Ash set Sera down on already unsteady legs to push the door closed, his gaze practically burning straight through her when he turned back to her. Sera held his stare, her mind coming up with all manner of things that might happen in the next few hours, Fates knew he could keep her up all night if he wanted to, and it been far too long since he had. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't seen him move, and she gasped in surprise when strong fingers gripped her chin, tugging her face upwards. She reached out blindly to grip his shirt, tugging at it in a vain attempt to pull it off him. She tried to look down, to find the buttons to get the damn thing off, but Ash held her head still, his other hand tangling in her hair.

"About this morning," he murmured, his voice low enough that Sera had to concentrate to hear him properly, "You left me on the edge," Sera failed to stifle a smile at the thought of leaving him that morning, "Funny, is it? We'll see if you're still laughing when you're on the receiving end," Sera's hands stilled as his words sank in,

"You wouldn't," she breathed, and sucked in a breath when Ash tugged her head back so she was staring straight into his eyes, the silver of the eather glowing brighter than it had just a few moments ago.

"Wouldn't I?" Sera struggled for words, she'd called his bluff, and it wasn't a bluff. He'd win this battle of wills, he always did, but if she was going to end up begging for release, she wasn't going down without a fight. She narrowed her eyes in defiance, and he grinned. She had one more heartbeat to draw in a final shuddering breath before his mouth was on hers again. He tugged her jaw open, and she let him, moaning into his mouth when he deepened the kiss, each stroke of his tongue against hers deep, claiming, the answer to the question she hadn't realized she'd been asking her whole life. Her eyes fluttered shut against the flood of heat washing through her. Ash let go of her chin to wrap an arm around her waist, holding her close, even as he cradled the back of her head, dominant and caring at the same time. She relaxed into his hold, hardly noticing when he nudged her backwards towards the bed. He released her mouth moments before the backs of her knees hit the mattress, that arm around her waist holding her still when she tried to sit down onto it. Ash smirked down at her, and wordlessly span her around so that she was forced to lean backwards into him to keep her balance, giggling slightly as he kissed the side of her neck, letting her feel his smile against her skin.

Sera glanced over her shoulder, cupped the back of his neck and dragged him down to kiss her again. He'd been restrained tonight, and she didn't want restrained or calm, she wanted him unleashed. She nipped at his bottom lip, a rush of dark, sensual heat filling her again at the feel of his fangs as he returned the favor. She leaned fully into him, and yelped when he broke the kiss, stepping sideways to let her stumble.

"That was rude," she complained, and he just chuckled, then tossed back his head to laugh when she narrowed her eyes, attempting to look annoyed. The heat flooding her face and the way her hair was already falling out of place were clearly not helping,

"Now, you might look commanding if you didn't already look like you've been thoroughly kissed." Sera raised an eyebrow, and Ash laughed again, "I did that," he murmured, and reached behind her head to the now rather precariously balanced hairpins, "May I?" he asked, his voice low, rough, almost like it was in the morning, and it was everything that Sera could do to keep her voice steady as she nodded,

"Please do," Ash brushed a thumb over her cheek as he pulled the hairpins out one by one until her hair cascaded around her shoulders,

"Beautiful," he murmured. Holding her face with both hands, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, "My beautiful, powerful, Liessa," Sera was lost, lost in his voice filling the air around her, she was lost in the swirling silver and shadows of his eyes, lost in his words, the conviction in them, the way he truly believed them, he would not lie, would never lie to her. And it shouldn't matter that he thought her beautiful, but she'd been hidden her whole life, and now here he was, the one person who'd truly seen her. He brushed a thumb over the corner of her eye, "Don't cry. Talk to me, Sera. What is it?" Sera shook her head, she hadn't even realized she was crying, and it wasn't sadness, it was just, it was just him,

"I love you," she breathed, "That's why I'm crying, because I can't believe I get to love you, and eternity will never be long enough," Ash dipped his head to press their foreheads together,

"You are the light of my life, Sera, I swore to you once to love you for eternity, and I didn't mean it then, but I do mean it now. I will love you until my heart gives out, until this world is nothing but ash on the breeze, you are my reason." Sera wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close as she breathed in his scent. She lost track of how long they stood, wrapped up in each other's arms, until she lifted her head, her eyes clear, that heat returning to her blood at the sight of him, her heart pounding in her chest at the appearance of a fang as he smiled at her.

"I believe you were in the middle of something," she teased, her desire, no, her need for him overwhelming every sense, until it was the only thought she could manage. "Ash," she breathed, that very same need in her voice spurring him to action, intent once again filling his eyes as he brushed his fingers down the sides of her neck, traced along her collarbone, and down her spine. He paused as he reached the laces of her bodice, waiting just long enough for her to breathe a 'yes' before untying them, the bodice dropping to the floor, her shirt quickly following. Ash kicked both aside as he stared down at her, as if she were the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. She reached up, trailing her hands across his shoulders and chest, undoing each button of his shirt as she reached it until she tossed it aside to reveal an expanse of bare skin,

"Jump," Ash murmured as he dropped both hands to her waist, lifting her as she jumped, so that her legs could wrap around his waist. Sera's hands dove into Ash's hair, and she held on tight as he walked them towards the bed, lowering her gently onto the mattress. She moaned again when he pressed his lips against her neck, just below her ear, trailing kisses down her neck, and lower, lower, pausing just before her reached her breasts.

"Ash!" Sera complained,

"Patience," he crooned, and she tried to drag him closer, but he caught both of her wrists, pinning them to the mattress above her head. She lifted her hips to try and throw him off balance, but he just pressed closer, the hardness of him pressing against a very sensitive spot. She gasped at the sudden spark of pleasure. Ash was grinning down at her when she opened her eyes, and she wriggled again, gaining absolutely no movement, she was stuck. Still, she wasn't going to give up that easily, and she tried to kick out at him, her hips rocking against his again. "This is not having the effect you want, Sera," Ash warned and she glared at him,

"Pervert,"

"Guilty," he chuckled, "But how could I not be, here you are, all flushed and naked under me," his gaze raked over her body as her chest heaved with the effort of fighting, "And I am intentionally staring,"

"Then do something about it,"

"Oh, I don't know, your desperation is really quite adorable,"

"Adorable!" She fumed, and tried to yank her hands back, but Ash merely pulled them higher above her head so that her arms were stretched out,

"Behave," he murmured, "Don't make me tie you up,"

"Get on with it then!" She snapped,

"Get on with what exactly?"

"Ash," she whined, "Please," he raised an eyebrow, and she swallowed, heat again flooding her face, "Touch me,"

"Touch you where? Here?" Ash traced down between her breasts, then to her belly, "Or here?" he ran his thumb over a nipple, then the other one, "Or," he whispered, "Here?" He tugged her tights off to leave her fully exposed as he pressed a thumb to her clit,

"Yes," she yelped, "Yes,"

"Which one?"

"All of them! Now." She demanded and Ash chuckled,

"As my love commands," he teased, and Sera opened her mouth to yell at him again but the words failed to take form as his mouth closed over her clit. She screamed wordlessly instead, hands grasping at the bedsheets in her need to hold on to something. She could hardly draw enough air in as she gasped and panted under the onslaught of pleasure rippling through her. Ash pinned her hips still as she bucked them up into his face, and she sobbed in desperation, he'd given her what she wanted, but the asshole was keeping his damn promise, leaving her on the edge, not quite able to reach the release she'd been desperate for all week.

"Ash," she panted, "Please," she snapped her mouth shut the moment that word slipped out, annoyed at how quickly he'd broken down her willpower.

"What was that, Liessa? Did you say something?" Sera shook her head, determined not to repeat it, but he sucked her clit into his mouth, slipping two fingers inside her, it was too much, too much and not enough at the same time,

"Please," she whispered, "Please, Ash, please," she repeated, louder this time, and Ash's hum of satisfaction sent lightning arcing through her blood, "Ash!" She screamed, desperately reaching for him. She clung on for dear life when he caught her hands with one of his, and curled his fingers deep inside her. The tension that had been building in her belly exploded outwards, and she screamed his name again as her vision failed for a moment.

She was still trembling as she came back to herself, the sight of Ash kneeling between her legs, licking the taste of her off his fingers was enough to cause another flood of arousal to wash over her. Ash didn't miss it, his gaze lingering for a moment between her legs,

"You will always be my favorite taste," he mused, finally moving to unbuckle his belt, but Sera sat up, reaching out to cover his hand with hers,

"Let me," he stilled for a moment, and Sera lifted her head to gently kiss his cheek, "Let me," she murmured again as she loosened the belt and pushed his pants down. She pushed him down onto the bed to be able to pull them fully off, and climbed into his lap once she'd tossed the pants aside. Immediately, his arms came around her, and she wrapped her own around his neck, kissing slowly along his jaw, "That was, Fates, Ash," he chuckled as she rested her cheek against his chest, "You're mean," she mumbled,

"You like it," he retorted, and she grumbled, unable to come up with a response, she did like it, but that wasn't her point. His heart was thundering under her cheek, betraying his calm demeanor for the lie it was,

"Well, Your Highness," she crooned, "Are you all talk, or are you going to fuck me?" The words were hardly out of her mouth before air whooshed past her ears and she found herself once again pinned to the mattress, her wrists restrained above her head, her knees spread wide, pinned still by the press of Ash's hips against her. He grinned down at her,

"How's it to be?"

"Hard," she panted, her chest heaving at the glint in this eyes, "I want your cock and your fangs so deep that I don't remember my own name," Ash raised an eyebrow,

"Is that all? No great demands, up to me how I want you is it?"

"Yes, I just, please," Sera pleaded, struggling for a proper sentence, words failing her entirely when he pressed their foreheads together as he slowly pushed into her, holding himself back, offering only short, shallow thrusts until he was fully seated, then falling still. Sera's eyes had already fluttered shut, the familiar feeling of utter bliss threatening to overtake her, "Ash," she breathed, his name a prayer on her lips. Her body was taut and loose at the same time, every breath, every heartbeat a response to him, he was totally in control, guiding her every movement, finding her pleasure and drawing it out. With anyone else she might have resented giving up control, but this was Ash, he was everything, and he gave her everything, everything so that it was an instinct to relax and submit to the feeling of him against her, above her, inside her.

She cried out a sound of pure pleasure when he snapped his hips against her, hard like she'd demanded. He leaned down to kiss her temple, his lips roving across her face as he fucked, there was no other way to describe it, his hard, deep thrusts left her breathless, and she tipped her head sideways as he kissed down her neck, the scrape of his fangs building a coil of anticipation deep within her.

"Sera," he panted, voice low, breathless, filled with the same love and need that had kindled the fire in her blood. She twisted a wrist and he released her, just for her to run her fingers through his hair and whisper,

"Feed, you know you want to," he gently kissed her neck again before striking, his fangs burying deep in the side of her throat. The heartbeat of searing pain was shorter each time, but there was no urge to pull away, there hadn't been since the very first time, and the pain only added to the riot of sensations burning through her, quickly melting away into pleasure. The pull of his mouth at her throat, the pump of his hips against hers, the brush of their chests, the reverent touch at her cheek all tightened the knot of pleasure deep within her. Ash groaned against her throat, and her vision whited out at the reverberation through her whole body, and she screamed his name again as he spilled into her, sending her hurtling over the edge.

Ash was trembling against her when she came down from her high, still buried inside her, his face buried in her neck as he panted. Sera released her vice-like grip on his hair, gently holding him against her as she murmured his name over and over. She lost herself in his scent, his feel, and she giggled when he rolled off her, only to pull her onto his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She snuggled into him, his heart beating wildly under her cheek as they lay together. All the time in the world, she had all the time in the world now to just be, with him. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of their combined breaths, sighing contentedly when he brushed a hand through her hair, playing aimlessly with each curl. His fascination with her hair had never waned, year after year he'd found something new to obsess over,

"Your hair is like a mountain stream, wild and untamed, and unrivaled in its beauty," he mused before releasing the curl he'd been playing with and kissed the top of her head. She hummed a response and allowed herself to drift, blissfully finding herself in a sort of half-sleep, aware of her surroundings, but content to lie still, as long as Ash was there. It could have been hours later that Sera finally lifted her head,

"Can I ask you a question?"

"I think you just did, but go ahead,"

"I suppose I did, but I have another one. Do you think it would be okay for me to invite Ezra and Marisol to come and visit, and meet the boys, if I'd had nothing to do with you and married a normal mortal man, she'd have met my children by now, it's been a few months already." Ash blinked in surprise,

"Of course, you don't even have to ask, she's your sister, of course she can visit. We'll have to go and fetch her, but of course, I thought that maybe you hadn't already invited her because you wanted to keep them to yourself for now."

"Keep them to myself?"

"You wouldn't be the first mother to want her children all to herself for a while,"

"I want my sister to meet her nephews,"

"Add it to that letter you were writing earlier,"

"When you dragged me in here to have your way with me?"

"As I recall, Liessa, you were quite eager for me to 'have my way with you', something about us being busy all week, and me being the most beautiful man you've ever seen,"

"I did not say that, and I must have been too sex-starved to be thinking straight," Ash's laugh rumbled through his chest, and Sera shifted to rest her chin on his chest, "I did need some time with you, just us, this week's been mad, and, I just needed you,"

"I needed you too, I always do," he kissed her forehead again, "That's why I asked Nektas to watch the boys tomorrow," Sera narrowed her eyes, "I want you all to myself for a day, we're having a lie-in for the first time for months, and then we're escaping all the bullshit of this week for a day."

"Oh?"

"Mhhhm, how do feel about a picnic lunch and dinner in Lethe?"

"I love you," Sera mumbled, smiling at the thought of more than a few moments together with nothing to worry about. She was still smiling when she drifted off to sleep, still wrapped up in Ash's arms.