I Take It Back

by IchatrinaObsessedSleepyGirl

Ichabod and Katrina's night after the events in The Akeda.

The light tickle of her hair on his chest was what brought him into consciousness, to be quickly followed by the soft feel of her lips as they ghosted along the flesh of his abdomen. Opening his eyes, he found the room to be filled with the signs of early morning shining through the bedroom window over his head. After blinking the sleep from his eyes, he glanced down to find her still continuing in her attentions, seemingly unaware of his newly awakened state.

The night before was like some sort of blurry haze as he attempted to work it out in his mind, but at the moment, the only thing he could truly focus on was her warm mouth on his heated flesh. He took her in, red hair splayed out about him, pale skin so warm and welcoming, gentle caresses he simply could not help but shiver under. The way she seemed to practically lap at his flesh, almost as if she were attempting to devour him, had his body awakening in ways he had no proper words for, at least none he would ever utter to any soul. Well, no other soul but her.

As her lingering kisses continued, he felt his heart begin to beat faster, almost pounding right through his chest. The fact that her soft lips were now only centimeters from the place he so wanted them to be did not help his matters of attempting to think in the least. Every other second, her tongue would swirl against his flesh and at present was tracing over his hip bone only to be followed by her lips clamping down and sucking at it. Katrina was always fond of leaving territorial marks on him. It would seem two hundred and thirty-one years had not changed that fact.

Unable to take another moment without touching her, he reached down to weave his fingers through her flaming red hair. In response, she lifted her head slightly, her green orbs meeting his gaze, a slight smile on her face.

She was so utterly beautiful.

"Good morning," came her whisper, so soft and gentle. How a voice could set his heart to a faster rhythm completely baffled him.

He didn't respond to her, too lost in his thoughts.

With a last kiss to his hip, she began trailing her lips along his thigh, causing his heart to constrict at how so very near she was to his pulsing desire. If there was one task his wife was more than adept at, it was making him yearn for more. For three solid years, they'd longed for such simple touches as hands accidentally brushing as they stood next to each other, doing their utmost to pretend that such touches didn't send shivers down their bodies. Upon finally wedding, to say all the pent up desire and generous amounts of lust they'd built up over the years had exploded in practically unimaginable ways, was putting it mildly. They'd spent days exploring each other's body, learning and adapting to the wants and needs of their love. At the end of their weeklong stay in the General's generously offered cabin, they'd reached an understanding that their desire for each other could never be completely sated, which had ultimately led to long nights of passions flaring when they'd found ways to be reunited during the war. Those nights were such that left the both of them too physically exhausted to leave their marriage bed, or wherever it was that they'd finally collapsed in a heap.

Now, however, the sight of his wife's perfect mouth slowly making its way up his inner thigh, he found the same to still be true. His want of her was desperate to the point of distraction. At her first contact with his desire, he nearly jumped right off the bed. It was exquisite. The way she handled him, with knowing strokes and tantalizing glances, had him ready to explode. But it wasn't to be as she maneuvered herself up his body coming to rest directly over him, her bare body pressing firmly down on his. With tender care, her hands found their way to his face and neck respectively as she began placing chaste kisses along his jaw and cheek.

"Did you sleep well?"

Her question was so low, he nearly missed it. Turning his face into her, he caught her eyes, shining so bright with love. "I don't recall sleeping all that much."

The light laugh that left her had him torn between lathering her with love and the animalistic need to turn her over and bury himself as deeply within her as he could. Restraint was a very difficult thing to have when her body was pressed so firmly into his own, her thighs brushing his pulsing desire with every movement of her body.

Her fingers traced over his eyes as a small smile lit her face. "I love you, Ichabod."

Gaze dancing over her sincere features, he considered her words and felt his own expression turn to one of happiness. "You love me?" he asked softly.

Green eyes meeting and boring into his own, she whispered, her warm breath washing over his face, "With my every breath."

As her words sunk into his mind, he attempted to control his breathing as he once more desired to fill her completely. "I-Katrina, I need you."

The very fact that she was real and here, not a figment of his imagination or a dream he did not wish to awaken from, but really here, was slightly overwhelming him. Leaning forward to capture her mouth with his own, he delved into the far corners of her, seeking out every inch of her warm cavern. This led her fingers on a path across his chest as she stroked along him teasingly.

"I wish we could stay here forever," he whispered, pulling back and dropping his head to his pillow.

The sweet smile that greeted him practically paralyzed him. "Just a moment spent in your arms was what I longed for more than anything all these long centuries." Her fingers traced up to his eyes. "Just a caress of your hand, or even a loving gaze would have sufficed."

Pulling her closer, he whispered, "You shall have all the caresses and gazes you wish for the rest of our days, my love."

Her eyes fell to his chest as a slight frown claimed her brow. "I wish I still had the faith to believe we won't be torn apart again. So many things stand between us and the end of this war, so many obstacles."

Hand reaching to draw her gaze back to his, he promised, "We will find our way out of this darkness, Katrina."

"Ichabod," she whispered, her eyes softening. "Just last night, I could barely get you to look at me. It's a miracle we're where we are at the moment."

"A miracle," he chuckled. "I'd say it was something more akin to two hundred and thirty-one years of abstinence."

Despite her previous words, a smile returned to her face. "Last night was perfect."

"It was," he whispered, recalling what led them here to this very moment.

It had been hours since the Leftenant and Miss Jenny had departed for their own home and yet he still found himself wide wake, his gaze focused on the burning hearth across from his resting place. As his wife was currently occupying his room, he found himself relegated to the tough, old sofa that was hardly meant for sleeping upon. The result had him shifting uncomfortably every few minutes and he couldn't help but think he should go make amends with Katrina for no other reason than being allowed back in a soft bed. She had, of course, offered to be the one to remain in the living area to which he had promptly rolled his eyes and turned to make his bed upon the old sofa. As if he would allow her to do such a thing. Just because they were at odds, did not mean he had lost his manners.

Now, though, as he continued his stare with the crackling flames, he considered just how out of sorts his life had become. His son was God knows where doing God knows what with that sword he'd departed with earlier in the night as he left them bound to their individual trees. He hadn't the slightest idea what to do about his son. After they'd managed to free themselves and escape that awful place in the woods, they'd collected the Captain's body and made their way to the hospital where they'd handed him over. For Ichabod, it was something he'd done time and time again in his lifetime. He and Katrina were accustomed to such death, but the Captain...his life's ending had still stung all the same. After handling a bit of paperwork, they'd all returned to the cabin in silence. Even Miss Jenny, who was prone to giving sarcastic commentary to the strange events that surrounded them, had been quiet. The entire journey to the cabin as well as the awkward conversation over bed arrangements had been spent avoiding Katrina's eyes. Somehow, he knew if he met her eyes, the issues he was so desperate to avoid would return in full force. That avoidance only added to the canyon that was now separating him from the one person he wanted more than anything this night. As he considered the past few days, he felt himself growing frustrated. Her obvious feelings toward Abraham were very near to driving him completely mad.

It would seem of late his insecurities were becoming more known as his ability to keep them buried seemed to be failing under the burden of stress he now carried daily. He had little doubt that his wife loved him, but he simply feared her time spent in Abraham's presence had stirred up old feelings. Abraham had always been so adept at playing whatever role need be and it was becoming increasingly obvious he was now playing the victim with Katrina, who appeared to be falling for it hook, line, and sinker. His wife's overwhelming need to save everyone was a quality he feared would soon tear them completely apart.

He knew in his very bones that Katrina loved him and only him. For heaven's sake, she'd just endured two hundred and thirty-one years in Purgatory all because she could not bear to be parted from him. That, however, did not stop the jealousy that consumed him at the thought that perhaps as time passed in this new century, they would continue to grow apart rather than together. While he'd had months upon months to learn at least small pieces of this world, she'd not had such a luxury. Her time in this world had been spent locked up in a house with her ex-fiancé. One could practically say she was still frozen in the past as Abraham, too, was not adjusted to this time. The very idea that she might find herself more comfortable living in the past rather than in this new time with him made his heart constrict.

Their decision to put aside their marriage until Moloch was defeated was one that would soon have to be faced as that task had been completed. Knowledge that despite their decision to do so, he had not stopped seeing her as his love, addressing her as his love, was very telling in how much he'd actually meant it. The moment Henry had lifted that blade to her, he'd felt himself saying 'Take me' before he could give it a second thought. A life without Katrina was not one he imagined he could endure. So, he'd pled with Henry to take him in her place. Thankfully, his son's humanity had shown through, though he couldn't be sure if it was love for he and Katrina, or betrayal by Moloch, that had prompted him to turn his sword the way he did. Perhaps it was a bit of both, but he supposed it really didn't matter because Katrina's words had proven true. There was something human still present in their son. Henry's desire for love and acceptance was what had saved all of their lives this night.

The bedroom door opening prompted his thoughts to cease and his eyes to close in feigned sleep. Despite their need to talk, tonight was not the time for it. He was still entirely too conflicted to do such a thing rationally, no matter how much he wished he could partake of the comfort she always provided him when he needed it. The sound of a cabinet opening softly and then the sink turning on for a moment before shutting off met his ears. A few moments passed and he thought perhaps she'd returned to bed, but then a shadow passed between the fire and him alerting him to the fact that she was now right before him. He wasn't sure what she was doing until he felt a blanket sliding over his body to cover him. Doing his best to hide his surprise at her kind gesture, he willed himself to remain still. That, however, became nearly impossible as her hand was suddenly stroking his cheek and pushing his hair from his face. It had been so very long since she'd done something like this for him and he found himself wanting her touch to remain on him, but then her hand was sliding away from him and he heard her stand in seeming preparation to return to bed.

Eyes snapping open, he found her turned away from him as she prepared to leave. The sight of so much of her body exposed prompted him to reach out and wrap his fingers around her wrist to halt her steps.

She jumped slightly before turning back to him with a startled expression that softened to apologetic. "Forgive me, I did not mean to wake you," she said softly.

Finding words to be absent from him, he tugged at her hand until she was once again kneeling in front of him. Her confusion was evident as he slid his hand up her bare arm, ghosted over her shoulder, and rested it at her neck with a gentle grip. Fingers digging into her flesh, he pulled her forward until she was meeting his lips in a barely there kiss. The intake of breath on her part reached his ears as he leaned more into her, deepening their connection in a way they had not done since he'd sought her out in Abraham's home a few months prior.

As their tongues dueled each other for dominance, something they both had always wanted, he discovered himself suddenly so overcome with desire for her that he found himself pulling her atop him on the old sofa. Never disconnecting from her mouth, he guided her to straddle him, her thighs on either side of his hips, as he situated himself to lie upon his back. Feeling she was securely in place, he set about sliding his hands along her back, wishing it was her bare skin greeting his fingertips rather than the soft material of the blouse she wore beneath her corset.

Her surprise over this turn of events had apparently departed from her as her hands were now tangled in his hair and her mouth attacking him with renewed vigor. It would seem his wife had won their fight for dominance as her tongue was currently probing the depths of his mouth, occasionally swirling about his own as she pushed it further back into him.

Hands now making their way down her body, he pulled back from her domination to slide his mouth over the warmth of her cheek until he found himself practically gnawing at her jaw.

"Ichabod...

Her soft moan increased his lust filled haze as he slipped his hands beneath the tops of her underwear, the sole clothing covering her lower body, needing to feel her skin against his. Another sound of appreciation left her as his fingers dug into her flesh, squeezing and twisting it. Her own hands, in turn, tightened in his hair as her hot breath warmed his cheek. Feeling the need for more of her, his hands returned to the hem of her shirt where he pulled it up and over her body. The sight he was met with was one he'd not had the privilege of partaking from in over two centuries. Katrina had always been a source of beauty, but now, with the firelight illuminating her with it's warm glow, he found her to be almost ethereal as she sat upon his lap, her green eyes boring down into what he felt was his very soul.

One hand at her hip, he lifted the other to lay against her neck, the immediate shiver she gave filling him with confidence. Eyes on his hand, he allowed his fingers to slide over her collarbone before tracing a path down her chest and coming to a stop in the valley between her heaving breasts. As he took in his wife's more than ample flesh, he drug his hand further down before ghosting along the underside of one of her breasts, delighting in the way her nipple hardened before him. Glancing up to her face, he found her mouth to be slightly open as her pools of green stared down at him through heavy lids.

Maintaining eye contact with her, he continued his path down her body, trailing his fingers over the skin of her abdomen, dipping momentarily into her belly button, where she gave a slight shudder. Continuing down her belly, he paused at the rim of her underwear, where he could feel her heat against his lower abdomen where she sat. When she gave no objection, he dipped his finger beneath the material teasingly, to which she gave a small jerk as her hand gripped the back of the couch. Knowing how she hated it when he delayed her pleasure, he toyed with the material between his fingers before sliding them down to trace along the outside. As his fingers gave in at the center of the underwear where her slit was located, she released a breath through her still parted lips. The warmth that greeted his fingers was nothing in comparison to the feeling that shot through him when he found the damp place along the outside of the material. His own hips jerking up lifted her slightly from the couch, in turn causing her breasts to bounce with the movement. The sight caused his breathing to quicken.

Gaze falling to the place his fingers were teasing, he watched himself stroke along her, pressing harder and deeper with every pass he made. When her heavy breathing began to become substantial enough to be heard, his eyes shot to hers to find them pressed tightly closed. Not liking that he couldn't see the green beneath, he pulled her underwear aside and immediately slipped a finger within her.

Her eyes snapped open, a gasp leaving her, meeting his own. The desire that greeted him doubled the tightness in his own trousers. Doing his best to ignore his own needs, he drug his finger against her slick walls before pulling it out and depositing her wetness along her slit, making sure to slightly pass over her clit. He repeated the process a few times before adding another finger into the mix. As he stretched her walls apart, she leaned forward and rested her hand against his neck for support as she began rocking her hips against his hand, scratching her nails along it lightly.

The little sighs she'd been giving were increasing in volume. Knowing she just needed a slight push to send her over the edge, he pressed against her clit roughly and began rotating his thumb in quick motions. The way her eyes darkened had his other hand gripping her hip to steady her as her climax hit her, sending her body into a bout of spasming above him.

He absorbed every moment of her pleasure rippling over her, burning it into his memory. When she collapsed against him, her hot breaths washing over his neck, her soft breasts brushing his chest, he wrapped his arms around her to hold her close as she continued to quiver against him. With one hand, he began soothingly rubbing his hand along her back until he reached her hair and buried his hand in it.

After a few moments of simply holding her, he felt her hands sliding along his chest to push herself back up. When she was sitting above him once more, her face flushed in fulfillment, her eyes caught his for a moment before they fell to his body as she pushed herself down his legs. With precision gained from years of experience, she untangled him from his trousers and pulled them down him, his desire springing free from its confinement and standing proud in need of release.

If he'd blinked he'd have missed her head descending to it, she was there so quickly. As her lips lightly brushed over his tip, he jerked up, hoping she would take him in, but was met with air as she moved her head to the side, her lips latching on to the side of him and sliding down. Grunting out a frustrated sound, he gripped the sides of the sofa as her hands joined the mix, stroking along him with experience gained from years of practice. Katrina had once admitted there was nothing she loved more than having him completely under her control in these moments. How he was at her mercy as she pulled every last ounce of desire he had within him to the surface.

As she continued lathering him with her teasing, she traced her thumb over his tip, spreading his desire along it. Just when he thought he might explode, she sat up and maneuvered herself back up his body. When her mouth was hovering directly over his, her red hair hanging about their faces like a wall blocking the world out, her tongue slipped between her lips to trace over his until he parted them, more than willing to let her dominate him once more. The taste of his own desire greeted him, prompting him to lift his hips toward hers, disappointed to find her underwear still present. Having had enough of the last barrier separating them, he lifted his hands to the material and tugged. Not wanting to separate from her for even the moment it would take to remove them, he twisted the material between his fingers and jerked, tearing them in half before dropping the ruined material to the cabin's floor. The subsequent moan that left her had him practically pulsing as he returned his hands to her hips and pulled her down hard against him. The way her slick arousal practically dripped down him as he pressed her body flushly into his combined with the light brush of her nipples to his chest had him burning for release.

Able to stand no more, his hand made its way between them, taking a firm hold on his pulsing desire and teasing himself along her wet slit. Her mouth opened wide over his as a shaky breath left her and entered him. More than ready, he caught her eyes as he gently eased himself within her, absorbing the way her eyes fluttered at the feel of it. Breaths coming hard for both of them, he maintained his locked stare with her as he slid the remaining distance into her. Once completely consumed by her, she leaned her forehead to his, her hot breaths now washing over his cheeks as her eyes fell closed.

After a moment of them simply breathing and basking in the connection they hadn't felt in over two centuries, she opened her eyes again and gave a slight nod. With that confirmation, he eased back out of her, reached her entrance, then slammed back within her. The way her fingers tightened in his hair prompted him to grip her hips for a guide as he leaned up to catch her lips in another deep kiss.

When a time of simply kissing her with measured thrusts had passed, he sat up, buried to the hilt inside her, and pulled her legs to wrap around him. The new position caused her to pull from his lips with a pop as she threw her head back, leaving her neck exposed to his feasting eyes. With little ado, he latched onto her smooth flesh, wanting to taste every inch of her.

Her hands in his hair was the leverage she used as she rocked against him, drawing grunts of approval from him as he nipped and sucked at her flesh. The way her body would tighten around him had him fighting the urge to slam her against the sofa and thrust within her in a very animalistic manner, but as he could see another climax quickly approaching from her, he determined he'd hold off that urge a little longer. When she once again began spasming in his arms, he pulled her tightly against him as he leaned her backward toward the other end of the sofa. Now above her, he slowed to gentle movements within her as she came down from her end. Tenderly ghosting his lips over her eyes, nose, and cheeks, he waited for the inevitable thrust of her hips signaling him to continue, just as she always had before when she was prepared to take more of him. It didn't take long for her fingers to leave his hair to take up residence on his upper arms as that signal came. The push of her body against his was met with a forceful thrust on his part that he could simply no longer contain. More than ready to begin roughly driving within her, he pulled back slightly to catch her eyes only to find her gazing up at him with such devotion, trust, and love. The sight almost stopped his movements all together to make sure he was seeing things properly, but the gentle touch of her hand to his cheek had him leaning down to touch his lips to hers, though, this time, much more gentle than previously.

As he tenderly brushed his lips over hers, he felt her give a small sigh, one he relished in consuming. For the first time since he'd pulled her down to him to begin this dance, he actually took in the fact that his wife, his beautiful Katrina, was beneath him. How he'd longed for this. Her soft breasts pressed firmly into his chest. Her long legs wrapped around his thighs as she allowed him to continue entering within her most sacred of places. Her gentle caress at his face, encouraging him in their kiss, one not filled with pure lust as before, but one filled with love, undeniable love.

With this thought, he found himself in need of her as he never had been before. Reaching down to grip her thigh, he pulled it up his body and held it at his side as he pulled back to gaze at her. The way her eyes kept falling closed despite her attempts to keep them on him had him completely mesmerized. Bringing his other hand up to slide beneath her head so he could tilt her forehead to rest against his, he increased his pace, knowing he was nearly there. Thrusts becoming erratic, his grip on her thigh tightened as he gave a few final pushes before he felt his end upon him. Quickly pulling from her exquisite warmth, he emptied himself across her stomach as he came completely undone. For a moment, he swore his vision went white before he collapsed against her in a tangled heap.

The fulfillment he felt was so much better than his long nights in this cabin where he would perfectly recall the memory of her wrapped around him as he brought himself to fruition in the cold dark nights where he'd been completely alone. The actuality that he'd just made love to her, really made love to her in the flesh, not in his mind, was taking hold as he felt the evidence damp between their overheated bodies.

Her hands stroking along his neck were what brought him out of his pleasure induced haze. Turning his head to the side, he was met with her neck, prompting him to dot kisses along her exposed skin until he reached her mouth where he paused and lifted his head to catch her eyes. As he stared into her pools of green, her hands came up to slide along his cheek, pushing his tangled hair back.

"I take it back," she whispered, with an unreadable expression.

Frowning, he asked, "What?"

A smile crept over her face. "I take back my apology for waking you."

With his own grin, he leaned back down to her, brushing his lips over hers.

"We still have a great deal to discuss," she continued, drawing him out of his memory.

Catching her eyes, he nodded, knowing the conversation they'd been delaying was likely approaching. "I know."

"Our son is still out there and Abraham..." Her gaze fell to his chest where her fingers were still lightly scratching over his skin.

"Must we discuss this now?" he muttered, bringing a hand to his head and rubbing at his eyes. Abraham von Brunt was the last person in the world he wanted in his head while his wife was pressed so wonderfully bare against him.

"Abigail will be retrieving us later in the day to go sort things out down in the tunnels with Abraham. I'm sure she'll also wish to discuss matters concerning Jeremy." She released a defeated sigh. "My love, if ever there were a time to discuss things amongst ourselves, now would be it."

Heavily dropping his hand back to the bed, his gaze met the ceiling. "I'm not ready to leave this moment and face reality quite yet. It has taken us so long to arrive here. Who knows if we'll experience something similar again anytime soon?"

After a moment, her slender hand slid up his chest to rest at his cheek before turning his face toward her. As he met her eyes, he found a small smile gracing her features as offering. "Then, we shall delay it a little longer," she whispered softly.

With a relieved sigh, he rolled over, taking her with him as he went. When he was settled between her thighs, he took her hands, threading his fingers through hers, and pressed them above her head against the bed.

"I plan to love you," he whispered as he leaned down to within centimeters of her face. "Every inch of you. Until there's nothing left within me to give and nothing more you can possibly handle."

With that assurance, he descended the remaining distance to her, fully intent upon doing just what he'd promised.