"...troubles? What troubles? How?" Zephyr asked, his forehead creased with genuine concern as we walked home, leaving the joyous noise of the tavern behind.
"Alexander have problems in the bedroom.. lately, it's hard on them," I lied shamelessly, using my sister and brother-in-law's fictional plight to cover my guilt over our secret. It was a disturbing use of their privacy, but it worked perfectly.
The two of them went to their own home, leaving our house gloriously alone for us. The others had found shelter in the Emils' residence, and Carlos, Ciren, and Anna were staying at my mother's house.
"Unbelievable... is there something Vistellia can do? I mean.. I know it's a delicate subject, but he seems so stressed," Zephyr murmured, still worried about his brother's supposed marital troubles.
I felt a pang of guilt, but it was quickly melted by how adorable he was. "Don't worry, husband... it's probably just nerves. He should be fine, maybe." I let my hand slip down and firmly grasped him through his pants. "Right now, just worry about making this... disappear."
He grinned, his focus instantly snapping back to me. "Magic, it is..."
He picked me up, and after a single step, the world dissolved and reformed. We had arrived home.
We went inside and looked around the familiar space, feeling completely new. We walked closer to our portrait hanging... crooked. "We should thank Nifa for having good sense to paint us happy and not.. pouting."
He kissed my neck, lost in our reflection as a newly formed family. He gently began taking off that uncomfortable dress. Finally, I was able to breathe... but I aimed to change that feeling of calm breathing very quickly.
I turned around and started working on his clothes, then lost myself completely, devouring him all the way down.
"Look up here... stick out your tongue," he teased, his eyes closed, his breathing labored.
I obliged, but then, overcome by the sheer pleasure and the anticipation of nearly nine days, I let my hand fly, giving him a loud, playful:
( Slap! Slap! SLAP! )
His eyes shot open in sweet agony. "Fuck..."
He rhythmically moved his hips until we finally felt a little satisfied. Maybe more than a little. We were calmer for sure, the frantic edge taken off.
I felt myself picked up and placed on him. After eight days, it almost hurt. The sheer force of the reunion felt like it was splitting me in two, but it was the most glorious pain I'd ever known.
We made a mess of the downstairs, not even bothering with our bed, too consumed by the moment to care about decorum. The cold from the stone floor quickly dissolved underneath the fire he built in me. Maybe Granny was right; the way we felt after so long was well worth it. If we don't conceive tonight, we are very, very unlucky.
~
"...It's almost morning..." I murmured, my voice thick with sleep.
We lay on the floor near the still-burning fireplace, watching as the sun slowly colored the night's black into a lighter shade by the minute. His slowly rising and falling chest slightly changed my view as he was breathing.
"Hmm.. we should sleep.. all day and let the others worry about everything else. Hell, let's sleep for two.. hmm?"
"I like it.. barricade the door and do nothing, just eat, sleep, and have sweaty sex.. on the kitchen table."
He chuckled, remembering how we had to stop to guiltily wipe down the table only to soil it even worse twenty minutes later. "We need to burn it before anyone eats from there."
I closed my eyes and enjoyed his touches. The decision from last night to keep the secret even felt better in the clear light of day. It kept his peace safe.
"You know what.. let's do it. Stay here all day and night. You're in?" I looked up to my sleepy, smiling husband. "I don't wanna deal with the outside."
"Then you shouldn't... let's stay, indeed. We might have to let our kid in if she loses it, though."
"Sure.. but nobody else, and she sleeps in her own room."
"Deal... first sleep with my wife. I'm looking forward to it."
I let myself go fully and let his warmth guide me. "First dreams with my husband... I'm looking forward to it."
We slept so well and so peaceful it felt like a sin.
~
We kept our promise. Aside from Anna, the house remained empty, and by the late afternoon, the requests piled up. Every now and then, people would knock, asking for Zephyr, but we sent them all away.
"Zeph, I would just need a change of clothes... I'm in my wedding finery!"
"Go away, Em!! You can survive in your fancy clothes for a day!!" Zephyr's shout was muffled but firm.
The silence and the footsteps walking away indicated Em was defeated.
"Dad, we could give him some new clothes..." Anna suggested innocently from her corner.
Zephyr was now making some food for us and answered back, "It starts with some clothes, princess, and then they're hungry, so they might as well stay for a plate... in the meantime, there's another thing juuust before they leave. You have to be vigilant, princess."
"I will!" she returned to her doll-making, occasionally shooting suspicious glances at the door.
I smiled, seeing how she took every word from him like gospel. I gave her a small kiss and went behind Zephyr, who was concentrating on something that smelled delicious.
"What is that you're making, Chef Astoria?" I bit his ear, making him shake a little.
"It's pasta with tomato sauce, small chunks of meat in there..." he turned around, leaving the pot to simmer under the fire. "With some cheese, it might be our first family recipe," he proclaimed proudly.
I pulled him as close as humanly possible. "By Ehlite, you're sexy when you're cooking."
"Yeah?... maybe we have dessert... in bed."
"Let's..."
We turned to our daughter, almost... forgetting she was here. He looked for a way out of the quick exit, but seeing my head shake no to excluding her, he gave up, too.
"Indeed, princess... let's."
She ran upstairs to get a different doll, and I had to remind him. "It was you who couldn't exclude her. I should be on all fours already... good job, Daddy."
"Ughh, fine..." he grabbed my ass, squeezing it extra hard to show his frustration. "...but then when she is asleep, we might have our... Whatever! We're gonna have sex, okay?"
I smiled into his mouth and went for the gold. "Can't wait..."
I had to let go of him quickly because we heard a door shut. I stepped away, covering him as he adjusted his pants and its very content.
"Hey sweetie, who did you bring?" I asked Anna.
"It's Uncle Lucian!" she held up her toy with a cheeky smile. She showed a large, clearly girl doll, with long black hair holding a cooking pan. Zephyr heard it and walked by my side.
"It's uncanny, princess... Hahaha."
"...Unbelievable, even... pfft..."
Our laughs shook the house the first time as a married couple. Our married life was off to a great start.