"These Broken Wings'
Summary: The morning after Catherine and Narcisse make love.
AN: This is just a little ditty I dreamed up having been inspired from the episode "Tempting Fate." I was so very HAPPY to see OUR TRUE QUEEN back in action…and getting some action ;)
It's a One shot for now…but who knows where the wind shall take me. I will be back with posting new chapters of "Love and War" soon, my dear's. Not to worry, I have not forsaken you. ENJOY!
RATING: M- ANGSTY SEXY STUFF AHEAD ;)
The sun streaming in through the pulled curtains of her room began to warm her body beneath the heavy covers pulled over her waist. She willed her limbs to move, they were heavy with exhaustion from her activities the night before, but also heavy with the burdens that awaited her with this morning's light.
With closed eyes, she thought back to the night that was not so far behind her. She had cracked. Her usually calm and collected exterior crumbled to ashes before Lord Narcisse with her worst fears coming true. She felt it in every fiber of her being…she was losing her son. He was everything to her. Despite the ramifications it would have on France and potentially her life, she was losing yet another child.
She'd let her fears be seen for the first time in her life. She'd never been so blatantly open, even with Henry. Her worst visions spilled out of her uncontrollably, in front of a man she wasn't certain she could trust. After last night, she so desperately wanted to trust him. However, that was something she was very good at.
She took a deep breath, and reached her arm out to the side to find cold sheets, and an empty bed where the man who'd brought her so much pleasure the night before should be lying.
She sat up, pulling the sheets with her to cover her naked body.
"Stefan?"
"I'm here."
She furrowed her brow looking to the end of her bed. He was sitting in a chair, staring at her. He'd been watching her sleep.
"What are you doing? How long have you been awake?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully,
"Long enough. You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you."
He stood from his chair and made his way towards her.
"So you've simply been watching me? Why?"
As he sat on the edge of the bed beside her, taking her hand his he began to rub the back of her knuckles with his thumb. He shook his head slightly with a small, thoughtful, smile on his lips.
"Gaining perspective, as I always seem to be doing with you. Things in my life become more and more clear the more I'm around you."
He was different; distant but somehow closer to her than she'd ever thought a man could be. He leaned forward and cupped her cheek allowing his blue eyes to search her own for a moment. She saw something in his gaze. Could it be? No..she wouldn't think that, not yet. She would not allow herself to be weakened by foolish hopes and dreams of everlasting love. She knew such a thing was not possible for a woman like her.
He took a deep breath and went back to holding her hand. His voice was steady and calm, like a soothing balm to her aching soul.
"I've readied a hot bath for you, and your ladies will serve you breakfast when you are finished, then help you ready yourself for the day. I know you have great matters to attend to in the coming hours, and I won't stand in your way. However, we have much to talk about if you are willing to give me some time this afternoon, perhaps?"
She nodded as that was all she could manage as she felt hot tears begin to prick her eyes at the mention of all she had to "attend" to today.
"If it suits you, I will meet you at the stables later? We could go for a ride and find some place peaceful to speak."
Again she nodded absently, her thoughts falling to one person…..Francis. He must have sensed it. He placed a chaste kiss to the back of her hand, replaced it in her lap, and began to rise from the bed.
Desperately Catherine reached forward and clutched his collar of his shirt, the same way she'd done the night before. This time his eyes closed momentarily as his large hands covered her tiny ones.
"Tell me it was a dream…tell me it was a nightmare…that it isn't real. Tell me, Stefan…tell me that my son isn't dying…..tell me I'm not losing him."
He shook his head and leaned down to capture her face in his hands as she allowed her tears to break their dam. She became vulnerable and raw again. She didn't know how to manage herself this way. Stefan, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what to do.
He brought his lips to her temple and kissed. Then moved his lips to a falling tear and kissed. Moving on to her other hazel eye, he did the same, kissing away her tears; taking away her hurt. The whole while he soothed her with his voice.
"Shhh…shhhh….it's alright. Everything will be alright…I'm here."
She cupped his face in her hands as he pulled back from her staring into her eyes searching for permission to continue. Her voice came on a pained whisper,
"Make it go away. Make love to me…make me forget…if only for a moment…please."
Her voice sounded so foreign to her own. She'd never begged for anything in her life, much less to be made love to. However, for Stefan, that was all he needed; just those few words. He stripped himself of his clothing with lightning speed, leaning over her and causing her to lie back into the softness of the bed.
He pulled the covers down from her body exposing her to his eyes. Catherine turned her head from him and tried to grasp for the sheets once more to cover herself again, he stilled her shaking hands as he whispered to her,
"Don't cover yourself. Don't be ashamed of your body. You are beautiful...every inch of you. I've never seen anything more beautiful."
She was notoriously bad at taking compliments, so she fought the urge to protest. She gazed into his eyes and released herself into his able hands allowing herself to become pliant to his touch.
His mouth covered hers, stealing a moan from her lungs as he covered her with his own body.
She arched her back into him at the feeling of his warmth against her skin. Stefan began to blaze a trail of kisses from her mouth to her neck, sucking and biting ever so lightly.
She knew he wanted to continue his path, to torture her with his mouth the way he'd done the night before, she knew he wanted to take his time, however as she felt him part her legs and place his straining erection at her center, she could tell he knew exactly what she needed. Him. Just him, to strip her of her pain.
He grasped her face in his hands, and forced her to lock eyes with him.
"Hold me in your eyes, don't look away, don't close them."
She nodded and with one swift motion he entered her. He stifled her scream, covering her mouth with his. She dug her nails into his back, her hips rising to meet his thrusts.
He began to pepper her face with kisses as she gasped for breath, feeling sweat begin to rise to her flesh. With each, punishing thrust he was taking her further away from reality, causing her to spiral downwards into oblivion; further away from the pain that threatened to overtake her.
She arched her neck, inviting his kisses and felt her core begin tighten. Her breath hitched an octave higher and she felt desire stretching it's fingers around her entire being. She broke his kiss and bit her lip hard as she clenched her eyes shut. He gripped her face in his hands again, continuing each long thrust, never breaking his stride,
"Stay with me…stay with me Catherine. Look at me..I need to see you."
Her hazel eyes snapped open and locked with his again, they met each other thrust for thrust, push for push. She felt it then, she was losing the battle to hold on. Her entire body seized as she felt her release build. With one more thrust and a loud groan, they both came undone together. Finishing with each other's names on their lips, he rested his forehead against her own allowing her to settle from her release feeling her body still tightening around him.
He kissed her sweetly on her forehead, and rolled to the side taking her with him. She rested her head on his chest, willing her breathing to calm. He clutched her chin between his thumb and forefinger, bring her gaze up to his.
"You must know something…I know that whatever this is between the two of us is the furthest thing from your thoughts…rightfully so; but I want you to know..unless you banish me from your life all together..i'll be here, however you need me. I will not abandon you, Catherine."
She leaned up and kissed him, it was a kiss full of gratitude and passion. She closed her eyes as she rested her forehead against his neck,
"Oh Stefan…I'm so broken."
He cupped her face in his hands again, tracing the contours of her mouth with his thumb,
"Then let me fix you."
AN: Hope you enjoyed! Feedback, as always, is CRAVED!
Cheers J