Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.
Lockdown is ensuring that I get these chapters written! Here's another one :)
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Gideon was woken when a strand of hair landed across his face, tickling his skin slightly. Gently, he brushed it off him, opening his eyes to see Sophie sleeping beside him, her back pressed against his chest while his arm lay over her waist. She looked so peaceful as she slept, and it didn't skip his attention that neither of them had gone to bed with clothes.
Memories of the previous day - and night - came to him and he smiled, relaxing against the pillow and lowering his head back down. He closed his eyes, his lips curling in a smile as he recounted Sophie walking towards him, looking a vision in gold, of them tracing the marriage runes onto each other, of dancing with her and laughing as he held her close to him.
Then, he thought of their night together, of fisting his hands in the bed sheets, of running his fingers across every inch of her skin, the incredible feeling of her around him and the sound of her moaning out his name. His name. He was hers. His soul belonged to her. He had waited so long to feel like this for someone, but he had never realised that until he had met her. As soon as he had found her, and had fallen in love with the brave, beautiful girl who had often hidden her true self from everyone, he realised that he would never want anything as badly as he wanted her love.
As he gazed down at her now, he took in her soft expression and it touched his heart, warming it. She looked so peaceful, her long eyelashes curled, her entire body relaxed, her milky skin blending in with the cream sheets. The paleness around her made her dark hair stand out even more, highlighting the strands of richer brown and lighter caramel within it. He had loved her hair from the moment he had laid eyes on her, and had often enjoyed rather scandalous thoughts of running his fingers through it and fisting it in his hands, all of which had come to reality last night.
Now, her hair lay fanned out around her, shaping her face. She had such delicate features, with her high cheekbones and the subtle shape of her nose. Her full lips were a rosy colour, and he remembered the softness of them when he kissed them with his own. However, her gentle features did not make her beauty any less obvious. She was radiant, a sight that captured his breath away every time he saw her. Her beauty was as bright and obvious as the sun, and he found himself wishing that she could see that more often. She was the most exquisite creature he had ever seen.
And she was his. The reminder alone was enough to stir emotions in him that he had never experienced before he had met her; pride, desire, adoration. Knowing that she was now his wife filled him with such a strong surge of joy that it threatened to break the self control that he had worked so hard to sustain. He simply fell apart under her hands, offering his entire soul to her, something he had never thought possible.
On her forearm, he could see the rune he had put there during the wedding ceremony, and the top of the one on her chest peeked out over the sheets that were currently wrapped around her. He momentarily cursed the sheets for hiding her from his eyes.
He fought away the urge to touch her. He had been tempted to trace the outside of her face with his fingertips, simply just to feel her again. But, she looked so peaceful as she slept, and it was a sight he was rather enjoying, so he kept his hands to himself.
He wasn't sure how much time passed, as time meant nothing to him when he was with her. He would have happily spent all eternity lying there with her beside him, so close that he could feel her breathing.
However, it seemed that Sophie was naturally an early riser, as soon enough he felt her stir against him. For a moment, he thought he felt her stiffen in his hold, but it passed so quickly that he wasn't sure if he'd simply imagined it or not. He understood her tension, and although it angered him greatly to think of what that man had done to cause her such reactions, it gave him great warmth to know that as soon as she knew it was him holding her, she softened into him welcomingly.
"Good morning, my love." He whispered into her hair as he nuzzled the back of her neck, surrounding himself with the sweet smell of vanilla and roses that he always associated with her.
She moved so she was lying on her back, her eyes finding his instantly. "Good morning." She whispered, a hand receiving up to trace the outline of his cheek. "Husband,"
He smiled, leaning into her palm. "Are you happy?"
"The happiest," She promised him, and the warmth and surety in her voice made his heart swell. "I could stay in this bed all day." To prove her intention, she nestled further against the soft pillows, and the action made her body press against his subtly. He placed a hand on her hip, his thumb brushing over her skin delicately.
"Funnily enough," He rubbed the end of his nose against hers affectionately. "I was just thinking the same thing. So, why don't we?"
Her eyes widened. "Could we?" There was a coy smile playing on her lips at the suggestion, and it was too much for his self control. He leaned down and kissed her. He could kiss Sophie forever, he was sure of it. It caused so many whirls of emotions inside him, all of them pleasant and filled with love and devotion, with some heavier with desire.
"I don't see why not." The arm that had been slung over her waist before now wrapped around her tiny frame, over her stomach. With his hand, he started creating invisible patterns on her skin, and couldn't help but feel aroused as she curved into his hand slightly, desiring his touch. "I can't imagine anyone would blame us. We did get married yesterday."
She smiled at the reminder. "I still can't believe it." Her words were a soft whisper, carrying themselves to his ears pleasantly.
He leaned down and kissed her sweetly, wishing he could convey all that he felt for her in that kiss so she knew exactly how loved she was. "Why won't I go and gather us up from breakfast? You can stay right here and relax."
A glimmer crossed her eyes, and he knew it was because she was still trying to adapt to the fact that it wasn't her that was called upon to fetch things anymore. She was no longer a servant, and although she had been a Shadowhunter for a while now, he understood it would still take her a while to fully adapt to her new role in life.
But, then she smiled up at him and slid her hand round the back of his neck and into his hair. "Perhaps, later," She said, lowering his head back down to hers and he was more than happy to comply.
Her skin was so soft under his touch, and he took his time to admire it. Although they had taken last night slowly, he had been gripped with such a desire that had overwhelmed him at first. That desire for her was still flowing through his veins now, but he allowed himself the time to simply enjoy the feeling of her bare skin under his fingers as his hands glided across her flat stomach.
For so long, he had built such an armour around himself, but he had finally found a clink to it; her. He knew that she would always be his weakness. Anything she wanted, he would give to her. He would spend the rest of his days wondering what he had done so right to deserve to have her as his wife, and now, as he reminded himself that he had the rest of his lifetime with her, he couldn't have been happier.
He leaned over her as their kiss deepened, and his hand couldn't resist snaking up to her breasts and gliding over her alert nipples. She gasped against his mouth, a sign that drove him crazy and filled him with male pride at the fact that he could give her such sensations. Only him.
Her hands glided round his shoulders, and he flinched without meaning to.
She instantly broke the kiss. "Gideon, what is wrong?"
He gave her shy smile, already missing the absence of her mouth against his. His lips felt suddenly naked. "Well, my love, you seem to have left...marks, down my back." He told her gently, anticipating how she would react. He had felt her nails dig into him last night, but the fact that it was an act of pure passion had made him enjoy it all the more.
She instantly froze underneath him. "Marks on your back…" She trailed off and then yelped when the reality of his words hit him. "Oh, by the Angel!" Her hand flew to her mouth to muffle her gasp of shock.
He smiled at that, pleased that she had become so familiar with the Shadowhunter world that she even used their phrases now. He kissed her, finding her embarrassed shock so endearing that his heart clenched at the sight of her wide eyes and blushing cheeks. "I do not mind in the slightest. In fact, it was rather enjoyable for me too. I'd happily let you do it again."
She gazed up at him as if he was mad, but then softened and allowed a little smile to appear on her face, lighting her hazel eyes. "I'm so embarrassed." She admitted, burying her head into his chest.
"Don't be." He dismissed her, and when she looked up at him, he moved to kiss her again, biting playfully on her lower lip. "Now, where were we?"
She allowed him to deepen the kiss, clearly forgetting about her embarrassment. Her hand did flatten on his back, as if she was worried about scratching him again, but as he turned his lips to her neck and sucked, she arched her back and clutched his hair. Her tiny intake of breath stirred his arousal even more.
As he started to trail kisses down her neck, Gideon started to feel a little nervous. Although he had been telling the complete truth when he told Sophie that before her, his virtue had been intact, he still heard things from other gentlemen, and he found himself wanting to find them out for himself. He just hoped he wouldn't disappoint her…
For a man who had never been scared of anything, even the dark, he found the sudden feeling of uncertainty quite unusual indeed. But, as Sophie's warm body lay pressing underneath his, his worry faded as he focused on her. He wanted to prove to her how much he adored her, and he knew that, if he did this right, she would enjoy it immensely. The thought of her blissful happiness gave him all the courage he needed.
He made his way over her collarbones, down the space between her breasts before giving each of them some attention - which, he noted, Sophie enjoyed very much, as she panted and squirmed beneath him - and started down her stomach when suddenly there was a palm on his forehead, lifting his head, preventing him from going further.
"And where are you going?" She asked, her chest panting. The strain in her voice showed the internal battle she was having with herself about stopping him.
He smiled reassuringly at her. "You know that I wouldn't harm you, right?"
She nodded. "Of course,"
"And you trust me?" He checked, battling his desire as he wanted to ensure that if he was to do this, she would be completely comfortable with it.
At that, she smiled. "With my life."
"I want to do something for you." He went on, kissing above her belly button. It brought him great joy to know that he had touched every inch of her body, and yet he still burned to feel her under his hands, under his lips. She was far too intoxicating. "Consider it a late wedding present, my love."
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then as Gideon drew his mouth further down, she threw her head back and gasped. Soon enough, he was nestled between the legs, parting them gently with one hand before his mouth was on her. Something deep and overpowering took over him when he realised just how ready she was for him, and how he hadn't even started yet but she was already glistening in anticipation.
Unable to deny her anything, he brought his lips against her.
Sophie inhaled sharply, her breathing momentarily stopping as he slowly began.
At first, he was simply guessing what to do, piecing together when he thought was right and going off instinct, listening to her soft moans and gasps as encouragement that whatever he was doing, he was doing okay. He blew out, his breath tickling her, before his tongue explored her again, her taste sweet and inviting, tingling his tastebuds in such a way that caused him to moan against her.
Sophie writhed on the bed, her eyes closed, her head thrown back, and her lips parted as all manner of sounds escaped her body. He would never have thought that she could produce such noises, and it thrilled him. Male pride surged through him at the fact that he could create such pleasures for her.
"Gideon, oh my..." She bit her lower lip, one of her hands gripping his sandy-coloured hair tightly as she fought to contain herself. Her back was arching, lifting her chest, creating a curve down her stomach to him, and the sight stole his breath from his lungs.
Her fingers latched onto his hair, but he didn't even feel her tight grip. He was completely lost in the sounds coming from his wife and the feel of her most sensitive, warm area pressing against his tongue. With his hold on her waist, he pulled himself even closer to her, his nose rubbing against her nub and causing her to whimper. Her entire body was trembling as her release approached.
Her noises spurred him on, giving him all the confidence he needed to continue. It struck that him that something that he had wanted to do for her personal pleasure was also giving him such enjoyment. Every nose, every time her hands gripped his hair or scratched his neck lightly, every time her body squirmed - it was enough to have him almost fall apart.
He closed his eyes, focusing all his attention to what he was doing, as his tongue continued to swirl and lick and his mouth sucked until Sophie let out one last moan and succumbed to her pleasure. Gideon lapped up what she had to offer before leaning back and looking down at the glorious sight before him; his wife, laying completely bare to him, her cheeks flushed and her eyes closed as her body shook from the waves of her release.
He settled beside her, and she opened her eyes. "That was...incredible." She whispered, panting heavily.
"You are incredible." He corrected her, laying an open-mouthed kiss on her shoulder. Her skin was slightly salty. "Does this mean that you'd let me do that again?"
She smiled. "Oh, yes." She reached over, gripping his chin so she could gently ease him to her. She kissed him, tasting herself on his lips. When they parted, she looked at him with questioning, slightly nervous eyes, and she looked ready to ask him a question. But, her stomach than rumbled, making them both chuckle.
"I'll go and find us something to eat." He told her, amused.
"But, I was going to-"
He kissed her sweetly. "I know. Trust me, it's tearing me apart to have to leave you like this, when there are so many things I want to do to you, but what sort of husband would I be if I let my wife have her wicked way with me whilst she went hungry?"
"A satisfied one," Sophie muttered under her breath.
Gideon threw his head back as he laughed, and then he rolled out of bed, rather reluctantly and grabbed his clothes while she shamelessly watched. "I'll be back before you know it." He promised, taking one last glance at his wife before ducking out of the room, fuelled by urgency and wanting.
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He could not avoid Gabriel forever, he had just been hoping to avoid him for a little while, but clearly, Gabriel had other ideas. Gideon had been bombarded practically the second he had left the room, and followed down to the kitchen quarters.
"Were you waiting outside this whole morning?" Gideon demanded, but his voice didn't hold any annoyance. He was far too blissful to feel any sort of anger or irritation, although he knew that if anyone could wear him down, it would be Gabriel.
Gabriel smirked as he walked at his brother's side. "Please, I respect your privacy, and Sophie's. I just happen to have good timing. Besides, I only have to look at you to know how you've been occupying your time."
Having made sure he had looked presentable enough to keep his and Sophie's activities private, Gideon could only glare at his brother. Subconsciously, he ran a hand through his hair.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Not like that. Your hair is fine. What I meant was there's no tension in your body whatsoever, brother. Usually, you're as coiled as a spring."
Gideon ignored that comment. "Do you not have some sort of training to be doing, rather than harassing me?"
"It is the role of the younger brother to harass, and I take my role very seriously." Gabriel said, but he dropped the subject all the same. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that I'm happy for you, really happy. You deserve this, and so does Sophie. She's good for you and I'm sorry that I haven't always been so...supportive about your relationship."
Gidoen looked over at his brother and affectionately patted his shoulder, forgetting his previous annoyance instantly. Gabriel had never been one to voice his emotions, they had that in common. While Gideon usually kept his thoughts to himself, Gabriel had always resorted in reflecting his true feelings by saying things that could be taken harshly by people who didn't know him well enough. Right now, though, he was being genuine. There was no mask on his face or sarcasm to his words. He was being open and honest.
"That means a lot, Gabriel. Especially after everything with Tatiana." Gideon did not miss the look that flashed on his brother's face. Tatiana still seemed a sensitive subject between them, and he could tell that Gabriel still hadn't quite figured out what to do about their sister's cold behaviour.
It pained him. The three of them were close in age, so they had often played together as children. As it became more obvious that Tatiana was not as keen on Shadowhunter ways as her brothers, she had stopped joining in. However, Gideon and Gabriel had always been protective of her, so it hurt now that she had chosen to stand with another family over them. A small, logical part of Gideon's brain tried to reason with him that Tatiana had probably felt that same betrayal when she had learnt of their new loyalty to the London Institute, but he pushed it away. He hadn't forgiven her for the things she had said about Sophie, and he doubted he ever truly would.
He sighed. "I'm sorry I let her leave without giving you the chance to speak to her. She's just as much as your sister as she is mine, and you should have had some time with her. I apologise for rushing her out and not taking your feelings into consideration."
Gabriel blinked in surprise; Gideon hardly ever apologised. He had always been too proud for that. But, there was no anger in his tone when he responded to his brother. "I understand. What she said about Sophie was out of order, and also what she said about you, and I, regarding what happened with Father. I'm going to write to her, see if she wants to talk to me. We do need a discussion between us, I'm just not too certain on whether I'm ready for it yet."
Gideon was not surprised by this. Gabriel deserved to try to savor a relationship with their sister, even if right now, Gideon wanted nothing to do with her. He was, however, pleasantly surprised by how mature Gabriel was being about the whole thing. Gabriel had always been head-strong, running into things head first without pausing to assess the situation, in contrast to Gideon's calm, cool collectedness. If Gideon was the sturdy rock in the river, Gabriel was the fast flowing current. His brash behaviour had often gotten him in a lot of dangerous situations growing up. Now, he seemed to have grown up a lot, and Gideon realised he should be giving his brother more credit. As much as Gideon himself had changed, Gabriel had also learnt from the past.
"There may be a time, brother, when we are all a family again." Gideon told him, not wanting to give him false hope, but also not wanting to make Gabriel question whether he should attempt to smoothen things with Tatiana. Deep down, Gideon wanted that. "Until then, we have each other."
"By the Angel," Gabriel said teasingly. "I think I'll take Tatiana's madness over your soppiness, Gideon. You've turned soft."
Gideon chuckled at that. "It would seem that way, but I wouldn't get used to it." He said as they took the staircase and descended into the second lowest floor of the Institute, the last being the sanctuary.
"Right, I'll leave you to it." Gabriel said as they arrived at the kitchen and Gideon started to place bread rolls onto a tray. "I get it, you need your strength to be able to fulfil all your husbandly duties…"
The younger Lightwood ducked just in time to avoid a bread roll colliding with his face.
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I love Gideon and Gabriel's relationship. I really feel like its quite complex; two head-strong men who carry the burden of their fathers on their shoulders as they try to become better people. So, I had to add that little bit of brotherly affection into the end of this chapter, whilst ensuring that Gabriel still acted like the younger brother who enjoys teasing. I'm looking forward to exploring their dynamic.
I wanted to do this chapter from more of Gideon's point of view, as the last few have been centred mainly around Sophie. I also wanted to show just how comfortable Sophie has already become around Gideon, even though she is still slightly reserved. She feels safe with him, and I hope that reflects in this chapter.
Hope you enjoyed!
- E x