Watching the way Berwald behaved around the egg became a favorite pastime for me. If I thought I was in love with the little thing, then Berwald could be considered obsessed, truly. The first week, he wouldn't even leave it alone. He switched shifts at work so that either he or I would be at home at all times to look after it. Eventually he gathered that it would be fine by itself for a few hours, and he went to work regularly again. But still, he rushed home every day, checked the temperature of the water, checked the egg itself for any damage.
Perhaps I should have thought it annoying, the way he fawned over it. But no, I thought it rather cute. And, beyond that, I was relieved; I'd feared he wouldn't want it. Even if he said that we could keep it, that didn't mean he had to love it. He could look at the creature that emerged with hatred or even indifference. But it was clear, in the way that he looked after the shell containing the child, that he would love anything that came out as if it were his own.
I felt the same way, of course. But I knew how to care for eggs. I knew that they didn't require much attention at all, heat aside. Because of the aquarium heater, which we'd bought the day after I brought the egg home, it was being kept at a constant temperature which was ideal. Beyond that, not much care was required. It wasn't till the little Mer inside emerged that a parent truly had to devote themselves. Still, I let him be. At least he was excited.
I was too. As much as I felt unprepared, I also felt ready. Sure, it was soon. I realised that I'd have to devote the majority of my time to the baby when it came; Chances were, I'd have to stop working. It would simply be too difficult for me to keep hours and make sure that someone was with the babe at all times. I could tell that Berwald wanted to be the one to stay at home, but his job was the one providing for us, for the most part. My income was just a little extra, to be honest. With luck, I'd be able to apply at the pet store again when the child had matured enough.
But I was ready to forfeit that part of my day. It was small in comparison to a life. I'd choose a baby over work without hesitation. And, with a little bit of practise, I was sure that I'd come to like caring for them. The only thing I was worried about, and I think it was on Berwald's mind as well, was the time we spent together. Point blank, a child would require attention at nearly all times of the day. By living together, we had plenty of privacy and contact, and our schedules allowed for us to spend much of our time with one another. But, with a baby, we'd hardly have time to devote solely to one another. Though we could be near, there would always be another presence. I wasn't stupid; I knew how bad that could be for our still young relationship.
It didn't have to be bad, of course. There was a very strong chance that we could work around it, be better for it. But there was also the distinct possibility that the child could come between us. I couldn't imagine us separating, but it could come to be that we stopped seeing each other romantically. It would be difficult to maintain our intimacy with a baby needing our attention all the time. I'd seen plenty of mates that experienced this. Though they remained with one another, they did not sing together, or kiss. It was sad, but it happened.
I held onto the hope that we'd be stronger than that. I loved Berwald more than words could express, in either of our native tongues. And while I couldn't read his mind, I had a feeling that he returned the sentiment. Even while he doted on the egg, he'd hold me close, press kisses to my temple, dance around the kitchen with me. It was something we shared, and something that would hopefully bring us closer together.
After a few weeks, Berwald started to get antsy. He kept asking how much longer, and wondered what we should do when it hatched. He asked if we shouldn't help the baby out, but I quickly squashed that idea, sending him to work. But before he left, he managed to come to the horrific conclusion that there was a chance neither of us would be at home when it started hatching. I had to promise to quit within the next week to qualm his fears, and I lost track of how many times he claimed he was going to quit too, or take an extended leave of absence. I finally managed to get him going by telling him that you could tell when they were about to hatch. They'd start tapping at the shell about a day before they emerged.
Thankfully, when he returned home, he'd calmed down, and promised to be a good human and continue going to work regularly, so long as I promised to call him on his light-up brick if the baby started hatching. With that, a sense of normalcy set in for us. I did as I'd promised, informing my boss and coworkers that I was expecting, and therefore unfortunately unable to continue working. There were several jokes about how two males could be expecting, but they sent me off with good humor, and the guarantee that I could return if ever I wished. Eduard promised to call on occasion, wanting to continue being friends even without a common work place. He wanted to see the baby when they were born too. I agreed to that, saying my farewell for the time being.
That left me to spend the next few weeks at home, cleaning everything multiple times in my boredom. Usually I'd take walks or visit Matthew when I got bored like that, but I didn't like to leave the house for too long, for fear I wouldn't be there when the egg hatched. It had grown since I'd brought it home, and the shell had hardened. It was only a matter of time.
I would have invited Matthew or Eduard over, but I couldn't run the risk of them being there when the egg hatched, or even to see it and ask me about it. I was a terrible liar, and I'd end up telling them everything. No, better safe than sorry.
But safe was boring, and lonely. Needless to say, I was always more than happy to see Berwald when he got home. I must have been obnoxious, immediately requiring affection and entertainment from him the moment he got home. Even as he cooked dinner, I'd pester him, talking to him endlessly. But he put up with it, all with good humor too. He'd reply to all of my questions, kiss me whenever I invaded his personal space, and cuddle with me anytime we were on the couch or in bed. And, like a spoiled child, I never stopped wanting for it.
On one particular night, I was feeling especially Berwald-starved. I'd literally run out of things to clean, and had resorted to counting how many rectangular objects there were in the house to pass the time. When the door finally creaked open, I was on Berwald faster than the man could remove his shoes.
"You're home!" I chirped, hugging him even while he was doubled over, one nice shoe in his hand, one still on the other foot.
"Ja..." He replied cautiously. I smiled brightly, letting go of him so he could finish taking his shoes off, then I followed him into the living room, claiming his lap when he sat down. He offered me the smallest of smiles when I sprawled out across him, and rubbed at my belly absently. I laughed, the feeling a little ticklish.
"How was work?" I wondered, sitting up so I could rest my head on his shoulder.
"Alrigh'." He replied, a sigh telling another story. I stared at him until he relented. "Mathias wouldn' shut up abou' some guy he met at the beach. Ended up runnin' behind, and Ah had to stay and help him finish." He offered. I nodded understandingly. I heard quite a lot about this Mathias character.
"I'm sorry, love." I cooed, kissing the bit of neck in front of me. He sighed again, seeming to melt into the couch.
"Hows Junior?" He inquired. I'd come to learn that he used that name to refer to the egg.
"Fine. Still in egg form, I'm afraid." I responded. He ruffled my hair, then we fell into companionable silence for a bit, just cuddling on the couch. Around five, he got up to start dinner. I trailed behind, taking a seat at the island and watching him work. I'd learned, after having to deal with a scald on my arm from being splashed with boiling water, not to try and follow him around the kitchen. He'd been very apologetic about the burn, but it had been my fault.
He sat with me to eat, then did the dishes. It was about six thirty when he finished, so, after checking on the egg again, he settled back into the living room. I felt almost bad for crowding him, but not bad enough that I didn't plop right back down in his lap for some more attention. He didn't seem to mind though, guiding me to straddle his lap while my head fell to the crook of his neck. He pulled me up for a few kisses though, ones that left me breathless and wanting more. And so, as I'd learned to do since coming to live with Berwald, I took what I wanted. Getting up on my knees, I pressed my lips to his, tipping his head back so I had more control.
I could tell that he liked it, and that made me feel better, more confident. I deepened the kiss, wrapping my arms about his neck and pressing closer. His arms came up to circle my hips, holding me to him until we had to part for breath. He had to pant a bit before he could speak.
"Bit frisky tonight?" He quipped. I didn't know what that meant, but I didn't care, falling back in for more. I was just about to try and get him to lie down on the couch when he got up, quite suddenly, hands on my bottom to keep me up. I wrapped my legs around his hips as well, squeezing to make sure I didn't fall as he carried me toward the bedroom.
He made it in, toeing the door shut behind us, then walked over to the bed, setting me down on it. He followed, lips finding mine again, and we kissed till I was dizzy. Then his lips were all over, my face, my neck, and after taking my shirt off, my chest. I whined at the feeling, my hips already trembling with want. Now that I knew the pleasures of 'making love,' as Berwald called it, I was hungry for it.
He had clearly tuned into that, as he began ridding himself of clothing as well, then slid down my pants and underwear, palming me before I even had a chance to grasp that I was naked. I keened, fingers twisting in the sheets as I tried to lie still. I'd learned it was actually more pleasurable for me if I could manage not to move too much. I usually failed, of course, but always tried. But, though I was doing well, he didn't take me over the edge, leaving me hanging on the brink as he pulled away, not even touching me.
I gasped, my eyes opening as I stared at him, silently demanding an explanation. He offered none, getting up and walking over to the bedside table. He rummaged around in the drawer, and I watched him curiously and a bit frustrated. Whatever it was, couldn't it have waited? I'd been so close! He seemingly found what he was looking for though, shutting the drawer and returning to the bed.
He rubbed my leg, probably in a bid to sooth my irritation, and I heard a popping noise. I looked to his hand to see a tiny bottle, which he'd opened. It was filled with some kind of liquid, which he squeezed into his hand. I eyed it curiously, looking up at him.
"Ah wan' to do somethin' else." He said, dipping the fingers of his other hand into the liquid, spreading my legs gently with his elbows. I moved as he wished, opening my legs and laying with them splayed, still trying to figure out what he was going to do.
I gasped when his fingers began touching places I wasn't expecting to be touched. What was he thinking, touching down there? And it wasn't pleasant, not like when he touched my arousal. And his fingers were cold from whatever he'd poured out of the bottle, making me flinch as he prodded the ring of muscle.
"Tino, relax." He murmured, his free hand rubbing soothing circles into my inner thigh. I shuddered, but did as he said, calming down and choosing to trust him. He'd never hurt me before. In fact, last time he wanted to 'try something new,' I'd learned the pleasure of sex. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.
Yet, when he pushed one of his fingers inside, just up to a knuckle, I could find no pleasure in it. I whined, but tried to hold still. He worked slowly, the single digit sliding in a few centimeters at a time, a bit painful but not unbearably so. I eventually got used to the feeling, and he was able to move it with ease, though I saw no point to this practise.
Again, I flinched as he began adding a second finger, this discomfort much more than the initial. He started tugging at my arousal again though, bringing back the hardness that was fading away as his other hand worked. That helped distract me, and soon enough, he was able to thrust his fingers in and out, and even spread the two apart, stretching the muscles with minimal pain. He kept at it till I hardly noticed it, then took the fingers out. I groaned with frustration as he stopped stroking me as well, but he hushed me, so I kept quiet.
I was still curious about the thing with the fingers, but ignored it in favor of kissing Berwald as he slotted his hips between my thighs. But I could keep quiet no longer when I felt something that certainly wasn't fingers dip down to same place.
"Berwald, please, what are you doing?" I questioned, looking down at him. He met my gaze, and I noticed the flush spread over his cheeks. But still, he looked me in the eye, sighing.
"I's called anal." He explained, thumbs running patterns into my hip bones as he spoke. "I's the mos' intimate way to have sex." He elaborated. Oh. So that's what all of this was about. He wanted to take it further. I blinked a few times, then nodded.
"Will it hurt?" I wondered. He bit his lip a bit.
"A little." He admitted. "No' much if ya relax." He added. I did as he said, forcing my body to relax as he moved back into position.
I couldn't help my gasp of surprise as he began to push his length into me. He was much larger than his fingers had been, and the stretch stung a little. But he moved very slowly, kissing at my skin and rubbing my muscles the whole way. Before I could even grasp the whole situation, his hips were pressed against my bottom, and he was entirely inside. He stayed there for a long time, waiting as I managed to calm down, to stop straining so much. Then he started moving, still incredibly slow, letting me get a feel for the motion. The pain dissolved into mere discomfort, which eventually faded to simple fullness. I could handle it.
I was spurred on by the fact that Berwald seemed to be getting quite a bit of pleasure from it, even if he was clearly holding back on my account. So, as soon as I had gotten past the discomfort, I began to rock my hips against his, hoping to indicate that he could move faster, and I'd be fine. He took the hint, hands finding my hips to offer him leverage as he thrust in.
The fullness slowly worked its way into an agreeable feeling, and a few soft moans began to spill from my lips, the volume rising as we went on. Then, quite abruptly, he hit something inside that made my body shudder, my mouth open with a silent scream. He paused for a moment, then hit it again, eliciting another, very similar reaction from me. After that, it became a game of who could roll their hips faster, who could cry out the loudest. I think I won, in both respects.
It was such a strange, foreign feeling. At first, it had been uncomfortable, but now I was enjoying the feeling of Berwald inside of me. I wonder if it felt as nice for him as it did for me. Maybe he'd switch with me next time. But, in that moment, I was pleased to be on the receiving end. So much so that I reached up, pulling Berwald to me to give him a kiss, a sloppy, open-mouthed, wet one. I couldn't make it a very deep kiss though, so labored was my breathing. I felt that now-familiar tightness building up in my lower stomach, and the pace of my bucking hips became uneven, stuttering and too fast.
Berwald hefted me up so that I was mostly vertical, his strong arms helping me to continue moving in my upright position. This way, he sank in even further, and it had my head spinning. I tried to warn him, getting as far as "I'm going-" before I fell over the edge, releasing the tightness. Orgasm, as Berwald had called it. My release fell against his stomach, and I collapsed against his chest, thoroughly exhausted. He didn't force me to do any more work, thrusting up into me while I lay still until he was spent as well, a hot wetness filling me before he removed himself and laid us both down.
It took some shuffling, but he eventually got us laying side by side, and he pulled me closer to his side, one hand on my waist and the other in my hair, mussing it absently. In the next half hour or so, he kissed me, rubbed my back, and told me he loved me more times than I could count. After that, he picked me up, carrying me into the bathroom for a shower. He let me sit, and cleaned me himself, making sure all of his release was gone before turning the water off and drying off. I tried walking after that, finding it a bit uncomfortable but not impossible.
Still, I was groggy, so, after checking on the egg again and turning all of the lights off, he led me back to the bedroom. He made me wait, changing the sheets before he'd let me get into the bed. Then he wrapped me up in his arms, stroked my hair again. It was too early to sleep, but we were too exhausted to do much. So we simply talked.
"Sorry for following you around as soon as you got home." I said meekly. He smiled, brushing my bangs back.
"Don' apologize. Love havin' ya around." He chided, kissing my forehead. "An' Ah can imagine how bored ya mus' be, home by yerself all day."
"It's not so bad, honestly. I think I'm just particularly antsy, since Mer are such social creatures. I'll be fine though, don't worry." I assured, snuggling into his chest.
"Ah try to ge' home early, bu' Mathias has been a real problem lately." He grumbled. I frowned sympathetically, wondering if he'd elaborate. "Like Ah said, he's been talkin' abou' some guy he me' at the beach. Says he's real special, and he's in love. Bu' the guy sounds pretty terrible." He said, frowning himself. "Accordin' to Mathias, he's really cold, sarcastic, and violen'. And he's apparently lookin' fer someone." He explained.
"Is that bad? Maybe he got separated from his family, or something." I suggested, shrugging my shoulders. Berwald shook his head quickly.
"No, tha's not wha' it sounds like." He mumbled. "Sounds more like a man hun', to me." He added. I furrowed my brows.
"Oh... Perhaps he is one of those... Lice officers?" I tried. Berwald chuckled.
"Police." He corrected, kissing my cheek. "And maybe. It's not mah business anyway." He decided, pulling me closer. I nodded at that. I'd never met Mathias, not really. I had seen him a few times, when I would bring lunch to Berwald's office, or share his break, but we'd never spoken or anything. He seemed to be quite a source of stress for Berwald though, so maybe it was for the best.
We fell into comfortable silence, both of us dozing off after a while, despite the early hour. It was simply too lovely being wrapped up in each other's arms. If worse came to worse, we'd be up early the next day.
A/N: I don't think frisky quite covers it. OwO
Well, as I said last time, we're drawing close to the climax, and I'm therefore more excited to work on this one. Hence this relatively quick update. I have one chapter ahead of this, and then, I do believe, it's time for the climax! The next chapter is short though, just to warn you guys. Don't fight me or anything.
Another reason I wanted to get this one out tonight is because: Dun dun dun! I've started a collaborative story with Tora-Star! (Author of Cheers to a New Life) She, Terra Saltt, and I are all in frequent contact. We're, like, buddies and stuff. We're even planning an irl meeting. But anyway, this rant has a purpose: Tora and I both saw Frozen, and had the EXACT same idea. Think Frozen AU, my friends. I was telling her about my idea, and she informed me that she was already working on, literally, the same story. So she offered to make it a collab, and who was I to say no?
So, we made a joint account (Tora-Riya) and the first chapter was posted earlier tonight! She wrote the first chapter, and I wrote the second. I'll be uploading mine in a few days, after her chapter gets a chance to get reviews and stuff. But I've gotta say, it's already been a lot of fun working with her. There's a definite difference in our writing styles, but I'm liking the way they go together. Anyway, the story is called 'Frozen Heart' if you want to check it out. She's an amazing writer, one of my role models actually, so I'd appreciate it if you supported the both of us! It'll be a fun story, I promise!
In other news, it's been a while since I reminded everyone: I have not only a FF account, but an AO3, a Deviantart, and a Tumblr! And I love it when I see readers on other sites. I'll even give you my facebook/skype, if you want to talk. I'm a social creature, most of the time. My Deviantart account is an ask profile, so you can ask the characters (or me) any questions you have, and I'll draw you a response! My page hasn't been feeling the love lately, so I thought I'd remind you guys. My tumblr is also an ask profile, but it'll be text responses there. Or you can follow my main blog, but that is something you do at your own risk. I post a lot of SnK stuff on that one, and much gay. So that's up to you. You can find links to everything in my profile, or you can just ask me. I'd be happy to help you find me on other sites!
Alright, off I go! I have much JeanMarco to write, I'm afraid. Till next time, lovelies.
KuroRiya
δΉε γγ