Amongst These Fevered Steps [M] [Goblin]

[Juno]

"And I love you so, my darling, but please get used to it. I intend to keep you happy and dreaming as long as I'm able. Or as long as you'll allow me," he snickered, taking the moment of such warmth to hold her close and tight. "Feel free to remind me as often as you like, though. The Goddess knows I've been longing to hear it.

"And when are we to leave together? Would he feel abandoned if we left soon? Though I wouldn't blame him, I'm sure you're a model student," he praised gently. "Especially when you can do that."

[GoblinFae]

She hummed softly against him in pleasure. "Have I made you suffer terribly my love? I am so very sorry. I should have been better to you. My poor mate," Tiraris murmured sadly, smoothing her palm over his chest repeatedly as if to soothe them both.

Leaning in to kiss, she pulled back in excitement. "Hopefully soon. Once he sees this I am sure the training will be close to an end at last. Then we can go home. Home," she repeated with a choking sigh, "oh does that not sound wonderful Caden? Our own home for just the two of us. I cannot wait!"

[Juno]

"It's yours as soon as we can manage it," he promised. "But I won't be stealing you away until he agrees, much as I'd like to. I have suffered terribly without you." He kissed her cheek quickly with a chuckle so she might not fret over his jesting. The demon stretched as much as his scars permitted before resettling his arms around her to hold her closely before giving a possessive squeeze.

"Or I might do it anyway if you allow me to stay for too long, love," he warned her with a playful growl. "Shall I get out of your hair before I'm too much of a temptation for you?"

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris pouted at his jest but nuzzled in closer against him all the same, wishing she could bury herself into his embrace. "Dare leave me and I promise you I shall truly give you something to suffer for," she told him, squeezing tightly as if afraid he would jump up and leave her right then and there. "This is my night and he can sod off for all I care. I will take all the tempting I want and there is nothing he can do about it." She wriggled atop him slightly, her face displaying her pride and determination at having her mate finally within her arms, consequences be damned. "The longer he keeps me here the more I long to leave and start our lives. It will be soon now. It has to be," she breathed. "Right?"

[Juno]

"Well you certainly are not his prisoner," Caden scoffed. "I say we leave when you want to. If that's now then why not now, hm?" It made perfect sense to him. Why should she need permission when it was her own life and destiny in the balance? The mage had no part in it besides that of teacher and if his job was finished why prolong the inevitable?

"We should leave soon," he declared, hugging her fiercely for all her wiggling. "Very soon. As soon as you can be packed. Well...that can wait for the morning, I suppose. If it must."

[GoblinFae]

"Not until morning!" she laughed, squirming about more as if to escape. "I do not fancy running about in the dark with you after such a perfect evening. You can run me ragged tomorrow. Besides," Tiraris paused to yawn before settling once more, "I highly doubt he will be all that pleased to find us shacked up in his bed naked as the moon. Well," she teased while fighting the urge to giggle, "at least I doubt he would be happy to find you in such a state."

[Juno]

Caden frowned, immediately grumpy at the thought of the mage being blessed with a glimpse of his lover in such a state. He adjusted his arms around her, as if he could even manage to cover her up properly. "I don't really care what he thinks of me when he's keeping you locked away here," he grumbled, knowing full well that was not what was going on between them. It made it easier for the demon to have someone to blame for his unhappiness.

"You should rest for tomorrow," he prompted her, lifting one hand to stroke along her hair and back.

[GoblinFae]

She sighed, snuggling easily into her lover's arms. "How can I get a wink of sleep with you beside me like this? I fear if I sleep I shall awaken from the dream to realize my bed is empty and my sheets cold for you were not there to begin with. Would you break my heart so to realize such a thing when I can hold onto you the whole night long and basic in the beauty of such dreamy fantasies?" Tiraris smiled up at him impishly, her eyes dancing in the firelight.

[Juno]

"Well who am I to deny you your fantasies?" he teased, chuckling softly. "What if I promise to stay? Would that not be enough to put your mind at ease? You don't trust me enough to not be just a figment in a dream?"

[GoblinFae]

"I do not trust myself, if I am being completely honest," Tiraris replied easily. "But I suppose if you promise to stay and never leave me then I suppose I can manage to rough out the night and sleep a little." Kissing his throat a few times, she finally allowed herself to settle down though, the covers pulled up warmly about them both and her person firmly ensconced in the safety and comfort of her lover's arms. "I love you, Caden," she whispered against his skin, meaning it more deeply than anything she had ever felt or said in her entire life.

[Juno]

Relieved that she was finally agreeing to rest he stroked a tender hand along her back a few more times as he spoke his assurances, "Of course I promise, love. Rest and sleep. We will deal with the morning when it comes and you will see that your worries are only that."

The demon hardly slept himself that night, though, too fearful of losing her to the dark or to her tutor's wrath. The man had hardly seemed more than startled once he'd returned to the cottage in the morning to find the pair there, though Caden growled softly for the way his eyes had lingered upon Tir's body even shrouded as they were.

They exchanged tense stares but the human eventually left them in the peace of their privacy to go elsewhere in his home, much to Caden's relief.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris slept the most peaceful she had in a long time while wrapped in the arms of her lover again. It was good to be held by him again especially after such an intimate evening. No nightmares and no dreams plagued her as she was comforted by his pleasing scent and warmth. It was for this reason that when she woke, slowly and contently, that she was unwilling to disturb the peace of the moment by starting their day.

She was awake when her teacher entered the shack and found them both 'asleep' in his bed. She also felt the way her lover tensed and growled beside her in warning. Tiraris was hard-pressed to not laugh or smile which would have given her away. Only when she believed to have heard the doors close and the men to walk away did she finally let on she had been awake all along. "Took him long enough to leave," she whispered, nuzzling Caden's chest in hopes of soothing his ruffled feathers.

[Juno]

A little startled by her voice he looked down with a playful glare to see her awake. "I think he saw something he liked," he mumbled, arms tightening possessively around her. The gentle moment of affection definitely had its intended effect, though. The demon sighed, unable to hold onto his irritation with something much better right in front of him.

"Can you trust now, love?"

[GoblinFae]

"I know I do," she purred back as she snuggled up and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. "I think it might pay to have a few repeat nights though just to ensure my trust is well-founded. Did you sleep well, lover?" Tiraris smiled brightly as she continued to nuzzle against her mate and pepper his face with kisses. "I dreamed of you, you know."

[Juno]

Ignoring her question in favor of her much more interesting comment about dreams her squeezed her close and looked at her with playful interest. "Did you now? Whatever about? Hopefully all good things. I can't imagine what else you could have dreamed." Caden stole a few kisses when she came a bit too close but otherwise allowed her to shower him with her affections.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris trailed her fingers lightly over Caden's chest in a manner meant to be soothing to them both. "Tell me, Caden," she spoke softly to him, "are dreams like wishes in that to speak them aloud would be to see that they do not come true? For if that is the case then I dare not speak for my dreams were far too lovely to be false and untrue."

[Juno]

"That's a bit silly, don't you think?" Caden rolled his eyes and flashed a playful smile but was content to remain where he was with the comfort of her soothing touch.

"Dreams are dreams. Wishes are wishes. I think it's as simple as that." He allowed a hand to slide up her back to gently pet at her hair in distracted contentment. "You can tell me anything and they could still come true. The dream sprites are not going to come along and steal them from you for daring to speak to your mate," he teased lightly.

[GoblinFae]

"So you'll slay the dream sprites for me to protect my precious dreams should they decide to turn against us?" Her eyes danced with mirth as she snuggled in tightly against him. His warmth was a balm to her soul that she did not realize how desperately she had needed all the years she had lived without. Now being in the safety of Caden's arms without judgement or ego made her realize all the more what love truly was meant to be. In a softer voice Tiraris whispered a bit unsurely, "I dreamed of a small house and children. I dreamed you held me as you do now though I was round with a child on the way. I dreamed you showered me in kisses as if to drown me with your love. It was a good dream."

[Juno]

For a moment the demon took on a very serious look, his eyes losing a bit of their normal, playful shine as his thoughts wandered to the very place he'd been wanting to take her to; his home, rebuilt with their eventual family in mind and plenty of room to grow. With her magic seemingly under control it seemed a possible dream to dream and really not too far off in their future.

Humoring her, Caden leaned closer to brush a few kisses across her forehead and cheeks, a distracted hand brushing feather light touches lower away from her hair and down along her back instead. "Tir... Love, is that a future you want?" He couldn't help the hopeful lift in his voice, but damn if it didn't make him feel uncomfortably vulnerable.

"I mean I have nothing against wandering the world with you," he assured with a chuckle. Truthfully if he was to continue doing it at all he preferred that happen by her side. Nothing was the same without her, nothing ever would be again. It would be too painful to not be at her side.

[GoblinFae]

"Of course I do," Tiraris replied, an expression of pained worry spreading across her face. "Is it not also something you want? I mean I thought...," she swallowed thickly against the lump in her throat. "We could still travel if that is what you would want. I am not opposed to that."

She hated how her insecurities reared their ugly heads just when everything seemed to be getting better. Tiraris was all but deaf to the hopeful tone that had crept into her mate's voice as thoughts of his rejection of her dreams hung over her head like a massive noose.