of her hands she rested a finger on her lips as she thought for a moment.
"Ah yes... Princess Bird."
Wrinkling her nose turned her head back and leaned against him once more. "By the way... you are going to freak out when you see my scars. They have turned into something interesting." Her words leaving it open as to them being horrifically infected and she didn't have a care. However, that was not the case at all.
Itachi had noticed a while ago that Jaela healed rather efficiently and this was no different with scars. In fact, nothing remained on her skin that showed she was once stabbed or stung.
Her declaration of her preferring her nickname over her actual name brought a chuckle out of him. "Okay, Princess Bird it is, then. An' while I'm at it, should I go back ta usin' the accent, too? No' too much, is it?"
His lips spread into a grin while he held her gaze, marveling at how the light from the high window caught her eyes just so, giving them an almost otherworldly illumination. For a moment, he trouble deciding whether he was seeing things or not, as if his idea of her painted her in a different light.
After the moment passed, he decided he was not being fooled by a trick of the light. She was truly just that beautiful.
After a moment, she mentioned her scars, and he pulled back slightly. "Interesting typically isn't a word I would associate with scars, love. I'm sure the one on your belly isn't the prettiest sight, is it?" Truth be told, she could be as scarred up as he was, and he'd still find her beautiful. Scars were nothing to him. He just hoped he wouldn't resent her own scars.
"Well...let's see them, then, and I'll see what I can do."
"But it really is interesting..." Jaela then unwrapped her arms from around him and reached down to pull up his tunic that she had managed to get away with when she left. Slowly she revealed her entire torso where there was no scar to be seen. The only visible things being her muscles, tattoos, and belly button.
"Told you it was interesting."
Jaela moved a hand to trace over where the scar used to be. "The one on my leg is gone too..." Her eyes then moved to meet his again as she bit her lip. "You can look all over and I promise you won't find a single scar."
He was, of course, wrong. The scar where she'd been stabbed was a pretty sight - there was naught to see but smooth, perfect skin atop taut muscle. Almost in disbelief, he put a hand forward, tracing the line where he knew the scar should be, edging around her own finger.
"That's...amazing, Jaela. How did...how...." he sighed, and brought his hand to his face, covering his eyes as he chuckled slightly.
"Truly amazing, but I suppose I should have known. I suppose at least one of us should get to be beautiful." He lowered his hand, and looked up into her eyes yet again.
"Glad it's you, though." He winked at her, then, before placing his hand back on her abdomen. One finger traced a wide circle around her belly button, before that feather-light touch began to trail upward.
The moment his hand touched her skin Jaela drew in a deep breath. However, when he mentioned at least one of them gets to be beautiful her smile quickly faded. Playfully she slapped his hand trailing up her stomach before narrowing her eyes at him. "You are beautiful too!"
Extending a hand she then jokingly pinched one of his cheeks. "I mean look at that face!" After pinching him her hand then sat on his cheek as she met his gaze again. "You are many things to me Itachi, and devastatingly handsome is one of them."
As his hand moved up her stomach Jaela then removed hers from his face and trailed it down his neck, then his shirt before stopping on his lap.
Itachi wondered if his beautiful little bird knew just how easy it was for her to disarm him. His cheeks actually reddened slightly, and not just from her pinching him.
"'Devastatingly handsome,' eh? That's a hell of an ego boost, coming from you, Bird." He grinned, brushing aside the hand on his lap before quickly pulling her to him to take its place, his hands both snapping to her waist to pull her atop him.
How he missed this, truly. The scent of her, the sound of her voice, the feel of her touch and the way that her form seemed to fit so snugly against him, not to mention the sheer beauty of her, all these things set his head to buzz more than the richest of spirits.
His hands trailed up her sides, fingers making only the barest of touches upon her skin. Slowly, those fingers edged under her shirt, grasping at the skin on her ribs.
He didn't want to let go, not like he'd had to. A month was far too long, he realized. And, while he knew they'd have to be apart again, eventually, he dearly hoped it wouldn't happen again. Not anytime soon, at least.
In time, his hands ceased their travelings, merely holding her there a moment, before he pulled her to him once again for a kiss. Into this kiss, he poured every moment he'd spent thinking of her the past month, every second he'd missed her, loved her from across the distance.
Fire was the only way to describe how her skin felt under his touch. Now laying across his lap Jaela kissed him as intensely as he kissed her. Their lips intertwining as they expressed how deeply they needed one another.
When their lips finally parted Jaela kissed his jawbone, making her way towards his neck. For a few moments she pecked her lips against the sensitive flesh whilst his hands lingered at her ribs. Whispering into his ear her lips brushed his skin just barely. "I love you."
Her kisses along his jaw and his neck sent a series of shivers down his spine, and he found himself lifting his head away from her to provide better access.
Her softly spoken words, barely a whisper, spoke volumes in his ear. "Gods...I love you too." His hands slid up her back, and he relished the feel of her soft skin under his fingers. "More than you can ever know."
He pulled her against his chest, just wanting to feel her there. Lightly, his fingernails would dig into her skin, holding her there, unwilling to let go.
Continuing her assault on Itachi's neck, Jaela shifted herself when he pulled her in closer. When his fingers dug into her back it was torture, causing her entire body to tense for a moment. She couldn't help it and before she knew it she was lightly biting the skin on his neck, craving so much more.
"Do you remember..." she paused between bites as she moved her way around his jaw and onto the other side of his neck. "... when I was hurt... and we were in the bath together..." A sinister giggle then escaped her throat.
"... oh how you tormented me." Her breathing was picking up as she continued kissing his neck, the fire within her building. "And do you remember..." again she paused to move her lips along his neck. "... how I tormented you... and the things you wanted to do to me."
Itachi let out a terse groan, pulling away only slightly to give his reddened neck a break from her teeth and her lips. His eyes opened to peer down at her, and he couldn't help but grin.
"You and I seem to have a history of tormenting one another. One way or another, always trying to one-up each other....who do you think will win?"
He knew the answer to that - they'd both been playing these games for years, and almost everyone has been an unwilling participant. Yet they'd found enjoyment in their games with one another, a sort of thrill derived from misdirection and guile. Neither of them could win, not really. But it didn't make it any less fun.
His hands slid again down her back, torturously slow, ending to rest just above the waistband of her pants. And then, he leaned forward, pushing her back slightly to return her ministrations upon his flesh.
He started at the hollow of her throat, just barely grazing her skin with his teeth as he bit and nipped, relishing the smell of her so near to him. From there, his mouth crawled up and down her neck, from one side to the other, reddening her skin with gentle bites and kisses.
Finally, he found his mouth near her ear, and he spoke into it, his voice almost gravel. "And to answer your question...I remember everything I wanted to do with you...in the bath...."
He graced her ear with a tiny bite, before quickly ducking under her head to her collarbone.
"....while we were in your room...." he again punctuated his words with a nip to the skin there, followed with a kiss before he was at her other side.
"....the morning after, and those torturous days before we went our separate ways...." he found the soft spot where her jaw and neck met, and felt her pulse under his lips as he pressed a kiss there.
As Itachi returned the attack on her own neck Jaela tensed, her muscles aching for so much more. With each pause she found herself tortured by the lack of contact yet set on fire by his words.
"Oh Itachi..." she whispered between heavy breaths.
Yes, games were always fun... especially when Jaela was the one winning them.
After his last kiss on the sensitive bit of her neck, Jaela softly moaned as she couldn't take it anymore. Despite how much her body appealed the motion Jaela pulled her neck away from him. "Do it then..." she whispered.
Peridot eyes dared Itachi to do all the things he wished he could have a month ago. Moving her hands down her chest Jaela slowly began pulling her shirt off, tugging it over her head and flinging it on the table behind them. With her breasts now exposed Jaela leaned in close to him again, pressing her body against him as her hands rest on his shoulders while she sat on his lap.
Again with her lips by his ear Jaela whispered one more time before giving a subtle nip on his earlobe "... I dare you."
"I dare you."
Those three words set his blood on fire, her teeth on his ear set his heart to pounding. The drum beat in his chest was akin to the marching drums of war - powerful, passionate.
That same passion sung through him as he lowered his head from hers, and began to assault her breasts. Again, his teeth would graze her flesh, lightly dragging down their swell and leaving naught but rose-colored lines in their wake. When he neared his goal, his teeth were foregone in favor of the tongue - he traced wet circles around the tip of her breast, coming so close to contact with that rose-colored bud yet still so far away, pointedly neglecting it, making her want it if he could.
His hands slid yet further down, pushing down the waistband of her pants to reveal more of her perfect flesh, though he found his progress impeded with her position. He didn't care - he simply wanted to touch her, to again explore her body like he'd done a month before. When he couldn't lower them further without moving her, the palm of one hand simply pushed beneath the fabric, cupping her rear in one hand.
She was putty in his hands as Itachi ravished her chest, tormenting her with his lips. Again Jaela cried out as Itachi heavily teased her and in her mind, all Jaela could think was that this was a downright act of war.
With his hands sliding down her waist and pushing down the band of her pants she thought for sure it was game over, and she was all too willing to submit. However, when his hand cupped her from behind that devilish grin emerged on her lips. He couldn't go any further or risk pushing her off of his lap. That, in turn, could result in her having a chance to walk away... there was no way he would risk that.
Slowly she began swaying her hips while on his lap, clothing separating them from the ultimate act. Careful not to allow even an inch of a gap she kept herself firmly against him, feeling him so close yet so far away.
To add insult to injury Jaela waited until there was a break in his lips on her breasts and with it pressed them against his chest, leaning forwards just a smidge as she arched her body to fit his.
Itachi let out a groan that sounded akin to pain, feeling that sweet friction between them. As his eyes squeezed shut, he could see stars behind his lids, tiny pinpricks of neurological light as his blood rushed, his heart pounding.
The way they fit together was a marvel, her breasts crushed against his chest driving him mad. Lust and love waged a war, heart and loins battling against one another. He opened his eyes and saw her, arching against him, pushing into his chest.
From his throat came a low, throaty growl of hunger as he took in the sight of her. Some corner of his mind told him that she was trying to rile him up - and she'd succeeded. Now, she could reap her reward.
With only some difficulty, he pushed off of the couch, his other hand joining the first at her rear, squeezing tightly and anchoring her against him. He carried her like that, supporting her weight against his chest and with his two hands.
The table, luckily, was narrow and low, and stepping over it was simple. A few loose pages fluttered to the floor - he could care less. Two strides took him to the bed, and once there he allowed her to pitch backward and land on it.
He grinned, though, a devilish line full of white teeth that creased his cheeks just so, and still held her lower half by the waistband of her pants. With her legs held up, he began to drag upward, sliding them off of her legs to bunch around her shoes.
He put himself in a precarious position, then - he ducked down, squeezing his head between her bare legs and voluntarily head himself in place, trapped by the tangled mess of her pants behind him. A quick twinkle of his eye was all the warning he gave her before he lowered his head down to her.
The scent of her in his nose was simply intoxicating, as he lowered himself toward her womanhood. Even with the barest of space, he placed his hands on her inner thighs and moved his head forward.
And then he assaulted her again with that tongue, seeking to make her scream if he could.
All was going as planned as Jaela grinded herself on him, only to be lifted moments later and carried over the table and to the bed."Dammit" Jaela hadn't anticipated such a move. She thought for sure Itachi would break at the swaying of her hips and that would be the end of it.
However, to her surprise, she was now falling back into the bed, and it didn't even end there. Itachi still had the waistband of her pants within his grasp ensuring there was no way she could roll away. "Dammit..." again he moved another piece nearing closer and closer to winning the game.
With pants now at her ankles Jaela lay at his mercy as Itachi maneuvered himself between them and herself. Sitting up just enough she saw the look he gave her and immediately knew... it was game over.
"He wouldn't"
Yet he did and marvelously so. Curling her toes Jaela grasped at the linens on his bed as her body shook from the intense pleasure of his tongue. Her screams would fill his room and most likely beyond, finding the ears of anyone nearby. This round was over and Jaela had lost, yet the riches of such a loss were well worth it.
Her legs twitched and her thighs burned as Itachi continued, Jaela's entire body on fire as she struggled to do anything other than scream out his name and pull at the sheets beneath her. Thankfully she had managed to kick one leg of her pants completely off her foot, leading to the other falling off easily. She was free at last yet couldn't bring herself to make him stop.
All he could hear was his name, echoing in and beyond the confines of the room, called by her voice in her throes of pleasure. All he could smell - her, her sweet flesh and her arousal, potent in his nose. He could feel her thighs, pressing in on him while she quivered and twitched.
She was putty in his hands. Itachi lifted his head away from her with a smug smile. "Well...you dared. I answered." He lifted himself away from her, noting that one leg of her pants had come free from her, and stood. In one fluid movement, he stripped his tunic shirt off of him and tossed it carelessly over his shoulder.
He brought a hand to his cheek, one finger pointing up towards his ear. "Now....what other method should I use to ravish you? I've had so much time to think, you see...." He grinned devilishly, looking down at her and again loving the sight below him.
Gods, but she was beautiful.
Out of breath, Jaela lay with her head back as she stared at the ceiling of his room. She heard him ask what else he should do and all she could do was laugh. Did he really think she was just going to let him get the best of her like that again?
Shaking her head she slowly pushed herself up, staring him down with feverish eyes. "Oh Itachi..." she whispered, now moving to stand on her knees on the bed. "... you forgot the most important question..." biting her bottom lip she scooted closer and closer to the edge, taunting him with her glare.
Once at the edge Jaela tilted her head, reliving the experience he had just submitted her to. "What is it that I can do after having so much time to think?" Tilting her head again towards the other shoulder she then winked, letting a moment of silence fall between them.
Planting one foot first, followed by the other, Jaela was now standing before him. With one hand she pressed a palm firmly to his chest, pushing him backward more and more until ultimately he was against the wall. She wasn't gentle about it either...
With the wall at his back, Jaela pressed herself against him, sliding a hand up behind his neck as she pulled him in for a heavy kiss. Her other hand made its way down his abdomen, her fingertips pushing beneath the lining of his pants as she reached for the other parts of him. Slowly she made work of it, moving her hand to massage the part of him she loved second most to his heart. If he tried to touch her Jaela's heavy kisses would become even heavier and her hand down below would cease to move until he was no longer trying. She was being quite forceful about it, wanting to make the message clear that if his hands touched her at all... she would stop it all right now.
In only a couple moments time, Itachi found himself pinned up against the wall, her lips crushed against his in a heavy kiss. Fervently, he kissed her back, feeling as if his lips would bruise with the pressure between them.
And then he paused as he felt her hand encircle his manhood, and opened eyes he couldn't remember closing. He decided he'd return the attention, moving a hand to her womanly folds. Yet, as soon as he made contact, her own movements stopped and she kissed him in earnest.
He stopped, and pulled his hand away. She would start again. He found himself torn between wanting to touch her, and wanting to be touched in turn.
He grunted his frustrations against her lips.
Fuck it.
He settled with simply putting his hands on her waist and pulling her yet tighter against him. He'd stop her if he got too close.
Making work with one hand Jaela let her other grip become tighter on the back of his head, pulling at his hair just at the borderline of being painful. As the fire in their lips increased so did her speed down below, determined to make Itachi suffer the ultimate price for beating her in the first round in their neverending game.
Basing her instinct off the feel of him in her hand and his breaths Jaela gauged just how long she had left until it was game over. Finally releasing his hair from her hand she then slid it down to meet the other, pushing hit pants down to the floor while her other hand was still occupied.
After that she ceased all movement, releasing him before giving him the same look he had given her on the bed. "You're going down" her eyes spoke volumes to what she was thinking as she smirked at him. And then she dropped, hitting her knees on the floor as she took him in her hands once more. All too happy to return the wonderful hellish pleasure he had submitted her to Jaela then assaulted him, pulling him into her mouth.
Itachi's eyes bulged, his vision nearly flickering. Nerves and synapses pulsed and twitched when she stopped - he'd just been about to push her away, her attentions on him bringing him closer and closer to the edge.
And then she was gone from his vision, and his blood-neglected brain had to take a second to figure out where she'd gone.
He figured that part out pretty quick. Suddenly there was a draft all over his lower body, and his manhood was surrounded by a damp, euphoric sort of warmth, and he felt for a moment that he was in a different place.
Mindlessly, he placed his hand atop her head, his fingers curling tightly in her hair, guiding her without rational thought. His other hand pressed flat against the wall, fingers desperately seeking purchase against the smooth wood to no avail. He was trapped.
Truly, inexorably trapped.
He could feel himself being pushed closer and closer to that edge, feel himself spilling over into that abyss of pure pleasure. For a moment, his numb mind contemplated simply letting go, and giving in to bliss. And then.....
No...
He wasn't done yet. Not done with her, not after all this time.
He drew in a ragged breath, and gamely pushed her head off of his manhood. His jade eyes, wide and feverish, looked down at her half-crazed with a combination of passion and lust. It took nearly all he had to bend down and lift her up.
He wasn't too gentle about it, either, a sordid mimicry of her pushing him only minutes before.
He very nearly strongarmed her toward the bed, a hand on her shoulder pushing her chest first onto the sheets. Before she could move, his grip moved to her waist, lifting her up so her rear was lifted towards him.
He moved only one hand, and guided himself inside her. Inch by agonizing inch, he sank inside of her sweet, slick womanhood until he could go no further.
And then he began to move, slowly at first, gradually picking up pace. They'd see who would last longer.
It was working, everything was falling into place as Jaela prepared for him to admit defeat. That was at least until he pushed her back before guiding her to the bed with not so gentle hands.
Now on her stomach Jaela prepared for the inevitable and very nearly screamed out again when he pushed himself inside. Again she found herself gripping at the sheets beneath her as he picked up the pace.
Swaying her own body she matched his pace as she moved against him, picking up speed as he did. Once more she was screaming loud enough for anyone near to hear. She could feel herself building, about to tip over the edge and lose yet again another battle. Despite that feeling, she fought it, determined to last even a fraction of a second longer than him.
Digging her grip into the mattress Jaela's muscles began to tense all at once as she grit her teeth in desperation.
His mind was numbed, his body, his movements all guided by lust and the appreciation of the beauty below him. His eyes, glazed over and staring, still took in her shape, her curves, the sheer perfection that was Jaela. Those jade windows roamed over her back, her neck, her head, and lower.
His hands, clamped on her waist, too appreciated the feel of her skin, soft and smooth as silk. In time, his touch gentled, his pace slowed, his grip on her lessened.
Lust once again turned to love, and passion. For a moment, he had forgotten himself, lost in euphoric throes as he was. But here he was again, worshipping her for what she was worth.
Despite the easing of his pace, he had been far too close to his own climax to continue for much longer, but had gathered enough of his wits to make sure that this could be about her, too - this was more than just his own desire. And so, he continued on, pushing forward even through his own climax, sinking into her again and again even as he pulsed and spilled himself within her, groaning with pleasure.
His shoulders sagged, his body feeling light. But he was determined to see her through as well, to pull her over the edge after him.
"Jaela....Gods, I love you....I love you...." he panted, his voice ragged above her, thick with passion and adoration.
The moment her name left his lips Jaela released, letting what she had been holding back escape from within as she cried out. Her body twitched before suddenly falling lax, her muscles also loosening the moment the feeling had passed.
Taking a deep breath she crawled forwards on the bed, pulling herself from him before turning over to lay her back on the soft mattress. It was a welcome feeling as the cushion conformed to her body. Of course, she was smiling, taking note of the miniature victory she had just obtained.
"I love you more" she breathed, letting her arms lay above her head as she stared up at the wonder that was Itachi.
Itachi nearly fell when she moved, supported only by his knees against the bed frame. His head continued buzzing, lightheadedness threatening to push him over.
When she rolled over onto her back, her gaze would be met with his own, dazed and heavy lidded. He took in her body in silence, noting the flushed glow of her skin and the happy smile she wore.
This was an image he wouldn't soon forget.
Almost lethargically, he crawled onto the bed beside her, a tired smile on his face. Turning onto his side, he tossed an arm over her midriff, fingers massaging the skin on her side.
"I very much doubt that, love..." he said, still near breathless. "My feelings of you grow tenfold every passing day. I hope you're aware of that."
Adjusting herself to fit more comfortably against Itachi Jaela ran her fingers across the arm he draped over her stomach. Within her mind she kept repeating the special moments her and Itachi had already shared and now she could add this one as well. Just laying here in his arms made her feel more at peace than she had in years.
"Well if yours grows tenfold then mine must be at least twenty." Shifting her head she looked over at him softly smiling. "Before you, everything was just so...." Her eyes moved as she searched for the word. "... black and white. Yet now it seems as if everything is suddenly an entirely different color."
Turning, even more, Jaela rested her head on a propped up hand. "Lines are clearer and colors are more vibrant. I wake up every day excited about a future instead of just going through the motions of living."
"You are making me question the worth of everything else in my life."
Itachi was content to simply hold her, and rested comfortably when she molded against him. His face held an easy smile when she began to speak. One by one, her words had a visible effect on him, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears.
Simply put, her message was beautiful. He couldn't top that with his own words, and he didn't want to.
"That was...amazingly put..." he said, voice cracking slightly. He adjusted his arm, sliding it between her breasts and resting his arm on her opposite shoulder, pulling her closer still.
"And...I'm amazed that I make you feel that way, truly. All I can say is that I feel the same about you. But...surely there are things more important than me, love. Don't discount everything else just for me...I'm not that special, you know."
Being pulled in closer Jaela fell even more relaxed, even closing her eyes as she listened to him speak. "Really? Like what? All I had before you was Kaida, and you and I both know that isn't really a lot to have."
With each word her voice fell softer and softer, Jaela slowly becoming one with Itachi and the mattress beneath her. "Your all I have Itachi..." Her last words before drifting off.