Words are unable to explain how god dammed happy I am with the amount of people who have enjoyed this story in its short life span thus far, so above all, thank you all so much. Now, that being said, this chapter was a pain, to say the least. It went through four different drafts, all with very different routes, until I was finally satisfied with my results. I will admit, I am nervous with regards to this seeing as it is the first time I have written this kind of scene (lemon), but I hope it is alright. For those who don't want to read that part, I have marked where it officially begins so you can skip.
The moon's light glistened through the windows of the bedroom, a welcoming source of brightness to chase back the shadows as Shirou Emiya rested in his bed, facing his demons the best he could.
Two weeks had passed since Arturia was returned to the world, and though the fact itself was one met with great happiness, doubt still lingered in the back of his mind. One does not simply forget trauma so easily, and just because an event did not happen, does not mean it will not play out.
For Shirou, sleep was often hard to obtain, or at the least enjoy. Even when his love would hold him, caress him, his fears did not always magically disappear. Most of the time, they would, but when he was hit with the worst of the worst, when his fear would truly grip him like the devil's hand, nightmares plagued him. The same one repeated, over and over.
She was gone.
He was alone.
The stroll home, the crippling loneliness…utter abandonment.
All my fault. If I had just tried harder maybe she would still be here?
Years of suffering, trying to find her.
Pursuing yet never reaching.
Losing myself bit by bit, my ideals turning to dust as the world continued with its wickedness.
The noose in my hands.
And he would wake up, just as he did now. Same dream. Same fate.
Sweat dripped from his head like a river as his breathing wheezed in quick succession. In an effort to steady himself, he swung his legs over the bed, quickly submersing his face in his hands and quieting his intake of oxygen. As was his ritual in these times, a direct result of his paranoia, he quickly gazed back to ensure she was still there.
Arturia continued to sleep peacefully, continued to exist, continued to be his shining golden light.
Shirou instantly calmed. As long as she was still there, he would be fine…eventually. At least that was what Taiga had told him.
Taiga. Thank God for you.
Another source of comfort in these internally tumultuous times for Shirou. His caretaker was like a pillar for him, steadfast and reliable, never once failing to give him encouragement or let him vent his fears and frustrations. Unsurprisingly, the older woman had taken on a sort of therapist-like role for him, allowing (more like forcing) him to seek her out as a counselor. While at first wary of the idea, Shirou had come to greatly enjoy her company in this way, never once failing to indulge her.
Taiga meant a lot to him, and he would forever be grateful to her, even more so with what she was doing for Arturia. With all the spunk that was natural to her, she had decided to "educate" the former Saber Servant to the ways of the modern world, introducing her to the internet, customs of the modernity, and of course fashion. Let it be noted, that at the end of the day, Shirou was still a young man, a hormonal teenager at that, and rather enjoyed the wardrobe shifts humbly provided to Arturia.
Shirou chuckled lightly, his previous state all but forgotten, as he remembered one particular instance involving swimming wear.
===Flashback===
It was a rather nice day, sun shining, eloquently cool breeze in the air to counter the morbid heat. To "celebrate" the day, as Taiga had said it, Shirou, Arturia, and her had decided upon a nice beach visit to cool off in the water, or in the English teacher's case, catch a tan.
With a nice little picnic expertly crafted, Shirou prepared to leave for the beach, before being stopped inches from entering the car.
"Hang on a second, I have a surprise for you!" Taiga gleefully announced as she exited the Emiya residence in her typical wares, skipping over to the car.
Shirou rolled his eyes in response to her antics.
"What is it?"
"And with the fanfare of everything English, I present to you, King Arturia Pendragon, prepared for the glory of a water fight!"
And with all the cliché of a slice of life anime, Shirou's mouth dropped open and his face grew as ripe and red as a tomato.
Hesitantly and with a surprisingly uncharacteristic shyness, Arturia stepped out into the light. There she stood in a baby blue bikini, wrapped securely around her waist and chest, the upper portion being covered by a plain button up, Hawaii tee-shirt, which snuggly clung to her body, all accentuating her Rubenesque curves. As a final highlight, her strands of wheat gold hair were let down, flowing from her like a magic spell, lightly flickering in the wind.
"Good God" was the only words Shirou could manage.
"Do you…like it?" Arturia mumbled, her cute meekness in the situation adding to the divinity present before him.
The young man nodded.
Taiga smirked.
"Oh Shirou likes it. He likes it a lot, Arturia."
Unsurprisingly, for the rest of the day, Shirou was incapable of tearing his eyes from Arturia. No matter how hard he tried, they only ever remained focused on her.
===Flashback end===
Shirou's grin remained firmly in place as the memory finished. It had been, hands down, the best day he had had since Arturia's return. It was perfect, like something out of a movie, and it provided more than enough counteraction to the nightmares he had just been facing, just as Taiga told him it would. "Happy memories always beat out the bad" she had said.
She was right, very, very right. She was also correct about things getting better.
My paranoia going down is definitely better. I go to school again, so I guess that's proof enough. Maybe there is hope for me to reach normalcy again?
"Love?" a soft voice called in the dark as a single slender arm wrapped around the thinking man's chest. Within seconds, the soft weight of a familiar face was pressed against the connection between Shirou's shoulder and neck. The soft breathin tickled his neck in all too enjoyable sensation, sending shivers down his spine.
"You alright?"
"Yeah. I am now, Turia."
Arturia placed a light kiss against the side of his neck.
"Nightmares again?"
Shirou nodded.
Another kiss to his neck.
"Want to talk about it?"
"It's the same thing again."
Arturia's other hand reached his face, turning it towards her.
"I'm still here, and I won't go anywhere without you."
"I know, but they still happen."
"Then I will keep telling you that until they stop."
Using both arms, the King of Knights lowered Shirou back onto the bed, completely draping herself over him, until her face was just above his. For a moment, she just looked down at him, and he up at her, their eyes conveying all that was needed in the lack of words. There was desire and devotion. There was conflict and sadness. Most importantly, though, there was love.
With nothing spoken, Arturia placed her lips across his, tenderly, softly, with all the purity they could create. She pecked and whispered across his lips, gradually moving from them to his cheeks, his shut eyes, and lastly his forehead before returning to their starting position. Finally leaving his stupor, Shirou responded to her wonderful ministrations, letting his feeling flow as the kissing gradually deepened and blossomed. His inhibition faded with each tingle he felt from her, and before long, with every movement of her body against his and their hands intertwining and caressing.
Once again, they were at the threshold. He could feel it, and God help him he would not hesitate. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Shirou shifted their positions, rolling them over so Arturia lay on her back and down below him. Despite the display of initiative, he remained ever gently and calm, slowly removing his lips from hers and beginning the journey along her neck.
"Shirou" was the only response he got; a light murmur filled with promise that made him shudder. His trail of kisses continued, reaching, easily reaching the collar of Arturia's night shirt and the collarbone which lay barely exposed. The moment he found it, the woman he loved moaned, voicing her pleasure as his lips and eventually teeth latched on. All the while, her legs firmly wrapped around his waist and her hands again embedded themselves in his locks of autumnal hair.
===lemon starts here. Don't want to read go to end of lemon marking==
Moving away from the beginning of her chest, Shirou backed away momentarily, to ensure what happened next was what Arturia wanted. His eyes gazed down at her, asking in their depths for her permission.
His answer was firm hands bringing his lips back to hers. He wasted no time, his arms, quickly reaching beneath Arturia's night-shirt, hastily removing it along with his own.
Their lips were together again once the first article of sinful clothing was gone. Then, with no ceremony, Shirou's mouth opened, and like a magnet being drawn to its counterpart, his tongue met hers, switching between gentle touches to dominating wrestles at the sudden changes of whim. There was no winner in these battles, but that was fine. They loved it all the same, and they would savor it, just as they savored the closeness they felt as, again, clothing was cast aside, this time pants.
Their skin was mashed together, like ying and yang. They were almost fully together, a few moments more and they would finally be joined, a complete pair.
Up to this point, Shirou had made sure to limit himself in what he did, not wanting to come off as aggressive or in any way demanding of the woman with him. She deserved nothing but the best, and heaven help him he would do that. However, when he felt Arturia's hands tease the hem of his boxers, his mind blanked, and now instinct fully took over.
In seconds, his hands were gone from her waist, sliding up to the strap of her bra. There would be no limits; there would be no separation between them anymore. Gently, he removed the straps one at a time, revealing inch by inch the hidden treasure he had been drawn to. In his periphery concentration, he noted Arturia unstrapping the piece of clothing, never once his face leaving its line of sight with hers. Once the bra was gone, and her breasts freed, his head lowered, and his concentration moved to her bosom. He started simply, enjoy their feeling, kneading them like dough, reveling in their contradictory nature of softness and firmness, all the while allowing his fingers to ghost over her nipple, earning a fair share of moans as a direct result.
It wasn't long before his lips found this flesh, sucking and lightly nipping, firstly the left, before turning to the right. His highest goal at this moment was to make her feel good, to make her feel wanted; to quell any and all self-consciousness Arturia may have. For to him, she was a goddess made flesh, nothing less.
"Shirou…Please."
The voice of an angle whispered to him, as he knew what she wanted. The final step. Nodding and removing himself from her breasts, he moved down her legs with kisses, enjoying the silk of her skin and the smoothness of her stomach and legs.
There was no hesitation in the removal of the final articles of clothing. His boxers and her panties were gone.
"So beautiful." He whispered, looking at the woman before him. Her legs were clenched tightly together, her face red and burrowed into the pillow she rested upon. As lovingly as he could, he spread her legs, easing them to relax beside his body as he positioned himself between them. From what he saw, he believed he had found the perfection artists and poets had tried to capture, the perfection they had all failed to recreate. Only Shirou had found it, and he would love to the end of his days.
Steadying himself, he made his move, and they were joined. Pleasure exploded through him as he attempted to keep himself from losing his restraint. He didn't want to hurt her, no, not even if he wanted to continue with all the might he had.
He began slowly, grinding his hips into hers as he rested atop her, their hands once again re-entangled. He moved with her, indulged in her, listened to her perfect voice announcing its gratification. Time stopped as Shirou and Arturia drowned in each other, solidifying their love with the highest act possible, gradually increasing their want and speed.
Their breathing became ragged, yet one. Their moans were one. Their pleasure was one.
Their coupling echoed in the quiet night as they approached their end. They felt it coming, creeping up on them while they embraced and pursued. Finally, it seized them. They climaxed, feeling the end all too soon yet all to wonderfully. They had done it. They had manifested their love, and it wasn't long before it began again, as they lifted up their own music of the night.
===lemon end===
The next morning was something else for Arturia. The memories she had made previously, the love she had felt, it made her feel happier than she could ever remember.
We did it.
They had made love. They belonged to one another in mind, body, and soul. Her smile outshone the sun as she snuggled closer to the man she lay atop. She had found her own paradise with him.
My own Avalon.
"Long night, eh? Sure sounded like it."
Arturia's face dropped.
Casually leaning against the doorpost of Shirou and her bedroom, stood Taiga, fully dressed for work and drinking a cup of coffee. The King of knights was at a loss for words, not to mention severely embarrassed, attempting and failing to hide her face in her lover's chest.
Taiga chuckled.
"Something tells me he is not going to school today?"
Arturia's face further reddened.
"Well, gotta go, classes to teach, people to see. Enjoy yourself… or should I say him?"
Arturia pulled up the sheets to cover her embarrassment, shaking her head as she listened to sounds of a cackling woman leaving her home.
Why Taiga? Why? Does privacy not exist?
Practically dying from her own humiliation, Arturia clamped her eyes shut, trying to not think about what may or may not have been heard last night.
She's never going to let me forget is she?
She had a distinct feeling she already knew the answer.
And that is a WRAP! Finished. Jesus. This was hard to write, not to mention a bit uncomfortable (Laughs in virgin). Anyways, hope you all liked, and I guess I will see you in the next update.
