Choose
"He's gone."
Aislinn's lips felt numb as she repeated the words, hand shaking as she held her phone where the voicemail left by Seth had just replayed for the hundredth time. Across the room she was dimly aware of Keenan standing, and asking who it was she was referring to.
"Seth, he left…" was all she could manage, and for some reason the room became blurry, and her eyes stung. Tears. She was crying.
"Seth left?" the room was empty. Wasn't it just full with Tavish and the summer girls? Her hearing felt fuzzy.
Her legs didn't seem to work anymore and she was sitting on the floor, staring off into space as Keenan touched her shoulder gently. The sunlight he let into his touch barely lightened her desolation. "He says he'll call, but I don't know where or why or anything. He was upset with me, and now he's gone. When he left the loft the other night he said he needed space, but I didn't think he meant this… I keep calling. He's not answering…" Fear bubbled up in her chest, constricting her throat. She met Keenan's worried, summer-green eyes. "What if he's not coming back?" Her voice warbled dangerously.
"Ash…" Keenan breathed, seeming at a loss for words.
"He's gone," Aislinn cold barely form a whisper as the gravity of it hit her.
"We'll send out guards, we'll ask the other courts if they have any information. Aislinn," Keenan touched under her chin lightly and made her meet his earnest gaze. "I may not care for him, but he matters to you. We will find him. I promise."
Three months, four days, five hours, twelve minutes, and thirteen seconds… fourteen… fifteen…
Aislinn gazed out at the courtyard, the depression she was barely staving off constantly threatened to drown her.
Your pain is hurting all of us... Choose to be happy. It is what we have all done.
Aislinn took a deep breath as Siobhan's words echoed in her head as they did more and more often these days. Choose to be happy. Three months had gone by but it felt like eternity, every second of every day spent pining after Seth, worried for him, wondering where he was.
Knowing he left because of her. Not knowing why. Wondering if he had given up on her. With each passing day, the latter seemed the most likely option, and she was beginning to lose hope. None of the other courts had information, or if they did they were unwilling to share.
Choose to be happy.
"Aislinn?" Keenan's soft voice broke her out of her reverie, and she turned and smiled at him. His shock at her reaction to seeing him was not quick enough for him to hide, and it sent a surge of guilt through her. He'd been nothing but kind and accommodating this whole time Seth had been gone, putting her needs above even the court's. The court he loved and fought for fiercely with every breath.
Like I should be doing.
Choose to be happy.
"Yeah?" She turned into a more inviting posture, sitting with her legs crossed in a pretzel style, holding her ankles lightly.
"Want to watch a movie?" he asked, almost shyly. Suddenly, unbidden, the memory of the pleasure of his healing came back to her, and she fought to hide the rising heat in her cheeks that would betray her.
"Sure," she tried to say nonchalantly, and unwound her legs gracefully to stand. She took his offered hand without thinking, and the sudden rush of sunlight that was inevitable in his nearness made her unsteady as she stood.
Unable to hide her blush now, she coughed slightly. "Sorry, still getting used to that…" Keenan just grinned un-apologetically, shrugging. She rolled her eyes, hitting his shoulder lightly and they both laughed. Aislinn was surprised at the pleasure she felt at their easy comradery. Moments like these almost made her forget…
Don't. She took a deep breath. Choose to be happy.
"So, I was thinking, and don't make fun of me," Keenan leveled her with a mock-severe look, and Aislinn tried to school her face appropriately as they walked to the big sectional in the living room. She realized they were holding hands, but she wasn't sure exactly when that had happened. "I kind of have been wanting to watch that movie… with Meryl Streep," he glanced back at her. "The Devil Wears Prada?"
Aislinn couldn't contain her snort of laughter, and she slapped her free hand over her mouth at faerie speed. Keenan scowled at her, and she bit back another fit of giggles.
"No, no! I think it's a great choice!" she couldn't keep the mirth out of her voice, resulting in another scowl thrown her way, but Keenan settled on the couch, pulling her to his side anyways. She glanced up and saw Siobahn through the crack in the door with a smug, appeased smile as she silently shut the door to the room her regents were cuddling in. Aislinn bit the inside of her cheek to suppress her bemused grin. Choose to be happy.
"Just shut it," Keenan quipped, turning on the TV, and Aislinn giggled again, leaning her head against his shoulder with a familiarity that surprised her. She felt a strange pulling in her chest that her first instinct was to ignore, but instead she kicked off her slippers and squirmed so she was settled more comfortably against Keenan's side, selfishly indulging in the warmth that felt like a lazy day at the beach that emanated from him whenever he was near her.
They had taken to having movie nights together in the evenings, the only time Keenan would allow himself to get close to her. She frowned internally at how much it bothered her that he distanced himself from her during the day, but she also understood it. How many times had she rejected him and turned him away?
As Keenan reached back and shut the light off in the living room, suddenly the darkness seemed to amplify her awareness at his closeness. She bit her lip against the butterflies that seemed to appear out of nowhere in her stomach, and furiously focused on the opening sequence of the movie.
Just chill out, Ash, she reprimanded herself, but she was also acutely aware that she couldn't have extricated herself from Keenan's embrace if she wanted to at the moment. The desire to touch him that had been building all day seemed to only grow stronger as she now indulged in his touch, and without her knowing her fingers had absently started lightly stroking his jean clad thigh.
Halfway through the movie, Keenan adjusted slightly, leaning his cheek on her forehead. Her heart traitorously sped up, and she felt the unfamiliar-familiar heat gathering between her legs and the pressure in her lower abdomen. It was impossible not to touch him right then, and Aislinn felt her skin heat as she tried in vain to ignore the feelings coursing through her. She couldn't remember half of the movie they had already watched, and all she wanted was to…
Oh, gods… Aislinn bit back a moan at the sheer desire that was coursing her veins like some drug. It felt like the first time she had drank summer wine as a mortal. What was wrong with her?!
"Keenan…" she breathed, immediately regretting her unthinking speaking of his name. Her heart felt fit to burst from her chest and her thoughts felt hazy as she tried to sift through the desires being close to her Summer King awoke. Was it because the solstice was tomorrow?
"Yes?" he murmured back, and Aislinn wanted to howl at what the sheer sin that dripped in his voice did to her.
"Keenan…" she shook her head, as if to expel the heady lust that had settled over it, but moving her head had caused his lips to brush over her skin.
It was as if the mere touch of his lips ignited a fire in her, on her skin, everywhere.
"I…" when had she turned towards him? She felt like she wasn't quite in control of her body, this desire had taken hold of her and wouldn't abate now that they were touching so close, in the dark…
He didn't respond, but the storm in his eyes spoke volumes. He feels it, too. She found herself moving forward, suddenly straddling his hips as her eyes locked on his lips, the desire for another touch of them overpowering every other thought. The addiction she felt at that simple touch was almost mind melting. Idly she wondered if this is what the victims of gancanaghs felt.
"Please…" she whimpered softly, not knowing what she was asking for, but at the same time all too aware of what she was offering. Their foreheads touched, their heavy breathing mingling in the quiet dark.
Without a word, he met her lips in a searing kiss, gripping her hips tightly to hold her steady, and Aislinn was lost. The taste of his lips was sheer ambrosia, nectar she couldn't stop drinking in. The more she took the more she needed. A moan ripped from her throat as she moved her body above him, mindlessly seeking more pleasure. The feel of his hardness between her thighs was almost too much to bear. Her tongue brushed his, drinking in more of his taste, begging for more.
"Aislinn," Keenan moaned, pulling her hips harder against his as he bucked up against her, as lost and mindless as her.
"More," she gasped, tugging his shirt off and moving her lips down to taste his jawline, his pulse point, the soft curve of his collar bone, letting her teeth drag along his golden skin that seemed to be shining brighter than ever. The entire room was lit softly by their combined glow. It wasn't blinding like the scorching sun in the middle of the afternoon, but hot and glowing like a campfire at midnight.
Keenan's head fell back and his mouth fell open as he gave into her kisses, his eyes closed in bliss. A rush of power filled her as Aislinn realized it was her doing this to him, making him feel this way. She grinded harder onto him, pulling his bottom lip between her teeth. A growl left him and with faerie speed he flipped them over so she was lying on the couch, legs encasing his hips. When had she removed her shirt?
With languorous speed, he trailed kisses down her throat, over the swell of her breasts, she dug her nails into his shoulders, her breathing seeming over-loud in the quiet room. He bit down lightly over a pert nipple in her bra, and her eyes closed at the jolt of pleasure that seemed to travel directly to her clit. Her hips gyrated in response, and he continued his ministrations to the other breast, pulling down the edge of her bra to envelop the peak with his warm mouth, laving it with his tongue.
"Keenan…" she gasped, tightening her grip on him, knowing there would be marks tomorrow, evidence of her passion, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Let them know,she thought impulsively.
His hand slipped behind her back briefly to unclasp her bra, and he tossed it to the floor. With a heavy gaze full of dark promises, he continued kissing down her stomach, and Aislinn felt as if she would faint as she realized his intentions.
"Oh… gods…" she gasped, gripping the couch cushions as he flicked open her shorts button and pulled the zipper down, easing her shorts off her hips, leaving them to join her bra on the floor. He turned his head and kissed the inside of her thigh, and Aislinn shook her head in protest.
"No… teasing…" she panted, but he studiously ignored her, turning his head again to kiss the inside of her other thigh. He continued this on each side trailing his kisses inwards without touching her center, before switching to the other side and repeating his kisses. Aislinn was almost mad with want by the time he moved towards her center, pressing a kiss to her clit over her panties. A moan left her throat unbidden then, and her head tossed side to side. He responded by slowly pulling her panties down and off her legs, before settling back between them.
Anticipation was making AIslinn desperate, and she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling tightly. He smirked in that sinful way of his, and let his tongue slip out to lick a long, slow line up her slit to her clit where he circled it slowly. Aislinn was drowning in the sensual pleasure as he repeated the motion, then stayed on her bud and laved it with singular attention as if he couldn't get enough of her.
"Keenan… please… oh god… yes…" she moaned, shuddering and squirming to alleviate the intensity of the pleasure but his hands moved to pin her hips down. She writhed, helpless to the pleasure his tongue was giving her. She felt herself climbing ever higher, saw the brightness of them combined flare behind her closed eyes and the pleasure that seemed to loop into him and back to her, doubling it, making her vision go white…
"Keenan!" she screamed, back arching off the cushions as white hot pleasure drowned her, shocking her with every new touch of his tongue. She moaned, practically sobbing his name and begging him to take her as pulses of pleasure pounded through her. She'd never known she could feel such ecstasy in her life. Rainbows arched across the room and riots of flowers burst into bloom throughout the house, and unbeknownst to them, throughout the entire block as her pleasure peaked.
Keenan kneeled up, chin glistening and an almost maddened look of desire flaming in his eyes. He made quick work of his jeans, and situated himself between her legs, his predatory gaze sending another jolt of desire through her.
"My Queen…" he moaned quietly, slowly entering her. Aislinn cried out, bucking her hips up to take more of him into her as the pleasure spiraled out of control. The room was alternating between rainbows and warm spring showers as he pushed so he was fully seated in her, letting out a guttural moan.
"So perfect," he panted, pulling away to thrust back into her, Aislinn keened in response, the new pleasure filling her oversensitive body to the brink. A waterfall cascaded from the ceiling, pouring out the open window, and orchids spread wildly throughout the room as Keenan thrusted harder into her, leaning down to capture her mouth in another soul-searing kiss. Vines sprouting tropical flowers grew and curled around them, creating a private shelter for them as they chased their combined pleasure.
"Keenan… more…" her nails dug once more into his shoulders, and she raked them down his back as he increased the force of his thrusts, moaning into her mouth. They were burning so brightly the room looked as it did during the daytime, and she felt her pleasure building once again. She whimpered, wrapping her legs around him tighter as he pounded into her, and he grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her as he took her, completing her, filling her soul as she never thought it could be.
"Aislinn… can't… oh gods…" he moaned in her mouth, face screwed up in ecstacy.
"Please, Keenan, please… My King…" she moaned as he hit a spot within her that made her see stars. "Yes, yes…" her cries grew louder and just as her pleasure crested he cried out her name, thrusting faster and they both crashed into an agony of bliss, holding onto each other as if afraid the other would drift away. Keenan was everywhere, filling up her vision, her body, her mind. She shivered in his arms from the aftershocks of ecstasy, bright spots flashing across her eyelids, and he panted into her mouth, forehead leaning on hers.
"My Queen…" he whispered, moving his hips slightly which elicited another broken moan from Aislinn. She opened her eyes to gaze at his burning summer-green eyes, and smiled lazily.
Choose to be happy.
And she was.
"My Summer King," she sighed contentedly, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
"Humm…" he practically purred like a cat, laying down to nuzzle her chest like a lazy feline. She bit her lip against a moan at the sensation of him slipping out of her, and knew they were both irrevocably changed.
"You're mine," she murmured, feeling the smile that pulled his lips up against the skin of her breast. She felt it, too, the swelling strength of the court filtering through her at the King and Queen's pleasure and joy at finally joining into one. Her cheeks heated at the thought that every single one of their fey knew what had just occurred between their regents, and Keenan chuckled, as if he could read her thoughts.
"I feel it too," he said softly, leaning up on his elbows to gaze adoringly at her and she felt her heart trip. A king thrilled at the returning strength of his court. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, they're rejoicing," his voice was soft, and she grinned at him, bemused.
"Still getting used to that," she echoed her earlier statement, and the brilliance of his responding grin took her breath away. He leaned in to kiss her again, and they both lost themselves in the bliss of summer.
Maybe it wasn't true love, but it was a start.