Title: Honey
Summary: A touch of sweetness brightens the day. Richard/Kahlan.
Rating: T


A/N: Inspired by the opening scene in "Cursed." I imagine it taking place between "Wizard" and "Resurrection."


"Look out, Kahlan!" Richard shouted.

She ran, glancing back over shoulder frantically.

He was right behind her, bolting hard and fast over the crest of the hill.

The stillness of the forest was broken by the sound of their thundering footsteps, twigs snapping and dry leaves crackling under their feet.

As they reached their campsite, she doubled over, nearly collapsing to the ground.

Breathing heavily, he dropped to his knees next to her.

After a few minutes, she straightened herself upright again, confident they'd outrun their pursuers.

Their impromptu, heart-pounding sprint had been exhilarating. She hadn't felt that alive in ages.

They both looked at each other and burst into laughter, knowing that they'd been in very little actual jeopardy compared to what they faced every day from their usual enemies.

"Next time we'll try smoking them out first," he panted. "It'll be easier that way."

She smiled. "If you say so."

She often marveled at his extensive knowledge of the natural world. He was an expert tracker, huntsman and marksman from his years of experience as a woods guide. He could drop a running deer from 200 paces with a crossbow, snare scampering hares with ease, scout out light-footed elk hiding in the forest. He also knew the best places to forage for the heartiest wild mushrooms and where to find the ripest, most succulent winterberries she'd ever tasted.

She and Zedd were his guides through the world of magic, but he was their guide through the woods.

While they'd been out walking earlier, he'd spotted the hive almost completely enclosed in a hollow tree. She wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't pointed it out.

He was far braver than she was. She'd merely stood by and watched as he'd reached into the opening of the hive to extract the honeycomb with great precision, careful not to damage the hive too much or harm the bees. He'd gotten more adept at it, with practice.

It had taken all her self-control to stop herself from shrieking out loud when the angry, stinging bees had started streaming out of the hive. Though she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them. They'd only been defending their home, after all.

Now that the danger had passed and they were sitting comfortably side by side by the fading embers of the campfire, she could feel the energy high gradually wearing off, only to be replaced with a powerful, overwhelming rush of desire.

He looked unburdened and carefree, so at home under the open sky.

The bright sunlight, softened by the shade of the majestic trees towering above them, cast shadows on his handsome face. Sweat was trickling down his temple, and his hair was messy and tousled from running.

His nearness was affecting her deeply. She felt thoroughly invigorated, breathing in the fresh, clean masculine scent of him, mingled with the faint underlying hint of woodsmoke and pine needles.

She was tempted to lean in just a little closer, to run her fingers through his thick brown hair, rub her cheek against the stubble along his jawline. What she really wanted was to grab him and kiss him senseless, but she had to settle for just looking at him.

Heedless of her inner turmoil, Richard opened his hand and examined the contents closely.

"Here, Kahlan," he said, offering her a portion of the honeycomb.

Kahlan stared at it longingly. The sight and aroma of it made her mouth water, but there wasn't very much of it, and he'd done all the work.

"You go ahead," she said.

"I didn't risk the wrath of that buzzing swarm for myself," he teased. "I did it for you."

"I'm not that hungry," she demurred, the grumbling of her stomach belying her words.

"Your stomach doesn't agree," he said, giving her an impish smile.

Still she hesitated.

"Please, I insist," he cajoled.

"All right," she said reluctantly, finally giving in.

He broke off a piece, and she took it from him carefully.

In the past, she wouldn't have accepted no matter how much he insisted, but lately she'd come to realize that it was his way of showing his love for her the only way he could. They had so little sometimes, living hand to mouth on whatever meager rations they were able to scavenge, the hunger pangs constantly gnawing at them. He loved her so much, so deeply, that it pained him to see her suffer for any reason. He wanted to share whatever bounty he had with her, to nourish her body and her spirit.

He expected nothing in return, wanting only to nurture her and tend to her needs as much as she would let him.

Richard was generous, thoughtful and considerate, and his quiet, heartfelt actions every day meant more to her than the most ardent declarations of devotion.

She had nothing to give him except for this reassurance that she returned his love and desire.

All they had in abundance was love.

Slipping the fragment into her mouth, she let her eyes close halfway. She savored every bite, the smoothness of the clear, amber honey contrasting with the firmer texture and denser consistency of the honeycomb. Freshly-harvested honey was a rare treat, a refreshing change from their usual fare. It was nothing like the usual sort found in taverns, which was generally brittle, crystallized, paired with cracked, dry bread and hardly palatable.

By gently inhaling through her nose, she could detect the delicate bouquet of all the flowering plants native to this region. Beneath the floral overtones and subtle suggestion of bright citrus was a light nutty taste she couldn't quite identify.

She could easily picture the honeybees going from flower to flower, tirelessly collecting the rich nectar secreted by each one, adding to the infinite variety of complex flavors.

When she opened her eyes again, he held the rest out to her.

This time, she leaned over and touched her lips to the morsel, allowing him to feed it to her bit by precious bit.

As the honey melted in her mouth, she felt a tiny, viscous droplet fall onto her chest. The errant drop clung haphazardly for a brief moment, then slowly began sliding downward.

Richard's attention immediately became riveted on the path it took, and she had to suppress her smile.

Not wanting to waste even a single drop, Kahlan took her little finger and dabbed at it, then daintily licked it off the tip.

She looked up to see him thoroughly transfixed, eyes heavy-lidded with desire. He licked his lips, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to dip his head down to the valley between her breasts and lick up every remaining trace of honey on her soft, smooth skin.

She swallowed, feeling hot all over.

Richard ducked his head self-consciously, then busied himself with rummaging around in his pack for the remnants of coarse brown bread they'd acquired at the last village market they'd stopped at. She watched as he carefully unwrapped the pristine white cloth surrounding it, preparing to spread the rest of the honey onto it.

Before he could do it, an irresistible impulse possessed her.

Ignoring the hunk of bread he proffered out to her, she took his hand instead and licked at the residue pooled in the center of his palm, gleaming golden in the dappled morning sunlight.

Caught unawares, he drew in a sharp intake of breath, nearly dropping the bread.

She gave him an arch smile and did it again.

"Kahlan," he breathed. Barely a whisper, but raw with need.

The flavor of the honey lingering in her mouth, infused with the familiar taste of his skin, made for a potent, heady combination.

Emboldened, she traced the tip of her tongue along his lifeline, then used her teeth to lightly scrape against the rough calluses higher up.

"Kahlan…" he groaned, louder this time.

How she loved the sound of her name on his lips, how the timber of his voice deepened whenever he was aroused.

Everything that was feminine in her relished how she could affect him so, that she could reduce him to such incoherency with the merest touch of her lips and tongue.

The mighty Seeker of Truth, who could fell entire D'Haran armies with the swoop of his sword. In her thrall, completely at her mercy.

He was still only a man, after all.

Her man.

And what a man he was.

He had the physique of a man used to hard physical labor. His strong, sun-browned hands had effortlessly wielded many a woodcutter's axe long before he'd ever grasped the legendary Sword of Truth.

Richard had women at his feet wherever they went. He could have chosen anyone, could have carried on any number of liaisons with women he encountered. As long as he was discreet about it, Zedd would have turned his head the other way. Surely any woman would gladly welcome him in her bed.

And yet he remained steadfastly devoted only to her. He was ever faithful even when there was no reason to believe they'd ever be able to consummate their love. For now it was enough for him that she returned his affections, his ardor.

She was used to slavish obedience and blind allegiance from those she'd Confessed, but this was different. This was real.

Unlike the Confessed, he loved her of his own free will and not because her magic compelled him to. The adoration she saw in his eyes was genuine. He actually loved her for who she was.

She'd never believed it was possible. All her life she'd been feared, and no one wanted to touch her. They'd always kept their distance, avoiding her assiduously if they could.

But he wasn't ever afraid of her, and he found every excuse possible to touch her.

Even so, she rarely allowed herself to indulge in her own desire to touch him. Sitting this close to him, holding on to him, she was acutely aware of how large and wide his hands were compared to hers.

She chanced looking up at him from under her lashes. He appeared to be holding his breath in anticipation of what she would do next.

She angled her head and held his gaze, prolonging the sweet torment. He watched her every move intently as she deliberately arranged her hair over her shoulder.

He blinked slowly. Once, twice. Then he gasped as she resumed licking his hand.

She felt his fingers flex as she let her teeth graze along the plump, tender flesh of the juncture of his thumb, still coated in honey. She gathered it skillfully with her tongue, careful not to spill any, before moving downward into the slight divots in the lower part of his broad palm just above the wrist where the hilt of the Sword had left its mark.

She didn't need any sustenance other than this, she decided. It was so much better undiluted, unadulterated.

There was no greater aphrodisiac than the slightly salty tang of his skin and the exquisite sweetness of the honey melding together in her mouth.

As she continued laving his hand, his eyes fell closed. Clearly he was enjoying the sensations she was giving him – her warm breath against his skin, her slender fingers curling around the back of his hand…

Following the natural curve of his palm, she lapped outward slowly in ever-widening circles, diligently swirling over every crease, every crevice.

The honey, increasingly softened by the heat of his skin, began liquefying, until a thin rivulet was slowly flowing down his wrist.

Kahlan flattened her tongue along the soft, sensitive skin there, just under the edge of the leather brace, feeling his pulse jump. His heart was pounding furiously, and it only excited her further.

The sight of him, panting and moaning her name, set her whole body aflame.

All she needed was this. She'd never been happier, basking in the glow of his love.

Smiling, she returned her attentions to his fingertips, allowing her lips to glide over the pad of each one.

Then she sensuously licked along the length of each finger, starting with the pinky, all the way down to the knuckle.

He shuddered as she applied a little more pressure and suction.

By the time she reached his middle finger, he was shaking and moaning so loudly that the horses looked up in interest and nickered.

Releasing his index finger with a soft, audible pop, she took a deep breath to steady herself. She could feel her power rippling under her skin, along with her growing arousal.

When she regained control, she made another pass between the fingers. Richard gave a strangled groan as she finished off the last little bit that she'd missed on the joint of his thumb.

She didn't stop until she'd licked his hand clean of every last drop.

Even when she'd finished, she couldn't quite bring herself to let go of him.

She found herself wishing for more. For an entire jar, brimming over, so she could pour it all over him, drizzle it in cascading patterns and spirals until he was completely covered in it and she could lick it all off…

Richard opened his eyes again, his eyes burning with intensity and need. She felt the heat spreading throughout her entire body as he gazed at her with such adoration and yearning.

Suddenly, he leaned over and licked at the stray dab of honey smeared along the corner of her mouth.

Her skin tingled at the sensation.

He shifted ever-so-slightly, and their lips met at last. Softly at first, then with increasing pressure and fervor.

He cupped her cheek with his other hand, deepening the contact, and she sighed in pleasure.

Even the sweetest honey could never taste as sweet as his kiss.

As he continued to kiss her, she let her mind drift. Let herself imagine the feel of his hands, his lips all over her body.

Thoughts of him filled her dreams all night long, every night. The two of them giving in to temptation at long last…

"Richard! Kahlan! Where are you?" she heard Zedd bellow from a distance.

They broke apart unwillingly.

It wouldn't do to have Zedd and Cara to happen upon them rolling around in the woods like a wayward dairy maid and stable boy rutting with reckless abandon.

Not only would it be embarrassing, but they'd have to put up with Zedd's stern lectures and Cara's acerbic barbs for hours.

As they appeared over the hill, Kahlan schooled her features into what she hoped was a serene expression.

"There you are!" Zedd called out. "What have you two been up to?"

"Just having a little breakfast," Richard said innocently, surreptitiously wiping off his hand.

"Richard found a beehive," Kahlan added.

"A beehive! Is there any honey left?" Zedd asked. "I'm starving! And it would go perfectly with those tart apples Cara and I found…"

Richard shook his head. "Sorry, Zedd. Maybe next time."

Zedd snorted and set about packing up their supplies. "Let's get ready to head out, then. We have a long way to travel today."

When Zedd's back was turned, Kahlan and Richard shared a conspiratorial smile.

Cara caught their look but merely rolled her eyes and handed them some of the apples.

Picking up her knapsack, Kahlan stowed them all away except one. But she didn't really feel like eating it. Not when it would overwhelm all the other delectable flavors still lingering on her lips and tongue.

Behind her, her horse whinnied and prodded her in the shoulder.

As she fed him the apple, he neighed softly, then flicked and swished his tail. She could have sworn he was giving her a knowing look. Patting his mane affectionately, she murmured soothing words to quiet him.

At least she could be certain he couldn't give away her secrets.

Once they were done packing up, they prepared to leave.

She mounted her horse, then fell in beside Richard as Zedd led the way.

He caught her eye and gave her a brilliant smile. She smiled back, filled with happiness.

His smile lit up her entire world.

Despite the slight chill in the early autumn breeze, Kahlan felt impossibly warm. She knew the fragrant scent of beeswax and honey would cling to them both all day long, reminding her of their morning tryst.

And yet she had no regrets about giving in to the spontaneity of the moment.

Every day with Richard was a nonstop adventure, filled with surprises and excitement.

She'd never had the opportunity to spend this much time with any man, and yet, she rarely tired of his company.

He'd changed her for the better, she had to admit. He'd taught her to appreciate the simple pleasures in life, to live life to the fullest every single day. He wasn't afraid to laugh. To play. To love.

Every day dawned brighter because of his love. Every moment that she was with him, she wanted to last forever.

When all this was over, she wanted nothing more than to live out the rest of her days with him in a little cottage on a remote farm somewhere, raising goats, chickens, crops and a family.

But for now they had to live off of stolen kisses and make every moment of privacy count.

All she could do was hope that someday they could be together at last…

… and she'd be able to lick far more than just his hand.

The End!


Author's endnote: My friend and I are planning to start re-watching all of Legend of the Seeker starting tomorrow. If you'd like to join us for re-watch and discussion, please PM me to let me know!