Thick tent linen hustled in the strong mountain wind, the fire safely lit among the small circle of stones popped and warmed their temporary home. Nights were incredibly cold up there, but thick fur blankets under and over them kept the chill at bay. Shadows of the scarce furniture, a stack of weapons and their restive bodies played across the textile wall.
Lost into the fur she was pinned down on, Mego's already soft pants came out barely audible. Her face rested against the makeshift mattress, in contrast to her backside – propped up by a pillow that supported her hips from underneath. Her loose, shiny black locks flittered in spot every time her body was gently jerked forward as he pounded into her.
Every now and again, Madara would slow down, and get even closer somehow, placing loving kisses across her cheek, temple, neck; any piece of skin he could reach, really. His breath hitched in his throat, his tight skin brushed against Mego's, while his hips slowly curved taking him in and out of her. Every touch, delicate; every thrust, slippery and easy with both their arousals reaching their peak.
Clawing at the fur, her body tensed, moans growing deep and throaty, she let him wordlessly know she was nearing her climax. His continued to elude him, however.
The first couple of times they made love, Madara had to actively make himself think of other things in order to deny himself an early finish. He was set on fully pleasing her at least once before they had to take a break, and the novelty, the idea of Mego actually responding to him in such a manner, of fucking a woman he called sister in law not that long ago – made it a challenge.
All that wonderful excitement was still there, he didn't see it disappearing in the foreseeable future, although, with novelty declining, he no longer had to seek distracting thoughts. They found him. Desire, knowledge that his feelings were reciprocated, adventure of it all seemed to have clouded his mind, resulting in uncharacteristically poor judgment. The many reasons as to why it was a horrible idea to bring Mego here attacked over and over again, adding to his frustration which he appeared to be unable to shake off.
Mental anguish paired with seeming inability to reach much needed relief only added fuel to the fire, making him subconsciously hasten his thrusts, each making his pelvis hit the woman's soft flesh, producing lewd noises of skins slapping together. Her breathing grew erratic, moans turning into yelps at the unexpected, merciless pace.
What was he going to do with her here? She'd be unhappy had he left her behind, but at the very least she would be safe! And he, despite knowing he'd be miserable without her, wouldn't have to worry if something terrible would happen to her. Every day he left her alone for a few hours, going to gather wood so they could warm themselves. And every few days he'd leave her for longer, as he went hunting for meat. She was utterly helpless, weak, dependent. Should anyone come by, it would be nothing to seize or hurt her; and no good willed people had a reason to stray this far up the mountain, away from civilization. He'd acted yet again in his own selfish interest, failing to even consider thinking of the other person.
"—Uh –stop…" Came a weak murmur from beneath him, and he panicked, halting all movement to see if Mego was alright. His hand was gripping the back of her neck, pressing her harshly down into the fur, making it even harder to understand her words. When did that happen? Appalled, he let go immediately, brushing her unruly long hair from her face to look at her. And he worried someone else would hurt her. He seemed to have forgotten he was more than capable of causing harm himself.
"Mego?" He whispered, afraid of what he'd see next. Had he bruised her, frightened her?
Turning her head to the side, she sought his eyes, face flushed and somehow… annoyed?
"Why did you stop?"
"I… You asked me to stop?"
"I said don't stop." Sighing, she smiled, and relaxed against the fur once more. "Please keep going, I'm so close."
Relief overwhelmed him – not the kind he wanted, but no less welcome. Doing as he was told, he went back to making love to her, as expected, finding it was hard for him to be calm after what happened. Mego seemed to enjoy him getting rough, but he didn't. Aggression, harshness, those were for the battlefield. They had no place in the bed, with the woman he loved. This was a very welcome occasion for him to be gentle to another person, experience someone relaxing and trusting him completely, to caress and please another being.
"Are you alright?" She spoke again, propping herself up on her elbows to better look back at him, clearly having taken notice of his stiff change of demeanor. "Do you want a break?"
Taking a moment to think, he ultimately nodded.
"Yes, uh… Just for a bit. I'm sorry."
Pulling out, he rolled over to her side, lazily fixing the blankets to cover their bottom halves. As soon as his back hit the mattress, it seemed, Mego was settling in the crook of his arm, making herself comfortable on his chest. Her thin fingers ghosted over his abdomen and ribcage, causing the skin to cower at the soft touch.
"What's troubling you?" She whispered, her toes gently brushing his leg. Mechanically, almost, he went to say it was nothing, but stopped himself. She had no one else to turn to here. The very least he could do was try not to exclude her as soon as he felt unwell.
"I was afraid I hurt you."
"I'd tell you if you hurt me."
"I know, just… I panicked. I lost control of myself. I never meant to hold you down like that." His arm came to rest over his own eyes, as he struggled not to let desperation seep into his voice.
A peck upon his cheek brought a tiny, involuntary smile to his face, despite his worries. Getting up, Mego leisurely switched her position, coming to sit on his hips. He felt her wet heat on his lower stomach, automatically allowing his hands to travel to her thighs. Placing a hand on his cheek, she bent down to kiss him.
"I won't mind if you lose control more often." She reassured, swiftly returning to his lips, offering a deep, rousing kiss that stirred something in his core, killing his need for the said break. Mego seemed to notice as much, when his hand reached her modest breasts, cupping and squeezing one, nearly shuddering at the touch of her nipple on his palm.
Taking the lead, she inserted his manhood back into herself, sighing in satisfaction once her hips met his, and his whole length entered her once more. Placing her hands on his chest for support, she rolled her hips, gradually picking up the pace, trying to reach the same rapid rhythm he gave her a taste of before.
Madara let her, allowing his thrusts to match her wishes, at ease now that she was in charge. His calloused large hands fell into the curve of her waist, fingers centimeters from meeting with how especially thin she was in that area. One of them reached down, four fingers resting on her belly and his thumb rubbing long, slow circles over her slit, proudly taking notice of the way she lost her focus from the pleasure, unable to keep her movement consistent. Taking over once more, he thrust upwards, applying as much force as he was comfortable with, amused at the way her silky hair and breasts bounced up and down. Gods, he loved her. So much he couldn't contain himself.
"I love you, Mego." He whispered breathily, just because he felt like it. She knew, he'd already told her.
Her hazy eyes looked down on him, bearing a strange sense of authority about them, as if he wasn't able to overpower her in an instant if only he wanted to. As if his fingers weren't making her weak, barely able to keep herself upright on top of him. He didn't know where that feeling of control came from, breaking eye contact to focus on her lips as she quietly spoke:
"I love you… Brother in law."
It was sick how much that honorific affected him. A tight feeling in his gut, his chest, his crotch overwhelmed all else, and even before more intruding, distracting thoughts could come to poke at his brain and remind him what a perverse, sick, selfish bastard he was, he was finished. His seed released inside her as he continued thrusting throughout his orgasm, his fingers working more aggressively yet to bring Mego to her own. Just a few moments later he felt her clench around his length, head leaned back, hips twitching against him as she climaxed.
Once finished, Mego fell down into his ready arms, snuggling closer in the blue darkness. Neither of them was sure when exactly the fire went out, and Madara blindly felt the blankets, making sure they were covered once more.
Lying together, now at the brink of sleep, he let his fingers softly brush up and down her smooth back.
"That was cunning." He finally said, feeling her smile against his skin, a quiet laughter erupting from her.
"I know." She placed a kiss on his collar bone, and made herself comfortable once more, body still and ready for rest. Madara joined her. He was exhausted.
….
Their hill stood directly in the shadow of a steeply towering mountain, leaving their tent and the wooden skeleton of a small shack in eternal shade. Clouds seemed to swarm right above, the wind toyed with their hair and clothes, the tent linen, as well as the woods surrounding them. From where Mego currently stood, a magnificent view offered itself, in the shape of endless hills, meadows, forests, waters. She couldn't get enough of it, having already made a habit of silently staring into the distance upon finishing her chores.
It was magical, natural and it seemed living beings weren't meant to live any other way but this, she thought, feeling as a small smile warmed her face. It wavered a bit, as she recalled her family would probably never get to experience such happiness. Her parents and Sumi were left behind, probably confused and sad because of her departure, but she refused to allow worries to overwhelm her. She let them know she'd be safe, and she was with her husband. The rest were details, she told herself, returning her attention to her wondrous surroundings.
Nearby, the noon sky mirrored in the lake, which was the crucial reason they chose that spot to settle in for now. Fresh water, fish, wildlife gathering close by; this little piece of heaven offered everything they needed to comfortably live for now.
In a week or so, Madara's clones would finish the wooden hut and they would have a proper home. Inhaling the crisp mountain air, Mego closed her eyes as its rawness filled her lungs. She heard movement in the background, soon feeling his presence right behind her.
"We won't stay here for good, you know." His eyes observed her carefully. "Imperial city is still our goal. I promised I'd take you there."
Looking at him sideways, Mego granted him a reassuring smile. It was well known she preferred crowded, hustling streets, filled with happenings and things to buy, but – inexplicably, even to herself – she found she missed none of that. These apology-filled exchanges of theirs, however, weren't limited to just this. She took notice of Madara's reluctance when it came to anything that had to do with her, and she kept fruitlessly trying to work around it.
"I don't mind living here." Her eyes returned to the view. "Really."
"For now, you don't." Madara's voice stubbornly continued. "I set out to give you freedom to leave the house, and now I've confined you to this wilderness." He paused briefly, soon uttering the very words she was afraid she'd come to hear: "I never should have brought you."
Mego noticed him frown as she abruptly moved, turning her body to face him. They had only just started to live as man and wife, finally making some real progress, and not even a couple of weeks in, she already felt him starting to slip away. She knew he loved her – he said so himself – but seeing him behave in this manner, she couldn't help but succumb to doubts.
What if he didn't really love her? What if he had changed his mind or it was just a spur of the moment thing? Did he not like sleeping with her? It didn't appear so, but she couldn't be sure of anything when he was like this.
"You are…" Pursing her lips, she searched for the right phrase. "You're addicted to misery."
Madara's eyebrows raised in what had to be the most transparent surprise she had seen him express. It appeared as though he would say something in return, but a minute went by, and it became clear he'd remain silent.
"I stand by my choice to come with you, no matter where we live. I don't need to go anywhere to be free, it's just—A feeling. Even if I never move from this wilderness, I feel… I know I'm free to do so. That's what you've given me. Isn't that right?"
Sighing, Madara nodded lightly, but much to her dismay, he didn't appear completely convinced. Shrugging his shoulders, he offered a tired look.
"I will have to leave you at some point, to hunt, to earn gold, to gather supplies—What then? You have no skill or way of protecting yourself, you are utterly helpless, in the middle of nowhere!" Gesturing, he pointed to himself almost in an accusing manner. "I should have known better than to let desire cloud my judgment. Back home, you wouldn't be as free, but at least you'd be safe! Here—"
"Then teach me! Leave me a knife and teach me a few things so you can be at peace. Nobody comes here anyway, Madara. Please," Approaching, Mego took his hand into hers, finding his eyes. "Just try to let go and be happy. I am." Her free hand landed on his cheek, and he reluctantly leaned into it, holding her gaze as if he searched for any clue of her lying.
He was so scared, which a month ago would be unimaginable to her. The strongest, most powerful man she'd ever met had nothing to fear, she thought. But he feared everything. He feared his own decisions, he feared leaving her alone for a couple of hours – hell – he even feared giving into his passion when they made love!
"I can't let go." His black eyes glistened with persistence. "You're the last person I have, you're everything I have left! Everyone else is dead! If something should happen to you, and it was me who brought you here—"
"Stop. Please, stop." Her hands held his cheeks, forcing him to watch her carefully. "Nothing will happen. We've been here for over a week, and haven't met a single soul. Worrying can only spoil our happiness."
Inhaling deeply, Madara evidently tried suppressing his dark thoughts, looking away once he obviously failed. Since her persuasion wasn't of any help, Mego decided to change the topic.
"Food is about ready. We should go for a swim after lunch, while it's still warm. It will be fun."
"It's never really warm here, you could get sick."
"Oh, for gods' sake." Facepalming, she turned away and went on about her business, going to set the table for them to eat. It was like she was back living with her mother all over again.
"I'm serious. Should you get sick, there's no one who can help you here." He followed behind, seemingly set on getting on her nerves. "The nearest camp is days' walk away, and there's no telling if people there would even aid strangers."
"Can you leave me be? I'm not going to get sick." She grumbled, setting wooden bowls on the small table, soft laughter escaping her at his attitude. He really was like an old woman right now.
"This isn't a joke, Mego." His hand gripping her forearm distracted her from her work, all amusement leaving her face at his grave tone. "If you mean to stay here, you must take care of yourself. Or I'll…" Frowning, he made sure she met his stern gaze. "I'll be forced to take you back."
