A/N: a fluffy (slightly smutty) chapter filler, I needed them to unwind a little from all the crazy things that happened in Atlantis. And I needed the shifting POVs to fit so it will be Hope's POV in the final chapter.
A huge thank you goes out to Hookedonapirate for beta reading this fic for me. Just one more chapter to go. Enjoy.
Chapter 20: RuebenA week later, things were settled down in Royal City. The announcement of their engagement had been done in a more subdued manner than Regina might have wanted. They made an official notice in all news media and even did one interview for the TV network in the United Realms. Being in the spotlight like this had been quite nerve-wracking for Rueben. Hope had been more calm during the whole affair but Rueben had noticed she hadn't been unaffected by this. She had tried to subdue the whole importance of her role in raising Atlantis. Hope had said she would need more time to process this, and in the following days, she'd spent a few afternoons talking with her aunt about her changed and more powerful magic. These meetings had calmed her and she seemed to be more at ease now.
Rueben patted his jacket, making sure the envelope was still in his pocket, then he knocked on the door to Hope's house. It was Rose who opened and when she spotted him, she grinned her usual wolfish grin. "Hello there, do come in. She's in the living room." She waggled her eyebrows and stepped to the side, letting him in.
He shook his head at her antics. Rose was a sashy girl and once he'd gotten to know her he'd come to like her.
"Hi," he said while walking into the living room where Hope was speaking with Gloria.
When Hope spotted him, she jumped up from her seat and rushed over to him. "Hi." She placed her palms on his chest and grinned, rising on her toes she kissed his cheek. "Good, you could come over. I need the distraction from these two." She flicked her thumb back at Rose and Gloria, both now sitting on the couch with huge grins on their faces.
"What are they doing now?" Rueben asked and looked at the two women who were Hope's closest friends.
"They keep asking me when our wedding will be." Hope pouted, then frowned when he grinned, "That's not funny. We haven't even gotten used to the idea of being engaged, and suddenly everyone keeps bugging us about a date for the wedding. Even my mom is starting, and well, I haven't talked with Grandmother yet, but I'm pretty sure she has her wedding planner stuff ready." Hope slumped her head down on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and knew his surprise would cheer her up. They needed this.
"I have a surprise for you," he mumbled against her hair, and she looked up at him with a grin. "I—"
"Oh, a surprise!" Rose squealed and clapped her hands in fake overjoyed elation. "Bring it here."
"Not for you," Hope grumbled, then glared at her friend over her shoulder, "Get lost."
"Awe, man you're a party pooper, I want to know what your fiancé has come up with." Rose pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.
"If you talk with your boyfriend later, he might know," Rueben said with a shrug.
"Your mates know?" Hope blinked up at him in surprise.
Rueben rubbed his neck a little sheepishly. "Yeah they sort of help me choose."
"Ah nice," Hope looked at him a little uneasily.
"Don't worry, it's nothing stupid or crazy." Rueben soothed, and cupped her face while he picked out the envelope with the other hand.
"A letter?" Rose gasped. "What could it—"
"Shut up!" Both Rueben and Hope yelled in unison and sent daggers at their friend. When they looked at each other again, they burst out laughing; this was their normal. They had friends who butted in on their lives, but deep down, they knew they each would have each other's back. Being joined by whatever magic they'd used to raise Atlantis seemed to have shifted something between them.
"What is it?" Hope asked, peeking into the envelope.
"It's a small get-away." Rueben glared back at Rose. "And no, you're not invited."
"Sucks," Rose grumbled and rolled her eyes. "I want to go on a trip again."
"Well, it's nothing big like our last adventure," Rueben reassured. "I rented a cabin out in the woods, outside of Royal City."
"Oh, where?" Hope's eyes sparkled; she clearly already liked his idea.
"You know, Robin Hood's merry men began building a settlement out in the woods when the realms joined?"
Hope nodded. "Yeah, Hood's Cabin resort?"
"Yeah, that's the place. I booked one of their deluxe cabins for a weekend in two weeks," Rueben explained.
"I love that." Hope jumped in his arms and hugged him tightly, kissing his neck over and over again.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to having a few days alone with you. I think we might need that," Rueben explained.
Hope nodded against his neck, whispering, "I really need a break from all the hubbub after we got home."
Rueben agreed and lifted Hope's head up so he could kiss her.
"Get a room guys." Rose fake gagged from the couch.
"Shut up!" Both Rueben and Hope exclaimed in unison. Hope then dragged him into her room where they talked about their upcoming trip to the cabin.
The Hood's Cabins was a nice, tranquil place outside of Royal City, located at the larger woodland area. Rueben had booked a cabin that overlooked the small lake; it even had its own dock. Hope looked around with wide eyes, extremely happy and pleased by what she saw.
"Do you like it?" he asked, pulling out their bags from his car.
"Hell yeah, this is amazing." She looked down at the lake and said with a sigh, "You should have told me to bring my bathing suit."
"The water is too cold now," Rueben looked around the now autumn colored trees around them, shaking his head. Only Hope would think about jumping in a freezing cold lake.
"Hm, yeah, you might be right." She pouted a little, but the twinkle in her eyes returned as she took in the cabin. It was rustic and built with large tree logs, the porch overlooking the lake.
"It has an outdoor hot tub," Rueben offered and pointed to the side of the cabin. Next to the porch was a small deck with a hot tub.
"Nice!" Hope exclaimed and clapped her hands. "We don't need a bathing suit for that." She looked around. "No one would see us, right?"
"I'm pretty sure this is the most remote of their cabins," Rueben reassured with a grin. He wasn't opposed to skinny dipping in a hot tub with his fiancé.
They carried their stuff inside and got settled in the large bedroom on the second floor. It was an open space cabin, so they would be able to gaze out of the large panorama windows, even from their bed.
Once settled in, they began preparing their dinner. Hope had a pre-made chicken casserole that needed to be heated, and they would only need to fix a quick salad. While Hope was working on the salad, Rueben set the table. When he turned to watch her, she had a faraway look in her eyes.
"What are you thinking about?" Rueben asked and searched the drawers for utensils.
"Remember when you first met my parents?" She grinned and pointed to the chopping board, "We were making salad that day, too." She shrugged, "Or, at least, we tried to." She chuckled.
Rueben laughed at the memory; sure they attempted to make salad, but he ended up kissing his girlfriend and got caught in the act by her parents. It had been an awkward moment, but he had thought of the incident quite a few times since then. "You know what? Everytime we make or eat salad, I think of that evening." He stepped over and kissed her cheek. "I'm not sure your brother fully recovered from his traumatic experience."
"Liam was a whiny teenager back then." Hope shrugged. "Well, he still is. A 19 year old is hardly an adult yet, right?"
"Maybe, but he did manage to get one date with Thea, so I think he might have something good going on for him." Rueben remembered how Liam had boasted about his date over a family dinner at her parents' place not long after Hope's 21st birthday. The young man thanked Rueben so many times for his advice.
"It was one date," Hope chuckled, "I haven't heard of him having any more success with the young lady." Shaking her head, she mixed the salad together and carried it to the table.
Rueben checked on the food in the oven. "Well, as you said, he is still young."
"I was 20 when I met you, well almost 21, but still." Hope shrugged as she sat down.
"I know, but I'm sure he will get more success in the future." Rueben took their food out and placed it on the dinner table. "He's beginning to look more and more like your father." Rueben winked at her.
Hope rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me, he's got that same suave way of moving around as Daddy, he just needs to say the right things to woo the ladies." She began serving their food.
Rueben nodded in agreement, remembering how hard it could be to find the right words when he was Liam's age.
They began eating, enjoying the meal in silence at first. Then they started talking about the future and what they wanted to happen.
"Do you want to talk about the wedding?" Rueben asked cautiously, knowing she was a bit stressed out over the protocol involved with a royal engagement.
"Yeah I guess." Hope shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to get married to you. I want that to happen more than anything."
"It's just all the stuff that has to happen around all of that, yeah?"
Hope nodded and picked at the last of her food on the plate.
"I know there's a lot of things we need to accept, like how big the guest list will be at our wedding." He tried to catch her gaze, but she kept looking down. "Hey, Hope, look at me." When she finally looked up, he continued. "I'm marrying a princess, after all." He grinned.
Hope rolled her eyes at this, but he detected a small sparkle in her eyes. She was never shy to admit she was royal, but she was also the type of princess who didn't bother too much with etiquette and such.
"Yeah, and guess who's going to be a prince?" She smirked and waggled her eyebrows, pointing her fork at him. "You, my dear."
Rueben almost choked on the drink he was about to take. It really has not crossed his mind that he would become a prince and even king one day when Regina stepped down. "Fuck," he mumbled.
"Still wanna marry me?"
When he saw the flicker of insecurity pass through her eyes, he reached over and took her hand.
"I do!" he said firmly, her gaze locking with his, "I do want to marry you, I want to be your prince." He smirked. "I just need some time to adjust to the idea, I think." He shrugged, and squeezed her hand in reassurance.
"Good, cause I want to marry you, soon, if we can." Hope sighed. "But yeah, we might need to wait at least a year." She looked down. "Auntie Gina said there's a rule that requires one year to pass from the announcement of the engagement to setting the wedding date."
"So we wait a year," Rueben said calmly and continued. "We can do that, right?"
"Yeah," Hope nodded, then smirked. "I'm just glad there's no rule that states we need to live in celibacy that year." She got up from her seat and sauntered over, leaned against the table next to him and kissed him.
He reached up and cupped her face as they both deepened the kiss. She hummed in appreciation, and when he pushed his chair back, she slid down, straddling his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her tongue doing a searching sweep into his mouth. Rueben felt his body react to the intensity of the kiss and knew she could feel his arousal because she was grinding her core against him. This made him groan and whisper, "Let's take this someplace more comfortable.
Hope pouted but rose from her seat and took his hand, leading him over to the large couch by the fireplace. She began tugging at his shirt the moment they reached the couch, and he helped her by pulling it over his head. Her hands splayed over his chest, her eyes alight with desire.
He placed a small kiss on her forehead and suggested building a fire. She nodded and stepped back. He crouched down to set the logs right, he could almost feel her eyes moving over his backside. It made him warm and pleased to know that they seemed to be such a perfect match. He honestly didn't believe in true love before he met Hope, but after her magic had reacted to his nearness on their first date, he started to believe more and more. Their trip to Atalantis showed how strong their love was and the power they shared when working together.
When he walked over to her again, she pushed him down on the couch and straddled his legs, his arousal straining under the zipper of his pants. He groaned when she began moving against him. He tugged at her shirt and she leaned back and helped him lift up the fabric, revealing more of her delicate skin.
Once he had full access to her upper body, he splayed his hands over her waist, slowly moving up to cup her breasts. He felt her nipples starting to harden under his fingers and he kept rolling her peaks through the lacy material of her bra. She moaned in response. Her head slumped to his shoulder as she kept grinding down on him with her hips. Her hot mouth began nibbling at his neck, her warm breath brushing over his sensitive skin below his ear.
Her fingers skimmed over his torso, teasing him with featherlight strokes over his nipples. He groaned while he let her explore, her eyes glazed over with desire.
When she slipped her fingers over his abdomen, he watched her face linger on the defined muscles there, her fingers tracing the V leading into his low hung pants. He knew she liked his body, and the desire he saw blooming in her eyes told him that she was aroused too. When his own body was on the brink of crumbling down, he shifted under her, letting her know she needed to move a bit faster.
Hope looked at him knowingly, a small smirk spreading over her lips. "Impatient?"
"You know it," Rueben replied with a growl and lifted his hips up, letting her feel his arousal through their pants. She groaned at the contact, got up and shimmied out of her pants, dragging her underwear down in the same movement. Then she unclasped her bra and let it drop to the pile of clothes now on the floor.
Rueben rubbed his face as he admired the angel standing in front of him. He unbuttoned his pants and lifted his hips so he could slide them down his legs. Hope leaned down and helped him pull them all the way down. They were both fully naked when he reached for her and pulled her to him so she was straddling his lap again. In this position, he had full access to her chest, and when she settled over his erection, he leaned down and pulled her nipple into his mouth, letting his tongue tease the hardening bud. She mewled in response and pressed herself closer to his hot mouth, her fingers tangling in his loose hair.
Feeling how soaking wet she was as she rocked against him, he reached down between them and rubbed her clit.
She cried out in pleasure and whispered, "Make love to me."
Shifting under her, he took his cock in hand and lined himself up to her center so she could slide over him. Her warmth engulfed him, sending pulses of heat through his nerves as she started to move up and down.
He grabbed her hips, helping her set the pace for their joined chase of ecstasy. Their cries of passion echoed in the high ceiling room, the logs in the fireplaces crackled and the flames shone behind Hope made her skin glow and her blond hair shine like gold.
Hope kept a steady pace over him, and when she leaned down to kiss him, he hummed in appreciation and hungrily returned the kiss. Their breaths mingled as they chased their climax together.
"Fuck," Rueben bellowed as he felt his release press forward, "I'm going to come."
"I'm right with you. Oh god, this feels so amazing. Oh— " Hope tensed above him as her body convulsed, the movement causing him to slip over the edge too. He soared to the heavens above and marveled at the woman who kept moving over him. Her eyes glinted in the aftermath of her release, and he grinned, tucking her wild hair behind her ear.
"I love you," he whispered and added with a wink, "my princess, my Hope."
She took a deep breath and slumped over him, her head falling to his shoulder. She snuggled closer to his neck and breathed out, "I love you Rueben. I love you my prince." Her whispered words brushed over his skin.
"Gonna have to get used to that term, I guess," he mumbled and tried to clear his mind after their lovemaking.
"Yeah," Hope murmured. "I'm sure you'll be a great prince, and king later on." She raised her head and looked at him with worried eyes. "How are you feeling about becoming king? I mean, once Regina steps down, it will be my mother who takes the throne, unless—" Her eyes widened.
"What?"
"Unless she chooses to abdicate, then I'm—"
"Could she do that?" Rueben asked in surprise.
"I heard her talk with Regina about the possibility, since she isn't that much younger than Regina." Hope searched his face as if she was trying to sort out her own stumbling mindset. "I could end up being the next queen of the United Realms."
"Wow, that is a little daunting to think about," Rueben said slowly, hoping he would be ready once that day came.
Hope shrugged. "I mean we could just, you know, say no. The rules here in United Realms ain't so strict as they were back in the old Enchanted Forest." Her eyes found his as if she wanted to really know what he thought about becoming king.
"To be honest, I'm scared shitless," he held up a finger when she was about to interrupt him, "but in a way, I knew all of this before I asked you, so I'm pretty sure we'll be ready when the day comes and we're the new king and queen of the United Realms." He cupped her face and whispered, "No matter what, we'll have each other and the love we share. That is all that matters."
"Yeah, true love," Hope whispered with a big grin. She leaned in and kissed him, her body molding to his.
"True love," he whispered back and carressed her backside while they both took a few moments to take in the big changes that would happen in their future.
After a while, he whispered, "So what do you want to do now?"
"I want to test that hot tub out there." When he looked at her in surprise, she said, "I mean, that would be a pretty nice ending to this evening."
"I'll go out and heat it up and find us something to drink while we wait," Reuben suggested and gently lifted her from his body.
She slumped down on the couch, stretching out her body as she found a comfortable position. He walked to the sliding doors leading out to the hot tub. The air was already getting colder, but he quickly found the right buttons to activate so the hot tub would heat up. Then he walked into the kitchen and found them both a glass of wine.
When he reentered the living room area, he had to pause for a second, taking in the seductress sprawled out on the couch, her hair a wild aray over the pillows behind her. She looked happy and satisfied.
He sauntered over to her, placed the wine on the table and lifted her legs up so he could slip under them, sitting up. When his fingers moved slowly up her legs, he felt her body tremble at his touch.
"Hmm," Hope mumbled and stretched her body.
Rueben tried to not focus on how her chest moved as he reached over, grabbed the two glasses of wine and gave her one. She sat up slightly and sipped the wine. Then she gave him the glass, slumping back on the couch again. She looked so content, and he was glad they had the chance to come out here alone. They drank the wine in silence while the hot tub heated up, and when he could see that it was time, he tapped her leg so she would move them.
He quickly found a couple of towels in the bathroom and walked back to Hope, taking her hand. They opened the sliding door to the deck and stepped out into the chilling night air. Rueben stepped over and made sure the water was warm enough. They climbed into the hot tub and groaned in pleasure when they sunk into the hot water.
"This is amazing," Hope sighed and let her head rest on the edge of the tub, her eyes closed.
Rueben took a moment to take in her features. Her long, loose hair was flowing around her as the water and lapped at her ample breasts with each breath she took.
"Hmm," he remembered to reply as he lost himself in the vision before him.
"Are you staring at my breasts?" Hope smirked and pinched open one eye, looking at him with a fake frown.
"What if I am?" he countered and moved in closer so their sides were touching. The contact of skin sent shivers up his spine. He let his fingers slide down her arm until he reached her hand.
She interlaced their fingers under water.
"Hmm, I might not mind that much." She shrugged and leaned her head on his shoulder, her eyes now open again. She let her free hand reach over and trace his upper body that was still above water. "I might be staring too." When she looked up at him with a grin, he saw the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Her fingers sliding over his skin did manage to wake up his body again. He groaned when he felt his arousal stirring already.
He placed a hand over her exploring fingers and whispered, "You're such a tease, you know that? What am I going to do with you?"
"Hmm, I don't know," Hope pondered and looked up at him. "But I do have one or two ideas." She slipped her fingers free from his grasp and slid them further down before she grazed over his cock. Her eyes widened when she realized he was already hard again, "oh wow," she mumbled. Her smirk grew as she sloshed around in the water so she faced him.
"What?"
"Hmm," she merely hummed, slid over his lap and made the water slosh over the edge of the tub, her arms wrapping around his neck.
Rueben wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands sliding up and down her spine. She moved in closer, slid her fingers into his hair, and kissed him, her mouth hot against his wind-cold lips. Pulling her closer, he let her explore his mouth at the pace she might desire, and right now, it was agonisingly slow. He tried to deepen the kiss while he let one hand slide around to tease her nipples. She moaned at the contact and intensified their kiss. They were both breathless and he could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest, matching the speed of his own heart.
She rocked against his cock under water, and he was about to lose it very soon if they didn't proceed. "I need you, now," he mumbled against her lips.
Hope nodded but pulled away, and when he looked at her with confusion, she winked. "I want to try something." She turned around so she was facing away from him, still straddling him.
Rueben reached around her torso and palmed her breasts with both hands. She slumped her head back on his shoulder and whispered, "Just like that. Oh gods. I want you, Rueben." Her lips grazed his cheek and her hot breath whispered over his cold skin. The evening air was getting more chilly but right now, he felt as if his whole body was on fire.
Rueben bent his head down and began nibbling at the tender skin at her neck and shoulder. He watched as her nipples turned hard under his teasing fingers. He knew she liked it when he played with her tender flesh like this; the quiet moans coming from her right now were evidence of how wired up she was getting.
"Lift up, a little, darling," Rueben coaxes. "I'm about to burst if we keep at this."
Hope shifted up a little, reached behind her and grabbed his cock in her warm hand. The smoothness of her wet skin gliding over his sensitive shaft had him starting to see stars before his eyes. "Now, please." His voice was hoarse and barely recognizable for even himself.
Hope lined him up to her center and sank down over him, her warmth engulfing his cock. The hot water surrounding them added to the incredible sensation. He wrapped his hands around her waist and helped her move above him. Her pace was frantic and it was setting them both on fire, every nerve ending flaming with passion and want for this woman. Knowing that she soon would be his wife was beyond his wildest dreams.
"I'm so fucking close," he groaned against her shoulder, his muscles tensing under her moving body.
"Me too. I just—" Her hands slipped to the apex of her thighs and she touched herself.
Rueben groaned and slipped his own fingers under hers. "Let me bring you closer."
She nodded and wrapped her fingers around his wrist, holding his hand to her clit. He worked her sensitive nub while his own climax was building inside of him. His other hand slid up and covered her breast, her pebbled nipples still hard under his palm.
"Oh god! Yes, like that, please! I'm so bloody close. I—" she moaned as her body trembled with a massive orgasm that pulled his own climax from his body.
He bellowed out a roar that he hoped no neighbours would be able to hear. They might be far from any other cabins, but he wasn't keen on the idea that people had heard them.
They both slumped down in the water. He was still lodged inside of her, yet his cock was slowly slipping out of her while they both calmed down their elaborated breaths.
"Bloody fucking fantastic," Hope said with a deep sigh as she twisted around, reached behind his head and pulled him in for a deep kiss.
He moved his lips against her hungry mouth and felt the love for the woman in his arms grow even deeper. This weekend surely had been the right choice. After their grand adventure to Atlantis, they both needed a little time off before they would venture out into what the future would bring them. A wedding, preferably not too long from now, one year from now, and whatever else life and destiny would see fit for them.
"I love you," je whispered against her lips.
She slipped around in his arms and kissed him again, this time more gentle and slowly. "I love you too." Her eyes were shining in the light from the living room behind the large panorama windows.
This place had been pure heaven for them, and he was looking forward to his future with Hope. Now they just needed to sort out all the details that a royal wedding entailed, something he imagined would be a spectacular set up no matter how much they might want to keep it low key. He would take it all in stride as long as the end game was him getting married to Hope. That was his future, and all the royal hubbub would be an added bonus he would, with time, learn to navigate.