[A/N]: it is hereeeee! A beauty of more than 7k words, I hope you guys enjoy it. And please leave some feedback behind, because y'all know how insecure I am about my smutty scenes by now :'D

The chapter title comes from "Catch Me If You Can" by Walking on Cars.

Their gazes locked and neither of them moved, both of them like prey caught in a trap. Witnessing the commander like this, eye widened slightly and arms dangling by his sides, at any other moment she would have laughed until she started crying. Now, however, she only felt like pulling her clothes on again, or diving into the pool. Perhaps both.

Instead, however, she pushed herself off the ground, opened her mouth, and snapped, "What are you doing here?" At the back of her mind, she recognised the voice of the 'Old Gwen'. The Gwen who had been uncertain and angry, who had lashed out at anyone who came too close. At least, she liked to think that she was no longer that person.

"What are you doing here?" Iorveth retorted, still not moving.

As she made her way to him, without giving in to the urge to cover herself, his hands curled into fists and he broadened his shoulders ever so slightly. As if bracing himself for impact. Though he kept his eye trained on her face, the rest of her body seemed to burn under the weight of his gaze, and her skin almost felt like it had become too small, too tight for her own flesh. The rough pebbles on the ground that pricked into her foot only seemed to amplify the sensation, but she ignored it all until she stood in front of the elf and placed her hands on her hips.

Daring him to look.

He accepted the challenge headfirst, lips pressed into a thin line, and he squinted at her.

Being in such close proximity to the man reminded her of the plight of her body that had brought her in this situation to begin with. Her skin could have melted away in that moment, and still she would have had to resist the urge to rake her nails down her body, to dig deeper, to draw blood, anything to distract—

One green eye flickered down. At once it widened again and flew back up, as if he knew that he had lost.

But there was no time to gloat or to sulk, or even to breathe, for Gwen had already crushed her lips to his. The elf had opened his mouth, probably to say something, and she took the opportunity to plunge her tongue into the space beyond. Ignoring how his armour chafed against her bare skin, she pressed her body closer to his to deepen the kiss.

All the while, she held her hands in the air. She wouldn't touch him, restrain him, force him. He could break away and punish her accordingly for what she had done if he wished to.

Gloved fingers caught her wrists and pushed her away. When he didn't let go, she dangled there in front of him, standing on the tips of her toes. She watched him from beneath half-lidded eyes with bated breath, her teeth chewing on her lower lip. Her body tensed as she awaited her punishment.

"What are you doing?" the elf asked again, though the heat behind his words had dissipated. His voice was both low and soft, and his words brushed against her face like a caress. It seemed that the commander had disappeared together with his anger, and all that now stood before her was the man himself, with all his hopes and fears. His, not those of his people.

"You," Gwen heard herself say. Blood rushed to her cheeks and, without thinking, she added, "I want to do you."

Iorveth looked like he did not comprehend what was going on. He tightened his grip on her wrists, and she watched him narrow his eyes at her. "But you said—"

"I know what I said!" she exclaimed, desperate and exasperated. "I also know what you said. Slow down, you said. But that's not what I wanted. I only want you, and nothing else. Not the past, not the memories, not the… the trauma. Just you."

"What do you want me to do, then? What do you propose, Gwenfrewi?" Iorveth snapped at her. "That I rape you, as the others did?"

What did she want from him? She had been so focussed on what she didn't want, that she hadn't even thought about that. No, that wasn't true; she wanted to touch and be touched by him. She wanted to forget everything. She wanted him to replace it all.

She swallowed hard and turned her gaze away from him, suddenly conscious of the fact that he practically held her naked form in his arms. And despite her prior declaration of 'wanting to do him', she found it difficult to force herself to say the next few words.

"What are you mumbling?" Iorveth turned his head to the side and moved his ear closer.

"I… I want you to show me how it's done, then."

When the elf looked back, eye widened yet again, he was greeted by her determined, albeit flushed, face. "You mean—"

She nodded once.

He lowered her arms so that both her feet were flat on the ground.

"Are you—"

She nodded again.

He reached up and pushed her gently. Her back came to rest against the scratchy trunk of a tree. His eye seemed to darken ever so slightly, and she realised that, if he did not touch her at once, she did not know what she would do.

"At any moment, if you—"

She threw her head back and let out an exaggerated groan.

The sound turned into a whimper when the man's lips found the throat she had bared to him and the vines that decorated it, his teeth grazing the soft skin there. His hands slid up the length of her arms, the tips of his fingers digging into her shoulders, keeping her still as he sucked on the nape of her neck, causing her to melt in his hold.

Somehow she managed to think coherently enough to place a hand on top of his and to tug at the fabric of his gloves. He lowered his mouth to her collarbone and released her shoulders long enough for her to remove his gloves, which were covered in scratches – a testimony to the many battles this man had fought.

Moan after moan tore its way out of her throat. Though her mind was blank – by now Iorveth's hold on her was all that kept her from falling – her fingers found their way around his armour with ease now, releasing buckles and pushing armour out of the way until she could press her chest against his. They both already shone with drops of sweat, and any other moment the friction between their bodies would have driven her mad. In that moment, however, it took off some of the pressure that he must have felt too.

"Iorveth," she said almost pleading, and he pulled back at once.

She grasped the opportunity with both hands, literally; one on each cheek. Her right hand slid his leather strap back while she lifted the scarf with the other. They fell to the ground behind the elf, and she rested the pads of her thumbs upon his cheekbones. He inhaled sharply before he dipped his head down, lips capturing hers fiercely.

Their mouths melded, and Gwen's hands slipped down, moving from his face to his shoulders, along his sides and to his back, where they rested upon the curve of his backside. The commander tensed beneath her hands when she squeezed him, and she couldn't help but grin into the kiss.

Iorveth promptly let go of one of her shoulders, calloused fingers travelling down her body as well. Traced the edges of her breasts – never too far away, but also never close enough. Teased the ticklish spots just below her hipbones, which elicited a whine from her. Slipped further down, worming its way between their bodies and between her legs, where she had had hers only a short while ago.

If this was his way of having revenge, she could hardly comp—

He squeezed her clit, and she all but squealed in surprise. Now he grinned into the kiss, his tongue diving deeper this time, as if to stop her from protesting. Before she could do anything else, he slipped his hand farther between her thighs, one finger gliding along her slick inner lips. Gwen watched from beneath her eyelashes how the elf raised a brow – the one above his mutilated eye – as she felt his smirk widen.

A hot breath hung between them in the sudden absence of the other when he broke the kiss and pulled his hand back at a torturously slow pace. The half-elf did not recognise the look on his face as she watched him with a tilted head, feeling strangely empty at the lack of contact between the two of them. Though he kept his gaze fixed on her, she saw his finger as it came into view, and felt her heart beating like the hooves of a galloping horse across a wide plain.

"Seems like you—" Iorveth stopped when he saw the blood coating his fingers, his lush green eye widening. In that moment he almost seemed… frightened, if such a thing were possible. "What is this?"

It was in that moment that Gwen realised that Iorveth quite possibly had never witnessed something like this. Then again, it was not as if she had extensively discussed such matters with her mother, so she had no idea whether female elves even experienced something similar. Though she had loved her mother dearly and had needed her advice quite often, there were things for which she had simply been too proud – and shy – to ask. This had only been one of them.

"Have I hurt you?" Iorveth's voice snapped her back to the here and now, and she shook her head, both to clear it and to deny his words.

"I, uhm… A few times a year… Because I'm still… fertile? I think?" was all that the half-elf managed to say in that moment. She could have slapped herself for the way she stumbled over the words like that. Suddenly she felt like a kid again, trying her best to tell her mother about her first bleeding without going into too much detail.

The commander's brows sank again, which Gwen thought was a good sign, just as another thought occurred to her. She had never had the luxury of approaching someone whenever she… bled, but Elric had always seemed to avoid her during these periods, except for a handful of times. Somehow the thought of others actually wanting to avoid the blood had never occurred to her until then.

"If it… I mean, if you'd rather not… I can completely understand?" the half-elf offered with a shy half-smile, opting to stare at his finger instead of his face. She shifted and felt as though her body had shrunk in an attempt to get away from him.

The unit leader put an end to that when his teeth caught her bottom lip, biting it softly and tugging at it, forcing her to come closer again. He did not touch her with that hand, though he snaked his other arm around her waist, his fingers coming to rest on the small of her back as he pulled her flush against him. Heat rose to her cheeks, and she stuttered incoherent words though she had no idea what she wanted to say.

"I am probably not able to have any children myself… But you must make sure to drink that herb tea, to be on the safe side," he murmured, his forehead almost touching hers. When she nodded, he added, "Then I suggest that we move."

Before she could respond, he had fully covered her mouth with his, parting her lips with his tongue and moving it against hers with slow strokes. At the same time, he took a step towards the pool, pulling her along with him. The hand on her back found her butt and returned the squeeze even as he continued to guide her towards the water.

She grumbled against him but did nothing else. Her heart beat against her ribcage like the relentless flurry of attacks Gwynbleidd had rained down upon the arachas, which hadn't had a change against such a mighty opponent. All over, her body felt hot and agitated, expectant and excited for what surely was to come. Aroused.

Nothing but the noise of the cascading waterfall and the sounds they themselves made as they kissed – flesh that clung together, as well as their heavy breathing – penetrated the space that had encapsulated them, disconnecting them from the rest of the world. Though the sweat that covered her made every touch unbearable, breaking apart from the elf almost hurt. Her hands roamed every inch of his bare skin, from the leaves spread across his shoulder to his abdominal muscles, trembling beneath her touch.

When they stopped moving, her feet almost took her into the pool in her inattentiveness. Iorveth pulled his hand away and instead sought the top of his breeches. His knuckles brushed against her stomach as he loosened the knot that held his clothes up, and she pushed them away before undoing them for him instead.

Slowly hooking her thumbs into both his breeches and his underclothes, she heard his breath hitch when she pulled them down a little. She flattened her hand against the skin she had revealed and pushed the fabric down until it pooled around Iorveth's feet. As she followed the garments with her eyes, she couldn't help but notice his penis, no longer soft but not quite hard either, and took an involuntary step back.

Iorveth did not move after her. He stepped out of the pile of clothes and pushed them to the side with a foot, but otherwise he remained still. Gwen saw him curl his hands into fists again, and wondered how difficult it was for him to bare himself like this to her.

He is more than his sex. Look at him, at how he is sacrificing his own comfort for you. He won't hurt you, and you know it. Now just believe.

She had to do this. She wanted to do this. She wanted to reclaim herself and everything that had been taken away from her.

And so she closed the distance between them again and hid her face in the nape of his neck. The smell of leather and sweat all but overwhelmed her, adding to the need that was boiling deep inside of her, which might overflow any moment now.

"Are you—" Iorveth began, his voice even rougher than usual, but his breath caught in his throat when she palmed his length, fingers tentatively wrapping themselves around him, and kneading him lightly. He moaned instead, and the sound raised goose bumps across Gwen's arms.

She felt him swell a little in her grasp and found that pleasure she always got from reducing the legendary Iorveth to this. Though she moved slowly, as though taming a dangerous beast, his body reacted to her every touch, muscles stiffening and relaxing with the rhythm created by her motions. He found one of her nipples and pinched it, watched it harden. The half-elf gasped and squeezed him harder than she had wanted.

This time he pressed his face against her hair as he let out another throaty moan. Then, all of a sudden, he grasped her wrist and lowered himself to the ground, his feet spilling water onto the shore as he slipped them into the pool. Caught by his hand, Gwen had to follow him down.

She slid into the water herself, barely registering the coolness of it against her hot skin, and positioned herself between his legs, never once letting go of his manhood. With the sudden distance between them, she could observe the reactions she caused with her own eyes. How his member twitched as it continued to harden, how his muscles rippled beneath his skin as his entire body tightened with anticipation. How he closed his eye, placed his hands behind him so he could lean back.

The guttural sounds he made caused her body to tingle all over, and she found herself torn between pleasuring him and asking to be touched. But the look on his face, serene despite the fact that he was biting his lip and frowning, egged her on. Carefully, she moved her hand lower and cupped his testicles, her eyes never leaving the elf's face.

Suddenly he snaked a hand between her thighs again, pulling her closer with the other on her hip. No longer able to hold him comfortable like this, she released him and placed her hands on his shoulders. Resting her weight against him, she tried to spread her legs as much as possible while standing on the tips of her toes.

"Ah—"

He slipped one finger into her, adding another immediately afterwards. Slowly, so slowly, he pulled back, dragging the length of his fingers across her inner walls before sliding back in. He placed his other hand against her pelvis and rubbed her clit – which she only now realised was throbbing and aching – with his index and middle finger.

"Oh!" Now that she was receiving that which she had craved, the sensation almost overloaded her with elation. It felt as though a sorceress had cast a lightning spell on her, the hairs on her arms and neck standing on end. In that moment, she feared that she might erupt.

And this was only the beginning, or so she hoped.

With that thought at the back of her mind, the half-elf moved closer towards Iorveth. Bending down slightly, she ran her tongue along his lips though he had already parted them. His came to greet hers, moving against it in a manner that reminded her of the fingers inside of her. If she stopped thinking about what he was doing to her, it was almost as though his tongue filled her instead, and she shivered.

The elf pulled back, perhaps to ask whether she wanted to stop, but she went after him just as quickly. Without breaking the kiss, she placed her hands on either side of his hips, leaning over him, and crawled on top of him. He pulled his arms back, startled, but he moved along with her either way.

He leaned back on his elbows, captured on all sides by her hands and knees, and stared up at her with raised bows. They sat like that for a few moments, gazing at each other as if put under a spell.

And perhaps they were, for the entire forest around them seemed to have disappeared. Their world consisted of nothing but their bodies and the water that lapped at Iorveth's legs and clung to Gwen's skin, refusing to let go just yet. Bottle green met amber, both darkened with lust, and all else melted away, until even their hearts seemed to beat as one.

Until the half-elf moved closer, pressing her mouth to the freckles on his neck. He leaned his head back, and she began to suck on the tender piece of flesh. When he moaned loudly, Gwen couldn't help but grin. The last thing she had expected was for him to be the type who would enjoy such a thing. She always thought herself weak when he did it to her… Now she couldn't help but wonder whether he felt the same in that moment.

Then she noticed something pricking into her stomach. Glancing down, she realised Iorveth's dick was hard, and she decided that he didn't feel bad at all and was only enjoying the moment. Probably a bit too much.

She had complete power over him, and he let her… He trusted her. So she had to trust him, too.

Nipping at the spot she had left on his throat, she reached down for his cock, slender fingers once more gripping it steadily, as if to compensate for the sudden trembling in her limbs. Whether it was out of anxiety or excitement, she did not know. Truthfully, she did not care either; she had already spent too much time thinking. Now she simply wanted to do.

Him, specifically.

Iorveth glanced at her with startling clearness, despite the fact that he had been all but melting beneath her moments ago, though he would never admit it. He opened his mouth, but she did not let him finish – or begin, even.

Before he could do so, she had positioned herself above him, holding his penis just so as she lowered her body on top of him. Perhaps having sex was liking riding a horse; something one never forgot to do, no matter how many years had passed by. The feeling of someone inside of her was one she had never truly forgotten either, or so it seemed.

Her breath hitched and she closed her eyes as if that would banish the image of Elric hovering over her. During their first time, he had waited for her to adjust to him. The times after that, however, not so much… Once he had realised that he could get away with everything, he stopped taken her into consideration, instead only seeking to pleasure himself.

If only she had been stronger. Perhaps if she hadn't given in so easily, or if she had demanded more of him… Then perhaps he wouldn't have used her as his plaything, as something to pass his time with. Perhaps she wouldn't have given birth to his son. Perhaps she wouldn't be here, struggling to give her heart to the person in front of her…

Nails dug into her hips, dragging her out of her thoughts and back to reality. At the pool, with Iorveth. With Iorveth in her.

He was biting his lip and holding back a moan – she could see it in the tautness of his shoulders and neck – even as he tried to keep her grounded. In a soft voice he managed to ask, "Do you want to continue?"

The sight and sound of him almost made her heart burst, and it seemed that, in that moment, something inside of her finally decided to let go of the past. Even if it was just until the night reclaimed her.

A small smile managed to find its way onto her face, and she placed her hands on his chest and rolled her hips once. She felt the rumbling beneath her palms even as the sound of his grunt reached her ears, telling her to repeat the motion. This time she couldn't help but moan as well. In turn, Iorveth's hips rose to meet hers, and she had to squeeze his chest in order to keep what little control she still had over her movements.

To be so close to him after holding herself back for so long… It was a miracle she had retained her sanity this long to begin with.

Iorveth raised a hand to hers, traced her fingers before he gently wrapped it around her wrist. Then he slid it upwards, leaving behind that invisible trail of fire she had almost gotten used to as he moved it past her elbow. There, it followed the pattern of the vines across her arm, along her shoulder, up her throat. His hand cupped her cheek for the blink of an eye before he moved it through her hair – which now almost reached past her jawline – to the back of her head.

While he did this, the half-elf did not stop rocking her hips back and forth, although the rhythm waned even before it picked up as she watched him. His eye had dilated so much that the green around his iris had become a shade darker, she noted. They moaned occasionally, softly, as if they didn't want to disturb anybody else.

She went still when he pushed himself up with his free hand while pulling her down with the one caught in her hair. Their lips found each other and he continued to straighten his back until she all but sat in his lap, his arms wrapped around her to close the distance between them. In turn, Gwen encased his waist with her legs, ankles locked behind his back. Though he could not go quite as deep when they sat this way, the feeling of having their bodies connected and entwined in such a manner only added to their fusing.

He breathed in her ear, sighs intertwined with moans, merging with her whimpers every time she lowered herself. The commander gave her free reign, trying his best to keep as still as possible. Once she had established her rhythm again, his hand once more found its way to her breast, kneading it even as his lips found her nipple. The other he removed from her hair and slid between their bodies. Gwen did not realise what he was doing until his thumb touched her clit again, giving it a few strokes as he watched her from below.

Almost as once and without thinking, the half-elf arched her back, pressing her chest harder against his face. Her throat bare, Iorveth's mouth travelled up to suckle on her collar bone. Her whine was torn between pleasure and need, and she gripped his shoulders tightly.

"Ior…" she managed in between gasps.

He at once slowed his pace, and irritation rose within her, melting with her lust, which roared like a dragon. She snapped her head back and tried to scowl at him, but the playful glint in his eye robbed her of her voice. Mostly because she couldn't remember ever having seen Iorveth be playful.

He wasn't afraid of hurting her. He was teasing her.

The corners of his lips curled upwards, and he circled her bundle of nerves lazily. She tightened her hold on him, bit her lip, and closed her eyes. With him watching her so closely, with that look on his face… There was no way she would give him what he wanted.

Except he repeated the movement, adding pressure and dragging it out this time. He tilted his head back and looked down at her, smugly, as he did it once more…

"Ah…" Her face bloomed, as though that dragon had just breathed fire, and she must have been glowing in embarrassment.

He nuzzled her then, the smell of his hair covering her in a blanket that reminded her of home, and murmured, "Don't hold back, at least for me. I want to hear you."

His voice, husky and rough with desire, saying those words right next to her ear… Her body began to move all by itself, and when he moaned, the sound of it ran straight to her core, forcing her to gasp again. He growled and picked up the pace, clutching her breast tightly. When she descended upon him, he thrust into her as he continued his ministrations between her legs.

When it felt like her stomach began to clench in that familiar way, Gwen whimpered both in pleasure and desperation. The wish to reach that climax while at the same time hoping this moment would never end.

And then the pressure on her clit disappeared, leaving her with an immense emptiness, and she froze yet again. That expression had never left Iorveth's face, and only now did she realise he had been watching her this whole time. Gauging her reactions and acting accordingly, most likely. The bastard.

Still, the half-elf couldn't help but smile. She leaned forward and captured his lips in a kiss, which she deepened by lifting a hand to the back of his head and pulling him closer. He returned the gesture with the same amount of vigour, nipping at her lower lip with a chuckle before finally giving in.

In his moment of distraction, she began to roll her hips again, swallowing the noises he poured into her mouth. He in turn resumed the movements of his fingers across her clit. Abandoning her breast, he tugged her closer by sliding his arm around her, his skin like fire against hers. The move must have forced his other arm, the one caught between their bodies, into an even more uncomfortable position.

The turmoil inside of her, which felt like it took on the form of a spiral, began to tighten once more, and continued to do so at an alarming rate. She feared the thought of having it end so soon, and without having been able to give Iorveth anything in return, but she couldn't help but welcome it either.

"Iorveth— I—" she managed in between moans, her voice hoarse and barely more than a whisper. She squeezed his shoulders again, as if that was the only thing keeping her together in that moment.

The unit leader silenced her by trying to continue the kiss and running his tongue along her teeth, teasing her. Adamant and breathing heavily, she turned her head to the side, ignoring him as he licked her cheek instead. Almost… she was almost there… That spiral was about to spring… She had to…

"No, I… I… Iorveth, I-I love you!" she called out when he lifted his hips to meet hers once more, and this time she felt herself coming undone at the seams. All the tension in her body gathered deep inside of her, where it was slowly released by crawling down her limbs, forcing her to curl her toes and dig her nails into Iorveth's flesh.

His fingers faltered for a heartbeat, but when she tensed, closed her eyes tightly and held her breath, they quickly went on. The two of them had shared enough intimate moments for him to know just how to drag her ecstasy out for as long as possible. She had always felt closest to him during her climax, but with him actually inside of her… In this moment, she felt whole, unbroken.

Once her body had released all of its tension, Gwen fell against the elf like a sack of potatoes, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Iorveth pulled his hands back, though he did not make any move to remove her from him, and she opened her eyes to look up at him from her position on his shoulder. Only now did she realise the words that she had spoken in the heat of the moment.

"Iorveth…?" Her voice trailed off.

He didn't look at her. Instead, he stared at something in front of him, though he didn't seem to be registering anything. Gwen watched him, her heart – which hadn't even had the chance to calm down yet – once more jumping in her chest. When he finally lowered his gaze to meet hers, he said, "Is it true?"

Without a moment's hesitation, she said, "Yes."

She couldn't read his emotions, and she felt powerless as she watched him. Waited for him to say something - anything.

He never did respond.

Before she knew it, she was lying on her back with her knees slung over Iorveth's shoulders like a pair of trousers hung over a branch to dry, and he pressed himself into her again. Her body was still sensitive from the attention it had just received, and so she let out a yelp. A trembling hand shot out to grab a fistful of his hair, and she strained to lift her shoulders off the ground while she pulled him closer to her so that she could smash her lips against his.

Her other hand moved to his behind, gripped it tightly, and was slightly taken aback by the moan the move earned her. She had no time to react, though, for Iorveth had already started moving in and out of her at a slow pace, though the force with which he slammed into her caused her to shift across the ground. The pebbles beneath her dug into her back, and she cried out once more, though she wasn't sure whether it was in pain or pleasure. She then decided it was both and slackened her hold on him as she let the feelings wash over her.

Her legs slid down his arms and found his hips, where she wrapped them around him again. At the back of her mind she realised that he now stood in the water, fucking her as she lay at the edge of the pool. She stretched her arms out above her and arched her back, pushing him away from her, and he planted a hand on either side of her waist.

By now he was beginning to pant as well. He sped up, matching speed with power, hitting some spot deep inside of her over and over again, until that damned coil reappeared. He lifted one hand and snaked it in between them to find that button of hers. Though the area was still tender, causing the muscles in her legs to twitch occasionally, she found herself adding to the noises with which he filled the air.

"I—I can't…" she said in between gasps, "…not again…"

He offered her a lopsided grin, his face glistening with sweat, and said, "Yes you can."

Even just the sight of that smile managed to egg her on, combined with his grunts of effort and bliss. But what really did it was him leaning forward and whispering, "Do it again. Do it for me."

Her hair clung to her face. Her skin stuck to his. Stones poked her in the back. Her feet were touching cold water. Even so, she let out moan after high-pitched moan, each one louder than the previous. Somehow she managed to stop her eyelids from closing, and she watched how Iorveth watched her intently, his teeth visible as he bit his lower lip. The hand beside her waist now held onto her body, fingers pressing between her ribs, perhaps trying to keep himself grounded this time. The other continued to circle her clit, never once pausing, until there was only a flurry of euphoria.

Higher, higher she went, even higher than last time. It was right there, but she clenched her hands into fists, tightened her abdominal region, curled her toes, held her breath. Lying as still as possible, she held onto that edge for as long as possible, squint at the elf. Adamant to keep him in her sight.

"I… lo—" he began through gritted teeth, but by then he had already lost her, as indicated by the released breath and the long, low moan that interrupted him.

Refusing to close her eyes, she watched him as he watched her, temporarily incapable of feeling embarrassment. The pleasure that surged through her encompassed her very being, and everything except herself and Iorveth, his body moving against hers, faded away, if only for a short while. Foreseeing the sensitivity after climaxing again, he came to a slow stop before it got that far.

Gwen took in a few ragged breaths as she tried to steady herself. Her body shook all over, and she knew that, if she tried to stand, she would surely fall over. With a sigh, she simply lay there, staring at the treetops towering above her, reminding her of where she was to begin with. She waited until she could hear the sounds of the forest over that of her heart beating in her ears. Then, before he knew it, she was on top of him, pressing his wrists to the ground above his head. Her face hovered over his, and she stared into his eye as though she were trying to hypnotise him.

"Tell me, commander," the half-elf whispered with a trembling voice, "do you not wish to be dominated for once?"

She felt the slight tremor that ran through him and couldn't help but smirk. Though he could easily break her hold on him, he stayed put and merely watched her, his eye still just as dark as before. That was something she would have to remedy, wasn't it?

When she positioned herself above him once more, the commander faltered, the challenge in his expression giving way to something entirely different and unknown to the half-elf. Either way, she took him into her for a third time, immediately rolling with her hips and watching him slacken beneath her.

"Right now, you're no commander. You're just Iorveth. You're nothing, you're nobody. You're mine."

His breathing hitched, cutting off the groan that had been building up. The quickened pace of his heartrate was visible in a vein in the side of his neck, beneath a black leaf which pulsed in time with the beating of his heart. Only now did she notice the redness of his cheeks and throat. The dishevelled state of his body – his hair sticking out at odd angles and marks from her nails and teeth and lips adorning his flesh – added to her sense of satisfaction.

This feeling, a sort of confidence that came from the knowledge that she could bring him pleasure, warmed her insides. And she knew that, as much as she enjoyed bringing him down to this level, he himself savoured the moments in which he was stripped of his title and his duty. When he was simply a man sharing an intimate moment with his lover.

She bent over him as she took in as much of him as possible, felt him go deeper than ever before, and found herself moaning against his ear. A breathy chuckle left her lips when he responded in kind, bucking his hips, and she let him, but not without tracing the edge of his pointy ear with the tip of her tongue.

Iorveth let out a strangled choke and shuddered, his hands flexing against her hold though he held himself back. "S-stop…"

Stilling her movements, Gwen pulled back enough to look him in the face with her brows furrowed and panic welling up inside of her. He could break free from her if she were doing something wrong, right? What had happened? What had she done? "What is it? Have I done something? Are you hurt?"

"You don't have to—"

The tension seeped out of her. "But I want to take care of you, too.".

He laughed a throaty laugh that made her want to interrupt him with a kiss. "I do not need—"

Now she interrupted him by lifting her rump, dragging the movement out until she could almost feel him slip out of her and she took him in again. The elf let out a huff as though blowing his fringe out his eye, though it sounded strained and forced, especially when his legs shook beneath her.

"Yes, yes you do," Gwen replied and she pressed her lips to his.

When he returned the kiss, he relaxed and stopped holding himself in while she began to ride him again. She heightened her speed and he grunted, timing his own movements to grind into her whenever she descended upon him.

It didn't take much longer before he broke free from her grasp after all. He spread one arm out to the side with a clenched fist, pressing it into the dirt, whereas the other reached up to rake his fingers through strands of her hair. Effectively deepening the kiss, her tongue rolled against his in time with their hips, coming together and breaking apart over and over again, as naturally as the leaves that fell to the ground in autumn.

Once she could not go any faster, he moved his head to the side, lips parted and chest rising and falling. The half-elf caressed the freckles on his throat and shoulders, stroking the scars littered across his torso. She continued the kiss along his jawline, and, when Iorveth let out a string of moans, felt it grit beneath her lips.

Nails dug into the back of her skull, and the others found her buttocks. Then he inhaled sharply and held his breath. The body beneath her tensed, and though his grasp on her hurt, she simply went on, whispering sweet nothings to him and trying not to let her voice sound strained.

He thrust hard, suddenly and irregularly, and let out a cry as he emptied himself inside of her for the very first time. Tenderly brushing her hand through his hair, she rode him through his climax and accompanied him through its aftermath, rolling her hips until he stilled her by grabbing her waist.

Lying on top of him, she rested her ear on his chest and listened to his racing heart. Even if she hadn't done so, she would have been able to feel how it thrummed through his entire body, into hers. He was still breathing heavily when she raised her head to take in his face, serene despite the drops of sweat sliding down his blushing cheeks and into his hairline, his ear, down his neck.

Only then did he open his eye to shoot her a sideways glance, though he quickly closed it again. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know," Gwen said before she blew her hair out of her eyes. "But I wanted to."

He laughed then, a hearty laugh that came from somewhere deep inside of him. A place that was probably not reached very often.

They lay there for a while longer. He played with her hair. She drew patterns across his breast. Their sweat dried up and they began to shiver. His heart settled back into its usual rhythm. She felt his cock slip out of her. They knew they had to clean themselves soon.

"I…" Iorveth began after a few more moments. A rumble filled Gwen's ear when he hummed. "We should clean up. Your blood…"

She nodded, but when she tore herself away from him, somehow she felt like she was opening a healing wound. It left her strangely empty, but she ignored it as she slid off of him and into the water. He followed her, and she watched as he cleaned his dick, now small and limp, of the blood and mucous that covered it before she, too, washed herself. They did not speak while they purged their bodies of any signs of sexual activity, though they did not ignore each other.

Just before they left the pool, Iorveth wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He cupped her scarred stomach with two large hands, buried his nose in the nape of her neck, and inhaled deeply. From the corner of her eyes, she noted that his cheeks were still flushed.

Once he let go of her, they climbed out of the pool and gathered their clothes to get dressed. Then they made their way back home, their little fingers hooked as they ascended the hill together in silence.