He freezes as he takes the sight of her in. She's his senior, and he knows that he shouldn't even be looking at her like he is. Her short blond hair sways as she turns towards him. Her silver eyes regard him with untold emotions that she doesn't show. He looks at her and once again feels the unbidden desire to reach for her in that way, to have her screaming his name in pleasure. He forces his head to shake, to follow her as he always used to, to be her cook and nothing more. He would have to keep the distance, at least for a while as it would take them a while to get used to the changes that time had wrought.

Clare solidly walks forward, her mind focused on searching out the last of the awakened beings. Raki is with her. He actively sort to follow her again even after seven years apart. She had so much she wanted to ask him, but she with holds the conversation, she'd rather focus on the awakened beings for now, and that takes her focus for the most part. Part of her though thinks of other things, things that she'd never thought of before. Even now she can't help but wonder what it would be like to have him inside of her…

Time passes slowly at first. Neither Clare nor Raki knows how to break the silence around them. Months had passed since they last talked, since Raki found out that she was made from the flesh of Teresa, since Clare had spoken about what happened all those years ago, the death of Priscilla and the newly over powered awakened Riful of the west like being. Since the other awakened beings had died killing Cassandra and Miria's mercy endings. Since the death of Rubel and Dae by the blades of the warrior who'd been assisting them since Clare had come out of the destroyer holding Priscilla. And still they keep the silence between them. Weeks had passed since Clare had killed the last awakened one that she could find. And still she travelled on, though where to she didn't know. She didn't know what she was looking for until she came across a deep river that flowed swiftly downwards from where they were.

They set up camp and Raki cooks like always, the smell of the food is delicious and Clare feels the stirring of hunger. Her hunger is not for the food, she realises it as she takes the first bite, but for something else altogether. Clare feels her body tense as she knows what she wants, but she cannot bring herself to ask him. Even though Raki hadn't minded the half open wound it did not mean that he was willing to make love with her. Indeed it would be rather strange that he would want to do that with her. She'd seen enough to know that much. She had wanted to give Deneve what for when she found out that she'd carelessly shown Raki what they all carried, the same stigma that she would have hoped that Raki wouldn't see. She thought that Raki would have been disgusted by it but to find out that he blushed…Clare didn't get him at all.

Raki looks at her as he dries the meat. Clare hasn't eaten much in the last week, and she had been slowly getting more and more tense. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he didn't want to offend her. She had been annoyed when he'd admitted to travelling with Priscilla, but she said nothing about it. He looked at her now and her body was as tense as it could get. He quietly walked over to her, "Clare," he broke the silence between them, saying the one thing that she wouldn't have heard from humans in a long time. In months in fact, Raki realised before she suddenly locked lips with him, kissing him with a fire unlike any he'd ever know.

Clare wanted to pull back, but then Raki's arms moved to pull her closer as he kissed her back. Clare wanted to say stop, wanted to stop kissing him, but she couldn't find the willpower to do so. She held on to him as he pulled her close, their bodies pressing together and Clare realised that she wanted it. She didn't protest as Raki's hands moved, nor did she stop him from moving closer. Clare took a breath before he kissed her again, it deepened and Clare felt the need to have him in her much stronger than before. She let her own thoughts wonder, the kisses making her eyes shine the slightest gold.

Raki carefully undid Clare's suit as she loosened his shirt. Both their shirts fell to the ground and Raki pulled Clare closer to him, her full breasts pressing to his chest. She pulled tighter to him and he kissed her fiercely, and before he knew it, she was completely naked. His own pants had been thrown away, not far from her's. Their bodies were pressed together and he held Clare and kissed her.

His touch sent fires through her body and Clare's eyes burned gold, much stronger than the last few minutes, though Clare felt nothing more than desire. She shyly spread for him, her legs encircling Raki's waist as they both lay down on the bed roll that he slept on for the last few months. He kissed her again and again, moving from her lips to her neck and back again, causing Clare to feel greater desire, to feel like she was wet. Clare panted as his body pressed against her's again,

"Oh please Raki," she moaned, "I want you in me, please,"

"As you wish Clare," Raki panted and then his hips moved to meet Clare's.

The first thing that she felt was a short lived pain, so short lived in fact she wouldn't have noticed it. Raki moved slowly at first, not wanting to hurt her, but wanting to give her pleasure. Clare tried not to grip his shoulders too hard. He saw that her eyes were gold, he felt her grip, but he wasn't afraid. He felt even more determined to make Clare scream with pleasure. He steadily increased the pace and the depth. Clare moaned loudly with pleasure, begging him for more. He responded to Clare's desire and need. He pushed firmly in to her, deeply and strongly until Clare was truly screaming.

Clare gasped as Raki thrust in to her; deep powerful strokes that made Clare feel pleasure beyond awakening. She screamed as he slid in to her. She wasn't sure how long he kept the pace up but she was beginning to feel like the pleasure was starting to peak, that she couldn't hold it any longer, despite the screams of pleasure they weren't even sufficient to tell Raki how good it felt to her, and as he thrust once more, she screamed and fell from the highest of heights. She heard Raki's own deep moan and felt warmth as she was completed for the first time with Raki inside of her.

They lie on the bed roll in silence, Raki holding Clare as she slept soundly, her breathing deep and even. He wondered if she'd come, he was almost sure that she had, her final scream before he came was by far her loudest. He closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him as he held on to Clare. If she'd come that was all he asked for. He had wanted to give to her what she wanted and if this broke the silence between them then so be it, he would do this every night until Clare had her fill. He smiled as he dreamed of Clare's golden eyes and the moans of pleasure that filled his ears. Raki nestled closer to her as he dreamed glad to have given in to it, glad that he could share his first time with the woman that he'd fallen in love with as a young boy.