"Aeris, what's wrong?" She looked shaken when she walked into their quarters and Zack put his logic puzzle aside at once to pay full attention to his lady.

"I...Cloud's agreed to consider a spouse, one of the three the Triumvirate suggested. He always said he wanted to wait until he was twenty-five, unless there was some desperate political need, but he's giving up some of his time with Sephiroth early for me, for us." Aeris didn't fight it when Zack drew her into his arms, and that told him just how badly she'd been shaken by this; normally she'd make sure to keep her arms free, and wrap them over his arms and shoulders, instead of letting him pin her arms to her body like that. "I don't want him to have to sacrifice himself like that for my sake."

"Aeris, I don't think it is a sacrifice, not the way you're thinking it is. He only agreed to consider a spouse, so he's got something like six or seven months of courtship before he has to get involved with her, whoever she is." He stroked her back soothingly, and she seemed to relax at least a little bit.

"I think it's Rowan Ashe, from what he said about her age and the size of her harem. I guess she'll be more likely to leave him alone as much as is practical if she's got lovers of her own to keep her attention." Aeris shivered and nuzzled against his throat for a moment. "I suppose I should start looking for a qualified spouse myself, common-born high nobility. But at least I don't have to worry as much about getting a young spouse as Cloud does."

Zack didn't really like the idea of Aeris being with anyone else, but he'd known from the very beginning that she'd be taking a spouse one day, and there was nothing he could do about it. And no way he could make this easier on Aeris, except...

"If you start looking now, without getting the Triumvirate involved and keeping it informal perhaps you'll find someone you at least like as a friend."

"True. I...could probably get away with not taking a spouse, and just having the children without an espousal, but...they still wouldn't be your children, not at first, because I wouldn't be likely enough to have Cetra." Zack could feel the shudder of revulsion running through Aeris at that idea, and he knew he'd never ask her to do anything like that.

"You're better off looking for a spouse, I'll help and we can start while everyone's distracted by Cloud's courtship. But for now why don't we take a bath together, and get ready to eat with the Triumvirate without letting them know what we're planning?"

"That sounds good." Aeris began trying to pull away from him, and Zack released her immediately, following her example and stripping off as they made their way to the bathroom. He started running the bath, using her favourite bubble bath, resigning himself to smelling like lilies afterwards because she needed that extra bit of relaxation.

"Thank you. Brush my hair before we get in?" Aeris smiled as she held the brush out to him, and he took hold of her hand, raising it to his lips for a kiss after he'd accepted the brush from her and set to work in silence, resisting the urge to kiss her again, or add any of the little touches that he usually used to turn this into something sensual. He didn't want her to feel at all pressured by his desire for her, not when she'd just agreed that she should start looking for a spouse now, when she'd feel that her agreement, however reluctant it was, might have hurt him. And while he knew she needed comfort, and reassurance, from him she would have to initiate things if that comfort was to be sexual in form.

Aeris made a small, unhappy sound in her throat as he finished and stepped away to check on the bath, but he ignored that deliberately, hoping it would push her into some better sign of what she needed from him, and smiled at her, sitting down on the side of the bath and holding out his hand to her.

"The bath's ready I think."

"I think you're right." She smiled as she put her hand into his and let him help her into her bath, but it was a tremulous smile, faintly uncertain and he hated that. "Please Zack, I want to be with you, I want you to make me feel good." Zack could feel the pain in her request, and he wanted nothing more than to ease it, but he still needed a little bit more, even though he kissed her hand before joining her in the bath.

"You want me to take care of you, take care of everything, at least for a little bit?" He leaned over her, knowing that his brave, self-confident lady wouldn't see it as the act of intimidation some lesser women might treat it as, and he pulled her into his arms, stroking the back of her neck.

"Please Zack, I need that." She wrapped her arms around his neck, arcing up against him and letting her eyes fall shut in total trust. She didn't protest as he pulled her further from the sides of the bath, and kissed her again, using the size of the bath to full advantage.

"Alright, lie back a bit." He supported her with one hand just below her shoulders as she leaned backwards with breathtaking grace, letting him use his free hand to make sure her hair was all soaking wet before he helped her sit up again and reached for the shampoo. He faced her as he worked it into her hair, slowly, making sure it would clean her hair from root to tip, and ignoring the fact that it smelled of lilies again.

"Stand up now please." Aeris' body wash was lily scented too, and he used that on her breasts first, cupping them in his hands before moving up, running his hands up to her shoulders, and then down her arms, sliding back up to her armpits, and then back to her breasts. But no further down, not yet, not with what he planned. Instead he leaned forwards, nuzzling against Aeris' thigh, just a little frustrated at how the bubble bath was contaminating her wonderful natural scent, drowning out some of the subtleties that he enjoyed so much and kissing her just above the groin.

Now he let his hands move down from their slightly awkward position, sliding them around to her back and down, cupping her ass and kneading just enough to make her moan as he kissed his way down. He slid his tongue over her folds first, licking the water from her and encouraging Aeris to moisten from arousal, waiting until she was relaxed before pushing his tongue into her, trying again to reach that spot inside, trying and failing once more and retreating to focus instead on her clitoris, teasing her clitoral hood ever so lightly with his teeth for a few brief seconds.

"Ahhh!" Aeris' hands flew down to grasp his shoulders at that and Zack immediately shifted his attention to other targets, running his tongue between her folds, and approaching her clitoris, only to move away at the last instant, teasing her and driving her to the greatest height of arousal that he could. Finally he moved back to her clitoris when Aeris' hands started clenching on his shoulders and did his best to suck it into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue until he pushed her over into climax.

He pulled back then, helping Aeris sink down into the water again, stroking that perfect skin and planning to offer her a massage later. But first he washed the suds from her body, and from her hair, one hand moving between her legs to slowly tease her to a second climax as he kissed her throat. The conditioner now, to give him a chance to calm down a bit, so that he'd last, and then he laid Aeris back against the side of the tub before covering her body with his own, and pushing in, oh so slowly.

This wasn't the best position, with the water forcing him to move slowly, and carefully, but Zack was used to controlling his strength, and because this had to be slow it let him adjust his movements, timing them to have the best effect on Aeris and to make her writhe underneath him. He used one hand on the side of the tub to support his weight and let his other hand stroke Aeris' breasts, teasing her nipples ever so carefully, kissing her ear as well, giving her three sources of sensation to deal with, and she moaned, giving voice to a low sensual sound. He laughed quietly into her ear at that, letting her hear how satisfying that sound was to him, and she wrapped one wet arm around his shoulders, resting her hand on the back of his neck, and turning her face towards his seeking his lips with her own.

It didn't distract him from the way Aeris' other hand was snaking down between their bodies, or the way she worked it to give herself that extra bit of friction she needed to push herself over to climax, but he didn't mind, and he let himself come just as her orgasm was fading.

"Was that what you needed?"

"Yes Zack, that was exactly what I needed. Thank you." And Zack could feel the bone deep relaxation in her body, even if it was just from making love it would probably last at least through their usual dinner with the Triumvirate.

"You're more than welcome." He helped Aeris rinse her hair then used unscented toiletries to clean himself up while she went to get dressed.