Surprise!
I had a few requests for an epilogue for this story, so I finally caved and wrote one. I hope you all like it! This takes place after the Christmas 'special' I posted last year called Under the Mistletoe, but you don't need to read that one first (unless you want to!)
Note that there will be no more additions to this story. Enjoy!
Epilogue: One Year Later
It was a pretty normal day in Oak Tree Town- as normal as any day can be, that is.
The thin veneer of autumn coated everything from the town square to the mountain path; multicoloured leaves dotting the cobblestone streets like sprinkles on vanilla ice cream, crisp breezes worming their way through threadbare sweaters, and a brilliant, cool blue sky that reminded everyone winter was just peeking around the corner.
For Maya and her boyfriend Raeger, this meant their busiest time of year.
Harvesting season crashed on Maya's farm almost without her realising; it was as though she woke up one morning, looked outside, and her fields were full to bursting. She had work to do, and quickly. If crops stayed on the plant too long, they would flower and eventually wither, which meant a sure death to her seasonal income.
Maya didn't mind working in autumn. It was cold enough that she didn't sweat through her clothes after a few hours of intense labor, but not so cold that she needed to carry around cumbersome jackets and gloves. She was busy, but she was happy.
Raeger, similarly, loved autumn. Cold weather meant more tourists craving a hot meal, some kind of comfort food to introduce them to the local cuisine. The restaurant would be booming right up until New Year's Day, and then there'd be a noticeable dip until February, when the Valentine's Day reservations came in. For now, he'd revel in the high foot traffic.
Yes, it was a pretty normal day.
Maya was finally getting caught up with her harvest. She only had a couple of patches left, nothing she couldn't get done before the first frost hit. After weeks of mild stress, she felt like she could afford a breather. Not that she particularly needed one.
Corona was blowing up her phone with texts, which meant she was late to meet her friends at the restaurant. Maya cleaned herself up as best she could, sent an answering text to both Corona and Raeger (not that he'd see it before she got there) and set off towards town.
Maya was busy, but Raeger was busy, busy. Even when Maya was able to find time for a rare break to message him, that didn't mean he had time to message back. On the average day, Raeger barely had a chance to check the time on his phone, let alone text. He was working unbelievably hard, and the restaurant was seeing unreal levels of success. She couldn't be prouder of him.
Still, it was a little hard to be away from him so much.
They'd been dating for about a year now, not including the months of shenanigans that led to them getting together in the first place. Maya was genuinely surprised at how easily Raeger slipped into the roll of being someone's partner- yes, they had a hiccup or two, and yes, they were still learning how to be with one another, but there was nothing wrong with that. They put a lot of time and effort into their relationship, and they were blissfully happy because of it.
Maya waved to Giorgio as she passed through the piedmont, carrying an armful of fresh blooms to ship out.
No one had been surprised when Maya and Raeger announced their relationship. As a matter of fact, most people were confused- weren't they already dating? After the third or fourth person that reacted like that, Maya and Raeger just stopped trying altogether.
The restaurant came into view, framed by a beautiful array of shedding maples. Maya smiled, picking up her step.
Harvest season made it difficult to spend the night anywhere but on her farm, and Raeger's prep work needed to be jumped on as early as possible to keep up with demand. Maya spent as many nights as she could at Raeger's, and he did the same, but finding opportunities to be with each other was getting harder and harder as the season wore on. Maya was glad for the upcoming winter; the restaurant would still be busy of course, but her farm work dropped off immensely.
The restaurant was as crowded as usual when she pushed her way through the door, sidestepping a couple as they were getting ready to leave. Maya encouraged the door shut with her elbow, scanning the room for Corona and the others.
She'd just found their table when she was blindsided, snatched by the waist and yanked sharply into the darkened stairwell that led to Raeger's room.
"Hey-!" She cried, only to have a hand clamp down firmly over her mouth. In the dim light, Maya twisted to see who'd grabbed her and immediately groaned.
"Shut up for a second," Raeger grinned, dropping his hand from her face. "Do you want to get us caught?"
"Caught?" Maya repeated, bewildered. "You're working!"
"I can't sneak off for two minutes to greet my incredibly sexy girlfriend?"
"Oh yeah," she looked down at herself. "Farm clothes are the new lingerie this season."
It was a joke, but Raeger still gave her an appreciative once-over.
Despite how hard he'd been working, and despite the low light in the stairwell, Maya could clearly see how happy Raeger was. His hair was disheveled, his apron was askew, his shirt was just a little wrinkled, but his smile was undeniable. He regarded her with such warmth and affection that Maya thought her knees would buckle right there- even after all this time, he could still make her heart skip.
"Would you judge me if I asked you to wear your rubber boots to bed tonight?" Raeger asked slyly, wiggling his eyebrows. Maya stifled a giggle.
"Absolutely." She kissed him. "To the judging, not wearing the boots."
"Damn."
A ding sounded right next to them, signifying someone else had entered the restaurant. Their time was up.
"The others have ordered already," Raeger nodded over his shoulder, presumably to Corona's table. "Want me to just bring you your usual?"
"That sounds perfect," Maya smiled until her cheeks hurt, letting Raeger pull her into a tight hug before returning to the dining room. "I love you."
"I love you too," he whispered back, shooting her a subtle wink before composing his face again for customers.
Maya took an extra second or two to wipe the obvious glee from her expression. She knew there was a good chance Iris or Marian had seen her come in and then abruptly disappear; she didn't need a fully realised blush to make the situation worse.
As it so happened, Marian and Iris were both sitting with their backs to the door. Maya was safe, this time around.
"You made it!" Corona greeted, standing up to wrap Maya in a hug. "Here, sit next to me. We ordered you a tea, but blame Raeger if there's too much milk or sugar in it."
Maya promised she would, but she knew there wouldn't be. Raeger knew exactly how she liked her tea.
"How is everyone?" she asked, settling into her chair. Aside from Corona, Marian, and Iris, Klaus had also joined them. Ever since he and Iris started unofficially- and then officially- dating a few weeks ago, they were rarely seen without each other. It was a bit ironic, really. Two of the oldest single people in town finally get together and start acting like school children.
Maya didn't mind. She and Klaus were friends, even after everything.
"Abysmal, I'm afraid," Marian sniffed, arching a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Ian asked me to meet his parents next week."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Corona frowned, looking to Maya for help. She didn't provide any. "He obviously likes you enough to introduce you to his family."
"Yes," Marian dismissed quickly, irritated, "but then I'll be expected to introduce him to my family, and they're dreadfully boring people."
"I find that hard to believe," Iris teased deliberately eying Marian's bright wardrobe. "They have to be at least a little interesting to have spawned the likes of you."
"Marian exists as a direct opposition to everything his family stands for," Klaus supplied helpfully, "which means that they're quite ordinary or, in Marian's words, lame."
"Colour me shocked," Maya laughed.
They were able to derail Marian's upcoming lamentation long enough to go around the table and catch up with what everyone else was doing. Iris was in the midst of a sequel to one of her bestselling novels, Klaus was commissioned to craft a scent for a rather notable diplomat, and Corona was working on plans to expand Gunther's shop so she could start selling some of her own merchandise. All in all, it was a productive year.
By the time they'd all had their say, Raeger was returning to the table with a large tray balanced in the crook of his arm. Maya scooted her chair to the side, allowing him more room to pass behind her, which he did with an obviously deliberate brush against her rear. She didn't bother to scold him, knowing he'd only do it again on his way back through.
"Tea and a croissant for you," Raeger dropped a plate delicately in front of Marian, demonstrating the finesse of a seasoned waiter. "Black coffee for you, plain green tea for you, turkey BLT for you."
He placed the dishes in front of Klaus, Iris, and Corona respectively, turning to Maya last. Raeger plastered a theatrical smile on his face, bowing deeply with the serving tray balanced precariously on his forearm.
"And for you," he purred, blowing an air kiss her way, "my dearest heart, the Chef's Special."
"Chef's Special?" Iris repeated skeptically, raising her eyebrow at him. "That wasn't on the menu the last time I checked."
Maya grinned, gingerly lifting her plate from the tray.
"Loosely translated, 'Chef's Special' refers to the same éclair I always get," she held up the pastry to demonstrate, "tea, and a kiss, which I didn't actually order."
On cue, Raeger dipped his head and cut Maya off with his lips, lingering just a second longer than was likely appropriate for a work setting.
"Unrequested," Raeger acknowledged, a wolfish grin on his face, "but not unwanted."
"Keep telling yourself that," Maya teased, scrunching her nose at him. "Now get going; you have tables piling up."
Jumping a little as if he'd only just remembered he was still on the clock, Raeger disappeared swiftly into the kitchen.
"Remind me why I pushed so hard for you two to get together," Marian complained, pouting. "He's so obnoxiously happy that it's chasing away my appetite."
"I think it's cute," Iris smiled, glancing over her shoulder at the table Raeger was now sitting. It was a group of 3 women, all clustering around him with puppy dog eyes. "Besides, he has to be obnoxious with it or he'd be bombarded with confessions. Remember how it was before Maya moved to town?"
Everyone did. Visiting Raeger at work used to be nearly impossible due to the sheer volume of women that tried to ask him on a date while he was waiting on their table. It was exhausting, even for Raeger. He couldn't go an entire shift without being hit on, and while he certainly got asked out less now, the flirting hadn't slowed as much as Maya would've liked.
"He's too popular for his own good," Corona laughed, nibbling on her sandwich. "It's that charming personality of his that does it."
"Not to mention he has the body of a Greek god." Marian cut in, gathering some sidelong looks from Klaus and Iris. "What? I'm taken, not blind."
"'Come for the view, stay for the food'," Maya quoted, dropping her shoulders. "Raeger's unofficial slogan for this place. Much to my delight, of course."
She laughed, but it was only half-hearted. Corona blinked, furrowing her brows at the shift in Maya's demeanor.
"Is everything okay, dear?" She placed her hand delicately on Maya's back, frowning. "Is the conversation bothering you?"
"No, no," Maya shook her head adamantly, sitting up straighter. "It's not that. You know I don't care when you guys tease us."
"But something is bothering you," Iris pressed, mirroring Corona's expression. "Is everything going okay with you two?"
Maya bit her lip, considering her options. She could lie and say she was fine, but it was a doomed effort. Everyone at this table knew her almost as well as Raeger did; they'd spot a fib a mile away. She could tell the truth, but it felt ridiculous. Already the others were assuming there was a problem- it wasn't a problem, not really.
"It's not a big deal," Maya shrugged, settling on a dismissive middle ground. "The last few weeks have been a little rough for me, that's all."
"Rough in what way?" Corona interjected before Marian could make the no doubt inappropriate joke that was clearly burning his lips trying to escape. "With Raeger, you mean?"
Maya leaned her elbows on the table, resigned.
"He's just been so busy with the restaurant lately," Maya sighed, sinking her chin into her hand. Corona patted her back soothingly, a sympathetic smile on her face. "He's working so hard and business is the best it's ever been. I'm unbelievably proud of him."
"But you miss him," Corona prodded gently, hitting the nail on the head.
"I hardly see him anymore," she lamented, watching out of the corner of her eye as another female patron joined Raeger's growing fan club. "Even when I'm free, I can't exactly come to the restaurant to see him. Either, one: he's totally swamped with work, or two: I have to deal with… that."
Maya pointed lazily over her shoulder as one of the women ordered a pina colada ice cream, making some flippant joke about her last vacation. Raeger winked and offered a witty reply, resulting in a burst of flirtatious giggling that made its way around the table. Maya rolled her eyes.
"You know that doesn't mean anything," Corona reassured her, glancing to the others for help.
"Raeger can't go more than five minutes without flirting with something on two legs," Iris agreed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "He's just not wired that way. But he would never act on it."
"As empty as that pretty head is," Marian cut in, picking crumbs off of his croissant and dropping them in his empty tea cup. "He's not dumb enough to risk losing you, kitten."
"I know, I know," Maya insisted, slouching back in her seat. "It's not that I'm worried about it or anything. It's just not fun to watch."
"Have you spoken to him about it, Maya?" Klaus had been mostly quiet up to this point, but he'd apparently run out of things to distract himself with. "He may have no idea that you're feeling this way. Men typically aren't the best at reading the room, so to speak."
"Says you," Marian sniffed. "I myself am incredibly perceptive."
"No one would accuse you otherwise," Maya agreed, grinning.
"Klaus is right," Corona nodded decisively, scraping her chair further in as a young couple passed behind them. "If you tell Raeger how you're feeling, he'll do whatever he can to fix it. Especially if it's for you."
"I don't want to bother him with something so trivial," Maya frowned, pushing her uneaten éclair to the centre of their table. "I trust him, I'm just being stupid."
"I bet Raeger wouldn't see it that way," Iris hummed, checking her watch absently. As she did, her eyes rounded. "Fiddlesticks! Klaus, sweetheart, we're very nearly late for that publisher's gala."
"Ah," Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, quickly dropping a small pile of coins next to his bill. "I completely forgot. I suppose we'd better get going then."
"Good luck, Maya!" Iris whispered, placing a quick kiss on the farmer's cheek. Maya thanked her, waving them off as they rushed to get out the door before a shuffling elderly couple that had gotten up at the same time.
"Tell me again why I'm considering taking relationship advice from two people who liked each other for eight years before they started dating?" Maya smirked, sipping slowly on her tea; as she'd guessed, it was brewed perfectly. Corona gave her a look that said she agreed, but she wasn't about to voice that opinion.
"Try talking to him," Marian pressed, abandoning the shattered remains of his pastry, "You never know. As unlikely as it may seem coming from Raeger, he may surprise you."
Maya didn't bother answering; Marian had already moved on to a different topic and wouldn't be persuaded to double back. He was insightful, but his attention span left something to be desired.
She didn't want to talk to Raeger. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, or that she thought he would ignore her or anything silly like that. No, it was just that she was embarrassed. Maya loved Raeger with all her heart, and she knew he loved her just as much; the last thing she wanted was to annoy him by whining about the lack of attention she was getting. It sounded petty.
Over the course of the next two hours, their conversation slipped in and out of various topics. By the time Raeger was ready to close, they'd covered everything from town gossip to incredibly loose and questionable discussions of theoretical physics. At about 20 minutes past close, Maya was left alone in the dining room.
This is the part where she'd do one of two things: if she was hungry, she'd go into the kitchen and try to persuade Raeger into cooking for her. If she wasn't hungry, she'd go upstairs and get Raeger's room ready for him, since she knew how tired he would be and wanted to give him a bit of a break.
Maya wasn't particularly hungry, but she went into the kitchen anyway.
"Hey!" Raeger's face lit up as she ventured cautiously around the corner. As Maya suspected, he was elbow deep in dishwater already, but he didn't look nearly as tired as he had the last few weeks. "Marian and Corona took off?"
"Like a bat out of hell," Maya smirked, leaning her hip against the tall spice cupboard. "I think Corona needed to get as far away from Marian as possible before her head exploded."
"I'm surprised she made it past dinner."
Maya gave a small chuckle, but the joke clearly didn't land as well as it normally would've. Raeger paused in his cleaning, glancing over his shoulder at her.
"Are you okay, Mia?" She was standing much further away than he wanted her to, and she didn't try to hug him when she came in. Honestly, Raeger should've realised something was on her mind a lot sooner. "You seem a little distant."
"I'm great," Maya tried to smile, but she knew she failed. Raeger immediately reached for his dish cloth, drying his hands thoroughly before approaching her.
She really didn't want to say anything.
"Well that's a blatant lie if I've ever heard one," Raeger rolled his eyes to the ceiling and brought them back to her, crossing his arms over his chest. "What is it? Why are you upset?"
Maya puffed her cheeks at him. Raeger didn't budge.
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Raeger frowned, risking his hand on Maya's hip. She tensed, but she didn't pull away. "C'mon, Love Bug, talk to me?"
Maya considered him, her cheeks pinking. Marian had made it sound so easy, but now that she was here… every word that came to her mind sounded stupid.
"It's… silly," Maya deflected again, tucking her hair behind her ears. Raeger didn't look convinced, quirking his eyebrow skeptically and holding her gaze. "Look, I'm just being dumb, okay? Forget about it."
"You're not being dumb," Raeger rebutted automatically, a deep wrinkle forming in his forehead. He didn't like seeing Maya this way- she very rarely struggled this much with expressing herself- that was usually his territory. It was worrying.
"I am," Maya insisted, rolling the thoughts around in her head. She should've known she wouldn't be able to hide her feelings from Raeger; she just thought it would be longer before he found out. "It really is nothing. I've just been… I've been kinda down today, that's all."
"Down about what?"
Maya blushed. She had to tell him; she knew from experience that Raeger wouldn't drop it if he thought she was upset. She was just… embarrassed.
"Was it something that happened today?" Raeger prompted, the worry in his eyes almost painful for Maya to look at. "Something at the farm? Or here at the restaurant?"
He must've seen something cross her face, because suddenly Raeger's shoulders tensed.
"Did I do something?" He demanded immediately, his frown deepening. Maya shook her head quickly, but it didn't dispel his expression.
"No, it's not- it's not that," she mumbled. Denying him wouldn't be enough now, that much was certain. Until she told him what was on her mind, Raeger would invariably assume that he'd messed up. Maya had to tell him.
"Are you sure?" Raeger didn't look convinced. "I can be pretty stupid sometimes."
"I just- I don't know," Maya chewed her lip fiercely, her entire face red now. "I've missed you lately, and seeing you with other girls in the restaurant… it bugs me. I know it shouldn't, but it does."
Maya hesitated, waiting to see if Raeger would say anything. When he didn't, she pressed on.
"It's not like I think anything's happening," she clarified, "I guess I'm just… I mean, I guess…"
She groaned in frustration- why was this so hard for her to say? Maya took a deep breath, forcing the rest of her words out in a rush before she could change her mind.
"Sometimes I wish I was the only girl getting your attention, okay?"
A thick silence followed Maya's admission, settling around them like a fog. She didn't mean to say it exactly like that, but in all her floundering that's what decided to come out. Now she had to hope Raeger didn't think she was being crazy. The silence didn't exactly bode well for that outcome, though.
She stole a glance at his face; he was staring blankly at her in shock.
Raeger blinked, a slow blush creeping across his face, and then, to her horror, he started to laugh.
Maya gaped, her jaw working in barely controlled outrage. Raeger released her from his grasp, clutching his stomach as his entire body shook with the force of his guffaws.
"Oh my God," he gasped, tears collecting in the corners of his eyes. "Shit. I'm sorry. This isn't funny- it's not- I just-"
He collapsed into chuckles again, this time pushing his hand abashedly through his hair.
"I didn't expect you to say that," he explained, doing his best to pull himself together. "That was the last thing I thought. I thought I forgot a birthday or something, and then you just said… that."
Maya glared, her eyebrow raised expectantly. Raeger cleared his throat, still grinning as though he'd burst into laughter again at any moment.
"You were just so upset," Raeger rambled, rubbing the side of his face with his palm. "And that look on your face when you told me… it was the cutest fucking thing I've ever seen."
"Cute?" Maya repeated, outraged.
"You're unbelievably adorable," Raeger insisted, sucking in a deep breath. "Christ, my chest hurts. Mia, can I kiss you? Please? I'm dying over here."
"No, you may not!" Maya took a hearty step backwards, colliding with the counter. She crossed her arms firmly over her chest, shifting her weight to one hip. "I'm trying to be honest over here and you're laughing at me? And then you have the audacity to ask for a kiss? What the hell's the matter with you?"
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Raeger backpedalled immediately, biting down hard on his lip to quell the remaining giggles. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I didn't mean to laugh."
Maya pouted, skeptical. It was cute enough to almost make Raeger chuckle again. Almost.
"It wasn't funny," he insisted, taking a tentative step closer to Maya. She didn't retreat, which he took as a good sign. "I wasn't laughing at you. I'm just not used to hearing you say things like that. You never get jealous."
"I wasn't jealous," Maya insisted, but the whine in her voice didn't exactly lend support to her argument. "I was just… perturbed."
Raeger smirked, but he quickly wiped his expression clean at her following glower.
"Well, let me ease your 'perturbance'," Maya lifted her eyebrows at him. "It's a word! I think. Not important. Uh…"
He stopped, stammered, and snapped his mouth shut. In the year that they'd been dating, Raeger still couldn't quite get a handle on his words any better than when he'd confessed. He'd been hoping that would improve with time, but that hope was quickly dwindling.
"I'm sorry I've been working so much," he tried again, softening his features into a fond smile. "I know it's been hard on you. I'll try and cut back on the overtime, okay?"
Maya shuffled her feet, staring pointedly at the ground.
"I don't want your work to suffer," she murmured, tucking her curls behind her ears. Raeger's heart thumped painfully in his chest- even now, she was just so adorable that he couldn't stand it. "I know it's been a really busy season for you. I just miss you, that's all. And it's… hard, sometimes, seeing you flirt with other women. Even if I know it doesn't mean anything."
Her cheeks were bright red now, puffed and splotchy as she worked out her feelings. Raeger fought down the urge to sweep her into his arms kiss that expression away- at least for now. He didn't think it would be much appreciated after his outburst.
"Mia," Raeger intoned, gingerly taking her hands into his. She accepted, her fingers curling shyly into his palm. Jesus, she was so fucking cute. Raeger cleared his throat again. "You know damn well that you're the only girl for me. I've never been this happy- you want to know what I'd do if another girl tried anything?"
The corner of Maya's mouth twitched, hiding a smile. Raeger grinned wickedly.
"I'd look her dead in the eye and I'd scream, loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear: 'Get thee gone, woman! Before my goddess of a girlfriend kicks your ass!' That is a direct quote, by the way. I'd give the whole place the best show they've ever seen!"
Maya was giggling now, softly, like she was still trying to hide it. Raeger's chest inflated, finally feeling confident enough to slide his hands around her hips and pull her flush against him. He was right, and Maya in turn wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, leaning into his embrace.
"You'd better be ready, Deorlo," Raeger growled, mischief in his eyes. "You've unleashed a monster now."
"What do you mean?" Maya scrunched her nose. As much as she hated to admit it, Marian was right. Not that she'd ever tell him that.
"You want more of my attention?" Raeger challenged, "You've got it, Love Bug. All of it. I'm going to give you so much attention, you'll be sick of me by morning. And then I'm going to give you more attention, just to be extra sure."
"Wait," Maya laughed, shaking her head, "that's not what I-"
"Oh, you're in for it now," he interrupted, jostling her playfully. "I'm going to be the most obnoxious, clingy, needy boyfriend you've ever had. I can't have the love of my life thinking that I'm spending more time with other women, now can I?"
"Raeger-!"
"I won't hear it!" He threw his head back dramatically, almost knocking them both over in the process. Maya clung to him tightly, trying to keep herself upright. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll never doubt my feelings again!"
"I didn't- mmf!"
Before she could say anything more, Raeger silenced her with an incredibly sloppy, incredibly ridiculous kiss. Maya laughed openly, slapping him away with only a little conviction. He didn't listen of course, only secured her against him and continued to make her giggle by blowing raspberries on her cheeks.
"I love you," Raeger whispered suddenly, still chuckling. And God, was it ever true. He loved her so, so much, more than he could ever put into words. He loved her more than he ever thought it was possible to love someone. Raeger would do absolutely anything for her, and it killed him that she would probably never truly understand that.
"I love you too," Maya sighed, planting a delicate kiss on his lips. No matter how down she was, Raeger had the uncanny ability to make her feel warm, happy, and loved. She'd never know how he did it, but she didn't want to ask too many questions either.
Raeger returned her affection, and then one kiss turned into two, then three. He really had been spending a lot of time at the restaurant as of late, and his body was quickly reminding him how much he missed her. Most nights he spent at home, and on the rare occasion he managed to make it to Maya's farmhouse, he all but collapsed on the bed, too exhausted to even entertain the idea of doing anything more than snuggle. Maya had been very understanding about that, but Raeger couldn't deny that he owed her.
Maybe now, in the secluded kitchen of an empty restaurant, was a good time to start making it up to her.
Maya began to work her fingers tenderly through his hair, and Raeger knew that he was powerless to walk away from her. He was fairly certain the restaurant could catch on fire around him, and he wouldn't even bat an eye.
"Don't you have clean-up to do?" Maya murmured, noticing immediately the shift in his touch. Raeger shook his head, capturing her lips again.
"Nothing I can't do later," he promised, his hands trailing from her hips to her back, protecting her as he guided her backwards. Maya bumped the counter gently, a small, satisfied sound escaping her throat. "I've got something a bit more pressing that I need to do right now."
He felt her smile into his kiss, and that was enough of an invitation for him.
He kissed her slowly, deliberately, taking his time. The last thing Raeger wanted was for Maya to think that after the agonizing drought they'd had, he was just trying to get a quick lay and move on with his evening. No, he definitely didn't want that.
Raeger gently angled her head back, caressing her lips with his tongue. She sighed, opening her mouth to him, and dragged her fingers down his neck to his shoulders. He shivered under her touch, struggling to calm his racing heart.
Should he move them upstairs? Could he wait that long?
Maya pressed herself against him, setting his nerves on fire and answering his question for him.
Goddess, she's beautiful.
Raeger groaned against her lips, reaching down and gripping the backs of her thighs. In one swift motion, he lifted her onto the counter, pushing the hem of her dress up and dragging his hands along the smooth skin of her legs. Maya gasped, breaking their kiss to catch her breath.
It wouldn't be the first time they'd had sex in the restaurant kitchen- not that Raeger would ever tell any of his guests that- but there was always an added touch of excitement. Before he dated Maya, Raeger didn't allow any of his friends to even step foot in his kitchen. Now, though, it didn't matter to him when or where; he wanted Maya every second of every day, even if it meant letting someone else into his domain.
Besides, she seemed to enjoy it.
His lips trailed from her jaw to her neck, nibbling and sucking just beneath her ear. Maya's grip on his shoulders tightened, telling him he was doing exactly the right things.
Maya hooked her legs around Raeger's hips, pulling him closer. As she did, her thigh hit off of something square and solid in the pocket of his apron. The object dislodged, plopping to the ground with a weighty thump.
"What's that?" Maya tilted her head, just enough to separate herself from Raeger's insistent mouth. She thought it was just a utensil or something from dinner prep that he'd left in his pocket, but it didn't look that way upon closer inspection.
"Hm?" Raeger glanced absently over his shoulder, catching sight of the object he'd dropped. Immediately he went white, dropping Maya's legs and jolting backwards.
"Uh, nothing!" He panicked, scrambling to pick it up before she could get a good look at it. "It's nothing, just a- a nothing. It's nothing."
Raeger slipped the object back into his apron pocket, shrugging like he hadn't just leaped across the kitchen like a jackrabbit. Maya sat on the counter, staring at him in wide-eyed shock.
"What the hell was that all about?" She laughed, sliding back down to the floor. She approached him easily, pausing only when Raeger took a step back. "Raeger? What are you hiding?"
"Hiding?" Raeger gulped, feeling sweat tickle the back of his neck. "Not hiding anything, why would you think I was hiding something?"
Probably because I'm acting like it? Idiot.
Raeger tried to calm his racing heart, plastering what he hoped was a convincing smile on his face. Maya wasn't fooled for even a second, crossing her arms and eying him defiantly.
"Show me," she instructed, leaning forward to try and glimpse the opening in his pocket. Raeger angled himself away quickly, clutching desperately at any explanation his fogged brain could come up with.
"It's a… present! For your birthday!" He suggested, remembering too late that Maya's birthday was two months ago. "Uh. I started shopping early?"
"Uh huh," Maya dipped her chin skeptically. "Raeger, come on. We both know you're a terrible liar. Just show me what it is!"
She reached for his pocket, but he lunged backwards again.
"No can do, Baby Doll," Raeger insisted, holding fast to his cover story. "I worked really hard to find the perfect birthday present for you, and there's no way I'm ruining the surprise. You'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands."
A bit dramatic, but he was panicking. Maya was never one to let something go once her curiosity was piqued, so he had to tread carefully here. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face, tickling his skin as it continued down his neck.
Maya fixed him with a hard, calculating stare. Raeger knew that look; it meant she was considering her best move, weighing out her options. He waited, his heart pumping frantically in his chest. Eventually, she sighed.
"Fine," she shrugged, dropping her arms to her sides. "Keep your secrets. But you'd better hide that somewhere I'd never think to look; now that I know you have it, I'm going to snoop. Can't be helped."
Raeger's breath left him in a rush, relief crashing over him.
"That was the plan," he assured her, patting his pocket confidently. Maya was ridiculously good at finding things, so he'd had to get a bit creative with places to store gifts. Gunther's work shed had been a godsend at Christmastime. "I'll hide this baby so good that even I won't be able to find it."
"You say that like it's a difficult feat," Maya teased, rolling her eyes. "Now, can we get back to you having your way with me on the kitchen floor?"
Raeger's heart seized- yes, as a matter of fact, they could get back to that.
In retrospect, he probably should've wondered at how easy that agreement came. At the time, his brain cut out entirely after 'having your way with me'.
He was across the room in two strides, this time not bothering to delay with any buildup. Raeger slipped one hand around the back of Maya's neck, the other grabbing her roughly by the waist, and kissed her.
No matter how many times he had her in his arms, Maya's ability to consume his every thought in a single word never lessened. Raeger was at her beck and call- totally and completely at the mercy of her will with nothing more than a look.
Maya whimpered as she melted into him, her hands twisting in the front of his shirt to keep her balance. A jolt of urgency shot through him, reinforcing how much he'd wanted her just a few minutes ago. Raeger pushed his tongue into her mouth, revelling in the sweet taste of mint on her lips.
Why the hell had they stopped again? He could barely remember.
Raeger tried not to think about it, walking Maya backwards until they crashed into a serving cart. His heart was in his throat, squeezing his veins so tightly he thought he was going to pop. She was wearing far too much clothing.
Evidently, Maya agreed. She loosened her fingers from the fabric of his shirt, working her way down his torso and undoing buttons as she went. Raeger was about to shrug out of the garment and begin ripping off Maya's dress when his girlfriend did something that took him by surprise.
Using his buttons as a distraction, Maya's hand dove into Raeger's apron pocket and plucked the little black object free.
"Aha!" She cried victoriously, spinning and making a break for the dining room. Raeger blinked after her in dazed confusion, his distracted brain struggling to make sense of what just happened. When it clicked, he swore.
"Wait! Maya!" He tore off after her, knowing that it was already too late. As soon as she looked at the box, she'd know exactly what it was.
Maya skidded to a halt next to the dessert display, risking a glance down at the box in her hand. Its appearance gave her pause- it looked like a jewelry box, covered in black velvet and emblazoned with the name of a jeweler she didn't recognize. It was too small to be a necklace, unless it was just a pendant? Too square to be a bracelet. Earrings, then?
Raeger nearly collided with the table next to her, his shirt still hanging open where she'd unbuttoned it. He was panting, hard, and she suspected it wasn't just from what they'd been doing a moment ago.
"Raeger, what is this?" Maya cradled the box in her palms, staring at him questioningly. He never bought jewelry for her because she rarely wore it. A necklace here, earrings there, but nothing expensive. Work on the farm was far too much of a risk to wear anything worth a lot.
She didn't recognize the name of the jeweler, but from the look and feel of the box… Raeger didn't spare any expense.
They locked eyes with each other, Maya unsure, Raeger panicked.
His attention flickered from the box, to Maya's face, and back again. Eventually, he sighed, the barest hint of a smile ghosting across his face.
"Open it."
She paused, searching his expression.
"Are you sure?" Maya prompted, holding the box out to him. She didn't know what kind of thing he could be hiding from her, but after seeing it for herself, Maya realised how important this box was. Raeger clearly put a lot of thought and money into it; she didn't want to ruin anything with her own impatience. "I didn't know… I'm sorry. Here-"
"No," Raeger held up his hand, relaxing into a more genuine smile. "I was trying to find the right time to give it to you and I hadn't decided on anything yet. I think now is as good a time as ever."
Maya blinked, the box weighing heavily in her palm.
He was telling the truth, she knew. Raeger meant every word when he told her to open it, but still Maya felt a tug of reluctance. Something very important was in this box, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to look at it yet.
Raeger watched her patiently, doing his absolute best to hide the anxiety bubbling in his stomach. The box was new and the hinges stiff, resisting as Maya tentatively pried it open. With a sudden 'pop', the lid sprang backwards and revealed its dazzling contents.
Inside, nestled snugly but imperfectly in a bed of white silk, was a beautiful, ornate ring.
Maya felt her breathing stop.
The box may have been new, but the ring itself was definitely old. Maya couldn't even begin to venture a guess at how old it actually was, but the design made it clear that this was no modern ring. In lieu of a stone, the focal point of the ring was a large, blush pearl, set in yellow gold amongst an array of smaller gems. They looked like diamonds, but then again, she was no jewel expert.
"Raeger…" Maya breathed, pressing her hand flat to her chest. "What…?"
When she looked up, Raeger was on one knee.
"Oh my God," Maya gasped, immediate panic flooding through her. "What are you doing? Are you-? Tell me you're not-?"
"I am," Raeger offered her a lopsided grin, pushing his fingers nervously through his hair. "That, uh… that ring. It belonged to my grandmother."
Maya's attention drifted briefly to the ring, but it didn't stay there long. Raeger was on one knee in front of her, about to ask her something; that took precedence over anything else.
"When I was a kid," Raeger cleared his throat, his ears pinker than the pearl, "my mom sold a lot of her things to make sure we had enough to get by. She pawned all of her jewelry, traded a bunch of her clothes, anything she could do to put food on the table. That ring was the last thing that she parted with."
He shuffled, uncertainty wavering in his eyes.
"She kept it as long as she could," Raeger trudged on, covering the catch in his throat with a cough. "My grandmother left it to her in her will, so Mom didn't want to lose it. When we moved in here with my grandfather though, he told her to pawn it. He said it was more important to my Nana that I have proper school supplies than for my Mom to keep her gaudy old ring.
"I wanted to tell her no," Raeger shrugged, almost ashamed of the story, "but she did it while I was out with Grandpa in the garden. I came home one day and she had this huge backpack filled with things for my first day of school, and I was too excited to ask where she'd gotten the money. By the time I found out, it was too late to track it down."
Maya could feel the sting of tears in her eyes, but she fought them down. Raeger didn't talk about his childhood much- she often forgot how difficult it was.
"I promised myself that, when I got older and had money of my own, I'd find that ring and buy it back for her." Raeger smiled sadly, and Maya knew what was coming next. "I didn't exactly make it in time, but I still wanted to find it. I wanted to keep it in my family, at first, just stick it on a shelf somewhere here in the restaurant. But then I met you.
"Mia," he reached for her hand, which she shakily gave to him. "You might think I'm completely off the walls crazy, but I don't care. I love you, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I told myself that as soon as I managed to track down this ring, I was going to give it to you and ask you to be my wife. I just didn't expect to find it so soon."
He laughed, some of the nerves slipping into the sound.
"How did you find it?" Maya asked, her voice cracking.
"There's a jeweler in Mineral Town that refurbishes old pieces," Raeger explained, "I made a trip there about two months ago for a cooking exhibition and I just happened to stumble across his storefront. It was just sitting there, right in the middle of the window display."
Two months? He'd had the ring for two months? But then, why-?
"The problem was," Raeger interrupted her thoughts, answering her unspoken question before it had fully formed. "It was ridiculously expensive. I couldn't even come close to affording it, so I asked the jeweler if he wouldn't mind putting it aside for me until I could pay him. And, well, he did."
Raeger squirmed again, getting more and more anxious by the second.
"That's why I've been working so much, Love Bug," he sighed, feeling the weight of everything he'd been keeping from her come out in a rush, "I've been pulling extra hours to save up as quickly as I could. I just made the final payment last night and Gray had business in town today, so he dropped it off at the restaurant for me this morning."
"You're really doing this," Maya whispered, the reality of the situation sinking in as the sorrow of Raeger's story faded. "You're actually doing this. Right now."
"I'm actually doing this," Raeger confirmed, abandoning his knee to stand up and face her properly. He squeezed Maya's hand in his, his eyes alight with anticipation and just a hint of fear. "Maya Deorlo, I want to marry you."
"That's not really a question," she pointed out, a smirk tugging at her lips. "I thought you were supposed to ask?"
"And give you a chance to say no?" Raeger snorted. "Perish the thought."
"This is insane," Maya maintained, reading his eyes for any sign of mischief. "We've only been dating for a year. You're asking me to marry you after one year."
"I would've asked you to marry me after one day."
"Raeger," Maya groaned, resisting the urge to start pacing. "We don't even live together! You're asking me to be your wife and you don't even know what it would be like to have me as your roommate!"
"I didn't know that was a prerequisite," Raeger chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"You realise," Maya trekked on, her voice getting higher the more she rambled, "you realise that if I say yes-"
"When you say yes."
"-if I say yes," Maya glared, "that's it. We're married. We can't just break up over some stupid fight, or bail if things get hard. We're in it for the long haul. A relationship is long term, but marriage is, well, forever!"
"That's kind of the point, Mia," Raeger plucked the ring from her hand, placing it gingerly down on the table next to them. He clasped her fingers tightly between his palms, pulling her close and stooping to look directly in her eyes. "I want to be in it for the long haul. 'Forever' used to scare the hell out of me, but with you? It doesn't seem long enough."
Maya's pulse thrummed in her ears.
"I know what I'm asking," Raeger vowed. "I know how serious this is. And I don't care. I want you, now and for the rest of my life, I want you here by my side. That's not going to change if we wait a year, two years, even ten years- so why not ask now? I'm asking you right now."
The restaurant was deafeningly quiet, even with the constant buzzing of the industrial machinery in the background.
"Maya, will you marry me?"
Her jaw twitched, her mouth working in indecisive shock. Raeger waited, his stomach on the floor, his heart in his throat.
"My parents are going to kill you." She said seriously, shaking her head in disbelief. "And then they're going to kill me for saying yes to something so insane."
"Is-?" Raeger balked, excitement creeping up the back of his neck. "Is that a- a yes? Are you saying yes?"
"Yes, I'm saying yes!" Maya sighed, happiness surging through her in spite of everything. "Against any and all better judgement, I might add."
"That's how I got you to date me in the first place," Raeger winked, lifting her into an unbalanced, spinning hug. Laughter exploded from Maya's chest, releasing the nervous anticipation she'd been feeling since she entered the restaurant kitchen that day. After everything, all the worry and stress, she never imagined the evening would end with her and Raeger getting engaged.
Marian was going to throw an absolute fit.
.
It was a bit later than he'd hoped by the time Raeger finished cleaning up the restaurant.
Maya was upstairs, on the phone with her parents. After putting the ring on her finger- he still couldn't believe she'd actually said yes- she just couldn't wait to spread the news. Raeger preferred it this way; if they told Mr. and Mrs. Deorlo in person, he might not live to tell about it.
Still, they seemed pretty happy on the phone. At least they did when he last heard.
While Maya caught her parents up on everything, Raeger returned to the kitchen. Mrs. Deorlo was a talker, so he figured he had time to clue up his closing rituals before they were done.
Raeger really didn't mind cleaning, it was kind of therapeutic after a long day of work. During business hours, the restaurant was a hectic mess of customers, food, and prep, often with little to no time for him to catch his breath. Cleaning, on the other hand, was a time for him to appreciate everything that had happened that day, and to get ready to start fresh the next.
Except he wouldn't be starting fresh the next day. He was going to take the day off to spend with Maya, but he hadn't told her that yet. Maybe they'd go out somewhere, to a movie or to a show of some kind, or maybe they'd just hang out at home. Either way, Raeger needed a day to just be with his fiancée.
Fiancée. Even the word made him giddy.
He was putting away the last dish when the clock overhead struck 11:00. He was late, very late, but he was finally done. Hopefully Maya wasn't in bed already- they had some unfinished business to attend to.
Raeger climbed the stairs to his room and noticed that he couldn't hear Maya talking anymore. She wasn't on the phone with her parents then, which could be good or bad. The lights were dimmed too, so for a brief moment Raeger thought she'd gone to bed. When he crested the top of the stairs though, he noticed his bed was empty and the bathroom door was wide open.
"Hey!"
Maya greeted him as he poked his head through the doorway, but Raeger had to steel himself before answering. His mouth was suddenly very dry, despite the condensation in the air.
In his bathroom, Raeger had a sink, a toilet, and a bathtub/shower combo. Maya was in the latter, lounging against the back of the tub with her hair loosely tied up away from her neck. The bath was full, nearly overflowing with bubbles that clung to her pristine skin. Steam wafted up from the water, giving her face a gentle glow.
He hadn't been expecting that.
"Is… something wrong?" Maya laughed, shifting until she was sitting up. The tub was deep enough that she didn't quite expose her breasts, but the bubbles were dangerously low. Raeger could almost trace the curve of them through the foam.
"We haven't had sex in two weeks and I come up here to find you naked in my bathtub and covered in bubbles?" Raeger gulped, smirking to cover the catch in his throat. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"Killing you isn't exactly what I had in mind," Maya giggled, reaching up to wipe a loose strand of hair from the back of her neck. It had fallen out of her ponytail, curling in the hot water. "Are you going to let me sit in this tub by myself all night?"
She didn't have to ask him twice.
Raeger didn't bother to keep up pretenses- he shed his shirt and pants at lightning speed, making Maya laugh at his eagerness. He didn't care; every second he wasted getting undressed was time that he could be in the bath. With his fiancée. Naked.
Before Raeger's grandfather passed, he'd had some trouble with his mobility. They'd hired Gunther to come over and install a larger-than-standard bathtub, fitted to accommodate a bathing seat and a safety bar. Once Raeger was the only one living here, he'd had the seat and bar removed, but kept the large tub. There wasn't really any motivation behind it at the time, but having a bath large enough to hold two people definitely had certain… benefits.
Maya slid to one end of the tub, leaving room for Raeger to sit at the other.
It wouldn't be the first time they'd bathed together, but something felt different as Raeger lowered himself into the searing hot water. Maybe it was the fact that they hadn't seen each other much, maybe it was that they were an engaged couple now, maybe it was something completely unrelated to any of that, but for some reason, Raeger couldn't keep the stupid grin from his face.
How in the damn hell had he gotten so lucky?
Before he was even properly settled, Raeger leaned over and threaded his fingers through Maya's damp curls, knocking her hair tie loose, and pulling her towards him for a kiss.
She laughed again, but she didn't fight him. Maya loved being kissed almost as much as he loved kissing her. It didn't matter how many times, or how many days he spent with her. Raeger loved her so wholly, so deeply, that he would never get enough of her.
She shifted forward, like she was about to straddle him, but Raeger stilled her with his palm on her shoulder. Maya looked at him questioningly.
"Not yet," Raeger teased, twining his tongue with hers, pausing between words. "I owe you, remember?"
He kissed her for a minute more, savouring the softness of her lips, and then he began to move her.
Maya didn't bother to argue with him when he had his mind set on something; if Raeger wanted her in a particular position, then she was more than happy to oblige. Her body felt malleable to his touch, shifting in response to his guidance with no resistance. Raeger spun her until she was facing away from him, pulling her snugly between his legs, her back resting on his chest.
"As much as I love cuddling," Maya smirked, "this isn't exactly what I had in mind."
Raeger rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Would you just shut up and let me have my way with you?"
She chuckled, but otherwise kept quiet. Raeger took that as an agreement.
He didn't think he would ever fully be prepared for how smooth Maya's skin was. He touched her every day- be it a kiss, a hug, hand-holding, anything- and it still took him off guard. Raeger had chef's hands; slightly calloused, but quick and dextrous. He worried at first, wondering if the roughness of his skin would irritate her, but that worry had vanished after only a few times together. Maya insisted that she loved the feeling of his hands on her, and for that, Raeger was thankful. He loved the feelings of his hands on her too.
Carefully, Raeger began to massage tender circles across her torso.
Maya sighed happily, settling back into his embrace as he worked his way from her arms to her chest, to her ribs. Raeger paused every minute or so to collect some bathwater in his cupped hand and drizzle it over her, keeping her as warm as he could.
Goddess, she's amazing.
His palm slid easily down her stomach and across her hips, all the while distracting her with his lips pressed delicately against her neck. Maya let her head tip back to rest on his shoulder, arching her back at the sensations.
Raeger dragged his tongue along her skin, pausing to nibble on her ear before replacing his teeth with his lips again. He couldn't deny that this was a bit of a rare moment for them- when it came to sex, Raeger was on the side of daring. He liked it fast, rough, hard, and frantic, and Maya was perfectly happy with that. Still, slowing it down every now and again was a nice change of pace, especially when they hadn't been together in so long.
He felt himself stiffen, bumping lightly against Maya's lower back. Raeger stifled a sudden moan at the unexpected contact- this wasn't about him yet. Instead, he swallowed his arousal, caressing the sensitive skin beneath Maya's navel.
Her breath hitched, and he knew she wanted him to go lower.
With a little coaxing, Raeger managed to get Maya to turn her head enough to kiss her. It was a bit awkward, but he didn't care. He needed to taste the sounds coming from her lips.
Gently, Raeger pushed two of his fingers through her folds, grazing her clit.
Maya hummed in satisfaction, her legs parting just a little bit more. Encouraged, Raeger continued to carefully explore all the places he knew she liked, slowly building up pleasure before moving on.
A soft moan escaped her throat as he finally slipped his fingers inside her, curling them in just the right way. Raeger paused, giving her time to adjust to the sensation, and then he began to thrust.
Raeger learned Maya's body like an instrument- through practise and attention. He knew what she liked, what she didn't like, how fast, how hard, everything there was to know. He prided himself on that.
He pushed his fingers harder, making Maya gasp and arch her back. Her rear pressed against his erection, reminding him of how much he was enjoying this too.
Angling his hand a little, Raeger managed to position his thumb so that it was brushing against her clit with every stroke. Maya cried out, reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair as he pleasured her.
"You're so beautiful," Raeger murmured, his mouth dry. He wished he had more than just his two hands, so he could touch every part of her at once. Why the hell had he been working so much again?
His gaze briefly darted to the ring on the bathroom counter, and his heart swelled.
Maya was getting impatient- he could feel it in the way her body tensed around him. Raeger picked up his pace, stroking his fingers in a rhythmic pattern that left her gasping. His other hand found her breast, massaging and squeezing in time with her moans.
Her back arched impressively, her spine rigid, and Raeger refused to let up.
With a sharp cry, Maya's body crumpled against him, her chest heaving, but Raeger didn't still his hand. He waited until she was completely spent, blinking at him with unfocussed eyes, before finally trailing his palm back up her stomach. He grinned.
"God, I missed you," he whispered, kissing her again. Arousal was raging inside him- exacerbated by the way her body continued to jolt at the lightest touch. She was so perfect, and he wanted her so badly, he didn't think he'd be able to hold out.
Maya kissed him back timidly, still recovering from her orgasm. He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth, teasing her, encouraging her, until Raeger felt her start to kiss him back with enthusiasm.
Maya shifted, turning herself over so that she was facing him, her hand going immediately to his shaft.
"Uh-" Raeger grunted, flexing his fingers like he was going to stop her but not sure if he wanted to. "I don't… I don't think that's a good idea actually."
"Really?" Maya blinked, confusion written plainly across her face. She could count a number of occasions when Raeger had 'accidentally' bumped into her just for the chance that she'd touch him, and now he was outright refusing?
"I'm a bit… uh…" Raeger blushed, not sure how to phrase it. "Sensitive. I'm a bit sensitive today."
He thought of how Maya's body had felt against his, his cock already twitching.
She seemed to understand him, coyly biting her lip.
"We can work with that," she captured his mouth with hers, taking him off guard with a deep, provocative kiss, while she crawled into his lap.
It was tight, but there was just enough room for Maya to spread her legs over his hips, straddling him in the bathwater. Raeger groaned, a low sound in the back of his throat; even without friction or movement, the simple skin on skin contact was enough to send his imagination into overdrive.
"You are sensitive today," Maya murmured against his jaw, peppering kisses from his ear to his lips. Raeger reached up and cupped the back of her neck with his palm, holding her mouth to his.
"Don't talk," he ground out, pulling her bottom lip between his teeth and nibbling gently. "Otherwise this is going to be over way faster than either of us want it to be."
Maya shook her head in exasperation, but she obliged. Raeger pressed his tongue into her mouth, dragging his free hand down the curve of her spine to her lower back. He curled his fingers against her skin, gripping her just hard enough to make her breath hitch.
"A-as a matter of fact," Raeger growled, his chest tight with anticipation, "maybe you shouldn't move either."
His request was met with a skeptical glare.
At first, he thought she might listen, if only for a moment, long enough to get his wild heartbeat under control. Raeger felt like his muscles were overrun with tension, like the slightest breath would push him over the edge and he'd lose control. Maya was the only person to ever make him feel like that.
To his utter dismay- and delight- she seemed to have other plans.
Maya gingerly began to roll her hips, grinding against his erection at an achingly slow pace.
"Fuck- Mia-" Raeger gasped, his entire body going rigid. He squeezed his hands into the flesh of her thighs, struggling to keep his breathing under control.
"I can't talk…" Maya mused, pressing a hot, open-mouthed kiss to his neck. Raeger groaned, his head falling back against the edge of the tub. "I can't tease…"
She flattened her tongue against his skin, licking along the slope of his neck to his ear. Her lips hovered there, her shallow breath sending a cascade of shivers down his spine.
"What exactly can I do?"
Before Raeger realised what she was doing, Maya reached between them, positioning the head of his erection at her entrance and lowered herself until he was sitting snugly inside her. Just as quickly as it had happened, she removed herself again.
A string of colourful expletives left his lips as his heart jumped into his throat. Raeger's muscles were taut, vibrating with the effort of keeping himself under control. Maya allowed herself a satisfied smirk, watching as Raeger fought to catch his breath.
"That," he panted, his back arching to press his hips firmly into hers again. "You can do that."
Answering his plea, Maya guided his throbbing erection back inside her.
"Fuck," Raeger cursed again, his hands scrambling to find some part of her to clutch onto. His fingers dug forcefully into the skin of her hips, making her gasp.
He wanted to thrust, to jolt himself upwards and set a wild pace, but Raeger also knew he couldn't. If he took Maya the way he wanted to, the bathwater would end up everywhere but the tub. To his absolute horror, Raeger realised he would have to go slow.
He groaned, a desperate, guttural sound, as Maya took control. He could tell from the delicious glint in her eyes that she'd noticed the same thing he had- that despite the raging desire inside him, they would have to take their time.
Maya didn't seem to mind, pumping her hips in tantalizingly erotic patterns. Raeger felt a tight pressure coil in his abdomen, sending blood rushing to his cheeks.
"Faster," he hissed pleadingly, grasping at the waves of pleasure lapping across his skin. Maya smirked in playful satisfaction, raking her nails over his sensitive chest. Raeger sucked in a shallow breath, jerking his hips in a single thrust that sent water cascading onto the floor.
"Shh," Maya covered his mouth with hers, coaxing his lips apart with her tongue. Raeger moaned helplessly into the kiss, his hands jumping to her hair and tangling the strands between his fingers. Maya let him kiss her breathless, channeling his frustration. "Trust me."
Raeger did trust her, but it didn't make calming himself any easier.
Maya continued her achingly slow pace, undulating her hips over and over again, leaving his body screaming for more. Raeger threw all of his energy into ravaging her mouth instead, but it did little to satisfy the burning beneath his navel. He wanted to thrust- to flip her onto the bathroom floor and pin her there, crashing into her hips with his until he was spent. The restraint was nearly killing him.
His release was close- so, so unbearably close- but it felt like he was climbing an escalator in the wrong direction, except that he was immensely enjoying the ride.
Raeger broke their kiss to let out a string of curses under his breath, just as Maya shifted in his lap.
At first, he didn't understand what she was doing. It was just a small change, a slightly new angle, nothing more. But then she began to move.
Oh God-
Raeger wasn't sure exactly what she'd done, but something felt different. Suddenly, pleasure was crashing all around him, drowning him, suffocating him- it was all he could do to keep his hips still. Maya maneuvered herself once, twice, three times, all the while soft, whimpering moans were spilling from her lips. Suddenly and without warning, Raeger felt a tidal wave rush him, coming fast and hard, stealing the breath from his lungs.
"Fuck!" Raeger groaned, his hips jerking wildly as he unloaded himself inside Maya, his hands shaking as he held her firmly in place. She cried out, her nails nearly piercing his skin, until at last, he collapsed.
"Holy shit," he panted, staring wide eyed at the ceiling. "Holy shit."
"Slow and steady can win the race sometimes," Maya teased, catching her breath much faster than he had. Raeger shot up instantly, taking her face between his palms and kissing her forcefully.
"You're incredible-!" he murmured, barely pausing between kisses to form coherent words. "You're amazing. You're beautiful. You're a goddess. You're-"
"Okay, okay," Maya laughed, pulling away enough to meet his gaze. She smiled fondly, smoothing the mess she'd made of his hair. "I guess it was good for you?"
"I don't know what exactly you did," Raeger choked, swallowing thickly, "but we're doing it again."
Maya rolled her eyes, knowing full well that she'd only made him be patient, for once, but she'd keep that tidbit to herself.
His head fell back again, colliding painfully with the edge of the tub. Raeger hardly noticed, scrambling to catch his ragged breaths.
"I love you," he murmured, blinking his eyes back into focus. Maya lowered herself onto his chest for just a moment, smiling lazily.
"I love you too," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair. Raeger kissed her, languidly, savoring the softness of her lips.
"I'm going to finish getting ready for bed," Maya told him, carefully sitting up. The bathwater was tepid now, making gooseflesh spread across her arms and shoulders. She glanced at the floor, grimacing. "And maybe clean up some of this water. Be out in a minute?"
"Okay." After some manoeuvring, he managed to pull himself out of the water without making too much more of a mess. He grabbed a towel, drying himself off as he grabbed only his boxers from the bathroom floor, slipping them on with one hand while he walked. Before he left, he tossed the towel directly on top of the puddle he'd made, letting it soak up some of the spill.
Raeger only just made it to the edge of the bed before he collapsed, his chest rising in tune with every second tick of the grandfather clock standing guard at the mouth of the stairs. He stared at the ceiling, grinning like an idiot.
Maya's humming drifted through the thin wooden door, accompanied by the sound of the sink running. Raeger listened absently as she washed her face, brushed her teeth and hair, and pulled on an old pair of his pajamas that he'd gifted to her. She had the same routine every night, and Raeger found comfort in the repetition.
Sex was great- really, really great, if he was being honest- but Raeger loved these simpler moments too. Moments that typically go unappreciated until they're no longer spent alone. Pouring a morning coffee, reading a book before bed, even tidying up became a peaceful task when he shared it with Maya. Raeger would never take those moments for granted again.
The sink turned off, and Raeger made sure to shuffle onto the left side of the bed. Maya preferred to sleep on the right, so he always took care to leave it unoccupied for her. Truth be told, he preferred the right side too, but he'd happily lied about that and given the side to her.
He heard the door knob turn, and smiled.
Maya was going to be his wife.
She didn't say anything when she came out of the bathroom, only returned his smile with the slightest blush. That was probably for the best; Raeger was so full of happiness that it was nearly choking him.
He pulled the blankets back so she could crawl in with him, curling her body into his. She sighed, softly, barely audible above the rustling sheets. Raeger wrapped his arms around her, tucking her snugly against his side, feeling as her muscles began to relax.
Maya was going to be his wife.
It had only happened a few hours ago, but Raeger didn't think it would ever stop feeling surreal. This woman- this incredible, beautiful woman- had agreed to marry him. He didn't know why, or what he did to deserve it, but it didn't matter. Raeger would spend every day of the rest of his life trying to make Maya as happy as she made him. Maybe it was a little fast, maybe it was a bit of a risk, but he didn't care. He knew he was doing the right thing.
And, judging by the ring sitting firmly on her finger, so did she.
The End