Disclaimer: I do not own He-Man, Masters of the Universe, She-Ra, nor have any holdings in Mattel, Filmation, nor MYP. I do not profit from creating He-Man fanfiction; I just enjoy tripping with Adam and Teela.
A/N: I was asked a couple of weeks ago to write this story by direct request from ActionfreakXD. The premise belongs entirely to him, the construction of the story, mine. I hope he likes it :) and I hope all of you enjoy as well. Please do me a favor and REVIEW! I'm a starving author whose life is sustained only by the feedback she receives from her He-Man fanfics... hahaha. But no seriously...help. Will Write For Food :P
I Didn't Know I Loved You
Skeletor's own magic came careening towards him knocking him off his feet and sending him flying into the trunk of a large stately oak.
Temporarily dazed and gasping for air, his blurred vision finally focused on the Warrior standing several feet before him, his hands gripping a mighty sword, his blue gaze cold and menacing. Sheathing it, he approached.
"Had enough?" the blonde asked, his voice deep and acerbic.
The blue skull-faced wizard frowned. "The real question is…have YOU?" he shot back before suddenly jumping to his feet and shooting two deadly energy bolts at the young man.
He-Man snapped his shoulder backward evading the fireballs as they rocketed past his head and exploded into the shed completely obliterating the poor old farmer's abode. Scowling at the carnage, he snapped his head back to his enemy just as the wizard pounced with an intended strike. Catching his fist in his hand, He-Man responded with a right-cross landing the blow to Skeletor's bony jaw sending him staggering backwards.
Recovering, Skeletor leaned in with a left jab which He-Man blocked following with a left-right hook catching his opponent off guard. As the wizard teetered off-balance, the blonde warrior hopped and double-kicked him square in the chest sending him hard to the ground.
The dark lord lay prostrate, his breathing labored as the Warrior approached and stood over him.
With an angry glare he asked, "Where is she?"
Coughing, Skeletor glowered back. "That's for me to know and you to find out, Muscle Boy!" he taunted angrily.
Furious and his patience wearing thin, the young man suddenly stooped and one-handed, grabbed his enemy by the collar yanking him roughly to his feet. Holding his skeletal facade only inches from his own, he asked once again through clenched teeth, "Where. Is. She."
When he didn't respond, He-Man threateningly drew back a fist only to be stopped by his enemy's desperate babbling, "She's in the cavern beyond the ridge past the east farmhouse…you'll find her in the crevice below the waterway," he paused and snickered. "But you may be too late you muscle bound buffoon. She's probably already dead—"
He-Man silenced him by throwing a punch, knocking him out cold making good on his earlier threat. Releasing his hold he unceremoniously dropped his nemesis roughly to the ground, turned, and sprinted east; his mind reeling over Skeletor's assessment of the situation.
God, it's Adam. Please…please don't let me arrive too late…
xxx
Curled up on a jagged ledge and tugging at her restraints, Teela slumped against the rocky walls of the darkened cavern, her wrists bound behind her and chained to the wall, her mouth gagged. Cursing her stubborn recklessness, she watched in horror as the water level rose higher by the minute, the inlet fed by the Sumari River as it rose every season irrigating the farmers' crops in the nearby village of Sumatera several miles west.
Before sunrise, she had decided to test her survival skills by hiking alone in the Anderos Jungle. Last night, her father had warned her against going off on her own in an area notorious for containing pit falls, poisonous plants, and wild animals. Feeling invincible and unwisely disregarding his counsel, she set off early this morning only to run into Orko in the Palace halls who peppered her incessantly with questions. Exasperated she finally confessed her intentions swearing him to secrecy.
It was when she reached the Anderos Cove that she was abducted by the sniveling mutants of Snake Mountain; Trap-Jaw, Beastman, Clawful, and Tri-Klops. Outnumbered, they overpowered and took her captive to their master. The ransom notice was dispatched to the King just before being rendered unconscious by the wizard's dark magic, the sound of cackling echoing in her ears before it all went black. She then woke up here in the dark hours later, frustrated and anxious.
Disjointed images of her life thus far raced through her restless mind, her first thought claimed by Greyskull's Warrior. Her emerald eyes filled with tears at the notion of him finding her dead mourning over the evidence of her stupidity and how she'd let him down again, his disappointment in her magnified by her senseless death.
She pondered the reason for her recent distraction, finding herself lately in dire situations necessitating her rescue by this elite warrior who called himself He-Man. She held such admiration for this beautiful yet powerful and intimidating fighter who always seemed to find and liberate her; quite possibly the cause for her lack of focus regarding her royal duties.
Royal duties…
Her tears abruptly dried and her eyes went vacant as her thoughts wandered to the Crown Prince. A man she has known all her life yet still manages to remain a mystery. The much maligned "Clown Prince" as some called him whose cowardice and selfish self-centeredness did no one any favors. The supposed close friend who never lifted a finger to save her leaving it to He-Man to save all of their asses. As Royal Bodyguard to the Prince, he somehow always found a way to evade her at the first sign of trouble. He—
Her thoughts were cut off by the sudden chill of the rising water which had now reached her knees and crept quickly up her thighs. The tide soaked her uniform as she began to feel utterly trapped, the pressure of hundreds of pounds of rushing water reaching her waist and suddenly lifting her from the ledge, the fear choking off any and all sounds of alarm from her throat.
Resigned to her fate, she closed her eyes and bade a silent goodbye to her father, He-Man, and the royal couple—
The deafening explosion of what sounded like a quarry blast reached her ears and interrupted her prayer as the jagged stone wall twenty feet away suddenly disintegrated sending crumbling projectiles hurling in her direction. Snapping her eyes shut, she turned her head tucking her chin to her chest in self-protection to no avail; some of the small stones grazed her face and shoulders. The sound of escaping water and someone sloshing frantically through it followed.
"Teela?"
His deep and urgent voice immediately recognizable, her eyes popped open as her head turned toward the sound. Blinking from the blinding rays of the sun now invading the heretofore dark and dank cavern, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Moohverrr mmheere!" she muffled through the gag.
His vision adjusting to the darkness, He-Man squinted as he scanned the cavern. Locating the Captain, his eyes went round as he trudged through the now self-made whirlpool of escaping river flow and toward the object of his secret desire. Reaching her shivering frame, he gently removed her gag and caressed her shoulders, concern lining his handsome features.
His grasp felt warm communicating safety and trust. Teela blinked as her eyes began to adjust to the bright afternoon that flooded the cavern. She studied him as he finally came into focus; his brow knit, his sky blue gaze filled with worry, the way the sun shone behind him framing his golden blonde locks, the hilt of his sword peeking from behind his back.
She gave a crooked smile. "Well, it's about time you found me, Big Guy," she joked breathily.
Despite his worry, he snorted and chuckled. "Give a guy a break, Captain. It's not like you had a homing device on you or anything. I sort of had to beat it out of old Bone Head," he retorted playfully.
She grinned in response and suddenly went pale, her gaze dimming, her eyelids closing heavily as the gravity of the situation finally hit her, the adrenaline rush subsiding rendering her body limp.
The smile quickly disappeared as he reached behind her snapping the heavy chains from the wall. Gathering her in his arms, he quickly sloshed back through the receding water, out of the cavern and up the hill. Dropping to his knees, he set her down as he reached behind and broke the iron cuffs from off of her wrists. His right hand cupping the back of her head and his left caressing the backs of her thighs, he gently lay her prostrate on the verdant grass allowing the sun to warm her shivering body.
Eyeing the scrapes on her face he frowned as his left hand caressed her cheek. He hovered over her examining the injuries he caused from pummeling the stone wall in haste.
A smile crept along Teela's lips as her eyelids fluttered open only to fix her amused and relieved emerald gaze to his sky blue ones.
He-Man gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry," he began as his thumb gently caressed the tiny pink marks on her cheek and forehead.
"Sorry for what?" she replied as she covered his hand with her palm. "I'm alive…because of you. What's a few scrapes and bruises?"
His smile grew then suddenly dimmed as if remembering something, his eyes averting hers. Her brow knit, she watched as his expression leveled to something unreadable then finally…all business.
"Come on, Captain," he gestured with a sharp nod left, "Let's get you home. Your father along with the King and Queen are worried about you."
She stared at him. "And Prince Adam?"
Inexplicably startled, his eyes widened then dimmed. "He of course is equally concerned, Teela," he reassured before helping her to her feet. Brushing herself off, she stood toe to toe with him lifting her chin to look deeply into his eyes.
"But not enough to help you find me," she added, a coldness settling deep within those emerald orbs.
Unable to manufacture a credible explanation – no…an excuse – to her point, he simply held her gaze as they stood in silence, their eyes locked.
"Teela…I…," he began.
Her eyes suddenly softened as she stepped closer. Sliding her arms around his neck she stood on tiptoe and, taking quick advantage of his open mouth, she closed her lips over his.
Completely shocked he froze at first, his eyes going round then slowly closing in ecstasy as his arms encircled her waist pulling her body flush against his.
Teela suggestively opened her mouth and ran her tongue along his bottom lip in invitation causing a tremor to shoot wildly through his body. All rational thought went sideways as He-Man opened and slipped his tongue inside deepening the kiss, his efforts rewarded with a delicious breathy moan.
He responded with a deep throaty moan of his own, Teela smiling inwardly as the kiss waxed urgent and needy. The two passionate warriors continued lost in each other's arms until He-Man suddenly stiffened and broke off taking a backward step.
Wide-eyed they stared at each other; silent and breathless, both shaken over the fervency of their need. Sheepish, he cleared his throat.
"We have to go," he stated flatly before stepping toward her and gathering her once again in his arms.
Unable to respond and surprised by the sudden shift in his mood, Teela blinked and wrapped her arms around his neck as he sprinted west, holding her close, headed towards the Palace.
