Here be smut! Be warned. This chapter is high tension, but that will ease up in the next chapter. Read at your own discretion, and please review if you have a moment.
Neither DG nor Cain knew how to find sleep that night. He couldn't be sure what had happened to his men; it was likely that many could have escaped as he and Dg had done, but equally likely that they were burned in their beds. The situation in that part of the OZ was more dire than Cain had anticipated, and certainly he had been downright foolish allowing DG to come with him. Her presence unsettled him at every moment. Holding her to his chest, near to his heart, made him feel like a whole man. She didn't fill the hole Adora had left and nobody ever would, but DG filled a new piece of his soul, one he hadn't even known was missing.
Adora was his first of many things: first love, first wife, first mother of his first child, first devastation… Cain wished he could give DG the right of firsts, but he couldn't give her the same life he gave Adora, and he didn't want to. Making her into a farm wife would take that right from Jeb's mother, and he wasn't comfortable with that. Besides, DG was the Crown Princess of the OZ; he couldn't take her away to a quaint farm even if he wished it.
Certainly, Adora hadn't been his first kiss or first intimacy, and he hadn't felt the kind of unbridled passion for her that he now felt for DG. Perhaps that was DG's first: first true passion. Cain wanted her, simple as that. He wanted to revel in the smooth curve of her hips. He wanted so badly to find some place with locks, where they could be alone, to forget the events of the night. Here in the drafty inn, they had a small room with attached washroom, and hefty locks on the doors. It wasn't romantic, but she was pressed to his body, and not even Papay could break down that door. Now, he needed her.
DG shifted in the Tin Man's arms so that hers were wrapped around his torso. She could hear the faint thud of his heart through his shirt and it made her feel like she was a part of him. For all she knew, Cain was all she had left in the world. Whoever had attacked them had a fair shot of making it to the Emerald City, where her parents were staying the night. What if something happened to them? Cain felt so safe, like all his love for her had created a massive shield to keep them safe for the night. DG wondered what he was thinking about behind his emotionless eyes.
She considered what he had said to her in the tent earlier. His dedication to her was a bit intimidating, but she wasn't sure why it frightened her. He would never abandon her, of that she was sure. He would give everything he had to keep her safe—that was it. DG knew that he would trade his own life for hers in an instant, a thought that DG couldn't bear. Just the notion of seeing him die for her made her stomach jump into her throat. She realized very suddenly how much she wanted to invest in him for that very same reason: they both could die, the fire had shown her that. If she had to spend the rest of her life running from the unknown dangers, she'd prefer to do it with a man that loved her.
She couldn't deny his magnetism in the slightest; seeing him descend the ballroom stairs a new man had awoken something inside her. He was the man that filled her dreams, the man who had kissed her when she asked. She was sure that he would relieve the aching need in her body too; all she had to do was ask again. Her leg was well past being in working order, but she was willing to risk the pain for him. She needed him, Wyatt Cain, the man who loved her.
"You ought to shower," she murmured, the first one to break the silence since he found her in the woods.
"I suppose," he replied.
"I'll be all right while you're in there," she said.
"Don't open the door for anyone," he said softly, unwinding his arms from around her and sitting up.
DG shook her head. "Promise."
Cain nodded. DG tried to smile but she just couldn't manage it. He stroked her cheek in silent reassurance and stood from the bed. He gave her one last glance that was filled with an emotion DG couldn't quite identify, and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind. The water began to run and then Cain's boots hit the wooden floor with a thunk.
Cain let the water wash over his head, resting it against the wall. He had seen one face in the blaze that jarred him, a face from his nightmares, from the past. Had it been real? If it was the same face he thought it was, they were in grave danger. Soft, small hands slid around his waist and came to rest on his chest. Silky skin pressed against his back. He hadn't heard her come in. He was definitely not himself.
DG rested her cheek against Cain's bare back. The sight of his posture had brought her to tears. For once, he looked weak. She had never seen him look that way, even when she first saw him all those months ago, in the hologram, projected against his deserted house.
He grasped one of her hands and held it against his heart.
"Let me wash you," she whispered.
He turned towards her slowly, while DG took up the bar of soap from a small ledge. It smelled of lemon. Cain was all muscle, just as she had imagined the night of the ball. DG began washing him at his left shoulder, moving down his hulking arm with the bar of soap. She turned his hand in hers, washing the soot from under his nails. She completed the other arm in the same manner. The more methodical she took to the task, the less likely she would be to lose her nerve and jump him, however tempting.
All the while, he watched her. She was unembarrassed to be next to his naked body, naked herself as if that was her natural state. Her leg appeared to be stained with a purple-ish black ink and it made him cringe. She was standing with most of her weight on her right leg, but he could see that she was hurting.
He studied the way her hair curled into little ringlets around her face from the moisture, the way it framed the curves of her shoulders and still lower to her breasts, where one long tendril kissed the top of her nipple. He cleared his throat and looked towards the ceiling, trying to stifle the blush in his cheeks because men don't blush… ahem.
DG washed his torso next, and then turned him so she could scrub his back. Cain was glad for this; he was straining for her, in a place he hoped she wouldn't expect to wash. He was ashamed of himself for reacting to her like an over-eager teenager, but who could blame him? The woman he loved was washing his body, naked herself, and unashamed.
"Turn around," she said.
He hesitated, looking down at his manhood that would betray him if she saw.
"Wyatt, I'm not finished."
"It's not proper," he muttered, awkwardly.
"A princess of the OZ is naked in your shower. We are way past proper," she said, smiling. "You're not the first man I've seen naked, Wyatt."
"And yet, that oddly doesn't make me feel better," he growled.
"You've already faced me once like this."
"Not like this, I haven't."
"Why are you afraid of letting me see you like that? What do you think will happen?" she asked, crossing her arms. The metallic sound of the water hitting the tiles filled a long pause.
"You'll think I can't control myself."
"I would not be naked with you in this shower if I expected or even wanted you to control yourself. I want you to abandon control, Wyatt." DG slid one finger down his him and stepped closer to him. "I know you want something. You've said it before. Are you afraid of what might happen if we do?"
"Your leg—"
"I'll be fine. Some increased circulation will do it good."
Cain glanced at her over his shoulder. He didn't know how to say what he was afraid of. This was serious, now. If they consummated these feelings between them, they'd be completely lost to it. He'd already lost one woman he loved. Sure, he could insinuate whatever he wanted, when it was just talk, but acting on it was entirely different. Acting on it meant a commitment, he wasn't the kind of man to sleep with a woman casually. He knew DG didn't love him, and he didn't want to force her into anything. Then again, she was the one who joined him in the shower, who offered to wash him. She was an adult capable of making her own decisions. If she wanted to look at him naked, that was her choice. He was taking an innocent shower when she walked in; nobody forced her in there. I mean, the fact that she was naked meant she must be okay with it. Adults can be naked together without anybody losing their heads. He had no reason to be embarrassed—
"Move your hands," she said.
Slowly, Cain did so, though he thought it unwise. Her hand put slight pressure on his hip and he turned towards her. DG lathered soap in her hands and set the bar on the ledge. Gently, she swirled the soap on his stomach, moving lower towards Cain's manhood. When her small hand touched him, he inhaled sharply. Cain grabbed her wrist to still her hands, but DG didn't let go.
"Kiss me?" she asked.
Cain bent towards her and pressed his lips to hers as he had the first time she asked. She teetered on her one usable leg, leaning into him for balance as he kissed her. Swiftly, he wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground. Likewise, DG wrapped her right leg around his waist to get closer. He groaned against her lips, pressing her against the wall as she worked him to his full length.
The warm cascade of water from the showerhead split at Cain's shoulder, running down his back one way, and then drenching DG's arm as she put a hand to his straining jaw. DG gasped for air, and Cain began to kiss across her jaw to her neck; hot, open-mouthed kisses that left DG wondering why she hadn't jumped him much sooner.
His free hand found the outer curve of her breast, then the smooth hollow at her waist, and then the gentle bow of the hip that he had so longed to explore. Cain relished the way her skin pulled taut beneath his hand. He was careful not to touch her left leg as much as possible, but it was becoming very difficult to muster any coherent thought.
"So," he breathed against her collarbone, "you've seen other men naked?"
"Doesn't really matter now," she replied, stroking his shaft. "I need you. Just you."
Cain hooked his arm beneath DG's left leg gently, behind her knee where the bruise and the injury didn't reach. He cradled her knee in the crook of his elbow. She gasped as her bottom bumped roughly against the soap ledge, banishing the bar of soap to the floor of the shower. Cain released her waist and took both of her hands in his, pinning them above her head.
Warmth zinged through her core as he lowered his head to her upturned nipple. He laved the eager bud, drawing it between is lips. His teeth grazed the tender skin and DG trembled with pleasure.
"Oh," she murmured, attempting to quell the urge to moan loudly in an inn with paper-thin walls.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked quickly.
"Oh God, no, don't stop," she begged, straining for him.
Cain turned his attention to her other breast, teasing her tender nipple until she was practically writhing in his arms. He lowered her hands once more, placing them on his shoulders. DG's eyes were wild, touched with a shade of dark passion and pleasure. Cain skimmed his free hand down the inside of her left thigh gently, making sure he wasn't hurting her. DG's wild eyes fluttered closed. His fingers found her center and entered her tenderly to make sure she was ready for him.
DG's head fell back and she linked her hands behind his neck. He looked at her for approval and stilled. She glanced at him and he smiled slightly, raising an eyebrow in question. DG stroked the nape of his neck, smiled, and then inclined her head up to catch his lips.
He positioned himself at the place she wanted him most and pushed inside slowly, allowing their bodies to adjust to one another. DG's breath left her. She broke away from his lips with a gasp. Cain's hips retreated and then returned, thrusting into her. DG rolled her hips in sync with him, trying to ignore the dull ache in her leg and give over to the pleasure. The sound of their skin meeting echoed in the small bathroom, while the sound of DG's blissful moans was surely audible to the surrounding rooms, but she didn't care.
Cain felt he wouldn't last long, and he picked up the pace, enticing every little sound from DG's throat. He loved her body with everything he had in that moment, in the desperation they both felt. DG was losing control, reaching, crying out for release. As she tightened around him, Cain fought to stay ahead of her release, thrusting into her forcefully. He muffled her cry as she came with a kiss, and then pulled out of her quickly, emptying himself.
Neither one of them moved for a moment. Cain looked at her as she let out a particularly satisfied breath. DG smiled and began to laugh quietly.
"Well," she grinned.
"Well," Cain replied, smiling. He kissed her again and then let her legs down slowly. "Better wash up."
This time, it was Cain who washed DG. He combed his fingers through her hair, washed every part of her with the wayward bar of soap. When they were both clean, Cain shut off the water and then lifted DG from behind her knees and around her back. He carried her out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, stopping by a shelf to have her grab two towels for them. He set her on her feet again near the bed and wrapped a towel around her.
"When you're dry, lay down so I can I have a look at your leg," Cain said. He kissed her forehead and then wrapped a towel around his own waist, heading for the bathroom. When he emerged, Cain was dressed again in his uniform, but he left off his coat and boots. DG lay on the bed with the towel around herself.
"I didn't know if you wanted me to dress," she said quickly, when she saw he was dressed.
"It's all right," Cain smiled. "Your nakedness doesn't offend me."
"I know," she said.
He chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed beside her. DG's leg looked worse than it had in the forest, but then again he only saw it in the moonlight. "I'm worried."
"I don't know what's wrong with it. I don't think it's the bone," DG said.
"Neither do I. It could be tissue death, which unfortunately has a very final cure." Cain frowned.
"That's not an option," she said.
"It might have to be, DG. I just want you to prepare yourself for that," he said, touching her cheek. "We've got a lot of running to do yet, and you're not fit to walk or ride. Whatever lies ahead could make it impossible for you to recover."
"I'll recover," she said, scooting around him and off the bed to reach for her clothes on the floor. She hobbled to the bathroom with her wad of clothes and closed the door.
Cain sighed. He hoped that she would recover, because if she didn't, he'd probably be the one removing her leg with the knife in his pocket and lots of prayer to the Gods he had long abandoned. "Heck," he thought, "I'd better pray to them now, before we're back on the road with the unknown dangers."
The toilet flushed in the bathroom and DG emerged a few moments later. Her eyes were red and glassy.
"What is it?" Cain asked, standing to meet her in the doorway.
She looked up at him and tried to blink back the tears. "What will I do?" she murmured.
He didn't know what to tell her, so he pulled her into his embrace, circling his arms around her. They were only at the beginning of a long road, and Cain didn't have the map.
A/N: Phew. What's in store for Cain and DG next? If you have suggestions for things you'd like to see in future chapters, please let me know! I appreciate and often take suggestions. :)