Disclaimer: Don't own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers, nor it's characters.
Rating: M
Tales of a few 'offscreen' intimacy sessions, as part of growing relationships.
When she'd said it was an effort, she meant it.
Even though they'd done things like this before, and even as she's enjoying it, Sophie could feel her heart beating in her chest at what she had planned. Thankfully, while nervous, the prior experience is making it much less tempting for her to freeze... and also, because she's made sure to keep herself occupied, as much as possible. For minutes, even as Lok lightly squeezed her breasts - which repeatedly elicited little gasps from her - she sought to kiss him, lick his lips, or just roam her hands over his arms and legs. He didn't mind her affections, but it seemed to take awhile before his hands moved... yet when his hands slipped underneath her shirt, she'd managed to be ready for that.
Just relishing how his skin felt against hers.
His hands slowed before he touched her rib-cage, just short of her bra, before his forefingers started prodding the fabric- when she showed no signs of protest, Lok took it as a go-ahead. When he continued the light squeezes, Sophie had to resist a moan, if only because this wasn't the full experience... as good as it felt now, it'd be better later.
She just had to make sure she didn't lose herself until then, either to pleasure or nervousness.
Sophie let this go on for a minute, settling more into the experience, then she made her move. At first Lok didn't seem to notice her hands pulling up his shirts, but when she nudged him, that got his attention - catching his breath, he closed his eyes and pulled himself up a bit, moving his hands down from her chest/under her shirt. As Lok did so, she leaned down and repeatedly kissed the corner of his lips, which curved into a smile as she continued pulling, feeling much the same. Seconds later, she had his arms up, which allowed her to take his shirts off with ease... she'd barely dropped them beside the bed before Lok kissed her full-on, something she returned easily.
It wasn't long before she brushed her hands over his chest- the initial contact seemed to jolt Lok, before he settled into it too. Sophie felt it a pleasure to explore, as while not exactly muscular, his muscles were all nicely-toned from the training and adventures they've had.
"Oh Sophie" Lok breathed during a break in their kiss. "That's the spot."
"Where?"
"That thing you just did a sec ago. Ah- near my right side."
Thanks to the sensations, it took a little to remember what he meant, but Sophie then moved her fingers. After a few kisses over his jaw/down his neck: "Here?"
"Lower- yeah there. Right there."
That pleased her, which helped her nervousness- Sophie made a mental note of this spot, and how to exploit it along with a few other spots. Feeling that now's as best a time as any then - because she's more in-the-zone - she briefly licked her lips before taking his hands, preparing herself. She was briefly distracted when Lok copied her earlier affection, kissing along her jawline and down her neck, and the pleasure took on an edge that definitely wasn't there before. This made her wonder, thinking she should mention this later if Lok didn't notice, but then she continued before she could lose her nerve.
When she brought his hands near her waist, he didn't seem to find it strange... until she got him grasping her shirt fabric; that made him pause.
For a moment, only their breathing was audible, then Lok leaned back from her shoulder... his eyes had a bit of that glazed look, but mostly he was surprised. He glanced down at his hands, following by a slower trail up her body until it aligned with her chest, before he quickly, instinctively looked back at her after that.
Sophie just kissed him several times.
"You've felt me up for awhile now, Lok; it's only fair you get to see" she whispered, with only a slight hesitation.
His cheeks reddened even further at her words, and Lok actually gulped once, slightly; he was nervous too, of course. While she wanted him to get this done quickly, in consideration of her nerve, she did her best not to dwell upon that and just smiled- it wasn't long before she kissed him again, lightly licking his lip. Lok did return the favor, but more by experience and instinct than anything else, and his hands didn't move at all... Sophie kept it up though, focused upon the sensations and how she liked them. After a time, he seemed to ease into things, as he started kissing her back for real, and then he started to completely sit up.
While slightly surprised, she made sure to help him do so, particularly since his hands remained on/grasping her shirt.
As soon as she finished, Lok kissed her again, and his hands started to pull up-
-her heart raced, but she was committed; Sophie began to lift her arms.
As the air touched her skin, it felt a slight chill, particularly when her shirt was pulled up to her ribs- there came the slightest pause in things. Lok broke their kiss then, both of them catching their breath, but a second later Lok started pulling yet again. Sophie closed her eyes as the shirt pass her shoulders, and then up her arms/through her hair before it was off... close as they were, she almost physically felt Lok freeze, and his breath hitch. The nervousness tried to overtake her, but she focused on a different reaction; her pride, and how she knew he'd enjoyed feeling up in the past, along with now.
Before, she'd always been distracted from feeling this way - but now with her experience, she can feel that way with more ease.
When she half-opened her eyes, Lok's gaze was fixated upon her chest, eyes wider and mouth open a bit, cheeks redder; this sight increased all the feelings she had, but particularly her pride. Honestly, what she wore was quite a sight: a red lace tube bra, without shoulder straps and aside from specific strategically-placed sections, was a bit sheer in the cups, adding to the allure. Likely due to his experience at having felt her up, it didn't last any longer than three seconds before Lok stirred out of it, though his breath remained heavier. He spent a little time looking at her expression, at the love, her pride and nervousness, before he again glanced at her bra, including the sections that went around her sides.
"I- wow" he breathed, his lip curving- she didn't need his words to know that he approved, but they certainly helped. "Sophie, you... I really like what I see. But this- this isn't the end, is it."
More easily now, Sophie cupped his cheeks and kissed him, before angling herself near his right ear.
"No, Lok. If you can figure out the trick, as I believe you will, I- I won't be opposed at all" she whispered, feeling him shiver a little. "But r-regardless, there's still one other thing, in addition... but I don't want you doing anything serious for that part, not tonight. Alright?"
Barely a pause. "Sure" he breathed, more gentle if curiously-nervous. "I'll do that."
The warmth became a little better, and she smiled. "Good."
"Still, do you- will that other thing be first, or do I get to 'try' up here?"
So he said as one hand lightly moved over her back, briefly settling upon the back section of her bra, though she would've understoodd his meaning without this.
"You can try first, Lok" Sophie admitted, giving him a little kiss. "If you can't figure it out, I'll take care of things after a minute."
Lok took in a little breath, also giving her a kiss, holding her close afterward. "Yeah, 'if'" he breathed, slightly playful- she managed a little smirk, even if he couldn't see it at the moment.
Trying to keep track of the seconds, she felt it as Lok's hands both moved over her back strap, just as anticipated- she doubted he'd fail, but you never know. Closing her eyes, Sophie felt it as he found the catch, doing brief tests with how he might pull it apart... somehow, focusing on those little sensations kept her heartbeat from getting too fast, or perhaps she's just that focused.
More than a half-minute passed...
Just then, his next try was to hold the catch between both his thumbs, pushing them inward-
-and this allowed it to come undone.
...
So that's how it was- definitely not something that you'd think to do, not on a first try anyway, or so was his thought. But then again, he'd almost 'felt' that there were multiple hooks just because of how the force was applied; his knack for solving puzzles had come in handy here too.
Lok still took his time though, a bit caught up in the moment, and his enjoyment of it.
Honestly, the second he'd gotten her shirt off, his mind had remembered back to months ago, when Sophie had teased about him wanting to see her in a swimsuit (and his tease back that he's seen her in a wetsuit already, several times). He'd felt seeing her in a swimsuit, while pretty sweet, utterly paled to how warm and excited he felt now; this was a whole new level of things, compared to a fun day at the beach. It'd only gotten worse (in a good way) once he saw her bra, which was not only pretty enticing by itself, but the fact that it was (partly)-sheer really got to him... no wonder he'd been staring. And more than that, it's making it difficult to 'keep himself down' without a little effort... but on that one, he's determined to keep himself controlled, at least for as long as possible.
Didn't want to make things even more awkward for Sophie, not while she's nervous.
Speaking of whom though, Lok noticed that she's doing a lot better than their last times- still nervous, as is he, but it's no longer getting her to stop midway. She did seem to be using her pride as a clutch - or something similar - yet he believed that as long as it works, let her do so; he knew she can do this.
In the few seconds that he'd hesitated, Sophie was taking in a few breaths, before half-opening her eyes.
"Lok?"
Her voice jolted him out of it. "Oh. Sorry" he breathed, hands moving a bit on her back, still holding the two halves of the catch. "Guess I'm nervous, a-about what's next."
After a second, her expression softened and she leaned down, hair tickling his chest again as she kissed him, but he did his best to return it.
"If it helps, I love you" she whispered against his mouth then, really close-
-he was quick to kiss her again, repeatedly. "Oh yeah, that's helping" Lok whispered back, feeling warmer. "I love you too, Sophie."
"I know. And I don't care if I'm nervous; I want everything I've said before, e-even if I hadn't been able to say it directly."
"That's okay, really; I know you can do it, and I trust you completely."
She gave him an especially deep kiss for that, and he half-saw her smile before she leaned up toward his ear:
"As do I trust you, Lok. So, if you wouldn't mind... you can let go now, but close your eyes until I say."
While he did wonder, Lok immediately nodded his head, doing both- he felt Sophie adjust just over him, no doubt leaning back. The moment he pulled her bra off, Sophie seemed to make a sound, though it could've been his imagination (as it was faint)... yet even as he wondered where to put her bra, it was taken from him, thus answering that question. Then for a time, she adjusted a fair bit on the bed, almost making him think she's gonna get off, but apparently she didn't need to. The entire time, they were both quiet except for breathing, yet thankfully he wasn't letting his imagination run much (or at all), which let him prepare for whatever's next.
After a time: "Lok? You can- can look now."
Hearing the nervousness in her voice, Lok began to get an idea, but slowly did as asked-
-and again he was left surprised, along with shocked.
At the moment, Sophie couldn't seem to to look at him yet, and her arms were covering her chest, so all he could really see was the top portions. That much didn't surprise him, for several reasons... but what did surprise him was one key thing: she'd removed her skirt as well. The red color of her panties was the exact same as the time he'd accidentally seen them, during that battle with Kiel in Huntik- might even be the same pair for all he knew. They were far more simple than her bra, design-wise, and not sheer at all, yet that stuff didn't matter as he looked; just the way it hugged her body was enough for him.
So much in fact, that his body began to 'react'-
-Sophie jolted slightly, glancing downward, but it was hard to tell if she was (more) nervous or not.
The moment he realized this, Lok nearly gulped. "I- uh- s-sorry, Sophie. Give me a second, and I'll-"
Whatever he was going to say trailed off, as she moved slightly against his groin- the sensations stopped him, as did his reactions to this. Over the next few seconds, she continued to move slightly against his groin, several times, but never moving otherwise... then she glanced at him, cheeks redder but with a little smile.
"Honestly Lok, at this stage, having that reaction was to be expected" Sophie whispered, leaning down toward him - she kept her hands/arms as they were, but she hovered above his lips. "If you hadn't started getting aroused by now... I would've been offended."
A little tension left his body as he breathed out, not only glad that she's not more nervous, but also because he couldn't argue with that.
"That's- that's putting it mildly" he managed to say, if sheepishly sincere.
To that, Sophie's only response was to playfully kiss his nose- he had to admit, he liked how she did it.
"Still, uh- what about moving my hands over your hips?"
For a moment, all he felt was her hot breath, even as she seemed to settling into things better. "You still can, Lok; you've done that well before now" Sophie assured, before giving him a little look. "But remember what I said."
Lok still felt slightly sheepish, but his nod was sincere. "Yeah" he breathed, kissing her for a few seconds then, moving his hands over her bare back. "Nothing serious. Just moving over your hips, and maybe... m-maybe your tailbone."
Remembering that little incident, Lok just felt really warm in several ways- Sophie herself just seemed to jolt, as if she just remembered too, and he said nothing as the seconds passed.
"...t-that too. But little else."
"Okay. But, just so I'm clear... do you want me to be a little bold, like normal? Or save that for later?"
"I can handle it, Lok."
Next thing he knew, she kissed him again, hard, not intent on letting him go anytime soon- he did his best to return it while keeping his grip on her back. Then he started to lean up again, and it took awhile for Sophie to adjust, seeing as her arms were crossed over her chest along with sitting on his legs... still, eventually they were both upright, her legs yet again on either side of his. Even as the kiss intensified, both of them adding their tongues, Lok had to admit he's feeling really tempted right now; Sophie was half-naked in front of him, kinda in his lap, and he was enjoying it. So much in fact, that he was feeling new instincts to not only pull her arms away, but indulge her chest... but she's still nervous, and she'd just put a lot of effort into getting this way too.
So instead, rubbing his hands in circles, Lok moved his hands down Sophie's back as they kissed... the way her back arched a bit as he got lower showed a lot of reactions, but she let him go on.
Just as he hovered over her lower back, inches above her panties, they briefly had to pull away for air.
Sophie's voice was a little breathless: "Y-You don't want to... to see them, yet?" she panted, as if surprised.
"I do" Lok gasped right away, before dialing it back. "Really. But maybe this will- will help ease you into things."
A little kiss on his lips again. "Or deny me the- the little boldness I want, where I want it" she breathed, virtually pouting. "Still... I wouldn't mind if you stoked my pride again."
In the back of his mind, that confirmed his earlier thought; Sophie's using her pride as a clutch, at least somewhat, so that she doesn't stay too nervous. Not that he minded, as pride is a part of who she is and part of what he admired about her, and he wouldn't have her tone it down unless it's necessary - this certainly wasn't one of those times.
He gave a little smile, feeling it probably won't be long before it stops being a clutch.
"I really want to see your body, Sophie. See how- how lovely it is."
"That's more like it."
...
Truly, Lok is a good man, managing to see how she's struggling and wanting to help her, but also willing to let her handle things on her own. Just like that last experience in Huntik, where instead of taking her opportunity, he'd stopped things because he saw that she wasn't quite as prepared as she'd claimed... once they're both experienced, he'll no doubt be formidable at pleasing her.
All the more reason for her to learn his spots well, so she can return the favor.
Lok's fingers stayed over her lower back, teasing at her tailbone now - Sophie still intended for him to get with what she said, as she can't keep her arms like this forever, but for now she decided to let him. She made sure to lean forward, 'pulling' Lok into a kiss that quickly included their tongues again, and gradually pushing herself more against his body, even with her arms in the way.
On the one hand, their body contact made her feel better/less nervous, but at the same time made her even more acutely aware of Lok's groin.
They weren't going to do anything as such... but it's still getting increasingly hard, as expected, and part of her was a little 'curious'.
Just then, Lok's hands made a half-move onto/over her tailbone and she instinctively hitched from surprise, feeling a small rush go up her spine. Her mind instinctively flashed back to that first experience, where Lok had seemingly done so by instinct...
"I-Is that okay?"
"Oh yes, yes" Sophie whispered. "Just- just don't stay there too long; I still want your hands... elsewhere."
Lok couldn't answer immediately, as she'd kissed him after finishing that sentence, but she's certain he got her meaning- he had to be tempted by her chest. That thought did increase her nervousness, but even moreso, it continued to stoke her pride and brought a smile to her lips, knowing he's going to enjoy her there (as he should).
Surprisingly though, he broke off their kiss seconds into it. "That's good" he breathed to her. "Still, uh, Sophie-"
"Yeah?"
"-you can do the same. Your hands on me, down there."
A half-second after this registered, and after a brief spike in heart-rate, Sophie started to give him a small look. "Lok-" she started, almost chiding.
He didn't seem surprised, but also didn't back down. "I know: can't take off, can't go underneath" Lok answered, sincere. "But you- you already kinda started on me, when you... moved against me earlier."
"...I suppose that's fair" Sophie admitted, shifting a bit. "But no matter what, that's as far as I'll go tonight. I know I made that clear already, but still."
"That's fine by me."
Part of her wanted to ask why, even as she agreed, but for now she filed that away and nodded, before they kissed again. They remained as such for at least a minute: virtually sitting in each other's laps, close enough that her arms kept bumping his chest, yet Lok's hands kept moving along her butt, improving the warmth. Still, after a point Sophie found that keeping her arms like this was really getting in the way; she wanted so much to caress his cheeks, or thread through his hair, but couldn't like this. That combined with the sensations made her determined, and since Lok seemed content to continue, it gave her some time to prepare.
Slowly, her kisses with him remaining instinctive, Sophie moved her arms without brushing against Lok's chest. She definitely felt nervous again, but kept pushing so as to not freeze up... gently then, she brushed her fingers across his cheeks.
At first Lok didn't react, except positively, because he didn't think anything was wrong with that-
-but several seconds later, the realization hit him and he jolted, motions slowing (but not stopping).
Ending their kiss, they both caught their breath, and she saw his eyes half-open but staying on her face- he became a little intent, as if to see whether she's forcing herself or not. Sophie returned the scrutiny, giving a little nod to show that it's okay - that she's okay - before his look eased, and he returned the nod. Giving a little smile, Sophie kissed him again, hard... in fact, hard enough that her efforts pushed him until he/they were laying on top of the bed. Lok made a sound, trying to adjust in several ways, even as she hovered just above- he looked at her for a bit, before his gaze slowly moved down her body.
Despite having braced herself, Sophie had to fight her nervousness- she wanted this, and more than that so did Lok.
Half in her own thoughts, she didn't register Lok's reaction, at least not at first: he went utterly still for a moment, breath caught in his throat. Yet while his eyes widened and his mouth had opened a bit, that reaction only lingered for a few seconds, and gradually began to tone down as he remembered their previous times... where he had thoroughly felt her up. By the time Sophie was fully aware again, she saw his surprised, open staring take on a more approving gleam, and it brought such a rush of warmth like she hadn't experienced before. Before she could say anything though, she distinctly felt Lok's hands move up her body and- and then brush the sides of her breasts.
Her breath hitched... the sensations were both familiar, and new, yet oh so good.
In that moment, they looked at each other, and Sophie's first reaction was to kiss him-
-Lok didn't mind at all, and returned the favor as his hands slipped sideways.
The warmth kept building as his fingers worked, leaving her enjoying this, and no longer caring much about her nervousness or trying to fight it. Sophie even had to stifle a gasp as Lok's hands moved, as the way he brushed over her nipples kept sending jolts through her spine- if she weren't careful, she might even indulge in yelps.
And that's- t-hat's not really 'wrong', but she can't do so all the time.
Determined to keep herself in control, she glanced down and smirked a little, then started to get up from/off of Lok's legs. They adjusted so as to keep kissing/doing other things, and he didn't seem to mind that she'd finally gotten off him; no doubt he could start feeling his legs again. All the same, Sophie was careful as she got onto Lok's right side- sitting upon his upper legs was fine with his 'condition', but she still wanted to err on the side of his comfort. Still, part of her was relieved and a little excited: sitting like that had been a great position, but their closeness had prevented her from bending down and using her mouth to 'indulge' his chest, like her hands had been doing.
But now, she could return the favor.
...
At first, Lok wasn't sure why Sophie got off of him... but needless to say, he quickly got the idea.
And on a side note, the sensations under his fingers were just absolutely great, hands down: he didn't think he'd ever get tired of feeling up her breasts. And while he couldn't do much 'down below', he also had to say, he was really getting into the feeling of Sophie rubbing against him, including when he did much the same... which needless to say, was making him harder.
Having broken their kiss, Sophie gave him a little lidded look, which really worked for him- and more than that, showed that she didn't care about being nervous anymore. Then she moved her head between his arms, making him have to lift them slightly, and next thing he knew she'd kissed his chest several times. That was rather new, and he had to admit that he was surprised, the first time- he soon liked how her kisses made him feel warmer, in more ways than one. Then she cranked it up by occasionally teasing his chest with her tongue, hesitant and gentle through her first attempts, with particular focus on his own nipples.
Pretty sure that's making them even, but he really didn't mind if it was.
And secretly, Lok liked Sophie doing that for another reason: with her head lowered, whenever he wasn't working on her chest/stealing (a lot of) looks at it, it allowed him pretty deep access to her hair, which he never got tired of stroking (and apparently neither did she). And on a more lustful note, because he could lean his head up while her's is down, he could see past her head... to where the rest of her body was raised, and the way her butt was in the air, so-to-speak.
Definitely liked that... not sure when he'll tell Sophie, but it won't be tonight; better to savor the experience first.
"Oh, oh yes..."
"Lok, not so hard."
"Sorry" Lok breathed right away, loosening his grip in her hair.
Sophie lifted her head then, but her smile was curiously crooked, as if saying "I understand, but I will be cross with you if it happens again". He couldn't help but smile, leaning up and kissing her several times in reply, then he carefully leaned forward... before she could even ask, he started giving kisses to her left nipple, followed by the right.
A stifled sound from Sophie, followed by some heavier breathing; she liked it but was evidently trying not to (completely) let loose.
Heh, he'll see about that...
Lok kept it up for about a minute, enough to see/feel her getting used to the gentle kisses-
-then he gave her left nipple a very thorough lick.
Sophie's resulting moan was music to his ears, as were the follow-up sounds when he continued the process on both sides- it took about ten seconds for her to try stifling them, but she didn't otherwise didn't protest. Part of him was disappointed, even though he knew that was coming - she might still be embarrassed/nervous deep down - but he didn't dwell upon it and just kept up his work, replaying the sounds in his head.
Faster than he'd expected, her nipples were definitely hardening against his tongue, which drove him on even more.
It seemed to go on for awhile, though in reality it was only a few minutes...
"L... L-Lok?"
Kinda-focused on what he's doing, he didn't reply.
"Ah! Mmh-mmh- Lok?"
Jolted out of it, Lok pulled back and had to catch his breath - Sophie seemingly did the same for a little, but it wasn't long until her hands found his cheeks. When he looked at her, he found her expression flushed and her gaze full of a fair bit of desire - all of which he probably had too - but there was an intentness there that wasn't part of their desires.
"S-Sophie?" he breathed, saying a lot with just her name.
There was a small quirk to her lip, even as she caressed his cheeks. "Let's... let's stop there, for now."
His bodily reaction was quite strong, as he didn't want to stop... but after seeing the same in Sophie's eyes, and hearing the small effort in her voice, he knew he had to keep his head. "W-Was it... too much?"
"Mmh, no. It was... you were wonderful, Lok" Sophie whispered, absolutely sincere as she kissed him, deeply; he returned the favor. "It's just, I'm starting to- to want even more... but we're not ready for that."
Yeah, yeah that's probably right, because neither of them wanted to risk getting carried away- wordless, Lok nodded his agreement and returned the little smile, before he motioned his head, and started to adjust on the bed. It didn't take Sophie long to get the idea - carefully moving over his legs, she lay down beside him, on her side and unconsciously smoothing her hair for the transition. He watched her do that, though he would admit to more glances at her chest, as seeing them from this angle was new... though, that could've been the lingering want. Or maybe not, since his arousal was slowly fading away too- but hey, what could he do about that now?
When she'd gotten comfy, they both looked at each other warmly, even as her hand found his.
"You were pretty great yourself, Sophie" he whispered, sincere. "Not just how you worked your hands, a-and your mouth, but doing all that while you were still nervous?"
Her hand squeezed his, while the other one came to brush against his arm - whether by instinct or otherwise, this had the effect of half-covering her chest, though still with her nipples visible. "It was harder than I would've liked, but I couldn't let that stop me" she admitted, before her lip quirked. "And now that we've done all that, I don't think there will be many more problems... a-at least, until-"
"-we get even more intimate" Lok finished for her, if having to suppress a gulp.
Sophie glanced away for a time, but didn't deny it.
He moved his arm and gently held her around the waist, moving his head closer- to her surprise, he kissed her on the nose, like she'd done to him earlier. "But, I don't think it'll be too bad" he whispered, more soft if also nervous, "With this experience, you'll be more sure of yourself the next time, w-which I'm sure there'll be before we... go any further. That should help, Sophie."
She gave him a small, approving little smirk. "Perhaps a little obvious, but I do appreciate you saying it, Lok" Sophie said, almost playful.
He just chuckled, holding her even closer with his arm.
Her gaze moved toward that for a bit, the smirk softening, before she glanced back at him. "Still, as far as- as tonight, I'll need a little more time before I can say what I liked" she admitted, "Right now, except for two minor things, it's all a blur of 'great'."
"Eheh, likewise. We can wait till tomorrow night, or something... but uh, what were those minor things?"
Sophie's lip curved, even as she moved a bit. "Despite making it clear where I- I wanted your hands, you chose to keep them 'elsewhere' for a time, against my wishes" she said, in this curious little tone. "Also, one time you got a bit overzealous about gripping my hair."
Lok looked at her for several seconds, then slowly chuckled. "Okay. Don't make a habit of either" he said, giving her a bit of a playful look in return. "Though, it's not like I have to obey your wishes every time."
A little twitch in her expression, but not one of anger/annoyance. "Clearly. But I like it better when you don't dawdle."
Rather than take that bait, he pulled Sophie even closer to him, to her surprised sound- they were both clearly aware of her chest brushing against his arm, and his cheeks grew warmer, but he kept his gaze on her face. He put his answer and more into a kiss, even touching his tongue to her lip, which after more surprise got her returning the favor... he never got tired of the way her tongue touched his, and knew quite a few other things from tonight applied as well.
Even after they separated, he kept drawing her into little kisses.
"You know I still have to get dressed" Sophie whispered at one point, though her tone said 'I don't want this to stop'.
"Hehe, yeah... hey, if I might ask, can you get my shirts for me?"
"Of course."
Even as she got up from the bed after extracting herself, in no hurry while he watched her go - including 'discreetly' checking her out - Lok reflected that if he weren't healing, her response would've been different. Nonetheless, he appreciated her helping him out a little, along with everything that just happened between them... particularly since Sophie had wanted them to get this far.
"Lok?"
"Hmm?"
When he got out of his thoughts, he saw that Sophie was sitting upon the floor, pulling on her red skirt- as soon as it was properly on, it immediately went about it's job of covering her open legs. Lok lingered on that slightly, remembering her telling him about that unique aspect of her family's magic (and more), before he actually looked at Sophie; "Yeah?"
"You said earlier, that you didn't want to go further than what I'd wanted" she said, a bit hesitant but steady. "Why was that?"
"Well uh, mostly it's... it was about making sure things were good."
Without a word, Sophie gave him a raised-eyebrow look, even as she handled her bra now.
Slightly sheepish, Lok cleared his throat; yeah, that hadn't come out exactly right. "I mean, I know that no matter what, having s- uh, being intimate won't be perfect" he said in a hurry, his cheeks heating back up again. "Because we don't know all the right and wrong spots, we don't know how good it'll be, overall. And- I dunno, I just want us to at least be... a little experienced first, so that even though it might still be awkward, we could make each other feel good too."
By the time he finished, she'd managed to get her shirt as well, all while still listening- her cheeks were still red like his, but she gained a little smirk. With one hand, she grabbed his shirts and 'threw' them at him like a ball, intentionally aimed at his head (of course), but he caught it by reflex.
Her tone was warm: "Fair enough, Lok."
Giving a little nod and a smile, he started putting on his shirts, even as Sophie stood up and came back around to the bedside. He noticed this several seconds after the fact, and it was obvious Sophie had been watching his chest, kinda like he'd been doing earlier- that made him feel warmer, but he didn't mind that she'd stared at him.
And moreover, his heart was beating faster because he had a feeling about what's next...
"So, I guess this is goodnight" Lok breathed, more gentle.
One hand upon her hip, Sophie didn't answer, but instead just eyed the bed and how he was arranged- then, briefly, she motioned in his direction. "Would you... mind?" she breathed, almost nervous again.
Just like his feeling said- considering they've spent awhile sleeping in the same room, this was bound to happen sooner or later: not just sleeping in different beds, but the same bed (even if nothing more would happen).
"No, I wouldn't Sophie."
She looked grateful, easing as she slowly got onto the right side, while he carefully moved himself above the covers, using his arms to move his healing leg.
"Lok, do you want my help?" Sophie asked, pausing when she saw this.
"No, that won't be necessary" Lok assured her. "I'll sleep above the covers; it's easier that way, if I need to get up during the night. I won't be that cold, so don't worry about me."
For a moment, she didn't say anything, which made him believe that she didn't entirely agree- even still, Sophie nodded and leaned forward. He returned the kiss with ease - though it was short, he enjoyed the love that passed between them, especially after what they'd just shared.
"Goodnight, Lok."
"Sweet dreams, Sophie."
Like in Book Three, Book Four will have times where otherwise-romantic, even intimate moments just 'cut to black', mostly to keep to a T rating hehe. But of course, it's also so that while romance is explored naturally, the story doesn't contain so much that it detracts from the adventure or the overarching plot- and now, the moments are becoming involved enough that I can make pseudo mini-stories about them, contained in this separate fic. This particular chapter takes place during the middle of Book Four's story, for reference
Also, expect updates for this to be spread-out and infrequent... though the second chapter probably won't be too far behind; I'm fairly close to realizing the intimacy of this fic's other pairing :P Overall, each chapter won't have much context until Book Four is released - including the beginning set-up of where/how things led to such a point - since it might lead to spoilers.
^Still, it'll allow me to give updates on my progress :) At this point-of-writing, I've completed 14(-out-of-26) chapters and am working through the 15th, but this is also somewhat technically - a large portion is still early writing, missing POV's that aren't the main group, etc etc. I am a little over 112.5K words at the moment, but that's not a final indicator of length, either in general or if it'll be longer/shorter than Book Three. At absolute best, I might complete it by the end of this year, but it's better to have an outlook for it next year at present. I wish I could be more specific, but I want to be sure before I get anyone's hopes up