Chloe just stared at A.C who was acting really weird. Ever since the competition, he'd been sort of quiet. He was driving and his complete focus was on the road, but he was acting weird. They passed a sign welcoming folks to Atlantis Days. They drove through town and turned onto a dirt road that winded well past the limits of a town smaller than Smallville. In the trees ahead of brilliant blue flags marking the place for the festivities could be seen. The parking lot was full and people were going in and out of the huge gated columned coliseum like structure. As luck would have it they found a parking spot up front and A.C pulled in and shut the jeep off.
"Are you going to talk to me or make me speculate about what's got you so preoccupied?" she spoke he only winked at her and exited the jeep and opened her door for her. She looked up at his face trying to read his expression. He just kissed her cheek and took her hand in his and led her through the gate. Inside it was like they head stepped into another time. It and acting was unreal, the columns, statues some fake some were people dressed as and acting like statues. The walkways appeared to be marble.
"Welcome to Atlantis," he purred in her ear.
"Huh?" she asked.
"One of the men I rescued from the rebellion, caught up with me at the competition." Chloe just looked confused, "He wanted to thank me for helping him be free, and he along with some others wanted to share this experience with you and were taking this over today. This," he spoke looking around, "is as real to the market of Aphesia that you can get next to being there." His smile was infectious and Chloe was blushing.
"But we missed half the day?" she frowned.
"No, sorry. They had some idea when we were going to be here and really haven't been here long according to what I was told. And when the gates close tonight, they're going to hold a party for us." Chloe just buried her face in his chest. He held her close. "What?"
"It's amazing," she spoke into his shirt. He only kissed the top of her head.
"No baby, you are." He tilted her head up to face him. "It's you, you were the support to go and look for Rob, YOU are the star here, not me."
"Ughhh," she buried her face in his shirt again. He chuckled softly.
"Come on my bashful wife, there is a shop over in the corner that has presents for you," she nodded and pulled back and wrapped her arms around him as they made their way to the store.
Chloe went into a separate dressing room from A.C. Hanging from a hook was a beautiful pale green dress. It was short, going to her mid thigh. Simple and elegant with a beaded strap to tie around her neck, there were even elegant sandals for her to slip into. She turned her profile and caught a glimpse of her very subtly growing tummy.
"You gonna stay in there all day?" A.C spoke from the other side of the door. Chloe blushed and opened the door to see her husband standing there dressed as a shirtless centurion with gold torque's wrapped around his biceps. One quick glimpse and she grabbed him by the belt of his leather toga and yanked him into the dressing room. She pulled him into a kiss that was possessive and hungry. He only had a split second to lock the door behind them as she turned him and pushed him into the wall. Chloe was rubbing her hands up and down his naked chest. He was grateful for several small miracles. One he knew the owner of the shop, two-the shop was closed to them, and three-that the walls were solidly built. He sat down on the bench and pulled Chloe onto his lap.
"You," he whispered as he slid his hands under the hem of her dress, "Are insatiable." His fingers were tracing the line of her panties, and then his left hand slid under the silky fabric. She grabbed him by the wrist and forced his hand to touch her where she needed him the most. He groaned as he deepened the kiss. He pulled his hand free of her and then shifted her panties to the side, she flipped up his toga and he slipped his briefs down. Chloe impaled her self on him before he could sit down again. She leaned her forehead on his shoulder as she began to move her hips. He began to purr in her ear in Atlantean, slow lazy syllables that rolled off his tongue. As he spoke her inner muscles gripped him tighter. She nibbled his ear and that quickened his pace, and in minutes he was taking her mouth in a devouring kiss, silencing her screams of ecstasy.
"Well," she panted. "No wonder you hid this from me." She purred. He only kissed her cheek.
"Damn baby," he sighed trying to get his balance. "You keep this up and I may have to go and get some vitamins." He kissed her again.
She laughed. "I don't know what came over me," she blushed and looked him in the eyes.
He kissed her soundly and Chloe just melted into his arms. "It's what I would have done if I had gotten to you first; you look beautiful in the dress." He spoke tracing the hem with his hands. They tidied themselves up and packed up their belonging and put them in a bag that was hanging on the door. Chloe blushed brilliantly. "Don't worry baby, I know the shop owner," she shook her head as he took her hand in his and led her outside.
--
It truly was another world. Chloe couldn't remember the last time she felt like this. It was a peace she couldn't remember having before A.C. He was such a gentleman, and attentive in a way that defied explanation. They went from vendor to vendor and sampled foods and desserts. They drank teas and juices. He took her to the various stages where they could see some of the more traditional acts. An hour later they were at the main stage watching a rendition of the Tempest. They were sitting in a royal box with people waiting on them. Chloe just shook her head during the intermission.
"What?" A.C asked suspiciously. "I know that sigh, so just lay it on me now so I can talk you out of what ever it is you're worried about."
"Ha, ha," she spoke and he just stared at her with one eye brow arched. "It's this?" she gestured to the arena. "All the privilege?" she spoke trying to find her voice.
"See, the purpose of all this wasn't to make you feel bad, not at all. If I wanted this life I never would have left Atlantis, NEVER!" he emphasized. "But this isn't the life for me. I can't go and get a Luigi's pizza, can't get a pale ale, and most certainly and this is very, very important, wouldn't have you." Chloe smiled at him. "And I would miss my dad like crazy! He and I butted heads a lot, but he raised me, I wouldn't be the man I am now if it weren't for him."
"Yeah," she spoke.
"A little more convincing, eh?" he grinned and he leaned over to her to whisper in her ear. "Tonight at the hotel, I'm going to give you a language lesson you won't soon forget," he purred, "The language itself falls into the romantic languages category and the older dialects require a lot of ….tongue use." He grinned. Chloe blushed to her toes.
"I love you, and I wouldn't trade this life for anything, got that?" Chloe nodded. "Good," he smiled and held her hand in his as the second act began.
--
Chloe lay on the bed wrapped in a bath robe. Her hair wrapped in a towel. She sighed as she listened to A.C finish in the bathroom. He came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. She smiled up at him.
"What's up?" he spoke as he sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hands through his wet hair. Chloe sat up and kneeled behind him and started to massage his back.
"Thank you," she spoke leaving a trail of butterfly kisses where her hands were kneading.
"Never, ever, have to than…….k….ohhh boy," he whispered. "me."
"Really? Ok I'll stop." And he could hear the laughter in her voice.
"Ohh you." he turned sharply and caught her mouth with his, slowly and gently did he kiss her snark away.
"Wow, if kissing were an Olympic event I would definitely give you the gold." She smiled.
"Why thank ya very much," he smiled and crawled toward the head of the bed, Chloe moving backwards ahead of him.
"And you are up for husband of the year," she sighed.
"Only married for what nearly 3 days and I get that award?" he teased as he untied her bathrobe.
"Yeah," she sighed as his lips found her breasts and he began to lick and suck. "For ummm, what was I saying?"
"Husband of the year?"
"Ooohh yeah," she spoke as his hands joined the foray. "Today was wow, the party." She gasped as he added a little bit of teeth. "That was so cool."
"Glad you liked," he spoke kissing her chin. He then stood up and dropped his towel and climbed back onto the bed and lay next to her resting his wait on his hand. "I did however promise you a language lesson." He grinned as he rested his other hand on her abdomen.
"Yeah," she smiled. "The words were so….beautiful. What did you tell me?"
"That you were my soul, the reason for the sun rise and set, and my greatest joy." He blushed slightly.
"I don't have a secret language to share with you or another world for that matter, but what I have is the baby we created and today," she smiled biting her lip, "Today was beyond anything I could have dreamed up. I never would have had this if it weren't for you."
"Well, there you have it, our mutual adoration society meeting." he grinned. "But see those words I spoke? They aren't the only ones that I know," his expression grew incredibly lustful. He leaned and kissed her warmly then began to demonstrate the size of his Atlantean vocabulary.
--
It was 3 in the morning and A.C sat up from a dead sleep, there was trouble in the water but it wasn't an emergency per se, more of an urgency.
"You okay?" Chloe spoke groggily, rolling over to look at him.
"Yeah," he spoke standing and moving to the window to stare out to sea. "I have to go," he spoke moving to his bag to grab his wet suit. He paused when he laid his hands on hers. He pulled it out and smiled. "Come with me," he smiled.
"What? Its 3 in the morning." She protested.
"Yeah sorry about the time, but um….yeah come with me," he smiled again. Chloe knew this was important to him and smiled and crawled off the bed to where he was.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Not sure, its" he stumbled with a description. "A feeling." She kissed his cheek and they dressed in their wet suits. He led her outside and to the beach. "You remember when we swam at the Watchtower?" he smiled.
"Yeah?" she spoke. It was one of her favorite memories.
"Good." He stood in front of her so she could hop on his back piggy back style.
"Good grief, I'm gaining weight you know," she protested.
"Baby even if you were near your due date, I would still be able to carry you now quit stalling and let's go," he chided teasingly. Chloe did as requested and he carried her into the ocean and maintained a brisk pace out to open water. A.C kept her on his back while he treaded water. His eyes were closed and he was focusing a smile spread on his face. He helped her off his back and he held her against him. "So the humpback that rescued me the day my mom disappeared is calving. She's older and a little nervous," he smiled. He whistled and a fin appeared in the distance. Chloe got a little nervous until she saw the bottle nose of the dolphin. "Its only Meikos," he smiled. Chloe took the dorsal fin and let go of A.C. "I will just be a second." He spoke and disappeared under the water. Chloe gasped and then looked up at the sky, there had to be a billion stars up in the heavens and it was a truly magical experience. A few minutes later there seemed to be a rumble coming from below and the water was shifting. The next thing she knew a ginormous whale was surfacing. A.C was at the head.
"Her name has no real translation, but closest would be Mia." He grinned. "I've been keeping tabs on her my whole life, I wanted you to meet her. One momma to another." He grinned. Chloe's eyes were wide with wonder. Meikos pulled her close enough to touch and when she touched her, A.C put his hand over hers and closed his eyes. Chloe gasped and she turned to A.C and smiled. He only grinned wider. Chloe leaned and kissed him.
"Thank you Mia, and congratulations," Chloe whispered. The whale blew out of her blow hole and then went back under water. A.C followed her and was gone for about ten minutes. He came back up and took Chloe from Meikos.
"She'll deliver in a few hours."
"Do you need to stay?" she asked.
"No, there's no need, she was just nervous, and she's in safe waters." He smiled knowingly.
Chloe smiled. "Well wow that was amazing" she hugged him.
"You keep saying that and we'll have to get a bigger place for you, me, the kid, and my ginormous ego." He teased.
"Ha," she pinched his cheek. He pulled her back onto his back and swam them back to the shore and carried her into their room to catch a few more hours of sleep before they started their island hopping adventures.
